Saying good-bye to Ron, Sherry and Molly

On the last day of July it was time to say good-bye to my wonderful hosts. Ron and Sherry had shown me every courtesy. My time with them was wonderful. From chatting with Sherry, sipping bourbon with Ron, sitting on their porch looking out over Bangor and the rest of northern and western Maine to dodging Molly's wet sloppy kisses in the morning I could not have asked for more congenial hosts.

An Unexpected Surprise

I went to visit Jean and Bud Lyford who had been on my paper route those many years ago. They told me that their son, Peter, had recently received the Silver Beaver Award at the new lodge at Camp Roosevelt. They urged me to visit the new facility which they described as, "spectacular"....and it is.

One evening i drove to the camp where I had spent so many happy hours as a Scout camper and a Scout Leader. While I was checking in, I was very pleasantly surprised to have one of my former Scouts, Mike Cuskelly, walk in. Mike is the Camp Director...and offered to show me around the facility. He reminded me that we first met right here at Camp Roosevelt. In a moment of nostalgia, we went to Snow Shoe campsite to talk for awhile. I've always been proud of the fact that a number of my former Scouts went on to become Professional Scouters...Mike being one of the best.

Old Scoutmaster and Old Scout in front of the new lodge

It was amazing how small everything looks compared to when I attended camp back in the fifties and sixties. One thing, though, has not changed. The old lodge still holds great memories for me. Here I was awarded my Life Scout badge and was inducted into the Order of the Arrow.

Visiting Mum

One of the most important reasons I returned to Maine was to visit my mother. So, after reunion weekend, I drove out to Hermon to visit Mum. When I arrived she was very upbeat. She had just received news that she would not have to undergo dialysis...nad someone was there (me) for her to prepare a meal. Mum has always enjoyed preparing meals for people...and this gave her the opportunity to fix something other than her restrictive diet.

She is doing extremely well on her diet, mostly because she is so disciplined and follows her doctor's directions. I certainly hope I will look this good when I reach 84.

We chatted for awhile, I showed her pictures of Guyana...and then when she had had enough she simple said, "OK, that's all I want to see."...we said our good-byes and I began the the rest of my journey through Maine and then on back to Guyana.

46th High School Reunion

46 Freakin' years?!?!?!? Can you
believe it??? 46 years since we walked out of the halls of Brewer
High School into the unknown...let's see now, what was happening?
Viet Nam was ramping up, the Civil Rights Movement was in full
swing...just five months after we graduated, our 38th President would
be assassinated in Dallas, 8-track players belted out our favorite
tunes, DVD's and iPods were nearly a half century away, the first
computers would not be introduced for another 7 years, there was no
Internet, no IMing, no texting, Al Gore had yet to develop global
warming, the air was clean and sex was dirty.

Reunion weekend began with a joint party at the Ohmart and Ivers camps at Beech Hill Pond...that place has changed quite a bit as well. It was great fun to just sit around, chatting and laughing with friends I've not seen for nearly half a century...and may never see again.

Having been away from good ol' American
food for more than a year it was a real treat to pig out on cheese, dips, salty potato (is there supposed to be an “e” at the end of this word??? George Bush or Dan Quayle?) chips, burgers, pickles and real American booze. The next morning proved to be a continuation of my gastronomic journey into gluttony. Friends from far and wide gathered at the Ohmart camp bring all manner of breakfast delights...eggs, sausage, some kind of omelette/souffle thing that
was delicious, donuts (doughnouts for the purists out there), bagels,
bagels and more bagels and real honest to God COFFEE!!!

It was interesting watching everyone gather, chat and eat...for me it was especially enjoyable to see who
had changed the most and who had changed the least...my vote for having changed the least is Joe Lunt...that same great irrepressible happy laugh that can make the most moribund person smile, the quick smile and the
happy-go-lucky attitude about life. Yep, Joe hasn't changed very much...well, except for the hair thing.

At Good 'ol Brewer High School

Before heading down the road to the evening's festivities, a number of us took the opportunity to visit the hallowed halls of BHS. The only word that I can find to describe it is...BIG!!!

Everything has changed around, but mostly it has just gotten a whole lot bigger...more labs, more wings, more class rooms...more buildings.

After the tour, some of us went outside to have a group picture taken in front of the Brewer High School sign...how many former classmates can you identify?

...and just to prove a point...I do clean up pretty well when I'm not driving a boat, boating up some river in Guyana or riding my horse across the savannah, or exploring the Kanaku Mountains.

Arriving in Maine

Just before midnight on July 22, I set foot on Maine soil for the first since leaving a year ago May. Ron and Sherry Treat were waiting for me at Bangor International Airport. Ron, Sherry and Molly would be my hosts (incredible, wonderful hosts...why Molly woke me several mornings with her version of a "wet French kiss") for my time in Maine.

Into the car and away we drove...my GOD!!! we haven't even left the airport and I'm already lost. I could not believe the changes. Not until we got into Brewer and were headed for Holden that I finally got my bearings...and even then, the changes were astonishing. What happened to Wilson St.? Now it goes all the way to Whiting Hill? Whoa...a Loew's???...way out here??? Unbelievable.

We turned right onto the Copeland Hill Road and things started to look familiar...well, sort of familiar. After a bit of chatting, a bourbon and some reminiscing, we retired sometime after midnight.

Off to St. Thomas

I know, I know...it has been sometime since I submitted anything to my blog...so, here goes. I am going to get you all caught up. On July 16th, I flew up to St. Thomas to pack and ship the "stuff" I had left in storage when I left last November. I have now successfully reduced my ownership of "stuff" to 11 small boxes. Mostly, my tools, some books and a what few clothes I need for the tropics.

I had a great time visiting friends...and eating steak at Latitude 18. It was wonderful to hear Jason again, feast on the best steak on the island and "gaff"...the Guyanese equivalent of gossiping...with friends. My most memorable night was spent aboard Silver Moon with Captain Bob and Mary. We swam, drank, listened to Captain Bob croon and dined on Mary's superb dinner. It was definitely the highlight of my trip to St. Thomas. Technorati Tags: St. Thomas, Silver Moon, Latitude 18