Happy St Patrick’s Day

Posted on March 17, 2017March 17, 2017 by Dusty Roads

‘Tis great to be Irish (even if your not)because this is the one day of the year when everyone is a little bit Irish.

Saint Patrick’s Day is an official Christian feast day observed since the 17th century. The day commemorates Saint Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. He is also credited with chasing the snakes out of Ireland. A bit of a stretch because there is no evidence that there were ever any snakes in Ireland in the first place. Still, as any good Irishman will say, “It makes for a fine tale” especially after a Guinness or two.

Celebrations include public parades and festivals, green attire and ceilidhs. I didn’t know what that last word was so I had to look it up. According to Wikipedia a ceilidh (there should be an accent mark over the e) is a traditional Scottish or Irish gathering. It can mean, in its simplest form, a social visit but in today’s usage it usually involves playing Gaelic folk music and dancing.

If you live in Boston Saint Patrick’s Day is a BIG DEAL. People of Irish ancestry are the largest single ethnic group in Boston. The Irish boom came in the 19th century following the Great Irish Famine. At first there was a real separation of the Puritan Bostonians and the newly immigrated Irish but with the increasing Irish population, political organization and strong group loyalty the Irish took political control of the city.

The Irish left their mark on the region in a number of ways: in still heavily Irish neighborhoods such as Charlestown and South Boston; in the name of the local basketball team, the Boston Celtics; in the iconic Irish-American political family, the Kennedys.

The annual dispute these days is whether OUTVETS, a gay veteran’s group can march in the annual St Patrick Day Parade. I’m happy so say that the organizers of the parade finally gave in and said yes and have promised to change their by-laws so this annual dispute will not raise it’s ugly, prejudicial head again.

So raise a pint! Here’s another toast to the feisty Irish with their rich heritage. They bring color and life to a stodgy old city at least one day a year!

May the leprechauns be near you,
To spread luck along your way.
And may all the Irish angels,
Smile upon you St. Patrick’s Day.

Every Day’s a Holiday

Posted on March 16, 2017March 16, 2017 by Dusty Roads

Did you know that just about every day in the year has some holiday or observance attached to it?

Yesterday was the “Ides of March” as in “Beware the Ides of March”, the warning the soothsayer called out to Julius Caesar. It was also the date of Caesar’s assassination so I guess he really should have taken the warning to heart.

Today’s weird and wonderful holiday is “Everything you do is Right Day”. (Go away Dudley Do Right!)

I could use a day like that! Sometimes it feels like everything I do is wrong no matter how hard I try. I’m sure you’ve all felt like that a time or two. Then we get a day where everything you do is Right and my world is back on track! (Would that it were so easy) In any case it’s a nice thought and kind of balances out the bad.

Going back to March 15. Did you know that it’s also Buzzards’ Day?

Buzzard Day is an Ohio holiday where once a year eager residents scan the skies for the return of the bald headed bird. To them this graceful creature signals rebirth not death.

Oh and I missed National Potato Chip Day on March 14 but I’m sure we’ll make up for it on Friday, March 17 when we snack on chips while downing our pints of Green beer. ‘Tis an Irish celebration, St Patrick’s Day, is.

Just a couple of other quick hits…March 20 is National Alien Abductions Day, I kid you not.

Not enough weird holidays for you. March 28 is “Make Up Your Own Holiday Day.” With holidays like National Goof off Day and Chip and Dip day I can’t think of anything I’d want to make up. Someone has beat me to all the good stuff. What about you?

Anatomy of a Nor’easter

Posted on March 15, 2017March 15, 2017 by Dusty Roads | 4 Comments

Ask any weather forecaster, there is a major storm on the way. 18-24 inches of snow, high winds with gusts up to 70 miles per hour and torrential rains once the storm switches gears.

Wide spread power outages are predicted.

6:30 am my alarm goes off. Is it snowing yet? Should I work from home or risk going into the office. I peek out the window. Nothing right now but there is a slight dusting. Must have snowed and stopped. I turn on the TV. Dire warnings. School closings. Stay off the roads!

8:30 am. The snow started up again. I’ve decided to work from home, not because it so bad now but because I’m afraid I won’t be able to get back home at the end of the day. It’s non-stop coverage of the storm… each prediction more dire than the last. Its like there is no other news in the world today. Even my bank has closed all of the branches!

9:30 am The very fine snow has really increased. No fat, fluffy flakes here. The wind has picked up significantly. The forecasters are saying that the rain/snow line has changed so southeastern New England may get more rain than snow. Its raining on Cape Cod now. The blizzard warning from Boston south has been dropped.

10:30 am. Not much change. Still snowing. First plows just went by to clear the roads

11:30 am The snow is really starting to accumulate and the wind is howling now.

1:45 pm Looks like the change over to rain/sleet has begun.

3:30 I think the worst is over. The wind has let up and it’s just rain now. Coming down hard but still just rain.

No where near the 18-24 inches predicted. Just another day in New England.

Moose up the Road Apiece!

Posted on March 14, 2017March 14, 2017 by Dusty Roads

Rangeley, a town in Franklin county Maine has a population of around 1200 until the tourists come to town. Rangeley is the center of the Rangeley Lakes Region, a major resort area.

It looks like a June vacation will be an excellent time as far as the weather is concerned. Watch me jinx us by making a statement like that! But really. When I check the average temps the average high in June is 69 degrees and the average low is 47 degrees. Nice sweater weather. Of course they did have a record high of 90 degrees and a record low of 27 degrees. There’s been no snow in June and only an average rainfall of less than 5 inches. But if it rains there’s a bowling alley. We can all go bowling!

I want to go to Maine in June for the moose. The moose is the state animal of Maine. Moose spotting becomes an activity late spring to Mid-summer. Seems to me June falls right in the middle of that range. The best time for spotting moose seems to be early morning or evening and noon to 2 pm. Sounds like moose like to have lunch too!

Calves are born in late May to early June right on track with our June vacation . I can visualize the photos now. Early morning has such beautiful light!

One of the activities I’m thinking about is a Moose Safari. There are both walking safaris and water safaris in canoes or kayaks . I know how to canoe but I’ve never been kayaking. That would be a new adventure. Plus there’s plenty of hiking trails. Also sounds like a lot of waterfalls on these trails.

One location in particular that caught my eye is The Hunter Cove Wildlife Sanctuary, sitting along Route 4 between Rangeley and the town of Oquossoc, the sanctuary offers nearly two miles of looped, flat, hiking trails leading through moose country. The sanctuary, as well as the lakes, is home to deer, foxes, loons and other bird and animal species.

I’m used to wildlife sanctuaries. I visit them in Massachusetts all the time so this might belong on my list.

I’m ready for June to arrive and my Maine wildlife adventure to begin.

Travel Quote of the Day

Posted on March 13, 2017March 13, 2017 by Dusty Roads | 2 Comments

“For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.” – Robert Louis Stevenson

Yes, I can identify. Can you? It’s like having an itch you can’t scratch. I bet it’s what a cat feels when they want to go out only to turn around and come back in. We just have to go somewhere! Anywhere! NOW!

I think that’s why I moved every 2 years or so when I was younger, before I invested in a condo that keeps me rooted in one place. The plan was to buy a home, live there for 4-5 years and sell for a profit but the real estate bubble burst and with it my wandering days were severely curtailed.