Had a FB IM with Robin Lennon ... she'll be in town to visit her mom in mid-December. We made a date for a drink. She did not know of the whereabouts of Maude Carey but I did a search and actually paid for a short-lived and cheap membership to PeopleSearch for $.95 and got the following address is Newark, DE, and phone number for a Maude Carey:
73 Cypress Tree Circle
Newark, DE 19702
(302) 994-1086
Mom and Dad are breakfasted and medicated and I'm getting set to leave for Philadelphia Pike and George's to meet with Bob and Alice for breakfast myself. Will bring Dancer with me and see about heading to a park in north Wilmington.
It was a bonanza of a walking adventure through the woods, a brilliant fall late morning and Dancer in the water with the yellow leaved trees lining the shoreline and creating a lovely image and my walk, over 3 miles, through leaf-strewn path to the mansion and hardly any people, amazingly. Such a sterling morning and so few people. The picture below has the proper cutline information locating Dancer in northern Delaware ... Bob says that he travels the park with Bo and insisted that I keep Dancer on a leash ... Cindy's four dogs got out and she got a fine, unbelievably high, of $1,000 or $250 per dog, Alice told me.
Stunning fall colors on a fabulous November day in northern Delaware as Dancer tests the waters of
Shellpot Creek in Bringhurst Woods Park.
Bob and Alice look good. They beat me to George's and were already seated. We ate heartily and talked a lot. I did most of it but learned that Bob is retired as of last year -- thus the emeritus status -- but is still teaching a full load this semester. He will not teach next but he has an editing assignment on disability law and is working with a number of other law educators. Alice is crazy busy working with her classes as non-tenure track faculty employee who teaches writing and works with the future graduates, I think, on their writing and employment application process. They will get back to me when their time frees up and maybe I can see Caleb, who stayed in bed with their pet Golden Retriever, "Bo" (I think), in his bedroom. We had a nice visit. He mentioned the park and the great walk that it provided and said we ought to do it, together, with our dogs in the future. I had a great hour plus walk, over 3 miles, with Dancer and got educated on the woods, brilliant in their late fall plumage, and the mansion at Rockport Park. Such an amazing late morning with nary a person taking advantage of such a sterling day.
Phoned Ron when I got home about the arrest of Brad Holstein, Jr. (he lives with his parents and his father, my classmate at JDHS, is the principal of Anna P. Mote Elementary), for child pornography, and I mistook his father, who graduated with me, with Danny Albright, who graduated with and played b-ball with Ron and whose father worked as a driver's education teacher at JDHS. Ron informed me of this fact but had sobering news that he's dealing with at present -- he was let go from his job of 35 years. Manufacturing was not in the future plans and he was shown the door with a modicum of benefits and an 18-month cushion on his health COBRA benefits, but as he told me, who is looking for 56-year-old unemployed men. There is age discrimination as I well know and it will be interesting if Ron's expertise in dental materials will figure into him getting another job. He has some time and I hope it works out for him.
Made a quick trip to Bachetti's for liverwurst, ham and cheese and picked up a loaf of bread, too, as dad requested the former on Holland rusk. He has just completed both rusks with the liverwurst and watches a war film on TCM, both my parents are enamored of the movie channel. This movie stars a young Clint Eastwood. Go figure. On the radio below, Garrison Keillor intones in his mellifluous voice, Prairie Home Companion, broadcasting live from Minneapolis on WHYY. I will be taking Dancer on a final walk around the neighborhood as an exclamation point to the incredible walk this morning through the leaf-strewn and auburn and burnt yellow trees of northern Wilmington near Mount Pleasant High School.
Something remarkable or perhaps not as it probably has always been there, though hidden by years of being together and just taking it for granted, was the affection shown by mom and dad prior to saying goodnight. He leaned over and they sort of kissed but the looks on their faces were priceless. True concern and love for each other. It was unmistakable. They do so care about one another. It may be hidden but it's there and it is a force.
So tranquil, so comfortable with one another. Dad looks good in that sweater and his khakis, Mom, too, in her sweater and colorful dress.
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