Where "Everyone Knows Your Name"

Making your way in the world today
Takes everything you got
Taking a break from all your worries
It sure would help a lot
Wouldn't you like to get away?

Sometimes you want to go
Where everybody knows your name
And they're always glad you came
You want to be where you can see
The troubles are all the same
You want to be where everybody knows your name

You want to go where people know
The people are all the same
You want to go where everybody knows your name

Cheers Theme Song

Cigar Time, and I am having one on my back deck, after a long morning walk and some "yard work".

While doing my Tri Weekly long walk this am (I love walking around in Vermont and Winter Park for that matter) I had a chance to reflect on my first few weeks back in Stowe.  It has been a whirlwind of reconnecting to friends and acquaintances that my faithful and obedient companion and I met in those 7 years we lived here. It brought to mind that opening from "Cheers".  Granted several particularly close friends we have seen every year since we left, either in Florida or one of our "abbreviated" visits  the last two years..  This trip has given us the chance to reconnect with some folks we have not seen in some time, including some that are not "friends" in the traditional sense.  A few examples:

My first week I stopped to buy some clams (you cannot get good seafood in Winter Park) from "Ed" who is a local purveyor of seafood.  Ed started his business in a small shack and a refrigerated truck he takes to Boston a couple of times a week to get really great seafood.  He grew it into a thriving business that services locals and restaurants in the Stowe community.  I was warned that he had to move when his landlord went "upscale" with an "organic" meat and cheese place.  Anyway on my first visit he greeted me by name and we chatted about his new smaller location etc.  While chatting I casually mentioned that after buying the clams I was headed to get a few bags of ice because my refrigerator's ice line was shot.  He said don't buy ice and proceeded to fill a big plastic bag with ice from his machine.  Yesterday I stopped in and bought a beautiful piece of Stripped Bass he picked up on his Thursday trip to Boston and of course he asked " hey Jim do you need more ice?".

After that visit I stopped by the post office to express mail a package to Barbara's niece in Pennsylvanian.  Of course the clerk "Bill" immediately said "Hi Jim, never thought I would see you again, how is your wife, is she still quilting?"  (Barb was always mailing quilts of valor when we lived here).   

Last week my "faithful and obedient companion" and I visited our favorite eating place for dinner and drinks sitting at the bar.  Of course the owners "Linda and Mark" immediately recognized us and we chatted about  families etc.  

Finally, I have had the chance to golf in the Thursday morning Men's group a couple of times now.  It is a group that started with a few of us several years ago.  Afterwards I instigated a rebirth of a small group to have a cigar and a Whistle Pig for an afternoon chat.  (A side note-the golf course got the "Whistle Pig" when they were told I was coming!  The waitress even nicknamed me Mr. Whistle Pig")  While enjoying the afternoon chat many folks I knew from those years stopped by to say "hi" and managed to set plans for some future get togethers.

This brought back many fond thoughts of our home here on Vermont, a state I tend to disparage all too frequently.  These early encounters also reminded me that politics and political points of view tend to dominate way to much of our daily life these days (including my Blog).  Life really is local and people of different political views can get along if they can just share some interests that span more than "politics". 

One final "teaser" on a possible future post:

I did kind of "feel" an underlying mood amongst friends that I will save as an "Observation"  for perhaps a November blog after we leave Vermont and I get a better sense of these "feelings" over the next few weeks.  I cannot help but tuck away thoughts for future blog posts!

Meanwhile I will savor my time here with friends and neighbors from a place that is really kind of special!

Until next time I bid you 

Adieu