I've done what I could

Whew!  Busy week that flew by.  Ameranth came home bearing gifts on Sunday (not really gifts, more like boxes of crap belongings that we are once again storing for her) and we shopped busily for two days. Wednesday we drove down to RI so she could visit her grandparents for "what might be the last time". What? When did my mother get so melodramatic? I'm not sure if she thinks she might not be around or if Ameranth will get lost somewhere in the desert. (She was really joking, folks. I think)

We were able to check out the aftermath of the flooding from the record rainfall two weeks ago.  Here's a picture of my parent's basement, everything except the Cliquot box and the rocker are now in a dumpster out back.

And the water flowing out the walkout basement door.

My father's getting the hang of digital photography, resizing and such. They were lucky to 'only' have 2 or 3 inches- my sister lives next door (just to the left in the picture above) and she had 26 inches in her basement! She still has a pond out back, which of course seeps back into her cellar as she pumps the water out. 

Anyway, my mother had drawers full of material, which she was going to throw out. Of course, I had to rescue it, so I ended up bringing more crap bags of goodies home. As long as they had the dumpster there, Ma decided to go through other closets and I now possess a box of assorted wrapping paper, bows and labels, some antique tin boxes filled with buttons, and games that were in the cabinet that I had originally planned on taking. J doesn't know yet that I didn't have room for the antique Bissell carpet sweeper. Maybe next trip, dear.

Friday I dropped Ameranth in Maynard MA and Sectaurs and his ladyfriend are driving her to Albany today to start her hike. It's snowing today in Maine, I hope the storm has ended in NY already.  Today's walk is just 5 miles (ha, 'just') and she does have a place to stay tonight. Anna is not happy about wearing her pack, in fact, whenever it was picked up she tucked her ears back and ran to hide. Poor dog, you're in for a shock.

                                  Relaxing at Grandma's house.

We spent this morning unloading the crap stuff Ameranth hadn't been able to fit in her car and finding room to store all of the boxes. Just undid all of the clearing out we've done lately. I do get to use her printer/scanner which will make life easier. The one we have networked through J's computer doesn't always like me and usually gets hung up on last page of a printing job. Plus, to scan photos I had to walk over, place the picture, use J's computer to scan and save, then transfer it to mine. A pain in the neck.

So, now we wait to get updates, hopefully daily and pretend that she is not out hiking 225+ miles across NY.  Good luck. We love you and hope you have a great time. 

***Just in- update from Sectaurs with picture of the departure.