A constant reminder of our new acquaintance IRENE were the myriad of caravans of trucks we saw heading north--trucks, men and equipment from many southern power companies and tree trimming companies. Irene, what have you done. We followed her up the coast.
My original plan was to visit up to seven capitols. I had toned it down to four or five (depending on how bored I made Lynne). Trenton was going to be on the way north. But the more I thought about it, I decided to give up Trenton so that I could surprise Lynne.
Once many years Lynne surprised me for my birthday and took me to high tea at a sweet little tea room in Port Charlotte. We had decided to make that a tradition. We were going to go there just before the departure of Molly and Steve for their northern kettle korn season and upon our return to Florida. We did this a couple of times. And then in 2004 Hurricane Charley took a quick right turn from the Gulf up the Peace River and wiped out everything...hotels, homes, and our beloved tea room.
In Millerton, New York is a wonderful tea emporium owned and operated by Harney Tea. The whole Harney experience is next to a rails to trails bicycle/walking path. The parking lot would have been used to the old Millerton railroad station.
It starts with a tasting room With the hundreds of teas, blends, herbs, flowers, white, green, black, one can choose two or three to try. It is brewed the exact correct amount of time and a sample served in a Chinese style cup. Occasionally, one can catch one or two more samples if there is extra from the request of another patron. One can buy tea by the pound from this room.
The second place is a small cafe, which serves a specialty tea of the day--our day was iced but I can't remember the name. Very quaint. Lynne and I had lunch with the tea.
The last room is the retail store...all kinds of tea accessories, all the various teas, pots, etc. Very busy. So much fun.
After we left Harney, we continued to our next destination with a quick detour around Highland Lake in Winsted. This is one of my favorite places. This is the place Steve and I met and where he finally got around to asking me for our first date. It is where I learned to water ski. We started to traverse the perimeter of the lake to find that it was closed due to Irene and her flooding at the spillway. Irene, are you going to be in my way wherever I go!! So, we turned around and retraced our steps.
Next we drove down to New Hartford. Peddlers Junction, a gift shop, carries the bird houses that Steve makes. They were out of them. We had carried six of them in our back seat. The owner willingly took them.
We then headed for our next host, Pam and Michael. I really confused Michael as I had attended St John's Church and signed their guest book when I was in that area in May. It turns out that Michael and Pam attend that church and had seen my name. Guess he thought it was an unusual name and went home to Pam with this enigma. Could they have come early? he thought. They were reallllllly confused until we had the conversation about my many trips to Connecticut.
Pam is a manager of a local thrift store. It is one in which I have left many a dollar. I collect depression glass. And over the years, they have sold me many a piece.
Pam and Michael are late diners. We arrived around five-ish and did not expect to eat with them. Since we had a big late lunch at Harney, we were fine without another meal. Around seven--ish, they started dinner and invited us to have some of it. Salmon and asparagus! Yum! Again, Evergreen has given us another gracious and generous host family.
I love being in my home state. I sometimes forget how much I miss it.
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