Monday Morning - Portland MAINE

Portland looks like a real nice city. It is the largest city in Maine (66,000) and has a big harbor that includes a pier for Cruise Liners that make it a port of call all summer. Unfortunately - the entire time that we were there it rained and was foggy and windy. 50 degree temperatures seemed like wishful thinking.

Fortunately we had a great hotel - we love Residence Inns. You get a little apartment - free wireless - free parking - and a fantastic free breakfast. We had a harbor front room that allowed us to watch the boats come and go - when we could see them.

We walked along the docks - with umbrella - until we found Becky's Diner. It was a tip a friend gave us. Lulu had a lobster roll and I had an egg sandwich. Everything else on the menu included the word fish. It got so blustery that we took a cab back to the hotel - the driver told us that the weather was like this all spring - and the next week predicts the same.

We had to get out of town early this morning - because Poland (home of Poland Spring) was an hour away and Lulu had to be there at 8 AM to visit the Poland Community School. Our little apartment felt so comfy and warm that I did not want go outside to get on the road.

I cheated on the picture above - it was a stock photo taken on one of their rare sunny days. My neighbor John - who has a summer home in Maine - said there are a lot of tradeoffs in Maine. To get beautiful lakes and nice people - you have to suffer the rain and black flies - that is why the population is so low.

Shirley Wiegand Retires - Again - From Teaching Law

At the party - Joel - Dennis - Scott - Barbara - Don - Chuck - Wayne - David - Stephanie - Pat - George - Ann - Rhonda - Vicky - and SHIRLEY. Harry took the picture - Nancy arrived from Buffalo later. Picture taken on the Wiegand porch.

On Saturday we celebrated another rite of passage as our neighbor - Shirley Wiegand retired from teaching. Shirley has taught law at the University of Oklahoma - the University of Kentucky - the University of Wisconsin - Marquette University - and Florida A&M University. Every time her husband Wayne took a different job - Shirley would give up a very successful career position to stand by her man. She gives the term "trailing spouse" a new meaning.

Add the University of Arizona and Queensland University in Brisbane. Also a year at Stetson University. I am going to apply to the Guiness Book of World Records to see if Shirl holds the record.

Now both Wayne and Shirley are officially retired and living on Old Fort Drive in Tallahassee FL - yes - that is the correct spelling.

Two highlights of the party were a video from - Anita Hill - Shirley's office mate at Oklahoma and Shirley playing "Old Kentucky Home" before the running of the Kentucky Derby.

Waltham MA - Lulu Visited a School - I Visited the Wilson Diner

Waltham Elementary School - 32 Done - 3 More to Go.

Looks like the principal walked to school today.

On Main Street in Waltham MA sits the Wilson Diner. Steak and eggs - toast - home fries - tea - juice - and blueberry pancakes.

At one time there were hundreds of these railroad car diners. Now some of them are on the national historic register.

Concord MA - They Fired the Shot Heard Round the World

The west side of Concord Bridge along American lines.

They fired the shot heard round the world.

April 17, 1775 - score Brits 2 - Rebels 0.

A replica of the original bridge.

The rebels had a barn full of weapons and powder just beyond the west end of this bridge. Paul Revere rode ahead to let them know the British were coming - their mission was to burn down that barn. The rebels lined up on one side of the bridge and the Red Coats were on the other side. They exchanged formal fire here - eventually the rebels broke ranks. The Brits accomplished their goal and the war was on. As the British returned to Boston - the Americans discovered they could be more effective by hiding behind trees and taking pot shots at the retreating troops. The American Guerilla was born.

Lexington MA - the Revolutionary War Started Here

For years I was the King of Field Trips at Panther Valley. Some of my best times were shepherding kids from Maine to Florida. I miss those times. These kids were lined up where the Minutemen stood when the Revolution began.

"Don't fire unless fired upon."

Lexington Battle Green is very green.

Minuteman statue on Lexington Green.

I had the park mostly to myself - you can see my white car in this picture.

While Lulu was visiting an elementary school library in Waltham MA - I drove up the road 5 miles to visit Lexington. Paul Revere rode ahead to tell the locals that the British were coming. A group of Minutemen - collected on the green and waited. They stood their ground - the British fired and the rebels held them off.

The British were coming inland to burn a cache of weapons near the bridge at Concord.

It was April 17, 1775 - and the American Revolutionary War began. It took 6 years until the Red Coats finally surrendered in Yorktown, Virginia.

Friday Afternoon - Providence - Rhode Island

Friday Morning - Waltham - Massachusetts

Thursday - Norwalk - Connecticut

Wednesday - Montpelier - Vermont

Trolley Possible on West Tennessee Street in Tallahassee

StarMetro Moves Forward with Transportation Feasibility Study along Tennessee St.

Last night, the City Commission granted approval for StarMetro to pursue a feasibility study for implementing bus rapid transit, streetcar and/or light rail line along the West Tennessee Street corridor. Most of the funding comes from an alternative analysis grant from the Federal Transit Administration.

“By the end of September, we hope to have a transportation and planning consultant on board to perform the feasibility study,” said Ron Garrison, executive director of StarMetro. “The study should commence shortly thereafter, and we hope to have a conclusion by the end of the 2012.”

Vision Tour in Norwalk CT

Priceline.com hotels and Budget rental cars trademark Lulu's Vision Tour

This picture is fresher than the morning waffles. I just put Lulu in her car on the way to countdown school visit 5 - in the Vision Tour. Only 4 more school libraries to visit after today.

Lulu rides in on her white horse (in this case a Subrau) with the little "Vision Tour" sign on the side. With assembly - reception - evaluation - survey - the visit will last from 9AM to 1 PM. Then we pack our bags and cruise up I-95 to Waltham MA.

The Vision Tour was Lulu's brain child. She planned the tour to display outstanding school libraries in each state of the union. Fortunately or unfortunately - only 35 states offered a candidate for the tour. The tour has saved many school library positions from the legislative ax.

As the tour winds down - it is giving me a feeling of relief. I am so surprised that she was able to visit every school - on time - no delays - no postponements. The method of operation always included arriving in a hotel near the school the night before. Then a morning assembly and reception with the local dignitaries to present the award. Finally - there was a long drive to the next location - and another strange hotel bed. My feelings of relief are bookended by Lulu's melancholy that the tour is almost over. She really loves promoting school libraries.

The tour will officially end when we drive to New Orleans in June for the ALA Convention. Lulu will present a multi-media extravaganza ------ and then she is off to the FSU London Campus where she will teach her media class to future school librarians. Here we go again.

Click on Norwalk in Headline to see full Vision Tour.

Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin Came to Visit Lulu's Vision Tour

Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin came to meet Lulu and her Vision Tour

Our suite in the Inn at Montpelier

I can't remember ever sleeping in a canopy bed before

The Inn at Montpelier - within sight of the Capitol - our room was in this corner above the porch

Vermont gets lots of snow. This roof has two ice dams on it. They prevent the snow from building up on the edge - then melting and backing up under the shingles

The Ku Klux Klan was active in Vermont in the 1920s. Mainly they were Protestants banding together against Catholic immigrants. I have found a picture of my grandmother with a Ku Klux Klan outfit on - like these ladies

All protestants are welcome

Ethan Allen is on the front porch of the State House. He led the Green Mountain Boys in the Revolutionary War

This was a really neat firehouse - completely restored. Montpelier has a fired department of 17 full time members - not bad for a town of 7700. There are 4 crews of 4 men and the fire chief. There is always 4 men on duty

We had supper at this restaurant. It is run by the Vermont Culinary Institute - the third ranked cooking school in the country

The State House is small. It has a House and Senate. This building has been in use since 1828. At an open town meeting here - 1500 people testified - and passed one of the first Civil Union laws (Gay Marriage)

The Winooski River winds through Montpelier - in the background you can see the gold Capitol dome. In the foreground - you see a 6 foot waterfall. This waterfall powered many factories and also provided electricity for the first town hydroelectric power plant in the USA. That little falls powered all the street lights. The Winooski winds 90 miles to Lake Champlain

Nancy really liked our old fashioned room with canopy bed

While Lulu visited the school library here - I enjoyed this quaint little New England town. I visited the Vermont History Museum. I was the only person there except for a small group of second graders.

Lulu returned after the school visit - we packed up and started down the highway to Norwalk CT. It took about 5 hours with the last two hours of heavy traffic. there are just 5 libraries/states/schools for Lulu to visit.

One last fact I did not know - in 1864 - Confederate soldiers came across the border from Canada into the town of Saint Albin. They robbed several banks and took refuge in Canada under the protection of the British. The Brits were still smarting from the War of 1812 - and they wanted the cotton from the Confederacy.

Good Morning from the Capitol of Vermont

Harry's iPhone

Maine - Augusta -- New Hampshire - Concord -- Vermont - Montpellier ---so went the memorization in my grade school geography class. We always started up here in the NE corner so I remember them best.

It is 9AM Wednesday morning. It is about 60 degrees and sunny. I am sitting on the porch here on State Street. The cars make a really scratchy sound going by - they studded tires giving away the fact that the weather is not always this nice. Kids are pushing the season with shorts and the blossoms are on the trees.

Lulu will be done around noon - then we have a 5 hour drive to Connecticut.

Vermont is French for Green Mountain. They only have 600,000 but they are very proud of this place.

I was surprised this morning when Lulu said she is going to miss the Vision Tour after it is over this week. She has worked so hard producing this thing - then all the driving - hotels - flights - meeting people - speaking engagements. I have seen her grow into quite the ambassador.

Last week she was named an honorary member if the Nebraska Navy. Today - the governor is at the school to meet her.

It was fun being just a little part of it.

It is Tuesday - So This Must Be Vermont

Our hotel within sight of the Capitol. Our rental subaru 4WD for the week. iPhone picture.

After 3 planes - 35 miles of driving - and 10 hours from home - we are in Montpelier Vermont for the night. This town is smaller than Tamaqua - but has a really nice quaint downtown. The locals are taking us to dinner about a block down the main street.

Lulu visits U-32 Middle and High School tomorrow. There is a name for you.

We will visit 6 schools in 6 states in 6 days. That will be the end of the Vision Tour.

We will also get to see Drew- Robin - Jack - and Kate in Providence for the weekend.

The temperature here is about 65 - it was sunny but now it is overcast and there is a breeze.

The hotel is called The Inn at Montpelier. We are in Room 1. It has a fireplace - a king size canopy bed - an strictly colonial decorations. They hide the TV in a box :-)

The winter wheat is green and the trees are budding. I hope we do not have to use the 4WD on this car.

I Visited This Trailer That Had Not Been Moved in 20 Years

A lady's husband died. She put her first ad on Craigslist - "11 foot fiberglass trailer - $200." No pictures.

Since Lulu and I had a similar trailer back in 1977 when we made a round trip to San Francisco in it - we just had to go to see it. Although she lives just a few blocks from us - the trailer was on Lake Talquin - about 20 miles away. We followed her to her cabin - surround by many of her husband's old toys.

The trailer was in the bush - completely over grown. I was able to pull it out in the open with my truck. Bear in mind that we paid $2400 for a similar trailer in 1977. Similar trailers today run $5000 to $15,000.

The trailer would have to be completely gutted - but the fiberglass shell is perfect - no dents or cracks. It was used as a guest house - so there was not much stress on it. It would have to be gutted - probably would have to have a new floor put in. Also a paint job inside and out. The tires were rotted all the way thru. The odor of mildew was almost unbearable. Nothing that a little chlorine and a pressure washer could not cure.

Funny part - after all that work getting it out of the woods - and I offered more than her asking price - she had promised another man first dibbs for tomorrow. You win some and lose some.

Motorcycle Rally at FSU's Doak Campbell Stadium

The weather could not have been more perfect for the annual Florida State Police Motorcycle Rally - 80s - dry - sunny.

During the rally - there is a timed race through an obstacle course. Troopers from all over the Southeast participate.

During football games these parking lots are full of tailgating Seminoles - but today the troopers held court.

This guy was a Cajun from Louisiana.

New Dollar Tree Just Down the Street

Next to Harbor Freight.