Out With the New, In With the Old

Yes, you read that title correctly.   My time on Mount Desert Island, Maine and Tilghman Island, Maryland have come to an end.   The combination of my desire to be geographically closer to my elderly parents and the need to “shore up” the bank account with regular work resulted in a decision to return to my “home” state of Pennsylvania.   Specifically, Lancaster, which is located in the south central part of the state.

 

ABOVE:  My new domicile

 

I am fortunate to be able to rent a home from some friends in a nice location on the outskirts of the city.   One of the best features is the home’s proximity to a large county park located directly across the street.    Miles of hiking trails are available, and while it is next to impossible to match the beauty of hiking in Acadia, I will at least have handy access to hikes through woods and along a small river just steps from  my door.

The move itself went very well with two round trips of a fully loaded car and a quick relocation of all my “old stuff” from the storage unit where it had been snoozing these last 18 months.

 

 

ABOVE:   All this and more (not including the washer/dryer) went into a VW Passat for the first trip.

 

My two furry feline friends, Pebbles and Bam Bam, made the 3+ hour drive from Maryland to Pennsylvania like champs, napping away in their carriers until we arrived at our new destination.  Considering the last two trips for them ranged from 12 – 15 hours of travel time, this must have felt like a very short drive.

 

ABOVE:   Enjoying the sunshine on the deck of our new home.   Clearly, they didn’t have trouble adapting!

 

One of the more interesting observations I’ve made regarding this move is my lack of interest in unpacking all of the “old stuff” I took out of storage.     Although I downsized considerably prior to my year in Maine, I look at all of these boxes and think about how I have lived without 75 – 80% of these “things” for the last 18 months, so why do I need them now?     In previous moves, you would have found me furiously unpacking nonstop until everything was organized and put away.  Now, it seems more important to explore the park, or read a book; and of course, look for a job.

 

ABOVE:   A work in progress, stuff, stuff, and more stuff.   Ugh!

 

It is a shift in perspective that I welcome, and an indication that some of the changes in how I approach life have indeed taken root.

 

 

 

Just a walkin’ my …….. cat

Don’t laugh, but nearly every day (unless it’s pouring down rain), you will find me heading down the block with Bam Bam, the cat.   He enjoys being outside immensely, but cannot be trusted to roam the neighborhood, as that would eventually end in disaster.  (Ask my bank account after he was hit and thrown by a car; broken jaw, fed through a feeding tube for six weeks; oh yes – 9 years later he ONLY walks on a leash).

Having a moment with ribbon

When Bam Bam was younger, he had a happy, go lucky personality.  Now, at the ripe old age of 11 ish (he came as a not yet full-grown stray 11 years ago), he is more like a needy, grumpy old man, but he stills knows how to charm, when he’s out strutting his stuff.  (Here he is, ready and not so patiently waiting).

 

In case you were wondering, let me assure you that walking a cat is nothing like walking a dog.  It is an exercise in extreme patience; and some days I do better than others in this regard.   Sometimes we walk an entire quarter of a block without stopping!    Sometimes we walk three feet – stop, three feet – stop, and so on.

But wherever we go, we DO get attention.   I have had people stop their cars, pull over and lean out the window to make sure they are seeing what they think they are seeing.          I have had too many to count comments of:  “never seen THAT before”, and “are you WALKING a cat?!”.     Since moving to Bar Harbor, Bam Bam has even had someone come out of their house, WITH a camera and ask me if they could take his picture – yes, he really should have his own blog.

 

 

We’ve established a route since arriving here.   First, we cross the street to get a nibble of catnip from the B&B’s  front garden.     Then we cross back to “our” side of the street and head on up to see Marion (who is kind enough to let us walk in her driveway).   We eat a little of Marion’s grass, and then we head over to the (as yet) unopened motel on Main Street.  (We are going to be very sad in a few weeks when this place starts buzzing with guests).   In the meantime, we walk the whole way around the perimeter of the property, along the entry doors.  But wait, that’s too much walking.  Stop, roll in the gravel, get up, walk three feet and lay down in the sun.  Get the stomach rubbed.   Along the way, get a few stares, meet a few people, get a few pets, and so on…….

 

 

But possibly, the funniest reaction I’ve gotten was from the dog whisperer who was working with a dog across the street a few days ago.  Bam Bam I are ambling out the driveway and the guy stops what he is doing, stares at us, says “Holy s**t, how did you train a cat to do that?!”, then resumes his dog activity.    Bam Bam just looks up at me with that “they just don’t get it” look, and we continue on our way.  Sometimes, he’s such a show off.

 

 

In truth it is not so much a walk, as it is an amble, or a meandering.  It is certainly not exercise; although Bam Bam always seems ready to eat when we get back.  Eat, then nap for one must recover from such fame and notoriety.     Such is the life of the fat and famous Bam Bam.

 

"Yes, I need my beauty rest now, thank you"

I noticed last week on my blog stats that someone had searched for “Bam Bam, the cat”, so I thought I should give him his due………..