Gentlemen, start your engines...

The moment draws near when all tasks are complete, when every item has been tucked away and we look about the house and find nothing left to do.

We had a great party yesterday - a gathering of friends and neighbors who we will miss while we are gone. We shared food, drink and stories, dashed through the wind and rain to The Whale for tours, and said our goodbyes. Everyone chipped in and arrived bearing food, drink and gifts, including Dan's homemade California rolls and an unbelievably thoughtful and generous gift from Jeff: a beautiful acoustic guitar, for me to reaquaint myself with the chords while sitting round the campfire on many peaceful evenings to come.

Today we do the final load, packing in food, spices, cookware, toiletries and other last minute items. Tomorrow there's some chores to do, and then we're off! Most likely we'll stop at the Delaware Water Gap for a day or two, get to know our new home, and make sure everything is in order before heading farther afield. Stay tuned.