Terri and Peter's RV Adventures

It was a day sprinkled with all of my favorite things. I met my brother for breakfast in nearby Gill, right over the Connecticut River, a quaint little town, one of many that dot this area. This part of western Massachusetts consists of two lane country roads winding through forests where classic New England, unobtrusive, matter-of-fact cottages are tucked in among the trees, blending in with the scenery, then rounding a corner to a surprise wide open meadow followed by another curve where a little hamlet of small shops appears and back into and over and through the woods to another small town. It’s a maze of surprises.

A great love started here for me during our last visit two years ago when I took a chance on a local coffee bean roaster, Fog Busters. Ever since that first sip, we’ve been mail ordering our coffee: Half Buster (half decaf) for me and Wrecking Ball ground for espresso (the highest octane available) for Peter. It’s a serious indulgence and we love it. I’d established a nice relationship with one of the customer service people, AnnMarie, and set up a time for us to meet and get a tour.

Peter and I walked in and it all started out in a nice, cordial tone until we mentioned that we were traveling with two dogs. The three women in the front office (one wearing an I love dogs t-shirt, shot out of their chairs and insisted we bring in the girls. Once they made their entrance, leashes were taken off, they received the royal treatment including treats and then their attention returned to us.

The tour was short but interesting: they air roast their beans and say they’re one of the only ones who does that. Of course, I thought of my childhood friend, Margot, whom we visited in New Jersey two years ago, who buys her beans unroasted and then pops them in her hot air popcorn popper! I mentioned that to AnneMarie and she was clearly surprised and impressed. That was a new one on her.

Leaving there, we went to my brother’s for a home made lunch he’d been busily preparing: a classic Indian vegetable and daal curry dish that was delicious. Then, off to a nearby trail for a short hike along a creek that we’d done once before but the huge boulders, trees hugging the hillside, the melodies of a clear water creek flowing with abandon set our senses on fire and the dogs also loved every minute of it. It was magical.

Then, KD and I joined in on the now-daily 2 pm impromptu singing group at the Montague Commons while Peter took off to his favorite place here: the Lady Killigrew Book Mill and Coffee Shop. The singing group has been faithfully meeting every day for five years, since the advent of Covid. The group changes daily and the songs are prompted by the whims and inspiration of the singers. It’s lovely, simple, fun, and a beautiful, slowed down way to spend an hour in the afternoon.

After a Mexican dinner, we again went our separate ways: Peter to a bookstore and KD and I went to an audition choir he sings with that happened to be having an open night of singing, inviting anyone to join in. The director is energetic, smart, talented and so creative in her song leading and community building. The music was all without instruments and about peace. One song was a round about the month of May. A woman I was sitting next to said she hadn’t heard that song since she was a child in her community which turned out to be a Mennonite/Amish community. It was a simple, lilting song about apple trees and lilacs in the month of May.

Such a long, rich day filled with simple pleasures; love, family, song, hikes, creeks and rivers, dogs, and of course, coffee. Grateful for it all.