My great-uncle died on Wednesday and they had his wake yesterday and the funeral is today. I went up to Berlin with Son and Middle Daughter yesterday and attended one of the wake times. I met a few relatives that I haven't seen in a couple of years, or never, and then we left after a total time there of about 24 minutes.
The relative that I'd never met is my uncle's nephew on his side of the family. He's about my mother's age and lives about 20 minutes from my house. Small world strikes again.
After the wake we went to the Dairy Bar. It burned down a few years ago and they rebuilt it...better than it was before. I like the new layout and the fact that they lowered the windows so you can see the river and the beautiful scenery along it.
It started to get cloudy and dark as we headed home. When we walked outside it was spitting snow and by the time we got to Pinkham Notch it was snowing very hard. It wasn't accumulating but the road was getting slick so we took our time. By the time we got south of Conway it had turned over to all rain but that still made it a long trip home.
It was nice to go up there again and to visit the Dairy Bar. We drove by my deceased aunt's house that we visited so often when the kids were small. We drove up Cates Hill, one of her favorite drives, and did a lot of remember when stuff.
There's not much reason to go up there any more but we still have a lot of good memories from the times that we did.
Posted by bbarton at November 10, 2005 10:10 AMChosen - We probably did! It is a nice ride but the area in general is depressing.
Posted by: Bob on November 10, 2005 10:25 PMSorry to hear about the loss of your grand uncle. I just lost my grand aunt a month ago.
Drive safe!
Posted by: Jim on November 11, 2005 12:31 AMGee - funerals are almost as odd as weddings - all those relatives you don't know you have...and kind of grieve for an kind of don't. New England here reads a bit like raw Annie Proux (Shipping News, etc.) Very evocative. xxgp
Posted by: grannyp on November 11, 2005 08:46 AMDriving and smells. They always trigger my memories like nothing else.
Posted by: kari on November 11, 2005 09:14 AMsorry to hear about your great uncle...
Posted by: Dawn (webmiztris) on November 11, 2005 11:00 AMJim - Thanks and my condolences as well.
GrannyP - It does make these occasions odd.
Kari - Funny how those things are such a big part of our lives.
Dawn - Thanks.
Posted by: Bob on November 11, 2005 02:10 PM
Cates Hill! My old stomping grounds! You probably drove right past the for sale sign at my parents' place. I was at the Dairy Bar last month. The new layout is nice. There was snow in Pinkham Notch then, too.
Posted by: Chosen on November 10, 2005 12:07 PM