Fall in New England

My mom has lived in this house for 42 years. Thus, home.

A look at my trip back home to Simsbury and Boston this past week. Some food, some nature, some wonderful friends, some leaves. Much scuffing.

It is a town filled with soccer fields.

A couple of notes: power came on at my Mom's house 10 minutes before I arrived after 10 days without. Simsbury had been called the most devastated town in the state and the level of destruction was incredible, on some roads every other tree had lost significant branches if not collapsed completely. But, because it was fall in New England, it was still beautiful with a light that I miss dearly living in SF.
My mother voted in my old junior high, a place I thought I would never visit again. Wandering the halls, I ran into two home ec teachers decorating. Not only did she remember me, but my older brother as well. Small towns are like that. Also, there is no photo of one of my favorite bites from the trip: a-so-good-I'd-like-to-fly-back-now-and-eat-it oyster slider at Island Creek Oyster Bar.

One of my childhood favorites: A sausage grinder from Apollo's.

And the next night, their sausage pizza, with a bit of a beverage upgrade.

Storm damage

More storm damage

Belden, my first elementary school and now the town hall. My favorite building in town. The sycamores survived.

Last view of town: bridge, famous sycamore. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinchot_Sycamore

A most important stop on the way to Boston in Sturbridge for a Joe Frogger and candy sticks for K.

Pouring rain meant I spent a lot of time at the MFA.

There until the end of the year. I was mesmerized.

Pre-scuffing

When I first moved to SF, my family sent me boxes of all leaves. . . .

I would pour them out on the living room floor and scuff. . .

And then, vacuum.

There were oysters.

Lobster BLT at B&G for lunch.

A birth year wine!