Journal August 2012

It is a frustrating drive to get there, mostly from Braintree to Methuen which is like a parking lot. You finally ease up for good just past exit 2 in New Hampshire. Four hours later (usually 2 and half) you get to the house, Wee Camp as Kerry has dubbed the house. The others won’t arrive until late so you grab a twelve pack of corona light and hang out on the back porch looking into the mountains until dark clouds roll in bringing torrential rains and lightning. It’s a good chance to reflect and wonder at how things change, how temporary things are. You think of her too and wish she were there, drinking a beer and talking and laughing beside you….

 

The next morning, the others leave for the Boogie and Blues festival playing at a field at the bottom of the mountain below Wee Camp. It is an annual three day festival (fri, sat. and sun) that has been ongoing for 16 years at the same place and every year it gets bigger and more popular. The others leave at 11 to get a good spot. Thirty five dollars a ticket and they allow festival-goers to bring their own food or alcohol (no glass).  

 

You leave to get breakfast and drive to The Longhorn in Lincoln, your favorite breakfast joint in New Hampshire. You eat eggs with mushrooms, tomatoes and mozzarella and cheddar cheese; and drink coffee. You work on your laptop writing for a good hour before you decide that it’s getting late. It’s a 25 minute ride back to Wee Camp. You stop and buy a thermos for vodka and a pair of swimming trunks. The others forgot to mention that the Pemi River runs through the area and it’s a popular place to swim and cool off….  

 

You arrive at the festival at three o’clock and run into the others who are on their way to the river. You follow them. The river is packed. A huge boulder sticks out and in the middle of the river about 8 feet high. Kids dive and jack knife into the water, kayaks float by, men and women drink beer and wander through the water waist high. You drink a beer. You rip off your shirt and dive in. You swim a few laps across the river to get some exercise. The water is exhilarating….

 

You are not a huge fan of the music but it is good background as you talk, laugh and drink beer with the others. You stay away from the hard stuff because you will get shit-faced before sunset. It is just a good day with friends. The others have chairs and a big blanket setup. At one point you play the game Asshole. Kerry has novelty cards, twice as big as regular cards with pictures of butts in different shapes, sizes and conditions. You catch up on a lot of stuff with the others. You and the others decide to become more involved with each other again. You tell them about the home front and they listen with sympathetic ears. You tell them secrets and they don’t judge. They understand its life and shit happens….

 

You go for a solitary walk as night sets in. You eat a quesadilla and stand beside the vendor. Out of the noise you here “and the winner is Rich Bart.” He has won a 275 dollar raffle. By ten o’clock, after the last guitar riff has faded, an awesome, unexpected fireworks show lights up the sky….