October 18, 2013 – Friday

64 degrees/calm

Raleigh, North Carolina

I’ve been looking for a place in Terminal Two where I can hole up for the night. My flight to Minneapolis leaves at 6:30 in the morning and there’s no way I’m going to pay big bucks for a few hours in a hotel room tonight. I’ll stay somewhere in the airport, the same as I did in Indianapolis. As I tell those who question my sanity, I’m an airport rat.

It’s been a fun past twenty-hours. After a somewhat tearful goodbye, Luke and I left their home in southern Maine last night and drove into New Hampshire to Matt and Jessica’s. Due with their first baby this coming Monday, they’d been at the hospital having some sort of stress test on the baby. It all turned out well and Matt, Jessica, and the baby, as yet unborn, came home Friday night. 

The four of us talked and did no small amount of laughing before calling it a day.

We were up early this morning for the 2^nd Annual Pennington Golf World Championship. I could give you blow-by-blow detail, but I’ll spare you the dull particulars and announce that for the second year in a row, Matt came out on top. He beat me by six strokes and Luke by about the same. 

If we’d have been really serious, the margin would have been much greater, but we have a lot of fun and make it a point to keep our competition light.

Don't even ask what Luke is doing. I don't think it has anything to do with golf.

I received a wonderful text and picture from Melinda today of Abigail and Coleman, saying they missed me. Whew, sometimes it’s hard to say goodbye. I promised the kids we’d soon be back on Skype talking as usual.

This came with the caption, "We miss you Grandpa."

Matt brought me to Boston early this afternoon. Originally, I was scheduled to depart for Raleigh/Durham at 8:30 this evening, but I caught an earlier flight. This gives me some time to relax and I learned long ago, while flying in bush Alaska, that one NEVER turns down an earlier flight. You never know when a plane is going to have mechanical problems or be delayed due to inclement weather.

I’ll overnight here in the airport tonight and catch the 6:30 flight to Minneapolis in the morning. I have a three hour layover before catching a late morning flight onto Iron Mountain. It’ll sure be good to see Sargie. I’ve missed her a ton and yes, I’ve even missed that big-headed, ugly, bulldog of ours. It’s going to be good to be back in our home on Pentoga Road.

One of the lakes Luke has been scouting for trapping beaver

I think I’ll get this uploaded then try to find some place to nest where I can spend the overnight hours. I’m hoping to grab three or four hours of sleep if possible.

Even in slumber, a man’s work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road…