Off the Grid Again - Vermont - Rock River - Ledges

I've been spending time at our camper in a spot in Vermont where I've been off the grid and where I'd have to travel thirty minutes to find free wifi.

I don't own a smart phone with a hot spot or whatever, so haven't been able to access the internet very often. So I haven't been keeping up with you bloggers out there.

I've gone five days at a time without checking email - can you imagine! And to tell you the truth, its been nice. And I haven't always had my camera handy, so don't have many pics to post today.

Have been hiking and swimming au naturel with the dog as one can do in Vermont, but not in stodgy Connecticut, and working on my book: "Did You Ever See A Horse Go By - A Coming Out Memoir" which is in it's final edit. So, it's been good and summer is flying by.

Where I really want to be is in Provincetown, at the campground there, but that is way too expensive for a prolonged stay. We will be going later in the summer for  week or two.

Gotta go.....

The Garden

The Garden

Rock River

Rock River Before the Crowd Got There

Lake Harriman - The Ledges

A Wedding

Leon and I attended our first same-sex wedding since the recent Supreme Court decision. We have known Joyce and Robin for 25 years; actually I met Robin before she met Joyce and before I met Leon, so we go back a ways. They decided to get married as soon as it became recognized by the Federal Government and asked Leon and I to stand up for them. We were honored to do so.

Twenty-five years ago we could not have imagined that there would be such an event to celebrate. All the gay and lesbian "we's" were happy to have found one another and that was that.

Today, two of our closest friends celebrated their lifelong commitment to one another in a civil ceremony which gave legal recognition to that commitment and their love.

What made it even more amazing were the number of people attending the wedding and celebrating with them - about 60 to 70 - most of whom were heterosexual - and who took the ceremony and the celebration as perfectly matter of fact and without reservation. The younger folks in the crowd were most enlightened in their ability to see same-sex marriage as, they would say, "a no-brainer" and anyone who would object as being totally on the wrong side of history.

What a wonderful, inspiring, joyful day! I wish Robin and Joyce all the happiness life can give and many more years together.

Beau dressed up for the wedding too

I Made the Sign and Leon Decked out his LeBaron for the Occasion

Robin's Brother Escorting the Brides

Robin and Joyce

The vows were very simple, "I, (Joyce/Robin) take you (Robin/Joyce) to be my lifelong spouse. I will support, honor and cherish you through all the circumstances we may face, and I will never stop celebrating our love."

 The ceremony concluded with an Apache Wedding Blessing:

Now you will feel no rain,

For each of you will be shelter for the other

Now you will feel no cold,

For each of you will be warmth for the other

Now there is no loneliness

Now you are two persons,

But there is only one life before you

May your days together be good and long upon the earth

Joyce With A Baseball Cap Bridal Veil

Leon with the Veil

Joyce's Niece Elizabeth, Leon, Joyce, Robin, Robin's Mom, Me

Congratulations, Joyce and Robin

There was lots of good food.

Cutting the Cakes

"Wouldn't It Be Nice"

Wouldn't it be nice if we were older

Then we wouldn't have to wait so long

And wouldn't it be nice to live together

In the kind of world where we belong

You know its gonna make it that much better

When we can say goodnight and stay together

Wouldn't it be nice if we could wake up

In the morning when the day is new

And after having spent the day together

Hold each other close the whole night through

Happy times together we've been spending

I wish that every kiss was neverending

Wouldn't it be nice

Maybe if we think and wish and hope and pray it might come true

Baby then there wouldn't be a single thing we couldn't do

We could be married

And then we'd be happy

Wouldn't it be nice

You know it seems the more we talk about it

It only makes it worse to live without it

But lets talk about it

Wouldn't it be nice

Good night my baby

Sleep tight my baby