Photo: Rolande Duprey
“I’ll be dead in a month,” she said, just as I was ready to leave. A door knob disclosure. I sat back down. Susan said her mother had predicted and orchestrated her passing. I asked what she was feeling now and Susie said, “Just a sense. And pain.” We spoke a bit longer before I had to leave, as I was already late for my grandson’s birthday cake celebration. It was the last time I saw her, about a month ago.
Susan was my muse. She started the transfer of my thoughts to paper in a more consistent way. She assigned me tasks I thought were beyond me but proved me wrong. Our interactions ebbed and flowed over the years. She came on some of my hikes while recovering from her bouts of cancer. I worked for her husband for a few seasons.
Then, after The Election, our contact reestablished through her Poet’s Corner at the library devoted to Resistance. Susan wanted to publish more of her poetry and I offered my skills and experience using self-publishing. Thus began seven months of regular meetings to review and edit her poems. Throughout all her treatments and challenges, Susan continued to revise her work. Even that final visit included the transfer of final edits of her short poems and ditties book.
Susan glowed much of the time, even while in pain. Her exterior lightness contrasted with her inner angst. Peace now, Susan. It’s all Light now. xoxo
To begin the geologic exploration of the Day Pond, cross the dam, and then follow the blue trail to the left. The abundance of boulders in the woods indicate this area is covered with till, the unsorted material left behind by the glaciers. Till contains grain sizes from microscopic clay grains to boulders as large as houses. Till is generally found on the hilltops, while stratified drift is found in the valleys, where heavy melt water from the glaciers sorted the materials into deposits of similar sized grains. Natural sand and gravel deposits thus occur in valleys. 
Cherry and I returned to the “scene of the crime” where our Friendly’s adventures began, in Cromwell, CT. Surrounded by family and friends, we recounted our story of visiting 22 Connecticut Friendly’s and our associated hikes.
Cromwell’s manager Sean and his excellent staff took good care of us, with complimentary sundaes and goodie bags from Corporate Headquarters.
We all had Friendly’s memories and stories to share and a chance to reunite with long-time friends and cross-pollinate with others.
The perfect activities for a gloomy, rainy afternoon!
Thank you, Cromwell Friendly’s, all the other Connecticut stores, and Headquarters for making a memorable day!
Beth Lapin 