We are relaxing today after a week of run, run, run! We had breakfast at 8:00 a.m., and it was again fantastic. We brought our hosts a book on Hocus Pocus, witch’s spells. The owner loved the book. We found out the co-owner, Pam, is ill.
Breakfast with Binx
Mary looked up a “Get Well Soon” spell and marked the pages for her using a dining room menu.
Remember, Halloween is the one time I’ll ask you to come as you aren’t.
A spell is coming this way!
The dining room was almost like it was initially in 1872. Everything was carefully restored. The ceiling was hand-carved into the original plaster.
Make sure you tell the bunny to have a Hoppy Halloween!
The dining room was terrific.
Breakfast was delightful. Mary tried the avocado toast while I did the Mediterranean Quiche. We did a mimosa and a BM just for kicks.
Chow down, buttercup!
The chairs had been refinished, but the tables were original. The tablecloths obscured their finish.
What position does the ghost play in soccer? Ghoul-keeper.
We invited the kids and parents for breakfast on Friday morning at the B&B.
The kids called and said they would pick us up at 8:50 a.m., which was perfect as we visited the butler who had recently lost weight.
Mary found a friend.
We needed a little nibble, so we stopped at a fish shack, and everyone did clams, oysters, or some variant. Mary and I shared a hamburger and fries since we had just finished breakfast.
It is a great “hole in the wall” for excellent food.
The UCC Albacore Museum was just outside the Portsmouth Shipyard, and we visited this vessel. The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, often called the Portsmouth Navy Yard, is a United States Navy shipyard in Kittery on the southern boundary of Maine near Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Founded in 1800, PNS is the U.S. Navy’s oldest continuously operating shipyard.
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNS) employs a civilian workforce of top-tier professionals to safely overhaul, repair, and modernize the U.S. Navy’s nuclear-powered attack submarine fleet, specifically Los Angeles and Virginia-class submarines.
This is where Mark is employed!
USS Albacore (AGSS-569) is a unique research submarine that pioneered the American version of the teardrop hull form of modern submarines. The revolutionary design was derived from extensive hydrodynamic and wind tunnel testing, emphasizing underwater speed and maneuverability.
It’s a fascinating museum.
In September 1972, Albacore was decommissioned and placed in reserve at the Inactive Ship Facility in Philadelphia. Ten years later, Portsmouth City Councilman Bill Keefe began an effort to return Albacore to her place of birth as a permanent display. It took two years, lots of paperwork, and committee meetings before Albacore was towed from Philadelphia to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. In May of 1985, Albacore was maneuvered through a dismantled railroad bridge and a cutout section of a four-lane highway toward her final resting place. It took nearly six months and a system of locks before she finally was settled on a concrete cradle at Albacore Park.
It is a short walk from the museum to the ship!
See the sub?
The ship underwent multiple redesigns to test various techniques, with the final modification being the installation of counter-rotating propellers that reduced the noise generated during propulsion in water.
It’s a pretty modern design.
We entered the ship and walked from one end to the other. It was crowded with pipes and electronics.
Mark was a submariner while in the Navy and could give us a lot of information most people do not know about.
Squeezing through was a challenge.
What to know where you are going? Go to the chart room; it is always up to date. This was done pre-GPS.
The chart room; where are we going?
The steering room was awash with gauges and controls and even some CRTs. Two operators steered the ship, awaiting the captain’s commands.
Even with her limited conventional battery power, she could reach twenty-seven knots in short bursts. But speed was not her sole asset. She could do tight turns and dives like a jet plane. Her control room resembled the cockpit of a jet, her diving officer directing her course and depth with a single “stick” while strapped into a bucket seat complete with a seat belt. As she dived and turned swiftly, her crew hung on to overhead straps like subway riders.
The driver’sseat.
Cuba and her sidekick sat at the SONARoperator’s console, which faces backward!
Cuba and Rick try their hand at SONAR.
Mary surveyed the kitchen, and only one person ran. The fact that they could feed a crew of fifty was impressive. Colleen also took many pictures, as it was her first time visiting the ship.
The wardroom was a center of activity.
Mary, who specialized in nuclear propulsion, explained the engine room and added to the pre-recorded explanations throughout the ship!
Mark knows submarines.
After departing, the kids dropped us by the house, and we drove over to the B&B, where we just made our appointment for tea. We were in a hurry, so we did not go in. Her home is beautiful.
The starting point for today’s adventures.
We arrived in the dining room at 2:30 p.m. and saw Gail seeing off another couple. Her decorating skills were impressive, especially the bat napkins that we liked.
She folded like a bat!
Her favorite movie is Hocus Pocus. She usually wears a bright red wig with her outfit, but not today because it was 80 degrees out. Gail has been with the B&B for eight years.
Gail is a hoot!
Gail offered to take our picture, and we took him up.
Just us.
We had just eaten, so we had the simple tea, two scones complete with clabbered cream and jelly, and out of tea. Mary did a flowery tea, and I tried the blueberry; both were excellent.
We are so full!!
Binx did a second take after my first noisy sip! I think I scared him!
It’s called “Slurp and Burp!”
Time to eat again? The kids picked us up at 5:00 p.m. and went to the Tuckaway Tavern, a twenty-minute ride. We walked around the periphery of the lot, examining the flowers. We didn’t realize it was also a tea room in the afternoons!
We awaited their arrival in the parking lot.
We could not be seated until everyone was here, so we walked around the gift shop and saw all sorts of beers with strange-sounding names!
A fantastic assortment of beers at the Tuckaway Tavern.
While waiting, we went to the bar, and Jon and Cassie joined us for a drink. Jon is driving tonight, so he had some water.
We had fun waiting for everyone.
After a 90-minute wait, we finally got our seats, and everyone was famished! Logann and Grandma seemed to be close pals, as the photo shows. Although I wasn’t starving, I still ordered the onion soup (hands down the best I’ve ever had) and a small lobster roll. Mary opted for the chicken balls and a salad.
Logann and Grandma Colleen.
We were happy to see Sarah up and about. She went to the doctor, and whatever she had was short-term, and she tested negative for COVID-19. We are hoping to have them come out to California next year.
Sarah was feeling better today and joined us.
The lighting was tricky, so I put away the camera. I needed a wide-angle lens to capture the whole family!
We had a gaggle this evening.
We returned home and crashed for the evening, not even turning on the TV. The day was beautiful, and being with family makes it unique!
