Hometown Reminiscing

When leaving Marion’s complex for the day, we got to see the harvesting of the cranberries. This was a first time experience for me. The cranberries were surrounded by a border which was attached to a truck, bringing the encampment closer together, gathering the berries in the flooded bog closer together. From there they would be transferred to a truck for transport.
Then we were off to New Bedford, MA where I grew up. We took the back roads to really enjoy the flavor of the area. We drove across the New Bedford-Fairhaven bridge and along the “port” area with all the fishing boats, and the USCG Park, which was new to me. We drove all around the South End, seeing my childhood schools, church, home, ice skating rink & warming house. We went to Fort Rodman, a Civil War era fort, where we saw a tank that was used in the practice trading for D-Day. Hazelwood Park, the old Orpheum Theater on the old Water St, the Washington Club where Dad was a member, and the beaches. We drove around Padanaram Village and stopped Gulf Hill Ice Cream that looks like a churning bucket, where my grandparents took me for ice cream. Gulf Hill Dairy was founded in 1896. It has since been transformed into a luxurious mansion that recently sold for almost $3 million.
Our last stop in Dartmouth was my grandmother’s house that John & I purchased after she passed.
Lunch was at my favorite Portuguese restaurant, Antonio’s, where Catherine got to meet my oldest friend, Joyce. Despite her physical ailments, Joyce looks wonderful! I am excited that she is thinking about coming to visit me in Louisiana.
From New Bedford we drove to Regina Russell’s Tea Room where we all had our cards read. It was amazing how my reader, Laura, picked up on things so accurately.Read more