Ithaca - Day 4

Friday July 10, 2009

After breakfast Carol and I headed back into town. I needed to pay some bills so we made our way to Starbucks and hooked into their wi-fi. Between the Blackberry and the laptop we are able to stay in contact with friends as well as pay bills and keep track of our finances. It truly is a technologically wondrous age.

Afterwards we walked the Commons in search of a good bookstore. I wanted to get Knut a couple of books on CD. I had hoped to find the “Master and Commander” series by Patrick O'Brian since Knut was an old salty dog, but none were available. Instead, I bought “The Road Less Traveled” and “The Kite Runner” for him to listen to. One side effect of the various medications he has to take is insomnia. I therefore figured a pair of engrossing and entertaining books might help better pass the time.

Meanwhile, Vince and Christie were planning an ice cream social in Knut's honor. Vince called several of Knut's old friends to come to the campground including Beth Brown, the mother of his second child, Indiana. Besides Beth, it was great to also see Bill and Tiny again, people I had met during my last Ithaca visit. We told some jokes, laughed a lot and ate more ice cream; one of the only non-macrobiotic foods Knut will eat. By the dim light of the fire, the ravages of time did not appear on our faces. The grey was gone from our hair and for a few minutes we could imagine ourselves in all our former glory.

It was later, after everyone had departed, while the four of us sat by the embers thinking about what a great time we all had, that I mentioned the Grassroots Festival. Since things were going so well with Knut, and one never knows when one will be in the neighborhood again, I figured, why not? Vince and Christie needed to return to Philly to finish some business but would be free to return to Ithaca next Friday. Tracy, one of Knut's caregivers, offered to let us park the Casita on her two acre home site, and so the plot was hatched. We would stay in the area for the 19th annual Grassroots Festival coming up next weekend.