I wrote this in the morning….
We are back in Gorham, NH after being soaked to our very bones in Maine. Had to stop and do the laundry which seemed to be fermenting from all the wetness in the air. Yuck!
It can’t seem to stop raining in Maine or New Hampshire. The rivers are high and raging….great for whitewater rafting, but not very good for flatwater canoeing. The weather gets better a bit to the west, so we are done with Maine.
Yesterday I went to church at the Yarmouth Maine Ward. What a nice bunch of people!!! They had 4 Ward History scrapbooks by the door. I enjoyed reading them so much that I almost missed the beginning of Sacrament Meeting. A nice woman came and got me to tell me it was almost 9 AM and I should come sit with her.
Last night we camped in the White Mountain NF right on the Maine/New Hampshire border. Technically I think we were in NH, there was a Maine welcome sign across the road. We got there from Fryeburg, but left by going toward Gilead and Gorham. Next…on to find some camping spots with nice, calm lakes for Heather to paddle in.
++++++++++++++++++++
And later…..
The rain was intense and expected to stay that way. A system was stuck over western Maine, making the rivers totally unsuitable for an old aluminum canoe. We decided to go west and get away from the rain. It worked!!!!!! When we got near Burlington, the sky parted. All the way up the Champlain Islands the road was the divider. Nasty gray and black clouds on one side and blue sky on the other. The ferry crossing was gorgeous! Perfect temp and NO rain. Zeke and I stood up front. Nice breeze 
Stopped at two of our favorite Vermont Co-Ops….Plainfield and Montpelier. Heather got us yummy sweet cheese bread at one and egg rolls at the other. Mmmmmmmmm…..
Got back to my apartment by 9 PM. My garden is doing fantastically well….hardly any weeds, the plants got HUGE in 2 weeks and there has been plenty of rain to keep it happy and growing. What a relief for US to be out of the rain!
Now to re-stock the van and research local canoeing spots. I have Heather until the 15th, when her husband comes to take her away From now till then we will probably go camping and canoeing in the Adirondacks.
For the 16 nights we have camped, I only used the CPAP 3 times because I only had that much battery power. All the other nights I slept with just 2 liters of o2 and no CPAP. Tonight I plan to use the CPAP, but no extra oxygen and see how that goes. I can tell already that it is this place that makes me sick. I can smell smoke in here from a neighbor and for the first time since we left, my chest hurts 
The good news is that my building becomes smoke-free as soon as the one smoker here moves out. YIPPPPPPPEEEEEEE!!!!!!!! It seems sooooooooo unfair that his smoking means I need oxygen. Grrrrrrr…….
What a wonderful trip you had! And great that your garden fared so well in your absence. Hope Heather took lots of photos to post.
It seems like any building makes you sick so some extent – let alone when there is smoke involved. Missed reading your posts on a regular basis while you were gone, but being on the road sure seems to suit you best.
Hope you have some more adventures before your time together is up. Bet Beth and Luke and Corrine were happy to see you!
You might want to do some Googling on “environmental illness,” which is basically when someone gets iill from things in their environment, like chemicals that exude from stuff like particle board and other bulding materials, cigarette smoke, mold, mildew, etc.
It might explain why you do so well when you’re camping, but not when you’re living in a building.
I totally agree with Ingrid. So happy to hear that your apt. is going smoke free! I’m sure you will notice a big difference. Enjoy that good fresh outdoor air and your camping adventures.
Anita
Is Heather OK? Is she not finishing at Appalachian Trail? Last post on her trail journal was a month ago and she was in VA.
Heather is OK…a bit soggy. She left VA for Washington,DC to visit with her husband, then took the train up north. We planted my garden, she hiked sections of the Long Trail, we explored New England and when it stops raining so much, Heather plans to canoe in the Adirondacks until her husband flies here and whisks her away….back to Texas. (He promised her manure and compost if she came home soon)
I am glad to hear she is ok, I read in her journal that she had an encounter with a pervert in some town during her hike. I know she is a strong young lady, but I thought that might have made her a little uncomfortable with the idea of finishing the hike on her own. I am happy for you though that you get to spend some time with her before she heads back to Texas.