New Digs

I switched over the ridge to Jim Thorpe PA. Jim Thorpe has been colonized by New Yorkers for the past 30 years. It is nestled in the nook of a little river bed surrounded by mountain views. The main street is filled with restored Victorian homes. Most of them have been transformed into galleries, coffee shops, restaurants and Bed and Breakfasts. There is an old Opera house now used for third tier rock bands. For instance, Blue Oyster Cult is playing there on Halloween. They have an antique locomotive that ferries tourist in from surrounding villages. It was a great tourist destination at the turn of the century. Back then it was nicknamed little Switzerland.

I was walking up the main street when I saw a "Vacancy" sign on one of the B & Bs. The place is called Victori-ann's and I'm sure there are better pictures on the web. I thought it would be cost prohibitive but I couldn't resits knocking. I was met at the door by the owner Louise. Louise has a shock of white hair on top of her cherubic elderly face. She is 84. She still does most of the work. She has a big fat dog named Molly who loves to have her belly scratched. The entire place is decorated with the belief that there can never be enough bric a brac. Ever. Her color scheme rarely strays away from pink and lavender.

"I thought I turned that damned sign around." Louise told me in her gravely voice. She used to be a cabaret singer in New York during the thirties and forties. Her son and grand daughter are still in show business.

We hit it off quickly and she made a deal with me that I could not refuse. It does include one Saturday where I may have to sleep on the couch but for the most part I am staying in the same room. I have a little veranda where I catch a tiny fragment of a wi-fi signal so I can sit and catch up on my blog. I help her take out the trash and I walk the dog now and then.

The office is up and running now with just barely enough supplies to make it to the next day. The town is pitching in and every day people bring us new things. The volunteer core is growing. I am so tired I cannot even imagine how I will make it to November 5th.