Anne-Davnes Elser

~:A S B U R Y * P A R K:~

We are home! Um. Almost. In a hotel actually outside of Durham tonight. Just took a bath and am waiting for Doug to return with dinner. We stayed with Kari and Peter - had a fabulous time. They were incredibly hospitable hosts - very generous. I felt really well taken care of. Went to a concert one night and folks smiled at me. Not every day you see a pregnant lady at a concert. Bimp danced away that night - mostly during the slow songs.

Here's a picture of your chubby preggo at the beach. Shortly after, it rained. But not to worry - we had plenty to do and lots of room to relax. It was blissfull.

Bjorn made a new friend, Joey - their Bearded Collie. He was such a sweetheart. They shared space and food. Took turns playing catch. Very sweet with each other. Bjorn was not happy to leave him this morning. Woke up grumpy and growled his way into the car. Bad doggie.

Asbury Park is on the mend up here. Has a really interesting history, culture and is being revived by a wide range of voices - all of whom have positive energy to share and want to see the community thrive again as it once did. Everywhere you go, you see renovations, restorations, new construction popping up to bloom. Kari and Peter's house was absolutely darling. Incredibly comfortable. They are open-minded, artsy, organized, generous, witty, wise and made us feel right at home. A very smart couple.

Enjoy the photos of our trip here and a silly little video of Bjorn and Joey playing together.

Glad to be back home. I missed you guys!

~Anne