Cold

Sometimes upon arising there’s an idea of what to grouse about this morning. The 20F weather is a possibility except that bundling up and going down front for Linda’s NYT was not unpleasant, because unlike yesterday there was no wind. Walking down front and looking at the crisp brown “grass” (it’s all weeds) and the dark, flat Bay, came to mind bitter cold yet tolerable winter days other places in life: Harrisburg, Ann Arbor, Columbus.

Newport, I don’t think so, on the southern tip of an island, Newport juts into the ocean and living there once for seven months and again later for a year, not one day was the wind not whipping through and across. First impression, July 1957, the first day of OCS, standing in ranks in my white sailor suit and sailor hat, collar flapping in a chill wind. Having just gone north from a hot Florida summer, my realization was, “This is like living in a refrigerator.” So, no, not Newport. Our second tour in Newport was Naval War College 1968-69 and my memory is not of the now long dead three- and four-star admirals and generals who lectured us day by day, officers who were commanding prosecution of the Vietnam War, but windy trips to Mack’s Clam Shack and that waterfront lobster house where I climbed up on the edge of the vat and chose my lobsters.

But oh, there is one memory. During question and answer session after his lecture, one top ranking four-star who had expressed disapproval of the President's war policies was asked his solution. Glancing round the auditorium he asked the vice admiral who was college president whether any members of the press were present and was assured there were not. He went to a map and pointed where he would direct tactical nuclear weapons. That I recall as well as the clams and lobsters.

Linda and I are contemplating a trip to Maine this summer, and I would include Newport and maybe Kingston in the adventure. Earliest in our quondam life together, 57 years this June. Bit risky to wait and count on a grand celebration at 60 years in 2017.

All this wandering round in the frozen north just to use Anu Garg’s word for today in a sentence. Quondam.