Peter - Peregringo

Atlantic Ocean Plunge,
New Year’s Day 2011

To kick off the New Year, I decided to finally join the Polar Bear Club and go for a body-chilling dip in the Atlantic Ocean. So with little fanfare, I stopped by Mark and Amy’s wonderful home for the winter overlooking Pepperrell Cove in Kittery, Maine and jumped in the drink.

Fortunately it was an unusually mild day for January (with a high of 55°F) which made for a much easier entry into the 39°F-ish ocean. After the dip I was able to stand for some time on the beach in only my trunks and water shoes.

I tried unsuccessfully to enlist others to join in the fun — Paul’s text reply was an emphatic “No f*ckin’ way!” and Mark claims he is “physically incapable” of entering cold water. Not surprising from the Lechner brothers who never swim in the Maine waters even in the height of summer. Oh well, I guess everyone has a tolerance threshold for such things.

This particular feat had been on my mind for some years but always missed due to weather, location or hangover. So 2011 proved to be The Year and I’m pleased to have a resolution so easily and quickly crossed off my list!

A Progressive Family Goes Marching in Washington, DC…

On Saturday, October 30 I met my mom and brother in Washington DC to march in the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear on the eve of the mid-term elections. It was a playful event, lighthearted and smiling crowds celebrating our liberal leaning with clever signs and costumes.

Some fun signs spotted among the crowds:

What follows is a brief account from each of us.

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Wild Hair: My Year Without a Haircut

When I hit 40 years old in December 2009 I got a wild hair. Time for a pony tail, I thought. Half joking, I decided to let my hair grow indefinitely without grooming. I had never really had long hair, for as long as I can remember it’s been short. Perhaps in the 1970’s I had long hair, didn’t everyone? But I was too young then to remember so it didn’t count.

So month after month passed and my hair grew longer (½ inch per month, so says the research). And so did the comments: lots of friendly ribbing at work, funny looks from Paul, even my mother imploring me to “Get a haircut!”

I really noticed it in the summer, it was long enough to blow in my eyes, thus requiring lots of hat wearing. I started to twist it when sitting idly, by summer’s end it started to annoy. It was thick, heavy and hot. And it look longer to wash and dry.

By October 2010, a year after my last cut, it felt like the right time. I had to do something, it was getting wild and unwieldy; the creature definitely needed some taming. So I walked into my local clip joint and Michelle took a whack at it. She was surpised to see me after so long: “Well, at least I know you weren’t cheating on me.”

I never did get a real pony tail, after all that. But I did get the long hair thing out of my system. While it’s good to mix things up every now and then, I’m glad to have my now maintenance-free hair short and under control.

Nicaragua, 2010

Our first excursion to the taboo lands of sandinistas and epicenter of the Iran–Contra affair. With the Cold War long fizzled, we found welcoming people, untouristed cities and empty beaches. And all with an ease and sense of security not often felt in Central America.

Paul and I completed a week-long circuit from colonial Granada, to the volcanoes on Ometepe Island in Lake Nicaragua and finally to the chill Pacific coast town of San Juan del Sur, surfing capital of the world. Sad to leave the sultry tropics, we arrived home to a blizzard in wintry Maine — vowing to return again to explore more of Nicaragua.

South West Coastal Path, Cornwall — England, 2004

For our first visit to Cornwall, we decided on a gentleman’s ramble (Paul, Mark and myself) on the South West Coast Path, which stretches an impressive 630 miles (1014 km) through Devon, Cornwall and Dorset. We decided on a 69 mile (110 km) westbound section starting at The Lizard peninsula and ending in the charming town of St Ives.

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San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, 2004

Just before starting a new job, I headed south of the border for my first trip to Mexico, and it was love at first sight. It was a delight to be with my Mom and Ray in such a beautiful, friendly and accessible town.

Set in the mountains of Guanajuato state about 4 hours north of Mexico City, San Miguel de Allende was strategically important during the Spanish colonial period serving as a military and commercial stronghold on the silver trail connecting the mines of Zacatecas. Two of San Miguel’s favorite sons, Ignacio Allende and Juan Aldama, played critical roles during the War for Independence from Spain.

Dales Way — England, 2003

In September the Five Musketeers (Paul, Mark and Amy, teenage Bart and myself) hoofed the 84-mile (135 km) Long Distance Footpath in Northern England from Ilkley in West Yorkshire to Bowness-on-Windermere at the edge of the Lake District.

Not a strenuous walk but gorgeous vistas and perfect weather — a great time for family bonding. At pub stops, underage Bart managed to progress from Half Shandies (half pint beer/lemonade mix) to multiple pints of ale in a mere five days! No doubt he’s one of the family.

Cumbria Way — England &
Snowdonia — Wales, 2002

Our third long-distance ramble in the United Kingdom, the Cumbria Way drew Paul and I forth from the southern Lakes District north to Carlisle on the Scottish border. Our journey began with uncharacteristically fine weather during our overnight stay in the friendly seaside community of Ulverston on Morecomb Bay.

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Snowdonia — Wales, 2002″

England and Spain, 2001

In the surreal and tense wake of the 9/11 al-Qaeda terrorist attacks in the United States, we headed off to England on the first flights out after a week of quiet skies due to the air travel ban. We needed to get away, stretch our lungs and legs in the English countryside.

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Cuba, 2001

In the waning days of the Clinton administration, we threw caution to the wind and booked flights from Toronto to Havana, realizing a lifelong dream of mine to visit Cuba and taste firsthand the spicy history, politics and culture of this proud island nation. Although illegal for US citizens to spend money in Cuba without authorization, we decided to buck this restriction and Trade with the Enemy. We are Americans after all and Freedom is our established right and responsibility.

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