We’re back home from a sweet two-day holiday at the Grafton Inn in Grafton, vt., where she went on our one-day honeymoon ten years ago. The Inn was just permitted to open up and we were one of six people staying there.

There were sanitizers, plexiglass, and masks all over the place, this historic old inn did every single thing it is possible to do to be safe and look safe. It was great to be there, but it did have a fortress feel to it.

I did venture out to take some photos of the old  Grafton Cemetery, some of my favorite tombstones are there. I’ll post a couple.

The food was amazing, and Maria and I swore to one another that we could do nothing but relax, and that is what we did. I finished one novel, she finished another.

I started a new Michael Connelly mystery, “Fair Warning.”

I’m so glad we went. Maria and I have a great love, and we are grateful for it, it’s so important to honor it and celebrate it. Thanks for all the good wishes.

We got back this morning. I had foolishly left instructions to leave Zinnia in my study with the gate closed. She was happy there, chewing up the new house fun, and about 100 pages of computer paper.

She also ate most of a plant I had in my concrete swan. Lab puppies get nervous sometimes when they are left alone, and Zinnia is so calm I forget sometimes that she is a puppy.

Except for the phone – she was chewing on the battery when we got home – little damage. There were several bags of treats she either didn’t notice or ignore.

I didn’t look at the news for two days, I see a lot is going on.  I’m happy to be home. It’s hot.