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    ...random musings... My blogger code: B7 d++ t k- s- u-- f- i-- o+ x e l+ c- (decode it!)

:: Monday, August 03, 2009 ::

Oak Grove-Coburn Reunion, 8/2/09

Mylisa and I started our day out by driving through my old neighborhood in Freedom, catching up on all the changes...new houses, old sites that had vanished or grown up with trees...fields that are no more, and of course past my old house that my father sold around 1985.

We drove the route that I had taken many times on Sunday afternoons back to OGC after a weekend home (being a 5-day border from Fall of 1977 to spring of 1980). We came in on the Oak Grove Road from North Vassalboro, and drove past the school to 201 to take some pics from the front. The approach to Briggs hall from the church looked totally different with the parking lots and less trees....not to mention the now non-existant oval.

We drove in at the same time as Amy Maddox and chatted for a few outside the arch. We made our way into the dining room and slowly made our way into conversations after we figured out who we were looking at! After grabbing some food from the buffet table (pork loin was good, chicken, potatoes, pasta salad, overcooked veggies, salad) we were pulled into many conversations, and I had to return to the car and retrieve my yearbooks which were passed around. (By the way, I'm looking for a 1980 yearbook, as I never bought one my last year there...would love to have one if anyone has an 'extra'!)

We eventually got the word that a tour of the building was going to start, and as the guide from the Police Academy started his tour Tim Pynchon made his entrance, dog in tow. Notice how much the auditorium had changed....risers and all...sad! We got to see most of the classrooms and the library. The gym was made larger as well, and was sporting painted walls of Maine businesses (Colonial Theatre and Pinkhams Candy Shop from my town Belfast) which they use for simulated robberies, etc.

I was bopping from conversation to conversation, and room to room, and Mylisa was thoughtful enough to grab some cool photos like of the old photos of Oak Grove on the wall that I hadn't thought to do. (You can tell I wasn't an English Major!).

Then we went into Briggs hall and I got to see my old room and John Hastings' old tower room as well as others. The dumbwaiter in the hall was gone, and the room next to mine was made into a stairwell!

The party then started to slow down...it was 4:30 already! But fortunately someone thought to do the group picture thing. People made their way reluctantly to their cars and left a few at a time. The guide said we were welcome to walk the grounds, and Mylisa and I were anxious to see more and get a little exercise. We walked the path down to the old barn, then over to the graveyard (one stone was from 1827) and the church which was unlocked and open!

We drove to Waterville as Mylisa hadn't been there before. We drove a bit, and walked downtown a bit, but a lot was closed being after 6 on a Sunday night. We finally settled on dinner at Buen Apetitio, the mexican restaurant next to the Railroad Square Theater...a bit of a wait, but good food!

This was the easiest way for me to post a lot of pictures that you all could see...I know they're not on Facebook where you can tag and comment. Let me know if you want any posted on Facebook. Also I have larger hi-res versions if any of you want one...let me know. We had a good time and hope to do it again in 3-5 years (every year is too much I think and wouldn't be 'special'). Maybe a cookout next time?

Pictures Part One
Pictures Part Two

:: David 8/03/2009 12:41:00 PM [+] ::
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