But for now, it was time to continue my sabbatical in Vermont.

Samantha's visit was too short. We had excellent conversation that would be memorable for many moons by the fireplace at the cabin in Stowe. We had previous memories from there and would make new ones this time. We tried new wines from California and I had introduced her to La Vieux Telegraphe from Chateauneuf du Pape and some wines from Cornas. Cornas was also an up-and- coming region, and in the good years, the wines were succulent, fresh and quaffable at a young age, but would also age well with time in the bottle.

I was sad to see Samantha go. She had stayed until 8:00 PM, and I was a bit concerned about her driving so far after dark, but, we prayed together and I knew God would be her passenger and companion for the evening.

She arrived in the early morning hours and called after sending a text message to let me know that she was safe. Once back in Boston, she lamented at the fact and mentioned more than once that she was sad and happy; happy to be back, but sad to have left. She had been by my side for only fifty-four hours, but we had made memories.

I would continue to go to classes on Monday. As mentioned previously, I was gaining knowledge by the day in the area of food science. I continued to make wine and beer in my small cabin that I was renting. I was skiing on the weekend to clear my head and think about the direction that I would take next. It would soon be time to scope out a new location.