16 February 2026
1150
R. Linda:
Me new neighbour bought a home that was put on the market after the elderly occupant died. The family of the deceased cleaned out the home and asked the new homeowner whether he'd like the Adirondack rocking chair on the deck and a few other pieces of outdoor furniture. He said that if they wanted to leave it, that was fine with him, since he had no outdoor furniture from condo living. And so, they left a few things, and that was that.
Recently, the new neighbour moved in, and once he was settled, he decided to invite the neighbours on either side over for a meet-and-greet (something very unusual up here, as most keep to themselves). We, on our side, decided to go, as we are not New England natives, therefore, not inclined to the keep to yourself rule, and the neighbours on the other side also decided to go, as they too are not New England natives and have not adopted the privacy-first mindset.
A delightful evening it turned out to be. I, in particular, like the man of the house; we have a lot in common, as he is in the business of writing for an advertising firm, and we exchanged some tricks of the trade and much laughter. The kiddos were invited, ours as well as the otherside neighbour's kiddos, and I must say, all were on their best behaviour. The new neighbour has a girl and a boy, both the same age as ours and next door.
Near the end of the evening visit, Ken (new neighbour) told us he had plans for an outdoor fire pit this summer and would like to replace the deck out his back door. The neighbour on the other side, Ron, told Ken that his son, Arthur, was a regular visitor to his new home. Arthur was a volunteer who read to elderly residents in nursing homes as part of a school community project. Arthur would come over to see the elderly gent (housebound) and read to him on the back deck in the summertime.
"I would read him classics mostly, and we'd discuss them," Arthur said. "I learned a lot from Mr. Adams. He was a cool, funny guy. He made me laugh a lot, and I miss him and the way he loved commenting on what I read to him. He used to sit in the rocking chair out back with his feet up on the small table in front of the chair. I'd adjust the blanket over his legs, and he'd be all set. You still have that chair?" Arthur asked.
"I do," Ken answered. "It's right where he left it."
It was at that moment that Arthur's sister, Sallyanne, interrupted, our commending Arthur for his upstanding character, and told us that Mr Adams was sitting in the chair outside in the snow. That, as you can imagine, quieted the group. We all ran over to the back door and looked out. With the lights off, it looked like a ghost was sitting in the rocking chair. That spooked us all, and someone, I think Ron, muttered, "Son of a gun."
Ken flipped the lights on, and this is what we saw:
 |
| Mr. Adams, is that you? |
"I hope he's not under there," Ron said, trying to lighten up our spooked feelings.
It is odd, is it not, that strange things appear in the snow? Remember the coffin that freaked out the young couple in Vermont I wrote to you about a few years ago?
Shortly after the excitement, we all went to our respective homes. I did manage to take a photo of said snow ghost, so I could show you I wasn't making this up. No blarney here.
Gabe
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