If No Frills means scrumptious food prepared for you before you wake up and warm down comforters and sparkling cider and reservations for horseback riding, then I will be voting for fewer Frills at every possible opportunity. After such a wonderful weekend away, (courtesy of Madame Sally Burke's House of Lavish Repose) I can't imagine why anyone would feel the need for more.

Sally left early on Friday and got there before us all, of course, and was met was a slew of phone calls at 10 PM that all said, "Well, we're just getting started...."

Abe and I vetoed sitting in traffic in favor of a huge dinner and a slow trip to the grocery store to get treats for Sally's (shhhhh!) surprise birthday dessert experience. Once we finally made to 93 north, we found ourselves staring at the back of a grungy Nissan Maxima and thinking "What's that guy doing? He's going to crash the car if he doesn't stop turning around in his seat to get stuff from the back. Oh! It's Ian!"

I stopped traffic to run out and say hello in true chinese fire drill fashion. Once back in my own vehicle we figured we'd follow Ian up, but he jetted away soon enough and left Abe and I to fumble northward down the completely wrong road, leading us to brave the Kancamangus Highway at 1 in the morning (misty enough for the headless horseman) and arrive about a half hour after him and before Eric (who was even more lost than we).
We woke up early and sat with Sally in the kitchen while she made monkey bread (ahem) and bacon to rouse the sleepy people, and after much crossword puzzling we headed out, well fed and incredulous at the beautiful weather, to Mt. Willard. Leaves abounded. So did other hikers. I played the part of the defeatist 7 year old, whining as often as necessary to make everyone feel good, and we made it to the top in high spirits. The view, spectacular, was enjoyed by all for a good hour or so, with Sally's snacks, of course, and then on the trek down Eric and I collected about 10,000 beautiful leaves.

Once home, Abe collapsed, but the rest of us attempted to get to the Fryeburg Fair for an afternoon of we knew not what. It was just as well that we had no expectations, though, because traffic in both directions prevented us from making it to the fair. Instead, we cruised by Sally's new abode (YAY!) and investigated the dusk-dark stables of Sally's neighbors, something the horses seemed not to mind at all.

On arriving home, it was thought that Sally (wink wink) would go shopping (wink wink) with Ian and Eric while Cinda and Abe (wink wink) stayed home. Abe and I frantically blew up balloons, strung crepe paper, set the table and made salad for Sally's surprise, which she was, altho perhaps more so at the deluge of balloons in her condo. Dinner was yummy and Ian's homemade ice cream was delicious. Sleep, not too long after amazing German chocolate cake made by Eric, was welcome.

In the morning someone had the crazy notion that we would actually _act_ on the plan formulated the night before, that is, to set out for the Fair at 0900 hours. Ugh. Abe and I were nearly left behind; the ETD was moved back to 0905 for our benefit and we straggled into the minivan under clear, bright skies. The Fair (and the chill air) woke us up right away, and we bounced off to a pig scramble (yay bruins!), followed by an ox pull and then the birth of a calf! After a lot of assorted wanderings through the fair, Abe and I purchased some apples for caramel-ing and met with Ian and the rest by the gate. We headed back to the condo for naps, lunch, more crosswords, and the Patriots game. Sally and Eric went off to horseback riding in the afternoon, while Abe and Ian and I threw a football around in disorganized sport, punctuated by the Conway Scenic Railway at regular intervals.
Clean up and de-embarkation was followed by a chilly dinner at Steve Dubin's bar-b-q joint, the name of which escapes me (altho memory of the wait for a table does not). All agreed that Frills were definitely expendable and that Sally was the world's greatest hostess (three cheers!) Here's to a fabulous sunny weekend up north!