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Showing posts from 2021

Last week of December and 2021

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Who knew that 2021 would also end up being a pandemic year? Another Christmas tainted by the Corona Virus, but more social than last year when it was just me and Glenn hunkered down at home. This year I traveled to Corning and had a normal-ish holiday with some family. I spent some lovely time with Mom and 4 of 6 siblings which was so nice.  The Connecticut family scrapped their plan to join due to 2 positives and common sense caution. I stayed for a week, cooking, running errands, taking walks, playing Scrabble and Dominoes.  Mom's Christmas gift - I painted her living room to set off her new sofa and chair.                                                 I taught her Dominoes - she won the first two rounds! Since the world seemed so drab and gray, I set out to find colors on a walk downtown.                           After a full week, I took an adventurous route home through the Chenango Valley and counties I had never visited before - Chenango, Madison, Oneida, and Otsego. I go

December Week 3

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 The Staircase Project 11-15-21 through 12 -20 -21 My staircase had been a project a year ago. I gel stained the bannisters and painted the rungs. I was pleased with the result, and looked forward to possibly doing the stairs. Forward 10 months later, and I was sitting in the reading room looking at the stairway I detested and figured today was as good a day as any. I peeled back the carpet from the bottom step and the treads looked to be in very good shape. So I ripped the carpet off the entire staircase.                           Before:                           After: All went well until I saw the landing. Particle board! My project just became complex!    The offending particle board: Several weeks of thinking, trips to the Depot and Lowe's to check out products, and lots of sanding. After my 3rd or 4th trip I found 2 mm thick, peel and stick vinyl tiling which just might work. It cost a whopping $15 so I was willing to at least try. I could always rip it out and try another p

December Week 2

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 December 13, 2021 I've been working on my staircase quite a bit each day. I'll do a post on that project next. In between, I walk the neighborhood, take the odd bike ride if temps allow, and I hosted a pizza and game night to celebrate Ginny's birthday. Even though I'm down about the cold, short days, the pandemic, and the tenuous state of travel, there is fun to be done.  A hike to Rooster Comb came up, and I signed up along with Susan and AJ. I was quite committed as I packed up my backpack and car the night before. I was going! At 6 am both Susan and AJ texted that they weren't up for the hike - I know how that goes - some days it's just not going to happen. I was feeling fine though, so I set off on my own. I debated stopping at the rendezvous to carpool, but the negative thoughts of that led me to make the 2 hr drive alone and just join the group at the trailhead. I listened to Z-DoggMD's podcast and got into a great frame of mind to hike. I'll

First Week Of December

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 December 3, 2021 I went on a Friday Foray with the Rensselaer Plateau Alliance to view a parcel of land being donated/sold by a private owner. We met up at the Barberville Falls lot and I got a ride with the landowner over to the property which sits across from the falls and includes the summit of Snake Hill. The temperature wasn't too bad, but the wind on the ridge made it seem frosty. We were only out for a couple of hours and really only hikes a couple of miles, but it was enough for me! December 4, 2021 The Hiking Mates holiday party was again an outdoor affair due to COVID, the Omicron chapter. We met in Lake George and climbed up the Prospect Mountain trail at 1 pm. We all brought food to share under the pavillion, had a little fire for ambience, music, and plenty of holiday spirits! A couple inches of snow falling throughout the party made for a beautiful gathering.        Looking south down the Northway. The hike down in the dark was also lovely as we looked out at the

The rest of November

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 November 18 - 30, 2021 With the forecast predicting one more day of 60+ degrees, I was determined to get a bike ride in. AJ and I decided on the Ashuwilticook trail over in Cheshire MA. It was a glorious fall day and we rode by the reservoir, through the woods and then the town of Adams MA. It's 12.7 mile trail and we did it so quickly, that I suggested we keep going on the roads to North Adams. In order to stay off busy Rt 7, we took a back road UP A HILL. It wasn't too bad, but I could see the very flat Rt. 7 below us and hoped to convince AJ to take it back. We had lunch at the Freight Yard Pub and it was delicious!       AJ's namesake pub wasn't yet open when we passed, so we continued on.                             Trail map                           Beside the Hoosic River and the old mills.       The reservoir Then we hopped on our bikes for the return trip which added 10 miles to the 24 of the trail. Well, the wind was against us, but we took the flat Rt 7 w