The Years To Remember

                                                    Normanskill Ravines Preserve Reflections Thursday 12/29. Back to some activity during this odd week between Christmas and the New Year. The temperatures have returned to normal so its back outside for me. This preserve is full of vines wrapped around trees which just fascinated me today. I'd love to cut some sections down and fashion them into yard or garden art installations. I'm guessing that would be frowned upon though.  4 Miles w/ Hiking Mates, lunch at Window Box Cafe. The ravines only had a little water, but the ice on the sides show that they were about full during last week's storms and froze solid. Many bridges to cross. My fellow hikers seemed concerned that I insisted on climbing onto this fallen tree over the ravine. Friday - Saratoga Spa State Park with Ginny and Peggy. We set out to do the 5 Mile Trail but my phone tracker only gave me 4.2 miles. It is possible we missed part of it, as none of us were famili

  I found it odd that the river did not freeze at these temps. Lots of ice floating by though. I employed my "low expectations mindset" for Christmas this year and it worked well. We had a very nice time visiting with almost all my siblings and some of their children too. It was fairly quiet compared to some of the bustling and loud events of the past. We got out for an hour to visit with my oldest sister and her husband which was nice. Mom is certainly showing her 92 year age, and was not able to do anything except give a couple of orders - which is as we intended. She is so frail lately, causing me worry and guilt. I will head back there once Glenn heads back to LA to just help her with daily living.  I have very minimal photos for this post - not my usual as I'll usually go out of my way to capture something, anything for documentation. I did take a shot of my hometown from our room at the hotel where we stayed for two nights.  The Christmas weekend weather is well do

Monday 12/19 Lots of cooking to do so not so much outdoor activity. That is just as well because an arctic blast is descending and it is absolutely frigid outside. I'm going to be making two lasagnas and a crock pot full of meatballs for starters. When we get to Mom's house my sister and I (and our kids too) will be doing all the cooking. Mom is fretful and anxious,  thinking she has to prepare all the meals even though that has not been the case for the past 4 years. When you get that old, I guess the mind is not that flexible. Despite our constant assurance that she just needs to relax and enjoy the company, she does get anxious.  Glenn and I are going to stay at a nearby hotel as my sister and her husband and 3 adult kids fill up the 3 spare rooms at mom's house. We'll just be a few blocks away, so really not a problem. Poor Glenn has to share a room with me though - oh well there are worse problems. Friday 12/23 The first words I spoke today after waking were "

 As I was writing in my last post about not really needing a snowblower, I did hesitate at my tempting of the fates. Well, I woke up to about 8 inches of the wettest and heaviest of snows. I am currently on a break from shoveling the driveway, in stages, as that is the only way to preserve my back.   Of course I couldn't resist sending up the drone since I had cleared a launch pad in the driveway. Everything looks so pretty with a frosting of snow. The neighborhood and lake. My home.

Backyard in the snowstorm at 11 pm. I love how the iPhone camera gathers the light for night shots. Snowy meandering stream at Five Rivers, 12/14. I decided at 6 am Wednesday that I needed to get out for some exercise. There was a 5 mile hike at Five Rivers Environmental Education Center with the usual group, so off I went. Plenty of time for amicable chatting, along with just enjoying the quiet of nature. It was COLD at 20*F but I warmed up by mile 2 to take off the gloves. We all met at Emma Cleary's for lunch afterward which was fun. I definitely needed some social time after 3 days of solitude. Walking along the stream lost in my thoughts. Today's hiking group at Five Rivers for a 5 mile walk.  I've been busy at home, painting a door, repairing a mirror, cleaning out the cellar and making more spicy mapled nuts. The deer are visiting every day to trim the shrubs and fertilize the lawn. 😟 I made it to the airport and picked up my girl well before the storm that is reall

My garden angel covered in snow. I got this angel from my late Aunt's house this past May. It does remind me of her. She hung it from her back door, but I think it looks nice in the garden. Friday I went to see MoonDance, a Van Morrison tribute band - it was fun and they played all the popular  hits and some that I've never heard. I also enjoyed experiencing the little theatre venue in Albany, The Linda. I'm not a huge Van Morrison fan, and from our conversation, his politics put off some of the folks I was with. It made me think about how many people steer their business away from companies due to political ideals. I've thought that unless I'm willing to do that with every purchase, right down to my apples, it can be a daunting and a somewhat futile pursuit. Companies who make politics their tagline, I'm out, but I'm hoping we get back to accepting political differences without tying it to all aspects of life.  MoonDance from over in the Berkshires - an ene

I had to stop the car for a turkey rafter crossing. They were in no rush, so I snapped a few shots. Monday  Sometimes staying at home makes me a bit restless, so I took myself over to Barberville Falls to just have a forest bath - what some eastern cultures refer to as a hike.  The falls are back to their normal flow of water. They were barely a trickle when I was here in the late summer. My eyes were just happy to see a color that wasn't brown/black/gray. It's freezing at night even though most days reach the 40's. I ventured up to the top of the falls to the ruins of an old mill. I wasn't too thrilled to lean against this (precarious?) wall to get a shot down the falls. Tuesday I met a friend for lunch and a bit of wandering around Troy. We investigated a maker space called Center of Gravity, and a couple of boutiques.  Wednesday Wednesday called for temps in the 50's with rain, so in order to meet my challenge, I got a December bike ride in. I rode the Voorheesvi