The Years To Remember

3/26/22 One of the (many) reasons I started this blog was to keep track of my hikes to record the normal stats of distance and elevation, who I went with, and what the hike conditions were. I haven't been great at this but I'll try again. Today Lyne, Ann Marie and I set out to hike Buck Mountain which overlooks Lake George. I hiked it at least once before, and found the 7 miles challenging but very doable. Normally for a 2000 footer I would take some care to prepare the day or two before the hike in terms of hydration, nutrition, and anti-inflammatory meds. But instead I went out drinking, did not hydrate well, and slept poorly. I only checked the elevation as we were heading past the gate up the mountain, and knew I was in for a challenge as I thought it was just over 1000 ft, not double that. We started out at 9:50 am and reached the summit at 12:20. The temp was in the 30's - 40's, so we were fairly warm on the way up. There were 2 or 3 water crossings that threaten...

A few days of truly warm weather, busy birds in the yard, and the blooming of the crocus mean spring is really here.  The cold and wet days are interspersed so I embrace the nicer ones. Today seems the best shot at a bike ride in March, but it won't reach 50℉ until after noon. I finished the stencil on the coffee table for the deck and now I just need to polyurethane it to withstand the weather better.                                     Before (peeling paint, mold on wood, cracks developing):                          After:  I absolutely love the moon phases. This was my 2nd attempt as the first was too sloppy. I had to sand off the stencil design, repaint with the black and try the stencil again. I used hairspray as an adhesive to keep paint from bleeding under the stencil. I used foam earplugs to paint the white on ever s...

  3/11/22 The flight to LAX was uneventful, but lessons were learned. I thought I had a 2 hr layover at Midway, but with the time change it was closer to 4 hrs. which is too long to spend in any airport. The long flight from Chicago to LA was made bearable by a rereading of The Martian on my nook, and beautiful views of the western deserts. I'm not sure if this is Glen Canyon or the Grand Canyon.  Getting the car rental and driving across LA to the hotel initiated me to city driving. The stories about the traffic are all true. I suppose you get used to it, but that is something I don't want to do - over an hour to drive 15 miles seems a complete waste of time and energy.  I spent the first morning at the Descanso Gardens which I thoroughly enjoyed. I took so many of the side trails and still did not see the whole place. The camelia forest was a highlight as I've never seen these beauties before.  After a tranquil morning wandering the gardens, I found a Target and b...

 3/3/22 It may look like spring out there, but we all know about false spring. You can't be lulled into leaving the ice scraper home, or venture too far without full winter gear in the car. It may be sunny and 58 this afternoon, but tomorrow could bring 6 inches of snow and howling winds. Such is March in upstate NY.  I'm heading to Corning to visit Mom, Aunt Pat and the sibs before I head to California next week. It's been over a year since I've seen and hugged my sweet daughter. I can't wait. We'll take a long weekend in the southern California desert near Joshua Tree National Park. I'm glad to get more use out of the National Park Pass I bought for Utah last year. I love to take my girl on nature adventures - she is not too keen until we get out and see the beauty, then she can't get enough. At least that was true when she was younger.  This picture was taken last December when she came here obviously. No one needs to dress like this in Los Angeles! 3...