The Years To Remember

 Its been quiet for me this week, to match my mood. I could say I've gotten much work done on the house, but I really haven't. I went on a woods walk with the hiking group, but the pace was painfully slow. I sent up the drone to  check out the view, but it was unremarkable. I did go out on the lake one beautiful, calm morning and practiced flying the drone while kayaking. It was successful, but I need to buy a neck strap for the controller so I don't accidentally drop it in the lake. I was very nervous navigating both the drone and the kayak, but proved to myself it could be done! Drone selfie! One of the prettiest trees I've seen. I spent a good deal of time this week meeting with Ken the builder about my upcoming master bath renovation. We worked out the bathroom layout, then I went to pick out tile for the project. This is what I came up with. It is ceramic tile, to keep costs down, except for the accent strip which is marble. I can't wait for an updated, walk in...

 It was onto the Ashuwilticook Rail Trail for a Friday foray with Ann Marie. I practically had to beg her to leave her house, and hopefully it was worth it. It started off chillier than expected, but luckily, I had three jackets in the car so we were well provisioned. We moseyed along the Hoosic River and the Cheshire Reservior for a 28 mile ride, then dinner at the Freight Yard Pub in North Adams. At home, in the outdoor garden I planted the rest of my garlic crop and then set up the indoor garden. Spinach and arugula are in one container, and I'm thinking beets and kale in the other. Plus a couple of pots of cilantro and basil should round out my salad needs for the winter. Now to purchase a decent grow light system. Saturday - A bright and clear day appeared before me. Even though I wanted to use the day as a rest day, I felt the need to take advantage of the weather with some outdoor adventure. The forecast led me to believe I had until 2 pm before the winds picked up, so I tos...

 My new kitchen range is being delivered tomorrow so I can cook once again. I did plug in the broken one today in an attempt to steam a piece of fish. I also went shopping and bought a new set of pots and pans for the induction cooktop I'm getting. All mine are not suitable so I'll donate them.  I spent a nice five days with my mom, doing some home maintenance, shopping, cleaning, the usual. I got her out to see the foliage a couple of times and visited with the local siblings. Saturday we took a ride to Elmira, then on to Seneca Lake  on a leaf peeping and vegetable buying trip.      Overlooking Seneca Lake and Watkins Glen. A very sparse Chequaga Falls in Montour Falls, NY. Sunday, Sister 4 and I went to Angelica, NY so she could buy a couple of tables she found on FaceBook Marketplace. I was there to ensure she didn't become the victim of a serial killer. We stopped at a cute shop to search their very eclectic mix of antiques and more.  One of sever...

Saturday -  Well, I did sleep in and tend to a few house chores - mowed the back lawn, did some dishes and general cleanup. But the sun was shining and the temps were warmish, so I got on the bike for a quick 10 mile town loop with hills. I don't know why I crave motion, but there are worse cravings to have so I won't give it too much thought. I'll have to look into the 1000 mile or 1500 mile challenges that my friends are doing since I seem to love the biking now more than hiking.  Monday - The fact that I have no major cooking appliance is really getting annoying, so I put range replacement at the top of my to do list. After too many hours this weekend spent at Lowe's, Home Depot, and a local appliance store, I was pretty fed up with the lack of service and limited stock I had run into so far. I finally decided what I was going to buy, and had one more local store to try. I hit the jackpot with a sales person who listened to my list of criteria and was not a jerk. H...

9/26/22 I took Sunday off to recover from my fall, finding a few more scrapes and  bruises. By Monday, there was a 4 hour window of nice weather before the storms, so I set off to bike the Albany-Helderberg Trail to get a nice 22 miles in. I started from the Pearl St end so as to be heading downhill for the return trip. I was happily suprised to find an art display at the Voorheesville end and several free mini libraries along the way. This path offers lots of services (bathrooms, food, shops, tool stands) along the way along with just woods, streams, and farmland. And it is a 15 minute drive from home.     The big barn and a little library.     Voorheesville trail head gazebo.     Tree art display.     They are painted on acrylic sheets attached to the trees. They might be pandemic inspired pieces. The storm clouds are gathering in the northwest distance. The weather was fine in the southeast. 9/29/22 Harlem Valley Rail Trail I enjoy this tr...