The Hazing Of New York

 Thursday 6/8/23

📷: Theresa

The Quebec wildfire smoke in the air started clearing up late this afternoon, after I finished my bike ride. I really had a hard time getting out, but I pushed myself to do a quick 10 miles. At the turnoff for home I figured that I'm out, I'm feeling stronger, I'll just keep going and get in 15 miles. I think the HIIT workout I've added each morning is making me stronger - and a good thing as I haven't hiked elevation in 2 weeks.

I took a photo of the haze near the lake the other morning and it wasn't  too bad. You can still see blue sky. For the past two days you couldn't tell if it was sunny or not and the sky was grey/orange/white. 

Hazy day on the lake.

I returned the backpack I bought because it was too big and heavy to carry across the Atlantic. I'll just use my old one and perhaps pack and release it along with my older underwear and a few shirts. That will make more room for souvenirs in my luggage. I also returned a shirt as the size was wrong. 

Both of these SmartWool shirts are medium. The black one worked for me but I swam in the blue one. 

Friday 6/9/23

Amyjean's birthday was celebrated with a ride on the Harlem Valley Rail Trail. We rode 23 leisurely miles in about 2.5 hours. We stopped and explored the little town of Wassaic, NY which was home to the now closed Borden Condensed Milk Factory and several historic buildings. 

Trail side selfie.

After our ride we walked through Millerton, NY where a little civic band serenaded us as we checked out some antique stores. 
We had a birthday dinner at The Four Brothers and some birthday cupcakes for dessert.
 

Fifth Tier Baking Studio makes the best cupcakes.

The threat of rain held off until the drive home.
These cows had a dramatic back drop right before I drove into the storm.

Little piles of hail under the downspouts.

Pea sized hail?


Saturday 6/10/23

My younger sister Theresa invited me to the play UrineTown near her home in Connecticut, so I set off in the morning for an overnight visit. Once I arrived, we walked, chatted with her husband and sons, then made dinner. Just my sister and I went to the play but we met her colleague Marcia from Trinidad who was lovely to chat with and loves musical theater. I had no idea what the musical was about and my Google search yielded that it was a parody by the same author as Spamalot?? While I appreciated the talent and hard work of the crew and cast, and the magic of story telling, and supporting the arts, I was not thrilled by the story. By the last scene though, the depth of the parody was revealed, and the musical numbers were very well executed so it was an enjoyable night. 

The cute community theater where we watched the play.

Sunday morning was an early one so Theresa and I could get to Jones Farm for Strawberry picking. What a treat! We picked a huge basket of strawberries and enjoyed a first breakfast of them, pesticides be damned. Back to the house where Theresa's husband and sons appeared in time for second breakfast of eggs and toast.


Theresa and our haul. - $50 worth of berries

We rounded out the day with berry processing, a strawberry pie, a hike at Bent Of The River preserve, then a game of bocce ball. I left for home after enjoying a luscious piece of strawberry pie.

On the Housatonic River.

A Mountain Laurel bush.

Theresa and her sons by the mountain laurel.



Auntie Maureen and the boys (men really, they are 24 and 22).

Now I've got five days ahead to finish prepping for the trip.

2023 Biking Challenge (1000 miles and 2+ rides per month)

Jan: 1/8 - 18 miles; 1/29 -12 mi

Feb: 2/14/- 14 mi, 2/15 - 16 mi, 2/20 - 21 mi

March: 3/21 - 14 mi, 3/31 - 11.5 mi

April: 4/4 - 20 mi, 4/27 - 15 mi

May: 5/9 - 20 mi, 5/11 - 15.1 mi, 5/14 - 19 mi, 5/21 - 30.1 mi, 5/26 - 7 mi, 5/27 - 8 mi, 5/28 - 20 mi

June: 6/3 - 20.3 mi, 6/6 - 15 mi, 6/8 - 15 mi, 6/9 - 23 mi,

Total Distance: 335 miles





Comments

  1. MargaretJune 12, 2023 at 4:17 PM

    I'm glad the wildfire smoke has cleared; I now look a lot at the AQI for every day to make sure I'm not out in unhealthy air. Our time is coming. :( LOVE the photos--the cows with the threatening sky, the family ones and that mountain laurel. (unique!) I look forward to vicariously enjoying your trip to Switzerland. What a wonderful country!

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