The Years To Remember

  The high peaks from Goodnow fire tower. 9/24/23 Goodnow Mountain Hike. This was a Plan B hike as rain to the east caused a venue change from Vermont's Mt Equinox to this mountain. It was a short hike but nice views from the firetower. Lunch at the fire tower. We stopped at Camp Santononi on the way back to add a few miles to our trip. I enjoyed visiting the Pruyn farm which supplied food for the great camp. Wildflowers by Esther. I really liked the pattern of chlorophyll being halted by the colder weather. Just a little color starting in the trees. 9/26/23 Today the weather was fine but after I decided to do a 30 mile ride, I just didn't feel well for unspecific reasons and kept putting off going out. Finally at about 3 pm I decided to ride what ever distance I could manage. I started at the Rt 150 parking area and headed south thinking I'd turn back if I felt the least bit unwell. I ended up going out 14 miles to the Farm Store, had chicken salad for an early dinner, the

Motoring along the Mohawk heading where? 9/22/23 This week has been quiet as I've been enjoying perfect fall weather. Even though there are many household chores I ought to be attending to, I've been riding the bike trails and roads to add to my annual total. Friends are busy so these have been solo rides which suits me fine. I can ride at my own pace and stop  where it suits. Yesterday I had the brilliant idea to bring my breakfast to eat halfway through my 26 mile ride. My blood sugar objected, so 5 miles in I had to stop to eat and drink all my water. I know better, so I'm not sure what my thought process was. I added over 60 miles to the tally and am determined to hit 800 by the end of the month. To put it in perspective, my friend Susan just hit the 2,000 mile mark on her goal of 2,500 miles for the year.  She is a beast. Wildflowers along the trail make me very appreciative of the waning days of pleasant weather. This little covered bench overlooks the Mohawk River an

9/12/23 Tuesday I really need to log some biking miles so I decided to head out beyond Troy to Eagle Bridge. The humidity is still here so it made 79 degrees feel closer to 89. You would think I know how to properly gear up for a bike ride, but I forgot my rear tail light (necessary for road rides) and I only had a half bottle of water. I managed a hot and sweaty 17 miles up and down hills anyway and slept very well that night. The flow under Eagle Bridge reflects our very wet summer. I'm still feeling accomplished to make a dinner from my garden bounty - red cabbage, spinach, arugula, and beet greens. Pepitas and goat cheese finish it nicely. I just planted another pot of spinach to keep the salads coming. 9/13/23 Wednesday  Today included just a walk as it rained most of the day, only clearing up after 4 pm. I managed 4 miles in the twilight and was amazed by the work I saw down at the beach. We now have a dock and a kayak launch thingy which means I won't have to step in the

Amyjean deserves heaps of credit for organizing a fun filled mini vacation last weekend. She organized it around Robert Neary and The Mystics who she has been following (crushing on) for 3 years.  First up, we met at the Farmington Heritage Rail Trail for a bike ride. We met at 11 am and rode for two and a half hours for a distance of 26 miles. It was a pretty trail with lots of history - we learned this was a huge tobacco growing area and 2,000 acres is still grown here by the descendants of Polish immigrants. But it was very hot and humid. We discussed heat exhaustion vs. heat stroke as an indicator of our concerns on the way back. Riding along the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail We then drove to East Hampton CT and checked into our AirB&B, showered, and relaxed a bit. The house was very cute and cozy and we each had our own rooms so all was well. We then headed down to the shore for our dinner reservation at Saybrook Point Resort and Marina . It was a beautiful place and we met

Calm waters, sunny skies.  9/6/23 The temperature has been climbing into the low 90's and I grudgingly turned on the AC for the past couple of days. I have a day of lawn mowing ahead of me, so I'll need a cool place to retreat between mowing sessions.  Yesterday was a glorious girls kayak trip to Otesaga Lake near Cooperstown NY. We kayaked from Waterfront Park in town to Three Mile Park for a swim, then back for a total of 6 miles. Nice arm workout! Then we changed and had a late lunch on the Otesaga Hotel's veranda. It was a picture perfect day. On the water. On the way back to investigate the tower. Built just to pretty up the lake shore. A very civilized end to our adventure. The truffle burger was sublime. Now a day to get packed and ready for a mini vacation with these same friends to Hartford CT for some biking, music and the beach.

 8/28/23 The day started out sunny and warm. I couldn't take another minute at home, so I headed to a sunflower field to take a walk. By the time I arrived, the clouds had moved in, but I still walked around and took some photos. I was annoyed that they didn't allow drones - that was my main purpose today. How can a field like this fail to cheer anyone. A beauty! An over achiever. A few light drops were falling when I got home, so I took my book into the garden under the umbrella. The skies soon opened up, so I retreated to the covered deck. Later, I let my sweet tooth take over and made lemon meringues. Tuesday 8/29/23 I took to the garden for some pruning and tidying up. The balloon flowers are having a second blooming. I'll wait till the clouds move in to take a walk - I'm supposed to avoid sunlight right now. Weds 8/30/23 Stitches out day! I couldn't get to the office fast enough and this procedure was simple although the RN had to call in the surgeon to remove