The Years To Remember

The four days of 90+ temperatures have passed, only to be replaced with high 80's and high humidity punctuated with frequent thunderstorms - perfect for the gardens. I manage to get an early walk or bike ride in while it's reasonable cool. The ducks and geese are all over the place and I often have to stop the car to let them cross the roads. Just about finished rearing the young. I took myself on a little day trip to the Park-McCullough mansion in North Bennington VT the other day. It was a hot one so I left home early enough to be first in line for the tour. It's less than an hour away and the scenery on the drive was just beautiful.  The gardens of the home were what drew me, and they were just fine, but nothing spectacular. The house on the other hand was sumptuous even though it was just the family summer house. Thankfully it was a self guided tour as I arrived at the same time as a very long winded couple from Arizona. I brought my drone and was able to get a few shot...

I'm an introvert without a doubt, and as such, struggle to find the right balance between being social (which I also love) and spending quiet days at home doing as I like. In chatting with a friend of similar character, we've decided there is no right formula and we just have to take each day as it comes with recharging days at home taken when needed. I treasure both socializing and staying home, but really have to push myself to get out of the house regularly. Thursday Beaver Dam Pond. A hike with the mates was the order of the day and the weather was gorgeous for it too. We hiked 4 miles on the Plateau through forests, around ponds and past streams. I found some treasure on the way - a spire of rock that will be featured in my garden and an old metal spike. Both of these items added about 20 pounds to my backpack. As I felt their weight on my back, I realized I was rucking -  Walking with a weighted backpack  is a low-impact, full-body workout that's growing in popularit...

 Time is flying by and the weather is fine. Sometimes a little too hot, sometimes rainy, but altogether it is summer! I did plenty of walking and biking on my own last week, but then drove to Connecticut to spend the weekend with my sister and brother in law.   Saturday We got up very early Saturday in order to be among the first in the strawberry fields. You need reservations to pick at Jones Farm and the berries are pricey. We couldn't have had better weather though. This was our haul; about 14 pounds for each of us. We made 2 pies and froze quite a few. After the berry processing, we headed to the Larkin Rail Trail. The first bit was mountain biking but then it calmed down into a gravel path. The surface kept changing so we had to be paying attention so we didn't hit rocks,  roots, or muddy sections.  When there were no hazards for a bit, I could take a photo. A side trail led us to a brew pub. It was very busy and it was only 11 am! We just looked around, th...

 The friends getaway to Burlington was lots of fun and the weather mostly cooperated.  We drove up on Monday and I stopped in a couple of quaint New England towns along the way. This is Middlebury VT. I just caught the tail end of their Memorial Day parade. Vermont is full of covered bridges - this is one of three I went through. We found an Earth Clock in the style of Stonehenge which I was fascinated with. I intend to build a mini version in my garden. Susan on the Causeway. The ferry was not running, but we enjoyed the journey anywqy. Just a great blue heron hanging out on the rocks. Causeway selfie. This made me remember my last trip here when my daughter was in high school and we did this bike trail. This pano picture is a perfect depiction of the day. We watched rain showers over the Adirondacks and a few made it across the lake and we got a little wet. Mostly the weather was warm and sunny. Apres ride drinks. If a 24 mile morning ride wasn't enough, we joined the Sunset...