Kayak, Train, Bicycle

 
I rarely like to go on activities on the weekends because - people - but I was talked into a kayak on South West Bay of Lake Champlain. It was a nice day out with AJ, Susan, Ann Marie, Lyne, and Patty B. We had some good laughs and fine weather. It was three and a half hours of hard paddling so my arms and core got a great workout.

The lake scenery was a bit lacking although some cliffs appeared at the south end of the lake.


This was the best we could find for a rest break and snack. I guess a standing break
was fine since we were sitting in the kayaks so long.

On Sunday, I cut slits in a sunhat I don't wear too much to make a biking 
helmet brim to keep the sun off my face. I know I'm spending way too much
time in the sun, so between hats and SPF 50 sunscreen I'm trying to mitigate the harm. 
I wore it on the quick ride into town and it worked beautifully.


Mystery solved! I planted 24 seeds in the spring which I thought were marigolds, but as soon as their leaves appeared I knew they weren't marigolds. Maybe sunflowers? Turns out they are Tithonia or Mexican Sun Flowers and they are absolutely fluorescent. I love them.


Last night the concert outing I organized happened and it worked out very well. Ten of us met at the Orenda Pavillion at Saratoga Spa State Park for dinner and drinks. Then the short walk to the Performing Arts Center where we all got soaked in an unexpected downpour. We stuck it out and achieved a damp state and the bands were fantastic. I do love Patrick Monahan, the lead singer of Train. He puts on such a great show.

My small umbrella kept our heads dry, but our clothes were soaking wet.

I didn't get home til after midnight, and needed a shower because I was covered
 in a fine layer of grit. I didn't get much sleep.

Pat Monahan singing Soul Sister. His 12 year old son Rock, came on stage and belted out
 a flawless Aerosmith song. That was the only break in the long list of Train hits. 

Today the garbage trucks woke me at 7 am so I slowly set about making a plan. I decided on a solo bike ride on the Helderberg trail. The heat and humidity have been rising but its always breezy on a bike.

Work on The Barn is progressing and it should be ready as an event venue by the fall.

I was a wee bit hungover and dehydrated and felt my energy draining away before mile 6. I saw this sign and pulled over for a water break and marveled at the snapping turtle's choice of nesting site - the top of a random gravel pile.

I decided to treat myself to lunch on the trail, seeing as my dinner
last night was veggies and hummus and hard cider. This pub melt was perfect
and fueled the rest of my ride - 21 miles in 1 hr, 50 min.

The rest of the week is light on plans though a couple of hikes are on offer. I just really don't love hiking in the heat and humidity. I also have to plan what to pack for Aruba; it's less than a week away!


Comments

  1. MargaretJuly 24, 2024 at 11:02 PM

    Aruba is less than a week away--wow!! Will your daughter meet you there? Love the pub melt; it looks like comfort food. I want to kayak again although I'm not very good at it and would prefer to stick to calm lakes. There are many who kayak in Puget Sound which has much rougher waters. My daughters (when much younger) called it the Little Ocean versus the Big Ocean. (the Pacific) We went to both although more frequently to Puget Sound which is very close. I love the color of that flower! I have a weakness for orange.

    ReplyDelete
  2. PamJuly 25, 2024 at 3:41 PM

    And as Margaret knows, I don't have a weakness for orange! Oh Maureen, you're impressively energetic...

    ReplyDelete

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