Winter Distractions

 

I've been getting out in the dark on my outings so I get to see the colorful sky as the sun rises.

As I drove to my latest outing at 6 am, it occurred to me, that for someone who doesn't like winter that much, I seem to be out in it an awful lot lately. I have 5 Cross country ski outings planned in the next month along with the usual winter hiking/snowshoeing. Maybe I like winter more than I realized?

Monday and Tuesday

After the mountain snow shoe adventure, I'm enjoying cozying up at home and embracing the hygge concept. I did a bit of remote shopping and picked up my purchases without leaving the car. I've done two strength workouts and much lounging with tea. This morning I gave myself a pedicure as well and watched all the bird activity in the yard. A hawk landed in the tree so I even grabbed my 35 mm camera to try to get a decent shot. The hawk waited patiently as I had to change out the camera batteries first. 

I need to head over to Lowe's as I discovered the soles of my winter hiking boots are quite detached in a few places. A product called ShoeGlue is supposed to be just the thing to keep these boots usable for a few more years. I can afford new boots, but if I can repair them and keep them out of the landfill, I'm going to attempt that first. My next hikes are Thursday and Saturday so I have a day or two to do the repair.

The mallard convention down on the lake near the 'bubbler' one resident installed on their dock.

I did venture over to the mall as that is where the Apple store is. I have been limping along on my daughter's old MacBook Pro but it is getting very glitchy and has about a 20 minute battery life. They would not even give me anything in trade in value because of its vintage status. Now I have a very light and thin MacBook Air to see me through the next 7-8 years according to the sales person. He was nice enough to give me the educator discount even though I'm retired. 

My January initiative to use up all the food in my freezer is going well. I have only spent $100 on groceries so far this month (mostly produce) and still have a quiche, eggplant parm, shrimp, salmon, and chicken to get through. I should make it through the month with no more grocery shopping. Then I'll spend February cooking and restocking. 

I volunteered at Caffe Lena Wednesday night and found everyone very nice and the venue a lovely community of like minded people - something really lacking in today's society. Will I continue with this volunteer gig? I'm not sure but I'll sign up for one or two more before I decide.

The event was a blues jam at Caffe Lena

Thursday was a hiking day up in the Adirondack mountains again. Panther Mt and Swede Mt were about 13 miles apart but had similar views of the Gore Mt ski center. We elected not to stop for food as many of us had book club & dinner in the evening and it was nice to get a shower before heading out again. The book was Tomorrow And Tomorrow And Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin. It was an engaging story about the complexity of relationships, among other themes, using the gaming industry as an element of the setting. It wasn't a book I'd usually read but one of the aspects of book club I enjoy is reading outside of my comfort zone.

Fire tower views.

Gore Mt ski center across the peaks.

Our group at the Swede Mt fire tower.

Friday was a quiet with dinner at a friends house which is always fun. A bike trip to Ireland was discussed as well. 

Yesterday led me to another hike over in Mass. at Spruce Hill. I should have been in snowshoes, but the strap broke so I had to struggle with just spikes. The lower body workout was intense! We stopped at the Freight Yard Pub for a raucous meal with our group being the center of interest. We provided entertainment for a nearby table who were so good natured and seemed to enjoy our antics.

The view from Spruce Mt of Mt Greylock in Massachusetts.

I just interviewed at the Pine Bush Nature Preserve as a docent in their visitor center. I hike there often and after hearing the description of duties, it seems like a good fit for me. They only ask for a minimum of 4 hours per month which I can easily commit to. I go to orientation in early February, then I'm all set to work.  Now its time to hunker down for our first decent snowstorm!

Comments

  1. MargaretJanuary 19, 2025 at 3:58 PM

    You are doing a lot with your winter! I love walking during this time of year but am not sure about the hiking. I would do a short, not too high one--just to make sure my terror of heights didn't kick in. My mom and I superglued a place on my walking shoes for the same reason. They weren't even that old! (it was inside on the heel; the fabric had come up. The volunteer work sounds ideal. Committing to to many hours has been a worry of mine. I tend to get overinvolved.

    ReplyDelete
  2. PamJanuary 21, 2025 at 2:50 PM

    How different your life is to mine! I can't imagine walking in snow shoes - don't really know what they are, or at least in my mind, they're shoes with sort of tennis racquets on them. I don't know what "produce" means - vegetables? fruit? - nor what a docent is, though I'm guessing some sort of teacher.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Maureen MJanuary 22, 2025 at 7:45 AM

    You are right, 'produce' is fruit and vegetables! A docent is a greeter and guide for the visitor center. I really detest hiking in snowshoes, but when the snow is deep, they are needed to keep you from sinking into the snow and struggling through every step!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. PamJanuary 28, 2025 at 3:33 PM

      I fear I would stay at home with a book! But you're much more energetic than me. We hardly get any snow, anyway.

      Delete

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