Cavorting About

 

Ice on the bird bath water is a daily occurrence this week, but daytime temps are hitting the low 50's.

Our monthly dinner was Saturday night and Dale made creme brûlée as it's George's favorite dessert. George and Janice hosted in their newly renovated kitchen. They now have the most lovely modern kitchen which Janice just loves. I feel like I came home with groceries - one dozen eggs laid by Janice's chickens, and a jar of honey produced by her bees. She has quite a little farmstead going for someone who is still working full time. I provided wine, a salad, and a jar of my maple walnuts to go with Janice's chicken marsala and mashed potatoes.

Dan brought his blow torch to finish off the brûlée. It took 10 minutes and flamed up
so much we thought he might burn down the brand new kitchen. He had fun though!

Before the dinner I met Sue Ellen and Mary for a 22 mile brisk bike ride over in Albany. The temperature was in the low 50's but the trail was so pretty. Hats and gloves were a must for this ride.

The end of our ride by the Hudson River. We got a look at the construction as they rehab the train bridge.


It was a pretty fall scene on the trail.

I am spending lots of time in the garden putting things to bed for the winter. I'm using the chop and drop method of garden cleanup which is time consuming, but all the green goodness will go right back into the soil. I can't believe I used to bag it all up and toss it. I will just need to add a light coating of mulch in the spring to refresh the beds. 

Most of the flowers are done for the season, but one zinnia near the house has a few more blooms to enjoy.

The bumble bees are like old friends now. I know I'm going to miss them soon, but for now they are 
enjoying what is left of the marigold nectar.

Book Club was a lively discussion of A Prayer For Owen Meany, a long read with many themes to parse. I found out the movie Owen Birch is based on the book which I may have to give a watch. The author only mildly signed off on it so it differs from the book as I understand. We had a nice lunch and no alcohol at all. It seems many of us are just not that interested in alcohol beverages anymore. I'm not trying to do sober October, but other than a little wine at dinner the other night... 
Our final John Irving read will be A Widow For One Year. I'm ready to move on from Irving, but I hope this last one will be worth the time.


Wednesday was hike day. We returned to Pitch Off mountain because Patty  had it on her list to complete the Adirondack 29. I didn't do the leap this time  but AJ wanted a better shot, so I acted as photographer for her. 

AJ, me, Patty, and Geri. A beautiful day for a 4.5 mile hike with 1,400 ft of elevation gain.

Geri, Patty and I just cavorted about on the Balanced Rocks.
Whiteface peak was snow covered in the background. 

I was able to capture AJ's leap fairly well!

Today is a very welcome rainy day in which I am taking my time getting chores done around the house. I  have the larger book club tonight to discuss Heartwood by Amity Gaige. Some of us might head to a pub afterwards for some live music and fun!

Comments

  1. MargaretOctober 30, 2025 at 11:44 PM

    That leap is scary! (to me anyway) The bike ride and hike sound great. I like creme brulee, but prefer creme caramel. I do love custard! I need to pull off my hoses but otherwise have the flower beds under control. There are still a few surviving annuals: a marigold, a begonia and a geranium. They must enjoy the cooler nights.

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