Muted Colors

 Heating season has begun. Friday morning, 10/10, I woke up to a temperature reading of 28°F outside, and 60°F inside - a bit too cool for me. I turned the furnace on for about a half hour to warm the place up. I try to make it to November before turning on the heat, but not this year. 

In contrast, I went on a solo bike ride Tuesday, the 7th  - another 80°F day to soak in the warmth.
This was about the most colorful foliage I saw in the 20 miles I covered.

The first CASTA meeting of the ski season was Wednesday and it was not nearly as boring as I'd been told. 

One of the original founders of the club gave a short presentation.
This 88 year old guy started the club in 1973 when I was still in middle school!

Being in the right place at the right time, one woman cancelled her reservation for an upcoming Vermont trip right in front of me, so I was put in her slot immediately, along with my friend Sue Ellen. Another ski trip in March is now on the calendar! 

Bromley Mountain in Vermont was the sight of Thursday's brisk hike. It was a 6 mile out and back, with 1400 ft of elevation gain. I think I'm getting my hiking legs back, which is good as two more hikes have been scheduled after I return from California.

Esther and I grabbed the 2 Adirondack chairs at the top of the final ascent to Bromley. We were able to catch our breath and enjoy the beautiful view to the south and greet the rest of the group as they made their way to the top. This is Sue Ellen just arriving.
 

The viewpoint was a bit crowded.

In medical news, I went to see my ENT about my hearing in one ear that was mucked up by the transAtlantic flight this summer. After a bit of discussion, I'm going ahead with a surgery to try to correct the problem. It will be in December and require a driver so I'll have to find a friend who's able to drive me. I've had 4 of these occasions in the past 2 years, so hopefully I'm not becoming an annoyance to my friends.

Saturday I met with 5 friends to bike the Harlem Valley trail again - I've been over there 4 times in the past two weeks. The ride was brisk at 50°F, but we warmed up by biking faster than normal. 

Patty B in front of me.

A little color.

When  I returned home this little one was napping. How much longer will
my fuzzy garden friends stick around?

Now I’m in Southern California with my dear daughter. I’m thrilled to “mom” her for the week.

First morning walk was full of surfers, birds, and pretty rocks.






Comments

  1. MargaretOctober 13, 2025 at 7:47 PM

    You do get around! Loved that splashy color. We don't get much around here, but the ornamental maples can be stunning. I spent many years traveling to and from California (LA area) and also many years going between Seattle and New York. That cross country flight is no picnic! Have a special time with your daughter!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Another Rainy Weekend

Image
Another rainy Saturday to contend with, so I decided on a Van Morrison playlist while I cleaned out the garage and danced and sang. My gardening supplies and planters and pots that need sorting and recycling  were cluttering up my space. They are now sorted and the garage is cleaned out for at least another week or so. I think the shed in the back yard needs to be a project to get it into a more useful state.  The amount of rain we've had is remarkable. May was one of the wettest months in eighty years and June is starting to look the same. I would rather have too much rain rather than a drought though.  After dropping around 3 inches of rain, the skies cleared up later in the afternoon. I loaded up my bike for an impromptu ride on the Electric Trail with the thought of dinner or ice cream at Samascott's.  The first of many turtles on the bike path. Now I see just how rough the path was and how I had no business riding on it.  The trail was very wet on the way s...
Read more

Summer Solstice

Image
Vroman's Nose overlooking the valley. Summer has begun! To mark the solstice, my hiking group held a picnic at the top of Vroman's Nose, which is a short little hike up a 657 foot hill. It overlooks the Schoharie Valley and has a beautiful rock 'dance floor' that easily accommodates our group of forty. The weather was a perfect 74 degrees with a breeze to keep any bugs away. A pleasant gathering on the dance floor near sunset. I drove Sue Ellen who had her gall bladder removed last week, and we hiked up with a guy who has spinal stenosis. As I listened to them discuss their ailments, I silently gave thanks for my health and thought about how 'mature' our group is becoming.  Once at the top, the party began with burgers and dogs, salads and desserts, and great conversation.  Most of our group made it into this sunset picture. Saturday started with me being woken up by my neighbors chatting down below in the street - it was garage sale day. I didn't join since...
Read more

Random Thoughts In My Little Life

Image
 The orchids I bought in February (!) catch my attention each day and I have to marvel at their longevity. Four months of continuous flowers? What other plant does this? I just may become an orchid collector. A new stem with buds is forming on one of them too! This long horn beetle was inspecting my snow peas. They have blooms, so peas are not far behind! I drove up to the Plateau to meet a friend for a paddle. The wind picked up for awhile so we got a nice upper body work out paddling into the wind. Then we just floated near the dock when the wind died down and the sun was shining.  This wetland was covered in yellow flag (iris) on the way to the Pond. Enjoying the calm water after the gusts. This is not proper paddling form, but it was so relaxing. This angle makes my kayak look tiny! Thursday was a nice dry day - perfect for lawn garden work. I'm diligently putting the plants I keep buying into the ground. I have a dozen sunflowers I grew from seed that need planting, but t...
Read more