Adirondacks

Road work

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Travel means more time to knit. My last trip enabled me to finish a mitten and knit two hats for friends’ birthdays. It was fun to design one hat on the fly. The mittens have a clever cuff, you turn the knitting inside out after half the cuff is knit. A little mind blowing. (It doesn’t take much these days). Although these projects will only pass through my hands, many things I have knit on the road become my souvenirs and remind me of a time and place.

Mixed results for a twined braid rim
Milet mitten by Ysolda Teague

This little froggie is lucky I didn’t have to take the car out the other morning. He was hanging out on the garage apron. He looks a little stern anyway.

Our travels took us back to Montreal last week to see a fabulous concert by the Montreal Symphony. It was a matinee and we spent the afternoon walking around Mount Royal. The population is almost four times the number in Quebec City you feel it. No bonjours, hellos or even head nods. Every one is on their own mission in their own thoughts. Been there, done that.

Small town living is the life for me.

A table set for friends

Monarchs are getting ready for their big trip south. Their numbers have fallen by around 75% over the past 20 years, largely due to reduction in milkweed. Our food chain depends on the birds, bees, butterflies. This is serious. The larvae need the milkweed. The adults enjoy nectar, or so it seems to me. Fort Ticonderoga and Saranac Lake shops provided plenty of nectar for the butterflies.

We’ve had frost at night. Time to hit the road butterflies.

New Horizons

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 We have sailed Lake Champlain for several years. A lot of our time was spent around Northwest Harbor in Westport. To be sure, there are beautiful anchorages and mountain views but it’s wonderful to have a change of scenery, which is what our new little red speedboat provides. And we don’t have to spend three nights on the sailboat to get there. (Spoken like one who has crossed over to the dark side, with a two stroke engine no less).

We’ve been to Lake Placid, where we had a trial run, the northern part of Lake George, Basin Harbor, Button Bay, Valcour Island and island camping in Lower Saranac Lake. 

Boating season in the Adirondacks is quickly coming to an end. We went kayak camping the past few days and the thermometer dipped into the 30’s at night. Luckily we were comfy mummified in our sleeping bags. The weather was still nice enough to be on the water during the day and we even took a brief swim.

Although the lean to was great, I do not sleep in lean tos. I have visions of mice running through my hair while I snooze. Zip me in a tent anytime.

We shared the lake with three loons who called to each other throughout the day and night. A perfect Adirondack accompaniment. At home we hear coyotes and they are not all that different.

We managed to kayak through an unlikely passage. The map clearly showed water around an island. It forgot to mention cattails and lilypads. We had at least ten inches of water at anytime, which is all we draw in kayaks. Some areas were so close, paddling was impossible and we had to resort to poling.

The scenery was spectacular, company was outstanding, camp food was passable and a good time was had by both.

The big and little things

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As always, summer in the Adirondacks flies by. The days are getting shorter and the nights colder. Work and visiting with friends and family has kept us busy. The new boat and truck are working out. We took a fabulous camping trip with the next two generations and Oma’s red boat was a big hit. And as hoped, I am having fun doing the repairs as I am able.

I have sewn and repaired the boat canvas, installed a couple of cleats, gathered a tool kit, greased (or in this case floated oil) for the trailer’s wheel bearing and, oh yes, dropped some money. Spare tires, jack kit, radio, new horn and a couple of minor repairs. It begins.

This guy was in the road when I drove to work last week.

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So handsome. I kept my distance and he lumbered off in to the field.

Yesterday, I spotted this salamander during my walk.

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On a mission.

We seem to be spending a lot of time in Saranac Lake recently. This week for dinner and a play. This show was on display after a rainstorm.

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Remarkable!

First you buy a little boat

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A takeoff from the title of one of my favorite books, “First you row a little boat”. Well this is my sequence. We sold our sailboat and my plan was to buy a little runabout we could tow from lake to lake in the Adirondacks.

I found a 15 foot 1966 aluminum Starcraft in Lake Placid. The captain and I took it for a spin, the 1971 Mercury motor ran fine, and I bought it.

Then I needed a little truck to tow it. In some ways, we have crossed over to the dark side and a fuel efficient truck would soften the landing. I found a 1997 Ford Ranger, 300 miles away, but the price was right and it had a current inspection.

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Since my son lives nearby, I asked him to buy it for me. He saw it, confirmed it ran well, but was a little incredulous it was the truck of my dreams. In fact, he got pulled over within the first ten minutes of driving it.

I took mass transit to the truck, got it registered and took it for its maiden voyage- six hours north to the Adirondacks.

My son and daughter-in-law tracked my trip and I arrived home uneventfully.

Now the captain is off trying to haul the boat home while I visit my daughter in DC. Hopefully the next photo will have them ( boat and trailer, not boat and captain) tethered together in my driveway. 

They both need work but are simple enough it might be fun?

Trail running

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I lost my running mojo for a while. I didn’t mind because I also enjoy walking, it just takes longer to cover the same distance. Last week an article in Outside magazine about falling caught my eye because, in my small circle of friends and acquaintances, there were three serious falls last winter, one of which ended in death. It was an especially icy winter at home.

I don’t engage in most of the activities described, but I must walk on ice and enjoy trail running. The article includes the line, “if you trail run, you will fall”. So true. I proved it yesterday. I have fabulous trails I can access from home.

It was a slow motion, in my mind, fall and as I went down, I thought the words, if you run, you will fall. I just stay relaxed and rolled with it. A good philosophy in general. I run with my iPhone to listen to music and in case I fall and can’t get up. Luckily my leg took the brunt of the fall, my hands didn’t even get dirty, my wrists survived, and my iPhone played on.

This was after my most scary episode on the trail so perhaps I was distracted. I must have passed a ruffed grouse nest on my way out. Well on my return trip, the hen was pissed! She came after me, all puffed up, tail feathers spread, hissing, and beak ready to bite. I know she was only a foot tall but she scared the bejeezus out of me. I even let out a yelp, but there I was in the woods with noone to hear me, or did the trees hear me?

Perhaps I should have read this article in the Adirondack Almanac before heading out. It contains this information:

Perhaps the most remarkable display of parental courage for a creature of its size is seen in the hen ruffed grouse. This bird will aggressively confront and challenge any human that happens to come too close to its recently hatched chicks.

Don’t I know it. They call it an unforgettable wildlife experience. I was so ruffled myself I couldn’t even take a photo of the little chicks heading up the slope while she chased me a hundred yards down the path. Every time I stopped, she headed towards me.

Here is a photo from Wikimedia Commons someone else was brave enough to take. It captures the open beak ready to bite while making scary hissing noises.

It might be a while before I take to that trail again.

The little things

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We are caught up at home and settled back into civilization. Back to work, banking, shopping and consuming. Hmmm. Memories of Deal Island arrive every day.

There are simple pleasures at home. We have sandy soil and partial sun due to a mountain to our east. Nothing grows very well. This peony limps along but it has at least 3 blooms this year. Pretty pathetic in comparison to some but beautiful nonetheless.

Tim found this little hummingbird trapped in our garage. It spent the night there. He nudged it outside and I made a batch of nectar. I dripped some into its beak with my finger. I couldn’t even see her swallow. After a while at least she started to look around. I went indoors and watched with my binoculars. It was like watching a newborn take its first steps. I saw her flutter her wings and perch up on the dish of nectar. Some time later she was gone and off with her pals to do hummingbird things. I will never know if it is her at the feeders but will imagine it is.

Strawberries are finally in season and delicious. Both Tim and I brought a quart home. Too many strawberries. So I made a batch of strawberry jam in my instant pot. Good on toast, in a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and on vanilla ice cream.

Hello Handsome

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We have attracted a pair of cardinals to the feeder in addition to red squirrels, rabbits, deer, chickadees, blue jays and nut hatches. Always a welcome site in the winter.

I’m testing out my other cameras as we get ready to go to Australia. We have had about two feet of snow, which has kept me busy with the snowblower. I even cut down a few trees in the woods. One day, I used a Husqvarna chain saw in the morning and a Husqvarna sewing machine in the afternoon! Not many lumber jacks can say that.

Goodbye Tappan Zee

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The old bridge was demolished last week in a controlled explosion with very little fanfare. My daughter sent this Reddit link from an engineering site she follows.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, winter moves on. I managed to adjust the chain saw helmet so it fit like a glove. The chaps were warm as anything and now all of our wood has been cut. Tim even helped move wood with the last batch. More importantly, he had surgery to correct his wrist and it was a smashing (he he) success. All systems go for our February departure.

I’ve sailed through my projects: Birthday quilt and pillowcase, done; New baby gifts, done; 5/7 boat cushions recovered; Leg warmers, done. Several of these left the house so quickly, I never got a photo. Even squeezed in a deer hat.

Yesterday, I put work and projects aside and walked with the ladies’ hiking group. This is an intrepid group of women who hike year round in the Adirondacks. Yesterday’s group was large, probably due to the several weeks we’ve had cooped up indoors because of icy and frigid conditions.

Champlain Area Trails’ new Vail trail

One loop had several cattle skulls as fence posts. I tried to take a photo through the eye socket but my phone did not like the cold.



Now we brace ourselves for the next winter storm this weekend. It’s been called a major snowstorm with “plowable” amounts greater than six inches. Greater than 6 inches? 7? 50? Time will tell. Better fire up the snowblower.

So many new skills

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I hardly have time to apply the old ones. My holiday crafting is officially over. Now I am only left with: a birthday quilt, with only a small amount of binding to be sewn; new baby and sibling gifts; a wedding afghan; leggings for painters; two bathing suits for me; and recover a set of boat cushions. Then it will all be about travel projects for out next trip to lovely Deal Island!

Tim gave me a refresher course in the chain saw and I have been cutting the wood down to size for the wood stove and splitting it. My only two compaints are the chainsaw is a little heavy and I need a girlie chainsaw helmet with ear protectors. Tim’s tends to slide down over my eyes. Could be a problem.

Next up are my mad plumbing skills. I replaced our kitchen faucet. Kohler boasts it should be a homeowner project easily completed in under an hour. I guess that would be the case if all the parts worked. But alas, I resorted to eBay and two parts were defective. How did I know this? After my first installation and trial, we had a fountain in the kitchen. At least the plants on the windowsill got watered. After many false starts – under the sink, turn the water off, try something else, turn on the water – drip, drip, drip, I identified the culprits. Luckily I still had the old parts and with them installed, the faucet now works beautifully. There may have been some cursing under the sink in the process.

Yesterday I got to use the snowblower because we had about 4 inches of snow. That got me thinking about organizing the garage. And go to the dump. When Tim mentioned his piano needed “voicing” I put my foot down. I’ve had a lot of days at home and about and have really enjoyed them. We went for a walk at Heaven Hill in Lake Placid. Lovely trails – with micro spikes – and beautiful views.

Here are some shots from closer to home. Iron mountain looked lovely down our road, covered in snow.

And my poor little pizza oven sits across the driveway, unused and looking lonely. I painted a face on the door so when I look at it, it looks back at me. Next summer…

Who knew I was such a slacker

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My house chores have increased significantly now that Tim is one handed, and lefty at that. I realize that he does the lion’s share of housecleaning. I was able to ignore many things, knowing full well he would take care of it. Now it’s up to me, temporarily.

So I dusted and washed a few floors (on my hands and knees, the only way). I think if I had more free time, I might actually like cleaning. But when I pulled out the ammonia from under the sink the bottom of the bottle was wet. I found a drippy sink hose and tried to tighten things up to fix it. It didn’t. So now I will try to replace the whole faucet when it arrives.

Next up, the wood stove. We were a little short of wood at the beginning of the fall and had to buy some seasoned hardwood, cut too long for our wood stove. Tim gave me a brief refresher course in safe chain saw use and I cut and split a wheelbarrow full of wood to start.

Any task with scissors or a screw top lid requires my second hand. He writes pretty well with his left hand and thank goodness for dictation on the iPad.

Sunrise White Pine Camp

I had a reprieve from chores for Christmas. We went to a cabin on a lake in the woods, with heat, a kitchen and bathroom. All with plumbing that worked and didn’t leak. It was beautiful and relaxing. We took walks and played games. I knit mittens and sewed in threads on a quilt.

Tea house in snow
A little Christmas tree

Now it’s time to get back to work.