Adirondacks

Home, home off the grid

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We traveled for 20 hours on Wednesday and are gradually recovering from jet leg.   Spring is just on the brink of arriving. A strong storm blow through yesterday, with wind, thunder and lightning.  Our Davis Weather Station reported the highest wind since we’ve lived here: 42 mph. Lots of power outages.

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Our county is the one where hardly anyone has power. I was happy to use my Coleman lantern and candles last night, while we read and knit. This is the Forest Path stole I began the plane to Ireland. It’s too complicated to put down and I’ll keep knitting it. At the airport security check, they asked me if I had knitting needles in my bag.  I said I did, with two weeks worth of knitting that they could not have. They laughed, confirmed I had knitting needles and let me pass.

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We set up the generator and all is well.   Today is glorious and sunny.  Lots of birds singing,. and the woodpeckers are hammering away.  It was a long winter indoors. What I love most about our travel and caretaking lifestyle is the opportunity to spend long stretches outdoors.

But Tim needed his headlamp to play the piano today.

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And apparently we’re having company!

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Winter is leaving and spring is coming

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It has been a long, cold winter. Much of the early season had temperatures too cold, for me, to comfortably play. The mid part had some nice snow and we were able to ski right from the front door. Then there was a melt and freeze, late in the season, which turned all our walkways into skating rinks.  That’s when I keep my micro spikes on my crocs so I can get to the hot tub without breaking a hip.

This week had a glimpse of things to come. The temperature rose to the 50’s for one day and the river’s ice melted,  happily without flooding our road. Here’s the view upstream.

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Then we had a sun filled day, which warmed my heart.  A mackerel sky predicted the next day’s warm weather and rain/snow.

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Spring is almost in the air.

And so it is Christmas

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We celebrated early with the family away and never brought a tree into the house. My geranium, salvaged from Seguin Island several years ago, brings holiday color to the room.

This year’s family craft project was paper cutting animal snowflakes.

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Be careful, it’s another worm hole to fall into. We used the book, 100 Amazing Paper Animal Snowflakes by Marion T. Nichols. For some reason, the templates are available online on this website if you feel the urge.

My work area looked like a warehouse from Thanksgiving until now. I knit, wove and wove. I finished my final ? project yesterday but didn’t take a photograph it yet. I made tablet woven tiebacks for the log cabin’s curtains.  Tim also received a wool rag rug for the cabin in the white elephant fiber exchange. The cabin may be complete – never.

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There were hats, scarves, slippers, rugs, bath and hand towels to name what I can remember.

We sneaked a quick trip in to Montreal to listen to a choir perform in the Notre Dame Basilica. Despite the slush and the Montreal shuffle it demands, it is a beautiful city in the winter.  Our new NEXUS passes let us sail across the border.

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My fair isle sweater is almost complete. It’s knit but there about a million ends to weave in. I built a wooly board yesterday from plans I found online to block it. The pattern was for a man and it fits a little wonky. I hope the stretcher will help. For now, it looks just as nice inside out.

FCC9AF5C-F8D4-48E6-93DD-9F16030E60A4Today is a lovely snowy day to sit by the wood stove and finish this task. After I use the snow blower to clear the driveway.

 

Why do we ever leave?

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It’s hard to say because where we live is so beautiful and peaceful. Our county has the second lowest population density in New York, so we aren’t driven away by the crowds. We have mountains and lakes and a hand built log cabin. I’ve been following the current Maatsuyker caretakers on Instagram and they summed it up quite well. It’s for the simple life unhindered by schedules. A typical day includes lots of time to create: music; weaving; knitting; and food. There’s always plenty of time and energy to exercise. And time to read and reflect on nature, seascapes, and sunsets. We try to maintain it at home but it’s much harder. I work a few days a week, as beautiful as our home is, we live far from family and travel to see them. Life gets in the way of life?

But here we are.

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Tim tears me away from my knitting and weaving to take walks, ride our bikes or swim.

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We visit family and friends.

657DA3B8-0F07-4AD0-B550-33470A6DD101A90358FB-0B21-4011-A804-A354DECE187BI find inspiration in our local color.

IMG_4511IMG_4513And try to keep it simple.

And just like that, we’re home

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IMG_4219We left Seguin Island in calm seas and pea soup fog. The first and only thing I was able to see during the three mile boat ride ashore was Fort Popham, at the very end of the trip! But we were in excellent hands.

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Fort Popham from the road

The drive home was beautiful, especially when we saw the Adirondack Mountains.

IMG_4288But how quickly we got caught up in a whirlwind. I worked two days, arranged financing, bought a car, rented a house for the family vacation, and mostly unpacked. Tim lined up a Captain’s job on a schooner next summer and then we were invited for the crew’s end of year sail. It was perfect though; steady breeze, gorgeous sunset, mountain, and good company.

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We feel like we didn’t even miss summer at home. It has been warm and sunny. No pea soup.

Committed traveler

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IMG_2373IMG_2445I should be committed, someplace.  30 hours for my trip east and 18 hours return and I haven’t even left the country. Not counting the fact I slept in a hotel last night where I can park my car.  We didn’t factor our love of travel in when we moved two hours from the closest airports.

Today’s modes of travel included hotel shuttle bus, two planes, light rail from Seatac to Washington State Ferry, Strait Shot bus, uber, power boat run by Capt Tim and pickup truck to the cabin.  I’m only at the bus part now. Phew.

It could have been worse though. Last night I dropped my wallet in a parking lot with my ID, all my credit cards and my PO Box key. I retraced my steps (3 stops) and at the last, someone had turned it in. I was ecstatic. Restored my faith in the world.

During my trip home, I reconnected with children, grandchildren, sibling, coworkers, friends and, last but not least, my cat. And I worked and worked and had my car repaired.

Now I’m ready to enjoy island life and solace with Tim again, for another month. While I saw a lot of people, I avoided large groups. I wasn’t ready for a complete reentry into civilization.  It’s a process.

Except for being a challenge to get there, our part of the world is pretty sweet too.

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Things got worse before I was saved by a loaf of bread

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Although I traveled for more than 30 hours with only three hours sleep, my trip went fairly well. I took advantage of lounges in the airports and had a quiet place to have appetizers (and a cocktail) at night and breakfast (and good coffee) in the morning. IMG_2367I watched a movie, The Meddler, where I laughed and cried. Perhaps sleep deprivation played a part.

On the seven seater flight home to the Adirondacks the boy pilot said he expected a smooth ride except for some “messy” weather over the mountains. The altimeter said we were at 8,000 feet so I knew we wouldn’t graze the High Peaks, at 4,000 feet.  When I saw him tighten his seat belt mid-flight, I thought it might be a good idea to do the same. I did and sure enough it was a bit bumpy.

We landed beautifully and then I was concerned my car, which had been parked for two months, wouldn’t start. I needn’t have worried about that though because as I walked to the car, I saw the rear tire was flat. NOOOO!!! I’m too tired for this. But I had visions of an ice cream cone from Donnelly’s and powered through. The flavor of the day was raspberry peach swirl and it perked me up for the drive home.

Yesterday was lazy.

This morning I drove Tim two hours back to a different airport, then drove back home, after a roadside nap, and headed to the seasonal farmer’s market. I stocked up on hand dyed yarn, fresh veggies, local meat, and eggs. My last stop was my favorite bread baker’s booth. I had just collected my large bag of bread and switched the bag on to my left arm to pay. A large gust of wind came up and I thought the bag had exploded because there was a loud noise and commotion on my left arm. One of the tent supports, with a long nail at the end, pulled free in the wind and landed on my bag of bread, NOT ME!, and tore it apart.  I feel my luck may have changed for the better.IMG_2371

Little house on the prairie

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  That’s the plan anyway. There’s a project to restore the island’s native grasses. This means we have to remove daffodils that were planted in the 1960’s and flourished untended since then. 

  Once they’ve bloomed, we’re to dig them up and dry them out and return them to the mainland. Then the area will be razed or burned to make way for the native grasses. 

  
Today I mowed. I’ve been (ahem) told I should be able to just pick up the mower and put it in the truck bed. I huffed and I puffed but couldn’t lift that mower. So I used ramps instead. Still tough but I made it. 

  
The purple martin houses that were installed last week are all occupied and then some. Perhaps these birds were from the east where they are used to living in apartments not single family homes. More than one couple perched on a house at the same time. Maybe they were just visiting. 

  
There was a military fly by today heading towards Seattle. Geese flying south?

  

The eagles have landed

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And 20,000 seagulls are on their way. Our day began at 0530, on island 0830, orientation until 1130, return to the mainland, a few hours learning the boat and its systems, back to the island in a favorable tide at 1730, and here we are. With better internet service than at home. 

We saw eagles, a great blue heron, guillemots, oystercatchers and…seagulls. Lots of them. Our dwelling is in the middle of a colony. If we can get used to the clatter of seagulls on the roof, and their intermittant noisiness, we should be fine. Here’s my first bird photo from a scope in the living room.   

We have to scrub guano off our speedy steed daily. 

  
I got some helm time today.

  
And I think we’ll see lots of amazing seascapes. 

  
Now to all, a good night.