Adirondacks

Adirondack fall

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Adirondack fall is a brief lovely season. With six weeks until winter, we had our first light snowfall this weekend and the temperature dropped to 17 degrees f.

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My Irish Moss sweater is well underway. There’s a tiny chance I may memorize the pattern, but not yet. I love the alpaca-merino, soft, light and warm. So does Shirley.

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I got around to pickling the venison heart today. I boiled it for several hours with a carrot, onion and celery, then poured a brine over it and let it sit under a weighted plate all day. Next it’s to the fridge. Tasted yummy.

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We’ve received a bounty of winter squash from our farm share and I baked my first pumpkin pie of the season. My Oxo good mill did the hard work. Funny how the pie came out though.

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We’ve had a few picnic dinners in the cabin but haven’t screwed up the courage to sleep in it yet. Lots of excuses- have to get up for work, too cold, forgot my sleeping bag, etc. one day. Tim writes about it here.

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Tucked away

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We spent at least five hours yesterday tucking in the boat for the winter. It had been hauled out of the water and perched, just a little wobbly, in its cradle.

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It takes a full size ladder to reach the deck because it has a five foot, fin keel. Our mission was to cover the boat with an oiled canvas tarp, which seemed to weigh just under a ton!

We had to try to drape it just right so the snow slides off it and doesn’t build up on the deck. We should visit it often during the winter to make sure this doesn’t happen — but we don’t.

Lucky for me, I got to spend most of the time under the cozy tent we created while Tim tied lines under the boat and was very busy.

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I managed to enjoy the view and take some pictures, in between sewing the canvas with an awl and stabbing myself in the thumb.

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It’s a good thing I was under the tent because it started raining and I got to make sure it kept me dry, while Tim did his thing out in the elements. I even caught a faint rainbow.

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And we did it just in the nick of time because last night it snowed in the mountains. We could see it as we looked back from the ferry to Vermont.

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Northern lights?

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I may have seen Northern Lights. I definitely saw lights in the north. No photos to prove it but the sky was clear, I saw continuous flashes of green through a mountain pass to the north and even the sky overhead had circular bursts of light. No reports of increased activity on September 10 but…

Tim surprised me by renting a cabin at Elk Lake Lodge, in North Hudson, NY for our anniversary. It was sweeeeet!

First day was cloudy and cool so we hiked around the west side of the lake where I nearly got sucked up to my calves in mud.

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The mountain view was obscured by fog our first day. That night I was awakened by something skittering around and the noticed the flashing lights outside and went out and sat by the lake for an hour. Even if it was lightening, it was awesome.

The next day was clear, we kayaked, sat by the lake, enjoyed the views and swam.

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Here’s a panorama taken from the kayak in the middle of the lake.

But, alas, there’s no such thing as paradise. A yellow jacket stung me multiple times on my foot as I danced to the car. Ouch!

Balanced rocks and pickles

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Yesterday was bracketed by bread and butter pickles. I salted the cukes, peppers and onions before heading out for a hike with friends.

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The day was perfect and we walked to Balanced Rocks, which offered beautiful views of the High Peaks and the slide on Cascade Mountain. The wind was whipping around the top and I’m surprised those rocks (or we) didn’t blow away.

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Here’s a link to my 360 app panorama.
When I got back home, I made bread and butter pickles. Why are they called that?

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At home in the high peaks

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There’s no denying there’s culture shock upon reentering society after five weeks on a remote Alaskan island. I had to go shopping for some essentials and was overwhelmed by the choices in the store. That’s saying a lot for my rural town in the Adirondacks.

The sounds of crickets and birds replace whales. Mountainscapes replace seascapes. I can run for a while without fear of falling in the ocean.

Today we took a nice walk in the woods in an attempt to prepare me hike
in the White Mountains in a couple of weeks.

Here’s a link to a panoramic shot of a viewpoint. http://360.io/3xNdSy

And here’s a snapshot.

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Home sweet home, briefly. Tomorrow I leave to visit my darling daughter in DC.

Last minute projects

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I hesitate to say I’m a procrastinator but it’s true. Deadlines focus me. We head off to Alaska next week and I still have some quilting and weaving projects to complete. My house is never cleaner than before a party or trip.

I finished knitting the cute little sea glass skirt. I may make another for me.

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Next I have to plan my island projects. I may keep it simple and take only wool for a shawl and pair of socks but I’m also thinking of lots of twined mittens and perhaps a sock yarn blanket.

On the home front, I’ve been yearning for an outdoor shower. I had considered threading a hose into a watering can but settled upon this cheaper alternative, all available from my local hardware store. We have hot water at our outdoor faucet and I’ve already tried it. A resounding success.

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After a great trip downstate to hug my kids before I leave, I returned to more super cumulous storm clouds.

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Flooded rivers

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A microburst of rain in the mountains flooded our river and caused it to jump the bank and flood our road. We live on a hill and were never in danger.

My biggest adjustment to living in the mountains (besides sluggishly slow internet) is to understand and respect the dynamic nature of the rivers. They trickle, flow and rage, even when it’s pleasant in the valley. This is very different from coastal living where what you see is what you get.

When I went out to run errands, I noticed the river was high and decided to curtail my activities and head back home.

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Houseguests were headed this way when I heard the road was impassable. I went down to have a look and saw rushing water flowing over the road and filling the field. I started making phone calls: an initial heads up, then hourly updates. I made good use of the extra alone time and kept working on my quilt.

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When the water receded, we waited to see the damage to the road. We got out some shovels and leveled a passable path. Our neighbors improved the job with a tractor and the town finished it off the next day.

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