Blog entries from general travel with photos
With too much stuff. My backpack is loaded with fiber, some kitchen items and our medical kit. I have small electronics, clothes for two seasons, hiking boots, work clothes, music, movies and kindle books. And best wishes from family and friends.
But I can’t find anything.
Since traveling downstate, I’ve been ON the water, while we sailed the east end, IN the water, when I swam in the ocean off Fire Island, and, yesterday, BY the water of Manhattan.
I was in THE city and walked along the Highline Park, which is a reclaimed, elevated railroad track that spans about 20 blocks, just off the Hudson River. The gardens are spectacular and surrounding graffiti, whimsical.
I continued south along the Hudson River Park, which is at the water’s edge
and paused for a while to begin knitting a(nother) pair of Hedera Socks by Cookie A, one of my favorites. I think I’ve given two pairs away so never have any left for myself. It’s still available free from Knitty and has an easy lace pattern.
Finally, I wandered through Soho and the Village.
What’s a water girl doing in the mountains?
This is the second year I have visited my daughter in DC in late winter, early spring and it really provides a boost for the spirit. I saw crocuses just in bloom and heard a wider variety of birds than my brave little chickadees and bluejays. One day the temperature rose to the 60’s and the next it dropped to the 20’s with gale force winds, which howled all night. Air travel has become less fun, it gets more expensive and they take away more. I got bumped, waited standby and happily made my flight home before the airport closed due to 4-6 inches of snow in DC. Really?
We traveled to Berkeley Springs, WV State Park (possibly the smallest state park in the country, one acre or so) and took to the waters, a scalding Roman bath, and had relaxing massages. We barely made it out of there with the shirts on our backs. I’m no prude, but nude dining doesn’t appeal to me, and not only because I am a messy eater.
I am in DC visiting my darling daughter. While she toils sway at her job I’ve been sightseeing and tackling minor plumbing repairs.
We had a gale Wednesday night (while there were near blizzard conditions at home) with the wind gusting to 50 mph, whistling clear through the house. The next day was sunny and cold and I headed to the National Zoo, which is only a short walk.
I was skeptical at first. I walked through several exhibits and the only thing I had to show for it was a lonely goldfish in a salamander pool.
Many of the Asian animals were on holiday, like wild kingdom snowbirds. The elephants were nowhere to be seen. The gibbons were gone. The lemur island was vacant.
The red pandas were off doing hanky panky (the official term ) to breed. My main quest was the Giant Pandas and luckily they stuck around. I didn’t see the newest addition to the family but can observe her anytime via webcam. Well not anytime. I don ‘t see her in the picture tonight.
I saw one Panda outside and the other chowing down on bamboo inside.
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My day was complete.
We spent a night in Montreal to hear the Symphony perform Petrushka. I failed to take my camera with me but our seats were awesome. We sat where the choir would normally sit in a “U” above and around the orchestra, facing Kent Nagano, the conductor. I could swear he cued ME on a couple of occasions.
It was the perfect vantage point to watch the percussionists. During one piece, one musician’s role was to break wine glasses and ceramic baking dishes in two metal garbage cans. I knew something was up when I saw him wearing protective eye ware. He even had music!
Before the show, we stopped in a military surplus store where I found these odd, two-thumbed mittens.
I thought it was an odd way to make “one size fits all”. Until Tim pointed out the second thumb was for a trigger finger.
And here I thought they were meant for this guy.
Travel time. I arrived in Washington, DC to have a staycation (for her) with my daughter and help her out after oral surgery.
I made myself at home in her beautiful apartment and tried to make a cup of coffee while she slept in. I finally found a coffee maker but no coffee. So I opted for a cup of tea instead. There was plenty of tea, hot water, milk and sugar. I had to look hard among all the bar ware to find a mug though. I spotted martini glasses, champagne flutes, beer glasses and a shaker.
Ice packs were stored among several bottles of liquor in the freezer. I did spot a package of frozen peas in there too, if needed in a pinch.
Post op, I visited my favorite DC yarn shop, Looped Yarn Works, and bought some lovely yarn to crochet boot toppers for the long DC summer. These were super quick and will just peak over the top of work boots.
I benefitted from the generosity of family and friends and helped eat the ice cream she received while we watched scary TV, The Following, and Romantic Comedies. Bittersweet.
I’ve spent a lot of time in the car these past several days. I drove to Montpelier, back home, to Washington, DC and will head back to Montpelier for two more days after one night in my own bed. I haven’t had a home cooked meal for a week!
But I ate oysters, and Ethiopian food – hard to find in the Adirondacks. Most importantly, I spent a few days with my daughter.
The weather was beautiful and provided a real zing of Spring. Except for a parking ticket and a nail, which punctured a tire in two places, it was a fabulous trip.
We rented bikes and rode around the Mall and visited the monuments. Capitol Bikeshare has kiosks around the city and you pick up a bike from one location and return it near your destination. Then we picked up different bikes to head home. What a concept! I downloaded the Spotcycle app, which told me where bike stations were and how many bikes were available there.
We were a few days early for the cherry blossoms on the mall but saw a few trees in full bloom in other parts if the city.
We headed home to the remnants of winter, with snow on the ground and temperatures below freezing once again.
A business trip brought me to Montpelier, VT, the smallest state Capitol in the US. Although it’s only a short trip over a lake, and around some mountains, I am not in Kansas anymore. This is quintessential New England. A shire town means County Seat and is the term used here. Middle Earth.
There’s a lovely village green on the campus of the Vermont College of Fine Arts, where people and canines play frisbee in the snow.
I was very sad to find the New England Culinary Institute closed for break. I was looking forward to dinner there. But I found plenty of alternatives. There is some food I can’t find in the Adirondacks so I try to eat it when when I am out. I found a sweet Thai restaurant, Royal Orchid and had coconut milk soup and potstickers. Yum!
It’s very hilly and a short walk downtown for a great variety of coffee at Capitol Grounds. Along the way I passed frozen puddles ,
Colorful hilltop houses
And a whimsical, mustached bark man.
I ventured south to visit family and friends for a few days. I had a wonderful time with family and friends. Not so much with other drivers.
We’re so polite when we drive at home; everyone yields for everything: people; other cars; deer; turkeys; you name it. I have ALMOST lost my driving mojo. Instead, I’ve become more passive aggressive – I waved with a smile in at least two instances when other cars tailgated me at 60 mph. It’s just as easy to be nice. And what’s the rush.
I had hoped to run along the beach to the house we rented during the winter of 2008 on Fire Island but the bridge to the barrier beach was closed. I had almost forgotten about Superstorm Sandy but was quickly reminded by all the enormous, fallen trees. If you need firewood, head south. The sand was blown over the Ocean Parkway, which is on the barrier beach where Jones beach is. I decided to run along Jones Beach instead. But the boardwalks were destroyed by the storm and it was very isolated.
I realized I am very comfortable being all by myself in an underpopulated area but not where there are millions of people lurking beyond the dunes. Especially since I was running where the bodies linked to the Gilgo Beach serial killer have been found. So my gut said no, I curtailed my run and headed for the hills.
There’s no place like home.
I walked around the pond in the park where I spent hours, days, months – a good part of my life – with my kids when they were young.
The memories of time spent feeding the ducks, watching them play, make new friends, fall and get up again, nearly knocked the wind from me. Now they’re grown, no longer follow ducks but still play and work and make new friends.
But it’s happening all over again. Its the same but different. Young parents walked their children around the pond but aren’t allowed to feed the ducks. Swans had new baby swans. It was much lusher than i remembered and the irises were in bloom. And the coyotes stood watch?
Apparently suburban ducks and geese don’t like getting their feet wet and a temporary bridge helps them cross over to their nests.
Island and North Country Life 