Fool me once

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I’ve learned to double check any adventure plans Tim makes for us. It happened again at beautiful Freycinet Park in Tasmania. We went there to stretch our legs before driving to Launceston for our flight to Flinders Island.

We’ve been there before, it’s a beautiful spot, and he suggested we hike up Mt Amos for the views. I was dubious. He wanted to bypass the ranger’s station and head straight to the trailhead. I said, “no thanks, I want to talk to the ranger”.

I mentioned Tim’s plans and he pulled out this photo, which they show as a quick overview of the hike.

It only represents about 40% of the walk. I hate having to use my hands when I walk. And I would have really hated the return trip. So we walked an 11 km loop instead. It was beautiful.

This bench was designed as part of a student design project. I think I rested here in 2011. It is holding up well.

Every hotel should stock the mini fridge with Tim Tams with the full cream milk.

Freycinet offered a lot of the same views, rocks, lichen, and cliffs as Deal Island. Soon.

Let it roll

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My preliminary work is officially done. The last tasks were to buy Tasmanian seeds for the garden and patch some form of internet together. The seeds were easy but the internet almost led to tears. But it’s done.

My old mobile wifi device turned on but didn’t connect until I took the battery out? We tried to get a new battery but that ain’t happening. So we bought an external power pack, which was much cheaper than a new device, and it works. The Telstra site was a nightmare; the only page of the website that consistently loads is the one that accepts money.

I’m driving a ginormous rental SUV on the wrong side of the narrow roads. Closing my eyes to oncoming traffic helps. When I picked it up at the Hobart airport, I promptly climbed into the passenger side and couldn’t figure out how to reach the steering wheel from there. I’ve finally stopped turning on the windshield wipers when I want the turn signal.

After a lovely time spent with old friends, and a visit to the Bothwell fiber show, we are poised for the the fifth, but not final, leg of our journey to Flinders Island. For now, we’re headed to the beach.

I love surprises

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The flight from Honolulu to Sydney was outstanding. The plane was relatively empty and Tim slept in his own row. I had a bulkhead to myself. Best of all they gave us a cute little goodie bag with an eye mask, ear plugs, toothbrush and chap stick.

This time we were somewhere over a rainbow.

I knit for at least six hours while I power watched the Great British Baking Show and finished a pair of lined mittens just in time for 98 degrees f in Hobart.

But I can not complain about traveling into summer.

Acclimating

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Some things are easier to get used to than others.

The shift from sub-zero temperatures, with snow and ice, to balmy and sunny was easy peasy, even if I still need to wear a wool sweater after swimming.

The time zone is a little tougher. It is five hours earlier here, but I think I have adjusted…for now. I go to bed my usual time and wake up before dawn. Today we fly to Sydney and the easy way to think about it is we lose another 3 hours. But in reality we cross the international date line and gain a day. So we actually gain 21 hours for a net change of 16 hours ahead of NY. Got it? Thank goodness for Apple’s world clock.

And then there’s the wind. It seems to howl all day and night. Nothing close to what we will experience on Deal Island, but it’s a good reminder. Lots of hair ties and hold on to your hat. Tim thought jets were landing nearby while he slept.

We’ve only explored a small bit of Oahu, by bus, and it is stunning. From the deck the other day I saw two very different rainbows. One low, one high. You know what they say.

This Yellow Billed Cardinal was introduced to Hawaii from South America. It is a real chatter box and hard for me to catch a good photo.

The beaches are stunning. We are on the southeast side of Oahu and despite the wind, the coves were protected and we could easily swim.

We found a collection of heart shaped coral at Sandy Beach. Very sweet.

And now we are off to another ten hour flight, same seats.


Never too far from Costco

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Tim found a lovely cottage on a bay in Oahu. It really is fabulous and has a lovely view of … Costco.

Visually it is fine but forklifts beep most of the day and evening; famous last words, “no such thing as paradise”. But it is.

We snorkeled and swam yesterday and just chillaxed. Dawn arrives late when you wake up at 4 am but it sure is pretty.

Tim tested his keyboard to make sure it withstood the first leg of the journey. It did.

Today we’ll stretch our legs again and enjoy the warm weather. Despite my love and adaptation to the northern cold climate, I needed a sweater after I snorkeled. It’s windy.

Less clothes, more yarn

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And we’re off. Months of planning and a day of packing are over for our next three months on Deal Island, Tasmania. We broke up the flight to Australia into manageable chunks and are spending a few days in Hawaii. Ten hours on one plane, with extra legroom in a bulkhead exit row, are much easier than fourteen hours from Los Angeles, in sardine can economy.

My last day at home was spent reducing my clothing and adding a few more balls of yarn to my luggage. My big duffel weighed in under the limit at 48 pounds but it blew a tire after a short walk. Now to find new wheels.

We left our little train station in the Adirondacks and headed to New York City. Both places had architecture with spires reaching to the sky.

Despite all the city noise, we slept like babies in our hotel with a view of the Empire State Building.

This third trip is bittersweet. It’s hard saying goodbye to friends and family for three months and recognizing that there are some we may never see again. But there’s also the sheer joy of the adventure.

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.