Happy Birthday

Yesterday was perfect for a hike...

at 300 feet above sea level.

It was a little iffy above 3000 feet.

Old Speck is the southernmost mountain in Maine above 4000 feet.

The touristy spots are still open until tomorrow.

The mountains are closing down early to fair weather hikers.

 Old Speck Mountain, 4180 feet.

 Today is my birthday.

Things I Love

Yesterday morning before the rain, the sky was red. Warning.

I baked two cakes while it rained all day. The first was a pudding cake, not very cake-like, disappointing.
So the second was slathered with brandy and covered with whipped cream.

That one will have to wait until tomorrow. But it appears to be a bullseye.

Today I planned to hike Old Speck near Newry, Maine. But the back, bothering me since yoga class on Tuesday, twinged shockingly as I walked down the stairs. And now I'm not so sure.

Hike, then cake.

First Freeze

Jogging took me past two wooly bear caterpillars.

And to remind myself of the type of winter to come, I reviewed a blog entry from back on Aug 9.

reminding me that we are in for a mild winter.
There appears to be some discrepancy or conflict, judging by the webcam on top of Mt. Washington. There, it is snowing, the winds are blowing above 60 mph, and the wind chill is below zero.

 One needs a conflict to have a story to tell.

Driving took me to the Yarmouth Delorme map store in search of a NH tyvek trail map drawn on a yellow background. They have a two-story revolving globe, but no NH trail  map. Sold out.

Up the road to LL Bean where they are also sold out of those maps.

Home to bake cake.

Hiking Postponed

 Winds blowing today at 50 mph above 5000 feet.

 Looks perfect outside the window here,

 and perfect on top of the ridge two days ago from a borrowed hike. 

It has been raining and with the damp, fallen leaves, and the steep pitch on the Flume Slide, the hiking day has been postponed for another. Hopefully the leaves will stay on just a little longer for my own photos.

Meanwhile Jim reads to me out of a catalog while we sit in front of the fire. We both laugh at the T shirt we know belongs to me.

Hiking brings me into a finer focus. Hope to go soon. Hi.

Stream of Consciousness

A little squash goes a long way.

Is it time for a sweet, spicy, faux pumpkin pie?

Back to the drawing board.

Back to the recipe books.

Back to the salt mines.

Gymming

Expecting to walk into a usual yoga class, starting on the floor in a cross-legged pose,

it was a surprise to find chairs on all the yoga mats and older women sitting on the chairs.

My first chair yoga for the older set. I fit right in. Two years ago I was learning aerial yoga. Now, chair yoga.

The best part of the gym price for the day was the steam room before tai chi class.

 I'm goin' in!

Maintenance and Repair

Just checking in with David.
You will be happy to know that we have completed the roofing. It took us 2.5 years.

Now we are repointing the foundation stones and front entryway columns. The mason works on Wednesdays and does not work in the rain. It has rained the last two Wednesdays. Will keep you posted.

Dawn Birds

The cormorant who needed 4 attempts to land on a branch slept until just after 6 AM, lucky bird.

I watched him through the telescope, a dark lump in a high branch of a white pine, forty feet above the water.

After he woke, he preened for half an hour before sunrise, then took off to the cove by the dam.

Now he has returned and is fishing for breakfast. It is just like camping; cold, wet with dew, light sleeping, fish for breakfast, wild.

One Fine Day

 While hand nipping the rhododendron patch, Jim discovered a fine green frog, finer than frog's hair.

 While flying over to 3B5 to fill up the wing tanks, we passed over a pumpkin patch not yet harvested, just barely identifying the tiny orange dots.

 At the gas pump, even a patch of poison ivy carries the beautiful colors of autumn.

 We flew over two corn mazes, plotting our path if we ever go there on the ground.

Finally at home, the doughnut flambe took all of Jim's breath and then some to reach his wish.

Happy Birthday, Jimmy!

 Jim has asked for doughnuts on his birthday, not cake.

And with the recent hard drive crash, all the cakes but one disappeared into the nether world anyway. I've uncovered the electric piano to be ready for his stairway appearance. It can play by itself as the doughnuts parade in from town.

Oh, what a day we have planned already!

Peaking

 Every day the trees seem to be at peak color.

And every day they turn a little more orange, or yellow, or red. Just a little more. In the paddleboat I called loons and we enjoyed the late morning sun. Yesterday we saw a cormorant make three attempts to roost in a branch high above the water. Each time he fell off the branch and "Sploosh" into the water. Clumsy thing. Finally on the fourth attempt he settled precariously on the branch. Not a perching bird, it seems.
Today it is foggy and rawr, New England style. The Banderantes are flying in the soup at their appointed times. That means it is time to get going.

Cleaning House

A paddleboat ride to the dam headgate on a beautiful fall day unfolded into a view of an infinity pool. This was our morning exercise together. Then we went our separate ways for chores.

The man of the house power washed the front deck.

Now we have to paint in the same area.

 I worked on the jigsaw puzzle and read a book. My carpet cleaning duties from the past week exempted me from anything more strenuous this week. An empty nest can be festive as well as practical.

Quiet Time

A visit short and sweet. 

The rain stopped. The just-past-full Harvest Moon rose over the turning trees. Jim built a fire in the wood stove even though it was too warm outside. Sandy and I tried to put a whole jigsaw puzzle together.

We walked in the morning after tea, coffee and juice.

We shared kitchen duty making pakoras, a spicy vegetable fritter.

We paddled around the lake. We talked, covering subjects from long past to upcoming events. It was over in less than 24 hours.

Now Jim and I are back to a clean and quiet house, noticing everywhere the shadow of our faithful sidekick.

Love you, love your dog.

Pair O' Dice

 Rabbit Rabbit

Happy in the kitchen paradise, reviewing old recipes, preparing tea, grating potatoes, chopping onions. The grated potato crust for the pie will hold cauliflower and cheese.

Jim makes fun of those books of fiction that talk about recipes, eating of any kind, or the kinds of clothes people wear. Disgusted is the opposite of gustatory. Yum Yum. Rabbit Rabbit. Good things come in pairs.