Merry Christmas

We have nothing Christmasy here so I decided we needed something to put us in the mood.  So I designed and sewed this hanging.

Happy Thanksgiving

We had a very nice dinner at The View restaurant at Mirror Lake Inn in Lake Placid.  This was our second year of going out for Thanksgiving, a tradition we hope to continue.

Snow

It is supposed to be 55 degrees in New Jersey today.  Sigh.

Brrr

It is 18 degrees outside.  Sure wish we were in New Jersey.

Essex Chain Reflections

My last post was getting too long to add these, but I can't resist posting some more photos I took on the Essex Chain.  The reflections in the still water were too neat to pass up.

Fog on the Flow

It is not even September yet, but the nights are getting cool, meaning neat fog on The Flow in the morning.

The gentians are blooming, but we have lost so much shoreline the last couple of winters that they are falling into the water.  At this rate it won't be long before they are gone completely.  Sigh.

Adirondack "Stuff"

We've added to our Adirondack motif recently.  We love our new screen door.

And our peeled-log love seat.

Visiting Waterfalls

The family is visiting and this afternoon we went to High Falls Gorge and then hiked down to the falls at Wilmington Notch.  There was less water than we expected but the falls were still spectacular.  These are photos taken in the gorge.

I didn't take many pictures at Wilmington Notch because I've taken so many in the past.  But I couldn't resist this view.  The ferns and moss are very happy this year with all the rain.

Rain, Rain Go Away

It has been raining and raining.  I just read that May and June were the wettest consecutive 2-month period on record at Burlington, Vermont with 18.6 inches.  I managed to paddle a bit on the Flow yesterday between rain showers, but the weather is so uncertain there are no group paddles scheduled for this week.  I've been quilting and starting some more genealogy research but I wish I could be outside more.  Hopefully the next 2 months will be better.

Picnic

Today was the traditional picnic at the camp on the shore of the St. Lawrence River.  Good weather, great food, and great company.  This was earlier than previous years, so we didn't think swimming was an option.  But one of our friends went in, complete with wet suit.

Luna Moth

We went to the neighbors this morning to deliver the veggies from the farmers' market and found 2 luna moths on their steps.  They must have just come out of their cocoons.

Lady Slipper Orchids

We walked with a group on the Hayes Brook trail system this morning to see the hundreds of lady slipper orchids that bloom there every year.

Bleeding Hearts

I was so pleased to see my bleeding heart coming up and blooming beautifully.  I was afraid the digging for the internet cable had destroyed it.

Downed Tree

We have been having violent thunderstorms, not too surprising given the high temps and humidity.  Last night we had a tree come down in the storm and it ended up partly across the driveway.  It was a large beech and they are all sick by the time they get that large so it is not too surprising that it fell.  But the wood seems to be good, so we'll get lots of firewood.

Here is my trusty lumberman starting the long process of cutting it up.  Then I get to split the wood.

Spring Flowers

It is so great to be here in May for the flowers.  There are trillium still in bloom and today I saw jack-in-the-pulpit for the first time.  They are right along the driveway and must have been here in the past, but I never noticed them.

Home At Last

We arrived at camp yesterday and took our first paddle with the group today to Stony Ponds.  There were few bugs and though it started out rainy the temperature was quite mild.  The water has receded quite a bit but we only had to go around one really big beaver dam as we headed up Ampersand Creek.  It is so great to be here, which will be our home until sometime in December.  We should finally get time to relax and maybe I'll even start posting regularly again.

At Camp, Briefly

Another month has gone by in a blur.  The condo sale is nearly complete, except for the buyer getting his mortgage.  Closing is scheduled for May 1st.  We signed the contract to build the new house last Monday.  Then we began filling boxes.  We are taking them to a storage unit in Jamesburg, NJ, a bit west of our new neighborhood.  We've taken a couple of loads, with many more to go.  Thursday we brought a load up to camp and are staying a few days.  We had a wonderful get-together with friends last evening.  It was so great to see everyone.  Tuesday we head back to NJ for more packing.

On the family front, Dad has been back in the hospital for a couple of weeks now.  He had all sorts of complications and was finally diagnosed with Guillian-Barre Syndrome.  He is receiving treatment and seems to be responding, but it will be a long road back.  The doctors say he may yet walk again, but he is in for many months of physical therapy.

Adirondacks Snow

We drove to camp on Thursday and eagerly awaited the snowstorm forecast to hit the northeast.  Unlike the major cities like Boston that really got hit, we just got about a foot yesterday and overnight, which was desperately needed for winter sports like snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.  It is beautiful on the trees.

We drive back to NJ on Tuesday.