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Dunhamville Forest cemetery on the left. Jon and the obelisk on the right.
Walking in the woods
Yesterday Jon and I went walking out Mansfield way. We did a short walk south from Eagleville Dam along the Willimantic River. It was a pleasant, easy walk of about 1 mile. From there we drive east to Dunham Woods, which became Dunhamville Forest. Well marked with yellow blazes to start, becoming yellow/white blazed, and ending as a white blaze the trail was easy to follow. This was one of the Joshua tract walks. In total, we did just under 4.5 miles. A little more than we usually do.
The Joshua Tract walk-book we were using as our guide, described a small cemetery that is said to have 4 unmarked graves. Surrounded by a substantial stone wall, it’s hard to miss. We had no problem finding the “obelisk”, either. It looked like it was created by man. One side of the stone looked like it had been dressed. We surmised it was left there because it was too big and too heavy to move. What we didn’t find was the two old house foundations and the old well.
The insanity of shopping
Today I went out to West Hartford center to do some shopping. I was focused on two stores so I didn’t do the Blue Back Square tour. I needed to go to Whole Foods for my Quinoa and REI for some special gifts for my three youngest grandsons. I will be going back to REI during a quieter time of the year to really go through their bike section. I have never seen such a variety of chain lubricants. I need to talk to them about bikes, frames, racks, front and rear panniers, etc., etc. Depending on what I find, this could become my new toy store. It might be worth becoming a REI Co-op member. I didn’t know until today they were a co-op.
Park me free
One big drawback to Blue Back Square and downtown West Hartford in general (you might include Hartford) is the lack of FREE parking. I’m spoiled by the suburban malls, and I do not pay for parking. I won’t drive into Hartford if I have to pay for parking. I’ll park at Great Meadow in East Hartford and walk across the Founders’ Bridge (or ride my bike) rather than pay for parking. Whole Foods has free parking for their customers—and you better shop in their store if you park in their lot. I was told they have people watching and had cars towed.
A walk in the woods was way more pleasant! ☺ ☺
Photos
First is a stand of birch trees. The second is a mere stone. A mere stone is used to mark boundaries. This one marks the boundary of once privately-owned land from state-owned. Today it is all one. See Sunday's hike.
Great weekendOn Saturday Kathy, Jess and I went out for breakfast and to pull names for Christmas. I don’t remember how many years ago we started pulling names. When there are 10 adults and increasing numbers of little kids every year, Christmas can get outrageously expensive. Ergo, pulling names. I think Jess and her Uncle Andy have had the most fun with this—giving each other gag gifts several years in a row.
Sunday was a perfect day for a hike and that’s what we did. My friend Jon and I joined a group of about 25-30 people to hike a new land acquisition in Glastonbury. Two tracts of land (32 acre Brielo and 78 acre Terwilliger properties) have been acquired for protection by the Dept. of Environmental Protection as additions to the Mashomasic State Forest. It was a great 2 mile hike. There was one very challenging hill, but the rest was fairly easy. Because of the leaves on the trail and loose rocks under the leaves, walking was an adventure. It sure was a good workout.And of course if there is animal poo anywhere near the trail I’m the one who is going to step in it. Yep. I did. On the way back to Jon’s house I could smell something and told him one of us stepped in something. It turned out to be me. Tomorrow I’ll take the stiff brush to my hikers—again!
We got a lot of ideas of where we’d like to do more hiking. As long as the weather is cool/cold we don’t have to worry about the abundance of rattlesnakes up in those rocky ridges, ledges and outcrops. Once the weather is warmer I will be hiking elsewhere!
Eagles vs. PatriotsDid the Eagles give the Pats shivering fits last night or what? I stayed up until the Pats scored in the 4th Q to put them ahead 31-28. I had to go to bed. First thing this morning I was looking for the final score. What a relief to find I hadn’t missed anything – like an Eagle’s score. The only other team to play the Pats to a close score (24-20) was the Colts. Next up, Patriots @ Ravens. Should be an easy win for the Pats, but these are games they can’t take the opponent for granted.
Basketball
The Lady Huskies won the tournament championship (Paradise Jam) in the Virgin Islands by soundly beating Duke 74-48. It is amazing how Maya Moore changes a game when she comes in off the bench. No wonder Pat Summit was mad and doesn't want to play UConn any more. The ladies are a lot of fun to watch - as usual.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
May the Universe shower you with
an abundance of all
Good Things.
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Yesterday’s snow.
First Snow
According to folklore, the date upon which the first significant snow falls, will be the number of snow storms we have. I hope that is not true, since yesterday we were treated to a little over an inch of the white stuff. It’s going to warm up so I didn’t bother taking Big Red out of the garage. I hate shopping
The snow messed up my plans from one end of the day to the other. Instead of grocery shopping in the morning I waited until after lunch. Big mistake! Even the store personnel were grumpy. The parking lot was jammed; inconsiderate people all over the place; couldn’t find anything I wanted; and couldn’t get down any of the aisles I needed to get down. That was where the inconsiderate people came in. When the store is crowded, you cannot park your cart across the aisle and carry on a conversation with your next-door neighbor who you happened to bump into. IT CAN WAIT UNTIL YOU GET HOME, PEOPLE! If you don’t see what you are looking for, keep moving to the end of the aisle, turn around and go back. Keep moving! I should have waited until today to shop. But then, I will get a chance to shop today—I still have all the Other-Store-Specials to pick up. ☹ ☹
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Yesterday I talked about my books. This is them. (Don't let Wolf scare you.) You can see I have more than books. Most of the stuffed toys have significance. If you click on the photo to enlarge, you will see Nameless, Faceless Baby Doll on the far left.
Fall cleaning – just a little late
After my workout yesterday, I started cleaning another area of the downstairs. This is a raised ranch with a completely finished lower level. This is where I have my sitting area complete with three overloaded bookcases, couch, bentwood rocker, TV and stereo. Then there’s my office section. Desks, computer equipment, phone, etc.,—usually the messiest area. I concentrated on part of this section. I have a couple of shelving units and I tore them apart. Once I had them empty I moved them away from the wall in order to do a thorough vacuuming. Not everything made it back to the shelves. I tossed out a lot.
An educational blast from the pastI came across a term paper I wrote back in 1991 for a class in Oceanography I took at Manchester Community College (including all my research notes and sources). At the time, I had a need to know, one way or the other, whether Atlantis did or did not ever exist. I took a huge chance (for that time) with the title, The Mid-Atlantic Ridge (a search for Atlantis). I needed the course in order to learn all I could about the ocean floor.
☺☺ Just to be clear: I have cleaned since 1991, but I had forgotten what was in that particular box. ☺☺
My conclusions:
Between science and mythology there was no conclusive evidence for or against Atlantis ever existing in the Atlantic Ocean.However, maybe
A) Atlantis exists in a parallel universe. Perhaps Plato’s “Pillars of Hercules” referred to the constellation Hercules.orB) Atlantis existed on another planet that blew up giving us the asteroid belt.
orC) Perhaps we are remembering our future.I was given an A+ with a score of 148 out of a possible 150. The teacher actually liked it. Called it “fascinating.”
A day of rest (thank goodness)
Between the workout and the cleaning, I’m happy today is a day off from both. It will be grocery shopping in the morning followed by running around, in the afternoon, for the Drug Stores and Other Grocery Store Specials. Frankly, I’d rather work out and clean! ☺
PhotoMy home gym equipment.
Working-out on a schedule
From hand weights to leg weights and everything in-between, this is how I will be keeping myself in shape this winter. Now that cold weather has arrived I won’t be bike riding as often, if at all. And, by the way, bike riding does not build strong bones unless you do all your riding standing up on the pedals riding up hill. My workouts will vary from day to day working out the upper body one day, legs another, and the core the next. In between, if the weather cooperates, I get out and walk. I walked on Saturday, but I won’t be walking again until my shins stop hurting. Walking on pavement for 2 miles is way different from waking in the woods. So, to prevent shin splints, I’ll cool it for a couple more days before I walk again.So much for listsI have all my books, tapes, CDs and records cataloged on Excel spreadsheets. Turns out, the list of my books is not much help when it doesn’t tell me WHERE the darn book is! I have a book of core exercises, The Core Program by Peggy Brill. But, do you think I can find it? No! I found the Boot Camp book, but there is no way in Hades I’m doing those exercises! I have been wanting to weed out my books for quite a while—give away, set aside for a tag sale, keep. But I’m not going to do it just to find one book. I cannot imagine having loaned it out. I don’t know anyone who would use it. When and if it does turn up, I hope I remember I was looking for it and why. ☺
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Big Red, my Honda snowblower from last February. It doesn't look like this around here....yet!
Snow?
The weather forecasters around here have been talking about snow flurries, snow showers, coating of snow, etc., for several days now. Let it be known, I have rolled my snow blower out of the garage and got it started. I let it run for a couple of minutes and everything looks good. Let it snow!
Labor of Love completed
The Christmas book, Come Ride With Me, is finished! All 12 copies have been loaded into individual 3-ring binders—one book for each of my kids and grandkids (that’s 10 copies), and two for me. One never leaves my possession and the other one is for lending to friends who want to read it. My mom is the first one to read the book and she loved Volume II (she loved Vol. I last year, too). She’s my greatest critic. If she didn’t like it, well, that would be tough to take.
PhotosOriole nest seen on the Windsor Locks Canal bike path. It's not unusual to hear and see Orioles when biking the path in spring and summer. Now we get a chance to see their nests. Click on the photos to enlarge.It's good to get out and walkIt’s 9 a.m. on a gorgeous Saturday morning. Temps in the mid 20s, clear blue sky, and yesterday’s gale force winds are gone! Just got back from a 2-mile walk. I haven’t walked in the morning for quite some time. Last year in October I hurt my hip so walking hurt. I didn’t let that stop me from hiking once a week, though. ☺ Then it was bike riding and hiking season from March until now. Although I hope to get some bike riding in over the next few months, the chances of the temps being warm enough and the road conditions being good enough are slim to none. Now is the time of year where I get out my hand weights (I have leg weights, too) and yoga mat for strength training indoors. I’ll try to alternate my indoor routine with my morning walk every other day. Much will depend on the weather.A couple years ago, on just such a walk, I was inspired to write the following poem:
Morning WalkAs I crested the hilla carpet of grass stretched before me each blade topped with a twinkling diamondBreeze-caressed
sun-drenched blades of grass colors within dewdrop prisms changed slowly
no two drops the sameDeep blue sky
not a cloud to be seen glorious sun
birds sang their gratitude squirrels paused in awe of this morning's beauty A prayer of thanksgiving offered to the Sun Sustainer of all lifeI went to church this morning God was there At the top of the hill© Beverly R. Titus04/29/05
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Evidence of a perfect late fall day.
Coyotes
I couldn't imagine what that noise was, but it jolted me out of bed. I don’t know what they were talking about but they woke me up at 4 o’clock this morning. One coyote was in front of my house (although I couldn’t see it) and the other was on the move down the street. I don’t know if it was a territorial dispute or the Wild Rabbit Bar and Grill had just closed these two were on their way home. Both of them were just barking back and forth at each other. Have you ever heard a coyote bark? It is the strangest noise. I’d rather listen to them yipping off in the distance. Now that I know they have been that close to the house, when I go out in the yard after dark (to put out the rubbish and recyclables) I will definitely bring something to defend myself—just in case. It’s been pouring rain, windy and chilly all day today so I don’t think they will be out and about tonight. But then, what do I know?
Photos
Wild turkeys on Cape Cod. Pictures taken in 2005 by my friend Barbara out the car window while I drove.
Wild turkeysI had a flock of wild turkeys in my back yard this morning. I tried to get a picture of them, but they were too far away and there was too much underbrush that made them difficult to pick out. However, I made up for it with the pictures from the Cape.
Walk or ride a bike
Thursday night (Nov. 8th) I went to a meeting in Hartford regarding the Active Transportation Initiative. There are many initiatives these days in surrounding towns as well as the Capitol Region as a whole devoted to the region’s bicycle and pedestrian needs and plans in concert with vehicular problems. The meeting, held in Union Station, brought out a sizable crowd of biking enthusiasts as well as members of town governments. There is an urgent need to get more people riding bikes and/or walking and/or taking public transportation in order to decrease congestion, clean up the air we breathe, link communities and have healthier residents. In Hartford (as other cities) you can ride a bike into the city, then put your bike on the bus bike rack for the remainder of your trip. This is handy when the remainder of your trip cannot be done safely by bike. If any of these subjects interests you, check out the CRCOG website, and click on Active Transportation.
There is another meeting coming up next Thursday (Nov. 15th) of the Advisory Committee for the Buckland Transportation Study, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Friends Room in the South Windsor Library at 1550 Sullivan Avenue, South Windsor, CT. The study is to “identify and address near and long term transportation needs within and around the Buckland area.” All Advisory Committee meetings are open to the public. I will be at this meeting also. The transportation needs of the Buckland/Evergreen Walk area are huge. The ability to walk or bike safely in this area is extremely limited. It will get better, however, thanks to the Advisory Committee’s work. I don’t know if the improvements will ever be made in my bike-riding lifetime, but hopefully in my physical lifetime—and I plan to live to at least 150. ☺
Snow showers
In some parts of the state, mainly the south of Hartford, there have been snow showers. These could be observed on Doppler Radar as well as traffic cams. I guess summer has really let fall take over.
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What's left of the Enfield (CT) dam at the beginning of the CT River rapids. If it wasn't for the rapids, there would be no Windsor Locks/Suffield canal or bike path (which will be closing Nov. 14 or 15 for the winter).
This is War!
If there is one thing I can’t stand is a mouse thumbing its nose at me (or worse). When I went to look at the packet of Tom Cat® I had put under a flowerpot outside, I found it unopened and covered with mouse droppings. The ultimate insult!
It’s been several days now since I have seen any droppings so I’m convinced it (they) are out of the house. Many thanks to Anonymous (or should that have been A Nony Mouse?) for your suggestions on how to rid myself of these pests. I have taken the most direct route. I know I have mice living under my front steps, and that’s where I feed them Decon®. I just spoon it into a crack between my sidewalk and the steps. In a matter of minutes (if I go back and check) the Decon® is gone. My mice have more respect for that than they do for Tom Cat®. As soon as the Decon® remains untouched, I’ll stop spooning it in.
Come Ride With Me
The edits are done and the draft copy is ready to be printed. I will take it to Staples to price the job. It might be cheaper to have them print it (it’s 63 pages x 12 copies!). Last year, when I produced Vol. I, I did it all myself. It was a true labor of love. When I figured out the cost, it came to about $25/book including ink, paper, 3-ring binders and sheet protectors. That didn’t include time. Vol. II should be about the same.HappeningsOn Tuesday I had Breakfast with the Girls. We are high school classmates who get together every two months for breakfast at a local diner and have formed a strong network of friendship and support for each other. If one of us finds we have a need, we know we can call any one from the group and get help. It’s comforting to know there is someone out there you can call on in an emergency or even a long-term need.
I’m still hanging laundry, but I think today may be the last time for anything but sheets. Shorter days, weaker sunshine and not enough wind all contribute to needing to use the dryer now. However, I have saved a bundle by not using the dryer going back to June.
This coming Saturday, there is an electronics recycling collection event at the Trash Museum on Murphy Road in Hartford. I have a load of stuff going down.
If the weather holds I will try to get a bike ride in on Sunday. I need to find the time to clean my chain, etc., so I can start using a cold weather lubricant. It’s no fun trying to pedal in cool/cold weather when you’re using a wax-based chain lubricant!
Photos
Llamas on the Air Line Trail this past June. It turned out to be a hot day and the animals became over-heated. The owners ended up having to get permission to bring their llama carrier down the trail to rescue the poor things.
Second photo is of a shelter we saw on the Sellew Walking Trail. No one was home that we could tell. We observed; we photographed; we moved on.
Working on my book
For the last week I have been working very hard on Vol. II of Come Ride With Me—a book of my poetry and prose (true stories of family, adventures, and articles, etc.)—for my children and grandchildren. I thought Vol. II would be much smaller than Vol. I, however, I think it will have almost as many pages. I have done the proofreading and now I’m ready to do the edits on the computer. From there I will go to Staples and see if they can print what I need cheaper than I can. I didn’t think I would need to buy new 3-ring binders this year, but I was wrong. So I have to go out and price binders. But you know what? I think the whole project is worth it. My kids and grandkids will always have that part of me—my words.
Hiking
Recently I have done two excellent hikes (ok, walks). The first was the Sellew Walking Trail in East Hampton, CT Thursday, Nov. 1st. The trails leads right to the Air Line Trail between Ripallo viaduct and what is known as “the rock cut”. We were able to clamber up the embankment (it is environmentally ok in this area) onto the Air Line. It took moderate exertion to get up the ridges and embankment, but it was fun. The Ripallo viaduct is about one to one and a half miles from the trailhead in East Hampton. The viaduct as of this writing is under repair and the trail user will be unable to get through—the trail is closed at this point. Coming from the other end, you can’t get into East Hampton. One would have to know the area or have a good map in order to know how to get around this barrier.
The second walk was Sunday, Nov. 4th, on the Air Line trail from the parking lot at Bull Hill Rd. east to the commuter parking lot 4.5 miles away. As we walk, the history and anecdotal stories are recited, which makes the walk that much more interesting. I’ve done this walk before and I always learn something new. The Colchester Land Trust sponsored this walk.
By now you should have guessed the Air Line Trail is one of my favorite places. If you go to the website, visit the photo galleries. Spectacular! If you are a railroad history buff, you probably already know the history of the Air Line. House MouseI think I know how the little bugger got in. I have a closet under the stairs and the outside wall has exposed insulation. A corner of the insulation seemed to be pushed out and there was lots of debris on the foundation ledge. I cleaned up the debris and poked the insulation back where it belongs. I had to clean up more droppings downstairs and the worst of this whole episode is the droppings I found on a table in the living room UPSTAIRS. How it got on that table I’ll never know. I just hope it (all of them?) were out of the house when I pushed the insulation back. Tomorrow I will get some Decon and hide it where my mother won’t see it. If I can take care of the situation without her knowing about it that would be wonderful!
