All About Autumn Faves

This week has flown by!  I figured since I'm not working this year, that maybe I would be bored and the days would drag. NOT true!! Oh my goodness but this week just flew by.  We also had the long holiday weekend (Columbus Day) and my youngest had no school Wednesday due to a Jewish holiday.  So the week was jammed packed of good things to reflect on.

I'm sharing FIVE of the things that make my FAVES list by linking up with other blogging friends at Susanne's site.  It is good to give thanks to God for the moments He brings us.

Algonquin Lake
Wells, NY
Southern Adirondacks
7 October

• ROAD TRIP NORTH! Last Friday, my oldest daughter Courtney and I took a road trip with one of my younger sisters (Hope) to the village where Hope and I spent our summers at our parents' camp.  The camp is long gone but the village is relatively the same.  We also traveled even more north, by about 20 minutes, and took photos like the one above of my favorite Adirondack Lake.  We took another road into a wilderness area that I hike in from time to time (the Wilcox Lake Wilderness Area) and took photos next to the banks of the West Stony Creek. Then we had lunch at a very nice cafe.  What glorious autumn color!  

Hope and I
on the banks of the West Stony Creek
Hope Falls, NY

Courtney with her Aunt Hope

the southern edge of the Great Sacandaga Lake
Northville, NY

• CINNAMON COFFEE:  Oh my.  I had discovered this new Green Mountain brand coffee a few weeks ago but finally started drinking it almost every afternoon while reading or working on my Bible study.  It's called Cinnamon Sugar Cookie and it's coffee with just a hint of cinnamon.  It's so good and I was happy to find it in K-cups.  There's something about cinnamon that gets me in the autumn mood and I'm thankful I can enjoy this little autumn luxury.

image courtesy of Green Mountain

• ANNUAL AUTUMN GIRLS DAY AWAY!  On Saturday, another of my younger sisters (Joy) and my youngest daughter Claire and I went to this small city in Vermont for the day.  This was a bittersweet time as it's our last Annual Autumn getaway.  (Claire will be in college next year!).  We have been doing these outings since the fall of 2011 when my oldest was away at college.  Although the weather was overcast and chilly on Saturday, we had a really good time and we n ate lunch at a little vegan cafe in town.  We also stopped at an overlook on the way home where we could see out to the White Mountains of NH.  Autumn is a wonderful time to visitNew England and because we live in eastern NY, it only takes a little over  an hour to get to 3 of the New England states! I'm very thankful we had such memorable trips each autumn for the last 5 years.

Claire with her Aunt Joy
downtown Brattleboro, Vermont
8 October 2016

Claire and I
Vermont with NH behind us

• AUTUMN COLORS!  A friend of mine from church works part time so on one of her days off we headed to one of the local nature preserves for a mid-day hike.  This preserve is only 10 minutes from our houses, just in the next town to the west and the woods were just gorgeous that day!  It's always a fave of mine to have fellowship with a friend while surrounded by nature and with the autumn colors just beginning to peak, it was perfect.

in the Lisha Kill Preserve

• COLUMBUS DAY HIKE WITH COLOR AT PEAK!! Two of my friends and I decided to climb Moxham Mountain (2360 feet high) on Monday because it was a holiday and perfect weather for an autumn hike.  Kathy and I had hiked this mountain last October and really wanted to climb it again and my neighbor-friend Melissa had never hiked it so she wanted to go, too.  What fun we had. We discovered that the 3 of us make great hiking partners because we keep a steady, somewhat quick pace and are all in synch.  We also like taking a couple of water breaks and then getting right back to hiking and lingering for lunch on the summit to enjoy creation!  It was only about 9:30 when we started and only 44 degrees F.  We quickly warmed up as we set a good pace and we were on the summit by 11:30 or so.  We were COLD on the summit so our hats and gloves came back out and we  enjoyed the view, taking many photos.  We were back down to the car by 2:30 pm and I was home by 4:30 that day!  It was heavenly being with hiking friends, enjoying the autumn colors and the Handiwork of God.

at first look out going up Moxham Mt
10 October

Gore Mt as seen from first look-out 

one edge of the summit
Moxham Mt
high peaks in the background

Melissa, me, Kathy
Cold on the summit!!
Vanderwhacker Wild Forest is below us and the high peaks are behind us

on the trail looking up towards the summit!
Yes...we climbed that!!

I'm in my happy place where I feel closest to God!!
A Naturalist all the way!!
photo taken by Melissa
the wind was brutally cold on the summit but the sun felt  awesome!

time to hit the trail back down

 That wraps up my faves list.

I hope you enjoy whatever the weekend brings to you.

Peace!