Springtime Faves

We've had a perfect Spring week here in the Capital Region of New York State.  It's been sunny, temp in the 60s  and 70s (my fave).  I've had a lot of time in the sunshine and loving all the nature God created.....I'm so thankful for what God has made.

I'm also thankful for some specific things this week and I'm sharing FIVE of them that are my FAVES.  There's quite a few of us bloggers who engage in this gratitude meme and you can find the details over at Susanne's site.

Overlooking eastern NY and part of western Vermont
from the first lookout on the Taconic Crest Trail
Eastern NY/Western MA

Main part of the Taconic Crest Trail

Colleague Kathy heading down into the SnowHole
Taconic Crest Trail
16 May 2020

the "SnowHole"
located down some rocky scrambles on the Taconic Crest Trail

• SATURDAY MORNING HIKE:  Saturday morning about 8:30 a.m my colleague Kathy (she is the Occupational Therapist on our classroom team) and I started out on the Taconic Crest Trail (also a part of the Appalachian Trail and a piece I've never hiked before). Our destination was 3.2 miles away at the SnowHole (a deep crevice one can rock scramble down into to see the snow...sometimes it's still there in July).  The trail is extremely steep at the first quarter mile (overall elevation of the Crest is only about 1600 feet!) but once we were past the first overlook (first photo), the trail evened out and it was a lovely 3 miles in the woods and out in the morning sun.  We made good time, getting to the SnowHole by 10:30.  We were the only hikers on the main trail and while we were eating our snack, another couple of hikers came to the SnowHole.....some hikers that day were going further on to a different destination.  We were back to her car by 1:30 and I was home by 2.  I'm so thankful she offered to drive (yes we wore our masks in her car) and that I finished my New Year's personal challenge goal of hiking 10 "new to me" trails by June 1st.  (this was number 10!) I'm also thankful I have a new hiking partner....she's been asking me for quite some time and we finally had schedules that lined up together.

• BREAKFAST DATE:  Dave and I had a breakfast date on Sunday morning.  We put aside all technology and just sat together eating and sipping our coffee and chatting before watching the online church service.  We really needed this time to just talk together as our previous week was just insane with a large workload for both of us. Dave made eggs, I made some delicious plant-based sausages and we had some fresh watermelon.  I then took my coffee out on the deck to do some of my personal Bible study.  It was one of those mornings where one just felt so content and I'm thankful for that. Being outside in nature, especially in the morning sunshine just makes me feel so centered.

• SURPRISE GIFT!  My dear friend and hiking companion, Gerri, whom I've known since my youngest daughter was born, is a gem of a friend.  She lives in the next town over although we rarely see each other these days and she surprised me by sending me a package in the mail of some hiking maps, and some paraphernalia along with the cutest wooden sign (the quote is by one of my fave naturalists, John Muir) for my desk.  I'm so thankful for her friendship over the years.

Darlene at the start of the trail
Malta Nature Preserve

,

Second Pond

The main trail past the pond

"The Arch" trail

• EARLY EVENING WALK: My church friend Darlene asked if I would walk with her one evening.  She wanted to go to a nature preserve but wasn't sure which one and asked if I would choose one so I suggested a preserve I'd never been to that is in the new book I received for Christmas. What a little gem tucked away between 2 upscale housing developments in a town about 15 minutes north of where I live. She offered to drive and we had a great time exploring the main trail around two ponds (the 2nd one was much nicer) and then we ventured on a side trail that goes way back away from the actual preserve into the woods and it looks as though the town will expand this trail eventually.  It was called the Arch trail (see last photo as to why).  That was my favorite section.  We saw many different types of birds and ducks and we were the only people on the trail until we got back to the car and then another woman was just starting out.  It was a nice way to spend the evening and I'm thankful for these local nature preserves so close to home! This makes the 11th trail system since January that I've hiked that I had never seen before. 

• NEW NORMAL:  Well, I was losing my mind with my husband setting up an old ugly metal computer table in the spot where you see the window on the left in the bottom pic when quarantine began in NYS on March 16th.  It was driving me nuts that "my" room was now his home office and he had wires all over the place, two monitors for work, all his paraphernalia....you get the drift....and in the spring I like to thoroughly give each room a complete cleaning including the windows and curtains (we don't do blinds or shades in our home.....we have curtains that you can't see through at night), and I hadn't been able to do that until Saturday afternoon.  Well our oldest daughter and I cooked up a plan:  move his "office" to where my personal small writing desk sits in our master bedroom, and move my little desk to the living room.  It's not ideal but at least he's warmer up there (for some reason, even with the warmer spring temps my husband gets cold very easily).  Now I have my living room back and although it involved moving the piano again, it doesn't look too bad.  I can deal with this new normal at least until he goes back in to work.  He does have a personal office in the basement but he really didn't want to work down there all day as it's dimmer light and just damp feeling even with the heating vents open.  Plus someone is always doing laundry! I'm thankful he was agreeable to this move and actually it's quieter now for him on the 2nd floor of the house.  I'm also thankful our daughter helped us move the furniture and that it forced me to clean up my desk!

That wraps up my faves but I do want to share a bonus one:  I had the chance to involve my small group in a service project for a mom I know who has a child with special needs (not a student....someone from my community).  Mom had to have some major surgery this week and I was able to gather some pampering items for her, some restaurant gift cards for her family and some treats for her son because of the generosity of the ladies in my group.  It was nice to be able to bring a smile to her face. I neglected to ask her for permission to show pics on here so just trust me when I say her son was very happy to receive some fave snacks and new toys.

Have a blessed weekend....and hallelujah.....NYS is slowly re-opening!  We started phase 1 on Wednesday!!