Mid-October Faves

 

Autumn is gorgeous and here in eastern New York State/the Capital Region/Albany we have had an amazing week of sunshine,  temps in 60s and low 70s (my very fave) and the leaves are beginning to be towards peak color.  While I take a break from housework, I'm reflecting back on this week and discovering there is much to be thankful for.  I'll share five of those things with some of them having many photos because I had trouble just choosing one per fave, and then I link up at Susanne's with other grateful bloggers.  

FIVE FAVES

Hickey  Trail to Peeskawso to summit of 
Monument Mountain, Berkshires, MA
9 October 

• GIRL HIKE!  Saturday morning my friend Gerri arrived at my house early (7:30) and we drove down to my friend Cindy's house and then we all rode together to the Berkshire Mountains in western MA which are only about 55 min east of us. (we didn't invite our husbands)  We were headed to a new-to-us trail system in the Mohican Reservation. We thought we were just hiking the loop which we were told was a flat trail for 2.6 miles.  Well, we had the correct loop but it went up and over the summit of Monument Mountain!!  It was a blast though and not steep at all.  This trail was also where a wealthy man from the nearby village of Stockbridge, in the 1800s, took Oliver Wendell Holmes, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Herman Melville on a hike/picnic.  A storm came up, the men gathered in a nearby cave to take shelter and it was there that Melville got inspired/ideas to write Moby Dick! The reader in me thought that was so fascinating. There were many hikers and although it started out as a cloudy day, the temps were in the low 70s and it ended up being sunny!  I'm so thankful for a time with my friends on a beautiful trail.  We were home by about 1 pm which was our goal. It was a great morning.  Here are a few of my fave pics from the hike:

(zoom in on the sign to read about the authors)

One of 5 waterfalls on the Hickey Trail
Monument Mountain

from the summit of Monument Mountain
on the Peeskawso Trail

• FRESH FARM PRODUCE!  This past week, I had the chance to get some farm fresh produce. Oh my goodness.  It was just amazing to have acorn and butternut squash, raspberries and blueberries, and ripe tomatoes and avocados (not from the farm but the local market had a good sale on them and we literally use 3-4 per week).  I love farm fresh produce during harvest time and I'm thankful we live close by some good farmers markets/farm stands.  
  
  
  

• PAINTING HELP!  Now that Courtney moved out, we have plans for her childhood bedroom. It will be part office for Dave (his company still has the software engineers working from home!) and part meditation/prayer/yoga exercise room for me. I chose a color of paint called Moonsail and Courtney agreed to do most of the painting work for me!  We are in the process of choosing new carpeting as well and that will go all through the entire upstairs as we still have what the builders put in when we built this home in 1994!  (we don't have pets and we always take our shoes off so that has sort of saved the carpeting). I've chosen a Coastal theme for the room (Adirondack lakes and the Atlantic Ocean).  We put the first coat on Saturday afternoon and then she and I put the 2nd coat on Monday morning as of course we both had the day off for Columbus Day/Indigenous People Day.(Dave had to work)  I'm very thankful this project is underway and that oldest daughter came home to help!

bye bye Robin's  Eggshell Blue
and border from her toddler/early childhood days
(border over that  from teen years  was already ripped off the previous weekend)

The re-make begins!
Paint color is Moonsail 

• MOUNTAIN HIKE!  My chiropractor told me in Sept to try a small mountain sometime this autumn to see how my back does.  So I chose to go with my friend Gerri on Sunday to a mountain I've climbed twice in the past (once with Dave and the girls when they were in junior high/elementary school in the fall and once in early spring with 2 hiking friends).  She needs this mountain for the ADKS FireTower Challenge (I completed it in 2015) and so Sunday was the day we chose. We left around 8 am and arrived a little before 10. It's located in the north-central region of the Adirondacks and it was just at peak color up there!  I took about 35 pics but here are 7 of my faves. The mountain is only a 2664 feet high  and only a 4.2 miles hike (round trip). It's short but no steepness as the trail winds around the mountain and up.  And guess what? Glory to God I had NO back issues either than evening or in the days after.  I'm so thankful to have hiked a mountain this autumn......it had been far too long, and TWO in one weekend!

near the beginning of the Goodnow Mt trail
Central Adks/High Peaks region
10 October

someone has painted a silly face since I was last here!
Goodnow Mt trail

About half way up to the summit

A collapsed former horse barn in the last mile of the trail
This was a standing barn last time I was here

my fave part of the Goodnow Mt trail......
...the scent of balsam and pine and crunchy leaves
almost to the top!

The Goodnow Mt FireTower on the Summit!

from the  top of the fire tower
looking down at Rich Lake, town of Newcomb
and the High Peaks/Santanoni Range in the background

• AFTER WORK WALKS:  This week has been just perfect for power walking after work.  I was able to get out every afternoon/early evening except last evening. On Wednesday, I headed over to our town park to walk a couple of the trails there. I did 2.2 miles and it felt amazing.  Here are a few pics I took when I slowed down to catch my breath.  I'm thankful for safe parks to power walk in.

Crossings Park Pond

Colors not yet at peak but getting there
...this is through the Orchard trail

I took the Orchard trail to the right

through The Ramble trail

That wraps up the special blessings from my week.

What about you?  How was your three day weekend?  did you have a three day weekend?  I am very grateful I had Monday off from teaching!

Happy Weekend!!