Mid-May Faves

 

Mid-May and Friday! How is that possible?  It seems like Spring just started and here we are, a month and a week away from the start of Summer season!

Let's pause in the busy week and give thanks for all the blessings we receive. I had many blessings this past week....some big...some little....but all from the Lord God.  Here are FIVE of my FAVES.  If you want to learn more info about how to join in on this blogging community of grateful women, head on over here. 

I spy purple trillium just off the trail
going up the mountain!

I spy red trillium off the trail 
going down the mountain

the rare white trillium is more correctly known as 
painted trillium and usually has bright pink on the top
This was a young bloom just past the stream going down the mt

• TRAIL TRILLIUM!  Saturday was my first mountain hike of the 2023 season.  Yes, I know in the Adirondacks it's still mud season (avoid mountains over 2500 feet in elevation!) and black fly season just started, but I was just longing to go, so when 3 church friends told me they were going to climb one of my fave little mountains, I decided I'd go too.  More on that later.  The first fave is that I found THREE different colored trillium. Trillium is a Protected Native Plant  in our state as determined by the DEC (Dept of Environmental Conservation). Purple trillium is the color I've seen before but it's rare for me to find all 3 colors on the same trail and by mid-summer I often don't see any trillium. They are just very delicate wildflowers, so I teach every hiker I know NOT to pick them.  If you pick trillium, they don't recover and just die out.  So I was thrilled to see them in abundance all up and down the trail.  I'm thankful for God's beautiful, and sometimes delicate, creation. 

Dave takes a water break after a steep section

View from the summit
bare spot is the garnet mines

A peek at the summit 
from down on the ridgeline
and 2nd overlook

Dave at the first major overlook
Gore Mt Ski Center is behind him

me on the first overlook with Gore Mt 
and High Peaks in the background

dave and three church friends: Annette, Maureen, Mary

• MOUNTAIN HIKE!  I had planned to meet 3 friends from our church at the trailhead for this mountain and was totally surprised when Dave said at breakfast that he would like to go on the hike, too. I think with losing 25 lbs, he has more energy! I'm  thrilled and thankful that he agreed to go up this mountain.  It's not an easy climb due to steepness and switchbacks which does help keep the steepness at bay....but sometimes that 2.8 miles to the top feels SO long. We had a blast.  We spent about 1.5 hours on the summit alone!  It was an all day hike and although the black flies were horrid, the black fly all essential oils repellant I paid a pretty penny for was worth it cause I had no netting.  Dave was able to use extra netting for his head from Maureen but I just used the repellant.  I'm thankful we had an awesome day and perfect hiking weather for the first of the season: 74 degrees F with a good breeze.  

flowers from church for all the moms!

Card from oldest gal Courtney

Card from youngest girl Claire

• MOTHER'S DAY!  Sunday after Dave and I went to the 9 AM church service, the girls came over and gave me beautiful cards and we all went out to brunch.  We had so much fun.  The food was scrumptious and the cocktails were ice cold and delish. We walked around Saratoga and then thought we'd pop in to the Farmers Market but they were just closing up.  We went back to the house and I did some mulching because that brings me joy......working in my front flower garden.  At church, every mom was given a small bouquet of flowers. Now keep in mind that we have 2 services and average about 450 at the first one and about 900 at the 11 AM one.  That's a LOT of flowers AND we were handed white chocolate lollipops in the shape of tulips....all different colors. Mine was lilac and so pretty. I'm thankful for a nice relaxing day and I'm most thankful that each girl wrote a personal message to me inside the cards.  One made me laugh (Courtney's) and one made me get all choked up (Claire).  I'm so thankful I get to be their mama and that God has gifted me with their lives. 

annual flowers for the deck

Basil is growing!

• FLOWERS and PLANTS: This past week the flowers I bought on sale have looked very pretty in all the colors on the deck.  I love potted annuals.  And the basil I began in the beginning of April is  really growing well.  I had to bring it in Wed night as there was a frost warning for our area (we didn't get it thank the Lord).  It moved back out to the deck yesterday. I'm thankful for flowers and plants and I know we'll enjoy using the basil on tomato sandwiches and in soups/stews.

• SAFE TRAVELS:  our oldest daughter and her best friend Nathanael traveled by train to Chicago Monday night and texted that they arrived safely on Tuesday late morning. Then they flew into Wichita, Kansas and texted that they were there safely.  They're helping a friend move.  Then they all took the train back to Chicago Tuesday night and then got on another train back here to Albany on Wednesday night around 9 pm and arrived here at home yesterday late afternoon.  I'm so thankful the trip was smooth and safe. 

Those were just my fave blessings from the week.  There were many blessings of course......what were your faves? do share in the comment section!

HAPPY WEEKEND!