Reunited and it feels so good...

I have been an ardent kayaking angler for close to 20 years.  Last summer, due to a nagging shoulder injury (I don't recommend having a child once you are 45 plus unless you are in VERY good shape) and the unusual Maine monsoon season that lasted all summer, I was unable to put my boat on my car let alone paddle.  Well, thanks to a a very expensive trainer who hit on the magic regime for my shoulder I am able to return to the water. This makes me very happy.

North Conway, NH

This car was parked in front of the Mount Washington Weather Observatory offices in town.  I have been to the top of Mt. Washington by car in July when it has been quite "brisk" at the top.  I also climbed Jefferson in the Presidentials  in July when we passed some others hikers  coming down who had been turned back by "snow" as they approached the summit ( it was more a slick mix of fog and freeze).

We were there to ride this:

 

When we got back in the car at 12:50 p.m. it was 97 degrees outside. So we went back to Stanley Pond, but not before running into these folks in Cornish:

Sarah, Luke and Brady Potter

We have a rule if you are near the water you need to wear your life jacket.  Maisie is good at following the rules and near the water is a relative term.

Hope you all had a pleasant weekend!

Lettuce Bolt and RIP (Rest in Peas) or How My Summer Vacation Nearly Killed My Vegetable Garden

O.K., so it wasn't quite this bad, but...

We were gone for 5 days during July during a spat of very high temperatures, humidity and abundant sunshine. Did this rocket scientist, backyard farmer even think once about asking someone to water the garden? Nope.  Never even entered my mind-despite the fact that I had been watering nightly on regular basis since April.  Needless to say, we now have more room to replant some fall crops as the lettuce all bolted and the peas shriveled up and died. At least the chickens are enjoying the gleanings.  My apologies to the garden nymphs.  I will make efforts to redeem myself.

A Little Refreshment on a Hot Summer Day

July 4th from the Adirondacks

I grew up in Mayfield, NY which is "the gateway to the Adirondacks".  It is truly a breathtakingly beautiful area and after being away at my other "home" of Maine and then returning to the mountains and lakes of my youth, there really are some subtle differences.  Things like the light (further west), the heat (landlocked), flora (baby pine cones) and fauna (newts in the ponds and smaller lakes) and of course my people.  The woods and the creeks hold the spirits of my relatives who have all gone before...it is strangely lonely, yet at every turn I catch a glimpse of life past. Part of the pleasure of this trip is to introduce my daughter to these family ghosts and connect the energies of the generations.

Maisie and Betsy outside of Pulka Tupa (Reindeer sleigh cabin)

Bonfire- brought to an art form by my cousin Jay

Sunset over mountains and across the lake

July 4 Bonfire and Firework