Keep Close to Nature's Heart - John Muir

Howdy folks,
Again, I have been away for a long time. I am always so busy - with work, keeping up laundry - cooking, and hiking!  I guess a post once a month is better than no post at all. Let's see, I'll start with New York. We went hiking in the New York Catskills. I can't say where exactly because it's a letterboxing mystery adventure. There are 20 some boxes hidden there. There is a puzzle to figure out the start point - very fun!! We went with Kristen and Becki - the girls we met at Live and Breathe in MA!! The drive was 16 hours On the way up we stoped at a diner - Kitty Hoynes in Syracuse NY - it was very good!!

Reuben fritters

Irish meatlof

Shepherd's pie

We had a good trip up - got to Albany New York in time to find a few local letterboxes and get a good night's sleep! The hike was 12 miles - it took 12 hours - remember we did not hike straight through - we stopped at least 20 times to search for things....

Kristen and I

Becki - signing in at the trail

Kristen and I

What a view!!

here too!!

climbing

It was a great day!! At first it didn't seem like a bad hike - flatter than we thought. Then we moved onto another trail and it was up and up. We had to climb several spots!! We got to the top - what an amazing view!! You can see 5 states from up there!! All the boxes were great!! The trip back to the car was tough. The last part of the trail is all rocks and roots - very hard to walk on for so long. We were exhausted!! We went to Brown's Brewing Co in Troy NY for dinner - I think it was delicious - hard to remember because I was in a fog of exhaustion!! We are so glad the girls went with us - made the trip a fantastic time!!
The trip back took two days - we are not sure why. We took the back way to another diner - which may be why we ended up staying in Mechanicsburg PA one night. The second diner was The Pineville Tavern in Wrightstown PA

snapper soup - yeeeuck!! Scott liked it though

eggrolls (reuben, meatball, philly cheesesteak and meatball)

eggplant parm

mushroom ravioli

My new job is  -well -  it's a job. You know - the thing I have to do to do the things I want to do. It's closer to home than the last so that's a plus. They just let me change my hours  - I start an hour later now - which is great.
This weekend we went to Turkey Run State Park to grab some letterboxes - I say grab but it was a 7 mile hike. It took us about 5 hours. It was 84 degrees and humid - ugh the humidity just kills me!! The park is beautiful - and packed with people. All 5 of the boxes we were after were missing - frustrating!! 

that sign says be back to the bridge before sundown!!

1st a suspension bridge

the trail is behind them!!

THAT is the trail!!

Yes, there are ladders

strangers - so many people at this park!!

hiked up boulders

and down stairs

through roots

more boulders

It is a beautiful hike and parts of it were pretty hard!! Ryder - who was not carrying a 50 pound backpack - weighs 100 less and is half my age couldn't understand why I couldn't bound up the stairs like a goat. I only threatened to leave him there once..or twice. After this hike we went to Crawfordsville and ate at Barefoot Burger (not on DDD but really good) I had a burger with brown sugar Jamaican jerk bacon and Brie!! Ryder had a burger with pineapple, bacon and macadamia nut butter! Scott had an all American double. It was delicious!! We tried the seafood nachos - not bad! The last few nights the fireflies have been out in massive numbers - it is beautiful!!! I just love fireflies!!
I have not managed to get much stitching done. I finally finished Song of the Seasons

 I made myself a roadkill possum - I used a variegated thread for the intestines. It will be a letterboxing thing - not just a morbid toy.

 I also made two Princess Leia (Star Wars) hats - looks like her hair with the buns. The first one was too small for the person I made it for - I don't have a picture of it yet. Here is the pattern though - Princess Leia crochet hat I'm still working on Noel by Renato Parolin - slowly!! Most days I only get about an hour to stitch so it's slow going.

deer and her new baby in my yard!!

stray that loves to torment Mo

Scott made bisquits and we had fresh fruit for breakfast!!

my boys

that cat is spoiled!!

Scott found another turtle in the yard - it tried to bite us!! So cute!! 

That's all folks. Hope you have a great weekend - thanks for stopping by!!!

Mary Ellen's autograph book (I'll do two this time!!)
Roses are red
violets are blue
sugar is sweet
and so are you
                     yours till the
                     pillows where
                     slips     Joyce A S.

 
Dear Mary Ellen
When you get big and
want to get married. marry a
man with plenty of money
so you will get rich
           yours truly
       Angelia Masintonio
Who's the        guy anyway
A                      F
???                 ???

Adios

To my Uncle Jeff

If there ever comes a day

When we can't be together.

Keep me in your heart, I will stay there forever

~Winnie the Pooh

You will forever be in my heart.

Where does the time go?

Wow - I can't believe how long it's been since I posted!! We have been pretty busy. It's hard to work on a computer 40 hours a week and then come home and get on the computer - so there's that!! I start a new job June 2nd - hope it's better than my current one.

I do have a few fun things to tell you about. I will start with letterboxing meets.... We went to one in Dillsburg PA - it was a Star Wars themed meet put on by a wonderful person we met at Live and Breathe last August - Paula. She did such a great job - we had so much fun!! We also got lucky and "Our Girls" were there from Live and Breathe too - Kristen and Becki - we got to meet one husband and all but one child of theirs. We spent the day together and then went to dinner. It was a really fun day!! Dillsburg is a really cute town!!

Kristen and Eugene



When we were in PA we ate at another diner.

eggplant parm

meatball sub / fries with gravy

wedding soup

We also visited the memorial for Flight 93 - I'm glad we went, it's a nice memorial.

We had two meets in one month!! There was one an hour and a half from our house at a campground. We hiked 8 miles that day through 4 streams - we had a nice time at that one too. We missed our friends being there..... but they live in WV!!!

I haven't finished any cross stitch- never enough time to stitch!! I did crochet a road kill possum - a letterboxer bought the pattern for me and paid me to make it for him. I will be making one for Scott and I as well.

I am almost done with that blasted Little House Needlworks mystery sampler - so close. I can't wait for it to be done - not my favorite project at all.
I bought a "Fitbit" it keeps track of your steps but you can log water, food, weight  and sleep. It's a bracelet and a phone app and I love it. Who knew how little I moved around? Even wearing it - working a sit down job I struggle to get 10,000 steps a day. We found a lovely trail - in town - that we have been going to. I love it - it is 1.69 miles and parts are pretty steep but for being right in town - it is beautiful!!

Out next trip is to New York with "Our Girls" Kristen and Becki for letterboxing - I'm so excited I can hardly wait!! If the 8 hour hike doesn't kill us we will have a really great time!!!
Taylor knitted me a purse and a dishrag for Mother's Day - what a nice girl!!

my model

My son is on his way here from Santa Fe NM - he will be staying with us until school starts again - 3 long months. I might strangle him. I texted him about the drive here and if he was standing closer I would have already done it. grrr
Look what Scott found in the yard

Isn't that adorable?!?! I am waiting for the fireflies to start their show - I hope we have lots of them out here!!

 I don't have my Gram's autograph book with me so it will have to wait until next time. Maybe by the end of the week I can post a finish - and an autograph page. The last pictures are panoramic so you might have to click on them - they show the difference in the trees here - lovely!!

Hope you have a good week - thanks for stopping by!!