Monday, September 30, 2019

Virtual AT: New Hampshire...The Whites to Greenleaf Hut

"Beans back...after a brief break...and ready to start the (virtual) White Mountains..."

When last we left our adventure we were at Eliza Brooks
Shelter.

The White Blaze App says it is 41 degrees currently, but it will be much colder and windy up on the mountains. Probably snow. 

We'll bundle up.

Let's go...

Our first mountains will be North and South Kinsman

As we begin and pick our way carefully through the area known as The Cannon Balls.

ChrisGoesOutdoors Hiking the Kinsman Mountains in Summer

https://youtu.be/z2JP1b-2DQE

And as we reach the peak of the Kinsmans we run into the first heavy frozen frost clinging to the trees.

 It is thick and the temperature has to be in the mid-thirties here...at first I thought we had found snow!

(...I am sure we will as we climb higher...)

Onward to the Franconian Notch to Kinsman Pond Shelter





And the Kinsman Pond Shelter...with a light snow all around.

Nearby is Lonesome Lake Hut.

Huts are particular to New Hampshire and are scattered throughout the trail from this point on.  They are owned by the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC)...charge a fee (usually between 90 and 110 USD) and sleep 36-90 people. Some require reservations. Basically huge enclosed heated lodges with dining and sleeping areas. The fee includes dinner/breakfast and snacks!
They open in June and close in early October.

We may find one tonight to stay in.





Lonesome Lake Hut






But we have some miles to get through first.

Redbeard at Lonesome Lake Hut during the Summer

https://youtu.be/1C2caImivd0

Up Little Haystack Mountain




Winter Hike of Mount Haystack

https://youtu.be/Ox0O8UbkOz4

To Mount Lincoln



(...some of the wind gusts are almost 65 mph up here!!!)

And up to Mount Lafayette




Where the wind and weather has taken a seriously nasty turn...suddenly the closest available shelter seems like the way to go...




Fortunately, the map shows Greenleaf Hut about another mile ahead.

It couldn't come soon enough!

Finally...wet...frozen...and hungry...there it appears...like a mirage in the desert. Or maybe an oasis in the snow and cold.

And I am so grateful for the AMC.  

Time to get this cold wet gear off...find a warm place to sit...enjoy someone else cooking a hot meal...and a good warm night's sleep.

And the view is much nicer when you are inside and warm.

The Greenleaf Hut and Surrounding Area.


Tomorrow, we will start again.

Until Then...

Love, 

"Beans"























Sunday, September 29, 2019

Fall BBQ...Our Brown County "Dragon" Escape...Sisters Day...Suri and More...

Taking today and devoting it to rest...relaxation...and maybe the Colts-Raiders game at 1:00...

This week has been non-stop!

From last Sunday's BBQ with James, Nicole and The Grands

Meet the meat!

Everything was amazing! And I had never tried (although I had heard of it) Chicken Grilled with Beer Cans & Beer up their bums...


The alcohol evaporates and the beer doesn't really flavor the meat. It just keeps the chicken really really moist and juicy!

It was a wonderful afternoon.



Enjoyed Coffee and Chat with Diane and Brenda on Monday at our local Starbucks since I would be gone the rest of the week.

Chris stopped in that evening to share one of his latest targets with me.

His groupings are getting much better.
And he is teaching Tina to shoot, as well!














Spent Tuesday getting the last minute supplies before our

DRAGON Adventure.

(...oh...and this is the new Salted Caramel hair-color!!!! I'm loving it...)

Although I still wake up with bedhead looking like Steven Tyler (Aerosmith)

A fireplace room with a balcony and a view at The Seasons.

(...view from the balcony at the break of dawn...)

The Pool





And a fire at night.





Off to the Brown County Inn Restaurant for the most delicious dinner.





 A Romantic Evening.



And off to plunder Brown County's Nashville, the next morning.

I might add we both love photography...a lot...all in all there were roughly 450 photos taken between us.

Relax...I'll only share a few...lol!

 

 


(...I'm not Cezanne...but I think I may have to paint this gourd grouping as my first attempt at a Fall Still Life...)



 
 



Spent the entire day in town...complete with the obligatory stops at Pitbull Leather...J.Bobs for Hot Sauce...The Candy Shoppe for FUDGE...Jack and Jill's Nut House...and more.

Ending our day just before everything closed at HobNob Corner!

(...I was stressing so much...since Hobnob is much less than accessible...being such an old (historic) building...wasn't sure I would EVER get to enjoy it again in my lifetime...)

I shouldn't have worried.

Between John (and a waitress that certainly went above and beyond) they were able to get both the wheelchair (and I) up and into the building!!!

Words fail to express just how HAPPY that moment was...

I have been coming to Hobnob Corner well over 50 years!





Perfect Day...Perfect Weather...Perfect Company...

It couldn't have been any better.

We came home this...

"They're home...act nonchalant..."
                                                     ~ Sofi


"SERIOUSLY???"

                        ~Also Sofi


"I'm a KITTEN...it is WHAT I do..."

                                                        ~Suri

We brought home mums and a big fat orange pumpkin.

Sofi and Suri are buddies now and spend a lot of time playing tag...hide and seek and wrestling with one another.

Double Trouble.

It was an incredible time, John.

Love you!

Yesterday was Our Monthly Sisters Day.

We started the morning with Banana Pecan and Cream Cheese Scones.

We celebrated with a Spa/Manicure Afternoon at Mona Lisa's

Where we all got our nails done in Fall Colors...Chocolate, Pumpkin and Gold...then off for Chinese and chat...and chat...and chat...

And back here for chat...and chat...and chat...and more chat...

Until it was nearly dark.

Next month we are gathering at Tina's Farmhouse for a Sisters Day Bonfire and Pitch In.

So wonderful to have Sisters!

(....and it is tattooed right on our shoulders...lol)

"...now you smell like ANOTHER strange cat...it is okay...come over here...I Love You, Anyway..."
                             ~Gizmo

The Movie this Week





Which was kind of surprising to me...as I was absolutely hooked on the show.

Technically it was perfect. That lush Downton Abbey world we always knew and loved.  Queen Mary coming for a visit.
But something was missing.

The wait.

The cliff-hanger that kept you coming back to the series every week.

It was good...but it just wasn't as good in one huge block.

A bite of cotton candy is good...but if you gobble the whole bag at one time...well..you are going to have a stomach ache.

Wait for the video...you'll thank me.

The Book of The Week

A self-proclaimed  Memoir of My Brain...from Vallance.

Her true story of reclaiming her life and adjusting/adapting after being thrown from a horse and going from working on her PHD and a good government job to Traumatic Brain Injury...disability and loss of IQ (128 to 80)

Excellent...Raw...Read.

A must have for anyone who is dealing with a TBI or ABI, whether themselves- or someone they know.

Very motivational and real.

And last..but certainly not least...

The House has started the official IMPEACHMENT inquiry.

Trump is tweeting...and twittering...and lashing out like a cornered rat...er...narcissist...

And it is a step in the right direction.

No...there is very little chance the Senate will ever actually agree to impeach or remove him...but we will in November 2020.

Then he can go to prison.

September 24th will live on as

"Happy Impeachment Day"

Catch everyone next week...

I'M CLOSED!












 Back to caramel corn and the game!











Stone from Bali with a tea candle...