Finger Lakes Fiber Festival

What  a great day! I drove south to the town of Hemlock, NY for the Finger Lakes Fiber Festival and spent the day there. The sunshine and mild temperatures added to my enjoyment of the day.

I was there when the gates opened and spent an hour and a half walking around the fairgrounds, admiring all the yarn and fiber. I stopped to say "hi" to the alpacas (they are cute!).

The colors of roving were eye-opening!

And the yarn choices were many.
There were vendors indoor and outside, thank goodness the weather cooperated.
And there were sheep. The woman who owns these sheep is sitting by the pen, spinning the fiber from those sheep.
I didn't buy too much, just a small amount of roving from some Blue Faced Leicester sheep. That is a breed that I have wanted to try to spin. The fiber is supposed to be longer than some sheep and it has a nice feel to it.

After my shopping time, I had to go to work. This festival is put on by my spinning guild so I volunteered for two work shifts. I spent 2 hours at the Information Table and was able to get some knitting done while I sat there. From there I went for a 2 hour shift at the Entrance Gate, where I sold tickets to get into the festival.  I enjoyed my time in both places. Today was a big success at the festival with over 2,000 people coming in. Hopefully, the weather will hold and tomorrow will be another high attendance day. I will not go back tomorrow as Jim is running in a race at Mendon Ponds Park and I will be there to cheer him on!

Jim made dinner tonight (spaghetti, salad, green beans) since I was away until 5 PM. That was a real treat!

On my way home, I stopped for gas at the B.J.'s in Henrietta because the price per gallon is 13 cents cheaper than the B.J.'s near our house!

Corey has been checking out housing options for next year at SU (who, by the way, finally won a football game today!). Corey and one of his current apartment-mates, Mike, are looking to get a 2-person apartment together and have looked at 2 different houses. In both places the apartment on the third floor is available. I think they are leaning towards the place they visited today. Here they are, one month into this school year, and already they  need to be looking for a place for next year!

Time to knit.

Hope all is well. 

Utah Review

As promised, here are a small sampling of the photos that Jim took while backpacking with Tucker. As a reminder, they spent 4 days in Paria Canyon in southern Utah, canyon country. Paria Canyon is noteworthy for being a place you do not want to be caught during a flash flood. There is no way up and out. Hikers have to check the weather forecast for the Paria Canyon drainage, and if there is any chance of rain, the wise hiker postpones his or her plans. Fortunately, Jim and Tucker had great weather as seen in these photos. 

If you want to see more photos, leave me a comment and I will send you a link to Jim's photos on Kodak Gallery.

Trying for that perfect reflection shot... I tried a lot!

Tucker at Slide Rock Arch.

Wandering through the Narrows of Buckskin Gulch.

Noting the 'bathtub ring' from the last muddy flood through the Gulch.

The unbelievable colors and shapes of slot canyons.

A muddy, watery, narrow, and dark section of Buckskin Gulch.

The intrepid explorers!

Now in other news:We are having glorious fall weather here. I may ride my bike to school tomorrow! And this great weather is supposed to continue through next week.

I received wonderful news today at school. I won a $250 scholarship for my PE program. This scholarship comes from a local law firm, one of those that advertises, "If you were hurt in an accident. . . " During the NFL football season, this law firm gives away 10 $250 classroom scholarships each week as a promotion with the Buffalo Bills (who, by the way, are off to a 2-0 start!). Teachers can enter this drawing each week by filling out an on-line form. Pretty easy! And today I got the call that my name had been pulled in this week's draw! The amazing part is that I have now won this scholarship 3 out of the last 4 years!

I've been knitting away on my New York State Sheep and Wool festival sweater. The pattern is fairly easy and it is on fairly large needles so I am please with my progress thus far. This sweater is knit with 2 yarns, one a regular worsted weight yarn and the other a mohair boucle. Both yarns are dyed with the same variegations of purples. Maybe I will take a progress picture so you can see how it is coming and cheer me on!

I bought a new vacuum tonight. Corey took my old canister vacuum from the basement so I replaced it with another low end Sears canister. The old vacuum was indeed old, I got it when we first got married. We've duct taped the hose in a couple of places and one of the wheels cracked and fell off, but it still worked. Since I had such good luck with one low end Sears vacuum, I decided to go with another one. This new one is not fancy, it just sucks (in a good way, for a vacuum).

Corey's former track coach, Chad, called us tonight to say, "Thanks" for the baby gifts. He and his wife Jamie, just had a beautiful little girl, named Olivia, who was the recipient of the baby sweater and blanket I just finished knitting. It was good to talk to him and hear all about his little girl!

I made an apple crisp tonight, using the apples that I picked after school last Monday. We haven't eaten it yet, I hope it tastes as good as it smells!

Time to knit.

Hope all is well.

Utah Update

Tucker and Jim called me on Sunday to say that they had a successful hike in Paria Canyon and were on their way back to Bluff. Apparently the weather was great for them, the people were few and the scenery was spectacular-all the ingredients to make a great backpacking trip! Tucker sent me 2 "teaser" photos from their trip and I am including one here for your enjoyment.
I will give you more details and photos from their grand adventure when Jim gets home. He is scheduled to fly in tomorrow night. Keep your fingers crossed!

I finished knitting the baby blanket and got it in the mail today. Here is a photo of the finished product. It is folded so you are only seeing one corner of the blanket, the solid orange border goes around the whole blanket.
I am quite pleased with the blanket and already have an idea for a color combination when I want to make another one. 

I just went into the kitchen to get a glass of water and I looked out the window over my sink and there was the big old moon rising! Hopefully you have had a chance to catch a glimpse of that September moon. Is that a "harvest" moon? What exactly is a "harvest" moon? Whatever, it sure is purty!!

I had a nice conversation with Terry tonight. She called because she may be in the market for a new car and wanted to know about our experience with buying our new car. We talked cars for awhile and then got caught up on the comings and goings of our family. We are all looking forward to being together for the celebration of Michal's and Elizabeth's wedding next month. 

I made grape pies with Grandma yesterday and since Corey is not living at home most of the year, I bought fewer grapes this year so our grape squeezing time was reduced!

Gram and GrandDad returned home today from their trip to Michigan to see Bob and Joanie. It was fun to hear about all the good times they had in Hastings. They go back to camp on Wednesday.

Time to knit. I have started a sweater that I hope to have done to wear to the New York Sheep and Wool Festival on October 18th. I will have to keep my nose to the grindstone to meet that deadline and then hope that the weather cooperates so the wearing of that sweater is appropriate!

Hope all is well.

To Penn State and Back

Lots of driving in the last 26 hours, but I had a good trip to Penn State.

Corey was disappointed with his race, but I was not disappointed that I had made the trip to see him run. It makes me very proud of him to see him running in his Syracuse uniform and to be part of such a nice group of young men. This photo was taken near the finish line and Corey ended up passing the guy in the blue uniform at the edge of the photo, just before they crossed the line.

I left Williamsport in the fog at 7 AM and arrived at the course around 8:20. I must have a really old Pennsylvania map because some of the roads I planned to take had different route numbers and other roads were improved to expressways since my map was published , but I followed my nose and got to the Penn State golf course where the meet was held with time to spare and to get a hug from Corey before he went to the starting line.

I got to meet several parents of other Syracuse XC runners, which added to my enjoyment of the day. Some folks came from as far away as the southwest corner of Virginia. One of Corey's apartment-mates is from Hyde Park, NY, so I had something to talk to his parents about since I spent a couple of days there during my Albany to NYC bike ride in August. 

One of my colleagues is a Penn State alumni and she recommended a restaurant in State College so I went there for lunch before heading home. I got off of I-390 at the Naples exit and went through that town where I was able to buy some freshly picked grapes. I saw a sign advertising "Pick Your Own Grapes" about a mile and a half off my route, and I would have gone and done that except that it was raining pretty good at that point.  So I have a peck and a quart of beautiful Concord grapes in the basement waiting for Grandma and me to squeeze each and every one tomorrow. I took a grape pie to Corey and he seemed happy to have that!

Last night I finished the knitting part of the baby blanket. Tonight I hope to sew up the mitre corners of the border and weave in all the ends. Then I will take a photo and get it ready to mail off to the baby.

I paid $3.59/gallon for gas at 2 different stations in PA, that is about 20 cents cheaper than around here.

If you e-mail us and it gets returned to you, it may be because our mailbox is getting full and I don't know how to clean it out. The one thing I tried obviously didn't do the job because I got my Full Mailbox message from Frontier again this morning. Jim will have to fix it when he gets home, or calls me and tells me how to do it.

Hope all is well.

On the Road Again

Report from Williamsport, PA.

I left school right after my last class, leaving my student teacher to put away all the equipment and do our hall duty. After a quick stop at home to fill the Bubba Sport with iced tea and turn off the water into the house, I was on the road by 3:45 PM. 

The 3 hour drive to Williamsport was pretty easy-not too much traffic or delays from constuction delays and rain did not start until I crossed into Pennsylvania. 

My hotel room is free because I used my Marriott points and it is too bad I am only here for one night! I have a large studio room with a comfortable living area (couch, desk, tv,) a separate area with a small refrigerator and microwave, a large bathroom and a bedroom area with another tv and a king-sized bed. Upon my arrival here I was glad I didn't try to drive another hour and a half to State College. I was tired and it was raining and dark-not the best conditions for driving in unfamiliar territory. So I will get up early tomorrow morning so I can get to Penn State around 8 AM. Corey runs at 9. 

The latest stretch of Rt. 15 that is under construction is the part by the Turkey Restaurant. It won't be long until Rt. 15 will all be an expressway with a speed limit of 65 mph. Rt. 15 is one of my favorite roads because it goes through some beautiful scenery, but there always seems to be something to look at. I suppose it will get more generic as it becomes more and more expressway, but right now I still enjoy the drive. 

The latest forecast I looked at has the rain holding off until the afternoon tomorrow in Penn State so maybe the XC meet will be rain-free. That would be nice because I hope to take some photos and that gets trickier when I have to hold an umbrella over my head and the camera.

I may try to find some grape pie grapes on my way home tomorrow so Grandma and I can make grape pie fillings on Sunday. I will have to look at a NYS map and find a route to take that will take me home through grape country.

Time to knit. I am really close to finishing my baby blanket.

Hope all is well. 

Parent's Weekend

This is a different sort of Parent's Weekend for the Robinson family. Jim is currently out in Utah with Tucker for a week and tomorrow, after school, I will head towards Penn State to see Corey run in a XC meet there!

Jim has had his trip planned for a couple of months. He flew from here to Albuquerque and then rented a car to drive to Bluff. He and Tucker will spend 4-5 days hiking in Paria Canyon, a beautiful slot canyon that runs into Grand Canyon. Here is a photo that I downloaded from the internet. You may be able to click on the photo to enlarge it.

When Jim gets home, he should have his own collection of photos to share and I will pass them along to you in this blog.

I just decided to make the trip to Penn State late last night. I will drive to Williamsport, PA tomorrow after school and will stay in a hotel that is free with my Marriot rewards points! I will get up early on Saturday morning, to drive the last hour to State College, in time to see Corey race at 9:00 AM. I'll share photos from that too. The weather is not supposed to be great this weekend in PA or NY, rain and thunderstorms on Friday night and Saturday, but we'll make the best of it.

Tonight, after shopping at Eastview Mall, I went to  Knit Night at the East Rochester yarn store. I spent a very pleasant hour sitting and knitting with other knitters. 

I guess I had better go pack up a few things. I don't need much because I will only be gone for 24 hours or so.

Hope all is well.

Two Car Garage

Now, before you think we are losing it here, this was an experiment done out of curiosity, not eccentricity or boredom! 

I wondered, now that we have 2 smaller cars, if we could fit them both into the garage at the same time. So I backed into the garage, like I was parallel parking it under the canoes. Jim was my coach, calling out how close I was coming to hitting something. Once the Beetle was in, Jim easily pulled the Vibe into the remaining space, with room to spare! 

I don't know when we would want to have both cars in the garage, but maybe if a big ice storm or snow storm was in the forecast, it might be nice to have both cars under cover. So that was our after-dinner entertainment!

The Bills won today and they actually looked good. Maybe it will be easier to be a Bills fan this season, than it has been in the past few years.

We've also been watching a fair amount of tennis-the US Open. There have been some great matches with some upsets. We'll watch the Women's Final tonight and then the Men's Final tomorrow night.

Jim ran in a small 5K cross-country race yesterday and finished 2nd. He was pleased with his time, especially since he hasn't raced in awhile. 

I have been knitting a lot this weekend and am almost finished with this blanket. It sure looks nice-I will post photos when it is completed.

Gram and GrandDad come back into town tomorrow for a couple of days as they head for Bob and Joanie's. They will come here for a Ponty's supper tomorrow and it will be good to see them.

We've talked to both Tucker and Corey this weekend and things are well with both of them. Corey went kayaking yesterday and had a fun time. I'm glad his schedule allows him to do some paddling once in awhile, because it brings him joy. Tucker is working hard so he can be ready to take some time off when Jim gets out there on Tuesday.

I guess that is all for now. It has been a quiet weekend, just what I wanted and needed.

Hope all is well. 

2 Down, 178 More to Go!

The first 2 days of the 08-09 school year are in the books and we've had a good start to the year. The good news is that after 10 classes on the first day, my student teacher came back for more today! We have some added challenges at our school this year, mostly due to the fact that our large gym had been condemned by the State Ed department last June and work is still going on to re-build the walls that were allegedly poorly constructed 5 years ago when the new gym was built. Because of this current construction, my 2 PE colleagues have to teach outside or in the hall or classrooms and the number of buses that can load and unload students at one time has been reduced by 10. In addition, one of the main entrances for students getting off the buses is closed so all 800 of our younguns go in and out 2 smaller doors. The construction project is supposed to be completed by the end of September. 

The weather guys say that today was the last 90 degree day for the year. It has been glorious weather all week, but now we expect some rain from one of the tropical storms coming up the coast. The temps are supposed to moderate to the 70's too.

I'm hoping to get a good night's sleep tonight. The section of Ridge Road near our house is getting a complete makeover and much of the paving work is being done at night. Well, 2 nights ago I think all the paving trucks were driving in reverse because the freakin' beepin' nearly drove us mad! Of course, the weather was such that we wanted the windows opened but even with them closed, the beepin' infiltrated our dreams. And then last night, the pavers took the night off so it was quiet, but at 3 AM I awoke with a cramp in my calf that brought tears to my eyes. I had to wake up Jim to help me flex my foot so I could get rid of it! I think the cramp hurt my calf muscle because today it is sore to the touch and very tight if I try to stretch it. So, I am hoping for a better nights' sleep tonight. Plus, I don't have to set an alarm for the morning-all of which means, I'll be up at 5 AM!!!

Jim will spend this weekend getting ready for his trip to see Tucker on Tuesday. He has a new backpack and new laces in his hiking boots so I guess he is almost ready to go. I think he is going to do some meal planning and make a trip to Wegmans to get some provisions. I will try to make some camping cookies for them to enjoy on their backpacking days. 

I had signed up for a dying workshop (wool dying, not the other kind!), but it got cancelled for lack of enrollment. The same workshop is being offered on October 5th, but we will be in Tennessee that weekend for Michal's wedding. Speaking of Michal's wedding, Corey found out that he won't be able to go because he has a SU cross-country commitment that weekend. He is pretty sad that he will miss the celebration and the chance to be with the extended family, but we will take our laptop along with us and hopefully be able to set up some video chats between him and his cousins. 

So I will leave you with a photo of one of my lovely first grade classes. I have taken photos of each of my classes so that I can have the classroom teacher write the kids' names next to their faces on the print. This helps me to learn all 400 of my students' names. I usually take 2 photos, one of the kids smiling nicely and the second with them making funny faces. Guess which photo this is!!

Hope all is well. 

Let the Games Begin

The gym is all set,

the bulletin board's all made.

The class lists are typed, 

the new equipment is put away.

The lesson plans are in place, 

the gym floor is all shiny.

My sneakers are new, 

my lunch is made. 

It's early September and 

we're ready to go.

Let the games begin!

Jim picked up his new car last night and he is quite pleased with it. I had my chance to drive it tonight and it was very comfortable and easy to drive. Here is a photo of Jim and his new set of wheels! 

We went out to dinner at Mr. Dominic's, down by the beach, using a gift certificate that one of my students gave me at the end of June. We had a nice meal.

Rochester has been have a great stretch of weather, beautiful blue skies and temps in the low 80's! How much longer it will continue is anybody's guess.

Last week I read in the Obituaries that my 6th grade teacher, Mr. Ed Kolb died. I have him to thank for being pretty good at my multiplication tables. He used to call each of his students into the hall, open up a math book to a page of multiplication problems, and say, "Go!" We had one minute to get through the page. If we made it, we didn't have to do it again, if we got an answer wrong, or went over the time limit, our name would be called again in the future for another chance! 

Time to get some rest before Opening Day! 

Hope all is well.

Sunday Fun

As the Gulf Coast awaits another terrible hit from a hurricane, we are fortunate enough to have enjoyed a beautiful, late summer day. It looks and sounds like people in the potential path of Gustav are getting out and relief efforts are ready and waiting as opposed to being reactionary this time around. We'll be watching the news closely in the next couple of days to see the developments with Gustav.

Our big activity today was canoeing with Bob and Sally. We put the canoe on the van, for the last time (!) and drove to their house. Bob and Jim carried the canoes to Cranberry Pond, while Sally and I followed along with the paddles and life jackets. We spent the next 2.5 hours canoeing around Cranberry Pond, into Long Pond (under a really low bridge), up the inlet of Long Pond and then back to our starting point. It was a lovely day to be on the water. We saw lots of great blue herons, some ducks, turtles, little green herons, minnows, gulls and swans, There were some pretty flowers along the narrow water trail up the inlet and our solitude was only minimally interrupted by a few motor boats on Long Pond. 

After our portage back to B & S's house we all piled in the van for a lunch trip to Schallers. As usual, we had a nice lunch. After lunch, we returned to B & S's so Sally could use my swift and ball winder to wind a bunch of her yarn from skeins into balls. Jim and Bob sat out by the lake solving the world's problems. It was a fun time all around.

For dinner, Jim grilled salmon and we ate on the patio. We hope to eat outside again tomorrow.

I finished a baby sweater I was knitting for a couple of family friends who are having a baby girl in October. I am quite please with how this sweater turned out and would use the pattern again if I wanted to knit for a baby girl. I think the lacy look is better suited for a girl. See the photo below. 

Corey sent us this photo of his new tent, set up in the living room of his apartment. He called us to tell us all about it and it seems like a great tent at a great price. We wish him many happy years of camping in it.

Hope all is well.

New Car!

After Jim did lots of research, we went car shopping today and bought a 2009 Pontiac Vibe. It has a 2.4 liter engine with 5-speed manual transmission and is silver in color. The sale is contingent on the dealership being able to install cruise control. No cruise control, no sale. If all goes as planned, we will pick up the new car on Tuesday evening. 

Jim liked the Vibe because of the amount of cargo area behind the front seats and the gas mileage. We took test drives in both the 2.4 liter engine car and the 1.8 liter engine car, but wanted/needed some of the features that came on the 2.4 car. So we sacrificed some mpg's for a bit more power and options. The Vibe is the same as a Toyota Matrix (they are both made at the same factory in California), but the Vibe has a better warranty, is a bit cheaper and comes with 3 months of XM Radio and a one-year subscription to OnStar. So we went with the Vibe. 

The weather has been perfect today and this weather pattern is supposed to continue through the long weekend and into the start of school. I was at school yesterday for a few hours trying to get some planning done so I was ready for my student teacher. All staff will report to school on Tuesday with the kiddies arriving on Thursday. 

This morning we walked over to the Farmer's market at the Mall. As I said, it was a beautiful morning and the selections at the market were hard to resist! Here is a photo of all the good stuff we brought home. You may notice that there are no tomatoes in the photo and that is because Grandma and Grandpa are supplying us with as many fresh- picked ones whenever I want them! They are delicious! In the photo, there is a bag of yellow waxed beans behind the radishes.

I've spent a lot of time today typing up my class lists on a nice grid sheet and in a large font so I can see the names without my reading glasses. 

Speaking of reading glasses, I went to a new eye doctor yesterday and he said I just needed stronger reading glasses and that my eyes were in good shape for a person of my age! 

Tomorrow we are going canoeing with Bob and Sally. We will probably paddle in one of the ponds near their house unless they come up with a better idea. 

I talked to both Tucker and Corey today. Corey was watching Syracuse lose their opening football game, which may mean another long football season for the Orange. Tucker was at the Pagosa Springs Music Festival and having a good time with some of his college friends. 

Hope all is well.

Cruise Photos

As promised, here is a photo journal of our Canadian Cruise. Questions? Leave me a comment. 

Taking the train to New York City-a great way to travel!

Our self-guided tour of NYC included a stop at the Apple Store on 5th Ave.

Our cruise ship-Carnival's Victory.

Pool area, before most guests arrived.

Route map-Red LED lights changed to green to note our progress.

Our first port of call-Saint John, NB. Impressive flowers!

Reversing Falls, Saint John. The falls were not reversing while we were there because the tide was out, but it still was a beautiful river scene.

Jim and I on the balcony of our stateroom, along the back (aft) of the ship. 

Loved the balcony!

Our rented bikes in Halifax, NS, at the Prince of Wales Tower. We biked over 20 miles in Halifax, seeing the sites and shopping.

York Redoubt, Halifax, NS. Great views!

Weapons demonstration at the Citadel, Halifax. Next time you see us, ask us to do a demonstration on how these guys marched!

This mama seal with her baby seal were just two of the towel animals that our cabin steward made on our bed each evening. If you want to know how to make such critters, ask to borrow the book I bought on that subject.

Our seal friends with my yarn souvenirs from Halifax!

Jim getting his run in on the ship's track. 10-plus laps to the mile!

Entering the NYC harbor at sunrise.

The sunrise reflected in some of the buildings on the New Jersey side of the Hudson River.

A great way to end a great summer! 

Did I mention that school starts on September 2nd?!

Hope all is well.

Bicycles, Whiskey and Yarn

Bicycles, whiskey and yarn in beautiful Halifax, Nova Scotia-what a great day!

Early this morning we emerged from the ocean fog as we approached the Halifax harbour (Canadian spelling!). Jim had arranged with an outfitter that rents bikes to meet us in front of the Halifax Westin with 2 bikes shortly after 9 AM. And just as planned he (Dana) was waiting for us with 2 hybrid bikes and 2 helmets. We set off to explore some of Halifax and the surrounding area. Our first destination was Point Pleasant Park where we biked on lots of gravel trails. We visited some old arsenals that were part of the Halifax Defense Plan and we enjoyed the various views of the harbour area. From there we went up and around one of the little cove areas and continued riding down the arm of the cove past Purcell's Cove. We stopped to tour the York Redoubt, another feature of the Halifax Defense Plan. Again, we had some beautiful views of the area. We returned on the same roads we went out on with lots of ups and downs on the road. We returned to the city area in search of a couple of yarn stores that had been recommended to me on Ravelry. The first one was called LK Yarns and I had a wonderful woman help me find some local yarn (FiberArtist) that came as a kit for sweater. This yarn store was on a side street with several other shops and restaurants so we had lunch at the little Italian place next to the yarn store. The guy in the restaurant gave us directions to a liquor store where I could begin my search for brother Bob's 18 year old canadian-made whiskey. Once again, there was a very helpful man in this store, who was able to locate us a bottle of what we wanted at another store, when he only had the 12 year old stuff! So off we went to liquor store #2 and sure enough we got what we came for. So Bob, we need to talk about a "Sauce for Sauce" trade! Maybe I really need to talk to Joanie about that!

With the whiskey securely wrapped up in Jim's raincoat inside his daypack, we rode on the The Citidel, another military landmark in Halifax. From reading this blog, you might think I was some kind of military history nut! We arrived at the Citidel in time to see the changing of the guard and a demonstration of bayonettes and rifles. And, of course, there were wonderful views of the city and harbour.

With the bikes due back in a half an hour, we made one last stop at another yarn store, where I found a couple of things that will remind me of our wonderful time in Halifax. We returned the bikes right at 3 PM and Jim decided to go for a quick run while I searched out this library where I could have free internet access.

We were once again very lucky with the weather. Yesterday, after a mostly sunny and completely rain-free day, as soon as the ship left the Saint John Harbour, we were in the fog again. As we look out to the ocean, we see an impressive bank of clouds awaiting us when the ship departs.

Tomorrow is another day at sea as we head back to NYC.

So I will do a wrap-up with photos when I get home.

Hope all is well.

Saint John, New Brunswick

Hello from Saint John, New Brunswick! We docked about 8:00 AM today and the clouds and mist from yesterday have moved on for the time being.

My last post was from the Apple Store so I can do a quick update of our last couple of days. We had another exciting taxi ride from our NYC hotel to the pier where our Carnival ship (Victory) was waiting. The embarkation process was fairly easy and straight forward and we found our way to our cabin (7431) by 1:40 PM. When I booked this cruise, I didn't book a specific cabin, but rather a grade of a cabin, a stateroom with a balcony. Our cabin is along the very back of the ship and is very comfortable for the 2 of us. Our balcony is delightful and much larger than I expected. We have sat out there several times and have enjoyed the quiet of that space. The first night we were out there we saw a fireworks show from the distant Long Island! We couldn't hear the fireworks but the visual show was a treat.

Yesterday was a day at sea and we just relaxed. We walked around the ship a lot and did some reading (Jim) and knitting (me). The day was cloudy with some light rain or mist all day, so it was not a "sit by the pool" day. The afternoon included a workout in the fitness center (me) and a run on the track (Jim), followed by naps! It was the first of 2 formal nights in the dining room so we got dressed up and had some photos taken before going to dinner. Our table companions are a couple from Bucks County, PA, very pleasant people. We went to the singing and dancing show last night and were thoroughly entertained for an hour. I haven't had any luck in the casino yet, but may try again.

Today we are doing our own walking tour of the town of Saint John. Shortly after we got off the ship, a taxi driver, who was waiting for a paying customer, asked if we were walking on our own and then gave us a great map with 3 different walking tours laid out. We've already completed the Loyalist Historical Walk and have now stopped in the public library for free Internet access.

We have seen peeks of the sun so far this morning and will do some more walking when I am finished here at the library. Jim hopes to get a run in on land this afternoon, as the track on the ship is OK, but at 10 laps to the mile, it gets pretty boring since he never runs less than 5 miles!

This computer has a keyboard that is designed for users who communicate in other languages. Here are some of the keys I have hit because they are located on keys I use on my English only keyboard: è, à,ù,é ç

Tomorrow we are in the port of Halifax, Nova Scotia. I have a couple of yarns stores that I would like to check out and we are on a mission to find a bottle of 18 year old Canadian whiskey for my brother! We have a couple of bikes rented for tomorrow and will do our touring on 2 wheels.

The Olympics are over-what will we do with our time now! I didn' t get to see as much of the Olympics as I would have liked, but that is because I was doing other fun things. Leave me a comment about what you liked best during the Olympics.

Time to walk some more! Eh?

Hope all is well.

NYC

Hello from New York City! I am doing this entry from one of the hundreds of computers at the Apple store at the corner of Central Park.

Yesterday we had a delightful train ride to the Big Apple, with the train running right on time. It was fun for me to see some of the landmarks and sites that I just rode my bike by last week. I was able to give Jim the tour as we travelled along the Hudson River. It was a beautiful day and after an exciting taxi ride to our hotel we went walking around the city. 

We came to the Apple store last night but it was beyond crowded! As we were walking we were keeping our eyes opened for a possible restaurant choice for dinner. Even though it was early (6:00 PM) we were starving-I had misjudged the amount of food I brought on the train, so lunch was kind of thin! Poor Jim! So we found what ended up being a great little Italian restaurant called Fagiolina's. They had a pre-theater dinner plan which ended up being reasonable and delicious. We had a choice of appetizer, soup or salad, 4 or 5 entree choices, and a dessert choice. After our tasty meal we walked around a bit and then headed back to our hotel, The Roosevelt Hotel (a Priceline deal), where we watched some Olympics.

This morning Jim went for a run and I went for a walk before breakfast. We will do some more walking around before heading to the Cruise Ship pier around 1 PM. We are both looking forward to this cruise. The ship leaves at 5 PM and tomorrow is a day at sea. On Monday we will tour Saint John, New Bruswick and Tuesday we will visit Halifax, Nova Scotia. Wednesday is a day at sea and Thursday we are back in NYC, catching the afternoon train back to Rochester.

I don't know if I will write any entries while we're on the cruise. I'll see if I can drag myself out of the casino!!!

Hope all is well.

Back to SU

I made a quick trip back to SU today to deliver a couch to Corey, along with the garage sale purchases that Jim made for Corey. Because Corey has the biggest bedroom in the apartment (apparently he was assigned this room because he was the one who booked the apartment on-line, his 2 buddies have smaller rooms), he had a long empty wall in his room and wanted the love seat from our living room. We have been talking about getting new furniture for the living room so I was OK with that plan. Then last night Jim was with me in basement while I caught up on the ironing and wondered why we didn't give Corey the couch that was in the basement. There seemed to be several good reasons to do that, one of which is that the basement couch is dark green and the love seat is a lovely floral print. From a manly standpoint, the dark green wins! Corey liked this idea so Jim and I took the  seats out of the van and loaded in the basement couch. A week ago Jim went by a garage sale and saw some kitchen appliances that he thought Corey could use. He bought a microwave oven, a George Foreman grill and a toaster oven, all for $8! So I delivered those too!I chose to go today because I was going to East Rochester for a morning of spinning at the yarn store there, and I could just continue on to the Thurway from there. It was a good plan and worked just as planned. I was back in the area by 3 PM, and continued doing errands. 

Tomorrow I am going to school in the AM and try to get some things ready for the start of the school year. I will spend the rest of the day packing things up for our train trip and cruise.

I will leave you with a couple of photos from the boys. The first one shows all the food that Jim and Corey bought to stock Corey's kitchen at SU. If you click on the photo to enlarge it, you will notice several boxes of Wegman's brand of Honey and Oats cereal. There are actually 20 boxes of that cereal and they now occupy the top shelf in Corey's clothes closet!

This photo is one that Tucker sent us from a recent backpacking trip. It could be used for an ad for flyfishing! 

Hope all is well.

Home, For a Few Days

Catch-up time! I have not had access to a computer until I got home today, so here is a review of the last 3 day of the Hudson River Ride.

Friday's ride took us from Hyde Park to Garrison, NY, a distance of about 42 miles. The ride included 2 bridge crossings, the Mid-Hudson Bridge and the Newberg-Beacon Bridge, a couple of historic homes, a rugged climb up a mountain side for river views, and an off-route search for a waterfall we saw depicted in a painting in an art show. It was all good stuff and the day ended with a wonderful downhill run on a smooth, curvy road ending at the Garrison Market which was the ice cream stop for the day! I got to camp just as the dark clouds rolled in and I set up my tent as the thunder rumbled overhead. The heaven's opened up while I was in the showers, so instead of leaving the building where I showered, I sat in the reception area on a comfortable chair and talked with other riders. Dinner was served in the same building, so we left our "living room" chairs and headed to the cafeteria. By the time we finished our dinner the rain had stopped. I returned to my tent to discover everything inside the tent nice and dry-I love my tent! Another singer was booked to perform that evening, and because of the weather, she played in another building where there was a small gym. When I went in that building, I found an area outside of the gym where there were a bunch of comfy chairs and overhead lights. So I sat there and knit for an hour and a half and listened to the concert!

Saturday dawned with the skies starting to clear. Because we were headed to West Point for breakfast and a tour, a Revolutionary War re-enactor walked through our campsite playing his fife as we woke up and packed up. It was a nice way to start the day. Our 8 mile ride to West Point included crossing the Bear Mountain Bridge ( if you are keeping count, that is our 4th bridge). Our breakfast was served in the Thayer Hotel on the West Point campus and included white, linen table clothes, crystal and china! After breakfast we boarded 4 school buses and took a guided tour of that beautiful site. Our tour included the Revolutionary War site of Fort Putnam. 

Upon our return to the Thayer Hotel, I had to make a choice. There was a 26 mile route to our camp in Nyack State Park or a 40 mile route, which included the road up Bear Mountain. I came to ride my bike so I choose the 40 mile route and worked really hard, but was rewarded with some beautiful scenery. The only disappointment with this route was when I started down one of the decents late in the route and the route made a turn onto a road that had been recently oiled and gravelled! Instead of enjoying a fast downhill ride, I feared for my life as I braked the whole way down around curve after curve. By the time I reached the bottom of the hill, I met up with another tour rider and we stood there trying to get some feeling back into our hands and laughed about our bad luck with those road conditions. Oh well, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger! We encountered one more oil/graveled road, this time for a shorter stretch but on an uphill climb! 

Our ride into NYC was awesome! The skies were clear and I was done riding before the temps really heated up. Our route went through some park high above the river and then dropped down so we could ride across the George Washington Bridge (number 5) and then along a bike path right next to the Hudson River, the longest stretch of flat riding for the whole trip (14 miles). The ride concluded at the South Street Seaport! I rode about 250 miles in the 6 days of the ride, met some wonderful people and saw many beautiful parts of New York State. It was a tour that I would recommend to other bikers.

After a bus ride back to sage College in Albany, I was reunited with my Beetle and I drove to Jenny Lake, arriving by 10 PM on Sunday and then drove home today. I stopped in Syracuse to see Corey in his apartment for this year and took him to lunch. It is good to be home and now I can start to think about our cruise. We leave on Friday!

So here are some photos from the bike ride. Enjoy! The photos are in a random order and I am too tired to rearrange them.

View on sunset boat tour, Rip Van Winkle Bridge

On the grounds of the Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park.

At the FDR Home, Museum and Presidential Library.

Pretty flowers at one of the many gardens.

Inside the chapel at West Point.

View from Fort Putnam, West Point.

One lake on the Seven Lakes Drive.

Olana, home of artist Frederick Church.

Crossing the George Washington Bridge to NYC.

One of the new "waterfalls" in NYC.

Salmon Salad

Dinner with biking friends.

Hope all is well.