Friday, October 30, 2015

Boo !

Since we arrived home long before Halloween this year, I attempted a little decorating.  How do you like my bat?


Happy Halloween !



Thursday, October 22, 2015

Back at Dad's

Ron and I made it back to my father's house in PA just in time to pick up my daughters who flew in from Florida for the weekend.  We all had a great time catching up.  On Saturday, the girls and I took a hike on the famous Appalachian Trail.

We began our trek in the unbelievably adorable town of Boiling Springs where we found some nice fall color.

Unfortunately, we hiked for 1 1/2 miles before we made it to the woods.  Here are my 'Children of the Corn.'

The trail was certainly well marked around the pretty farms.

We even saw some Pennsylvania Longhorns.

(Don't worry, he was a really long way away.)

Finally we entered the woods and felt we were really hiking the Appalachian Trail!

(This is daughter Christy's picture, taken with her iphone.)

We came across a lot of these giant indentations in the ground.  Big gophers?

Of course we had already gone so far, we turned around in another half mile.  Next time we'll start somewhere closer to the woods.

Meanwhile, where was Ron, you ask?  Well, he stayed at my father's house and worked.  Let's see.  He caulked around the chimney, blew the leaves out of the gutters, replaced a missing shingle, and cut back some of the woods that was encroaching on the house.  What a guy.  And, no, he is not available for hire.  Earlier in the week, he, I, and my father cut back three feet on each side of the driveway so it no longer resembled a tunnel.  My father always complains how he can't do anything anymore.  Understandable that he would slow down at 94, but you should have seen him with a chainsaw!


Sunday, October 18, 2015

Quest

Since we were in the Catskill Mountains of New York in October, we took a drive further into the mountains in search of that elusive fall color.  Although our findings were not as dramatic as some gorgeous foliage pictures I've seen on other blogs, we tried our best.

Our drive mostly consisted of me screeching to a stop anytime we saw some pretty trees.
 
Phil spotted this covered bridge as we were driving by.  The bridge was actually on private property, so I just took a distance shot.

Water is always good for additional interest.

It was a lovely drive through these hills they call mountains.


We turned around at this lake which was part of some kind of camp.  Maybe this is where they filmed Dirty Dancing.

One last shot along our drive.

After a fun four days with Diana and Phil, Ron and I headed back to my father's in Pennsylvania.  On our way, we stopped at a very interesting bridge.  It was part of the Delaware & Hudson Canal and Gravity Railroad.  It was utilized from 1828 to 1898 to transport anthracite coal from northeastern Pennsylvania to markets on the Hudson River.

They did a fantastic restoration of the canal bridge in 1986.  We drove across it on our way out of New York.

And we found this working waterwheel in rural PA.  I wonder if the owners are actually generating electricity with it.

Although the leaves could have been better, I'm glad we're not there now.  We might have had snow!


Friday, October 16, 2015

Off Again

We were only back home in Mesa for a few days before winging our way to the Northeast.  We spent a few days visiting my father in PA, then took a road trip to the Catskills in NY.  We met up with sister Diana and Phil for some fall foliage viewing.

At first, it seemed we were early for the best color, but we did find this cute gazebo near the hotel.

We researched attractions in the area and went to see them all.  First up was the 1860 Livingston Manor Covered Bridge which was since lovingly restored.

Look at the interesting construction.

With wooden nuts.

Then we paid a visit to the museum and site of the epic Woodstock, which was not in Woodstock, NY, but 50 miles away in Bethel Woods.

Ironically, it's a really elaborate museum to commemorate an outdoor event which was plagued by rain and mud.

Cool bus.


Although we were the right age for Woodstock in 1969, neither of us heard about it until it was over.  Not that we would have gone, but it just seems funny.  Diana and Phil make a good rocker duo.

And here's the actual site where 400,000 people gathered in August, 1969, to listen to music and whatnot.

Our last stop was the beautiful Stone Arch Bridge, built in 1880 by Swiss German immigrants Henry and Philip Hembdt.  I couldn't decide which picture to choose, so I'm posting two.  What the heck, they're cheap.


Yes, I know, some colored leaves would have been perfect.

Next post, our quest to find those autumn leaves.