Here at Hangman Hill

In late July Jerry, Sheri’d dad,  moved to Fort Collins, Colorado to live close to her sister Kerry and her husband Brandon. . Sheri went to visit them in late September.

Jerry now lives in senior community on the outskirts of Fort Collins.  He has a view of Long’s Peak in the distance and is 15 minutes from Kerry and Brandon.  He is settling in and is realizing this will be the first winter in 20 years he won’t have to plow his driveway!  Kerry and Brandon have worked hard to help Jerry settle into a new place and he seems to be enjoying life in the wild west in a slightly more “urban” environment (after living in Tidioute, PA for 20 years, most anywhere is more urban).

In  late  mid-late September the aspens turn a lovely yellow.  Kerry took Sheri and Jerry to Estes Park to take in the fall colors.  It was a beuatifully clear day and the blue skies off-set the bright gold colors of the aspens beautifully.   Along “trail” there were big horn sheep in Pouter Canyon, Elk and other leaf peeping wildlife.  A picnic in the park with summer like temperatures even at high elevation was a treat!

The weekend began on Friday evening with a quick dinner at The Washington Street Cafe in New London.  After a nice dinner outside in the late afternoon sun we traveled to UCONN to Jorgenson Theater to see Pink Martini and The von Trapp Family Singers.   The show was excellent and we were pleased that Pink Martini and The von Trapps played together off and on throughout the show.  Pink Martini performed some old favorites, and many from their new album.   The highlight was the finale which included The Lonely Goatherd (from The Sound of Music) followed by the entire audience participating in a congo line around the theater! 

A recent trip to New Hampshire included a short hike (5.2 miles round trip) to the Zealand hut.  This cabin is mantained by the Appalachian Mountain Club and is accessed in the summer by a fairly level hike around beaver ponds and waterfalls.  Kokee enjoyed the mud and the swimming, and the cookies and coffee at the hut also added to the enjoyment.  It is quite clear that fall/autumn is in the air and the leaves are starting to change color.

We have been having so much fun at the Chalet in New Hampshire there has been little time for blog postings. We spent Labor Day Weekend doing  a little winter preparation work including securing the wood stove and chimney for winter. This involved a series of ladders and ropes, much like the Hillary Step, and of course trips to Lucy Hardware for supplies.  The spare bedroom is officially complete and ready for guests so let us know when you would like to book a reservation.

On Monday, Labor Day, we took a long hike on the Glen Ellis trail which started as an out and back but ended with an extension to the Davis Trail just below the summit of Mt. Washington and on to the Boott Spur Path which took us to Pinkham Notch (a little further north from where we started).   The extra mileage afforded a clear view to the summit, the home of our  friend Marty the Cat who lives at the Observatory on Mt. Washington.  Sheri convinced a nice couple from Massachusetts to give her a lift back to the car making the loop complete.  We all slept well that night, with big smiles our our faces.

Sheri

A few years ago we planted three damson trees so we would be able to enjoy damson preserves and desserts. Yesterday we picked about a third of the fruit on one tree, and we ended up with fifty-pounds of fruit. This will probably make enough jam for the next ten years! If you know anyone who would like some damsons please let us know……

We got up early this morning and headed to the beach for a yoga class. It was a beautiful morning and we enjoyed a refreshing swim after our sequence of sun salutations and downward dogs in front of the waves. A great way to enjoy summer in our part of the world!

One of the fun aspects of being neighbors to dairy farmers is being asked to help move cows from one field to the next. Kokee stepped out of her retriever role today and was a herding dog.

Yesterday (Saturday) we attended a beautiful wedding at Whispering Pines Conference Center in Rhode Island.  Adam (the groom) is the son of our good friend and neighbor Mark Panosky, and we have known he and Nicole for quite a few years.

The wedding was a US-German affair and incorporated traditions from both cultures.  We especially enjoyed the open air venue, the lakeside ceremony, and the fun elements injected at regular intervals during the ceremony and the reception.   You can see one of these (the German log sawing tradition) in the picture below.

We wish the bride and groom all the best for the future, and hope that the next wedding we are invited to is just as enjoyable.