Wilder, VT (USA)

I can’t believe I almost didn’t get my first paddle of the year (in "Tequila Sunrise", at least) until July!  When I realized last week that I’d missed a small section of the Connecticut River (in the middle of a longer stretch I’ve already completed), I decided that I should make some time to paddle it.  So, after work (1800), I headed across the Connecticut River and (via US-5) made my way to Kilowatt Park in Wilder.  Starting at 1830, I paddled about half a mile to the south, where the Wilder Dam had some buoys that prevented me from going farther.  The current in the area near the Dam was pretty strong because they’d recently opened it for the overflow.  There was also lots of wood debris from recent storms that my kayak hit along the way.  As I made my way back to the launch area, I passed the remnants of an old bridge that would have made getting to and from Vermont a LOT quicker.  The weather was awesome and I stayed on the water until 1930.  To reach home, I reversed course (via US-5) and arrived at my condo at around 2000.  Great evening to be out in my kayak!

White River Junction, VT (USA)

[teleworking until 0745 - left condo and drove to White River Junction (UVAC) for 45 minutes of swimming, 5 minutes of sauna, 15 minutes of biking (2.9 miles), 10 minutes of rowing and weights - afterwards (1000), did some quick errands in West Lebanon - then returned home (arrived at 1100) to telework for the rest of the day]

Woodstock, VT (USA)

I enjoyed the Billings Farm & Museum Annual Quilt Exhibition so much last year!  The designs of each of the pieces were very interesting but the stories behind the making of each quilt were also quite inspirational. Wanting to experience some of the creative vibe again, I volunteered for three hours as a docent in the exhibition hall today.  My shift started after I'd spent the entire morning teleworking.  I left my condo and drove to Woodstock, arriving 1300, and set up in the main building "Barn".  Since the weather outside was horrible, many more visitors spent time inside and I got a chance to show them around and coordinate a scavenger hunt.  Guests, especially those with quilting experience, shared their own memories of family members and friends who’d lovingly made a pretty blanket for display or gifting.  We all agreed that it took amazing dedication, patience and artistic skill to produce the pieces.  After I got done volunteering (1600), I headed back to Lebanon, where I started a teeth cleaning appointment at my dentist (1700 to 1800).  I got home at about 1830 and spent a little more time teleworking.  It was a long day but I'm very glad to have gotten a chance to be a part of the Exhibition!

Lebanon, NH (USA)

Since I'd already stayed in town for the weekend (to help out at Billings Farm yesterday), I signed up to do another another volunteer shift with the Listen Services organization today.  For the first time, though, I was going to assist in the intake, sorting, labeling/pricing, hanging and stocking process taking place daily at their Thrift Store.  Before starting that project, I went to Mass (0800) at Sacred Heart.  Afterwards (0845), I drove west on US-4 and arrived at the Listen building on the Miracle Mile in time to start my three-hour shift (0900).  The store itself was closed but there was plenty of work for volunteers and permanent staff.  Today, I mainly hung lots of kids clothes on teeny-tiny hangars - it brought back some happy memories of when my own children were small.  Overall, the work wasn't very exciting but it did feel rewarding to see each rack of clothing I'd organized being sent upstairs to the sales area.  Each time I’ve visited a new area of Listen’s amazing infrastructure, I’ve been blown away by the magnitude of effort required to support our local community.  Sadly, there aren't enough volunteers, enough time or funds to support all of the folks who need help.  Still, every little bit makes a difference!  After getting done (1200), I drove across the Connecticut River again so I could go to UVAC in White River Junction for another workout.  Once again, I did 45 minutes of swimming (starting at 1230) and 10 minutes of sauna.  The extra time I've spent at the pool this week should, hopefully, reduce the affects of my heel bursitis.  When I was finished (1330), I returned home via the Cumberland Farms (free candy bar) - I was at my condo by 1400.  Glad I stayed home this weekend because I got to see and do some things I normally miss during my summers of hiking!

Woodstock, VT (USA)

I had a chance to volunteer today at the Billings Farm & Museum Youth Invitational Dairy Show!  I left my condo at 0820 and drove to Woodstock so I could start my four hour shift at 0845.  My job was to give away samples of cheese from our Dairy, including Cabot cheese made from cows at Billings.  Of course, everyone loved me!  (I also sampled some of the cheese.)  It was interesting to watch the young people, along with their baby cows, learning how to show off their animals at a public venue.  All kinds of care and show techniques were demonstrated by local experts so the youngsters could get ready for an upcoming exhibition.  It sprinkled a little bit but I stayed dry under a tent cover.  Before it was over, I got an ice cream reward.  Afterwards (1300), drove to UVAC in White River Junction so I could swim for 45 minutes and take in a 10 minute sauna.  When I was finished (1435), I returned home.  As always, I was glad to have another chance to volunteer at The Farm!

White River Junction, VT (USA)

[teleworking until 0930 - left condo and drove to White River Junction (UVAC) for 45 minutes of swimming and 5 minutes of sauna - afterwards (1100), did some quick errands in West Lebanon - then returned home (arrived at 1200) to telework for the rest of the day]

White River Junction, VT (USA)

[teleworking until 1500 - then left condo and drove to White River Junction so I could visit UVAC for 45 minutes of swimming and 10 minutes of sauna - afterwards (1615), returned home to do some more teleworking]

Maine Hiking Weekend - Day 2

The sun was up by 0430 and so was I!  I was not happy when I discovered that my clothes were not dry - I'd brought limited clothing for the second day of hiking...  I had some fuel concerns (because I only had 100 miles left in the tank) but then decided not to stray far from my overnight parking spot.  At first, I spent a little time resting and reading.  Eventually, got ready and drove a short distance to see if the Gorman Chairback AMC Lodge had Wifi (I didn't find any).  After that (0605), I drove a few miles to the Head the Gulf Trailhead (the western parking area for Gulf Hagas).  Unsurprisingly, I was the first one there (the Hedgehog Checkpoint didn’t open until 0600).  Unlike yesterday, I wasn’t trying to log any AT miles - although I was scouting the trail system to learn if it could be used to access the AT.  The early morning air was brisk (high 40s) but there wasn’t any hint of rain as I began my walk.  One thing that made the day “interesting” was the huge number of voracious mosquitos!  The first 1.8 miles was pretty easy, with just a few stream crossings.  Along the way, I encountered a huge rabbit who paused his run (he was following the trail) just long enough to look me in the eyes and determine I wasn’t a threat - he passed less than two feet from me!  A bit later, I found myself at the junction of the Rim Trail and Pleasant River Tote Trail.  Taking the former, I walked about a half mile until I arrived at the “Head of the Gulf”, where the West Branch of the Pleasant River made its initial plunge.  As I walked along the northern edge of the river, I figured out why the AT crossing (located almost three miles away) was so high and fast.  Each waterfall was more spectacular than the last!  I had to climb and descend multiple times on the Rim Trail, often on treacherous (slippery) rocks, to view when the canyon below but it was well worth the effort.  Passing Stair Falls, Billings Falls and Buttermilk Falls, I came to understand why the locals claim that this place is the “Grand Canyon of the East.”  I left the Rim Trail at the midpoint and backtracked. There were trees down in this area and it was much muddier.  I passed one guy in this area - he had just started his hike and needed ibuprofen… Upon reaching East Side Road again, I followed the gravel back to my car.  Finishing my hike at around 0915, I decided to depart the KI / Jo Mary Multi-Use Forest and head for home.  I drove to the Hedgehog Checkpoint and left my receipt - I also got road access and trail information.  Next, I drove down to Greenville and, when I found cell signal, replied to several texts and emails I'd missed while I'd been without service (0950).  Continued south and stopped for gas at Irving in Greenville (1020).  After that, I proceeded south on ME-6 to Monson.  I noticed that the AMC Visitor Center was open so went inside to get my 2023 AT Tag (the lady also gave me some tags from previous years).  On ME-6 again, I drove to Guilford and turned onto ME-150; I used that road all the way to Skowhegan.  Listened to audiobooks on the way.  The traffic OK, probably because Juneteenth is still a new Federal Holiday.  In Skowhegan, I switched to back streets and US-2 to get to Farmington.  I encountered road construction in several places.  Next, I bypassed Farmington (ME-156) and then got on US-2.  Stopped for lunch at McDonalds in Rumford (1310) and then continued on US-2 all the way to New Hampshire.  Reaching NH-115, I drove to Littleton and then used US-302 to reach Woodsville.  On the way, I talked to Mollie and Brenna but had lots of problems with bad cell signal.  Followed NH-10 to River Road to NH/VT-25 - crossed to Vermont (Bradford) and then used I-91 to get to Norwich.  Arrived home at 1600 after a relatively easy drive.  Feeling good about my truncated hiking weekend in Maine and hope to return soon!

Maine Hiking Weekend - Day 1

I’d wanted to hike the whole weekend but the weather was miserable yesterday.  Since it looked better this morning, I thought I’d try my luck in the Maine Woods!  I left my condo at 0645 and drove north via I-91.  Got off the Interstate at Barnet and used NH-135 to reach I-93.  After driving south for a little bit, I got off the Interstate again at US-302 (east of Littleton) and followed it all the way to Twin Mountain.  I then used US-3 and NH-115 to reach US-2 and then continued east into Maine.  Following US-2 through Farmington, I then switched to ME-234 and followed it to US-201A.  From there, I got on US-201 and drove north to Bingham.  I used ME-16 until I got to Abbot and then ME-6 all the way to Greenville.  Using E Road for the last part of my journey, I arrived at the Hedgehog Checkpoint of the KI / Jo Mary Multi-use Forest at 1300.  I checked in with the nice caretaker couple and then drove to the Gulf Hagas Trailhead.  About 15 minutes after that, I geared up and headed north towards the intersection with the AT (0.2 miles away) - this was also where both trails crossed the West Branch of the Pleasant River.  When I reached the water’s edge, though, I found it to be very un-pleasant - it was as high and swift as any un-bridged river I’ve encountered in all my AT hikes.  There were several people on the other side, contemplating a crossing, but I was already sure I wasn’t going to try it myself.  Instead, I hiked back on the AT to Katahdin Ironworks Road (about 0.3 miles).  I encountered a SOBO Thru hiker there (“Trey”) - he told me he'd barely made it across the river earlier in the day.  We talked about his pace, the inclement weather during the previous week, NOBO encounters and his expected arrival date in Hanover, NH.  I told him about my planned Trail Magic event on July 20 and he promised to share the news with other Thru hikers.  From there, I walked back to my car (0.5 miles), arriving at about 1445.  I met an AT Ridgerunner at the trailhead who described harrowing crossings of the river (people and dogs swept away) that he’d witnessed during the previous 24 hours.  He explained that the recent heavy rains had definitely risen the water levels by two to three feet.  As he was finishing talking with me, he had to rush over to a young mother and her two little kids to dissuade them from trying to hike to Gulf Hagas from the trailhead.  They didn’t listen… I didn’t stay to find out what happened, through.  Instead, since my plans had been stymied, I decided to drive east in an attempt to access another connecting trail (White Brook).  I’d hoped that this action would help me to cut a 15 mile AT section into three parts.  Using several of the logging roads within the KI / Jo Mary area, I drove north.  I managed to get within about a mile of the trailhead but, unfortunately, the road conditions had gotten so bad by then that I had to give up my attempt.  Retracing my steps to KI Road, I realized that I’ll have to come up with another plan to complete the section… Fortunately, I had a backup hike in mind and found the trailhead (Third Mountain) by 1530.  From there, I hiked 1.4 miles (up the north side of the Barren-Chairback ridge) to reach the AT.  At one point in the climb, I was startled by a HUGE tree that fell pretty close to me - the amount of noise that made was sort of scary (glad I wasn’t closer)… The trail was wet and muddy but I made good time.  Heading SOBO (west on the compass) on the AT from the trail junction, I began to tackle the 3.7 mile section.  Temps were in the low 50s and there was intermittent fog, mist and rain.  Trail conditions on the AT were even worse than I’d encountered below and I had to be extremely careful, with every step, not to fall.  The section contained three climbs above 2000 feet: Third Mountain, Fourth Mountain and the eastern peak of Barren Mountain.  Between each peak, I had to descend into steep ravines.  Along the way, I encountered two pairs of guys (all NOBO HMW Section Hikers) who looked like wet animals after being in the Maine Woods for over a week in the rain.  Otherwise, I was completely alone... I trudged, resolutely, across rocks, roots, slabs of granite and rotting “boardwalks”.  I constantly found myself wading in creeks and bogs.  There were lots of mosquitos but no black flies.  I passed a plane crash site on Fourth Mountain and remembered that the AT had recently been rerouted in the area to allow hikers to see the wreckage.  By the time I reached the trail junction for the Cloud Pond Lean-to, I was physically exhausted, wet and mentally drained.  It was only the halfway point, though, and I still had to walk all the way back to the car... Somehow, I managed to do it, with difficulty, but also soon had another challenge: darkness.  Even though I was hiking on one of the longest days of the year, my nearly five hours (at that point) on the ridge had used it all.  I realized I would be in real trouble if I hadn’t brought my headlamp but was relieved I’d packed it (first hike of the year with my day pack).  I spent nearly an hour in total darkness, carefully (but clumsily) descending via the Third Mountain Trail to my car.  I arrived at around 2145 and decided not to proceed to my campsite on Long Pond - instead, I set up my “car camp” (seats down in the back) at the trailhead.  It was cold enough by then (mid 40s) that there weren’t any mosquitos, fortunately.  Everything I was wearing was so wet that I had trouble getting dry and was hesitant to get into my sleeping bag...  Waiting a little longer to get to sleep, I looked outside the windows of my car and saw SO MANY stars.  By my calculations (from maps), I hiked about 12 miles today.  According to my pedometer, however, I could have walked nearly 17.  It sure felt like the latter amount!  Regardless, I felt good that I’d chipped away at my AT total and easily fell asleep after my hard day.  AT Today = 4.0 miles / Grand Total AT = 2122.3 miles / AT Left = 63.0 miles

White River Junction, VT (USA)

[because of the crappy weather across New England, I didn't go hiking in Maine like I'd wanted - instead, I worked at home (organizing) - at 1300, I drove (through pouring rain) to White River Junction (UVAC) so I could take a 45 minute swim and 10 minutes of sauna - also biked for 16 minutes (4.1 miles), 7.5 minutes of rowing and some weights - afterwards, I drove across the river to drop off some clothes at the seamstress - Eileen called and we talked for about 30 minutes - afterwards, I went to Mass (1600) at Sacred Heart in Lebanon - they had a dinner afterwards so I stayed for another hour - there was bingo and everyone was in good spirits - drove home at 1800]

Manchester, NH (USA)

After last night's fun, I still started my day (in the Hilton Garden Inn in Manchester) at around 0700.  I began teleworking immediately and, because there was no breakfast included in my room rate, worked all the way until noon (late checkout approved).  I had a birthday coupon for the Buffalo Wild Wings so decided to head over to the closest restaurant (at the Mall of New Hampshire).  I used Manchester surface streets to get there and talked to a client on the phone during the drive.  At BWW, I ate some free wings and then ordered the lunch special - definitely more food than I could eat in one sitting but, I hoped, some good leftovers...  While eating, I checked the weather for Maine and learned that it was going to be horrible for the next few days.  This dashed my plans for a full four days of hiking but gave me a chance to head home and wait for better conditions.  At around this time, I heard from Inka (my AT hiking friend from Finland) that she'd completed the AT in 130 days - wow!  I was done eating at 1240 and I then made my way back to I-293, continued onto I-93 and got off the highway at NH-3A (Hooksett).  I listened to more audiobooks on the way.  After getting on I-89, I had a great ride all the way to Lebanon (there was a bit of rain and traffic but it didn't really slow me down).  I arrived at home by 1415 and resumed teleworking.  Despite giving up on a long weekend of hiking, I didn't unpack the car because I was still hoping to depart on Saturday night or Sunday evening if the weather clears up.  In the meantime, I reveled in the nice overnight in Manchester with my good friends!

Manchester, NH (USA)

Today I had an opportunity to attend the Eighteenth Annual New England Wine Spectacular!  Since the event didn't start until the evening, I teleworked at my condo until 1530.  In anticipating of (hopefully) good weather in Maine, I packed up my car for a full weekend away and left Hanover about 15 minutes later.  On the way to Manchester (via I-89), I stopped in Grantham for gas.  Normally, I have no trouble filling up at the Irving station on the west side of the highway.  Today, though, that place had a mad rush, with very little order, for fuel.  As a result of some unpleasant experiences (people not waiting their turn, people parking in non-standard ways, etc.), I gave up on the lower price and drove to the Irving station on the east side of the highway.  This ended up being quicker but more expensive - oh well...  By 1555, I was on my way south again and listened to some audiobooks. At the end of I-89, I decided to use I-93 toll lanes (for the first time since living in New Hampshire) and figured out it saved 10 minutes of driving time for only paying $1 (through by 1635).  I'll have to remember that!  After getting off I-93 and onto I-293 (on the north side of Manchester), I drove along the river until I was close to the Fisher Cats' Stadium (Delta Dental Field).  That was a landmark I remembered visiting and was pleasantly surprised to find that my hotel (Hilton Garden Inn) was the one I'd remembered seeing during the game I attended in 2022.  I found the parking lot mostly full when I finished my drive (1650) - there was a baseball game going on so was lucky to get a parking spot.  After checking into my room, I touched base with my Jesse's happy hour friend, Denis, and his wife.  They were sitting in the bar and it was a real treat to discover that it overlooked the outfield!  I stayed with them until 1730, when we left for the Wine Spectacular at the nearby Doubletree.  Our own hotel offered a free shuttle ride, which worked out extremely well for people who really wanted to enjoy the wine tasting!  After getting a large bag full of swag, I spent the next hour hanging out with Denis and Casey (his wife) in the Bellman’s Cellar Select VIP room.  The experience was awesome - I tried so many fancy/expensive wines and snacks - and everything tasted great!  Another nice thing about the event was that I met interesting people, including tasters like myself and some of the vendors.  Selections ranged from domestic and Canadian wines to more exotic locations overseas.  Later, Denis told me that we should have reviewed the selection list beforehand to find the best tasting opportunities.  The VIP room was interesting but I was even more impressed when we moved into the larger auditorium - that place had even more amazing selections!  Frankly, there was too much to see/eat/drink...  During this phase, I found some good macaroni and cheese, delicious meatballs and ice cream.  I also picked up some good coupons, discounts and other goodies.  As the night wore on, I parked at a few different tables and tried everything they offered.  The pours were kind of small but the variety was unrivaled against anything I'd seen before.  Denis told me he'd won raffles/giveaways, all supporting fundraising for the New Hampshire Food Bank, before but things must have changed since COVID-19 - he said he wasn't as impressed this year.  As we got ready to leave (2200), we watched the vendors pouring out all the partially finished bottles of wine - sacrilege!  We were able to get a shuttle ride back to the Hilton Garden (2215) and went to the bar to watch the end of the second game of the Fisher Cat Double Header.  Out seats had a great view but, unfortunately, poor service.  Eventually, Denis got me and Casey some drinks... As the game progressed, the baseball stands seemed to empty out and we were very surprised when the fireworks display began (2245)! I bought one more round for everyone (2300) but we never heard a "last call."  Instead, the bar just closed and the lights turned out on us at around 2330.  Undeterred, we stayed a little longer before heading to our rooms.  After such a wonderful evening, I didn't go to bed until around 0030.  Overall, I had a great time and definitely recommend this itinerary for June evening entertainment in the Granite State!

White River Junction, VT (USA)

[teleworking until 1400 - then left condo to go to VA Medical Center in White River Junction to get some lab work done - at 1430, I drove over to UVAC for 45 minutes of swimming, 10 minutes of sauna, 10 minutes of biking (2.4 miles), 5 minutes of rowing and weights - finished at 1600 - on the way home, stopped to shop at Shaw's in West Lebanon - had a call for work on the way home (arrived at 1700) - more teleworking]

Enfield, NH (USA)

Today, I teleworked all morning and into the early afternoon.  At 1430, I drove to White River Junction and had my annual wellness exam (1500 to 1600) at the VA Medical Center.  Afterwards, I drove to Lebanon and visited Omer and Bob's, where I learned about my upcoming bike tune-up.  I wasn't ready to go home yet, even though the Tuesday Night Bike Ride with the VA Adaptive Sports Team had been canceled.  Since the weather hasn’t been very predictable this week and my bike was already loaded on the car, I went for a ride anyway!  Between 1655 and 1745, I cycled on Northern Rail Trail between Colburn Park in Lebanon and the Enfield town line - about 9 miles.  It was a bit muddy when I left the paved section but I was able to keep up a good pace.  I should do this more often!  I got home by 1800 and finished up my teleworking day.

Cape Cod Trip - Day 2

I was awake by 0600 and read until my dad came into the living room.  He then cooked breakfast (blueberry pancakes) and we visited until about 0830.  Next, I drove east on MA-6A and attended Mass at Our Lady of Hope (0900).  Afterwards, I continued east on MA-6A until I reached Yarmouthport.  From there, I used Setucket Road to reach Brewster and then took AP Newcomb Road to reach MA-6A.  I visited my mom's cemetery stone - it was a nice, quiet experience except for when I encountered an annoyed lady (she thought I was parked in the way of her intended route).  Soon after that, I backtracked towards US-6 via MA-137.  On the Mid Cape Highway, I started to encounter significant traffic on the way off the Cape.  Somehow, I was able to cross the Sagamore Bridge without too much difficulty, despite narrowly avoiding two cars in front of me that had an accident (1200).  I drove north on MA-3 until I reached Pembroke, where I stopped at Friendly's to get a free sundae (birthday reward!).  Next, I continued to Katie's house (arrived at around 1300) and helped set up the party venue for Ella's graduation event.  The guests started arriving at around 1400 and almost 30 people ended up attending!  The food was excellent and it was good to see my sisters and other relatives.  I stayed at the party until 1800 and then made my way north towards home.  The traffic on MA-3 and I-93 wasn't very nice...  However, I made up a lot of the delay after I got through Boston.  Even though I took my typical detour through Hookset (on NH-3A), I still got home by about 2030 after reaching I-89 without incident.  It was a nice weekend - glad I could take a break at the Cape!

Cape Cod Trip - Day 1

I promised my family that I'd come down to visit them in Massachusetts so I packed up my car early this morning.  First, though, I attended the Men of St. Joseph meeting at Sacred Heart (0730 to 0900).  Next, I drove to Concord (via I-89 and NH-103) and went for a walk along the Contoocook River.  Between 1000 and 1045, I hiked the Jim Hill River Walk Trail System on the outskirts of the city.  After I reached the picnic area at Dolly Beach (at the end of the trail), I realized I’d been there a year ago (when I hiked in the Mast Yard State Forest).  Signage this time was much better!  It wasn’t a long walk but it helped me break in some new boots and log a few miles in the midst of many hours of driving.  Foiled a "hitchhiking attempt" by a tick, so that was a good reminder for my AT hiking season...  I then drove (via back roads) towards Concord so I could take a walk on a new section of the Northern Rail Trail.  I parked near the end of the trail in Boscawen and got some additional exercise nearby between 1100 and 1200.  Since my last visit, the Friends of the NRT in New Hampshire had added several hundred yards of new bike trail and I was pleasantly surprised by how nice the surface was!  Reversing course, I walked over to pay my respects at the Hannah Dustan Statue again. I’d recently read a good book about this place and the events that happened here so it was more meaningful than last time.  I walked a bit on the railroad tracks too.  They have been well maintained to allow people to ride little pedal cars all the way into Concord - it was funny to watch them passing.  Overall, it was a beautiful day at the junction of the Merrimack and Contoocook!  After getting done, I drove (via US-3, I-393, I-93, NH-3A, I-93 and I-293) to the Mall of New Hampshire in Manchester so I could get a free burger (for my birthday) at Red Robin.  I was at the restaurant from 1230 to 1300 and enjoyed my meal very much.  There was a slight problem with using the birthday coupon but I ended up getting the free burger anyway because of the nice server lady.  Next, left Manchester and drove (via I-93 and MA-3) to see Gerard in Plymouth.  I arrived at 1500 and visited with him until about 1630.  We had a nice talk - it was good to be able to catch up with him!  Afterwards, I drove to my dad's house (arrived at 1700).  For the next hour, I visited with Dad and Beth until it was time to get food for dinner.  I went with my dad to pick up the pizza nearby and we then enjoyed a  nice meal together.  We even had birthday cake!  Afterwards, took a walk with my dad around the old part of Sandwich - we saw an osprey's nest above the ball field!  Dad and Beth went to bed early so I read in the guest room.  Extra bonus: I also talked with Eileen briefly.  Went to bed by 2230 - glad to have some time with family on the Cape!

White River Junction, VT (USA)

[teleworking early in the morning - at 0700, left condo to go to VA Medical Center in White River Junction for Physical Therapy - at 0830, I drove over to UVAC for 45 minutes of swimming, 10 minutes of sauna, 24 minutes of biking (6.3 miles) and weights - finished at 1030 - on the way home, stopped to get free (birthday) food at Panera - back at my condo by 1130 - more teleworking]

Enfield, NH (USA)

[after work, volunteered with VA Medical Center White River Junction Adaptive Sports Team - biked nine miles on the Northern Rail Trail between Forward's Garage and the Gazebo in Enfield next to Lake Mascoma (1600 to 1815)]

Orford, NH (USA)

The weather hasn’t been great for hiking or kayaking so I took a Recce trip along the Connecticut River to look for boat launches in Thetford, Bradford and Orford.  Starting at around 1000, I used US-5 between Norwich and Bradford and then crossed the river and used NH-10 between Piermont and Hanover.  On the way, I stopped at the Edgell Covered Bridge (1230), where I’d counted birds during the New Hampshire Audubon Backyard Winter Bird Survey in February.  This time, I brought a camera that one of my happy hour friends let me borrow.  I was hoping to see some birds to photograph and I did spot a red-winged blackbird, goldfinch, cardinal, crow and (I think) a gray catbird.  Unfortunately, the lens I brought wouldn’t zoom in very far I so couldn’t get pictures of them.  After years of using point and click or cell phone cameras, this was an interesting experience.  Even just trying to use all the myriad options (rather than “Auto”) was a little overwhelming.  My friend had already told me he has a better (telephoto lens) for me to borrow and, after today, I think I’ll accept the offer.  I may never figure out how to be a real bird watcher with this complicated piece of equipment but I’ll definitely make another visit to the pretty covered bridge.

White River Junction, VT (USA)

[teleworking all morning - at 1330, left condo to go to White River Junction (UVAC) for 45 minutes of swimming, 7 minutes of sauna, 16 minutes of biking (4.1 miles), 5 minutes of rowing and weights - finished at 1530 - on the way home, stopped to pick up food at Dunkin Donuts (1540) and dropped off more obsolete tech at Staples 1550 - then drove to Jesse's for my regular Thursday Happy Hour - finished at 1745 - more teleworking]