Raleigh Trip - Day 2

Here we go!  I woke up at 0630 (alarm needed) and started teleworking.  At 0745, I went to breakfast in the Lobby of the Staybridge Suites (Morrisville).  With my meal completed, I headed back to my room so I could get ready for my day with the Installation Team.  Meanwhile, the weather outside was sunny and clear, with temps in the 50s.  To me, this was warm and I decided to wear my new company polo shirt.  At 0830, I departed from my hotel and drove from the southeast end of the Raleigh-Durham Airport, through the Terminal area and was able to access the gate near the base of the Control Tower.  Once inside, I met up with the rest of the Team (0845) and we started work officially at 0900.  Even though this was my fifth such trip of 2026 and a lot of the work was starting to seem routine, there were several different people on the Contractor Team.  As usual, too, I needed to liaise with the on-site staff and keep the work moving.  Due to the professionals involved, we started testing earlier than usual and had finished everything for the day by 1300.  I definitely informed everyone that they were like some sort of "A Team".  On my way back to my hotel, though, I found that I had to navigate a maze of confusing roads just to get out of the airport complex.  And, just when I thought the worst was over, I found even more things to "almost mess up" when I got closer to my hotel.  Figuring that some of the problem was due to skipping lunch earlier, I stopped for some food at a nearby Jersey Mike's (ordered at 1340).  The sub sandwich (buffalo chicken, made "Mike's Way") was very good and I enjoyed it inside the restaurant.  When I got back in my car to return to my hotel (1420), I was greatly tempted by the wonderful weather (sunny and temps in the high 70s).  Staying on task, though, I spent the afternoon teleworking and only wrapped up my day at 1700.  This long delay in closing out my work day was mostly due to a follow up call with Brenna and a big phone call related to the Nashville Thanksgiving Plans (I wanted to sign the Contract).  Even after I stopped working for pay, I spent time on my own computer, catching up on eBird and my blog.  At 1815, I went to dinner ("Taco Tuesday") at the Social Hour in my hotel; I tried another R&D Brewery beer (Storm Brew) before I was done eating.  Back in my room again (1900) I did some more work on my blog before changing into my workout gear.  For over an hour, I logged two miles on treadmill (36 minutes) and four miles on the spinning machine "bike" (20 minutes) - I was done in the Fitness Center at 2215.  In my room again, I watched movies until going to bed at 2330.  It was a good day at "the office"!

Raleigh Trip - Day 1

The whole reason for my drive from Hampton Roads to Raleigh yesterday was to resume my Technology Refreshment oversight role at the local airport.  By arriving early, though, I had taken the pressure off of myself to hurry to the hotel.  Even with this reprieve, I was still awake by 0645 (I'd set an alarm) and started teleworking.  It was quiet around Alan and Tammie's home because they are self employed.  For most of the early part of the morning, I prepped for the Install work at Raleigh Airport and started a small load of laundry (to try to erase evidence of the cigar smoke from the night before).  At about 1000, Alan made me breakfast and I said goodbye to Tammie (she had errands to run).  After that, I returned to my computer for meetings that finally ended at 1135.  By that point, Uncle Terry was awake and I had a chance for some one-on-one time with him while Alan was working in his office.  My laundry also finished and Brenna called to ask about my visit with her sisters.  We talked for a bit but I asked if we could reschedule to a time when I wasn't working.  She agreed but then asked me about some ideas for outdoor adventure near her home (she had her Spring Break going on).  I helped her a bit and then turned off my computer.  The morning work I'd done was enough to ensure I'd reach my full hours for the day (because I had 3.5 hours of "credit" dedicated to the transit).  At lunch time (1210), with the weather looking sunny and calm (and with temps in the 70s), I went on a walk with Alan.  While wandering through small groves of dogwood trees and wisteria vines, we completed a circuit of nine holes of the The Country Club at Wakefield Plantation.  There were plenty of interesting birds in the area and I happily recorded them for later entry on the eBird website.  Alan told me a lot of news about himself and his family from the 1970s and 1980s - things, I'd never heard before.  By the end of our walk (1330), we'd logged about four miles.  I told Alan he was like the brother I'd never had...  He must have shared this sentiment because we ended up returning to the patio for more conversation.  Alan later let me have some of his leftover pizza and bruschetta (both good); I washed it down with some sparkling water and chocolate milk.  Tammie returned at about 1630 and was surprised to still find me there!  Before departing, I spent some more visiting with Uncle Terry and he asked that I keep him updated on my Nomad Life (of course I agreed).  At 1700, I finally left Tammie and Alan's home and used some backroads (towards the north) until I reached I-540.  There was definitely some rush hour traffic by then so I couldn't hurry - fortunately, I was only about 30 minutes from hotel.  Along the way, I ended up in Durham County (temporarily).  Eventually, I reached I-40 and turned east again.  At that point, I encountered a major traffic jam but was able to carefully exit the Interstate by skirting the worst of it in a breakdown lane (last 100 yards).  I found my hotel, the Staybridge Suites (it was actually located in the town of Morrisville), at 1730.  Even at that point, the temps were still in the 70s.  As usual at an IHG property, I was able to check in quickly and resume the last little bit of teleworking that remained.  Fortunately, I was able to finish up before the hotel's social hour was finished (1900).  Though I wasn't very hungry, I stopped by for some pasta, some salad and a big cookie.  Even better, the hostess also gave me one of the local beers (from nearby R&D Brewery) they had on tap.  At around this time, members of our Installation Team started checking in with me, reporting they had arrived in the area.  After that, I returned to my room to take care of some personal items (finance, travel planning).  There was even time for me to check out the Business Center - rather than set up my own printer, I was able to all my (two-sided!) printing there.  During this window, I thought about exercising at the Fitness Center but ended up lounging in my room instead.  For the rest of the evening, I watched movies; bed time was at 2300.  Very excited to get started on another week of Tech Refresh in the morning!

Nomad Life - Day 196

When I woke up this morning (at 0600), I felt sad to be departing from Virginia Beach - I'll miss Erin, Austin and Kiki!  But it's time to go back to work "at the airport"... I spent part of the morning (before anyone else was awake) packing, reading, doing puzzles and completing Duolingo exercises.  I eventually met up with Erin and Austin (0830) and they talked to me while I loaded up my car.  Before putting my computer away, I took care of a few blog and financial items while eating "breakfast" (leftover pizza).  At 0930, I said goodbye to my daughter and her little family and headed out of town.  By then, the temperature was 47 F - fortunately, it was sunny and clear.  I got on I-264 and headed towards the west until I could get on I-64.  Things looked good, traffic wise, until I reached the Elizabeth River.  Sadly, the clear sailing ended in a massive traffic jam.  By that point, though, I'd decided to make a birding stop in Portsmouth City County so managed to get off the Interstate after a bit of inconvenience and make forward progress while driving north on US-17.  When I reached Victory Boulevard, I noticed that there were lots of speed and red-light cameras in the vicinity and got a bit nervous about everything I was doing.  Fortunately, I believe I reached the Paradise Creek Nature Park without any trouble.  Beginning at 1015, I took a walk along some nice gravel trails through the woods.  Across the Paradise Creek estuary, I could see infrastructure related to the Norfolk Naval Shipyard.  The weather had turned very pleasant (i.e., warmer) and I explored a lot of the trail system while using my Merlin App to find more interesting birds.  Along the way, I crossed a wooden bridge (closed "for maintenance") and got to watch two kayakers passing underneath at that exact moment.  Reluctantly, I returned to my car so I could resume my drive to Raleigh - I departed at 1030 and used Victory Boulevard to reach I-264 to reach I-664 and, later, US-13.  This latter road headed towards the southwest and took me close to the Great Dismal Swamp, a place our family used to enjoy visiting back when we lived in Hampton Roads.  Before long (1115), I crossed into North Carolina (Gates County).  From this point, I started recording all county line crossings to make sure I had a record of bird sightings through the state.  As I passed by Elizabeth City, I found myself on a lovely four lane highway, nearly free of traffic!  My route continued on US-13 through Hertford County (1130) until I reached Shortcut Road (AKA NC-11).  By then, the temperature had risen to 55 F.  I pass through Bertie County (1145) and Martin County (1200) before reaching NC-111, which I used to enter Edgecombe County (1215).  Later, I used Shiloh Farm Road to access US-64 and headed west.  I passed through Nash County (1240), locating a "Nashville" on the way.  The temps rose to 63 F before I passed I-95 (1245) and I soon found myself in Franklin County (1300) and Wake County (1305).  After almost an hour, I got off the four lane and took NC-96 and NC-98 into the eastern suburbs of Raleigh.  My destination was the home of my cousin, Tammie, and her husband (Alan) - I arrived there at 1340.  Alan came out to greet me eagerly. with is very surprising since we've never really had a lot of time to visit over the years.  I think he might have been representing the pleasure of his wife (my mom's niece) and father-in-law (my Uncle Terry) but it certainly seemed genuine.  When I went inside their beautiful home, I almost immediately fell into a comfortable rhythm with my extended family.  Uncle Terry (age 91) impressed me by his memory (including being with my mom when she passed away almost 40 years ago) and vibrant personality.  It was wonderful to be around relatives who knew my mother well when she was young.  We spent almost two hours catching up on more than two decades of family stories!  There was some wine and warm intimacy that really made me feel welcome.  As the afternoon wore one, food came into people's minds and we ended up adjourning our reunion for a short drive to a nearby eatery called the Wakefield Grill.  This was, apparently, one of Uncle Terry's favorite places to eat when he was visiting Alan and Tammie.  I should note that he splits time between them and the home of Denise (my cousin) and her husband (Doug).  The food was very good and I had a local beer while we continued our story-time exchange.  Once we finished our meal (1845), we headed back to Tammie and Alan's house.  By then, a cool evening had descended on the area.  I had planned to take a walk but that never materialized because Alan and his neighbors kept me quite entertained with questions and local news.  After it became clear I wasn't going anywhere (2000), I joined everyone on the enclosed porch for whiskey and cigars.  It has been a long time (probably since I retired from the Navy) since I had a good stogie and Alan had several from which to choose.  Wow!  We talked until 2245 and it might have gone one much longer if I didn't have to work in the morning.  When I went to the guest room, a marvelous venue with a huge bed (covered with probably 20 different shapes and sizes of pillows), it took a while to calm down from the "high" I had reached during the discussions.  I spent time reading and organizing for the following day - I ended up staying awake until nearly 2330.  What an amazing day of visiting!

Nomad Life - Day 195

After a restful sleep overnight, I was awake at 0715 and spent some time reading, doing puzzles and completing Duolingo exercises.  A bit later, I moved out to the living room to work on my blog (there was a "desk" in there).  Erin got up at about 0845 and we visited for a little bit.  My "breakfast" consisted of some more Jelly Belly candies but that was OK.  My more immediate worry was that I realized I'd forgotten about meatless Friday the previous day!  This rarely happens but, when it has, I've "restarted the clock" by abstaining for the subsequent day.  With my mindset adjusted, I checked with my daughter and son-in-law about their plans for the day.  After learning that they both had things to do (Erin had a baby shower and Austin had some important errands), I decided to find a place to hike nearby.  Remembering a conversation that I'd had with Mollie during the previous year, I decided to investigate the possibility of accessing False Cape State Park.  Saying goodbye to Erin and Austin, I headed south from their home (1100).  Outside, it was 48 F, sunny and windy.  On the way, I stopped at a nearby Walmart to pick up an online order (1120).  Next, I ate lunch at Taco Bell, located right across the street.  Fortunately, their ordering kiosk allowed for extreme tailoring of the menu items.  In the end, I managed to substitute beans for meat in all the things I ordered.  I thought about sitting in the restaurant for my meal but, instead, tried to eat in the car.  That ended up being too messy so I held off from my lunch as I continued driving south.  There was a lot of traffic and construction on the way to the Sandbridge area... It's been years since I last visited but memories from the early 1990s (when I had friends nearby) came immediately back into my head.  By 1210, I reached my goal: the parking lot for Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge.  It was much windier here and lots of people were wearing heavy winter coats and other gear.  For my part, I just wore two layers and started hiking at 1215.  There were a few signs about trail closures as I walked along the West Dike of the NWR but they didn't really make sense until I reached an actual gate.  Apparently, the trails are closed nearby until April 1 - I was just a few days too early to use them.  I'd only traveled about one mile at that point but I still wanted to get to the State Park.  Fortunately, an alternate route - following the shoreline of the beach - was recommended.  Hoping to avoid a lot of backtracks, I bushwhacked from the Dike trail fence across the sand dunes until I reached the beach.  From there, it was a windy walk to the south, with very little in the way of landmarks or border indications.  I met up with a a few folks with backpacks - they planned to spend the night in the State Park in a reserved campsite and I picked their brains on the process and experience.  It sounded nice!  They were not in a hurry (because they didn't have to get back to their cars until the following day).  My situation was different and, after saying goodbye to them, I motored away in search of indications of the entrance to False Cape State Park.  I finally found a sign - it was laying down on the edge of the dunes.  Otherwise, I saw nothing manmade as I hiked.  A few other interesting things I encountered strange "sand fog" that developed along the way and evidence of a huge fish kill (a ranger later told me that the beach had a horrible smell only days before but today was clear and odorless). There were plenty of seabirds; most were chasing the waves but others were soaring in the heavy breeze.  I should mention that I'd been walking with the wind at my back - I could already tell that heading north would be much more difficult...  At 1345, I reached a "state park type" sign for the Barbour Hill area.  My paper map indicated that this trail across the dunes would provide me with access to the Visitor for the State Park so I headed west along the sandy track.  Almost immediately, the wind was blocked by the higher terrain and the warm sun made me feel a lot hotter than I had all day.  There were lots of short, scrubby trees in the area and I soon found myself walking into the campground area.  I encountered several folks sitting near their tents in the shade.  Like the people at the NWR, they were geared up for winter weather.  Meanwhile, I was thinking about removing my jacket...  The number of birds increased and I enjoyed watching them playing on the branches of the tall trees.  I reached the False Cape State Park Visitor Center at 1400 and was pleased to find a large buoy that talked about how I was at the Southernmost Virginia State Park.  The markings also added that I was 1146 miles from Key West.  I looked around in the VC building and eventually encountered a park ranger - she was cheery and helpful and we had a good conversation.  By 1430, I reluctantly made my way back to the beach and started my shoreline walk towards my car.  The tide had started to come in again and there were places where my footprints had been erased by the surf.  It was a lot of work to fight the headwind but I plodded along steadily.  Like the earlier part of my hike, I encountered backpackers enroute to the State Park for the night (more chatting).  At 1540, I had reached the Dune Trail and exited the beach.  This trail led back to the East Dike of the NWR and had a pretty boardwalk with overlook.  When I finally reached my car again, I passed it to walk along the Kuralt Trail that took me to a beautiful estuary.  There were many more birds there and my Merlin App was very busy.  Finished with my outdoor time (nearly 10 miles!), I got in my car (1610) and drove back towards Erin's home.  The timing looked good for me to attend Mass and I decided to drive to St. Nicholas Catholic Church on Little Neck (our family's Parish between 2005 and 2008).  The 1700 Mass, which celebrated Palm Sunday, was a LONG service.  We started outside and walked, with our palms, into the sanctuary - it was a free-for-all for seating.  The music director was clearly invested in performance art - everything sounded beautiful,  However, the service was already the longest one of the year; the Priest's homily didn't help the situation either...  Once Mass was completed (1820), I returned to Erin's house and joined her and Austin in the process of ordering their dinner from Marco's Pizzeria.  Austin was very helpful in getting a meatless pizza ready that had olives, peppers and mushrooms.  It seemed like a very short time later when an actual pizza delivery car arrived with the food!  We sat at the dining room table for a little while but then adjourned to the couch so Erin could shower me with more episodes of "The Middle".  We stayed up together until 2130 and then said good night.  After that, I did some reading in the guest room and finally went to bed at 2300.  After a great hike today and some nice visiting with my daughter, I'm feeling pretty good!

Nomad Life - Day 194

I was awake before my alarm (0630) and worked until 0930, when Erin finally came out of her room.  At that point, I joined her in the living room and we talked for a little bit about my job.  She offered me some breakfast but didn't really have much to eat (she had Golden Grahams and other snacks).  I politely declined and, instead, I went back to work.  At 1115, I had to run to get something from my car and found the day to be warm and sunny, with only a light wind.  Just then, Erin and Austin went out to do some errands.  For my part, I took a break from my telework and started putting together my tax documentation - I made some good progress!  Along the way, I also brought in a lot of my printing and business gear, hoping to get caught up on things.  Sadly, I figured out that was out of ink again...  I attempted to order some ink from a Walmart, near where they were shopping, but they returned before the order was ready.  By then (1215), they were ready to get something for lunch.  We departed (in Austin's car) for Commonwealth Brewing.  With the traffic conditions, it ended up taking more than 30 minutes to get there.  Upon arrival, we ordered some pizzas, fries and a burger - we also tried some local brews.  Everything was great and we stayed at the restaurant until about 1345.  After returning home (via some errands along the way), I started a load of laundry and returned to teleworking.  Despite spending a significant part of the morning doing errands, Erin left the house again (to visit her friend) - meanwhile, Austin played video games while I worked.  At 1715, I turned off my computer and wrapped up my work week,  To celebrate, I played with Kiki.  Hoping to get back into a groove of outdoor time (coupled with attaining my step goals again).  So, at 1730, I started a walk in the "back" of Erin's neighborhood.  I thought I knew where I was going but then got caught by the difference between Thalia Drive and Thalia Road - d'oh!  Meanwhile, the day had turned gray, cooler and breezy.  Birding was good and I had to laugh at the many ducks in people's yard.  I thought I'd find Steinhilber's again but ended up closer to our old home in the Kingston area.  Meanwhile, Erin finally returned from her friend's house (1815) and texted about dinner plans at Chipotle.  At that point, I didn't really know when I'd get home so I sent in an "order" but kept walking.  At 1830, I finally returned to Erin's house and she (and Kiki) joined me on the remainder of my walk.  All told, I logged three miles!  Back in the house, we waited (and talked) until Austin returned from picking up the food.  Once he arrived and we saw the good spread, we all ate together.  Without thinking, I had ordered a steak burrito bowl, capping off a meatless Lenten Friday with two beef meals.  Dang...  At that point, though, I was oblivious.  Once the dinner was complete, Erin and I had fun making combinations of Jelly Belly "recipes".  These candies were the ones I'd gotten her for Valentine's Day.  A bit later, Erin and I adjourned to the living room (Austin went to play video games).  First, we watched two episodes of "The Middle" and then we watched "In Your Dreams" (an animated kids movie about the Sandman).  These shows were all good and it was nice to relax with Erin.  We wrapped up our entertainment at about 2200.  Even though it was late, I spent more time in the guest room watching streaming service episodes.  I finally went to bed at 2330.  Feeling good about finishing up my work week with some good exercise, outdoor time, socializing, food and time with my daughter!

Nomad Life - Day 193

After a few nice days with Mollie, Alex and Maple, it was time for me to head to the next destination of my Nomad Life: Virginia Beach!  For some reason, I was awake at 0500 and didn't try to go back to sleep.  Instead, I began teleworking immediately.  At 0700, I went out into the living room and met up with Mollie, who had been getting ready for work.  Fortunately, I got to spend time visiting with her and Maple.  Along the way, she made breakfast (eggs) for us - it was nice to enjoy another home-cooked meal made by my daughter!  The sad part, though, was that I had to say goodbye to Alex and Mollie (0745).  As usual, Maple went in her crate so I could keep working without distraction.  As had happened each day of my visit, I felt bad...  Still, I had some projects and meetings to complete; I worked from the apartment all the way to 1245.  Wrapping up my day (for the time being), I was able to take Maple for a well-deserved walk.  Temps were in the 60s and it was bright and sunny outside.  The dog enjoyed our time together and probably have been happy with a much longer walk.  Sadly, I had to get on the road so I could make it to Erin's house at the time I'd promised.  So, after returning from the outdoor exercise and putting Maple back in her crate, I packed up my car and departed Fredericksburg.  With about 100 miles left on my tank of gas and fuel prices ridiculously high (even worse than Pennsylvania) in the immediate area, I drove to Ashland (using I-95), where I got lunch at Chick-fil-A (1410) and got gas at a more reasonably priced station next door.   By 1425, I was ready to depart the area and texted Erin that it would take me about two hours to reach Virginia Beach.  After that, I made my way south on I-95.  The traffic was mostly good but there was plenty of construction and speed cameras.  This was true on I-295 but, especially, on I-64.  To pass the time, listened to audiobooks.  As I approached the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel, Google Maps tacked on over 30 minutes to my drive time.  As I'd seen during previous visits, it also suggested the Monitor-Merrimack Bridge as an alternative to I-64.  Hoping to avoid a long detour and a lot of extra mileage, I stuck with the original route and managed to get all the way to Hampton before the traffic slowed down.  After that, I got off on Mercury Boulevard (US-258).  While there were lights, I immediately lost a lot of the delay.  I also got to pass by (didn't stop) the interesting static display near Langley Air Force Base.  At one point, though, I reached a traffic light that never seemed to change.  Annoyed at this delay, I took some back roads nearby and luckily reached an intersection (Segar and Mallory) where I was able to get through the intersection.  After a prohibited left turn (construction zone), I was able (along with several other cars) to merge on to I-64 again just before the bridge/tunnel.  I will admit that I was wondering by then whether I'd been tagged by any speed, red-light or other cameras... From that point, the drive across James River went slowly (as usual) - once I was on the Norfolk side, though, I made very good time to Virginia Beach (via I-64 and I-264).  In the end, I exited the Interstate nearly exactly two hours after I'd texted Erin!  After I arrived at her house (1635), we took a walk with Kiki in Erin's neighborhood.  It was nice to talk to her and meet some of her neighbors again.  We finished our brief outdoor interlude at 1700 and I then went into the guest room to do some more teleworking (to finish my work day).  With that phase of my day complete, I rejoined Erin in the living room and we talked for a while.  Austin got home just after 1800 and I got to visit with him too.  Meanwhile, Erin kept saying she was going to make dinner.  This didn't happen, though, for more than another hour.  By then, the lasagna she planned to make still required a significant amount of time to prepare.  With this knowledge, I decided to take another walk in Erin's neighborhood.  It was dark by then but I had no trouble getting steps (although I never reached my step goal).  By the time I returned to Erin's, I still had time unload my car.  With all the chores and time-killing task complete, I arrived in the kitchen just in time for some delicious dinner!  During the next hour, I also go to try one of Austin's "craft cider" drinks.  With our meal complete, Erin and I sat in the living room and talked some more, getting in one of our classic political discussions.  Fortunately, things were very civil and we easily transitioned to playing "fetch" with Kiki and watching a Seinfeld episode after that.  By 2145, though, I was feeling tired and went into the guest room to get ready for bed.  For some reason, though, I ended up getting distracted with some online news until much later than I planned - it was 2330 before I turned out the lights.  What a great day full of daughters and dogs!

Nomad Life - Day 192

This morning might have begun very early - I first woke up at 0530 but fell back to sleep until 0630.  After that, I spent the early hours teleworking, with a short break to see Alex and Mollie off to work.  My daughter put Maple in her crate and I marveled at the dog's great behavior.  After that, I resumed working and stayed online all the way into the afternoon.  Along the way, breakfast and lunch were basically just snacks.  My day was full of meetings, with only a few short breaks (mostly to work some more on the Thanksgiving planning).  Once my work day was completed, I took Maple for a walk near the apartment (started at 1630).  We logged over a mile, with lots of birding in the good weather (partly sunny, temps in the 50s and not much wind).  I started to wonder if my daughter was home so went back to check at 1715.  Finding her there, I dropped off Maple and went outside for a second walk.  This time, I walked much farther afield than I've ever done in the few years since Mollie moved to Fredericksburg.  I wandered through condo and townhome neighborhoods, found more birds and got a great feel for the local area.  Sadly, none of this walk was on established trails - just sidewalks and apartment drives.  Still, it felt good to finish my step goal in the process of being outside in the good weather.  Back at Mollie's (1815), I joined her and Alex for dinner.  During my absence, Mollie had made some pasta with chicken and peas.  As usual, the food was very good and we all enjoyed some more of the wine that Mollie had found the day before.  Along the way, Mollie impressed me wither sewing (machine) skills - she fixed the seam on my hiking pants!  During this window, we started watching an episode of "A NASCAR Life" (Netflix Series) - this was clearly a favorite pastime of Alex's and I was mildly entertained as well.  The biggest surprise was that Mollie seemed relatively knowledgeable about the sport and drivers.  Nest, Mollie suggested that we watch a movie with Jack Black called "The Anaconda".  I'll admit that I was nervous about the format, tempo and film stars but I must also concede that it was marginally funny.  Mollie and Alex also made it to the end.  At 2130, I adjourned to the guest room and spent time reading, doing puzzles and Duolingo exercises.  Bed time was at 2245.  Not the most exciting day but I am very glad to be visiting my daughter - she's been a great host!

Nomad Life - Day 191

I woke up at 0545 this morning (before my alarm) and started teleworking immediately.  I did take one break to do some reading, puzzles and Duolingo.  Alex and Mollie woke up (0630) and we all had snacks for breakfast.  During this window, I was intermittently working while also talking and planning with them.  They departed the apartment (after putting Maple in her crate) at 0730.  For my part, I spent the whole morning working.  At about 1200, I took another break (to get a shower and eat lunch) but then returned to my computer, working continuously through to 1400.  I did feel bad about leaving Maple in her crate but I guess that's what normally happens to her during the day...  At 1430, I took another break and went on a walk on the Virginia Central (Rail) Trail near Mollie's home.  Unlike the last time I walked on the (paved) trail (with Mollie and Alex back in December 2024), I left my car at the Harrison Road Park.  It was warm (52 F) and sunny when I got started and the conditions were perfect for being outside and birding.  Except for the heavy pollen - that was not very pleasant... Even funnier, there were a LOT of squirrels playing in the trees and under the fallen leaves.  Butterflies of different colors flew alongside me as I walked (and, later, when I was driving). By the end of the walk, I completed the section that runs through this area of Spotsylvania County - by 1545, I had logged just over three miles.  After returning to Mollie's apartment, I took Maple for a walk.  She seemed happy about this turn of events and we definitely had a good time.  Back at the apartment again, I resumed teleworking until just after Mollie got home from work (1730).  Without much time to visit, we headed out to dinner at the nearby Durango Grill.  The pub/restaurant (which I'd visited on a previous trip to see Mollie) had a beer special, appetizer discount and burger offer - we took advantage of all three!  Mollie and Alex's "Work Dad" (Rob) and his wife (Carrie) showed up about 20 minutes after we did.  For nearly two hours, we had a nice visit and some great food (and drinks) were good.  We were done eating at 1930 and returned to the apartment, where we set up on Mollie & Alex's couch to watch a movie called "Happiness for Beginners".  During the film (which was partly about hiking the Appalachian Trail), we enjoyed more wine.  Meanwhile, Maple was being very entertaining...  At some point, Alex went to bed but Mollie and stuck with the movie until the end.  Afterwards (2130), I went walking in the neighborhood to get the rest of my 10K steps.  Finished with that, I returned to the apartment and said good night to my daughter and her dog.  In the the guest room, I did some reading and Duolingo exercises before heading to bed at 2300.  There wasn't a lot of excitement today but it was great to have time to be outdoors, play with a happy dog and visit with my daughter!

Nomad Life - Day 190

Time to visit Mollie!  I woke up (alarm needed) at 0545 (still at John and Kelly's home).  Outside, it was raining pretty heavily.  Because I had an early dental cleaning appointment, I got ready and packed up my car.  There was just enough time to play with Gipper...  At 0630. I said goodbye to John and Kelly and then drove a short distance (part of the drive was on I-495) to the Annandale area of Alexandria.  By the time I arrived at Reflection Dental (0645), the rain was tapering off and the temps had settled at 64 F.  Starting at 0700, I got my teeth cleaned by my old friend, Richard - it was good to see him again.  During the visit, I got some new Invisalign retainers (lower side).  The office had also introduced some new AI tools and it was interesting to see what "Big Brother" thought about our conversations and the teeth scans.  I made a mental note to remember to bring up these items to my son in law, Austin, when I saw him later in the week.  From the dentist's office, I drove a short distance through school zones and heavy traffic to a Panera Bread location near Edsel Road.  I arrive there at 0815 and went into the restaurant to order some breakfast (used the kiosk) - I got an egg sandwich and fruit cup.  After that, I settled down into a booth and started teleworking.  This was a late start for me...  During this window, I made plans to meet up with Mollie at her school - that will be cool!  Work progressed nicely and I stayed in the restaurant (during meetings I had) until 1100.  After that, took a break from work and started driving south (via I-395 and I-95) .  On the way, I listened to audiobooks.  Meanwhile, the weather continued improving and I decided that it might be good to stop for some outdoor activity.  I was very close to the Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge so got off the Interstate to visit it (arrived at 1115).  There were no other people or cars at the Visitor Center so I enjoyed some solitude while walking on the (easy) trail network there.  Along the way, I encountered (mostly through the Merlin App) more than 20 species of birds.  I'd almost forgotten about the "outside world" when I suddenly encountered a man along the trail.  He told me where to go for more bird sightings and I took his advice - this yielded some waterfowl (including an osprey).  I was finished with my walk at 1150 and then texted Mollie that I was on my way to her location (a Middle School in Stafford).  After using US-1 and the Prince William Parkway to reach I-95, I found myself in the middle of a long funeral procession on the Interstate!  A flag draped coffin in the hearse gave me the impression that this might be a cortege for a Marine Corps Veteran who was going to buried at Quantico.  This reminded me of our Virginia Beach neighbor, Mr. Newkirk (RIP)...  I arrived at the school at 1220 and checked in at the front office.  They told me to take a seat and I thought I'd be waiting for my daughter's lunch period (1300).  However, she ended up asking me to join one of her class periods already (in session) earlier than that!  This led to a wonderful "Proud Dad" afternoon.  Mollie’s Sixth Grade Science Classroom was filled with little "Mollie-touches" and the kids were very interested to meet me.  With class material being reviewed and interesting multi-media tools being used, it was amazing to watch my daughter in action.  It was clear that she is quite good at filling young minds with scientific knowledge and work ethics.  About 20 minutes after I arrived, we moved to the Cafeteria, where I picked up lunch for myself (chicken alfredo with broccoli, a pear and strawberry milk) and Mollie (chicken sandwich, carrot sticks and chocolate milk).  Back in Mollie's classroom, I got to enjoy some time with kids who'd actually signed up to pepper me with questions.  They asked me about Mollie as a child, things that I had done in my career, whether I was proud of my daughter and whether I liked "Mr. S" (Mollie's boyfriend).  I did my best to answer and Mollie was very obliging to the students.  Eventually, though, she resumed her instruction and the kids forgot about my visit.  After nearly two hours with Mollie's students, I goodbye to my daughter (1420), I headed towards Fredericksburg.  By then, the weather was mostly warm (high 60s) and the skies were overcast.  Fortunately, traffic was not bad and I arrived at Alex and Mollie's home at about 1500.  Mollie had given me a key so I was able to resume teleworking immediately.  During this window, I'd hoped to play with Maple (who was home in her crate) but she seemed afraid of me (or unsettled without her humans?).  In the end, I only let her out and she sat quietly until Alex and Mollie arrived at the house (1700).  Meanwhile, I finished my teleworking (I also used some leave to cover the time in the NWR and at Mollie's school).  With the work day completed, I joined my daughter on a nice walk near the apartment complex (1715).  Along the way, we spotted a pretty bluebird and had a really nice conversation.  Back at the apartment, Mollie made something she called "chorizo dirty rice" for our dinner.  It was very good and I had a nice time talking to Alex and Mollie while we ate.  We also enjoyed some wine that Mollie had gotten at the Dollar General (she was proud of the money saved).  Afterwards, Mollie gave me some of my mail that had been delivered since my last visit.  More funny:  Mollie checked her mailbox that evening and found that three out of four of the items in there were for me!  We capped off the evening by watching "License to Wed" movie.  At 2145, we said good night and I adjourned to the guest room.  For the rest of the evening, I did some reading and Duolingo in bed - I didn't turn out the light until 2300.  What a great day in Virginia - I really enjoyed watching my daughter succeed in her new career!  

Nomad Life - Day 189

This morning, I was up at 0615 but was still tired.  Fortunately, I managed to get back to sleep until around 0800 (and felt much better, as a result).  After that, I got ready for my day before heading downstairs.  In the living room, I played with Gipper.  Meanwhile, everyone else was moving very slowly.  Since the previous evening, there had been a lot of "planning" for a brunch that seemed like it would never come.  To her credit, Kelly did ask a lot of people if they wanted to meet up with me - sadly, most people were busy.  With the free time, I worked on eBird and blog entries - later, I started watching episodes of "Murder She Wrote".  Along the way, John made me a "low carb" breakfast sandwich.  That was good because no one else was ready to depart until 1130.  By that point, the plan was to head to Del Rey (Alexandria) and meet Stephanie. We departed from Kelly and John's at 1215.  By then, it was already over 70s degrees and sunny.  We drove (via the HOV lanes on I-495) to Old Town and eventually found a place to park near Rustico, a pizza and sandwich shop that we've often visited over the years.  Stephanie was already there when we arrived (1230) and, once we got seated, I ordered an "Old Virginia" (Old Fashioned) and something called a "Pizzaiolo" (open faced sandwich with spicy Italian sausage, marinara sauce and two sunny side up eggs).  The food was good but also very spicy.  During this time, I also tried some of Stephanie's pepperoni pizza (also good).  As usual, our little group had a great conversation, with lots of news to share since our last gathering.  Meanwhile, it started getting very hot (low 80s!).  Another funny thing that happened was that John kept very entertained by the cars running red lights in the streets right next to our outdoor table.  At 1415, we wrapped up our visit and, after saying goodbye to Stephanie (about 15 minutes later), we drove back to Vienna.  It felt so very warm and I was still tired from my late bedtime - for this reason, I decided to take a nap when we arrived back to Kelly and John's.  This turned out to be a good idea because I was probably in my bed for about two hours (1530 to 1730).  When I woke up again, I got ready to go for a walk.  Before departing Kelly and John's, though, I packed my cross country skis in the car top carrier.  What a disappointing season on the trails this year - I almost never had any good snow opportunities and only logged 9.2 miles...  With the late hour (and remaining heat), I had to think about where I might want to walk.  Frankly, I wasn't in the mood to fight traffic in the DC Metro area... In the end, I left my car parked and just walked around in neighborhoods near Kelly and John's (started at 1820).  As I expanded out from their place, I realized I was actually within about 10 minutes (walking) from the Dunn Loring / Merrifield Metro Station.  There were a lot of interesting activities going on in nearby parks and at local eating/drinking establishments - the restaurants/stores near the Metro station all looked very good.  Surprisingly, I logged about 3.2 miles in the 80 degree temps.  When I reached Kelly and John's home again (1935), I joined them in a delicious (homemade) dinner of rice and Thai seasoned chicken (with green beans).  While eating at their dining room table, we had some more good conversation.  I told them about my upcoming plans and they told me about a trip they were planning.  We finished eating at 2030 and then sat down in their living room to watch a little TV (we saw a "Bible Movie" about Sarah and Hagar).  At 2145, even after my nap, it still felt like time for bed.  Bidding my friends "good evening", I went back to the guest room and did some reading.  I also caught up on emails (updated the Thanksgiving folks) and texts (lots of "thank you" messages from recent get togethers...  Bedtime was at 2300.  This could have been one of the laziest days I've had during my Nomad Life but it was definitely needed!

Nomad Life - Day 188

With a wide-open weekend day, I didn't figure on getting up early.  However, the hotel conditions weren't the best for sleeping and I was awake by 0615 (no alarm set).  Trying to make the most of the situation, I did some reading, puzzles and Duolingo before moving on to blogging and social media updates.  At 0800, I went to "breakfast" (hardly any food and no drinks but coffee) in the Lobby of the Econolodge (Clarks Summit).  I went back to my computer after that and didn't check out of my room until 1030.  By then, it was 38 F and overcast.  I wasn't in the mood to battle traffic on I-81 so decided to take the "scenic route" to the west.  Leaving Clarks Summit, I used Shady Lane Road to reach PA-307 and then followed Country Club Road, along with some unnamed side streets to PA-92.  Along the way, I crossed the Susquehanna River (at towns of Falls & West Falls at 1055) and then followed PA-92 to PA-292.  I passed through the town of Dallas at 1110 and then got on some gravel roads that continued west.  Next, I accessed PA-309 but it was only for minutes - after that, I followed more back roads.  Eventually, I found myself on PA-415 and then made it to the (more substantial and direct) PA-118.  I followed this road into Ricketts Glen State Park (1145) and then continued north on PA-487 so I could do some hiking in the center of the park.  I had to climb a big hill - I learned later that it was called Red Rock Mountain (2449 feet).  During this time, I snacked on some more baked goods that Eileen had packed for me - mmmmm...  At 1155, I reached the Visitor Center (located in Colley Township in Sullivan County) for the State Park - sadly, it was closed.  I spent time looking at paper and wooden sign maps until I figured out what the best trail for me was.  The park had Ice Climbing options!  After a short drive, I parked at the closest trailhead (lots of road closures) and got geared up for a walk in the woods.  From the car, I used the Lake Rose Trail to reach the Lake Rose Parking Lot (closed to cars).  Nearby, there were signs that the Falls Trail was closed (Mud Season?) - there was actual police tape crossing the entry to the trail.  I heard a local lady giving other hikers guidance that the falls were accessible via a different route.  Following this advice, I didn't try to hike on the Falls Trail and, instead, took the Bear Walk Trail.  I was the only person on that trail and I eventually discovered that it only tracked went east.  I wanted to go south, towards the water, so ended up bailing on trail and backtracking on the road for a while.  After a little while, I used a dirt road to return to the Bear Walk Trail.  When I reached the Lake Rose Parking Lot again, I saw a dad and his two sons bypassing the police tape for the Falls Trail.  Hoping to find the scenery I'd been seeking for over an hour, I followed them and soon encountered some pretty waterfalls.  There was no evidence of ice climbing opportunities with the warm temperature but I could imagine the appeal when the water was frozen...  After lingering for a little bit, I backtracked to my car.  By 1325, I'd finished a hike of about 3.7 miles and felt good about my detour through the "wilderness" of north central PA.  Returning to my drive towards Northern Virginia, I used PA-487 to return to PA-118 and then drove west.  I reached Hughesville (Lycoming County) by 1355.  By then, it was 46 F and the sun indicated warmer temperatures ahead.  Using PA-405, I headed to I-180.  This drive went well until Google Maps suggested that I exit on to PA-147.  Soon after that, I crossed the Susquehanna River again (West Branch).  Beyond that, I followed US-15 to US-11 and the town of Shamokin Dam.  I arrived there at 1435 and parked briefly at the Northumberland Boat Club Snyder County.  The river was covered with all kinds of seagulls and my temperature gauge read 49 F.  After my brief pause for birding, I got back on US-15 and followed it to the south.  Initially, there was a LOT of traffic and annoyingly long cycle lights.  Later, it got faster and I felt even better when I transitioned to US-22 (Google Maps' suggestion).  This decision caused me to cross the Susquehanna River for the third time during the day.  Just after that, I got off the four lane highway and took PA-443 into Harrisburg.  Alongside the (mostly one way) road, I noticed an interesting bike path (I figured out later that it was called the Capital Area Greenbelt).  Passing through the northwestern corner of Harrisburg (1530), I crossed the Susquehanna River for the fourth (and final) time.  Shortly after that, I noticed the temps had risen to 58 F and that the scenery looked very familiar.  Within minutes, I understood - I had rejoined US-15 and was following my "normal" route to the DMV...   My friend, Kelly, texted that she and her husband (John) weren't going to get home until almost 1900 so I immediately saw an opportunity to stop for Mass.  A quick web search revealed that I was only three miles from St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Mechanicsburg - and they had a Mass scheduled for about 10 minutes later.  I headed over there immediately and joined the packed pews for the 1600 Mass.  The church seemed quite vibrant and had a giant Parish Hall attached to the main sanctuary.  When the service was over (1655), I drove back towards US-15 and, after getting stuck at the lights while driving through Dillsburg, decided to get some dinner at the Arby's there.  While eating my meal (1805 and beyond), I had some strong Deja Vu feelings about the many times I'd been in the area - all those trips to hike the Appalachian Trail in the northeast...  In fact, it was right in this parking lot when I realized my 1998 Ford Explorer had bought the farm.  Once I was done eating (1725), I continued on US-15.  Fortunately, the speeds picked up tremendously as I drove south.  I passed through Emmitsburg (MD) at 1750 and was soon transitioning to I-270.  There was a traffic jam just north of Rockville (due to a cop pulling over an expensive car).  Once I got beyond that, it was mostly smooth sailing to I-495.  There was the normal slow down at the Cabin John Bridge but I made it into Virginia by 1850 and arrived at Kelly & John’s (in Vienna) at 1900.  It seemed like a long time since I'd visited them at home but it was also very familiar.  I also got a bonus this time: Aidan (Kelly's son) arrived a bit later - it was good to see him (all "grown up") after so many years.  For a short time, we hung out in the living room.  Later, though, we walked a short distance to Open Road for drinks (arrived at 2000).  Kelly, John and Aidan bought dinner but I resisted the temptation.  Along the way, we met another one of their friends (another John) and everyone talked about their Trivia Team (they'd all been to a tournament earlier in the day).  Aidan and Kelly departed earlier but John and I stayed at the restaurant until about 2230.  After walking back to John & Kelly's, John and I took Gipper for a walk.  For the rest of the evening, we all visited (with some bourbon) - it was well after midnight before I even thought about bed...  I didn't' note the time but I think I finally settled down to sleep at 0100.  What a great weekend day!

Nomad Life - Day 187

Sadly, my visit with Eileen and Mika in New York's North Country was scheduled to come to an end today.  It's been a good visit, filled with outdoor adventures, fun times with the dog, great conversations and challenging cooking projects.  In anticipation of the proverbial "clock running out", I was awake at  0545 (no alarm needed).  I started teleworking immediately and then met up with Eileen in the living room at 0615.  We spent time together eating breakfast, working on puzzles and relaxing by the woodstove before she got heavily into packing, cleaning and getting ready for work.  Meanwhile, I returned to my computer to log some more hours.  In her usual whirlwind style, Eileen successfully made all her checkpoints and deadlines and we said goodbye at 0815.  The house was very quite after she and Mika were gone...  After that, I kept teleworking for the rest of the morning, taking only short breaks to get ready, clean up areas where I'd been living during the week and packing up my stuff.  Meanwhile, it started snowing outside (at about 1030) and didn't let up at all for several hours.  By the time I wrapped up my work day (1200), I had a little more time to do some "chores" (mostly firewood and kitchen cleanup) before I left Eileen's.  When I started loading the car (1215), temps were sitting at 29 F and it was still snowing heavily.  I had to spend another 10 minutes cleaning off the car before I could even get out of the driveway.  Carefully (and very slowly), I made my way through treacherous wintry conditions and increasing traffic towards the west (on US-11).  I let Eileen know that I'd be passing through Canton on the way and she suggested I stop by to say goodbye again.  With some effort, I made it to the SLU Campus at around 1255.  Eileen and Mika were just crossing a busy streety when I was parking and Mika (with Eileen's permission) raced across the quad to greet me.  That felt good...  The timing worked out good for both of us - she had decided to head home to grab her bags before departing for the airport in Plattsburgh (she was headed to Florida for her Spring Break).  For real this time, I got back on US-11 and drove west to Gouvemeur.  On the way, I passed several cars in ditches and generally snarled traffic.  It was a surprise to get some calls from Eileen during this window but we shared intel on the weather and other things that were happening - that was nice.  Google Maps surprised me again by taking me off the route I've been using since 2014 (US-11 to I-81).  This time, I ended up on CR-52, which took me to NY-22.  In a few places, I got annoyed with slow moving trucks and passed them when I could.  I passed the time with audiobooks. Along the way, I drove through the towns of Oxbow (1400) and Theresa.  After the latter location, I followed Mill Street and Main Street, which became NY-26.  This road took me to NY-411 and, finally, I-81 (1420).  Meanwhile, the snowy roads started to clear and the steady snow turned into rain.  I also watched the temps climb from 33 F in St. Lawrence County and rise to 41 F by Jefferson County.  On the Interstate, there were LOTS of cops.  Even though I didn't need more reasons to slow down, I soon found myself driving through areas of extremely low visibility.  Traffic still moved pretty well until I reached the northern end of Syracuse.  I noticed a (new?) bypass but Google Maps kept me on I-81 until I was stuck in a "20 minute delay" traffic jam (mostly due to construction) in Syracuse (1535).  I saw some opportunities to escape the "You are still on the fastest route" though - I ended up using city streets on the west side of the city until I could access I-690.  After that, it was smooth sailing on I-81 again.  I stopped in Binghamton for gas (Speedway) and lunch/dinner (McDonalds) at 1650 but then made a mistake on my food order.  I was honest with the staff (about how I was trying to observe Lent) and they fixed the problem for me (fish filet sandwich).  While waiting, I made a hotel reservation (actually found a pretty good deal for a reward night).  After all the excitement, I departed (1720) towards the south.  At around that time, I started thinking about how many times during the last two months that I'd returned to a place where I'd been earlier ("figure eights" or "loops").  Meanwhile, I continued south on I-81 and into Pennsylvania (crossed the border at 1740).  The weather turned nasty again and the 25 miles of road construction didn't make the drive any easier.  At times, I was being splashed by cars/trucks in front and on the sides and it made it very hard to see out of the window...  I passed the time with more audiobooks and some of Eileen's delicious homemade desserts (she'd packed me a container).  After battling traffic, the elements and growing fatigue, I arrived at my hotel, the Econolodge (Clarks Summit) by 1815.  Almost immediately, I recognized the building and location - I’ve definitely been here before.  Unfortunately, the quality seems to have dropped off and I had to contend with insects roaming the room, long hairs on my sheets, open construction areas (walls, floors), loud neighbor noise, etc. Since it was rainy outside and I wasn't in the mood to go back outside, I just sucked up the conditions.  Instead of getting annoyed, I spent the rest of the evening watching streaming services and trying to catch up on my blog entries (falling way behind).  I also logged back into my work computer to see if I'd missed anything important since logging off after a half day (used leave for the rest).  A bit later, it a nice treat to get some texts with Eileen (she had made her flight to Florida).  The rest of the evening was filled with reading and prep for the following day.  Finally went to bed at 2215 after covering a lot of driving distance - tomorrow should be more relaxed.  I hope the weather will be better...

Nomad Life - Day 186

This morning, I woke up (feeling very rested) at 0500.  With the extra time, I did some reading and worked on puzzles before starting my telework day.  Eileen had told me that she planned to leave for a women's workout group at 0600 but didn't actually get going until about 0545.  This allowed us about 15 minutes of visiting before she departed.  Like yesterday, I was planning to stay at her home all day.  Unlike the previous day, however, Mika didn't stay home.  Once the whirlwind of dog and human had left the house, I ate breakfast and then returned to work.  After about an hour, I left Eileen's house and drove north (on US-11) to the Subaru Dealership in Potsdam (Barstow Motors).  My intention was to try to get my 96K Maintenance completed during the lull before my drive towards Virginia.  When I arrived (0715), it was clear that the garage was very busy.  For the first time in all the stops I've made at Subaru Dealerships across the country in my Nomad Life travels, there appeared to be no way I'd be getting any service because they said they were booked for over a week in advance.  Fortunately, a manager looked through his schedule and told me he'd try to find a spot for my simple service (oil change and tire rotation).  Eventually, he was able to get me a 1515 appointment but I had already driven back to Eileen's to resume my work day.  Meetings kept me busy until lunch time and then I took the opportunity to go through a box of mail that Eileen had been keeping for me since the Summer time.  With almost six months of various magazines, letters and junk, it took more than an hour for me to sort through everything.  Along the way, I burned most of the sensitive materials but left the empty envelopes for Eileen to use as fire starter (she later decided to recycle the paper at work).  During this same window, I made lunch for myself.  By 1230, I had resumed my work day.  She'd mentioned that it was a possibility, but I was still surprised when Eileen suddenly arrived home at 1330.  For my part, I thought we might have a chance to take a walk or go somewhere fun.  This didn't end up being the case, though - she started making the mini avocado/lime dessert we'd talked about prior to my arrival.  This baking project involved a lot of delicate skills and it soon became clear that she'd be occupied for quite a while.  Sadly, it was hard to even talk to her because she needed to use a food processor and kept getting calls from friends and relatives.  I'd previously toyed with canceling my "pop up" car service, in the hopes that we'd have time to go hiking somewhere.  We discussed this, at length, but never made any decisions.  By about 1445, it was clear that we weren't going anywhere.  Instead, I departed for the Subaru Dealership (1500) and left Eileen to finish the baking.  I dropped off my car at 1515 and, while waiting for the maintenance technicians, walked around in the neighborhood behind the dealership.  Along the way, I located the local hospital and got a "snail's pace" view of Potsdam.  By 1550, I received a call from the service department that indicated my car was ready.  While I was returning to the dealership, I heard from Eileen - she informed me that she'd headed off to provide EMT support at a house fire.  She added that she didn't think she'd be too long...  During this time, I ended up reaching 8.5K of my step count (just over three miles) and had picked up my car (1600).  After returning to Eileen's house, I resumed my telework day.  Not surprisingly, Eileen did not come back quickly...  This allowed me to finish the rest of my hours for the day before she finally got home (1730).  Upon realizing that there wasn't enough time to make dinner with the food in the house, Eileen asked if we could make alternate arrangements.  By then, I was ready with a suggestion and she accepted the first offer - we ended up deciding to get takeout from the Royal India Grill in Potsdam.  I made a phone  order and Eileen continued making the "mini healthy key-lime pies".  We also did some laundry (she had been waiting for more clothes before she ran her own).  At 1815, we departed her house and drove into town to pick up the food.  While she was at Royal India, I went next door to Royal Liquors and got a bottle of cabernet sauvignon (1830).  While driving home, I thought we might stop at Lehman Park but we didn't for some reason (in the end, this meant that my 10K step goal was never reached).  At the house, Eileen wrapped up some of her household tasks and then we sat down to dinner.  The choice of menu items ended being very good - we enjoyed garlic naan, vegetable pakora, Tandoori Chicken Tikka and Lamb Korma (mild spices).  Everything (including the wine) was very good and it was nice to relax with Eileen for another good meal.  And I didn't have to sweat making it myself!  We were done eating at around 2000 and then spent time cleaning up the kitchen.  After that, we sat by the woodstove and had fun working on puzzles and talking.  Outside, it got dark and, as I expected, Eileen started to fall asleep.  As had happened the previous night, she only lasted until about 2100.  I thought we'd be calling it a night but she woke up and, with some kind of second wind, seemed happy to rest with me in the warm living room.  By 2200, we were both ready to retire but I did a little bit of reading and Duolingo before turning off the lights (2215).  Maybe today actually did turn out to be "normal" after all...

Nomad Life - Day 185

After yesterday's amazing day in Canada, it was hard to return to "normal."  My body seemed to be ready for a new day, though and I woke up at 0615 without an alarm.  For some reason, I smelled smoke and guessed that Eileen had woken up earlier to stoke the fire.  Before investigating, though, I sstarted teleworking and only later joined Eileen in the living room - she had, indeed, been working with the woodstove.  We talked for a little while and then both started to get ready for our day.  I resumed teleworking (with a short break for breakfast) and was online until 0730, when both Eileen and I drove our cars to Lehman Park so we could to take Mika for a walk.  Like yesterday, it was cold (low teens) but clear.  Despite the cold, we played frisbee, marveled at all the birds and got some exercise along the Raquette River.  Afterwards (0800), I took Mika back to Eileen's house and she went to work in Canton.  At Eileen's house, I spent the rest of the morning teleworking - with short breaks to play with Mika.  At lunch time, I started doing "chores" for Eileen.  She'd mentioned most of the items in passing, without "assigning" anything to me, but I wanted to help her out to thank her for hosting me this week.  First, I fixed a bathroom door that wouldn't stay in its track.  This required using some leftover nuts and washers from Eileen's garage but I eventually got the door working (mostly) normally.  Next, I rehung a bedroom door (Eileen had removed it so she could get a couch through) - that was much easier.  The following project was something I usually do when I'm visiting - I restocked the firewood near the woodstove.  Eileen's stock of wood has been mostly used due to the cold winter but there were still pockets of logs in various places along the eaves.  I played "Tetris" with the variously shaped logs and managed to fill up the storage area.  Finally, I (re)covered some of the legs of living room chairs with floor protectors (they'd come off and were lying on the floor in the living room). Especially during the firewood task, Mika distracted me with attempts to play with her.  I was not able to resist her charms and we had fun with a deflated soccer ball and some random sticks.  In the end, I skipped lunch (I did eat some snacks) and, feeling every accomplished, I returned to teleworking at 1300.  With my afternoon meetings completed (1415), I decided to take Mika for an excursion.  I'd hoped to walk with her at Irving Park in Potsdam but I could never find a parking spot nearby.  Instead, I drove back to Lehman Park and spent over 45 minutes there.  By then, the weather had gotten much nicer (high 20s, sunny, snow melting) and I had a good time playing frisbee with Mika.  I also kept her walking and guessing about our itinerary.  She turned this whole plan around, though, when she surprised me by going into the water - she was chasing Canadian Geese.  With this action, her Frisbee started floating away (she'd been carrying it)!  Somehow, I managed to snag it with a long stick (I was NOT going in the cold water) and then walked with it for a while, basically playing keep away.  This decision caused her to get interested in the frisbee again and we had a bit more fun.  When we got back in the car (1500), I didn't realize how wet she actually was and drove her all the way home without making sure she was dry.  It was only when we went into the house that I saw the drops of water everywhere.  Mika was very good, though, and let me put her into some towels.  She stayed in that position while I (finally) took a shower and got cleaned up from my busy day.  By 1530, I was in the kitchen, prepping the corned beef brisket we'd hoped to make the previous day.  It was no longer St. Patrick's Day but we both wanted to try the meet.  Since it took nearly three hours to prepare, I got the food started in a covered pot and then returned to teleworking.  I stayed online until Eileen returned home (1630).  By that point, I had some food and wine out sitting for her; this made her happy.  We chatted and snacked on nibbles for about 30 minutes.  Eileen was already itching to go for a walk after staying mostly still all day at work - she encouraged me to return to Lehman Park immediately.  I didn't object and we drove back there (1715) and spent about 30 minutes walking in the park, playing frisbee with Mika and walking on some of the sports fields connected with SUNY Potsdam.  By 1800, we had returned to Eileen's house and the the corned beef was nearby done with the cooking phase.  Eileen boiled some potatoes and prepared some salad.  Meanwhile, we continued drinking the wine while we set up for dinner.  Once it had rested the appropriate amount of time, the corned beef brisket turned out well - I was as surprised as anyone!  Eileen and I had another great conversation while we ate our dinner.  Afterwards, we cleaned up the kitchen and were going to settle down for another movie.  At that point, though, I received a call from Amanda and this distracted us from our conversation.  While I was talking, Eileen went into the living room and promptly fell asleep (2030).  Mika apparently didn't like that she was resting, especially when there were still some waking hours left - she woke Eileen up long enough for her to remember the movie.  Reluctantly (because I knew Eileen would never make it through), I put on "The Majestic".  Within about 30 minutes, though, Eileen had decided to retire to bed.  After that, I stayed up (with Mika) and watched most of the rest of the film.  At 2145, I was ready for bed myself - on the way out of the living room, I checked the fire.  Before calling it an evening, I did some reading and Duolingo.  Bed time was at 2215.  For the first time in many months, I felt like I was a home owner/renter - the "chores" made me feel like I had a stake in a piece of property.  It's not easy but there is some satisfaction in fixing things...

Nomad Life - Day 184

Today I took a rare day-off from my job so I could spend time with Eileen.  We'd made a plan the night before that we'd return to the site of a really nice hike I'd done in November 2024: Gatineau Park.  Anticipating this excursion, I woke up just before 0600 (with no alarm).  Outside, it had snowed and the wind was very strong - brrr!  Eileen headed upstairs to stoke the fire and I joined her a bit later.  Sitting by the woodstove, we read and did puzzles together for about an hour.  Suddenly, she got an emergency call from the EMS (car accident) and had to head out to assist (she took Mika).  Meanwhile, I worked on my blog and relaxed.  I also checked on their website to make sure that the park was dog friendly - I learned that there were some good trails for canines but the rest of the park (especially the groomed areas) were mostly off limits.  Eileen returned shortly after I got this intel and, even with the restrictions, thought the park sounded nice.  She mentioned that she thought it might be fun to stop for dinner at the Harpoon Restaurant in downtown Ottawa (we've made several unsuccessful attempts to eat there over the years).  An alternate plan for the evening meal would be to return home directly to prepare the corned beef I'd bought in order to celebrate St. Patrick's Day (Note: only later did we figure out that was a three hour cooking project...).  With our plan for the day mostly intact, I emptied the back seat of my car, clearing the clutter of my Nomad Life.  In place of these items, both Eileen and I packed up our day-trip items, including skis, snowshoes and micro-spikes.  Before departing St. Lawrence County, we stopped at Lehman Park so we could take Mika for a walk (0900).  It was bitterly cold (low teens) and very windy but we still made a full circuit of the trails.  Next (0920), we went to breakfast at the Airport Diner.  By this point, I was VERY hungry.  I got some breakfast tacos (very good) and wolfed down my meal.  Meanwhile, Eileen had ordered her "regular" breakfast and kept some leftovers.  Just before 1000, we departed Potsdam and drove towards Ogdensburg.  On the way, we stopped for (free) air for my tires in Canton (next to Price Chopper).  It was nice to get the TPMS light to extinguish...  By this point, it was clear and sunny but the freezing temps continued (low teens F).  As we made our way to the Canadian border, Eileen took a call from one of her kids and I took advantage of some low gas prices I'd found online (1100) - the Valero gas station on the outskirts of Ogdensburg was selling fuel for $0.30 cheaper than anything in Potsdam or Canton.  With these errands complete, we were ready to cross the St. Lawrence River.  Just before we headed over the bridge to Canada, the wind noticeably picked up and started spreading snow all over the roads.  This didn't bode well for a drive to the north but we continued anyway.  We paid a toll at the south side of the bridge and crossed over to Ontario.  It was VERY windy and there were serious whitecaps on the water below...  The border crossing went OK and, once we got one of our phones to show the correct routing, we headed north on ON-16 until we could get on ON-416 (four lane road).  During this time, it started getting overcast and light snow started falling.  Fortunately, the traffic was not bad.  Without saying anything, I made a note of several birds I saw (for later recording on eBird).  We soon reached the outskirts of Ottawa and switched to ON-73 (Prince of Wales Drive).  On the way through the city, we passed by the Rideau Canal (closed for the season) and through Chinatown neighborhood.  We ended up on side streets and, just when was telling Eileen that I thought the area looked familiar, we abruptly crossed the Ottawa River at the Portage Bridge.  Suddenly, we were in Gatineau (Quebec).  This was the exact area where I'd walked along the northern side of the river when I was here in November 2024.  I guess I hadn't been paying attention up until then but we were within a mile of the sandwich shop that Eileen had chosen after our earlier conversation about getting some food for a "picnic" in the Park.  I'd been happy with a local New York place called "JRecks" (apparently, a North Country "Subway") but Eileen begged me not to doom us to something so sub-standard (my pun intended).  The end result was that her suggestion won out and we soon rolled up to a non-descript building (I thought it was someone's home) that was actually a "deli" called La Petite Épicerie du Quartier.  We arrived there at about 1215 and, since it wasn't busy, ordered sandwiches (I got the #8, ham and turkey and Eileen got the #12, roast beef).  Both were made on special bread and ended up being quite big.  We also got chips, some baclava and a gift for Heidi (a box of dates).  Altogether, the bill was only $24 US - a very cheap lunch - and I complimented Eileen for her research.  By 1230, we'd wrapped up our order and I suggested we visit the nearby Jacques Cartier Park, not only so we could give Mika a walk but also so we could get views of Parliament Hill and some of the rest of the Ottawa Skyline.  This outing was not to be, though - just then, my personal "concierge" at Viking Cruises called and told me I'd been bumped from the waiting list for the "Wonders of India" Cruise to having a reserved spot!  The trip to India wouldn't take place until late 2027 but I had to act quickly or would likely miss the chance to go.  I've been on this waiting list for more than six months and the whole situation was very welcome news.  I ended up on the call for about 20 minutes - meanwhile, Eileen walked Mika in the cold and wind (along the Ottawa River).  She was back before I'd finished my call but I made sure to start driving north towards the location of the Gatineau Park Visitor Center.  We mostly used city streets because we were so close.  When we arrived (1330), the weather conditions (Jekyll & Hyde all day) had transitioned to bluebird skies.  We felt so lucky!  After putting on our micro-spikes, we went inside the Visitor Center and got maps and guidance for our walk through the woods.  Fortunately, one of the dog-friendly trail systems was located right next to the VC.  So, we started off on our walk through the forest.  By the time we got going, temps were in the mid teens but the wind had died down.  We used a little bridge to access the Sugarbush and started walking in a counterclockwise circle.  There was clearly some fresh snow on all the surfaces (including the sides of the trees) and Eileen called the images "Narnia-like" - I agreed!  There were plenty of birds in the wintry woods (more info for eBird) and we really had a nice time walking.  At one point, we tried to locate a nearby Lean-to/Shelter but couldn't find it without clear blazes or signs.  Instead, we completed a full loop around the trail system and even tried out a spur on the west side.  We were hungry by the end of the loop so returned to the car so we could eat our lunch (1430).  As expected, the food was delicious and very filling.  With the time ticking away, it was clear that we probably shouldn't try to eat in Ottawa - instead, we decided to head back to Potsdam to make dinner.  When Eileen pointed out the time required for the corned beef, she suggested a menu change (I agreed and said we could wait to decide when we got back to the USA).  Right about this point, I figured out that my micro-spikes had broken - they had a good run!  After finishing our lunch, we headed out for another few miles on the trail system; Part 2 of the visit included a completely different side of the trail system, which included road crossings, a waterfall and ice covered stairs.  We ended up on the southwest corner of the trail system when we finished and it required a road walk to reach our car.  Just then, I noticed a place called Cafe Biscotti, located right on Scott Street and just across from the Visitor Center - I suggested we stop for some coffee / hot chocolate and Eileen eagerly agreed.  Dogs weren't allowed inside but we sat on the porch and enjoyed our warming beverages.  After that, we returned to our car.  When we were finished (1520), I realized that we'd done five miles of walking since the early AM (included walk at Lehman Park) - that felt good!  After we were settled in my Subaru again, I plugged Eileen's address into my iPhone so we could return to the US and soon realized that it was going to take us via a completely different route.  Instead of heading through the middle of Ottawa, we headed south and west to the Champlain Bridge - when we crossed the Ottawa River there, we got do see some really pretty islands.  We also passed the Brittanie Conservation Area on our way to getting on ON-416.  Along the way, Eileen was very intently focused on Iditarod News and became very upset when she learned that a dog had died during the competition.  During this time, the traffic slowed us down significantly (rush hour?) but we finally got going.  The rest of the drive in Canada was mostly uneventful and our drive across the St. Lawrence River features much calmer wind and water surface,  We again crossed the border uneventfully.  By that time, Eileen was in full planning mode - she suggested we stop at a nearby Price Chopper (Ogdensburg) and we wandered around the store together until we were able to find all the food for our (revised) dinner plans.  At one point, I ended up in a funny conversation about steak at the meat counter: the Butcher suggested that I wasn't buying enough for myself ("she's going to eat all of it!").  I sheepishly replied that I usually cleaned up the table scraps so there was no need to have more to start the meal...  Eileen also picked up fun stuff (plantain chips, hummus for pretzel chips, etc.) for the rest of my visit.  We departed the grocery store at 1730 and drove back to Eileen's via the reverse route from the morning.  I thought Eileen would want to stop for another dog walk but she suggested we just get to cooking - this was a good idea because it was already 1815 by the time we started the oven.  Eileen got started with a salad and sliced up some Brussel sprouts for grilling.  Meanwhile, she told me to "cook the steak".  Yikes!  Actually, this is the third time this exact situation has happened but the mode of cooking has been different each time: once I grilled, once I used a toaster over and today I was supposed to use a cast iron skillet.  Fortunately, there were good instructions ("Rule of 3s") on the Internet and I managed to avoid destroying the good cut of meat (Ribeye).  Meanwhile, Eileen played ball with Mika in the yard...  When I was willing to take the risk of us eating the food I'd made, we sat down for dinner together.  Surprise - the steak was excellent!  Actually everything was wonderful and we washed it down with some wine/.  Along the way, we had another great conversation, reveling in the good aftereffects of our trip to Canada.  Afterwards, we cleaned up the kitchen and then Eileen suggested that I join her for some exercises in her "workout room."  She's getting ready for another long distance paddling trip and the mix of stretching, yoga and weights was really interesting and different for me.  Through most of the routine, I kept up with Eileen - but she is definitely more toned and limber...  Once we finished with the workout, we watched a horror movie (with a dog) called "Good Boy".  Fortunately, it was really more of a thriller and there wasn't any gratuitous violence or gore.  The film, which Eileen really enjoyed, ended just after 2200 and we relaxed for a bit longer, following the Iditarod updates.  Reluctantly, because the day had been so good, we called it a night at around 2230.  Before going to sleep, though, I caught up on reading - I turned out the lights at 2300.  What a great day in Canada!

Nomad Life - Day 183

Another work begins...  This morning, I was up at 0600 (before alarm) and did a little reading and puzzles before I started my telework day (0615).  I stayed online (with meetings) until noon with one break (for breakfast) in the Lobby of the Quality Inn (Watertown / Fort Drum).  Sadly, I didn't find any redeeming qualities in the hotel before I checked out of my room (1200) - it ended up being one of the least friendly places where I've stayed during my entire Nomad Life.  Fortunately, I was headed to a place with the potential for the opposite experience!  As I packed my car, I marveled at the nice weather conditions: 65 F, partly sunny and windy.  On way out of town (Calcium, officially) on US-11, I made my first stop ever at the Main Gate of Fort Drum.  I've often thought about visiting the Post - and once even looked at jobs there.  For about 15 minutes, I explored the northern part of the base, encountering lots of evidence for 10th Mountain Division.  It looked like an interesting place to return to for more exploration but I didn't want to waste my whole day there.  On the way out of the main gate, I tried to get air for my tires but found the pump at the BX was inoperative - dang...  Next, I got back on US-11 and drove towards Potsdam.  Along the way, I passed several Amish Buggies and farm fields with Amish kids playing games in their bright colored shirts and straw hats.  To pass the time, I listened to a new Reacher audiobook.  During this drive, I found it amazing that there was absolutely no snow on the ground at all - Eileen had talked about us doing some cross country skiing while I was visiting but that looked like a bust...  I arrived in Canton by 1330 and stopped for a break at Canton Island Park, where I briefly did some walking and birding.  It was still warm and overcast but now there was a hint of rain in the air.  Continuing east, I thought about stopping a few times for walks and/or food but ended up driving all the way into Potsdam.  Hoping to pick up some items that Eileen had requested (she'd shared some ideas about our cooking during the week while visiting her), I stopped at the Aldi (located just across from the Walmart) on the western edge of town.  As I was walking the aisles in there, I realized it was my first time shopping at an Aldi store.  I must admit that the prices were good, although it appeared that the business model encouraged simple shopping (bulk purchases).  Still, I was successful in picking up some items that were on my list.  Before checking out (1400), I also picked up some snacks for my "lunch" - I ate them quickly as soon as I got to my car.  Next, I drove across the road to Walmart and redeemed about a dozen water bottles in their recycling center.  Hoping to use the resulting coupon for some groceries I needed, I proceeded inside and stocked up my Nomad Life "pantry".  I was done shopping at 1425 and headed towards Eileen's home; I arrived there at 1435.  For the next few hours, I teleworked and was able to close out lots of projects from my Installation trips to Pittsburgh and Buffalo.  Meanwhile, a steady rain began.  I was still working when Eileen called (on her way home from work) at 1645.  She explained that she only had about an hour to eat dinner and seemed disappointed that we had made no plans in advance for food.  Hoping to resolve the scenario, I suggested we meet at the Cactus Grill & Cantina and she agreed.  At 1650, I wrapped up my telework day,  got in my car and drove into Potsdam.  By then, it was raining pretty steadily and I worked hard to find a good parking spot right in front of the restaurant.  This extra time resulted in a situation where Eileen was parking at the exact time I got out of the car.  After warmly greeting each other, we went inside to have a speedy dinner.  In the end, we got some specialty tacos (chicken and steak), rice and beans).  As usual (for some reason), there was a bit of confusion during the ordering process but we eventually got what we wanted.  It was good to visit with Eileen after so many months on the road.  We'd last seen each other in late August 2025 and she doesn't often use social media - as a result, there were a LOT of stories to exchange.  We wrapped up our meal quickly and, when we finished eating (1730), we went back outside to find a raging downpour.  Through this nasty weather, we drove back to Eileen's house and I showed her the groceries I'd bought (along with some bourbon and whiskey I'd brought from Pittsburgh).  We briefly discussed cooking plans for the coming days and I also got a refresher on the maintenance of the wood stove.  Eileen then got ready to go to her EMT class and departed by 1755 without Mika taking with her - I had instructions to make sure that the dog got a good walk.  During this window, the rain had let up a little, fortunately.  With plans for the walk, I got changed.  Mika fallowed me throughout the house, getting very close while I was getting ready - it was clear she knew what was going to happen!  At 1805, I drove Mika down to Hannawa Falls so we could go walking on the Red Sandstone Trail.  Mika was very excited to go with me and behaved very well, as usual.  The Dam was really loud - there was LOT of water flowing over the spillway! We managed to get about a mile of walking (I reached 5K steps for the day) but ran into a roadblock of sorts at the power lines.  There was planking and wires from some kind of construction project.  Disappointed, we turned around and started walking back to the car.  I had a thought of just repeating the route a few times but then the rain resumed and didn't show signs of stopping.  Mika and I made it to the car without too much drenching and then drove back to Eileen's (arrived at 1845).  I spent the rest of the evening relaxing, reading, doing Duolingo exercises, playing with Mika and working on my blog.  I even watched movies after I'd set up Eileen's TV to show the screen of my tablet.  At 2145, Eileen arrived home and we visited for a while in her living room.  She had lots to tell me about her (Advanced) EMT training!  During this discussion, we cracked open one of the whiskey bottles and had an enjoyable discussion.  Some of it was focused on our plans for the following day because we both planned to take leave and have an outdoor adventure with Mika.  Before we knew it, the clock read 2315 and we decided to head to bed.  Before going to sleep, I read and checked on current events - my lights were out completely at 2330.  Very glad to be back in the North Country and with Eileen!

Nomad Life - Day 182

I had another weekend day of mostly cloudless weather in the forecast and was itching to make the most of it!  Due to the dryness in the hotel room (parched), I was wide awake at 0400.  I tried to go back to sleep because I wasn't ready to wake up and ended up sleeping until 0830!.  I had to hurry after that... At 0845, I went to "breakfast" (sparse choices) in the Lobby of the Days Inn (Liverpool/Syracuse).  Beyond that, I felt like there was barely enough time to get ready to leave in time for Mass at a nearby Catholic Church.  The good news was that there weren't many good distractions because the WiFi was still acting (couldn't do Duolingo exercises but managed to read and do puzzles).  When I checked out (1015), I learned that there had been some sort of disturbance near by room during the night (at 0230) - fortunately, I'd slept through that...  Outside, it was overcast and cold (32F).  I'd meant to drive down to the shore of Onondaga Lake but there wasn't time.  Instead, I drove east (on city streets) so I could go to 1030 Mass at St. Daniel’s Syracuse (village of Lyncourt).  There were several features of the service (Latin, kneeling for Eucharist, etc.) that seemed familiar from my many years at Sacred Heart Lebanon.  At 1130, I existed the church and did some map research to plan for my pursuit of North Country Trail miles in the area.  By 1145, I was ready to go - I used NY-298 to reach East Syracuse and then followed several residential streets until I arrived in Canastota (1215).  I stopped briefly to marvel at the Greystone Castle and saw signs for a nearby Boxing Hall of Fame (didn't visit that).  My first NCT stop of the day was at the Mount Pleasant Cemetery on the south end of town.  I found the trailhead there at 1220 and walked through the gravestones (0.1 miles) until I found the place where the trail headed west into the woods.  There was a sign there that said the trail was closed due to flooding so I didn't spent any more time nearby.  Instead, I returned to the center of Canastota (NY-5 and NY-13), following the light blue blazes of the NCT in my car for 1.2 miles, and found a parking lot for the Erie Canal Towpath (1235).  From there, I walked on the NCT for 2.2 miles - all the way to Court Street (on the eastern edge of town) and back.  Overall, this walk yielded 4.5 miles of outdoor activity for the day.  Sadly, the trail markings were very inadequate - I only saw only blue blaze on canal (Montana Bound direction) during the walk.  I was able to do a lot of birding during this part of my day; the highlight of the entire walk was the "Canada Goose Whispering" I did every time I encountered members of a HUGE flock that had perched on the edge of the towpath through the entire section.  Several of the birds were very brave and didn't move but others made a big production about being disturbed...  By 1405, I'd wrapped up my hike and decided to resume the driving portion of my NCT day.  Since a majority of the trail nearby was still following the Canal Towpath, I decided to drive towards Rome (using NY-13 and NY-5).  I stopped for lunch at Wendy’s in Oneida (1425) and ate in the restaurant.  During this time, I made hotel reservations.  When I was finished eating (1450), I got on NY-46 and followed that to NY-365A, which took me to NY-365.  Outside, the temps had risen to 43 F!  Before long, I found myself on NY-26 and had entered the outskirts of Rome.  For the first time during the day, I encountered snow and ice on the ground (although it was quickly melting).  It was also very windy. I followed city streets, past Fort Stanwix, until I reached Mohawk River Trail Parking on Chestnut Street (1525).  My NCT wasn't clear before I arrived but it soon became clear that the trail continued, parallel to the city roads, from that point until it turned north along NY-46.  Thus began a rather frustrating pursuit of the NCT from civilization and into the southwestern edge of Adirondack State Park.  From a paper map (PDF I downloaded before starting the drive), I thought I knew exactly where I needed to go.  So, I set up my car's odometer for the route that was depicted and started following it.  Long story short, I traveled 11.4 miles along highways, through Delta State Park and along Main Street (old state highway) before heading up Carmichael Hill Road.  I passed lots of deer and wild turkeys, climbed a huge hill and ended up getting stymied by camping trailers and standing water by the end of this route.  For reference, the starting point I used (1530) was at the corner of Wright Settlement Road on NY-46 (1530) - I ended up reaching a dead end at the top of Mezzler (or Mesler) Hill Road (1605).  This whole route was where the trail was indicated to be on the paper map but I never saw any blazes during the entire route.  I learned later (researching on an interactive NCT map) that the trail had (at some point) been rerouted to follow the Rome Airport fence line until it intersected Mezzler Road east of the dead end I found.  No matter - I'm going to count the miles I did and move on with my life...  Back to the present: from the dead end, I backtracked to Carmichael Hill Rd and used it to find Bloody Hill Road.  Unfortunately  that was an unplowed section of the (actual) NCT and I didn't dare try to drive through 8-10 inches of snow.  Instead, I continued east to Lewis Road.  Meanwhile, it got very sunny.  I eventually got on Steuben Road (CR-74) and used it to find Latteiman Road.  From that intersection, I drove west to try to intersect the NCT again.  Sadly, this route led to another (unplowed road) dead end.  I gave up by search for any NCT blue blazes at 1630.  Dang...  Hoping to reframe my search to something more achievable, I next drove to Boonville (via CR-74 & NY-12).  There was lots of snow on roads and the wind kept making things worse.  I was VERY careful...  After driving into Boonville itself (1645), I stopped to try to get air for my tires) at a gas station - unsuccessful.  Continuing my search for NCT blazes, I next took Woodgate Dr and Hayes Rd - along the way, I passed several places where I could see the Black River Canal Towpath (later learned that it was the actual NCT).  Before long, I reached Millers Woods Road and found a place where the Canal Towpath ended in the town of Forestport (1700).  From that point, I did another NCT Drive, this time for 8.4 miles in the direction of Vermont.  I started at eastern end of Black River Canal (Forestport) and actually saw some some blazes.  Next, I got on Woodhull Road and drove east.  The "main route" eventually became North Lake Road (CR-73) and, before long, I reached the town of Ohio (Herkimer County).  After that, I entered ADK and continued during until I reached the Stone Dam Trailhead (1725).  Sadly, the lot had not been plowed and the snow on the trail was noticeably deep.  With this "dead end", I wrapped up my NCT explorations for the day - not feeling  entirely successful...  However, I also learned that I'd done some NCT miles in January 2015 that I'd never known I completed.  Back then, I'd driven along NY-28 between the towns of McKeever and Thendara (9 miles) and then another section (on the same day) in the town of Inlet, between South Shore Drive and Limekiln Lake Road (0.8 miles).  I decided to take credit for those miles and add them to today's total.  From that point, i entered "get to the hotel" mode.  First, I backtracked to NY-28 (south) and used it to reach CR-75.  After a little bit of driving, I rejoined NY-12 (north).  I passed through Boonville again and then reached Port Leyden (Lewis County) by 1750.  Along the way, I listened to audiobooks.  Google Maps eventually put me on NY-26 and I used that road to get to NY-3.  As I approached Watertown, my map app took me on a series of side streets that followed fence line for Fort Drum until I was able to get on NY-342.  I arrived at my hotel, the Quality Inn Watertown / Fort Drum (located in Calcium near US-11) at 1850.  After checking into my hotel (least friendly desk clerk on the entire Nomad Life Adventure), I made dinner in my room and (with good Internet for once) worked on my Blog, eBird and (finally) some Duolingo.  Part5 of the evening was dedicated to making plans with Eileen (via text).  After that, I did some reading - I later started watching movies.  Bed time was at 2300.  What an amazing day of highs and lows, outdoor weather shifts and a sense of accomplishment that I might be able to complete a large portion of the (nearly) 5000 miles of the North Country Trail!  NCT Today = 22.6 miles (plus added 9.80 missed miles from 2015) / Grand Total NCT (corrected) = 165.6 miles

Nomad Life - Day 181

With a full weekend day ahead of me, I decided to explore as much of the Finger Lakes region as was possible in 24 hours.  This morning, I woke up at 0530 but then managed to doze for another hour.  After making the decision to wake up, I worked on Duolingo, puzzles and reading before moving on to Blog updates and planning for the coming day.  Meanwhile, there was ice and snow on the cars outside - it was also very windy.  At 0800, I went to breakfast in the Lobby of the Best Western (Palmyra).  There were lots of LDS "Docents" there, passing out literature, but they left me alone.  Back in my room, I updated my Nomad Life "fans" on social media.  There were still problems with the WiFi so I didn't stay at the hotel very long.  At 1010, I packed up my car and departed Palmyra.  As I'd seen from the window, the conditions were icy and windy (temps right at freezing), with flurries being added to the mix.  From my hotel, I drove south on NY-21 until Google Maps told me to turn east on NY-96.  Realizing I'd miss one of the nearby lakes, I turned around and got back on NY-21 again.  This decision allowed me to reach Canandaigua Lake by 1030.  After exploring the marina and taking a look at an interesting paddle wheel lake boat, I made my way to nearby Canandaigua Lake State Marine Park.  I found several interesting kinds of birds there but there wasn't much in the way of infrastructure.  Wanting to get more out of the day than just a lakeside view, I resumed my drive.  I first used US-20 (it's been interesting to encounter this road so often in my Nomad Life travels! and then got on County Road 5.  Along the way, I passed some hunters - they'd set up elaborate decoy systems to hunt ducks and geese.  Unlike my last encounter with hunters, I didn't see any birds get killed...  Before long, I was on NY-14A and had entered Yates County.  I reached the town of Penn Yan by 1120 and followed signs to Keuka Lake.  I'd hoped to reach the nearby State Park but it soon became obvious that it was going to be much more of a detour than I wanted.  Instead, I followed the edge of the lake on NY-54A until I reached Keuka Park (1130).  From there, I ended up backtracking to Penn Yan and parking at Indian Pines Park (1140), where I did some more birding.  Once I had my fill of Finger Lake #2 for my day, I drove back into the center of town and got on NY-54.  As I was approaching Seneca Lake (from the west), I noticed a sign for Spotted Duck Frozen Custard (1150).  Since it was going to open at 1200, I relaxed in the parking lot until I was able to order two scoops of goodness: Toffee Gingerbread & Seneca Salted Caramel.  After enjoying my "lunch", I continued east to NY-14 and then followed the shoreline of Seneca Lake to the north.  During this time, I passed by a LOT of wineries ("Seneca Wine Trail").  I didn't make any stops, though...  Instead, I reached Geneva (1225) and explored the waterfront there; I also made stops at the Finger Lakes Visitors Center (got tourism brochures) and Seneca Lake State Park.  Before long, I continued east on US-20.  At one point, I passed through the town of Waterloo, which touted itself to be the "Birthplace of Memorial Day".  My main target, however, was the town of Seneca Falls - I arrived there at 1300.  For the next two hours, I immersed myself in the "small town America" feel of the town, which was where the drive for Women's Suffrage began in 1848.  Seneca Falls later served as the inspiration for "Bedford Falls" (of movie fame).  I visited Women's Rights NHS (Visitor Center, Wesleyan Chapel, where the "Declaration of Sentiments" was signed, and the Elizabeth Cady Stanton Home).  Later, I warmed myself with the nostalgia and friendly faces of the "It's A Wonderful Life" Museum (lots of artifacts made by fans, signed by stars of the movie, donated because they looked like items in the movie).  Across the Canal (which I walked along on a paved pathway), I noticed there was a "Women's Hall of Fame".  During my visit, the temps were 39 F and the weather was overcast and windy.  At one point, I crossed a steel bridge that had "It's A Wonderful Life" signage ("George Bailey", "Bedford Falls", etc.) and then paid my respects to a local hero (and Italian immigrant who inspired Frank Capra) who sacrificed his life to save a woman trying to commit suicide.  Before departing the area, I visited one of the Canal Locks - I even was able (signs encouraged it) to walk across the river (dam and lock) there!  Finished with my visit at 1500, I drove towards the east.  Along the way, I passed a gas station with HUGE lines - with the Iran War ongoing, that didn't bode well for my nearly empty gas tank.  Setting aside that concern for a moment, I visited my next Finger Lake (#4): Cayuga Lake.  There was a State Park right where the road ended and I stopped there for some birding (1510).  There were a LOT of birds on the water!  Next, I backtracked to a Casino (Lakeside Entertainment) I'd passed and checked out the Seneca Nation gas station there - unlike the other location, there were no lines.  The price ($3.13) was MUCH cheaper than everywhere else but the 90 Octane Unleaded made me curious.  Oh well - I was able to figure out how to make the pumps work (and helped another lady who was having trouble) and had a full tank of gas by 1520.  Unfortunately, my TPMS was still acting up and there was no free air available at the station. Departing the are, I used NY-89 and US/20 to reach Montezuma NWR - from there, I took NY-326 to the town of Auburn.  My main reason for visiting this area was so I could explore sites connected with the Harriett Tubman NHP.  Using Google Maps (and brochures I found later), I located the Home for the Aged & Indigent Negroes site and, a short distance away, the Thompson Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church.  Noting that Ms. Tubman was buried in the nearby Fort Hill Cemetery, I figured out how to get inside and found another map.  With the latter aid, I located the Harriett Tubman Davis grave (1610); it was located in the northwest section of the cemetery under a large tree.  Her stone was marked with information that indicated she was a Veteran and the inscription said "Servant of God.  Well Done."  There were lots of flowers on her grave (it was located close to her brother's plot).  After getting in my car again, I drove to another part of the cemetery to visit the grave of Captain Myles Keough (Irishman and Catholic), who died with Custer at the Battle of the Little Bighorn; I didn't realize it at the time but I just missed seeing the burial plot of William Seward (of "Seward's Folly", Alaska Purchase fame), Secretary of State for Lincoln.  By 1620, I'd finished paying my respects to American Heroes and got back on the road.  This time, I used NY-38 and began looking for access points for Owasco Lake.  I was successful and then spent about 30 minutes (1630 to 1700) walking in Emerson Park (Auburn).  It was windy and cold but I found a lot more birds there.  With most of my daily step goal completed, I used residential roads to return to US-20 - this route took me to Skaneateles Lake (arrived at 1720).  I stopped at City Park and then tried to find a place to park.  The meters were initially disconcerting - but then I figured out that no one had been adding any money to them.  So, I left my car in a spot on the Main Street and started exploring Skaneateles.  Unlike the other towns I'd visited today, this place was on the "bougie" side of the spectrum.  There were so many restaurants to choose and there were a lot of high end shopping establishments.  My brain essentially "flipped a coin" when I stopped for dinner at Gilda's, which had a sign about pizza and small plates.  There was only one seat at the bar but it was enough room for me to order food - I got the "Sam's Favorite" pizza and washed it down with a "Cigar City Maduro" beer.  While in the restaurant, I made a reservation for hotel night near Syracuse.  Feeling full from by good meal, I departed Skaneateles at 1825 and took NY-321, NY-5 and NY-695 to reach I-690.  On the way, I passed by Onondaga Lake (Finger Lake #6 for the day) but didn't stop for photos.  After getting off the Interstate at Hiawatha Boulevard, I used Park Street, NY-137 and NY-148 to reach my hotel, the Days Inn (Liverpool/Syracuse), by 1900.  I was able to check quickly but was not impressed by the poor conditions of the room; also the WiFi was no good.  Generally, security seemed suspect so moved big chair in front of the door (the security locks and deadbolt were broken).  For the rest of the evening, I tried to ignore my "Spidey Sense" and watched movies until bedtime (2230).  Feeling very good about my Finger Lakes excursion today!