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!
