Spending Autumn in New England - #85

 

There’s no denying the beauty of fall. The colors are spectacular and often stop me in my tracks; I find myself saying out loud - “beautiful”. The front of our house is decorated with pumpkins, yellow mums and wreaths with warm autumn colors which look particularly great against the newly painted reddish-orange doors. So glad I did that!

We have just about finished preparing the exterior of the house for the impending cold weather. The final few things planned are to be done when we put up winter decorations. I hope to do some interior work this winter; filling settling cracks, touch up painting and general maintenance. 

The past couple of weeks have been really busy with outside activities. I now have two exercise classes I attend; one of them really kicks my butt while the other gets me moving but is somewhat gentler. I still try to walk everyday but it’s been a little more of an effort reaching the 10,000 steps - though I always have that goal in mind. I really struggle with my eating; I haven’t made any real progress in that area but I keep trying.     I participated in a painting class at the library, joined a class on “Edible Gift Ideas” and got some really interesting recipes for things to make. Charlie and I both finally went to Bingo at the senior center (I had been talking about it for a while; it is nice to do something together). We really enjoyed it and we will now be regulars! I also played Scrabble, and finally lead my rock painting class which was deemed a success! I am already planning a diamond art class for January and rock painting again in the spring.  It is nice to be able to give something back to our senior center.

  

Charlie spends most of his days ( and evenings) in his shed AKA Ham Shack. For the colder months, he has a propane heater he uses to warm the space. He and Minnie both love hanging out there. The Ham Radio community has meet ups every day ( on the air) as well as all kinds of challenges. 

Practicing his keyboard and creating original compositions also keeps Charlie occupied for many hours. It is wonderful he has so many interests! 

Two Sundays ago, we drove up state New York and spent a couple of days at Niagara Falls. It was a long drive ( almost 500 miles) but the scenery was amazing! The weather was comfortable and we were able to sail Maid of the Mist to see the falls up close. It was a wonderful experience!

I hadn’t been to the falls in 50 years and it was Charlie’s first time. Apparently, the Niagara area is now a big casino area too. Of course, this only added to our enjoyment! We stayed at the Seneca Niagara Resort Casino; we had a beautiful room and it was relatively inexpensive ( $85/night). Our trip home was a bit more challenging. We drove through two white-outs - one in the Buffalo and other in the Rochester areas as well as a hail storm.  I’m not really looking forward to snow in our area; I’m embracing the gifts of every 50 and 60 degree days in November!

In December, Charlie and I have secured a house sitting gig the week before Christmas. It’s in our old neighborhood in Plymouth for one of my good friends who’ll be enjoying a vacation to Portugal. We’ll be watching two cats and a dog. 

This is a win-win situation for all of us; my friend won’t worry about the care of her home and animals and we can spend time in our hometown- visit with friends, family and do some fun things. we’re already making plans! Housesitting is a great opportunity for a change in scenery and feels like a “ getaway” for us! 

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and before we know it, December will be at our doorstep. I certainly hope Mother Nature will be kind to us this winter.