Who Knew?

Sunday afternoon while out on a drive, I learned a couple of new things about Bill. As a youngster, he earned a Black belt in Tae Kwon Do, and a Brown belt in Judo. This topic came up, because he has been pursuing Aikido. I'll try to sneak a picture of him in his Gi ~ he's pretty darn cute.

Walking on Bainbridge Island

Last week, while walking with my Tuesday group along Pleasant Beach, we came across a mosaic wall that someone has been obviously working on for quite some time (the daughter of the owner of the house). And, a Bald Eagle feasting on his latest catch. (I had a picture of him on here, and deleted it somehow and now the blogger won't let me upload pictures. I'll try again later).

Today, while walking in the Port Madison area, our leader (Ron) took us to a Heron habitat with over 160 nests. He said the Bald Eagles had come and ransacked the nests and most of the babies didn't survive. Who let those "evil" Eagles off the endangered species anyway? Seriously, I think Bald Eagles are magnificent.


As a side note, I got home this afternoon and listened to a message from our neighbor Janet who said there was a Sea Lion feeding in the waters off our bank. Darn, I missed him.

P.S. For those who have asked, my Vermont biking trip blog is in the works. Soon very soon!

Bicycling in Vermont

As I mentioned in my previous blog, my sister Teri and I enjoyed a lovely week bicycling in Vermont the first week of October.

A few days before our trip officially began, I was able to spend a couple of days in Utah visiting Mike, Timbra and Alani. While there, I attended the Murray Park Church of Christ Thursday evening Life Group. It was good to see some of our dear friends.

Saturday ~ Teri and I started our journey to Vermont. It was a long, but relatively easy day of travel. Teri had a bit of a tiff with the flight attendant over getting a blanket because she was cold. The attendant had an odd and extremely unprofessional reaction to her request, which after Teri went back to ask her about it, we realized was attributed to the "seatbelts fastened" light still being on. We arrived in the early evening and headed to the Sheraton. While it appeared to be a lovely hotel, they put us in a room that had a very strong chlorine smell and felt like being put in the dungeon. We called the front desk, and of course they said they were sold out, but managed to find us an alternate, more acceptable room. We stayed up late watching a very scary movie "Disturbia." I HATE scary movies ~ my sister on the other hand loves them. I was TOTALLY FREAKED OUT!

Sunday ~ we slept in a bit, enjoyed a lovely brunch and then called a taxi to take us to East Middlebury to meet up with our group at the Waybury Inn where we would begin our journey. We checked in and had to take turns helping each other carry our suitcases up two flights of stairs to our room. As we reached the second floor, we were warmly greeted by Betsy, one of our leaders. Our room was very cute, but Teri had her eye on the room across the hall (they left the doors opened until they were occupied). Throughout the next day and a half, she would wander over to the other room, enjoying their couch, balcony and bathroom. Then they had the audacity to rent "her"room, and the occupant closed the door. The nerve!
After we got settled, we made our way down to the area where our bikes would be kept. After a few adjustments, we set out on our warm up ride of 9 miles. Our ride offered us a sampling of the types of terrain we might expect over the next several days. On our route, we passed "Moo Doo," a farm famous for producing 100% composted cow manure. We also passed several antique shops, and stopped in one to browse around. A relaxing ride, other than when I (after being stopped at a stop sign) went to cross a very busy highway only to find out I was in a very low gear and could barely pedal ~ disaster averted. That evening, while we were primping, we got a sharp rap on our door informing us that everyone was waiting. Great! We've already been labeled as the "late ones!" Though in fact, we still had a couple of minutes left. We had a fantastic dinner, where everyone shared a little bit about themselves and then turned in. Actually, Teri lounged on the couch in her new "suite" across the hall while I talked to Bill on the phone.

Monday ~ we were offered our choice of 3 rides - 24-miles, 29 miles, or one that took us about a mile further into the town of Brandon. Brandon is famous for its leaf people (who were a bit skinny because not enough leaves had fallen), and Warren Kimble a well-known folk artist. Over the years, they have also done fundraisers for various causes which have resulted in colorfully decorated cats and dogs (not the real kind), and huge rocking chairs for one called "Brandon rocks." (In Seattle, we have Pigs to honor the 100th year of the Pike Place Market). Teri and I chose the longest route, so we could do a little shopping in Brandon. We were the last to leave Brandon, and the last to arrive for our picnic lunch. Does anyone see a pattern here? Our lunch was at lovely Lake Dunsmore. After eating the scraps that were left for us, we journeyed onward to our bed and breakfast. In the afternoon, we took a short van ride to the Robert Frost walk. This is a beautiful walk through the woods where posts bearing Robert Frost's poems, have been erected. We enjoyed a relaxing hike with stops to admire his work. Then we headed to an old cabin in the woods, where he would spend his time writing. We had some time to relax before heading off to dinner. Not wanting to be late again, we arrived early, only to find that the rest of the group had arrived even earlier than us!

Tuesday ~ Today's rides were 20 miles and 44 miles. We opted for the 44 miles, which meant riding our bikes from the Inn we were staying in, to the Basin Harbor Club in Vergennes (which would be our home for the next three nights). It's never a good sign when just a mile into your ride, you come across a sign that says "Caution Dangerous Hill Ahead." Not to be detered, we tackled said hill, and journeyed onward. I have to say that our mid-ride break on this ride was my favorite of the week. We stopped at a farm, and met the most wonderful VT farmer. He was very excited to take us over and show us his cows and water buffalo. He is paid 1.75/head a day. When the cows are ready to calf, they are shipped off (I think to their original homes), and the water buffalo were getting ready to head off to make mozzarella cheese and yogurt (said in a fine VT accent). We were thrilled to have met this fine gentleman, even if he did have a little cow poop on his shirt. The rumor was, he'd changed his bank appointment, so he could be there to meet all of us, especially the other Anne who was a little ways behind us. Off to Bristol, where we strolled the street (singular intended), enjoying some shopping and a light lunch. After lunch, we headed to the VBT headquarters, where we had a bathroom break and our picture taken in front of their sign. Then we took off for the second leg of our journey. After a few miles we came to a HUGE hill, on a relatively narrow road. The cars couldn't see over the hill, so were reluctant to give us our "3 feet." At one point, I stopped and when I looked back saw a school bus careening toward us. Teri was a bit further ahead and when I looked I saw her picking her bike up. Apparently, she had to ditch in order to avoid a collision. Scary. Fortunately, she was fine, just a bit shaken by the experience. The next several miles were a series of rolling hills, which I absolutely loved. The hills were manageable and going down I could fly like the wind. When next we stopped, Teri asked if I'd ever heard of brakes! It was a bit of a joke throughout the week, that if Teri wanted to get away from me, she could go up a hill, and if I wanted a break from her, I could go down a hill. Just about the time we were starting to get pooped from our trip, we saw Gerry (one of the guides). He guided us through the town of Vergennes and then road the rest of the way to Basin Harbor with us.

Once again, we were one of the last to arrive. We'd already come to the conclusion that there were several who were there for the rides and wanted to get from Point A to B with only the briefest of stops, and others who were opting for the shorter rides. Teri and I were taking the time to enjoy each day ~ stopping for pictures, shopping, enjoying a relaxing lunch ~ we loved it all!

The Basin Harbor Club is a beautiful resort located on Lake Champlain which borders VT, NY and Canada. Every where you look there are brightly painted Adirondack chairs. It is a resort in the tradition of the one in Dirty Dancing.

Wednesday ~ Ride options - 17, 22 or 30. You guessed it! We picked 30.
This particular ride was mostly about the riding and some sight seeing. We passed the marker for Benedict Arnold, and rode along the lake for awhile. We stopped briefly at Chimney Point, which is the location of one of two bridges that crosses over into NY from VT. The afternoon activity was kayaking. We were feeling like we could use a break from all the togetherness of the group, so we opted to do a cruise on the lake. There were five of us on the boat, which was captained by the current owner (4th generation) of the resort. He took us to the NY side, and all along the way gave us interesting historical facts about Lake Champlain. You may want to Google it, as its role was significant in the early wars. If I recall, there is about 180 ships sunk in the Lake. They have a Maritime Museum on the property which we visited briefly. In between cycling and boating, we enjoyed a lovely lunch served on the lawn of the resort.

Thursday ~ Ride options - 28 or 44 miles. Right again ~ 44! We completed our first loop of about 28 miles, before stopping in Vergennes. There were some "Vermont ain't flat" t-shirts we wanted to get, and were worried (okay I was worried) they would sell out. We got our t-shirts and headed out to the last loop. A few miles into our ride, were were heading up a steady hill and I felt a little pop in my knee. Never a good thing to happen. We continued on, with me taking it easy along the way. The last hill into town, which we had already tackled once was again before us (and food awaited at the top). I decided to walk most of it, concerned about the stress on my knee. We enjoyed a huge lunch, of which we each consumed only half, before heading to the chocolate shop to purchase goodies. It must have been a fluke, because I didn't have any more problems with my knee and was able to easily ride the 8 or so miles back to Basin Harbor.

Dinner was scheduled for the Red Mill, another restaurant on the property. This was probably the most unpleasant part of the trip. We were split into two tables. One table was very loud, while the other one not so much (this is the one where we were seated). They had also seated several couples, trying to enjoy an intimate meal, in the same room with us. Tired from the day and frustrated by the poor service, our entire table opted to skip dessert and walked back to the hotel. A familiar rap on our door, and there was Betsy (our leader). We had drawn names a few days before and there were plans to have a goodbye session. We all gathered in the living area, where one of the other cyclists had purchased champagne to toast the success of our week. One by one, we went around the room and shared something we had learned about our secret pal. Some very kind, thoughtful and funny comments were made. I felt bad, because the person who chose Teri's name wasn't present ~ in retrospect, I wish I had spoken up ~ Teri was a great travel partner, and we had a blast!

Friday ~ Our final day. Ride option - 21 miles to Middlebury and the end of our journey. This was a particularly interesting ride. We were able to see a covered bridge, which is part of the VT charm. And, had a great tour of a Morgan Horse Farm. There were babies everywhere! We completed our ride at a local gym, where we cleaned up, said our goodbyes and met up with our taxi to the airport. Our plane was delayed, which caused us to run through the Chicago terminal in order for me to catch my flight (which was boarding). Teri's last leg home was unfortunately delayed. She landed as I was waiting in the Seattle airport for Bill, whose plane was also delayed.

What an amazing trip! What an experience! I am so glad to have had the opportunity to go on this trip with my sister. Thanks to both our husbands for encouraging and supporting us. Throughout the week, we had opportunity to enjoy riding side by side chatting, riding with other cyclists, and at times, enjoying a few miles of quiet thoughts and beautiful scenery. I felt like it was everything I could have asked for ~ miles of beautiful VT countryside to enjoy the ever changing fall foliages, quaint towns to stop in and explore, two lovely inns, that gave us a diverse flavor of VT accomodations, some yummy food, an opportunity to get to know fellow cyclists with diverse backgrounds and interests, and time to enjoy and bond in our sister-hood!

This is my first attempt at posting a slide show...Enjoy!

"Growing old is better than not...."

This past week, I had the wonderfully fantastic privilege of spending a week cycling in Vermont with my sister Teri. We went with a cycling company called VBT, and all together there were 21 of us, I being the youngster. On the other end of the age group was another Anne (name spelled correctly of course).

Anne J. is 81. Eleven weeks before this trip, she had a bicycling accident which resulted in a fractured pelvis and dislocated shoulder. She told her doctor about her upcoming trip to VT, and he didn't seem concerned about the time frame, so she assumed it would be fine to go. On foot, Anne walks slowly and still needs a cane. On our last day, our leaders shared they had been concerned on the first day because she'd ask for a "push" to get her going on her bike. Away she went, cycling each day--and not needing another push to move her along. Not once did I hear Anne complain, she was pleasant to everyone and a joy to be around. Let me repeat -- Anne is 81.



Two days a week I am involved in our local Masters' Swim Program. One morning while waiting to begin, I was reading the various postings on the board and came across an interesting article about a lady named Bernice who was competing at the age of 79. I went to get in my lane to begin my warm-up and lo and behold there was Bernice. What a gracious, kind, friendly, and helpful lady. Over the past few weeks, we have become friendly (because we swim in the same lane and at about the same pace, and because Bernice is hard of hearing, so I am her ears).


Today, after our workout I hopped in the hottub for a few minutes. Bernice joined me and shared her swimming story... A few years ago, her husband was quite ill. She cared for her "beloved" for two years before he passed away. During that time, she gained 22 pounds. After his passing, she spent about 1 1/2 years not doing anything. Then through a friend of hers (which had something to do with getting laser hair removal at the bikini line) she decided to join Masters' swim. At the beginning, she said she had no muscle tone, had never learned any of the strokes and could only swim about a quarter of the length of the pool. She started swimming 7 days a week, and competed in her first meet 3 months later. At this point, she laughed and said "I figured I could get first place coming in last." And then she was "hooked." She shared stories of some of the meets and the competitions with me, freely admitting to loving competition. It was fun to hear her share about how much she enjoys the support of her teammates and others she has met along the way. She also shared how others have tried to "psyche" her out, but ended up getting "dq'd" because of carelessness. In May, Bernice turned 80. She started swimming 4 years ago. Let me repeat---Bernice is 80.



These two ladies have been an incredible inspiration to me. It's never too late to do something you enjoy, go slowly when necessary, don't give up, sometimes it's a race to win, other times it's enough to just finish.