I Spy Spring!

So it is 36 degrees out this morning and the skies are gray.  Monday the sun will break out and by Wednesday the forecast is for a high of 73 degrees.  My husband has plans to warm up at the driving range early in the week; we have a meeting scheduled with our tax man on Wednesday, and on Thursday my husband will hit the links with his best bud for the first time in 2016.  What does all this mean?  Spring! my friends.  Yes, hallelujah... Spring is arriving.

As I sit here enjoying my mug of steamy, rich coffee, and the fireplace warms the chilly sun room, I can't help but look forward to the spring days I know are coming (minus the tax man, of course ).  

I long to drag the bikes out of the garage and dust them off, pump up the tires, and oil the moving parts. (Yikes!I need to oil my moving parts too!).  The many trails we haven't ridden yet, beckon. Our favorite rides await repeating.  Fresh air. Sunshine. Warmth...warmth...warmth.  God's grand symbol of rebirth never fails to invigorate me. I marvel at all the signs that announce...I'm here...hang on...I'm returning...

So here is a posy ... close your eyes and picture
SPRING!!!

I SPIED SPRING

I spied
A redwing blackbird
at the feeder today.

Three fat robins
poked around in the squishiness of the thawing backyard.

I spied
clumps of tender
green snowdrops
proudly studding 
the base of my 
neighbor's mailbox 
pole.

My neighbor's little 
boys
are back at play.
Tricycles rev again
up and down
the driveway.

I walk the pups
around the loop.
Brisk March winds 
cause a few wet tears 
to form in the corners 
of my eyes.

The softly, surging sun
promises to dry them away,
leaving only flaky
                                    salt patches
                                    as a reminder...

                                    I spied
                                    Spring
                                     today.

Saying Goodbye to Autumn

I'm pretty certain that there are cold and snowy days right around the corner.
Thanksgiving is next week.  November is flying. Christmas is coming up fast.  So this past Monday when the weatherman predicted warm and sunny, Bob and I hitched the bikes to the back of the Jeep one last time before we dismantled the bike rack and tucked the bikes into the garage until spring.

We wanted to try a new venue and settled on Duke Farms, (as in Duke University and Doris Duke).  Her estate covers 2,700 acres, and is populated by lush landscapes  and nine man-made lakes such as this one we stopped to view along our way:

JB Duke, Doris's father, made his millions in tobacco as head of the American Tobacco Company.  But JB Duke also had a love of nature and a special soft spot for creating dramatic landscapes and using hydro electric power.  He had the nine lakes dredged on his vast property and even installed huge waterfalls. As we tooled along the narrow roads that wound through the park-like farm, we spied quite a few of these lakes and even one waterfall.  The farm is no longer a private residence but has been opened to the public and is run by a foundation for preserving the pristine land.

 During the Dukes' lifetimes the farm was run by dozens of workers both inside and outside of the mansion.  The staff actually had their own residences on the farm.  Bob and I passed many of these cottages on our tour.  In fact, Bob use to work with a guy who lived in one of them when his friend was a security guard for the Duke property. I sure wanted to get a peak inside one of these sweet looking cottages.  Some are still occupied by workers, so I settled for a quick picture from the front lawn.  Looks like something out of a fairy tale!

Some structures have suffered the ravages of time, like the Hay Barn.  Only the stone walls were left after a devastating fire, but Doris turned it into a sculpture garden.  She loved the arts and we got to reap the benefits of the lovely views she created.

The most stunning surprise on our adventure was the orchid conservatory.  Doris Duke was quite an eccentric lady.  Later in her life she became a horticulturist.  She was devoted to growing hothouse orchids. Luckily, the greenhouse is open to  the public and it put on a spectacular show.

Inside, the variety of orchids was amazing.  Take a look!

Spanish moss dripped from the branches that housed the potted flowers, and the fragrance was so sweet and intoxicating, I didn't want to leave.

What a lovely way to end our biking excursions for the season.  Bob and I can't wait to return to Duke Farms again in the spring when everything will be blooming and coming to life.  I know it will be spectacular and almost an entirely different experience.

Now the question is....what do we do in the winter?  Any suggestions?  What do you do for some extra fun when the snow starts? (PS.  we don't ski, skate, or snowboard!)  We old folks!

Love on the Trail

Hmm...I bet I got you interested with that title.  You just never know what you might stumble upon as you're out on the tow path biking on a beautiful fall day. That's what Bob and I discovered as we took to the Delaware biking trails again. This time we biked from Stockton to Lambertville.  We were amazed how much the leaves and trees had progressed with their fall transformation in just a few days.  Take a quick peek at some of the sights we saw...and be on the lookout for the sweet signs of love at the end of the post!

We missed this small cairn on our way to Lambertville, but on our return trip, Bob's eagle eyes ( police training I guess) spotted this lovely tribute.  It was less than two feet high but had a huge impact on the imagination.

The flat rock on left says, "I love you" and is dated August.  The flat rock on the right says, "Love was born here" and dated July 31, 2015.  It also looks like a pine tree was planted to adorn the sight.  It unfortunately appears dead, but perhaps it will bloom again in the spring and withstand the drought of this past season.  Just as I hope this young (or even better, old) love memorialized here will continue to thrive.  What could be better than young love?!

Well... on second thought...enduring love is just as wonderful, I must say.  Here's to my enduring love, who always knows how to make me happy.

Back in the Saddle Again

Couldn't help but think of that old Gene Autrey tune as Bob and I were finally able to resume our bike riding excursions.  Our Jeep has been out of commission for a month and it is the only means we have of transporting our bikes... but finally....we're back!!!

Though we missed September, a great month, perhaps even the best month for bike riding, we still should have a few good weeks left to enjoy the great outdoors before the temperatures become too cold to bear.  And enjoy them, we will!  Today we took  to one of our favorite walking trails in Frenchtown and went north toward Milford following the Delaware River.  Leaves have not gotten far in their brilliant fall process, just a few dried brown early birds littering the path.  Looking forward to the spectacle of fall.

The sun felt glorious after a full week of rain and temps in the 50's and 60's. The ride was pure bliss. Afterward, we prolonged the day by sipping some coffees on a bench outside a local shop on Main Street.   We love these quaint little river towns that adorn the Delaware. We watched the local pizza maker walk from his shop to the bank, deposit bag in hand. Two minutes later, another shop owner made the same trek.  How wonderful it must be to be able to walk from home to work, from work to errands, and back home again at the end of the day. The peacefulness of that scene was so enticing. It made me long for a simpler, slower world.

 Looking at the town's architecture too can make you easily envision  what life was like a hundred years ago.  I can almost picture the horse drawn wagons, the ladies in floor length dresses and bonnets and the friendliness that pervades a community where everyone knows everyone by name.  River towns have such history.  You can almost feel the history in the air.  You just know that Washington or some of his cohorts very likely passed through or maybe even slept in a local's home or the town's inn .  And the river, always the river, gives testament to the immigrants, the laborers, the tradesmen who toiled so hard to build the canals that gave birth to the commerce that sustained these towns.  Frenchtown honors this heritage through the sculptures of the barge mules. It's fun to see how various artists decked out their mules which are proudly displayed outside of area businesses.

The peace of our little coffee respite was disrupted by the awful and noisy Stem brothers!  More on them in a future post.  Until then, get out there and enjoy the weeks of autumn.  Snow, Ice, Nor'easters are commin' all too soon!!!!!

Travels With Bob

Good Morning Dear Readers,

Have you ever read the book Travels With Charley by John Steinbeck?  It's not one of his most well-known works, but it is charming.  Steinbeck loved America and decided to see it up close and personal way back in 1960.  He packed up his pick-up truck, Rocinante, that had been equipped with a camper, and took to the road with his French poodle, Charley, to learn about the people and land he loved. I couldn't help but think of this book when I was out on the bike paths of the Delaware again the other day with my husband Bob.  Now that we are both retired we do a lot of exploring together.  He's John Steinbeck, of course, easily chatting with every stranger we meet, and I'm his Charley, just happy to be along for the ride.  I have seen little towns and hamlets I never knew existed so close to my own hometown.  We go in search of antique shops (my passion) and eateries (his passion; he's a true foodie) and the end result is we discover lovely places and lovely people (most of the time).  We've discovered so many things, from an antique shop whose barn once stabled George Washington's horses, to an historic tavern that hosts phenomenal jazz sessions on open-mic Wednesdays.

Once my daughter's wedding is over, we should have more time to branch out in our explorations, but for now we are enjoying getting to know the lovely things Central Jersey has to offer.  I took a few snapshots of our recent bike excursion along the Deleware in Frenchtown which I share below.  I love this little town, so many cute shops, like my favorite, Thistle,  and of course quaint eating places like The Bridge Cafe, where you can get the best spinach cakes in the world and the more refined Frenchtown Inn that offers exquisite French cuisine.  Both boast al fresco dining with delightful views of the river.

This time we sought refreshment in a brand new coffee shop that Bob had read about in the Hunterdon Democrat.  After our 6-mile bike ride we stopped at the Eary Bird for some espresso to recharge!  Great place...hope it does well.

The bike ride was delightful, Spring was in full bloom.  The path was lined with feathery Queen Ann's Lace and a beautiful flower( I don't know the name of ) that appeared in  multitude shades of purple .

I even spied some buttercups.  I always think back to idyllic, childhood summer days when I see buttercups.  My friends and I would test each other's love for butter by placing the flower under your chin.  If your chin showed yellow... you were a butter lover!!!

I was amazed at how much the landcape had changed in just one week.  The trees were lush with leaves, the grasses tall and green and flowers, flowers everywhere.  The river views from this section of the path were different too from the Stockton- Lambertville stretch...but just as scenic.

If you get a chance, visit Frenchtown, NJ... another quaint river town along the Delaware.  Who knows where my "travels with Bob" will take me next.

Perfect Day

What could be a more perfect activity for a retired couple than a leisurely bike ride along the scenic Deleware River?  Nothing! Yesterday, Bob and I took our first bike ride of the season.  We unloaded the bikes in the parking lot in Stockton, NJ, only one block from the historic Stockton Inn and rode the canal path all the way to  Lambertville.

The weather was perfect, too, sunny and cool. The trees were all in bloom, especially the dogwoods, so pretty dressed in their delicate white blossoms edged in pink. The wildlife was bursting all around us.  We spotted mounds of turtles sunning themselves on rocks that burst forth from the slow-rolling waters of the river. Mallards and other ducky birds floated by dipping their heads beneath the clear water to capture a mid-morning snack.

And then there were the geese!  I had to laugh at the adorable family of geese who had commadeered the canal path to escort their brood of goslings to a safe patch to feed.  One adult led the five little fledglings, and the other adult stood guard at the rear, its head erect and ready to peck if you got too close to the brood of young ones.  We had to carefully pass by in order to avoid upsetting the parade. Who could ask for better entertainment?

The ride was blissful.  Quiet, serene, fragrant...simple.  I felt like Anne Shirley in Anne of Green Gables who adored and wrote about the simple beauty of Prince Edwards Island.  I felt blessed to live in an area that offers similar beauty.  There is something peaceful, healing and yet exhilarating about the beauty of nature. It offers the perfect antidote to the stresses of living in the 21st Century. And bikeriding among its beauty is the perfect retirement activity! I am looking forward to more days of exploring the rich beauty and rich history (more about this later) of my home state.  Retirement surely does have its advantages.  I don't understand those who say they fear they will get bored if they retire.  There is so much to do and see!  Stay tuned for what Bob and I discover next.