Chasing a dream,
Her hands on the reins,
Melting pink melancholy the backdrop to hope,
Liquid yellow and orange sunshine warm the heart,
Seeking the truth, the answer, to love, lost and imagined
The dream, and love, both out of reach as fog clouds each
Piece of the past, the puzzle incomplete, broken,
Wishing it was easy, forever lending herself to time.
“I call architecture frozen music.”
– Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Most of the ice rinks that you see these days are mainly large industrial building that lack any type of architectual savvy. Over the fifteen years that I have traveling to rinks in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts, not many have the complexity that the Jackson Rink at the Westminster school in Simsbury, CT has. This is without a doubt the nicest (and coldest) rink that I have seen either of my children play in. A truly beautiful building. Check out the photos of the interior of the rink.
The eyes of the dying man closed,
Moist with memories, he struuggles to see,
Blind and held captive by the past,
He stumbles through the years
Silently asking for nothing but more time, a second chance
To reclaim what has been misplaced by the ghosts of time.
Darkness envelopes him, a small light in the distance calls out,
Peace.
“A snow day literally and figuratively falls from the sky—unbidden—and seems like a thing of wonder.”
-Susan Orlean
“A cold wind was blowing from the north, and it made the trees rustle like living things.”
— George R.R. Martin
Our dog Jase’s favorite soccer ball.
A snowy day waiting for my daughters hockey game to start in South Kent, CT.
Snow falling.
South Kent, CT.
Looking through my eyes
Progress slowly fades away.
Eroding senses
Means no change, time wasted, as
The breath of ignorance rules.
What happens when you
Ignore the obvious? you
Lose sight of what is
Truly needed, hurting those
Who you are supposed to help
If you look closely just to the left of the telephone pole on the right, you can see a rare January rainbow. I apologize for the bad cell phone photo but I didn’t have my other camera!!!
“Without new experiences, something inside of us sleeps. The sleeper must awaken.”
-Frank Herbert
“Now I see the secret of making the best person, it is to grow in the open air and to eat and sleep with the earth.”
-Walt Whitman
It’s been awhile since I was able to get out for a hike on the last day of the old year and the first day of the new. Since both days were beautiful, I really had no excuse not to get out into the woods. Sunday January 1st was a clear crisp day in the low to mid 40’s. Compared to my hike on 12/31, the trail here was not covered with ice, which made it much easier to get around.
Starting on a side road just north of the Appalachian Market at the split of Route 9 and 403, we hiked back south on Route 403 for a few hundred yards where the AT crosses the highway and the goes south.
The AT moving steadily uphill. The picture was taken about 1 mile from where it crosses Route 9.
Looking back down th AT.
Once you get to the top of the hill after a steady 1.5 mile climb, make a left on the AT and proceed south on the now white marked AT and blue blazed Osborne Loop Trail. About 200 yards farther south, you will see a well worn trail off to the right. This leads to lookout over the Hudson.
The Hudson River looking south.
The Hudson River looking north.
After spending some time at the view point, we got back on the trail and headed north on the AT/Osborne Loop back to where the AT heads north and the Osborne Loop continues moving downhill. After another mile, the Osborne Loop tuns left and keeps heading downhill. After walking for five minutes you come upon this wooden gazebo. It has been there for many years and was restored in 1996.
The Osborne Loop headed towards Sugarloaf. Notice the gazebo on the right.
Enter a caption
The ceiling of the gazebo.
Photo taken from the gazebo.
After you spend some time at the gazebo, keep heading down the trail, you will see red blazes marking the Sugarloaf Hill trail. Make the left onto this trail and head steadily uphill. The trail here is pretty difficult but the climb is worth it.
As you look south on the Hudson, you can see Anthony’s Nose on the left.
After descending the hill, you will go back the way you came on the blue trail for a short period of time. Instead of turning right and heading back uphill on the blue trail, you will continue on the yellow blazed carriage connector trail. You will stay on this trail until it intersects with the AT. Follow the AT out to Route 9 and you are finished!
The rest of the photos here and below were taken on the yellow blazed carriage connector trail.
Needless to say this was a great way to start not only the calendar year, but the hiking new year as well! Six and half miles with a couple of pretty intense climbs and some great views make it al worthwhile!
Happy hiking everyone!!!
I look in the mirror on the last day,
Wondering what awaits me tomorrow.
Another year has past, another year older,
Another year of loss, another year bolder,
Why do we wait, for each year to end,
Why do we wait, to be on the mend.
So I look in the mirror on the first day,
Wondering what awaits me tomorrow.
Today we have the
Chance to reset ourselves, to
Start again, but why
Do we have to wait for a
New Year? Live life every day
The Zen Hiker 