Fallen Angels

Do fallen angels ever sleep?

Spread good vibes.

Please email stories or photos about your favorite outdoor activity or experience here in the central Adirondacks!
Love to share them with others (especially my niece, Jamie - in hospital in Rochester, NY)
Write catherinelight@bluelinebydesign.com. Thanks a bunch.

Leave Only Footprints - Take Only Memories

I heartily ascribe to the wisdom
"Leave Only Footprints - Take Only Memories"

However, like anything - there can be wonderful exceptions.
Last fall, I came upon this beautiful bouquet left behind in the crotch of a tree half way up Bald Mountain.
It has left a fine footprint upon my memory,
and warms me this cold December night.
I was feeling rather lonely until I came upon this photo again...
a gift.
Thought I'd pass it along...
(it IS December, after all!)

Join Eagle Bay Photo/Hiking Meetup Group

James has decided to help facilitate my Eagle Bay Photography group on www.Meetup.com
Check out this website, which is organized by interests. Want to fine a local dance group in the area? Or want to get form your own interest group and meet others interested in the same thing? This is a great site! www.Meetup.com

SnowShoe-ing White Face Mountain

My first hike of the high-peaks.
James Lewis, new to Adirondacks, has just moved to the Adirondacks with his new girlfriend Paula. They share my passion for photography and hiking. Jim suggested this hike, wanting to "do" all 46 high peaks. Well - "Why not?" - I thought.
So, at 4:30 am yesterday, I packed snowshoes rented at MountainMan Outdoors (a real deal at $16 daily) and met James in Long Lake. The adventure began when his KIA sank into two feet of mud and water at the trailhead.
Then continued as Andy did the same. Not a good thing for a dog in 5 degree weather. Worse for a person.
James will confirm.
After we trekked a delightful 3 1/2 miles we met our "water"loo.
Specifically, the trail has a lot of 'blowdowns'
and many mountain streams to cross. Too many.
In fact, after three successful crossings - on flimsy logs and slippery poles that have been haphazdly thrown across the stream, I suggested we were pushing our luck, the time and the weather conditions.
James reluctantly agreed... then promptly fell off the log he was using to fiord the stream one last time. James was baptized.
A real trooper - we made it back down without further incident

Thendara Golf Club - cross country skiing

Wonderful skiing this week - with the right wax, that is!

Skiing at Thendara Golf Course

One of the more popular cross country ski places in the Old Forge area is at the Thendara Golf Club (Directions). Although privately owned, skiiers are welcome - and it is a very popular spot. this week, we had a healthy 5 inch snow fall, and are looking for more. Some rolling hills - and great places for a warm brew following the ski are nearby. I suggest Frankie's restaurant for GREAT Italian, and www.mountainmanoutdoors.com.
Both places are nearby on Rt. 28 as you enter Old Forge. A nice advantage to renting both snowshoes and skiis are Mountainman is that you can apply all your rental fees in a three month period to the purchase of either snowshoes, skiis, bikes, whatever. How cool is that?

On the secret anniversaries of the heart . . .

The holiest of all holidays are those Kept by ourselves in silence and apart; The secret anniversaries of the heart, When the full river of feeling overflows; The happy days unclouded to their close; The sudden joys that our of darkness start As flames from ashes; swift desires that dart Like swallows singing down each wind that blows! - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

pure whimsy -

What a wonderful world... (Click Here!)

To Fourth Lake

Oh - for a healthy snow cover...

Just on the way out for the first cross country ski of the year. We had enough snow last night to warrant the effort.... at least on packed road surfaces or hard paths...
will ski near Fourth Lake.

By the way, to see the video below, click on arrow on left.
This blog is to share my love of the central Adirondacks. You will hear me mention Jamie upon occasion. The bubble'd prayers from atop Rocky Mountain were for her, and others like her.

Bubble'd Well-Wishes From Atop Rocky Mountain

Click on arrow...

Jam Session - Adirondack-style (a littly campy, in other words)

One of the things I am looking forward to this year is promoting the work of Pamme (pronounced "Pammie") Swan, an Adirondack folksinger. She recorded this in my office/studio last night - late. In her jammies, actually. So this was truly a "jam" session, yes? Give the phrase "jammie with pammie" more meaning, somehow! Check out her website www.pammeswan.com, and if you want to book her for a special event, hey, let me know! She is currently writing up a storm, and has on her agenda the composition of a song honoring Anne LaBastille, whose book is mentioned below. Ann, I told you that we would be having words!

Still shot from video... oh, my

while trying to figure out how to post a video of the Bubble Prayers..
this still shot was taken from the live video of the bubble prayers...
and - my ... DOUBLE CLICK on the image...
it shows movement...
apart from me and the prayers I winged Jamie's way.
It is stunning... and seems to capture the SPIRIT of the place and the event...
you can actually SEE movement in this shot.. movement...
that I was unable to experience while
offering the bubble prayers on her behalf.
No, I did not doctor this photo. Don't have time, for one thing.
I don't mean to get all mystical here...
I have really become quite the realist (thank you, 9/11/2001)
but there is something going on in this world, beyond which we experience with the naked eye -
or exposed heart... that is undefinable, and should remain so.
but it is there...

Bubble Prayers From Rocky Mountain, Inlet, NY

A grey walk to the top of Rocky Mountain to complete a mission, and engage in yet one more.
Having just made sand angels on the shores of the Pacific -
it was time to come back and send angel prayers to Jamie (see below) from atop Rocky Mountain. Andy, pictured - had just launched himself off my nose while I was making this angel.
I was still rubbing my sore nose while taking this shot, atop Rocky.
We then proceeded to launch Bubble Prayers! I am praying alot for Jamie, who is preparing for bone marrow transplant from hospital in Rochester, NY.