Vermont Road Trip - Solheim Farm

The Best Place in the Trip

Vermont Road Trip - Bread Making

Class at King Arthur Flour Co
King Arthur is a big deal in the baking world, they tell me.  Most of the bakeries in NY use their flour.  I signed us up for an afternoon class on sourdough basics.

Vermont Road Trip - Slowing Down

Shaker Dam Coffee House
The sign across the street from our morning café was either concerned about turtles or was suggesting the people of West Stockbridge cross the street more slowly than normal humans.

Vermont Road Trip - Tanglewood

Tanglewood
Unlike the other 15,000 Tanglewood attendees, we didn’t choose the John Williams’ film night specifically, it just happened to fit our schedule.  We bought tickets to the lawn, outside the “music shed.”  We unpacked at our B&B, took a quick nap and arrived two hours early with our picnic dinner and folding chairs.  I had a sinking feeling while parking, it appeared everyone was already there.

New England - Upcoming Trip

And Now for Vacation
This Saturday we're beginning a week long road trip through New England.

Brooklyn - Back Yard Gardening

Ramping up the Heat
Say hello to our latest addition, a Cayenne pepper plant.

NY - The Borscht Belt

Aka The Jewish Alps
We left Syracuse stuffed - Stella's cheeseburgers, fries, tater tots.  I suggested dessert for the ride back but she slumped in her chair and formed and X with her forearms.  Three hours later, somewhere on route 17 she sat up and said "STARVING!"  She pulled out her phone, tapped at it and announced "The Fat Lady Cafe is not too far from here."  We pulled off 17 and headed for White Lake, near the town of Bethel.  We wound past deserted Borscht Belt bungalows and saw many Orthodox jews walking on either side of the dusty road, smothered head to toe in traditional dress.  I didn't see a fat lady at the Fat Lady Cafe, just a lovely view onto Kaunoeonga Lake.

Brooklyn - The Interloper

Dill Climbing

Brooklyn - Bike Commute Story

The Stork and the Hipster

I was groggier than normal this morning as I pedaled to work along Prospect Park West.  I took note of my fellow cyclists, sizing them up to see if they were worth racing.  I don’t like to be passed - I consider my ride to work a success when the score is something like 27-0, meaning I passed 27 people without being passed.  Just the day before I’d set an all-time record – catching and lapping close to 40.  Today I was mellow, not even perking up when a wiry geezer zipped by, grey beard rustling in the breeze.  He had on black dress pants crudely rubber-banded around black socks and a white dress shirt.  His helmet sat high on his head as if it were a bit too small.  He pedaled with the heels of his pointy dress shoes, leaning forward with a rod-stiff spine.  He looked like a stork. 

NY - Day at the Beach

Adventures with the Car - Episode 1
While we'd previously agreed on a beach day, a certain someone had to go work for a certain company on a certain day otherwise known as Sunday.  I took one for the team, chin high I sallied forth alone into the unknown.  It was a bright clear day, hot, sticky.  Beach-worthy.