1/1/19-1/7/19

Tuesday, January 1 2019

Out in Mountain Top visiting Brian's family. It is their tradition to go to their friends "The Benders" to eat delicious food and be merry while playing various games that are set up throughout the gorgeous home not far from the D&L Rail Trail, a trail that Brian, Silas, and I walked the previous day for about seven miles. The Benders have a gorgeous, gorgeous home nestled in the woods with paths that disappear into the woods in either direction. There is a patio out back with a Koi pond and moss growing through the cracks of the cement patio. The home is every definition of "hygge" with windows everywhere looking out at the trees. And the birds! I can't even call myself an amateur birder--I know a little more than your average Joe, but I have and always will have a lot to learn. Feeders and suet cages lined one side of their home where there were sliding glass doors that led to nothing but about a ten foot drop to the ground below. While everyone ate, I sat in an isolated corner of the living room and watched black-capped chickadees, a cardinal, and a couple tufted titmouses (titmice?) peck at the feeders and bound away to the trees to feed. Typical behavior. The cardinal, though, watched from a distance in a nearby pine. I'm hoping to learn a lot more about birds. I have always loved watching them, drawing/painting them, and wearing costume jewelry with bird pendants.

Brian and I had to leave the party early (I played a game of Taboo with a fun group of people and Brian played Phase 10 with another group). We had a 3 hour drive home yet and we still had to pack the car and dogs for the trip. I love the drive to/from Mountain Top (north eastern PA), looking at maps and atlases to learn the names and elevations of the mountain ridges through and along which we were driving. We follow Interstate 80 for the majority of the ride and it is a fine tour of the valley-and-ridges region of Pennsylvania as well as the glaciated plateau the farther east you go.

Wednesday, January 2 2019

Back to work after a four-day-weekend. After work, though, I headed to Canoe Creek State Park to try and get a better lay of the land since I signed up to run a half-marathon there in April. Unfortunately, the park closes at dusk and I was only able to hike a small portion of the trail behind the old kilns. It was very overcast which made identifying the only bird I saw impossible because birds are just silhouettes in such cloudy conditions. Plus it just wasn't an ideal time of the day to bird watch. I'm only familiar with some bird songs--but I'll get better. I was bummed that I drove out that way for just a short hike, but some people say no hike is a bad hike. The lake was pretty, as usual, and the conditions muddy.

Thursday, January 3 2019

Spent the evening after work sketching/painting something for a friend whose birthday is approaching. A winter scene of her dog hiking in the woods. Hope she likes it. I finished reading Mary Oliver's book of poetry "House of Light".

"There is only one question: How to love this world."

"I think this is the prettiest world--

so long as you don't mind a little dying."

-Mary Oliver

Friday, January 4 2019

The day ended with a gorgeous sun set. Very orange. I must say that first but the day started as cool and cloudy (surprise).

Saturday, January 5 2019

Silas and I were initially going to explore Stoney Point in SGL 166 but the whole ridge line was shrouded in fog, so we turned around and headed to the opposite ridge, up Wopsy. We ended up at a new-to-us section of SGL 184 near Black Snake Road. It was chilly and raining but that never stops us. I wore gloves and a heavy coat. I heard what I believe to be a Northern Flicker in the distance, laughing at us as we approached. The Northern Flicker isn't too, too common around PA at this time of the year, but they're not impossible to find, either. They're a member of the woodpecker family. They do sound a lot like the White Breasted Nuthatch and the Pileated Woodpecker, but upon listening to their various songs on YouTube, there was no doubt in my mind that it was a Northern Flicker which is one of my favorite birds to look at (next to Starlings, Cedar Waxwings, and Ring-Necked Pheasants). Silas and I eventually came across a pond in the middle of what felt like nowhere. It was overcast and a bit misty from the rain.

Later, the day took a turn. The clouds receded and the sun finally showed its face, warming everything up. I did some light maintenance on my bike and took it for a nine-mile ride around town, attempting to get my cycling legs back. I rode through Altoona. It would have been ideal to take my bike on a good mountain biking trail, but the sun was due to set within the hour, so nine-mile-bike-ride in Altoona was the best I could do.

Saturday was such a wonderful day. It ended with me making homemade Hibachi (chicken, shrimp, yellow squash, broccoli, onion, cauliflower rice, egg, and homemade yum yum sauce). Brian and I played Skip-Bo to end the evening.

Sunday, January 6 2019

Re-attempted our Stoney Point hike in SGL 166 with success. It was a somewhat steep one-mile hike up the north-side ridge of Brush Mountain. Silas absolutely loved the hike and the mud. He was running all over the place, but the good boy that he is always comes back when I call for him. At the top of the mountain was a stand of evergreen trees (I don't know my trees that well yet). From the top, we were able to see the flat farmlands of Sinking Valley.

It was cloudy as we ascended Brush Mountain, but afterwards, as we were driving back down into the valley that is Altoona, there was sunshine and blue skies. Completely different world.

Spent the rest of the day reading about Pennsylvania's physiographical regions while watching some football with Brian. His Ravens lost, nixing them from the playoffs. I don't care about football but all the special people in my life certainly do. Sitting and watching football with Brian was nostalgic for me--reminding me of my childhood where I'd be doing homework on a Sunday or reading through a book as my dad screamed at the Steelers on the television. It feels like home.

Monday, January 7 2019

After work, I texted Brian. "Should I run to the library or ride my bike?"

Run it was. The library is only a little over a mile away. Once I was at the library, I returned a book and did some reading on how to attract birds to my yard. I had purchased some suet and sunflower seeds to attract song birds (and most likely squirrels). Ran home in the dark.