Hiking Up Talcott Mountain

We have lived in Simsbury, Connecticut for the last ten years, and we love it here. We’ve walked or hiked all over, and as wooded as the terrain is in town, the one activity we never engaged in as a family until earlier this summer was to hike up Talcott Mountain to the Heublein Tower and view the Farmington Valley down below.  We trekked up two more times since, the most recent one undertaken this weekend to savor the spectacular sights of turning autumn leaves.  The vibrant fall colors didn’t disappoint as these pictures will show.

There are a number of interesting factoids about the tower that I urge you to read here.  We learned that the top of the mountain once was home to three other towers before Heublein and that the mountain is part of the Metacomet mountain ridge system nearly 200 million years in the making.  For the keen photographer, the place also apparently offers an opportunity to lie in wait to picture migratory raptors frequenting the elevations.  On earlier occasions we witnessed hang-glider enthusiasts launching from one of the cliffs overlooking the floodplain.  All in all, a nice short hike – for the averagely fit, 40 minutes up, 20 down on the popular main trail is all it takes.  Sport a mask in these pandemic times – the crowds appeared to swell up on the trail on our last climb.

Art and Senior Well-Being

I wanted to post this piece which has languished on my list of subjects to write about for over a year.  My mom turned 86 not too long ago.  I am still amazed at her relentless focus on perfection and completion of anything she undertakes.  Many that know her would concur.  She’s exceptionally creative and gifted with many talents.  The one craft very dear to her heart is needlework.  She can spend hours on end knitting, sewing or embroidering.  We are thankful and proud that she occupies herself thusly.  In fact, for seniors engaging in art of one kind or the other the natural benefit is good health, physical and mental well-being (you can read more about it here).  I thought I’d showcase some of her recent work – bags and purses mainly – for the benefit of family and friends that don’t get to see her or her work during this pandemic.  She wants to give them all away (as usual, to family and friends). If you fancy any one of these bags or clutches, give me a call, we will figure out a way to get it to you – perhaps even talk you into donating to a charity that supports seniors in your area!

Turn, Turn, Turn (To Everything There Is A Season)

I can’t believe we are already headed for autumn. It feels like we just counted down to the descent of the Times Square Ball and the birthing of 2020. This afternoon we went on a leisurely stroll along a paved loop of the Farmington (Connecticut) Reservoir on Route 4 — three-plus miles of spectacular views of the woods and the crystal clear waters they surround. Turning my attention to the upper-reaches of the hills, it dawned on me that the leaf colors were turning already! I can’t but think that while much of this year passed us by as we experienced a horrid pandemic, and at times even witnessed our lives come to a standstill, the world around us went by its business as usual. I couldn’t but find myself humming The Byrd’s famous 60s hit “Turn, Turn, Turn (To Everything There Is A Season).” The following scapes reinforce the faith in me that despite this pandemic, life has to go on. And it does, spectacularly so!

Stoic

There is something about old barns, whether they are still in use or abandoned for good. Regardless, when I walk by them, they inspire me with their silence having weathered countless seasons with dignity and calm. Connecticut countryside is full of them, and each appears to have a character of its own. Many are overrun by vines almost as if they have embraced the barn and are saying to them, “I will care for you.” Next time you drive or walk by one, please stop to admire it. If you are like me, you may be flooded with a range of feelings — from sadness to admiration, but most of all, wonderment at how they continue to stand stoically while everything around them changes continually.