Category Archives: Travel

Massachusetts State Parks

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Massachusetts State Parks

If you are a Facebook user you may have seen advertisements for Nature Adventure books. When they first came out with them I ordered a couple. I ordered National Parks, Massachusetts State Parks and New England Lighthouses. I figure that the Massachusetts State Parks and The New England Lighthouses would give me plenty to do and I’d have the National Parks for when I travel out of state. COVID and personal health reasons made a major dent in my travel the last 2 years but it’s time to think about getting out and about again.

Oh The Possibilities

I pulled out the Massachusetts State Park Adventure Book and there are 305 parks listed. They aren’t just state parks, there are Reservations, Historic Sites, beaches, State Forests, and  Management Areas. So as a first step I decided to go through the list and see how many I’ve been to already. After all, this is the state where I’ve lived pretty much all of my adult life and I’ve always done a lot of exploring. I must have been to some of the places on the list! 

Bash Bish Falls State Park

The first one on the list that I spotted was Bash Bish Falls State Park. Of course I always mess it up and call it Bish Bash Falls. That just sounds better to me! I made the trek to Bash Bish Falls in June of 2017. Bash Bish Falls is located in the western part of Massachusetts on the New York state border. Located in the Town of Mount Washington it is also part of Mount Washington State Forest. 

You can choose to make the hike easy or hard. The trail head in MA is steep and rugged. Probably not too bad going down, if you’re careful, but I sure didn’t want to have to make my way back up at the end of the day so I went into New York and used the New York trail head to get to the falls. It may  be a little longer but it’s a gradual incline and it’s downhill going back. 

Bash Bish Falls is the highest waterfall in Massachusetts. The dramatic final pitch of Bash Bish Brook drops about 80 feet into an emerald plunge pool. It’s an enjoyable hike to experience the wonder and beauty of this deep, verdant gorge. https://youtube.com/shorts/-Vqd_OQmFsc?feature=share

If You Go

  • From Massachusetts Parking Lot: Difficult ability, about 0.6 miles round-trip. Shorter, more rugged, and strenuous.
  • From New York Parking Lot: Moderate ability, about 1.5 miles round-trip. Longer and gradual, but rocky and uneven.
  • Nearby, Taconic State Park in New York state offers more visitor amenities, picnicking, swimming, and camping.

So What’s Up Doc?

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So What’s Up Doc?

So now that you know about the lost domain what else has been going on? There’s a 6 month gap from November 2021 to May 2022.  It seems only fair that I explain at least a little.

November 2021 to January 2022

This absence was work related. I tried again (twice) for a promotion at work. This makes 3 tries.  I was passed over again with really bogus excuses. I won’t say what I think of the hires but suffice it to say they are much younger than I. Neither hire has hit 40 yet and I clock in at 71.  I’ll let you draw your own conclusions. 

To add insult to injury not only was I passed over for the promotions but I was told that I won’t get any more raises unless I change positions since I’m “capped out” where I am. That creates an issue for me. How do I change position if you won’t give me the jobs I apply for? It also occurred to me that this was the first and only time in my long work history that I haven’t gotten  a position  I applied for easily. As for the job I’m in, I’ve won every award they have for my position.  I was depressed and angry. Since I make it a policy not to bad mouth my employer I wasn’t in much of a mood to write anything. 

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February 2022 – April 2022

In February I came down with a cold. I coughed and sneezed and wanted to sleep all the time. I was so wiped out I took a week off from work as vacation where the cats and I just snuggled and slept. When I finally got in to see the doctor she thought I had Covid. I had to argue. After all I was vaccinated and boosted. I was still having my groceries delivered and only went out when I absolutely had to. And then I had a mask. 

Balboa

Balboa

My doctor’s answer was you didn’t end up in the hospital so your vaccines did what they are supposed to.  But after that happy statement she went on to tell me she thought I had “Long Covid” and that it could be a year or more until I was symptom free. She is just full of good news. If I’m short  of breath walking across my living room at sea level, what will happen when I’m at 9600 ft in Colorado?

 

As if to add insult to injury I developed an abscess under a bridge. The dentist gave me an antibiotic. The pill was big enough to choke a horse but it’s a good thing she did because the root canal specialist can’t see me until May. Without that horse pill I’d have been in a lot of pain!

May 2022

During this hiatus from writing I did attempt to accomplish some things. Because I didn’t feel well the bathroom was a real point of pain. I never liked the wall paper. Not only was it ugly but it wasn’t even put up properly. The cats had started trying to pull it off the walls. So I decided it was time to bite the bullet and update/redecorate the bathroom. But that’s a story for another day! Stay tuned!

 

 

 

 

 

What Are You Thankful For?

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Happy Thanksgiving

I’m Thankful for Laughter

I’m Thankful for Family

Family

For the Beautiful world we live in, I give Thanks

For Friends and Fun, Thank you

I’m Thankful that I’m not a turkey

tom turkey

Have Blessed and Happy Thanksgiving

https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/efacademyblog/top-10-thanksgiving-traditions-in-the-us/

 

Blue Ridge Parkway

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Blue Ridge Parkway

I’m batting  .500. Got to 1 waterfall and skipped the 2nd and it’s not even noon yet. I decided to use the afternoon to explore the Blue Ridge Parkway. I had passed a sign for the Parkway so I was probably pretty close, right? On vacation. What else do I have to do except explore? With that thought in mind I headed down the mountain to find the turn off to the Blue Ridge Parkway

Blue Ridge Parkway

 

The Blue Ridge Parkway was the first national rural parkway to be conceived, designed, and constructed for a leisure-type driving experience. The Parkway is the highest and longest continuous route in the Appalachian area. It has a total length of 469 miles! Lots of room to explore

Blue Ridge Parkway

Scenic Drives

I spotted the sign for the Blue Ridge Parkway at the bottom of a long grade. There was a gas station and souvenir shop on the corner. The left turn quickly became a winding, two lane road with deep ditches along the sides. A good sized stream  ran along next to the road. The stream tumbled over rocks and created rapids. I would get a glimpse here and there as the road wound though a series of tight curves and switch backs. It was beautifully scenic but there was no shoulder so no place to pull over for pictures. As I rounded another corner I spotted a pickup truck off the road. The right side was in the ditch, the undercarriage of the truck was on the side of the road and the left side of the truck was on the pavement. It was clear that truck was going no where without a tow!

Blue Ridge Parkway

Clouds and Haze

Blue Ridge Parkway

The drive to the Parkway was much longer than it appeared on the map. Of course if we went “as the crow flies” we could cut the distance in half. By the time I reached the turn off for the Blue Ridge Parkway the sun was hidden behind a layer of clouds. My sunny day had disappeared. Still this is beautiful country. The mountain range seems to go on forever. I grew up in the Adirondacks but there you see a mountain, here you see row after row of mountains. It’s a different perspective and it’s gorgeous even with clouds and rain moving in.  

Blue Ridge Parkway

 

Silver Run Falls

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Storm Damage

Storm Damage

It was quite a week here in SE Massachusetts. We had a Nor’easter blow through leaving thousands without power. Some places had winds over 100 miles per hour. And it’s still raining off and on so it’s slowed the clean up.  

Silver Run Falls

Silver Run FallsSilver Run Falls Trail

But Back to my North Carolina stories. I was not going to be discouraged.  The next morning I limped back to the car to search for the 2nd waterfall on my list- Silver Run Falls. Whitewater Falls was supposed to be in the same area. Maybe I could get a twofer.

I located the trail head to Silver Run Falls. There wasn’t much room to park, just a gravel shoulder at the side of the road. The trail was well marked but it started off down a hill. I knew this was going to hurt. It would hurt my knees going down and then it would be an uphill trek coming back out. I took a deep breath and took the plunge.

It wasn’t long until I could hear the falls but I couldn’t see it through all the foliage. Note to self- make the next trip later in the year after the leaves are off the trees.  
Just about when I was wondering how much longer my knees would hold up I saw a well made bridge ahead.  According to my directions I was getting close.

 

 

Silver Run Falls

The bridge was a brief respite  but then I was climbing the stairs at the end, The trail made a sharp turn to the right and then there were ROCKS! I wanted to cry. I could hear the roar of the falls but I couldn’t see it. There was a mine field of rocks to get over before I would reach a beach/sandy river bank. I’d come this far. I carefully placed my trekking poles and climbed over a couple of rocks. Just enough so I could see the falls. 

About that time a mother and her 4-5 year old came around the corner. The kid didn’t look twice at the rocks and just bounced over them to the sand bank. The young mother gave me a friendly hello as she easily followed her son to the water’s edge. 

I may have just been shown up by a 5 year old but at least I got a glimpse of the falls. 

Silver Run Falls