4: Twelve Days on a Snowmobile

Age is rearing it’s ugly head today.... I woke up with stiff shoulders and hands — muscles are getting quite the workout! 

Started out with a nice cold and cloudy day with me in the lead (I’m the better navigator it seems) so we headed up to the 9-mile loop along the Canadian border and it was GORGEOUS!! 

On our way back toward the end of our gas tanks, we were flagged down by four guys saving us from a downed tree! A beaver had strategically dropped a small tree across the trail next to Indian Creek! Fortunately, Tommy had a tow-strap along, and with the extra muscle, they got the trail cleared! Good thing I was there to record the event! LOL!

https://share.icloud.com/photos/0wcUILaMBsYExZ8q-9zrDFCjQ

One more day to go before the weekend storm hits, so hoping we can make the most of it!

3 : Twelve Days on a Snowmobile

I couldn’t sleep last night. An uncomfortable bed. Strange noises in a strange place. Too hot. Too cold. Too much on my mind. Little aches and pains from using muscles my normal workouts don’t get to. Then there was the bizarre dream I woke up from. 

In the dream I was in a limo with a friend who was also my new business partner on our way to a very important meeting some distance away, when I asked the driver to make a stop somewhere so I could use a restroom. He pulled up in front of a restaurant of a very swanky country club and as I stepped out of the limousine, I noticed how oddly he’d parked - not in a parking spot, but aimed at an angle to the front entrance more than 500 feet from the front walkway. As I turned to look at him to ask why he’d parked so peculiarly, I saw that the driver was in fact my boyfriend, Tommy, and thought to myself I should discuss his eyesight with him, but I had to get to the restroom — which is when I woke up and headed to the bathroom. 

Not being on my A-game, we just had bagels with our coffee this morning. We got ourselves put together and bundled up to get out on the sleds before the trails got busy. We did a few laps around the lake and decided neither of us were really feeling it and decided to get a change of scenery. 

Pizza seemed like a good lunch plan, and since I’d forgotten literally all the fresh fruit and veggies at home, we wanted to stop at a grocery store while we were out. The views are spectacular up here, especially with the snow clinging to the trees — just breathtaking! Unsurprisingly, the locals didn’t seem the least bit concerned about the pandemic as few wore their masks or kept their distance. I waited in the car while Tommy went in to get everything. We wasted no time getting back to the cabin to eat pizza and watch the historic second impeachment of the worst president ever. We even considered popping open the champagne we brought to celebrate Inauguration Day next week, but decided we could wait until he’s really gone for good.

Tommy took a second spin around the lake later this afternoon, so I went out on the deck and took a couple of videos of him showing off.

 

We watched several reruns of “The Big Bang Theory” before finally deciding to make it an early bedtime. Sweet dreams!

2: Twelve Days on a Snowmobile

I woke up early as usual, after going to bed at a little after 1:00 a.m., but not wanting to wake Tommy, I tried to wait until he seemed restless—which turned out to be 7:10! We got up, had breakfast and coffee, and bundled up for our first really long ride of our vacation!

 

We got gas, then we got lost.

 

That was the plan, of course. I was going to lead until we got a couple of hours out, then he was supposed to be the one to get us back to the cabin. The views were spectacular and the gently falling snow seriously added to the ambiance! We took the loop that clips the Canadian border which has more snow the further north we go and makes it so much more fun! Well, coming back I was following the creek and missed a left turn and we ended up further south than we thought we were....😬 requiring us to ask fellow snowmobilers for directions. 😱

What is it with guys asking for directions?! 

We found our way back (note to self: lots of money to be made with accurate signage and mapping apps) but we had a great 6-hours of riding and hopefully we will remember some of the great trails and not just the ones that we got lost on for tomorrow?

 

We missed lunch, so had an appetizer with our cocktails while we grilled dinner and listened to our favorite playlist. Bedtime came a bit earlier tonight, too. Can’t wait for tomorrow’s adventure! 

1: Twelve Days on a Snowmobile

 It’s been a year since we were here last, and it’s as cold and snowy as it was in 2020. It was 7 degrees F when I woke up at 5:15 this morning in Pittsburg, New Hampshire, just a stones throw from the Canadian border. 

We rent a small cabin on Back Lake and in my typical OCD mode, I started coating everything in Lysol spray and wiping things down with Chlorox Wipes the minute we arrived as Tommy carried in all our food, clothes and supplies. It didn’t take long to realize I’d forgotten a very important bag of fruit and veggies in the fridge at home, along with the food I’d prepared ahead like American Chop Suey, Béarnaise sauce, and the onions and mushrooms I’d sautéed for our steaks! 

We planned this trip back in August when we were really hoping the pandemic would be winding down but, of course, no such luck. At the time we booked Sunday through Saturday, but when we called earlier last week, they told us it was available an extra week due to a cancellation, and Tommy couldn’t say no to extra vacation days. Also, once I disinfect the place, we might as well stay a while! 

In November, Tommy decided we needed new snowmobiles, and just in case his son Nick and his wife Brenda or Trisha and Mike’s family decided to take up the sport, we kept the two older snowmobiles. So now we have these really fun new snowmobiles to ride and unlimited adventures waiting for us! 

Don’t worry about my menu plan — it’s been revised to use all the extra food I packed when we added the extra days to our trip. Since our meals can’t be on an exact schedule when we’re out on the snowmobiles all day, the menus need to be flexible based on prep time each day. 

Here are the pics so far! Not much sight seeing today since we spent a bit of time riding back and forth across the lakes to get the feel of our new rides — which we both absolutely love!!!

What I Want My Granddaughter To Know

My granddaughter is such a smart and kind young lady. At 12 years old, she is very mature and easy to talk with. Yet I worry about her. Girls her age are so fragile. They are just learning to express themselves. At that age, it seems you learn everything through trial and error. You can't just read a book and have it all figured out.

I hope that she'll be able to recognize and build healthy relationships with her classmates and avoid those who don't respect her or her emotions. I want her to own her mistakes and accept constructive criticism without losing her confidence and ambitions. I'd like her to be a leader rather than a follower.