The Since Forever Annual Fall Walk

We have gone on a Fall Walk each October since I could remember. Here are some of my favorite photos from this year. I did a lot of editing with these. Which is why it has taken a week to get them posted. I wanted them to feel as warm as the day did, with color as viberant, and a feeling as worn in as the walk itself is.













You can see more photos from this year's walk HERE on Flickr. For photos from 2008, check out THIS SET. And HERE is 2007.

Brown Tract Pond - Camping

This weekend, we packed up our van, threw the kids in the car, and headed up into the Adirondack Mountains for our first ever family camping trip (with our friends, the LaPlant/Ogden family). Let me just say, I. Don't. Camp. Every camping experience I have ever had has been miserable. From being kept up by exit signs while sleeping on a big cabin floor during girl scouts, to a family trip to Massachusetts when I was 12ish where the state received a record rain fall while were we there camping for my uncle's wedding. It just never works out. LOL.

With encouraging from Ron and our family friends, I agreed to give it another go. The Ls picked the place, Brown Tract Pond (near Raquette Lake) and as fate would have it... I had been there before. In June of 1977, my parents and my dad's best friend Harold (Uncle Harold to me) went to the same park. And... Mom was pregnant with me. I had seen there photo album from the trip dozens of time, but never noticed the name of the place they had stayed. My Dad dug the album out of storage for me and I thought it would be fun to do a side by side of then and now. I set out to retake the same photos that my Mom did back then. Better then the usual look-at-all-the-fun-things-we-did photos, right?

My Dad wrote me this note to go with the photos of their trip...

Kerry -

Looking back, this was a very exciting & adventurous weekend for us (as for you) - but no kids - except the excitement of you on the way - - -

We were the only ones at the campsite. We had to assess the Island to see if we could jump. We had a raft that leaked air & we left the pump on the Island. Had to race back to get it.

When you blog ?!!**? Make sure you mention the 1967 Super Sport Impala Convertible I bought for $3, there is a pic.




Looks like the took off the governor's name and added a distance marker instead. The road leading into the site is a rocky dirt road all curvy and hilly.




I think their tent would have been harder to put together then ours. Those poles all go at funny angles! Ours sleeps 6 and we got it on clearance at Target a few years back. This is the first time it has left our yard. I am sure my parents' tent has seen a few more places then ours too.




Dad said they had to "assess" the water to see if it was deep enough to jump into. My boys were fearless and just jumped in. Though Andrew did have to check things out from this higher location. There was 4 spots you could jump from... small, medium, large, and extra large heights. This spot the boys are on is the large one. Comparing the rock forms now... I think that Dad and Uncle Harold were on a different rock completely.




That is my Mom sitting in a tiny raft behind Uncle Harold. She was about 18 at the time. My parents married when she was 17... and she was 19 when I was born. On Saturday, the boys decided they would row us out to the island for our second day of rock jumping. A huge thanks to my friend Lindsey's Dad (who actually went to school with my Dad, small world) for lending us his canoe. I don't think we would have made it on a leaky raft, lol.





Yep, that is my Dad in the top photo... and Jacob in the middle one... then, me in the bottom one. Crazy huh? I couldn't get the canoe to hold still long enough to get the exact same shot, but I think these turned out very cool.




How they rolled... and how we roll...




The kids are very curious to know who paints this rock.




It was funny, when I took the photo of Dad's picture for this post, the back of the picture said "Browns Pond Mall". Dad was convinced it wouldn't still be there, but it was. It has been painted and boarded up... the gas stations are gone and the stairs too. It still has the same shell though.

If I was to write a note to my Dad about our trip I would say...

Dad -

I know I said I didn't want to go on this trip about 100 times, but I am glad I did. It is so cool to think that you and Mom and me walked on the same beach and the same rocks 32 years apart.

The kids loved every minute of the trip and couldn't wait to get on the phone to tell you about jumping off the rocks, just like you did. We let the kids row us to shore the first day and Andrew said "This is wonderful... isn't it wonderful?" And there was true wonder in the tone of his voice. I am glad they got to experience it.

Make sure Mom shows you all the other pictures!!

Love, Kerry

As for the "other pictures"... the look-at-all-the-cool-things-we-did ones... I'll share those ones tomorrow.

Listening To A Whisper

Anyone remember back in January when I talked about the lovely Kelly Rae Robert's book, Taking Flight? I mentioned that one of the things that Kelly Rae talks about is listening to your heart's whispers. Well, there is a whisper that I have been hearing for a long time and tried to ignore. Today, I listened.

I used to be a runner... way way back in junior high. The fact that my running days were about 18 years ago and I still long to have them back really says something. I loved running. Probably because I was that girl in school that was tormented by bullies to no end, and running, running was something that I was really really good at. It was a place to escape to, listening to the rhythm of my breath and the drum of my step on the ground.

Then... my knees started to hurt. One year, I grew about 6 inches, and when my hips popped out it threw everything out of alignment. My knee caps were grinding against my femur bone and I was loosing cartilage. I went to an arthroscopic surgeon who told my Mom, and I quote "she isn't the next Jackie Joyner Kersey... just have her stop running". And being that there was no way for my parents to afford that kind of surgery, I had to stop. Even though I was running 5min miles at the time. I used that excuse to get out of gym class anytime running was involved for the remained of my time in the public school system. Soccer, nope, my knees hurt... field hockey, no way, my knees hurt. You get the picture.

For a couple of years now, I have been saying I want to try to run again. I mention it to my aunts that are runners. I think about it when I drive down the road and see the bobbing pony tails of girls running along side traffic. There is a demon in my head called self-doubt that has been eating at me. If I buy the sneakers, will I actually run? If I run, will it hurt? Am I too out of shape? Where will I find the time?

Finally, my spirit is getting stronger then the self-doubt. Enough is enough. I want to run again. I was out last night getting Jacob his new cleats for football and I bought myself some running sneakers. They are Target cheapies, but they are a start. I woke up at my usual time this morning and threw on my shoes. I started a pot of coffee (so it would be ready when I got home). I grabbed my cell phone to keep time and I went out.

Oh how my body fought me. So I did more of a run/walk. I would run a few hundred yards, then walked a few hundred... ran... then walked. My hips are sore and my ankles are clicking, and my lungs felt like they were been squeezed in a vice. BUT, I used the time to talk to myself in a way that I hope combats the horrible ffu-s I have been feeling. FFU stands for "frumpy fat and uglies". In my head, I said things like "come on Kerry... just get to that tree... I can do this...". I think it is an amazing way to start the day. I did my walk/run for about 35 minutes, came home to a warm shower and hot coffee. And, I still have all the time I need to get done they usual things I do in the morning. My emails are answered, my kids are working on their chores, and I have 15 more minutes to hit my favorite blogs.

I don't know if I will stick with it. I hope that I do. I hope that writing about it here holds me accountable. Let's see how bad the shin splints are tomorrow, lol.

31 and a Tutu

Cute kid huh? Check out the sneakers and those overalls my sister has on. Had we not worn them to bits, I bet they would fetch a wicked price as "vintage goods" on eBay or Etsy. LOL. I wish I still had them... I would wear them. Hmmm, maybe I should look for grown up size sneakers like those :)

I seem to remember being in about 2nd grade for most of these photos. I know that yard for sure, but dont' remember seeing the giraffe. It is funny what we remember and what we don't. I seem to have memories of memories, not actual memories. If that makes any sense. I had to post the retro pics today because it's my birthday. I thought about posting another "random things post" like last year, but I don't think I could come up with another 30, lol.

So that is about it. LOL. Plans for today include a visit with friends and dinner with Ron tonight. Oh and I might hit the town with my sister tonight. We'll see about that though. It wasn't exactly a good experience last year, and I am skeptical that this year would be any different. And for those that worried yesterday that my mood was related to my looming birthday. Not at all! I love growing older. I am looking forward to each year to come. I like my age and I'm proud to tell how old I am.

And just in case you thought I was kidding yesterday... twirling in my tutu.

Old Friends

I would like to introduce you to Lammy, Pooh, and Dutch Girl. This trio has spent most of the my near 31yr life with my Mom. Yesterday, though, Mom thought it was time that they finally get to come back to living with me.

Lammy has been mine since birth. And look... my head still fits on her... just like it used to. Pooh is wearing a shirt I wore when I was a baby. Check out those stripes! And yes, he has had to have his mouth repairs a few times over the years. Dutch Girl is from my Great Grandmother, Cornelia. She (and my Great Grandfather) were off the boat immigrants from Holland. Great Grandma lived until I was in about 3rd grade. I remember spending the day with her before she passed away in her sleep later that night. My doll used to have a "dutch" inspired outfit but has long since lost them and some time ago she got dressed in one of Jacob's baby sleepers. No, I didn't cut her hair... it has always been like that. I can still remember the box she came in too.


I love having these three back with me. They are sitting in a chair and when my eyes fall on them I find it so comforting. It makes me stop and take a deep breath and then a little sigh. I am wondering what animals will be my kids' favorites? Is it just a girl thing? Lauren is attached at the hip to a monkey named "Gaston"... but the boys, not so much. Andrew has a whole pile of teddy bears that he lines up on his bed from time to time but no one is especially special. Jacob, nada.

Anyway... just a little childhood flashback for a minute. LOL... I like those.