I have abandoned my sophisticated urban domicile to be a suburban piney hausfrau in an active adult community. One of the members of your household has to be over 55 to live here and it's not me not me. As Larry says, I am in on a pass!
Part of my new suburban life style was to purchase a new set of wheels!
Here they are, my really cool, fuchsia and lime green bicycle.
I just need streamers and baseball cards on the spokes to complete the look.
My first big ride was 9.56 miles to Harry Wrights Lake and back. I also rode 8.2 miles just around the neighborhood. It's very strange to get on a bike after 25 years. Glad that I have 2 years of spin classes under my belt. I have much more power and endurance because of spin.
We keep finding interesting places here on the south shore of NJ. One of them was the Barnegat Branch Rail Trail. I was pleased to learn that there is a movement in the country to re-purpose abandon railroad lines. When finished (if ever, due to political fighting between the townships) there will be a continuous 15 miles paved bicycle/walking path from Tom's River to Barnegat, NJ. The Barnegat branch is 3.1 miles long and I rode the complete trail twice.
The first problem to solve was how transport the bicycle. It's still a big pain to get the bike on the car rack, but it's worth the effort.
Showing off for a photo op.
Surprisingly, the Pine Barrens are full of lots of interesting places to go and things to do. One place I read about was the fields of Pygmy pines and I had to go there and see them. The pine trees there full grown are only about 3 -4 feet high.
Standing tall with the pygmies. When I bought my bicycle the tech said... I have this pinkish color. I said COOL!
There was another interesting place, Bamber Lake not far from the house.
We've been birding in Whitesbog. Whitesbog is where the high bush blueberry (the ones we eat) was originally cultivated. I wanted to say commercial blueberry, but that sounds like they have industrial applications. We've been seeing Tundra Swans in the flooded bogs and some ducks, but not many.
We have many vistors to our backyard.
He was right out side the bedroom window this fall.
Hanging around the over 55 development.
And of course
there are SQUIRRELS!
Larry has been thinking of ways to deter the squirrels from munching on the seed cake. He created a baffle out of mik containers and soda bottles. It was a very creative modern art sculpture. But for the squirrels, it was handy for climbing and hanging.
Next he bought a small baffle.
Not Baffled.
Baffled.
Today we are off to Lowes for rope and maybe a larger baffle.
One of the many reasons we moved here was the proximity to Cape May. We are about 90 miles away from Cape May State Park. This New Year's day Cape May lived up to it's reputation as one of the country's best birding hot spots. We signed up for the Cape May Bird Observatory's 1st of the year field trip and saw 66 birds. We saw the usual wintering birds and a couple of rarities. We didn't expect to see a Dicksisel, Bell's Vireo or a Marbled Godwit, but we did. A nice way to start the year off.
Many thanks to the CMBO guides for a great day.
Also to Mother Nature for the 50 degree, relatively calm day.
I was really happy the I am starting the new year off weighing less than last Jan 1st, not by much, but still, I am beating the odds by keeping the weight off. There is a very good article in the 1/1/12 NY Times magazine describing the struggle of maintaining weight loss. I thought I was crazy that I obsess about food all the time, weigh myself every day, sometimes twice a day, still need to journal and weigh and measure after 5 years. As the article points out, those behaviors are normal for many of us "losers".
Brown University is conducting research on the subject and I submitted my stats for consideration to be part of the study.
Time to get off my butt and shop!
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