It is cloudy this morning and looks like rain. That is a good thing, because we are all burned to a crisp. I just couldn’t resist sharing a few vacation photos with you in my down time. We are spending the week at Peek n Peak in Clymer, NY - between Lake Erie and Lake Chautauqua. We are loving the cool nights and low humidty days. I am in biking heaven here. Check out the scenery, all within an hour bike ride from Peek n Peak.
As far as your eyes can see, there is corn.
At first I thought that this huge marker was a little pretentious in this tiny little cemetery, then I realized that it belonged to a Minister, and all of the other markers face it. Except for 3 irreverent souls in the back, which face the street - probably smoking cigarettes and playing cards.
The intersection of Main Street and Shady Side Road, Findley Lake, NY. Now, that’s living.
We are trying to relax a little this summer, and still get ALL of our work done. We now have a system in place where we alternate a week of photo sessions with a week of office work, client appointments and production work. We of course, love the weeks where we are out on location photographing all of you, but the in between weeks leave a little to be desired. It is a necessary evil however, so the new goal is to balance that week with some relaxation so that we remain as sane as possible, and that is no easy feat! This week (a production week), we have been pretty successful.
Monday night I had my usual rowing session with the ladies. Our team, the Row-hers, is registered to race this weekend with Three Rivers Rowing. No photos are attached because I am too busy trying to stay upright and in rythym with my team. And also, because you would NOT want to see the spectacle! But we have improved. Tuesday was a work day at Panera Bread with my friend Jen. We bring our laptops and NO PHONES and work uninterrupted for 8 luxurious hours.
Steve’s plans to go out flying this week were squashed by the intermittent thunderstorms, but we managed to get in a few good workouts on our bikes. Today, we road 34 miles on the Freeport/Butler Trail, our longest trip yet!
Last night, we really had a great time. We went Kayaking with our newest photography buddy, Kim. (We laugh like crazy when we are together!) We started paddling in Millvale this time, a first. Dave happened to be on the river at the same time rowing with alumni from Fox Chapel.
Of course, when you work as hard as we did on the river, refreshments are in order. So, we headed over to Red Fin Blues on Washington’s Landing for drinks and appetizers, traded funny stories and laughed some more. Nina and Dave were both there with friends, we all love the atmosphere of that place. Outside on the patio, overlooking the river, it feels like vacation. Almost. Until we remember that the next day is a production day and it’s back to the computers!
But seriously, with breaks like these built into the week, I think we can handle it. I wish I could say that we are completely relaxed and ready to take on any stress the job has to offer. The truth is really, it’s only 1/2 relaxation - 1/2 exhaustion. But it seems to be working.
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Steve & I started off the 4th with a great bike ride - Nina joined us on the ride from Millvale to the Southside Works and back. We spent some time at REI and then walked around a little and had some lunch. Nina & I left Steve in Millvale so that he could find a passable route through Sharpsburg to our house - by bicycle. Any of you that have been to our house know that we live on top of a hill (okay, mountain). He managed, so our next trip on the trails will start from home.
Later, Nina, Dave & I went out for ice cream and then picked up snack food for the movie that we planned to watch - Dan in Real Life. Not completely uneventful, I met another ‘friend’ at the gas station. An older man ranting & raving about the price of gas - to me. I was feeling a bit smug because I had passed by a station at North Park where gas was $4.01 a gallon and was standing in front of the pump at GetGo where gas was $3.99. With my Advantage Card, I was about to save .40 per gallon - woo hoo! (But hey, Giant Eagle, I am on to you, really. Because I know that if I would shop for food at Aldi’s and Sam’s Club, or sales at Shop N Save, I would be saving $45 dollars on food instead of a $5 on a tank of gas.) But I didn’t share any of this with my friend, as a matter of fact, I didn’t say anything, I just wanted to pump my gas. On top of which, I can hear Dave & Nina in the car saying, ‘Mom, get his phone number.” I learned my lesson on the river the other day about talking to strangers. Hey, wonder if he knows Warren?
In case any of you are wondering, the answer to our problems at the pumps, according to the philosopher in the beat up red pontiac - get rid of all of the ‘gd’ Democrats and Republicans in Washington - clean them all out. It’s that simple, who knew? Ridding Washington of Democrats and Republicans adds new meaning to Independence Day, doesn’t it? I liked his bipartisan views, very patriotic for the 4th of July. Hope yours was happy!
