Hiking Gear- Socks. Are they Right this Time?

 
You may or may not remember my last attempt at getting the correct set of hiking socks, September 2018. It was half successful. Link below if you care.

This is the half that has been good. These are Fox River capilene sock liners. They are a tiny bit too big, but not enough to make wrinkles inside the shoes.


I've been wearing them under these socks. These were the only ones of what I tried last time that work at all, but they are not great. As you can see, they are sort of a tube with a lump for the heel, and that is the way they have stayed despite wearings, and mud, and washings, and whatever. The toe seam is lumpy. They aren't really right. And after being worn for a couple days in a row, which is bound to happen on a multi-day hike, they begin to slip and creep.


I'm also having an everyday sock crisis. So I ordered three kinds of socks. Can't buy anything locally that might work, or even fit. We'll see if any of them work for hiking, and I'll wear the rest in that other life. (Which is the real life? I don't know.)

I got Buster Browns, all cotton, on the left. Gold Toe, 71% cotton, middle, No Nonsense, 81% cotton on the right. They are all too big.



The Buster Browns are the largest, but I might be able to shrink them. The Gold Toe fit best, and here I am modeling one of them. I've worn a pair of these at home already, and they are OK. Too big, but not horribly so.


If you haven't read my whole monologue on socks, don't start nattering at me about needing heavier/wool/specialty socks for hiking. I've tried SO many, and something like this combo works for me. I just have to get a good top layer. If the Gold Toe ones work out, I'll order some more.

As I get to take these hiking I'll find out which ones slip and which ones work.

Report on the bamboo socks which I bought in the previous round. As it turned out, I do not like them at all. They are unexpectedly hot, even when worn alone. They slide down over the heel when paired with the liners. I can't really say anything good about them, which is too bad because I wanted to like them.

In other news: had to clear the driveway this morning. We got snow! Then bell choir at church. I managed to get 50 more pages indexed. Not all that many, but it was the best I could do. About 120 to go.

See Socks, Not Quite See Sill Not Right

New Gear- Sweatshirt Replacement

 
Well, as you can probably tell, I've been ordering some new hiking gear. My mostly 28-year-old stuff is just worn out.

I have a favorite camping sweatshirt, but I'm hoping this will replace it. My initial reaction is positive. This is made by Dickies. I got it on closeout at Sierra Trading Post, so I'm not sure you could find one if you like it too. What attracted me, for one thing, was the closeout price.



Probably the most negative thing is that it's 100% polyester. Polyester and my skin are not friends. However, I'm hoping I can get away with it in a jacket where I'll have at least a short sleeve shirt under it.

I'm really pleased with the fit. In particular, the sleeves aren't too long, and the hood isn't so big I can't keep it out of my eyes when it's in use.


It's an odd combination of quilted fabric and fleece. I'm not sure if there is a reason for that, or if it is supposed to just be fashionable.

The color is one I can live with although it's a little more blue-green than the pictures. (I wouldn't have ordered it if I could only get pink or purple, eh?)

The zipper is smooth.

The jury is out on the pockets. I expected handwarmer pockets. These are top loading. Biggest negative- there is only a flap. No actual closure.



This picture didn't focus well, but you can still see the angle of my hands to get them in the pockets. I'll probably need to be careful to not put something in there that could fall out, like a flashlight. Or, I could add some kind of closure.



Weight is 11.3 ounces, as opposed to my sweatshirt which was 11.7 ounces. That's a little reduction.

I'll let you know how I like it after I've used it a bit.

In other news: I did laundry and beat my brains out on the index for North Country Quest. Made good progress. 217 pages indexed.

See New Gear, Small Tweaks

Linda's Book Launch

 
Today, my friend, Linda Sandow, had her book launch. She is the artist who did the cover work for my children's books. She is the author of this book, and also did the cover art for her own book.

The title is Jacob Castle and Gliding Swan. This is historical fiction based on her own family history of a Mennonite man who married a Shawnee woman in the 1730s. She has been able to find enough information about the family and the times that the book is more of a fleshing out of the characters than actual fiction.



This would be an excellent book for anyone from about 5th grade on up, and somewhat younger children would certainly enjoy having it read to them.

The cake also has the art work on it!



Linda read one chapter out loud. We've heard a lot of the book in writers' group over the three years she's been working on this. I was sort of hoping she'd read about the flood on the Roanoke River, and that's exactly the passage she read.



The book is available on Amazon, or from Linda. It will probably be for sale at the Ludington Art Center, too. Got my copy! I'm looking forward to reading it straight through instead of in segments several weeks apart. This is a well-written book with interesting glimpses into life in the 18th Century.

In other news: I have to confess that I couldn't keep up my work pace yesterday. About 3 pm, my brain just said, "done." However, I got back to business today. I'm working on the Index. Talked to the printer this morning, so I'm really in the final week now.

See Betsy's Book Launch

Best Photos of 2019

 
Because of how many pictures I took in Kentucky, and also at the Philadelphia Flower Show, it has taken me several days to even look at all the pictures. I got my selection down to 12. To make the cut, the picture had to be something a bit out of the ordinary. I'll explain why each one got to stay. And I've kept the pictures large, so you can click to expand them.

They are presented in chronological order. I'm not trying to choose which is the best of the best. As always, keep in mind that I am not a photographer who goes looking for good shots. I'm opportunistic, in that I go for adventures, and try to take some decent pictures with whatever lighting and conditions I'm given.

Looking down at Taughannock Creek below the falls and the viewing platform at the end of the Falls Trail. I like the way the crack in the ice echoes the railing of the platform, and the starkness. It's also a study in scale, since you can see the people standing there.



Ashokan Reservoir near Marie's house, with the Catskill Mountains in the background. I like the clear bands of color and the swoop of the ice.



Part of a display at the Philadelphia Flower Show. Of course, you could say I didn't have to be very artistic to take a picture of an artsy display. But I like the repeating shapes and the color shift of the flowers.



Philadelphia Flower Show again. This is part of my favorite display of the entire show this year. The textures were amazing, and this is just a tiny portion. Very rich feel.



Early morning sky out my kitchen window. The color and the texture of the clouds just grabs me. In some respects, it's a "nothing" snapshot, but I like it.



I had a number of pretty good wildlife pictures, so the ones that stayed had to be special. The Fence Lizard eating the grub is quite unusual, maybe a once-in-a-lifetime catch in the wild.


Erosion pattern in rocks with roots in Daniel Boone National Forest. It got to stay because I love the design and texture.




This photo of the Pearl Crescent butterfly got to stay because it happened to sit on some very colorful flowers. At University of Kentucky Botanical Garden.



Evening light on the trail to Chimney Rock, Kentucky. This one got to stay because the light almost makes it three-dimensional.


Japanese Garden at Meijer Botanical Garden. Again, anyone could have taken this picture, but I think the composition really works.



Morning dew on spruce trees. I took a bunch of pictures that day as I was driving to an event.



Finally, frost on a window. Not only are the frost patterns nifty, but there are dark and translucent spots in the background. I just like it.




Which ones do you like best?

See Best Photos 2018

Flamingo Float

 
Enjoy a chuckle with another flamingo picture- a really large floating toy on the Pere Marquette River last summer



Actually, I have a tiny backlog of flamingoes! But they are good to save for days like this!

In other news: I got a lot done today. Finished formatting the main part of the book, and sent out the photo release forms. However, I'm not feeling so good again. Going to bed early.

See Black Flamingo