July 3rd: Morning Walk/Morning Thoughts

 Before I begin this morning's boring blog post, I'd like to say something "off topic."  I call this a boring blog for a reason; my life is average and ordinary (for the most part).  I am fully aware that very few people (if anyone some days) read this.  I'm never going to have thousands of readers or be some kind of influencer (not that I would mind either).  I share what I share to preserve MY memories and thoughts.  Things that I might have once told my mother about when she was alive. (We did love to talk about mundane things.)  But now I have no one to call up and tell these "nothings" to.  (My husband and son could care less...that's okay.)  So I write them.  If someone reads them, okay.  If not, I have a record of what was going on in my life (which I have done for most of my life).  It's just no longer in a notebook or diary.  And who knows, maybe someday a distant relative will be looking for information on something, and this blog will help them out.  I wish my grandparents and ancestors had kept diaries...because there's so much that I want to know that would be boring to others, but not me.  So there you have it...

It's going to be another hot day here in the Pocono Mountains (as well as just about everywhere.)  Yesterday it reached a high at our house of 103.2!  It may be a little cooler today or it may not.  We'll see.  We may also get thunderstorms later this afternoon/evening.  That along with the high temps may prevent me from going up to Skytop for fireworks tonight.  (My husband refuses to go, which kind of puts a damper on things as well.)  

The high temps do "irk" me as it's too hot to enjoy the backyard (aka the jungle) and it also means that I need to get up and walk early before it gets too hot to do so safely.  I actually saw two other people on the quiet roads doing the same (one was jogging).  

One of the first things I saw this morning was the "local" Airbnb house where the driveway was JAM packed with cars/vehicles.

You can't tell from this photo (very well), but there were 4 rows of vehicles, and I counted at least 12 of them in this driveway.  (Other point of interest the part of the house that they are parked in front of use to be a multi-car garage, but has been converted into bedrooms.)  I understand the need to get away and rent a house.  (Before my mother was finally able to buy a house at the NJ shore, we rented for over 20 years.  We may have had friends stay with us for a few days, but never that many.  And, as an aside, we always purchased our own beach badges...renting means you can enjoy the home and property, other amenities of the community are NOT included and people need to remember that...end of rant.)  12 cars means at least 12 people right?  Crushed into this smallish house?  Doesn't quite seem safe.  (Or legal?)

As I continued on, I saw (from a distance so I didn't get a photo) either a turkey, turkey buzzard or peacock in the road.  Yes, I said peacock.  There ARE peacocks in my neighborhood and I often hear them when I am out walking in the mornings.  I've never seen them, but others have and I think there is more than one family that owns them because they've gotten loose a couple of times and have been spotted in my immediate neighborhood as well as a few miles away (which is what makes me think that there is more than one family that has them.)  I tried to get a photo, but I was pretty far away and by the time I managed to get to the spot, the bird was long gone into the woods/brush.  

While it is well known that I am a Skytop gal, I've recently being walking to Buck Hill Falls because it's closer and I CAN actually walk there.  (As a NJ girl, it took me a long time to figure out that the BH car magnets/stickers didn't stand for Bay Head, but Buck Hill.) Buck Hill has a fascinating history and I wish I'd been around to experience the Inn, but...the community is now a private HoA (which means I can't access the actual falls...I need to make friends with residents so we could check it out together.  Any takers?).  However, I've enjoyed walking around the roads.  The landscape and architecture are beautiful.  (The "cottages" are anything but!   Currently there are a handful homes for sale and while prices are comparable to what we paid for our home, the HoA annual fee of $18,000 a year means that BH was never going to be in my future; unless a win the lottery.  And it would have to be a BIG win!  Oh well... a girl can dream.) 

Although I am not the best photographer, here's what I saw this morning:

 

(Sunrise through the trees)

(The site of the former in...if you look carefully you can see a small part of the inn to the right of the tent that still remains.  This is also the site of a still unsolved murder)

I've walked UNDER the Old Stone Bridge, but today was the first time I walked OVER.)

As it was already starting to get hot  (it was in the 70s when I left the house at 5:40), I headed back for a much needed cool shower.  But before that, I had to do a little weeding while it was still "cool" enough.  The "grounds" need MUCH help and I'm hoping that our "new" landscaper will actually come on Monday as promised .  (There's definitely a blog post there as well.)  I've already paid a deposit so....Here's hoping that by Monday afternoon the "jungle" will be much more manageable.  I know that will make me happy.  And "Big Fred" too.