Recharging

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all." — Helen Keller

White Girl Fall
The day after the successful fundraiser was a full day of recharging. Kiki went out with the girls to start 'white girl fall" while I stayed behind to hold down the fort. We stocked the wood delivery for the fireplace in the garage, cleaned out the basement, and tackled various small projects around the house. I was happy to help him.

In the afternoon, the girls returned with autumn decorations: pumpkins, golden apples, and candles. We joyfully adorned the house and spent the evening by the fireplace, sipping warm drinks. It was the perfect last evening before D.'s departure, as we moved from I. and D.'s place to stay with P. for a week.

The following day, we helped D. pack, exchanged our goodbyes, and prepared for the first in a series of budget meetings. We enjoyed a delicious dinner and played P.'s favorite game that evening: Shanghai Rummy. After dinner, we returned to I.'s place to spend our last night before switching houses.

The Old Stone Church
We rose early the next day, brimming with excitement for our next adventure! We drove to Millbrook Village, ate a bagel, and drank a hot beverage unworthy of the name coffee in the morning sun. Then, we continued to Dover Plains for our first hike in ages! We hiked up to the Old Stone Church and followed the remaining two routes on the hill. We got lost for a while and spotted an enormous woodpecker flitting from tree to tree. We enjoyed the view from the mountain's summit and eventually found our way back to the car.

Budget Meetings
We met with P. in the afternoon to continue our budget meetings until late evening. Afterward, we returned to I.'s place to watch the presidential debate between Trump and Harris, with R. joining us as well.

I found it unbelievable how biased the news is in the States. It is not neutral AT ALL. No wonder politics is so divided! Yet another culture shock.

Since P. is very busy, we had plenty of time between meetings, most of which involved preparing for the next meeting and adjusting our agreement. However, we also took part in several once-in-a-lifetime activities. One of them was flying in the yellow cub.

Taking Flight
I. is a flight instructor with a yellow sports plane from 1939, made out of wood and cloth, with no electronics, only mechanics. He invited us for a flight around the area, and of course, we agreed! There was only room for the pilot and one passenger, so Kiki and I played rock-paper-scissors to decide who would fly first; I won.

I helped I. push the plane out of the garage and climbed aboard. I. took the pilot's seat in the back, and we took off. We soared over the Hudson River, nearly touching the water, glided over P.'s house, and gazed at all the hills in the area. I even took the controls briefly, under I.'s careful supervision, of course. We flew for about half an hour. Kiki was next, and I watched them take off while chatting with D. R. joined us a bit later while I. and Kiki were still in the air. They returned during sunset, at golden hour. I. pretended to land but swooped close over the car instead—a real jump scare—before safely landing the plane.

What an adventure!