"Non" Black Lizard / Vintage Crime #26 for 2023...

"The Witcher:  The Last Wish" written by Andrzej Sapkowski, first published in 1993 (Polish) and in 2007 (English).  It is considered the 1st installment of "The Witcher" fantasy series.

The Witcher was preceded by 1992's Sword of Destiny, but is officially considered the first entry in the series and Sword of Destiny the second. The collection contains seven short stories interspersed with a continuing frame story: Geralt of Rivia, after having been injured in battle, rests in a temple. During that time he has flashbacks to recent events in his life, with each flashback forming a short story.

What Played in Ed's Head -- 

Music listened to for the time-period October 1st through October 31st, 2023:

Black Lizard / Vintage Crime #25 for 2023...

"Two Trains Running" written by Andrew Vachss, first published in 2005.

On the drive to to Adams for another visit with my folks, I stopped off in Williamsburg to ramble along on their trails.

Explored a bit and found two bridges washed away during high flows recently, one being the old covered snowmobile bridge.

Crossed Route 9 on the "new" snowmobile crossing I had noticed, and followed decent forest road path and maple sugar lines up to a field at the Snow Farm (I believe).  Explored a bit of Snow Farm Loop and then bush-wacked back down to Route 9 and back to my vehicle.

Nice 4.6-mile adventure.

 

Today was going to be the day I located the Lost Acres Waterfall myself.  I had heard and read about it enough without having seen it.  I was prepared to bushwack until I was satisfied.

I parked at the spot near the intersection of Fuller and Lost Acres Roads, which I had explored back in January of 2022 or so. 

Rambled down hill on the road, saw a decent wood-road path leading towards the brook, and followed.  There was a pickup truck at the bottom (hunting season) and a difficult steep bank to get down to cross the brook.

Single-track for a bit, it extinguished, I picked it back up, all the while trying to keep the brook close.

Followed a game trail up a ridge which was west of the brook, and I could hear pounding water.

Back down to the brook, up the east-side, and there it was.  Pretty darn impressive actually.

There is some stone foundation work above the falls (on the east side), old barn or structure of that type.

Made it out after climbing to the top of the falls and on re-entry to the road, was almost directly across from the very large boulder on the east side of Lost Acres Road just south of Fuller Road.

2-miles and it was worth it.

Granby to run from Mary Edwards Mountain Property through the Donahue Preserve, with a bit extra towards Crag Mountain if possible and feeling good.

Run went well, but the bridge repair work at the bottom of Donahue forced me to turn around prematurely.  I did find my way through the Horse Trails on the north side of Donahue well.

Finished with 4.7-miles and decided to explore off the bottom of Mountain Road on a forest road.  That steeply rose to the height of land, and a tree stand.  Nothing from there but a bushwhack back to the car.  It was an additional 0.8-miles though.  All in all a decent day.\

"Non" Black Lizard / Vintage Crime #24 for 2023...

"The Blue Knight" written by Joseph Wambaugh, first published in 1972.

This was Wambaugh's second published novel.

"High Points" along trails during October 2023... 

Still Building up....

• Northern Drake Mountain, Southwick, MA
• Crag Mountain, Granby, CT

Bands and Live Performances I've been a part of:

#10.

Primitives, Dong Show #2, Summer/Fall 1984.

Prior to the Primitives attempt at Rock N' Roll, Boy Joe, a co-worker from SE, did an a cappella, operatic vocal, in drag, in front of a full house.

Prior to our appearance, K shot-gunned a can of beer.  Out of the band but in our atmosphere.

This time, we practiced, and had AD for lead vocals.  TB might have been playin' with us as well.

We crushed a three-headed monster medley of Louie Louie / Wild Thing / Blitzkrieg Bop.  

We were still fueled by alcohol and youth.  

Still didn't care.

Crowd went "woo!".  

We won a hundred bucks.

Much of what I can remember of these times is fuzzy, but what is remembered seems incredible.  

Watery Hill 6-Hour Run

November 6, 1999 - Somewhere in MA or RI

I completed 30-miles during the Watery Hill Six-Hour Race today, with Johnny Bandit.  I called it a day at 5:35:00.

Visit with the folks today.

On the drive to the visit, I stopped in Savoy to make the connection from  the Hollow to Griffin Hill Road (turns into Savoy Hollow Road in Windsor I believe).

My last visit on this trail was much different, it was still mostly single-track.  Now it is a wide snowmobile path.  Completed the journey just fine, out to the gate in Windsor just past Tamarack Hollow Nature Center.  Finished with 3.8-miles.

After my visit I still had some daylight available so I stopped off in Windsor State Forest to check on the snowmobile trail from Windsor Bush Road to Windsor Pond.  Found it, and got to the pond but noticed the trail sort of continued.  Followed out to Nawadaha Ave (connects to 8A).

An additional 2.2-miles.  

3-hour shift at work before the night was over.

Back to Dismal Brook to get back on track finding the correct path to Sodom Mountain.

Success, and finished with 7.1-miles.

And, from the Archives...

On this day, the year 2000...

Watery Hill 6-Hour Run

November 4, 2000 - Somewhere in MA or RI

I completed 33-miles during the Watery Hill Six-Hour Race today, with Johnny Bandit.  

I called it a day at 6:00:00.

DL & I drove to Plymouth and back to assist TC. 

Long day in the vehicle for us, roughly 2:20 out but and extended 2:50 back due to some traffic early and a crash that needed to be cleared out roughly 5-miles ahead of us near Ludlow.

On this day in 1997...

Bash Bish Falls Marathon

November 2, 1997 - South Taconic Trail, MA & NY

The Old Goat, the Gullivers, and a few others rambled out to Bash Bish Falls to participate in a marathon along the South Taconic Trail.  

I managed 26-miles in 6:28:00, with the last few miles being in a driving rain.  

This was my 18th marathon.

November 1st begins Native American Indian Heritage Month!

November is National American Indian Heritage Month The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to the rich ancestry and traditions of Native Americans.

Today also starts my commitment to health and fitness, and I hope to complete 30-days with thirty total exercise events.  Today, I managed a 2-mile walk along Main Street at 7:00 p.m.