Adventures in Camping

On Wensday night we headed up to the mountains. The temperature up there was about 15 degrees colder than home. And for one longing to for warm weather and wearing less clothing this was not going to happin. I think it was in the late 40's early 50's. Back to the freaking turtle necks and fat clothes I go. After awhile I seemed to get used to it, and was able to wear my Capri's and a sweatshirt. Definitely not summer. I spent a lot of time wondering if I was going to see a bear. I really wanted to see one to get that fear over with. I would not venture far into the woods on hikes with {J} and Bingo for my fear of the "wild" was to strong to face. On Sunday my brother Bobby and family came up. I was sitting by the fire at 3pm talking to Midgie when they came. Was such a nice surprise to see them. They all wanted to go on a hike...To see where the old "Mountain House" hotel was--I thought that was safe enough so we all went. Bobby was wanting to hike farther into the woods, I was scared to but my nephew Johnathan vowed to protect me from the bears. Even thou he laughed, how I had to carry this big sharp rock on the hike. { Grant it,,I felt the need to protect them all and that was the only weapon I had}. We must have hiked 2 miles in, up and over boulders, over fallen logs. Just so you know this was not a flat surface,,it was mountains and rugged terrain. We followed the blue tag trail which lead to no where. I begged to stop and turn around at the first bear shit I saw. But Noooo, the men wanted to go farther and farther into the woods. Poor Bingo never had such a hike in his life. Finally another fork in the road--yellow trail 4.5 miles--red trail 2.5 blue trail 2.5 back to where we started. We chose the blue. The same terrain we were on. As we walked back I spotted something off the trail about a quarter of a mile down hill. Curiosity got the best of me,,I needed to see what it was. I cannot explain why,,but I felt the force to go there. All fears of bears had vanished. Bobby wanted to go to. Every one else was saying,its getting late, we'll never get out before dark..{ahah,,their fear of night in the woods} On the way down I spotted this very unique flower, one I have never seen. I wanted to dig it up,,but something told me to leave it,,The picture you see is what we found,,,and the story is of the wreckage. Unlike a car wreck along side a road and people Erek a shrine in its spot- Here people that came and saw- took parts of it back. I feel that was wrong. Perhaps that is why I left that one beautiful flower alone...Here is the rest of the story---Downed plane found in Jewett, bodies recovered two engine Piper Navajo plane missing for four days was found Tuesday, December 19, at 2:15 p.m. by a New York state helicopter assigned to the lost plane search in Greene county. The wreckage was spotted by the helicopter on the Black Head Mountain in East Jewett. Due to the rugged terrain of the area it was impossible to get to the location other than with a person being dropped by helicopter as close as possible to the scene.U.S. Air Force Rescue Team member[s] from the 106 Air Station Guard in Westhampton went to the scene and determined that it was the plane, but that it did not appear to be any sign of life.On Wednesday morning, as the W.J. is going to press, recovery details are recovering the bodies of the pilot and the five passengers who after attending a business meeting in Glens Falls last Friday were on their way to Montgomery.The pilot was Timothy Burns, 27, Allentown, N.J.; the five passengers were Salvatore Arlotta, Jr., 42, Wallkill; Peter Lovi, 33, Pine Bush, both employees of the Wehran Engineering environmental consulting firm in Middletown; Ronald D. Pacchiana, 56, Pound Ridge, president of Briar Contracting and owner of Unicorn Industries, Ltd., both in Peekskill; Attorney Michael J. Trainor, 45, New York City and Timothy P. Burns, 44, Yonkers.Their plane disappeared from radar screens Friday evening about 30 miles south of Albany, it was reported. Radar put the plane at an altitude of 2,300 feet when it disappeared. Blackhead Mountain, Black Dome and Thomas Cole mountains are more than 3,900 ft high. The area in East Jewett/Maplecrest had received about 8 inches of snow since Friday.More than 20 aircraft searched a 5,000 square mile area in the Catskills and the Hudson Valley on Tuesday.{Many years has past..but I am sure for the families and the loved ones they left behind it seems like yesterday, My prayers go out to you all.}