Snow! In October!

Yes, it snowed here yesterday and the night before. We were lucky not to be in the worst area; we actually received less than an inch or so. Lots of power lines and tree branches were down, though. It was so strange to turn on the news and see all the school closings in the area. In October!















I knew this might be coming, and in fact the weather here has been unseasonably cold according to the locals, so I got busy making myself some cold-weather gear. The beautiful handpainted alpaca that I got at Hemlock just a month ago is now mittens and a headband.

















I also made a hat and am working on a pair of matching convertible mittens to wear while I'm out pursuing my newest passion--geocaching! I had been reading bits here and there about geocaching, but when Jerry wrote about it, it sounded so intriguing that I wanted to learn more. I found many good websites, including www.geocaching.com, which is the main site for listing caches--there are thousands out there of varying difficulty--and also has a forum that has answered all my questions. Shortly afterward, I got a GPSr as an early birthday present, and I've been having a blast searching for, and sometimes discovering, caches. CP is not as enamored of tromping around in tall grass and briars and mud and the woods and whatnot, but I've gotten him to go along quite a lot and shown him some scenic spots that he never knew existed, like this one:




















On Tuesday we drove to Letchworth State Park and spent the afternoon stopping at all the scenic overlooks and even searching for a cache, which I did not find. This is an unusual and gorgeous state park that we visit each year. I only wish we'd had more time this year, since the fall colors are fantastic. Here's a view of the gorge from the Hogsback overlook.
















I must get back to knitting my mittens while it is too miserable and rainy to be out geocaching! I'll post a pic when they are finished.