Nature Walk and History Time at Devil's Hopyard

 Hello, my name is Colin.  Tonight, I'm giving Kristin some time off.  She's worked so hard on her blog and I don't want her to get overwhelmed.

Today, after weeks of prodding, I finally got Kristin out of the cave (our hotel) and got her to go on a hike with me. We get out sometimes, but it's been tough to get here out into nature ever since our run in with ticks at the beach.  We went to a really great state park called "Devil's Hopyard" about thirty minutes outside of Waterford, CT.  The park is known for a really beautiful waterfall and several unnaturally large potholes indented into the large granite boulders covering the landscape.  You're probably wondering where the name for the state park came from.  It certainly is unusual and there are two theories about its origin.

The waterfalls from above

 The first theory says that many years ago, when the countryside was countryside and not suburbia (seriously, in Connecticut you can't get away from people, even the access road into the park is lined with houses and power lines), there was a small farm which made its money by growing hops for a local brewery.  Apparently, this "hopyard" was quite well known by the locals and for many years one farmhand, Dibble, was the sole tenant of this patch of land.  Logically people coined the phrase "Dibble's Hopyard" and used it to reference that general part of the countryside.  Like a classic game of telephone, the name Dibble evolved into Devil and so came the modern name "Devil's Hopyard."  Now, this seems like a reasonable story, but I think the second theory is a little more believable.

The second theory is told as follows:  Many, many years ago (probably around 1692), the Devil - complete with horns, cloven hooves, and that ugly balding tail - emerged from a large molten fissure in the Connecticut hillside.  You see, He intended to come up near Salem, Massachusetts to check in on his newly recruited witch clan but missed his mark.  This meant for a pretty long walk, one he hadn't planned for, so he was already pretty pissed.  He started heading in the direction of Salem when he stumbled upon the large waterfall that marks today's state park.  As the devil tried to cross over the falls, he lost his footing and dipped his tail into the clean, cold, Connecticut water.  Now in case you didn't know, the devil hates getting wet.  Hates getting wet!  He was furious. Smoke started coming out his ears, his horns started glowing red, and he proceeded to have a full-on devil tantrum.  With his massive cloven hooves, he stomped all over the Connecticut countryside leaving unnaturally large hoof prints, and when his anger peaked, he hopped from boulder to boulder indenting the rocks with his rage, forming the potholes we see today, and hence the name "Devil's Hopyard."

It's pretty obvious that the second theory is probably correct, but there will always be skeptics.  Either way, these days the park is a really great place to spend an afternoon.  I've been lucky enough to visit in both early spring and summer and both times, the scenery has been astounding.  I only wish I could see it during the turning of the leaves.  Kristin was a really great sport during the whole trip even though the state park wasn't immune to the tick epidemic that seems to plague Connecticut this time of year.  We spent about two hours hiking the trails and snapping some nice forest pictures.

Here's a nice mushroom ball.

We weren't up for the steeper hike to the "Devil's Oven" due to our limited foot wear - one of the side affects of living in a hotel.  Though, we were able to snap a picture of where we expected the oven to be through the trees.

"Devil's Oven" - either where the devil cooks his soul pizza's or where emerged from.

All in all, the day was a really nice way for Kristin and I to spend some time together away from the hotel.  The weather was perfect for the trip and we were able to see some really beautiful facets of New England.

Flower we found and picked (sorry bees)

There was also a really nice stream in the park that made me wish I had my fishing gear (and a license), but just seeing it was enjoyment enough.

Quiet stream - the cherry on top

Guest Blogger Tuesday! (Updated!)

Have you ever considered trying out a yoga class?  Or even a yoga dvd?  Well, you're in luck!  Today's guest blog is all about being a yogi!  This week's lovey lady isn't just an avid practicer of yoga (I can attest to this: when she came to stay with us for the wedding the first question she asked was if there was a good place near our apartment where she could practice yoga during the week) and teacher, she's also my wonderfully fabulous sister in law!  So read on to find out more about her journey with yoga, and be sure to leave any questions you may have in the comments.

Even the cats practice yoga!

As an eleven-year yogi and a 4-year yoga instructor, I can’t help but smile whenever someone asks, “Isn’t yoga just a lot of stretching?”   There are as many variations of yoga as there are flavors of ice cream.   Some yoga styles, like Hatha Yoga and Iyengar Yoga, concentrate mainly on the expression of different postures.   Other flavors, such as Ashtanga Yoga, focus on moving repeatedly through a sequence of poses.  I practice (and teach) Vinyasa Yoga, which emphasizes synchronizing the breathe with movement.

I didn’t pick up yoga on my own.   It was actually my mom who introduced me to yoga and inspired me to keep practicing.  She had an old video called “The Method Yoga,” which we would watch together and laugh.  Eventually my mom embraced other challenges, but I loved the video and continued practicing throughout high school and college.  By the time I entered graduate school at Washington State University, I was ready to try something different, so I signed up for a Yolates class.  The combination yoga/pilates class inspired me to learn as much as I possibly could about everything yoga.

Bound Extended Angle

To answer the question asked by many curious potential yogis, no, yoga isn’t just stretching (unless you want to spend your practice stretching).  Yoga is a mind-body experience that strengthens, challenges, and stretches the body.   Like anything worth doing, yoga takes practice, which is why the act of doing yoga is called a practice.   In Vinyasa Yoga, every movement is synchronized with a breath.  There are hundreds of postures that can be practiced individually or in a flowing series of poses.  Each posture offers unique physiological benefits and when practiced in sequence, an unmatched cardiovascular challenge.

My love for yoga comes from the joy of the practice and the deep sense of accomplishment that follows every final relaxation (a short period of meditation at the end of a yoga session).  Vinyasa Yoga is difficult; don’t be fooled by people who claim that, “yoga is easy.”  Those people probably aren’t practicing yoga correctly.  True Vinyasa Yoga challenges the mind, the body and the breath.  I suppose the feeling I experience after yoga is equivalent to a “runners high,” except I never leave my mat.  And rather than feeling achy after a long run or walk, an hour of Vinyasa Yoga is both intrinsically and extrinsically restorative.   With the exception of one or two practices (where I was nursing serious shoulder injuries), I have never felt worse after a yoga session.

Dancer Pose - Oliver likes to sit on my mat just to make sure I'm practicing the postures correctly.

Part of my joy for yoga comes from sharing my passion with others.   I love teaching Vinyasa Yoga.   It’s amazing to watch people who know nothing about yoga evolve into true yogis.  I’ve been fortunate enough to teach just about every demographic, and I consider the opportunity to share my practice with others an honor.   My favorite part of teaching yoga is watching the self-discovery that occurs in new yoga practitioners.   The deeper my students delve into yoga, the more cognizant they become of their own bodies, abilities, and limitations.  Being part of that discovery process is enlightening.   It reminds me of my own struggles and triumphs, my own aptitudes and shortcomings.   In yoga philosophy, self-awareness is a fundamental stepping-stone to inner peace, a state of mind I think most people strive to achieve.

I could probably spend hours on a soapbox ranting about the awesomeness of yoga, but the best plug is to encourage everyone to sign up for a class and try it out.  I’ve recently fallen in love with BikramAshtanga Yoga practiced at 100°F for 90 minutes.  I’m also a huge fan of PowerYoga, a Vinyasa Yoga hybrid often offered at local gyms or community centers.   Like I said before, yoga takes practice.  It takes time to learn the postures and the breathing.  Patience, endurance, and perseverance are essential for building a personal yoga practice.  So go out, try a yoga class, and hopefully the next time someone asks, “Isn’t yoga just a lot of stretching?” you’ll be able to answer that question with a knowing smile.  ~Namaste.

Those are some impressive postures, right?  Interested in being a future guest blogger?  Email me or leave a comment!  I'd love to share your insights on my blog!

A face lift and falling behind

Welcome to the new and improved A day in the life!  Along with this awesome face lift, I have a confession to make - I totally dropped the ball on On the Same Page Saturday yesterday.  To be completely honest, I haven't even gotten around to starting the book yet.  After a few too many chapters of Lego Harry Potter, I forgot all about the chapters I should have been reading!  That being said, I promise promise promise we'll start next Saturday.  No excuses.  On the plus side, it gives everyone more time to try and get the book!  If you don't want to go the amazon route, it can probably be found at a fairly good price at used book stores.  And of course, for free at your local library! 

Today is Coupon Sunday (doubly good because it's the first of the month), and after stopping at six different places (cvs, hannaford, cumberland, price chopper, sonoco, and stewerts), I couldn't find a Times Union to save my life!  I couldn't be sadder.  They were sold out everywhere.  I did find one at stewerts, but after I bought it and brought it home I found out that someone had already stolen the 5, I repeat, FIVE coupon inserts that were supposed to be there this week :(  Talk about major disappointment.  I've thought about possibly buying them on ebay, but I've never paid for coupons outside of the paper before, and I don't really want to start now.

To try and cheer myself up, I went on my second bike ride of the day to Crandell park where they were celebrating Relay for Life.  They had a band on stage and a bunch of booths with little chotchkies all benefiting the cause.  Being that it's such a gorgeous day here in upstate New York, the turn out was actually really great.  The best part was that nearly everyone walked to get there.  Both the YMCA and park parking lots had more than half of their spaces available!  I mostly just sat in the grass and people watched until it started getting a little chilly and road home.

The inspector from the moving company gets here tomorrow (yay!) and then I've got to kick it into high gear in preparation for the actual movers, so posting might be few and far between this week.  But!  Make sure to look out for Guest Blogger Tuesday and a new Navy post coming your way soon!

Sunday Walks

A few months ago while Colin was still at prototype and working ridiculously long hours, I introduced Sunday walks into my weekly schedule.  As I've said before I'm an avid couponer/deal hunter, so each Sunday I take a walk to the Stewart's (sort of like 7/11) about four blocks away and pick up a newspaper or two.  I have to be honest, sometimes things get in the way and the Sunday walk doesn't happen.  And sometimes it's snowing like crazy and Colin has to trick me into going, but I'm always glad I did.  I love looking at all the beautiful colonial houses in our area, and I love getting out and seeing something beyond our front door.

Today, the walk was particularly nice.  It's finally warm out!  They're even threatening a thunderstorm tonight or tomorrow.  I say this, but I have to point out that there is still snow on the ground in some places.  However, 57 degree weather is like a dream.

What sorts of things do you do weekly/daily/monthly to let off a little steam?  Better yet, what do you do to let of steam AND get a little exercise?