Sunday, March 4, 2012

Adventures in Hiking, Eating, and Drinking in Brewster


Hiking Bull's Bridge 

Dear Kiki,

This winter is one of the mildest winters ever in New York. I had all these great plans of cross country skiing and snowshoeing, and what do you think I get 40 to 50 degree days with two days of snow. I know I should feel lucky that I did not have to work in -5 degree weather with frozen toes and fingers. Due to this warm winter I have gotten to ride my bike twice and realized that I am in horrible cycling shape. It is a bit sad and you would be ashamed of me. I need you here to push me past 8 miles. I have been swimming twice a week and doing yoga at least once a week and hikes on the weekend. Wish you were here to hike with. I miss all our hikes in South America.
More of the bull's bridge hike

Work is stressful at times but fun most of the time. I am glad that traveling made me very patient and easygoing otherwise I might not make it through a day. One of the students I work with told me that he never wanted to come with me again to the farm because his shoes got muddy. Another eats the grain that we feed the animals. Yet another is a cleaning machine. I can hardly keep up with him. I heard a story from another staff that one she was walking into the barn with a group of kids including one kid that was trying to get all the animals to share. The llamas were mating and two of the males were on one female. The kid that was trying to get the animals to share walks over and tells the llamas that he is so proud of them and that they are sharing so well.  Every day is something new. I have watched a piglet get castrated, wrestled a sheep, been kissed by a llama, and cried in front of my boss after a goat died.
Wilbur the new piglet before castration

He thought my camera was food

So I went on a hike by myself the other weekend and met two guys in the woods. We walked together for a little while and talked about the area and other hikes that were good. He mentioned a chocolate place Belgique Patisserie in Kent that I just had to go check out. I got a hot chocolate and let's just say that I am glad that I met those guys on the trail. It has to be one of the best ones I have ever had. The chocolate was rich and smooth with a whipped cream was impossibly thick and creamy. I am going back tomorrow for another hike and another hot chocolate. After the hot chocolate I was pretty much full but I had planned to get tacos at a little place in Danbury called Pancho's Tacos and I did not want to miss it. So in true Lula fashion I had four tacos and a beer and I was way past full. Good thing I went on that hike. The tongue taco was the best. It was so tender and full of flavor. Talking about it is making me want another one. I am a bit sad that I am the only one in the house with sunday and monday off. I guess it is good for me to get out and do things by myself since I have such a hard time doing anything by myself. I am trying to be less dependent on someone motivating me to do something. That being said I am looking into changing my days off.

I have been eating out a little bit but I have been cooking a lot more. I made empanadas and black beans from scratch. The beans were not as good as Albert's but they were pretty okay. I need to keep working on my recipe. I made grandma's chicken and rice soup and it was really tasty. I am trying to perfect at least a few cuban recipes.

I learned how to make maple syrup and how to tap trees. It has been a really sweet couple of weeks and I am hoping that I can buy some of the finished product. Making the syrup is not that hard of a process. It is basically getting a fire going and then watching it for about 8 hours or until the sap gets to a certain temperature. I used to know what that temperature was but I have forgotten. I also know that one side of the tree is better to tap because it gets the most sun but I can't remember that either. I think it is the south side. I hope I don't have to survive of maple syrup because I obviously forgot everything I know about it other than the eating part.
Erica and Ryan making syrup at Clearpool

We had a birthday party for a friend this weekend and I of course got really drunk and did inappropriate things. I had all my roommates looking out for me so I only did a few really silly things like yoga, wearing a mustache, and pulling my friend's hair. Even those things are not so bad. but I am sure that I am forgetting a few things.  We taught our italian coworker some american phrases like "balls to the wall" and "rock out with your cock out." It was an interesting night.
I am glad my friends were there to watch my back

I did not get the silly face memo


I should not wear a mustache I look like dad

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