Aurora Ridge Dairy is a family-owned dairy farm in Ledyard (near Aurora), New York, known for its sustainable practices, high-quality milk, and popular farm shop offering various dairy products and ice cream.
This weekend I want to get to the thrift store and look at getting more shirts so I have enough for the winter. Maybe go for a hike in the Pine Bush or for a drive to just enjoy the countryside while I still can. It’s fine, winter won’t be that long and I’m getting a new or maybe used truck come spring. I also want to get to Walmart and stock up on rice, beans, lentils in the bulk size packages, along with toilet paper. I also want to get a few spare tubes for my bike. Most other things I can get at Hannaford or Price Chopper using the bus or my bike. I can still ride to Walmart on my bike but bulky packages are not easy to transport on the bike. Truth is if I have $35 in things I need that aren’t food, Walmart will deliver them for free with their free shipping program. So if I need jeans and some other supplies, that’s always an option. And EBay for other things or I can ask Mom to order for me on Amazon.
This is a good excuse to call up Mr. Van Wie at Meadowbrook Farms and sign up for milk delivery, to eliminate that source of plastic trash. Then I should talk to my neighbor about letting me use his trash bins – I can give him some money but in the past he’s said that’s okay. Going to be gentle on the bike now and not ride the ice covered bike trail, as while I’ve gotten better at wrenching, the bike is quite essential for everything the bus won’t get me to.
I still plan to take a trip on Christmas Day, probably to Madison County but depending on snow, how I’m feeling and how Big Red is running, it could just be Schoharie or Rensselearville. I want to get as much use out of Big Red now before he’s done on December 31st, but I also don’t want to break the rotted out frame and get stranded somewhere. Honestly I don’t think on the Chevy’s frames crack as commonly as they do on old Dodges. I will leave my camping gear in my truck for the winter, and will not disconnect the solar so that the starting and accessory batteries remain charged over the winter so I can move the truck as necessary.I will move that gear over to the new truck in the spring.
Then I just need to enjoy the solitude and peace of not having a vehicle this winter. No gas or insurance to pay, no worries about breakdowns. Inconveniences like hauling wash to the laundromat on the city bus, but I can manage for a few months. Likewise, the basket on my bike is somewhat limited on what I can get for groceries, but there is always Stewart’s for milk and eggs, but I really should get fresh milk delivered in glass for less trash. More time to read, more time to visit local parks on my bike. I think it would be fun to bike to auto dealerships when looking at cars, especially if I am at least half seriously considering another big truck. And then I got to figure out my Michigan trip. I need to study maps, books and try to learn as much as possible before setting out on that trip in early July.
So many things to do and so little time with Red coming to an end in the final days of the year!
The story of how the Endangered Species Act went from unanimous passage under a Republican president to becoming a deeply partisan wedge. The act was passed to protect big, beloved animals like bald eagles and blue whales; no one thought it would apply to a motley, reclusive owl. In this episode from Oregon Public Broadcasting’s Timber Wars, a story about saving the last of America’s old growth forests and the push to roll back environmental protections.
![Untitled [Expires May 14 2025]](https://andyarthur.org//data/photo_018196_large.jpg)
