Light on Water in the Scotia Barrens

I headed up Tow Hill on my bicycle, and when I got to the Scotia Barrens, I tucked my bike in behind some little pines; continued further on foot. I made my way - carefully, carefully, down the knife edge - to one of the Tow Hill ponds, just as the day started to turn a bit sunny. I took some shots; admired the sight of light on water and the reflections it brings. So here is a photo from my adventure. The orange is from pine needles on the ground. The green is rhododendrons.

In other news, I somehow broke an interior surface on one of the porcelain veneers on a lower right tooth. I typically experience some kind of dental crisis during the Thanksgiving week or thereabouts. So while I wasn't happy about it, it sort of seemed par for the course. It doesn't hurt, it doesn't show, and unless something changes, I plan to wait until my next dental appointment (April) to address it with my dentist. It will mean an additional two visits; several more hours in the chair.

As it is Thankgiving week, my husband and I do have some plans. My mother-in-law lives at Homewood at Martinsburg now, and she bought tickets for us to attend a very nice Thanksgiving meal there on Thursday. Martinsburg is a bit more than an hour's drive away. It is expected to snow, but not a lot. Just enough to make travel dicey in spots (only the thrill of the day is this - you won't know WHICH spots till you hit one, yeehaw!).

Tuesday night brought the finale for Dancing With the Stars, a TV show I used to watch. I gave up on it a few years ago, around the time Derek Hough stopped being a regular dancer on the show. He was always the best. This year, they invited Stephen Nederoscik, Penn State's "Pommel Horse Guy," a bronze medal winner at the Olympics, to dance.

Now, Stephen is a personal favorite. I watched him on the Olympics, with his geeky glasses, his Clark Kent moves, and his great big megawatt smile. As a former Manager of Access, I respect him as an advocate for those who are visually impaired. He has two eye conditions (strabismus - crossed eyes - and coloboma - missing eye tissue) and can barely see. But it sure doesn't STOP him! "Remember, you can do anything!" he famously told a young fan.

I watched about 45 minutes of the finale, and caught Stephen and Rylee's Freestyle (Husband: "But he looks like a NERD!" Me, excitedly: "YES!!!!"), which featured additional gymnasts doing fancy flips and fun maneuvers. It was spectacular! Stephen and Rylee did not win, but they sure were a pair of lights, weren't they? What great big wonderful smiles, like two doses of sunshine - we sure will miss them!

Our soundtrack song is Sugarland, with Shine a Light.

P.S. Here's a shout-out to fellow former Olympian Ilona Maher, who was also just wonderful on the show this year. Three cheers for her body positivity, and for her can-do attitude. Hats off to Ilona, and take that, to any of her former critics and body shamers. You go, girl! As a former eating disorder survivor myself, I loved her from the moment she said this:

“All body types matter. All body types are worthy, from the smallest gymnast to the tallest volleyball player, from a rugby player to a shot-putter to a sprinter. All body types are beautiful, can do amazing things. So truly see yourself in these athletes and know that you can do it, too.”