To Be or Not to Be

Alright - so just how often do you get to start off with Shakespeare!?

So it's been awhile, but I had to take care of some things and make a decision about whether or not to continue my blog.  I ran for office, and got elected.  So I thought perhaps I should not blog.  But after giving it a lot of thought - and realizing that I actually do refer to this blog for photos, recipes, etc. - and hearing from my family about how they actually were reading the darn thing.  I decided to keep it going.

Especially since Christmas is coming and I have cookie baking to do!

So there it is.

If you're looking for political talk or anything like that, please go to my facebook page (facebook.com\councilwomanhitselberger).

If you're looking for baking, knitting, dogginess, commuting, traffic, architecture, nature - you're in the right place!

So there you have it.

Ups and Downs

Most mornings I am starting to doze off by the time the train goes through this section of the great swamp. But since I had a lot of work to do, a definite downer, I was still awake when we got here. 

It is one of my favorite spaces in the great swamp. The blue herons have started a 2nd colony here. It's still small. Only 4 nests even though they've been at it for about 7 years now. A few years back we had a big storm that knocked the nests down, but the herons were undaunted and put them back up. 

In the winter, the water freezes over into little ice islands. One winter a fox was trying to cross, each step he took broke through the ice so he started running faster as he crossed, skipping across the ice staying just one paw ahead of a good soaking. 

In the summer on a hot still day you can look into the water and see the fish slowly making their way up or down in the currents. 

Don't let the surface stillness fool you or the apparent shallowness of the water. It's a good strong current and beneath the 1-2 feet of water is a 7 foot deep muckish mass that will suck you down in a heartbeat. 

On this morning, my train got stopped by a signal problem so we sat here in my favorite spot for awhile. On the one hand, I knew I would be late for work. On the other, I was happy to be able to sit and enjoy. 

Fall Foliage

After spending the day curled up with a heating pad on my back, I finally gave in to reality and headed out to do my weekend errands.  Once I got going and saw the colors of Fall everywhere - I was really glad that I did.

I wasn't sure if it was the color of the leaves or the colors in the sky that were more amazing.  Either way - it was worth the trip.

Besides, the heating pad would be waiting for me when I got home.

City Waterfront, Country Waterfront

I was down at the waterfront in midtown yesterday.  The amount of equipment they have right on the waterfront never ceases to surprise me.  Aside from the boats and docks and all, they have the cranes there for moving freight and then there are the dredgers.  The Hudson has a lot of silt that builds up pretty quickly - at least I think it does considering that they always seem to be dredging.  Quite the busy little waterfront.

Today I was down at the waterfront up by our bucolic manor.  It was busy in its' own way.  You know, what with the water flowing down the river - and then more water - and then some more water.   Bust little waterfront.  Yup.

City vs country...which to choose?

Country Roads

I went for a little drive and decided to take a shortcut.  Normally, I don't take shortcuts because I never know where I'm going to end up or if I'll get stuck driving down a 1-way road over a mountain with washed out gullies on either side of the pickup with barely enough road left for my pickup to drive on and no possible way to turn around.  Yikes!

 But this time I got lucky.  After surviving the impossibly narrow road up one side and down the other of a mountain, it leveled out and there were some beautiful fields and farms to calm me after my stroke-inducing drive.

The colors were so rich - perfect Fall golds and burgundies.  And the best part?  I found a way home that didn't involve going back up that mountain road!

Alpacas on the Farm

Since it's National Alpaca Farm Days this weekend - you've been waiting for it too?  I know, right? - I'm off to visit a local alpaca "hobby" farm.

The main difference between a farm and a "hobby" farm is that on a hobby farm, the animals aren't paying their way - nor are they making a little extra for the farmer to live off of.  They're fun, but not necessary to the financial success of the farm.  Or as my country friends say - they are for city folks who like to play farmer on the weekend.

All of that aside, the owners of this farm are really getting into the spirit of boutique farming.  They have a small herd of alpaca who are in excellent health, sweet demeanor and (mot importantly for my knitting habit) have the softest wool ever.

The boys were down in the lower pasture.  They're not very outgoing - even towards each other.  But oh so gorgeous!  They were shorn this past Spring, so their fleeces are still growing in, but they should be ready for winter in a month or so.

The ladies in the upper pasture were much more friendly to humans.  Curious and alert to sudden movements, but not standoffish at all.

The owner took me into the pasture so I could meet the girls up close.  I got to feed them some grain (lucky day for them - extra grain!) and they came right up to my hand and ate it.  After my experience with feeding carrots to the horses a few weeks ago, I was a little nervous about the alpaca, but they pick up the grain with their lips - no teeth involved.  All was good and they were oh so gentle.

I thought this young lady and I made a real connection.  I fed her a lot of grain, she let me pet her neck a little and give a scratch to her head.  I could feel a real kinship developing.

Then she got startled by a bird screeching and spit all over me.

I think I'll stick to knitting with the alpaca yarn and leave the raising of alpacas to the farmers.  It's the way to go.

Sheep in the City

Today I played hooky from work this morning and headed down to midtown.  To see some sheep.

Normally there aren't any sheep in midtown, but the Campaign for Wool was having an event, so they shipped in some sheep from way upstate, along with some yarn art, displays about wool and how using wool is a much better environmental choice than say - plastic.

The entrances were flanked by these cute sculptures of sheep in dyed fleeces.  And since the whole thing was started by Prince Charles, they had some mannikins dressed up in English military outfits.  Made from wool, of course.

This little sheep was all about promoting the English roots of the wool event.  He even brought along his umbrella.  I had to laugh!

No wool event these days is complete without a "yarn bombing".  That's where they take an object and coat it in yarn.  They took it one step further in the fountain, though.  They made water out of yarn.

Well, actually it was roving - unspun fibers.  But I think it really gave the artist the ability to show a lot of movement in the wooly water.

I just loved the colors though.  I could definitely make a nice pair of mittens out of that mossy green, or a sweater out of the grey...  But I'm here to see the sheep!

They had 2 types of sheep - the Katahdins still have their fleece on.

They were all about eating the hay that the farmer put out for them.  Well, eating the hay and staying away from all of the people that were right up against the glass fencing.

I was sitting back, enjoying my coffee and knitting, of course.

This must have come from that guy over on the right.  The color sort of matches, don't you think?

The sheep came from a farm pretty close to where our bucolic manor is.  Just down the road aways.  I was happy that they didn't have to take the train down to the city.  That would have made for one smelly ride.  Bryant Park had their own guy acting as the shepherd - he was shepherding the people from leaning on the fence.  The sheep totally behaved themselves, though.

That is, until Dog-Z came by.  Dog-Z is a chow that lives in the area.  His owner had no idea that there were sheep in Bryant Park - until Dog-Z pulled him at a full run right up to the fence.  At that point, the owner lost the leash and Dog-Z was on his own.  Fortunately for the sheep, Dog-Z really had no idea what to make of them.  They stared at each other through the plexiglas - sizing each other up.  And then I noticed...

Look closely - that Katahdin is sticking it's tongue out at the chow!  That's one tough talking country sheep.

The 2nd type of sheep were the Southdowns.  Unfortunately for them, they had recently been sheared.  Alone, bald and ostracized by the Katahdins, they hung out around the outside of the pen.  The joke is on the Katahdins.  They're bred for meat - the Southdowns are bred for wool.

Overall it was a wonderful way to spend the morning.  I felt as if my two lives were colliding!  Sheep in Bryant Park, right!?

But all good things must come to and end - so off to the subway and back to the office.  I'll see the sheep again when I get home tonight.

Best Friends

A boy and his dog.  I can't help it, but every time I see my DH and our pup walking down to the pond, I keep hearing that song from "The Courtship of Eddie's Father".  People let me tell you 'bout my best friend!

They're too cute.

Maybe because our pup walks like a Muppet.  Her little ears flop up and down with each step she takes.

They're overwhelmingly adorable.

I'm probably biased, but seriously - you see it, right?

Hudson River Valley Ramble

Today my DH and I went on a ramble.  In other words, we took an historic tour of the hamlet just south of us.  We usually don't spend a lot of time just looking at the buildings and the history when we are down there - we're just watering the planters.  But today we "stopped and smelled the roses", so to speak.  Of course, it was a charity event to raise monies for the roof of this historic chapel.  That made it all the better a reason to go and see this little hamlet.

This chapel was built around the turn of the century - last century, that is.  Even though there was a church a mere 7 miles away (by horse-drawn cart), the Lady of the town decided that the children needed a place for worship closer to home, so she convinced her husband to build this cute little gem of a place.  I'm guessing that is the reason that they put 'flowers' on the roof tiles.  (Okay, I'm probably wrong about that!)

 One of the main businesses that they had back in the day was charcoal making.  This huge kiln was where they would burn hundreds of thousands of trees down and churn out the charcoal.  I can't imagine the amount of smoke and soot that must have covered the valley back then.

You can still find little pebbles of creosote scattered all over the paths and roads that are left-over from the charcoal burning.  The current owner of the property had the kilns restored several years ago, so they are safe to go into.  The beehive shapes have a keyhole opening at the top to let the smoke out and the air in.  Of course, once they cut down all of the trees in the area, this business kind of fizzled out.

Fortunately for the hamlet, they had a river running through it, so another business could start up.

And it did.  The Borden Milk Company set up shop right in downtown.  Out of all of the little tidbits of information our lecturers gave us, the most interesting thing about the Borden process was Gail Borden's insistence that the milk be untouched by human hands from its' journey from the cow to the can.  Even though he didn't have the benefit our knowledge about germs, I think somehow he must have known it.  The little tin cans of milk are also credited with helping the Union soldiers win the Civil War.  An army, it's said, marches on its' stomach - and with milk to keep them going, the Union soldiers had the advantage.

They built the plant right by the river - and right by the rail lines.  With power and distribution so close, the business succeeded.

Now the plant manufactures industrial plastics, so we couldn't go inside.  We did get to enjoy the park across the road while our lecturer described the processes that went on there back in the day.  (Lovely park - some of the planters that my DH and I water are dotted around the grounds.)

Next we were off to the mill.  Maxon Mill has a very tall grain elevator - 17 stories high.  In these parts, 17 stories is huge!  And since it's not the city, there's no elevator to the top - well, for people.  The purpose of the mill was to create a blended cattle feed - richer in the nutrients that they needed.  After all, they had to produce a lot of milk for the Borden plant across the street.

Inside the mill, you can look up the elevator to the top.  The beams used to construct this place are smaller than I would have thought.  Only a foot wide in most areas.  When you think about all of the weight of the grain bearing down on those timbers, you have to credit the architect of the place.  Well, that and the fact that this wooden building is still standing after so many years.  They now use the place for an artist in residency program - the studios are tucked into the corners and in the summer they have an art festival.  It's quiet fun...if you're prepared to climb the 17 stories to see all of the work.

Finally we were off to Luther Barn.  In a way, the tour seemed backwards.  After the charcoal business, we looked at the milk, then the feed for the cattle, so at the end we went to see the auction house where the cattle were sold.  This place was actually still in business when my DH and I moved here from the city.  They only stopped the cattle auctions a few years ago.  But they still have the tractor pulls, the pasture next to the barn is home to some horses (and a goat), and the barn is now used for more artist studios.

I liked the way that they left little reminders around Luther Barn of what its' original purpose was.  A 60's poster of horses - the tack that is used for the horses out in the pasture.

But it's the little details about the place that make it special.  The details that are built-in, not added for effect.  These hinges on one of the cattle gate, for example, have a little star cut into them.  It serves no purpose (maybe to use less metal?) but it adds a bit of charm to this barn.  Considering that it was built as an auction barn - a very utilitarian type of place - it's nice to see that whoever built it (not the guy who paid for it, but the guy who did the work), took the time to add a bit of beauty to something as simple as a hinge.

Mooooooonday

I couldn't help but stop for a minute to just enjoy watching this herd of cows grazing in the field.  So calm and peaceful.  Quite the opposite of my Monday.

Ahhh - I am relaxed already.

Picnic and Pie

It was a perfect day for a picnic - lots of food, lots of friends and did I mention a little pie contest?

After riving at 1 mph over the field to park our truck, my pie safely arrived at the judging table.  Now all we had to do was find something to occupy our time until the judging was completed.

Talk to friends...see all of the displays...talk some more...check out the baby cows (calfs! so cute)...talk some more...

Play some beanbag toss.  Really it was much harder than it looks, tossing a bean bag 27-feet into a tiny little hole.  But it was a lot of fun to try!

Happily my little pie took second place in the Harlem Valley Chamber of Commerce pie contest.  The winner was an apple cranberry pie.  It's hard to beat an apple cranberry pie - it's like trying to beat Miss Texas in a beauty contest, it just doesn't happen that often.

Unfortunately my DH never did get a piece of it - it sold out before he could buy one.  I guess I'll have to make another.  But not for a month or so.  I need to rest up.