Sunday Explorations

Hey, Friends.

This past Sunday was a pretty nice day here, so I decided to go out and do a little exploring. Keep in mind that a nice day in early March in New York means that is was a balmy 41 and sunny outside. That might not sound too great to you, depending on where you live, but since it came after two big snowstorms with another storm looming on the horizon? It was pretty damn nice.

Daylight Savings Time pretty much kicked my ass. After a morning of lazing about and drinking coffee to try to feel like a functional human being again, I decided I should try to go out and enjoy the nice weather. Where to go? I didn't want to go anywhere I had been too recently -- it gets boring after a while. I wasn't sure exactly what trails or parks would be clear of the recent snow, either. The rail trail looked okay in some places -- the warmer (warmish? Probably still counts as too cold to be outdoors if you live someplace where it's perpetually 70 or the like.)  weather had melted a lot of the snow on paved surfaces. So...maybe someplace where there is some pavement would be okay.

I decided to head out to the Roosevelt Farm Lane Trail because I remembered a lot of it being paved.

Apparently my memory is for crap, or I really overestimated the melting abilities of the sunny days after the last storm. This is what I found upon my arrival:

Well that's more snow than I was expecting.

You can't really tell from the picture, but off to the right is the path. Clearly other souls braver than I had already been there and had hiked right on in. They probably also had the foresight to wear something other than sneakers when they set off. I did not make such a wise decision. Hiking around with cold, wet feet for a couple of hours was not on my list of things to do that day. This was as close as I got.

I got back in the car and started driving. I didn't know where I wanted to go, so I figured I would just decide on the fly. It makes it more of an adventure, right? I'm so glad we agree, Friends.

I was headed South when I saw the sign for Our Lady of the Rosary Chapel. I drive past this sign fairly frequently and always mean to stop but never do. Let me fill you in on the background.

I have been there exactly one time. A friend was having her all-in-one "Get Saved" Baptism/Communion/Confirmation celebrated there. I had never seen it done that way before, but it was for an adult so maybe that is how it works. My family always went to Holy Trinity and we had done theses things in stages: Baptism as a baby, First Communion when you were little, and Confirmation in high school. My point, and I do have one other than discussing religious ceremonies, was that I remembered the chapel being very pretty. It also had a really cool area where the Stations of the Cross were outside. I know, you might not find that to be something that should be qualified as "cool". Personally, I had never seen the Stations of the Cross anywhere other than spread out along the walls inside of a church so my mind was blown. 

Back to the original exploration story.

I saw the sign and decided that it would be a perfect time to stop and see the chapel. They have mass there, so I assume everything will be plowed and clear. 

I should probably mention that the chapel is on the property of the old Hudson River State Hospital, a former psychiatric hospital that has been abandoned for years. You can find some shots of the interiors of the buildings right over here and here. Added bonus: there are also rumors that the place might be haunted.

Feel free to call me a dumbass, Friends, but I kind of forgot about that part of it. Yeah, the place had been closed for years and the buildings abandoned, but I wasn't planning on going in to any of them. I was just going to drive through a little bit of the campus to reach the chapel. Shouldn't be anything too bad, right?

Wrong!

So very wrong, and I'm glad I had this idea in the middle of a sunny afternoon. That might have made it worse, honestly, because I could very clearly see that there was not another living soul around.

This is one of the first buildings you come to on the campus:

Rather obvious that no one has been here for a hot second.

It gets even better when you get a closer view. Yes, I did get out of the car to get a better look.

I kinda feel like the zombie apocalypse might start in a building that looks just like this.

Not just abandoned, but condemned! If the big red X doesn't give you a slight case of the heebie jeebies, then the orange sign denoting some kind of danger ought to do it. I didn't feel the need to explore any closer than that at the time. A big red X generally translates to "It might fall on your head". I've also read way too many books about such uplifting subjects as the Black Death and other plagues, so my brain dredged up the fun fact that it could also denote that there were bodies inside. I know that's ridiculous and far-fetched. Doesn't stop my brain from acting like some sort of demented Filofax.

Hindsight being what it is, that little white area on the right-hand side of the door intrigues me. I didn't really notice it until looking at the picture on my phone once I was home. I honestly can't remember if that was a hole in the door and you can see inside, or if it was the only bit of shiny metal on the door and it is reflecting a shadow.

Back in the car, and the drive through the campus continues. There are plenty more abandoned and boarded buildings. You turn right and go past an area with a bunch of low buildings, and that was probably the creepiest part to me. They were far from being in the worst shape -- much better than Pilgrim Home in the shots above -- but it felt like there should have been lots of people around. 

I kept following the signs for the chapel, and on the next turn the road runs along a stone wall with a gate in it.

Gate to Nowhere

I don't know what's on the other side of the gate. Maybe it is private property. Maybe it's a cemetery. It might be a whole lot of nothing. All I could see were trees. I will note that the gate seems to be the sturdiest part of the wall, as most of it looks like it may tip over at any minute.

The road goes down a fairly steep hill, and eventually you get to the entrance to Our Lady of the Rosary Chapel.

Hello, Angel! I'm so glad you look less creepy than the rest of the property!

Continue down the road to the final curve, and you are greeted by a statue.

This is good. I feel like I could definitely find sanctuary here if zombies should come busting out of that first building I saw.

The chapel looked beautiful, situated among all of the trees. I really don't know why I didn't take a picture of the chapel itself.

Unfortunately, nothing beyond the parking lot itself seemed to have been cleared. My seasonally inappropriate choice of shoes had once again thwarted my plans. I would not be getting a close look at the Stations of the Cross on this day. This was the best shot I could manage.

You can kind of see them, along the wall in the back.

There was also a small shrine. I'm assuming it is to the Virgin Mary, since they usually are. Again, snow thwarted my attempts to get closer.

I didn't notice until I was turning the car around that there was also a big crucifix outside on the other side of the chapel. That part was still covered by snow. Clearly I will have to return again on a day when there is no snow on the ground.

I headed back up to Creepy Land and my exit from the campus. It almost felt like some kind of warning when exiting and seeing the angels' backs.

You're on your own after this point, kid.

You can sort of see the low buildings I was talking about in the background of that shot. 

This would also be the time when I realized that, at some point, I had turned off the radio in my car. Why? I have so many reasons.

-- Even though you are absolutely allowed to go to the chapel and it is open to the public, it still kind of felt like I was trespassing on the drive down there. I don't want to get busted by driving around with my radio blasting.

--It felt disrespectful. Not just to the chapel, but to the whole area. It was totally quiet beyond the sounds of traffic from the major roadways nearby. That shouldn't be a surprise since the place has been abandoned for years. It seemed wrong to disrupt that stillness with my radio.

--I don't know about you, but I always find myself turning down the radio in my car when I'm following directions, especially near the destination. It's not like music is suddenly going to impact my vision and make me unable to read road signs or numbers on buildings, but I do it anyway.

--I want to know if something is suddenly going to pop out at me. It could be wildlife scampering across the road, a security guard telling me to get the hell out of there, etc. (Like zombies! Cause that idea hasn't left my brain since seeing the first building.)

After leaving the campus and returning to civilization, blessedly filled with traffic and living people, I decided to head home. That was enough fun for me on my Sunday.

So what did we learn today, Friends?

1. I really need to learn to wear appropriate footwear on my adventures.
2. Abandoned buildings can still give off a creepy vibe, even in the middle of the day.
3. My imagination is more than happy to assume the zombie apocalypse could start at any second given even the slightest provocation.

I Didn't Say It Was a Good Decision

Hey, Friends.

It's been a while. I didn't really have much to say, so rather than bore you all to tears I just didn't post anything. You didn't miss much. We had a storm here in the North East at the end of last week. You might have heard about it. I lost power for about a day, which is nothing in the grand scheme of things. I have friends who still haven't gotten their power restored yet. I consider myself lucky that mine was restored so quickly. I think it also helps that I live in a more heavily populated area near major intersections that need functioning traffic lights. There are some pretty terrible drivers on a good day, but it gets much worse when they are free-styling how to deal with a busy intersection.

And now it's snowing again. It's supposed to be a pretty bad storm according to the forecast. The library even closed for the day, although I already had the day off since I have to work Saturday.

What's the point of my rambling? I'm getting there. Just chill out, have a cup of coffee (that's what I'm doing) and relax.

My parents are away for a few days, so I have to go and take care of their cats -- both indoor and the feral cats that hang out in their yard. I stopped by last night and loaded all of them up on food in case the roads were too bad to get over there this morning. (Don't worry about the outdoor cats, Friends. My parents have built them little houses in various parts of the yard, complete with warm fuzzy blankets inside to snuggle up and keep warm.)

I woke up this morning to see the alert that work was closed. I was more than a little surprised to look outside and see that the roads looked perfectly fine. Less than an inch of snow, and that was only sticking to the trees and grass. This was great though because now I could go and feed the cats at my parents' house again. I still wasn't thrilled that it was snowing again, but at least no shoveling was involved at this point.

This is my "not happy about the snow" face, taken in my parents' drive way. It's also my "I'm not putting on makeup just to go buy coffee and feed the cats" look.

All the little fur babies were happy to see me. The indoor cats were all lonely and wanted to be cuddled. The outdoor cats were stoked to see me and met me at their food bowls. One of them was giving me a look that said, "You're late. Breakfast was expected much earlier than this."

I went home, and the snow kind of tapered off to nothing. Not that I want to get all of the snow that was in the forecast, but what the hell?

I got distracted by the internet, and a couple hours later I noticed that it was snowing again. Maybe the storm is arriving now. Let's go look outside and see what's happening! I can at least fill the bird feeder. (I make my own fun. And it might be of the boring variety. Sorry if you're just figuring that out right about now.)

Nothing. There is a whole lot of not very exciting things happening.

And then the coffee kicked in and my brain decided to start coming up with ideas. Enjoy my inner monologue, Friends.

The roads still look perfectly fine. Maybe the storm is just arriving a little later than expected. It's not snowing that hard right now...and I'm kind of bored already. I'll be stuck in the house later if it gets really bad out, so why not take advantage of the situation and go out and take some pictures? That is an awesome idea, brain! But where to go? Don't want to go too far just in case the storm suddenly kicks in to high gear...but some pictures with the snow would be really pretty. Rail trail, maybe? It should still be clear and passable if the roads are clear, right? Worst case scenario it's not and a different destination will have to be chosen. Decision = made.

So I threw on some boots and a coat and headed off to one of the trail heads. In what should be a surprise to no one, I was the only person crazy enough to be there today. Shocker.

It was snowing a bit harder than when I left, but nothing too bad. I figured it would still be fine to walk around for a while and take a few pictures.

Looks fine, if a bit desolate. 

The creek looks pretty

I had just finished trying to get the above picture when I noticed that the snow had started to change. No longer was it the little flurry it had been when I left my house, or even the bigger flakes that it had been when I arrived. It had now progressed to little freaking pellets that were bouncing off of my coat and everything else. I decided that was my cue to leave.

I hadn't gotten very far on my walk at all, so it was a short trip back to my car. I tried to get a picture of the little ice/snow pellet things that were sticking to my hair and coat. It looked like some had dumped little Styrofoam balls all over me. 

The picture came out weird, Friends. That's the best description I have for it. I don't know if it's because I was wearing mostly black and everything else was very light colored. Maybe the camera (I use my iPhone, kids) couldn't focus well on the little white pellets falling in front of the white picture on my hoodie. Maybe my hand was a lot less steady than I thought it was. It came out with this white foggy thing going on in the picture -- not quite a double image, but not really a continuous streak like my hand was in motion. I have no idea what the hell I did to make this happen, and probably couldn't do it again if I tried.

Look at the little pellets!  Also, the rabbit on my hoodie might be possessed. 

I'm happy to report that even with the little pellets falling and my hoodie looking like it has it's own ghostly aura attached to it, I made it home without a problem. 

Was it the best decision to go out and try to take pictures during a snow storm? Probably not. Don't be like me, Friends. Stay inside where you are probably nice and warm. Watch the snow fall and drink a cup of hot cocoa or something.

**2:15 update**

It would seem that storm has finally decided to get serious about the snow. Good thing I headed home when I did. 

I learned nothing from my earlier adventure and went outside to shoot this for you, Friends. And then I proceeded to shut the back door hard enough on the way out that the lock flipped, and I had to trudge around to the front door to get back inside. Again, don't be like me. Stay the hell inside and take pictures from the window. I should really listen to my own advice.

Art Show

Hey there, Friends.

You might recall that last year, right about this same time, there was an art exhibit that featured the talents of the library district's staff. Don't remember? Feel free to click right here for a recap.

Last year I really had no idea what I was doing, or what to submit. You were all kind enough to give me some feedback, and I narrowed down my choices from there.

I still don't really know what I'm doing. I like taking pictures. It's a hobby. I don't expect to make any money from it. I have no idea how artists determine which works to show in an exhibit, or what to call them, or what price to list. My only goal is not to come off sounding like a pretentious ass.

I wanted to be a little more focused this year, or at last give the pictures some sort of unifying theme. I decided that I would only use pictures that I had taken at the Boardman Road Branch Library over the course of the last year. I could call the series Boardman Views and not worry about coming up with individual names. Offers accepted for the price. I'll be amazed if I get any, but that's not really the point.

I narrowed it down to twelve that I had taken that I really liked. I showed that group to my parents and had them choose a final five. I'm not impartial. I love them all.

Without further ado, here are my contributions to this year's staff art exhibit.

My little part of the exhibit

Turkey out for a stroll on a snowy day

What's the story, Morning Glory?

Butterfly in the garden

Mushroom near the parking lot

Snowy view

Loose Ends

Hey, Friends.

So, I thought maybe I should try to wrap up events from my last post...as much as possible.

We'll start with the very sad and disturbing events surrounding my neighbor, Walt. If you don't remember that story just go back one post. I'm sure you can handle scrolling on your own without a link to it.

First, thank you to everyone who had any kind of advice for me. I truly do appreciate all of it. Probably not going to get a dog (Jazz-kitty would not be happy about that idea), but I'm not going to say it will never happen. An alarm system is most definitely in the works, so if you have a recommendation (Simplisafe is already on the list) please let me know.

I went to Walt's funeral last week. I felt like I needed to be there to say goodbye, but also to apologize again in my own way for not having thought to check in on him. Everyone has told me that it wasn't my fault, that there was nothing I could have done, etc. Logically I know this, but he was right next door.  And I mean right next door.

This is the view from my dining room window. That's Walt's car and his house.

There really is no "just try not to think about it" option, since I see it any time I'm at home. His family and friends have been there cleaning out the house. I don't know if they plan to sell it or not -- apparently it was their childhood home. I can't even imagine how hard this has been on his sisters. One of them told me he had pushed everyone away the last couple of years, just shut them right out. If I feel bad about not having checked on him I can only imagine how it must be bothering them.

I still don't really know why the police had asked if I had heard any gunshots, and I probably never will know. As much as I hope it had nothing to do with Walt, I'm not sure that an alternative reason would be much better. 

I think this is probably as much of an ending as this sad event is ever going to get. I'm certainly not going to pester his family with questions, and I don't know that they have any answers either. I have let them know that I will do whatever I can to help.

The rest of this post is mostly going to be photos of High Banks Preserve, and a couple from Esopus Meadows Preserve. 

I know, Friends. You're probably wondering what the hell the one has to do with the other. I considered making a separate post about High Banks with the pictures, but it's all kind of connected in my brain. I had been out hiking and enjoying the beautiful weather, and Walt was....well, you know. The two events are indelibly linked in my memory. I don't want to bore you with too much navel-gazing and dwelling on it. The best explanation I've come up with for myself is that I went from the one thing right into the next so quickly. I went hiking to enjoy the beauty of the world, to relax and get away from all the constant bad news, and came home to a harsh slap of tragedy. Feel free to analyze away, Friends. Let me know if you come up with anything.

Let's end this with the pictures. I'm going to try to remember that while there are bad things that happen to good people (poor Walt), and the news is a constant barrage of horrible things happening all over the world, the world is still a beautiful place. Find that beauty -- whatever it may be to you -- and embrace the hell out of it. Enjoy life. Make the most of it. 

Hudson River from High Banks Preserve

Autumn leaves on the trail

It had rained earlier

Some parks have power lines, this one had a gas line

There were a few pine cones

Mountain view

Esopus Lake

The Hudson River from Esopus Meadows Preserve

Esopus Meadows Preserve. That's the lighthouse in the background.

It's Peachy Keen, Jelly Bean

Hey, Friends.

It's a gorgeous day out here -- almost 70 degrees in November! Since I am lucky enough to be on vacation this week, I decided that I had to get outside and enjoy it. It was also pointed out to me that there are probably hunters out at this time of year, and to be careful. Seeing as I already scared the shit out of myself last year by forgetting about the possibility of hunters, I decided to wander in  a more populated area.

I chose to visit Peach Hill Park: safely within the town borders near lots of houses. Should be a totally hunter-free zone, but I wore a bright colored shirt anyway to be on the safe side.

Turns out I didn't have to be too worried. I was literally the only person there. Granted school is in session and people are at work, but I was kind of surprised that I was the only person there. This might have been one of the last nice, warm afternoons we get this year. Worked out well for me!

Here, Friends. Let me share the ambiance with you. It was just me and the woodland creatures frolicking about on a lovely afternoon.

I took a few pictures, of course. That's how I roll. For those of you who didn't bother to click the little link above, Peach Hill used to be a big apple orchard before it became a park. (No, there are no peaches there, Friends. I know the name is confusing. Apparently there used to be peaches and pears grown there as well, back in the day.)

I walked a couple of the different trails today. I started with the Orchard Trail. It's my favorite. I love walking the trail with all of the old gnarled and twisted apple trees. It always makes me feel like I've been transported into a forest from a fairy tale. Why yes, I do have a very active imagination. You might also think I'm a bit weird. Whatever floats your boat.

Totally looks like an enchanted forest.

See how cool the trees look?

You can also make them look a bit sinister if you try hard enough

I really enjoyed the fact that it was a bit cloudy out today. Clouds + sun = cool light for pictures. I'm pretty sure it was also helpful in not getting a freaking sunburn. I wish I was kidding about that. I cannot count the number of times that shit has happened on days when I didn't think it was all that sunny, or that I was outside long enough for it to be possible.

Enough rambling about my sunburn issues. Let's move along to more pictures, shall we? Excellent.

Loved the clouds! Looked almost pink like sunset in the middle of the afternoon

Different part of the trail

View of the mountains from the summit of the park

Sun and clouds

Did I mention there are also some power lines that run through part of the park?

Fluffy

Berries

So pretty!

One of the few blossoms still lingering on a tree

Crows flying over

No one is going to reach those apples

Power lines with a view..and a leaf that very helpfully fell into view

And that is how I spent my afternoon. I don't know about anyone else, but sometimes I need to just take a break and unplug. Get away from all the bullshit that is going on in the world. Take a few moments for myself to just enjoy how beautiful the world really is. Breathe the fresh air. I highly recommend it, kids.

Feeling Sheepish

Hey there, Friends.

How is your Sunday going? Good, good. I had a very nice day. I went to the New York Sheep and Wool Festival with my Mom.

Now, those of you who know me may be wondering, "What the hell were you doing at the Sheep and Wool Festival? You don't even knit!" This is very true. My Mom, on the other hand, knits and crochets like crazy. She can cruise through a pattern, watching television or talking to her friends, paying no attention to what her hands are doing. She's tried to teach me, but it didn't go well. I made a grand total of one holey, totally misshapen scarf. It took me forever. I gave it to my friend Ryan, and since I saw him wear it at least once I feel like I accomplished something. It was a feat that shall not be repeated. Once was more than enough for me to determine that it is not my thing.

So why was I there? I give advice on what colors look good for projects that my Mother wants to do, and to keep her from only buying the same colors for everything. I also excel at picking out yarn for her to make me things.

I also like to go and see the animals. I get to pet the sheep, llamas, and alpacas? I'm totally down. Everyone else is showing off their knitting skills, wearing some dazzling piece of work that they have made, oohing over all the yarn. I'm wandering around like, "Where can I pet a llama?" I like to look at all the pretty colors of the yarn, feel how soft it is -- it's interesting. I feel like a big faker the entire time because I have no idea about the difference in weights and thickness, but I can see the appeal if you actually have a clue about this stuff.

I took some pictures. Shocker, I know.

This seems to be absolutely true for everyone I know that knits.

Checking out the yarn

Skein of Thrones. 

They had yarn made from corn, soy bean fiber, and mint fiber. I didn't even think that was possible!

So many colors

Totally got called out while trying to get this picture. Owner of the stand asked me if I liked skulls. I said yes, which probably makes me seem like a weirdo, but it looked really cool next to the wool. She told me it was from one of her sheep that had died of old age. :(

Before we get to the next two, I should mention that I did not purposefully set out to find cool and/or creepy (depending on how you feel about them) things. I have a gift when it comes to finding them.

Can I interest anyone in a felt clown head? Made by Weston Hill Farm

Belphegor - can be worn as a mask, or as a centerpiece. 100% wool felted sculpture.  Also by Weston Hill Farm

No, we did not eat any of that. 

Because sometimes the animals just need a little cuddle

Totally got kisses from this one (That's my hand in the very bottom corner)

My new buddy. Loved to get petted on the head.

Looking for a way out? Just watching the world go by? Your guess is as good as mine.

Another new friend

Judging. Kept hoping one would fight the power and break loose.

Llamas! I found it amusing.

I thought it was a rather regal looking llama, just watching people come to visit.

Total player! Would run over like you were its new BFF, and upon determining that you had no food and nothing it desired? Drop you in a hot second and move on to the next person.

This concludes my version of a visit to the Sheep and Wool Festival. I'm sure people who actually know how to knit enjoyed it from a very different perspective. It was a beautiful day, I got to wander around and pet animals while spending time with my Mom. What's not to love?

And now you all know that you can get me to go pretty much anywhere if you promise that I'll get to pet a llama or sheep.