Buzz & The Peanut Cuddle Up

Cardi O'Connor sent me this photo of The Peanut and Buzz (the newest addition to the family) curling up together on the sofa. As you may remember from a previous post, Buzz came to the O'Connor/Ottavi household in March after being fostered by Trish and Gianrobert Wotton for several months. The cats made friends in no time and are already snuggling together and cleaning each other. Of course, being a kitten, Buzz likes to chase The Peanut around a bit but that is to be expected. But as you can see in the photo below, he also knows how to chill out completely. Buzz goes for his 'surgery' this week so everyone send him lots of good energy! I am sure he will get through it just fine and be back to normal in no time.

The Leaping Trout Project

Those of you who haven't seen the artwork in the 'Leaping Trout Project' should get themselves down to Main St. Phoenicia to view the work. The project is sponsor by Trout Unlimited. Starting with identical 36-inch aluminum cutouts, 29 local artist transformed these blank canvases into works of art. They are all quite different in style and execution. All are worth a look. The pieces are on display in many of the different businesses in town. The WCA's own Dakin Morehouse has a piece in the Empire State Railway Museum (see photo above). A full list of the art on view can be obtained at the theleapingtrout.com. At the conclusion of the fishing season in September 2010 the artwork will be assembled for a group show at The Arts Upstatirs. The artwork will then be auctioned off in October to benefit the Ashokan-Pepacton Watershed Chapter of Trout Unlimited. So get out there and see some fun local art!

Cleanup Volunteers Needed

Since so many WV residents swim, fish, tube & kayak in the Esopus I thought this might be of interest to you all.

Volunteers Needed for Esopus Creek Cleanup in Phoenicia!

Saturday, June 12
9:30 am - Meet at our office & carpool to access sites
12:00 - Volunteer Potluck Barbecue with Singer Peggy Atwood to follow cleanup at our office.

Spend a morning helping the environment and your community at the Esopus Creek Cleanup!
Come join the Ashokan Watershed Stream Management Program (AWSMP) Stream Stewards for a cleanup of trash along the Esopus Creek on Saturday, June 12 followed by a Potluck Barbecue and entertainment for volunteer clean-up crews at the AWSMP Main Office located at 6375 Route 28, in Phoenicia (across from the former Margo's Restaurant).

Volunteers will meet at the AWSMP Office that morning at 9:30am and carpool to cleanup stream access sites. Gloves & trash bags will be provided for the cleanup. Participants are asked to wear sturdy shoes & dress appropriately for sun/rain. Prizes will be awarded to everyone and also for the most interesting trash items found!

Immediately following the clean up at 12:00pm, volunteer clean-up crews will return to the AWSMP office for the Potluck Barbeque which will feature music by singer, Peggy Atwood. Burgers, veggie burgers, hot dogs & buns will be provided – Volunteers are asked to bring a side dish to share.

Stream Stewards are volunteers with a connection to the Ashokan Watershed who participate in stream-based projects as a way to visibly model positive stream stewardship practices and assist in carrying out the goals of the Ashokan watershed Stream Management Program.

Please RSVP no later than Thursday, June 10 by calling Colleen Griffith or Michael Courtney at 845-688-3047 or email Michael at: mcc55@cornell.edu.

AWSMP is funded by NYC Department of Environmental Protection.

Peggy Atwood describes her music as "Northern Country" as that is the title of her recent album. A recent review quoted on her website says, "Atwood's voice is smooth and creamy and she sings with a kind of humility that is disarming considering her vocal range and strength. It's like she knows she doesn't need any tricks, she's got the goods."

www.ashokanstreams.org

Yoga Retreat with Special Rates for Community

I received this message yesterday from our good neighbors up at the Menla Center.
- Carol

One of our rental groups, which is scheduled to hold a small intimate retreat of yoga asanas and chanting this weekend, would like to open their program up to the local community. They are offering special reduced rates for the program. All info is attached below. I am happy to help answer any questions.

Best Regards,
Tania

Tania Robyn Cyrlin
TIBET HOUSE US
Manager, Admin & Operations
Menla Mountain Retreat & Conference Center
375 Pantherkill Road, P.O. Box 70
Phoenicia, NY 12464
845.688.6897 x 7519 Fax: 845.688.6895
office@menla.org
www.menla.org
www.tibethouse.org


SHIVA’S DANCE OF BLISS - THE ANANDA TANDAVA
A 3-day yoga retreat interweaving Asana, Mantra, & Pranayama
with Certified Anusara® teacher Susanna Harwood Rubin &
Crash Test Dummies’ Brad Roberts

Shiva’s dance of bliss, the Ananda Tandava, is the culminating moment in a mysterious and poetic story from Hindu mythology. Depicted in Shiva Nataraja iconography, the dance takes place deep within the Tillai forest, a landscape inhabited by sages and animals, gods and goddesses. Join us for an exploration of the story’s rich philosophical themes, with Susanna leading asana and pranayama practice and Brad guiding us through the story’s mantras, sharing vocal techniques and playing live music during asana classes. As the story unfolds, we will move deeply into the forest of our own consciousness, finding the meaning of the Ananda Tandava within our own hearts.

Susanna Harwood Rubin is a Certified Anusara® teacher with eight years of teaching experience, offering public classes at Virayoga as well as teaching privately. She has apprenticed with John Friend and Sianna Sherman internationally, and has been profiled by FIT YOGA magazine and by SocialWorkout.com. Brad Roberts is the singer/songwriter for Crash Test Dummies. He also teaches Mantra classes at Virayoga. Both study the Rajanaka Tantra with Dr. Douglas Brooks, one of the world’s foremost scholars of Hindu Tantra. Brad has recorded a volume of Rajanaka mantras set to music in a full-length album, which will be released in late 2010. Brad and Susanna have taught together at Virayoga, and are pleased to be offering their first retreat together.

DATES: Memorial Day Weekend - Friday, May 28 – Sunday, May 30
COST: Tuition for Friday only $75; Saturday only $100; Full Weekend $200
*These are special discounted rates for commuters only. Meals & Commuter fee are separate.
ACCOMODATION & MEALS: The beautiful Menla Retreat Center in Phoenicia, NY, 2-hour commute from NYC. All meals provided by Menla.
Participants have use of swimming pool, tennis courts, hiking trails and weight room. Wellness services, including massage, available upon request.
SCHEDULE: Arrive by 12:30pm Friday & depart Sunday 3:30pm
INFORMATION/REGISTRATION: Susanna : om_susanna@yahoo.com
ANUSARA HOURS: Retreat offers 15 Anusara® Yoga hours.

WCA Train Charter & Party

Greetings WCA Members,
Due to technical difficulties, the annual summer fun schedule & dues letter has been delayed. The full schedule will be out sometime next week. In the meantime, I wanted to let you know about our first event so you can save the date. Here are the details.

Saturday, June 19th - 4:00pm – CMRR Train Charter & Party
The WCA has chartered the Catskill Mountain Railroad for a private train ride for members of the Woodland Community Association. We will gather at 4:00pm at the ESRM station on Lower High St in Phoenicia, board the train and then return and have a party at the station. There will be food at the party. The event is free to all WCA members and their families with an RSVP to me at wvview@gmail.com. Please let me know exactly how many people will be attending. You may bring guests but guests will be charged $10.00 per adult - $5.00 per child. Guests must be accompanied by a WCA member. All single members of the WCA are allowed one free guest. Please be sure to RSVP. I need an accurate count for both the railroad and the food. Those of you who do not RSVP beforehand will be charged $10.00 per person at the station.

For those of you who have never been on the train it is a lot of fun! I hope to see you all there for the first WCA event of the season!!

Best,
Carol Seitz
WCA President

CMRR Gets New Engine

Since so many of our members are either volunteers of the Catskill Mountain Railroad or the Empire State Railway Museum, I thought I would tell you all about the recent excitement on the line. The CMRR has recently purchased a new (at least to them) engine. This vintage locomotive is a 1946 S-1 locomotive manufactured by the American Locomotive Company (Alco). It served the Long Island Railroad for many years until being acquired by the Staten Island Railroad. After much faithful service in Staten Island's yards, the locomotive was slated for replacement by a newer, more modern technology. Destined for the scrapper's torch, an effort was made to save a piece of railroading history. The CMRR in order to meet the needs of an ever growing ridership has continued to restore more passenger cars, meaning bigger trains, which required a larger locomotive. As luck would have it, locomotive #407 found it's new home in the Catskills where it will serve the CMRR as the prime motive power for it's Esopus Creek scenic train starting on May 29th. The WCA will have the opportunity to ride one of the first trains of the season to be pulled by the locomotive on June 19th during the upcoming Woodland Community Assciation's train ride and get together. So all members of the WCA come out and ride the rails!!!

School Budget Passes

The Onteora school budget voted on this Tuesday was passed 1,179-925 (those numbers are from the Kingston Daily Freeman) and the school board winners were Tom Hickey and Robert Kurnit. The budget represents a .3% increase in the budget from last year with a 3.9% change in the tax levy.

The Brook on May 15th by Mike O'Neil

The following is Boreegard's (aka Mike O'Neil) latest poetic offering. Enjoy!

THE BROOK ON MAY 15

I went to visit Mom and Pop this afternoon.
A tangle of branches and brambles guarded
The rocky path to the brook.
Sharp hawthorn and wild rose thorns blocked the way.

I moved cautiously, though God knows I've
Walked this path a thousand times,
For a mis-step could easily snap an ankle,
At my advanced age.

These selfsame stones meant nothing to me,
When I was young. I would skip and jump,
From one to another, barefoot,
With incautious equilibrium and n'er a stubbed toe.

We call it the Grandparents Pool.
It's where we put their anglers ashes to rest,
Decades ago,
Each in their own time.

The pool was beautiful, with sweet gullied swirls,
Mysterious deep runs and riffles.
What fine trout water, with the Hendricksons,
Popping up to freedom now and again.

When my carcass has spent itself,
I want them to throw me in there too.

Boreegard
May 15, 2010

School Budget Vote and Farm Stand Meeting

Tomorrow the Onteora School budget is up for approval. It is very important that we make our voices heard on this critical fiscal matter. So get out and voice your opinion. The details are below.

Vote on the Onteora Central Schools Budget
Tuesday May 18, 2:00-9:00 p.m.
Phoenicia School, Route #214, Phoenicia
Hope to see you tomorrow at the polls!

Also happening tomorrow, there will be a joint public meeting on the ongoing farm stand issue in our town. This will be another fine opportunity for all of you to participate in our democracy so go and hear the latest on this issue.

Farm Stand Issue:
Joint Public Meeting:
Shandaken Town & Planning Boards & Zoning Officer
Tuesday May 18 7:00 p.m.
Town Hall, Route #28, Shandaken

Through the Window - May 2010

The photos below represent the latest additions by Dennis Havel to his 'Through the Window' series. What amazing wildlife we have here in Woodland Valley. Great work Dennis!!

David Ilku and Unitard in NYC

WCA member David Ilku is performing with Unitard on Thursday night down in the city. Here are the details he sent me. If any of you will be in the neighborhood check out the show. Here are the details.

"UNITARD Encore performance in New York City" on Thursday, May 13 at 8:00pm.

David says, "only 10 bucks! less than the new J Lo movie".

Event: UNITARD Encore performance in New York City
What: Performance
Start Time: Thursday, May 13 at 8:00pm
End Time: Thursday, May 13 at 9:15pm
Where: COMIX 353 west 14th st. corner of 9th Ave.

Catskill Woodland Camp - Open House

Director of Catskill Woodland Camp and WCA member, Cara Cruickshank sent this to me this morning.

OPEN HOUSE
MAY 16, 10AM-3PM

Meet Our Staff, Plant Starters and Seedlings in the Community Garden, Try Sample Activities and Enjoy Delicious Treats!

Designing a Butterfly Garden with Maraleen Manos-Jones · Planting a Medicinal Herb Garden with White Feather · Banjo and Guitar with Scott Berwick · Capoeira Demonstrations · Drum Circle with Jonathan Duda · Earth Stories with Esther Frances Schrank · Creative Dance with Sara Schwabacher ·Nutrition with Dr. Sam Schikowitz·Food Provided by Mizuna and Railroad Pizza

At The Parish Hall, 109 Main Street, Phoenicia
For more info contact:
cara@catskillwoodlandcamp.com/845-688-2068
www.catskillwoodlandcamp.com

Ramps

I went picking ramps in the woods with Violet Snow a couple of weeks ago. The were beautiful and plentiful if you know where to look. I got quite a bunch and made potato and wild leek soup with them. It was delicious!! I went online and found more information about them on About.com. Here is what that site said:

"The ramp, sometimes called wild leek, is a wild onion native to North America. Though the bulb resembles that of a scallion, the beautiful flat, broad leaves set it apart. According to John Mariani, author of "The Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink," the word ramp comes from "rams," or "ramson," an Elizabethan dialect rendering of the wild garlic. The word is first mentioned in English print in 1530, but was used earlier by English immigrants of the southern Appalachian Mountains.
Ramps grow from South Carolina to Canada, and in many areas they're considered a spring delicacy and even a reason for celebration. West Virginia is well-known for their many festivals and events in celebration of the ramp. The flavor and odor of ramps is usually compared to a combination of onions and garlic, and the garlic odor is particularly strong. Strong enough, in fact, that even ramp-lovers will advise caution. If you sit down to a big meal of ramps, don't be surprised if people continue to keep their distance after a few days have passed!

Cautions aside, ramps add wonderful and uniquely pungent flavor to soups, egg dishes, casseroles, rice dishes and potato dishes. Use them raw or cooked in any recipe calling for scallions or leeks, or cook them in a more traditional way, scrambled with eggs or fried with potatoes. Since ramps aren't cultivated in the way leeks are, they're much easier to clean. Just cut off roots, rinse thoroughly, and scrub off any excess dirt on the bulbs.

Ramps aren't available for long, but you can chop and freeze them for cooked dishes. The green tops are milder in flavor and are usually used along with the bulbs. I chop about half of the green leaves separately, air-dry them for a few hours then freeze them in an air-tight container for future use as a seasoning."

If you're lucky enough to find ramps in your backyard or the woods here in Shandaken, try one of the great recipes you can find online.

Eugene Ruffolo at the Living Room in NYC

WCA Member Eugene Ruffolo sent me this message yesterday.

Once again--I will be appearing with a great band Tuesday Night (May 11th) at the Living Room
including: Margaret Fiellin, Joe Bonadio, Mary Ann McSweeney, Alan Zahn and special guest Ara Dinkjian..

Hope you can make it.....details below!

eugene

ON YOUR RADAR is a music series based in NYC and hosted by WFUV's John Platt that features three great artists each month. On Tuesday, May 11th, the show will feature Buskin & Batteau, Carsie Blanton & Eugene Ruffolo. John will do a short Q&A with each artist before they perform.

We hope that you can join us for this very special night!

All the best,

Steve Lurie
President, Music Without Borders LLC

On Your Radar @ THE LIVING ROOM
154 Ludlow St. NYC 10002
212.533.7235 www.livingroomny.com

Buskin & Batteau, Carsie Blanton & Eugene Ruffolo
Tuesday, May 11th @ 7pm
tickets $12

Buskin & Batteau started as a duo in the 70s, dividing their time between being music performers and writers of such famous commercial jingles as "Heartbeat of America" for Chevrolet and "We're NBC, just watch us now." After a 20 year hiatus (during which David was part of the comic musical trio Modern Man), they have reunited and once again are performing their witty, sometime silly, sometimes moving, but always well-crafted songs.

Carsie Blanton is a rising star on the Philadelphia Folk Scene. Peter Mulvey says she is "sharp as a tack, possessed of a light touch, funny, and winningly direct." Carsie’s songs tend to be personal and lyrically rich. She strays from the folk tradition to bring out the soulfulness, passion, and pop sensibility in her work.

Eugene Ruffolo started singing with other musicians as diverse as Garth Brooks, Tony Bennett, Livingston Taylor, Rum DMC, and David Wilcox. He then moved on to writing and recording his own personal and introspective songs. based in new York, he is a first prize winner of the Telluride Troubadour and Merle Fest songwriter competitions.

Happy Mother's Day!!

Here is a new writing from Dakin Morehouse celebrating Mother's Day.

A Day for Mother?
Dakin Morehouse, 2010

~ ~ ~

Hmm … a day. Yes a single day set aside … for Mother?
Seems rather meager to say the least …

And is it for the dear, patient Mother who bore and raised me?
Or the lady whom I made a Mother, and who raised our children?
And is it not for our dear Daughter who in turn made her a GrandMother?

Then there is that expanding web of our Ancestral Mothers tracing back forever,
Who’s lives were incomprehensibly harder than ours, and whom,
Were it not for their tenacity and commitment to our linage,
None of us would be writing … or reading these words of honor.

And then again, were it not for the Greatest Mother of all …
Our much maligned and too oft taken for granted Mother Earth,
Life itself may not even have arisen.

In the light of this awesome perspective,
I recall my Father’s words about the God, and reverence;
‘An hour each Sunday is precious little to contemplate and revere
the Great Spirit … who gave you a lifetime.’

So to all our revered Mothers, we honor you with every living moment,
And in particular on this special Mother’s Day, we wish to affirm once again,
Our sincerest “Thank you” … and that “We love you dearly, Mother.”

'Into the Deep' Premieres May 10th on PBS

Woodland Community Association members Ric Burns (writer, director, producer) and Bonnie LeFave (producer) premiere their latest project, 'Into the Deep' next Monday night on PBS.

A fantastic sea adventure, a cautionary economic and environmental tale, and a mythic saga of man and nature, INTO THE DEEP: AMERICA, WHALING AND THE WORLD, from filmmaker Ric Burns, tells the thrilling and epic story of three centuries of American whaling, and explores the unique relationship between American whaler and the giant creature they hunted for their precious oil: a high-quality illuminant that lit the drawing rooms of Europe and greased the wheels of the Industrial Revolution.

Ric's other films have included 'The Way West', 'New York', The Donner Party (one of my personal favorites), 'Ansel Adams' and 'Andy Warhol' just to name a few. To see a complete list you can go to Steeplechase Films. If you visit the American Experience site you can watch 'The Donner Party' online. Just click on this link (American Experience: The Donner Party) and it will take you there. If you have Netflix I suggest you put these films in your queue. For those of you who would like to own these excellent documentaries you can get them at the PBS online store.

I am not going to try and pretend I am too cool to be a fan. I think Ric's work is AWESOME! I just rented his 'Ansel Adams: A Documentary Film' and I plan to watch it ASAP. I also plan to tune in on Monday to see this new work. I am sure it will be amazing!

Again, 'Into the Deep' will be broadcast on Monday, May 10th on PBS. Please check your local listing or go to the American Experience website for more information.

The Art and Music of Michael Latriano

Last week Michael Latriano sent me an email with photos of his most recent art and music projects. The mosaic below is a work in progress. He sent the 2nd photo with the following update, "on the music front.....here i am playing tampura at the san miguel spring equinox concert, held in the canyon of the jardin de botanico......over a mile high." Great work Michael!!

Unitard In Seattle and San Fransico

Unitard, starring Woodland Valley's own David Ilku, takes their show on the road with appearances in San Francisco. If you find yourself out that way be sure to take in the new show! Here are the details.

Unitard brings their freakishly hilarious comedy to San Francisco!

SAN FRANCISCO
May 6,7,8,9
8 pm
Mama Calizo's Voice Factory, 1519 Mission at 11th st,
415 504-2432


http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/108150

UNITARD goes to San Fransico with an ALL-NEW SHOW!

Coming to the rescue in this time of turmoil, like cash for your clunkers or extra-pure heroin, the Unitards (Mike Albo, Nora Burns and David Ilku) will bail you out of your dreary little lives with an evening of humor, wit, song and sarcasm. Following their sold-out In New York City and Los Angeles, Unitard returns with a brand-new twisted take on life in urbania. Spanning the gamut from Dungeons to Dandies, Mimes to Moms, and Vampires to Vaudeville, their newest show promises to be brilliant, bawdy and hilarious, of course.

"Go see this!, a satirical triumph with no time to apologise for it's hipness" - The Boston Globe

And the Winners Are.................

OK, so I am sure you are all waiting anxiously to learn the names of the winners in our pet photo contest. There was a 3 way tie in the 'Best Overall' pet category and a 2 way tie in the 'Funniest Category'. We could have had a run-off but I have decided, for simplicity's sake, to award everyone who came out on top a prize. So the winners are:

Best Overall Pet: (Tie - 3 winners)
Rebecca Ffrench - Tess at the Water Hole #8
Tee Botchford - Lucy with her Hair Blowing #9
Lauren Altman - Flower Children #10

Funniest: (Tie - 2 winners)
John Raffaele - Twyla #1
Camilla Ffrench - Tess with Hat & Boa #5

Best Outdoor 'Pet':
Dennis Havel - Turkey #5

Kids Under 12:
Carla Randolla - Smokey & Pumpkin #3

Congratulations to all the winners and thanks for being part of the community fun!!

Last Day to Vote!!

This is the last day to vote in the Woodland Community Association Pet Photo Contest. Some of the categories are very close so remember to send an email to me here at wvview@gmail.com with your choices. Every member of the household can vote separately. I will announce the winners on Monday. Good luck to everyone who entered!!!