Great Garlic!

Most of the things in my garden this year didn't do as well as I had hoped. Either they suffered from too much rain or too much cold weather or both. The one big exception was my garlic. I had the biggest, best crop of garlic that I have had in the 10 years I have been growing it! I think one of the other factors in my success this year was that I have been using the seed from my previous year's crop for about 4 years in a row. I think the garlic has finally fully acclimated to my soil. I am thankful for whatever made it grow so well and I will continue to be thankful all through the winter months. I promise all the neighbors that I will try not to breath too heavily on any of you after a dinner cooked with this fine harvest.

Big Fun at Shandaken Day 2009!

The rain didn't dampen the spirits of those who came out to celebrate Shandaken Day up at Big Indian Park. There was lots of fun to be had by people of all ages!!! To all the good folks on the Shandaken Day committee whose tireless efforts produced yet another fabulous celebration of the town we all love, please accept our heartfelt thanks!

Beagles Found!!

I just received this note from the owner of the beagles. "The dogs have been found. One two days ago who wandered into the Buddhist center near Muddy Brook (Blogmistress Note: I think she means the Menla Center) and one just now who was on Fox Hollow Road at someone's house who called. They are both fine, just thinner and really tired."

Thanks to everyone who kept an eye out for the dogs! We are all glad they are home safe and that this story has a happy ending!!!

Woodstock Fringe Festival - Thru Labor Day

WCA member Noni Connor sent me this message earlier today about the Woodstock Fringe Festival. Noni & her husband Michael are on the festival's board.

"I wanted to get out the news about Woodstock Fringe's 2009 Festival which is already half-over but offers some great original theatre and music performances from now through Labor Day weekend.

I'm doing a reading of a new play "Going to Vietnam", as part of the First Looks series of free readings. That's on Sunday, September 6th at 2 PM."

- Noni

The Woodstock Fringe is a professional performing arts organization that develops and presents new and experimental theatrical and musical works. The group believes that the act of creation is an act of courage. The Fringe serves as a home to emerging and established artists. Acting as a safe harbor, they provide a collaboration between the artists and the audience pursuing the highest standard of live performance.

Here is the link to the festival website. http://www.woodstockfringe.org
Check it out. There are a lot of interesting performances left on the schedule. And if you have a chance, go see Noni read on September 6th!

Correction for Phone Number for Lost Beagles

The phone number on my previous posts about the lost beagles was incorrect. I went back in and changed it. If you have seen the dogs and couldn't reach their owner please try again!! The correct number is 646-334-4422. Sorry for any inconvenience this has caused.

- Carol Seitz

Shandaken Theatrical Society History

Here is a GREAT old photo of the first "official" STS production (although according to my sources 'Happiness Is Shandaken' was the inspiration for the society's beginning). It was a cast photo from The Sound of Music taken in 1977. If you look at the young woman standing on the far right you will see Woodland Valley resident and WCA member Jean Druffner. See was as beautiful then as she is now!

Also, for those of you who frequent the Methodist Church Thrift Store you may recognize the fabulous Ruth Houska standing on the left. She was obviously cast as Maria in the production which should be no surprise to anyone who has ever heard her sing while shopping. She has such a lovely voice! Standing next to her is Chet Gaede. Chet's family built and lived in the house now owned by Jim Frain on WV road. He died last February at the age of 86. What a great bit of theater history!

Shandaken Day This Saturday August 29th

The 2009 Shandaken Day is this coming Saturday August 29th in Big Indian/Oliveria. There will be games, vendors and all day celebrations organized by volunteers. The celebration of our town will be held at the Big Indian Park on Route 28 from 10 am to 6 pm. There will be activities all day long. A new statue is to be unveiled, kids games played, hikes taken, bikes riden, and tours taken, as well as Native American groups attending from throughout the Hudson Valley who will open and close the event with special ceremonies. For more information go to www.shandaken.us/shandakenday.html. See you all there!!

World Class Opera for a Great Local Cause

Singers Maria Todaro (Mezzo Soprano), Louis Otey (Baritone), Kerry Henderson (Baritone) and pianist Jennifer Peterson took breaks from their international careers to join the Community Choir and guest artist Justin Kolb for a night of "Opera in the Park". The performance was a fund raiser for the Parish Field playground and was held on the site where the new equipment will be installed. The evening was a huge success! The performances were amazing! Professionals worked graciously with non-professionals, world class performers took the occasional wandering dog or child in stride (I bet that never happens at the Met) and even the rain didn't seem to dampen anyone's spirits. This kept a sense of fun and community alive all night long! And the music, well, it was just awesome! It was a completely joyful evening for all who attended! I myself never knew opera could be so fun! By donating their time to this great cause all the performers who participated in last night's event proved that their hearts are as big as their talent!!!






















The WCA's own Ricarda O'Conner (herself a seasoned performer) joined the community chorus. Her supporters (including me) were on hand to watch her sing. Her husband, bad boy Mike Ottavi (below on right) seems to have forgotten how to treat a diva!











Kudos also go to everyone who worked behind the scenes to make this night happen (especially the Parish Field Fundraisers). There were many, many people who organized, designed ads, sold tickets, set-up, sold food, broke down and executed many, many other tasks that brought this event together. I spotted another of Woodland Valley's finest, Rebecca Ffrench selling snacks. A lot of local businesses also donated goods and services. The night was a true community effort! Our local children are very lucky to be surrounded by folks that care about them and are willing to donate their time and energy to make sure that they have a wonderful, safe place to play!!!

Digital Photography Workshop - August 22nd

I will be doing a digital photography workshop at the Phoenicia Library at 1:00 pm. This workshop will primarily focus on digital post production techniques to enhance your photos and make them better although I will take any and all questions you might have. Bring your laptops and any photo software that you own. I will primarily work in Photoshop Elements. Please download the free 30 day trial version of that program into your laptop so you can follow along. Here is the link to those versions:

Adobe Elements 7 for PC

Adobe Elements 6 for Mac

Please try and do this before we meet on Saturday. You probably can do it at the library on that day but it will just take more time. Photoshop Elements is the inexpensive home version of Photoshop but everything I teach you will most likely be able to be done in various other post production software.

Remember to bring photos in electronic versions to work on in the class. We will not have the ability to scan prints.

Right now I plan on ending the class at 2:30 but I can go a bit longer if folks are interested and want to continue. If you have any questions you can email me here at wvview@gmail.com. See you on Saturday!

The Giant's Ledge

I received this report a few days ago from Paul Misko.

Here is the report from The Woodland Valley Hikers Giant Ledge trip....

The ten of us met at the Giant Ledge trailhead near Winnisook, south of Big Indian. This is a shorter hike than if you came up from Woodland Valley. We knew it would be a hot and humid day, but the well shaded trail made the climb quite tolerable. Along the way, historical info, stories, and pics were shared by Paul Misko and Jay Simpson. After a good hour of hiking, a refreshing stop at the spring prepared us for the last, steep, push to the summit. While passing the former lean-to sight, we obtained a nice view of Slide Mtn, which whetted our appetite for the visual feast that awaited us. Carefully stemming our way up the rocky stairway soon brought us to the flat top of the ledge. The only task remaining was to walk toward the edge of the ledge. (you'll know when you went too far!) After arriving at a vacant viewpoint we quickly relieved our backs of our packs, and began taking in the view. We also began taking in our lunches, and agreed that even the most humble food item tasted pretty good on a hike.

What about getting our just desserts? Someone had the foresight to bring a bag full of Klondike Bars packed in dry ice. Ay Carumba! What a treat that was. There were plenty left over to offer to the many hot hikers that hobbled past our group. The usual response was disbelief to our offer of ice cream in such a place, but those that had faith received their frosty reward. All, including young Henry, had to take a turn in carrying the cooler, but the dividends were paid in many smiles per mile.

After more pics and repacking, we proceeded to check out the remaining viewpoints, including the western one, which gives a nice vista of Winnisook Lodge, and it's tempting lake. We soon began our descent; carefully picking our way through the rocky places, and squishing through the muddy ones, all while watching the sinking sun's light play upon our mountainside. Arriving at the cars ended another day well spent in the Catskills.

- Paul Misko



































If anyone would like to join the Woodland Valley Hiking Group just email me here at wvview.gmail.com and I will pass your request on to Paul.

Photo of Lost Beagles

This is a photo of the beagles that were lost over the weekend. As of this posting they have still not been found. Please email me here or call Maryline (their owner) at 646-334-4422 (this is the corrected number) if you see them!

Lost Beagles

A house guest of Peter Occolowicz and Chris Dlutowski lost two 1½ year-old beagles today on Muddy Brook Road. The dogs took off earlier this afternoon and they are frantically trying to find them. Their names are Mercury and Venus. They are white and brown. If you see any dogs fitting this description please call 646-334-4422 (this is the corrected number) as soon as possible.

Joan Hall - New WCA Member

We have several new members in the WCA. One of them is Joan Hall. Joan is an accomplished artist working in collage, assemblage, illustration and photography. Her work has been exhibited worldwide in galleries and museums. To check out the work of our talented neighbor you can visit her website at www.joanhallcollage.com Welcome to the Woodland Community Association Joan!

Comparative Astrology Conference

Woodland Community Association members Alexander Mallon and Robert Thurman will be participating in this conference at the Menla Center. If you are interested in this subject you can learn right in your our backyard! Here are the details.

Astrology, Mythos and Spirit: Bridging East and West

with Komilla Sutton, Jhampa Kalsang, A.T. Mann, Alexander Mallon, Jhampa Shaneman & Robert Thurman

Menla Mountain Retreat Center, September 17-20 2009

Comparative Astrology Conference
- Only 2 hours drive from NYC, near Woodstock, NY !!

Co-sponsored by the Mid-Hudson Chapter of the NCGR. NCGR members receive a $50 discount


The conference will feature lectures, panel discussions, breakout sessions facilitated by speakers, and question and answer sessions.
Topics covered will include:

• the philosophies of Tibetan, Vedic and Western astrology
• astrology’s role in mythological and spiritual worldviews
• practical applications of astrological techniques including: Fate or free-will, the Concept of
Time-Who are we and Where are we going?, Lunar Nodes and Phases as Karmic indicators, Saturn as the 'last planet' vs. Trans-Saturnians and newly discovered planets, Astrology and Holistic Medicine in Tibet-the Kalachakra Tantra, Hindu or Jyotish astrological techniques, Lunar Nakshatras and their role in Ayurvedic Medicine, an introduction to the Tibetan/Chinese zodiac of Twelve animals and Five Elements, the Western zodiac vs. Constellations and hands- on nightime viewing of a dark-sky site with a university sized telescope!!
• predictions for the Obama administration, views on the anticipated end of the Mayan
calendar in December, 2012 and discussions about our collective future.

Special Bonus- If you register early and provide your birth information (date, time & place), you will receive
a free computer printout of your Vedic and Western charts. Also, each evening our panel of astrologers will draw several names from the 'Magic Hat' and provide in-depth analysis of attendees charts!

Attend the entire four-day conference or individual days for as little as $42 per day!
go to the Menla Mountain Center home page for details at http://www.Menla.org/Menlahome.html

You can also visit Alexander's website at www.astrologyspirit.com or call him at 845-688-9751.

Muddy Brook Bridge Repairs

Someone in our community asked me what was happening at the Muddy Brook bridge. I didn't know so I asked WCA member Mike Ottavi to get the details. Mike went and talked to the people at the site and here is his report.

"According the the State Engineer at the job site, the repairs to the Woodland Valley bridge are the result of a shift in the deck (the part between the concrete piers at either end of the bridge). The job entails a realignment of the deck and replacing the rubber bearings that support it. The crew working on the bridge are involved in several other projects all over the Hudson Valley at the same time. Thus the interruptions to the work at the bridge. The engineer informed me that they are almost finished with the project."

Mike

Thanks Mike for getting the info and keeping up all informed!!

Steuart's Potato Salad

Many people commented on Steuart Botchford's Potato Salad at the Dershowitz party. His proud dad, Hawley Botchford sent me the receipe. Thanks to both Steuart and Hawley!

Steuart Botchford’s Mississippi Delta BAKED POTATO SALAD
10 ounces cream cheese softened
2 cups sour cream
1 ½ cups mayo
1 ½ pounds of bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
1/3 cup chopped green onions
½ cup creamy Italian dressing
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
6 large baking potatoes, unpeeled, baked, and cooled
Directions
Combine cream cheese and sour cream in a large bowl stirring well until smooth
Add Mayonnaise and next 7 ingredients, stirring well
Slice potatoes into ½” pieces and gently stir into mixture. Potatoes will absorb some of the sauce so don’t be concerned about the amount of liquid.
Allow to sit in refrigerator for several hours for best flavor

Morehouse Family Hike

I received this message from Dakin Morehouse last week and I thought I would share it with the community.

"Here's a couple shots of a beautiful hike up Giant Ledge the Morehouse clan took last week (the hard way).















Back;  Tracy & Jacob Chevalier (England), Sharon (M) Yonenaka (California) and Erik M  -
Front;  Doris M, Alyssa Y, Dakin M, Kiyoshi Y, Jill (M) Lecakes (Albany) with Jonathan behind the camera.















We followed the watercourse up crosscountry meeting the trail in the notch between Giant Ledge and Panther.

About 6 hours in the backwoods up dozens of small waterfalls and (carefully) over beautiful mossy boulders with extremes, Kiyoshi 7 and me at 71 making the course.
We also had the honor of riding the Catskill Mt Train with our grandkids, spending a day in the Big Apple carousing museums and having them sit in on the Pickin' Circle here at our RR Museum - not to mention model trains, the trampoline, etc.

It is always such a delight when our kin folk visit our precious Woodland Valley." 

Dakin Morehouse

Ashokan Watershed Program Barbecue

I thought this might be interesting to the streamside homeowners in the valley.

Ashokan Watershed Program to Host Open House and Barbecue

The Ashokan Watershed Stream Management Program will host an open house and barbecue on Friday, August 21 from 3:00pm to 8:00pm at their new office located at 6375 Route 28 in Phoenicia.

Meet the program’s helpful new staff members, tour a streamside wetland and forest along the Esopus Creek, and browse interactive displays. The stream-related displays will include aerial videos of local streams, a flowing stream model and demonstrations of computer mapping software. Formerly the Black Bear Hollow Café, the remodeled office space was designed by students of the SUNY Ulster Drafting and Design class in the spring of 2009.

The watershed program is a partnership between Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County, Ulster County Soil and Water Conservation District, and New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). With funding from DEP, the program supports landowners, municipalities and agencies to coordinate more effective stream stewardship practices.

RSVP required by Tues., August 18. Please call Colleen Griffith at (845) 688-3047 or email cas55@cornell.edu.

Something's Fishy

Here is a new poem by Troutmeister Mike O'Neil.

PISCATORIAL CORRECTNESS

It seems so goddam exclusionary and elitist,
That the Catch and Release bunch,
Should shine their holy light on trout and salmon,
And ignore—nay—denigrate by exclusion,
The other fish who share the same waters.

I was taught as a boy to throw the chubs and suckers,
And others of their ilk, up onto the bank,
To rid the stream of such trash—
To let them die in a cruel deprivation of their primal elements—
“How else should one treat junk fish?

I never thought of them as a part of the grand,
Pesce scheme of things, though surely GOD
Made them, as he too fashioned the pretty ones.
As I trudge slowly towards decrepitude, the common fish seem,
More valuable for their balancing and presence.

The clumsy grandeur of huge Podunk River carp,
Slowly vacuuming offerings of day old bread,
Thrown to them in the sluggish muddy waters,
By boys of a certain age,
Is as exciting to me as the scarlet flash of a lunging rainbow.

Boreegard

July 7, 2009

Paving Done

The highway crew finished the road repaving from Grandview to Roxmor last week. Highway Superintendent Eric Hofmeister was out inspecting the job. They widened the road slightly in some places. It is great to see that part of the road in such good shape. It is my understanding that for budgetary reasons they are going to do a section of the road each year instead of the whole thing at one time which would be cost prohibitive. Our thanks go out to Eric and all the great folks on the highway crew. Splendid job!

Raging Water Video

Sorry folks, I am a bit behind on my posting, busy, Busy!! Anyway, for those out of the valley, someone sent me this link to a video made by Faye Storms. It will give everyone who is not here a chance to see how much rain we have had lately. Thank goodness the weather has gotten a little better this week. But it looks like we go back to the "scattered shower" forecasts again on Sunday. Rain, rain go away!!

Raging Water - Phoenicia

Big Fun at the Dersh Party!

Once again the Dershowitz party was great fun! Many thanks to Marilyn and Nat for their hospitality. It is very kind of them to invite the whole WCA each year. Muchas Gracias!!