Live Music Sunday Night at the ESRM

WCA member Dakin Morehouse sent me this. For those of you who don't know, Dakin is also the President of the Empire State Railway Museum. They are hosting a series of live musical performances right here at the Phoenicia Station. The museum is beautiful and it is a great way to support our talented local artists. Go check it out if you have the chance!

Support Live Music in Phoenicia
Don't Miss It!
Sunday--January 31
Flying Cat Music Presents
Danielle Miraglia in Concert
at 7:30 sharp
The Empire State Railway Museum
on Lower High Street, Phoenicia

$10 suggested donation with RSVP
to flyingcatmusic@gmail.com
$12 without RSVP

For information call 845-688-9453
http://www.daniellem.com/home.html

Another Valentine Making Workshop

Here is another message from Rebecca Rego Barry who is a member of the Phoenicia Library Board.

"Did the snow keep you from the Library's Valentine-making workshop yesterday? Well, here's your second chance. Join us TOMORROW, January 30th, between 10:00 and 2:00."
- Rebecca

This seems like a great chance to have some fun in the cold weather! Check it out!

Weather for Weekenders - 01/29/10

The intense rain at the beginning of the week melted most of the snow we had laying around from past storms. But we had a snow storm yesterday that brought us about 2 inches of fresh powder. The temperatures were cold when the snow fell so it is very light and fluffy. The problem now is that the temps have dropped drastically and it has gotten VERY cold. (it is 0 degrees at my house now) with high winds that really chill you to the bone. The snow was just enough to hide any small patches of ice that were left behind by the rain, so WATCH YOUR STEP. I myself almost wiped out twice yesterday. The weather is supposed to stay chilly through tomorrow and then warm up (if you think temps in the 20's are warm) slightly on Sunday. If you are planning on coming up, bring your long johns!!!

Make Valentines at the Phoeinica Library

I received this message from Rebecca Barry today regarding a fun event at the Phoenicia Library.

"Hello Friends -- One of the library's most popular annual events is coming up, and we'd like you to be a part of it this year. Come make a Valentine for your sweetie and one or more as a fund-raiser for the library you love. You can come TOMORROW the 28th from 3:30-5:30, or to another upcoming session (Jan. 30, Feb. 4, or Feb. 6. I'll send more reminders.) Craft help and materials both available!"
- Rebecca

If you have a chance get out and support our fabulous library and make something special for your loved ones!!

Follow Up on Monday's Storm

Although Phoenicia escaped with no major damage, there was apparently a state of emergency issued in Shandaken during Monday's storm. I guess since the water was getting so close to the bridge that they were trying to be prepared. Here is a link to the story about it in the Daily Freeman.

Daily Freeman - Floodwaters Recide Following Monday's Rainfall

I have been up and down Woodland Valley Road over the last few days and although I can't speak for individual homeowners, the only real damage I can see is rutting on some driveways from runoff. Looks like we were lucky this time.

Sometimes You Just Feel Like a Nut

Dennis Havel sent me this photo of a friend of his who came into his yard for a visit recently. How cute! He was about 30 feet away and Dennis took the photo through the window with his 300mm lens.






















Here is another shot of a squirrel levitating. He has been hovering around Dennis' window of late.

Alls Well that Ends Well

The rain stopped yesterday between 4:00 and 5:00 pm. Just in time as far as I am concerned. The boulders were starting to move in the creek. HATE THAT!!! Although I haven't been to check yet, from what I have heard, WV road is fine and the water has receded. I really do think that the rain stopped coming just in time to prevent the situation from getting serious. Folks in town said that the water came up to within a foot of the Bridge Street bridge into town. Not too bad considering the flooding we have had in the past (the 2005 flood comes to mind). I think we dodged a bullet here.

High Water on the WV Creek

We have had a LOT of rain overnight into today! The Woodland Valley Creek has risen significantly. I was out at about noon and took this photo out the window of my car on the Herdman Road bridge. The water was over Woodland Valley Road in several spots as I drove up into the valley and was still rising. The Esopus is at flood stage. There is a flash flood warning for our area in effect until tomorrow morning. The rain has seemed to taper off in the last hour. The radar looks like it is clearing out. If you want to follow both the height of the Woodland Creek and the Esopus you can follow the links to the USGS gages that I have listed here. I will keep you all posted. Hopefully, this will stop before it gets too bad!

Woodland Valley Creek

Esopus Creek at Cold Brook

New Neighbors Join the WCA

I am very happy to welcome the new folks that recently bought the log cabin on WV road (just across the street from the Hide Away Campgrounds) to the valley and the WCA. Their names are Tammy and Richard Feuer. Richard is a dentist and Tammy works in hospital administration.

I am looking forward to getting to know our new neighbors! Woodland Valley is a GREAT PLACE and I think I speak for everyone when I extend my heartiest welcome to both of them! You are going to LOVE it here!!!

More on the Owl

Last week, after Rolf Reiss sent me the photo of the owl he had seen in his backyard during the day, I had a chance to look at the picture a little more closely. I noticed that the owl's right eye was slightly closed indicating that he might have injured it in some way. I emailed Rolf and we both thought that maybe he had vision problems and didn't get enough food at night and that was why he was hunting in the daylight. It is just a theory though so I am putting the photo up and you can all see what you think.

As a sidebar, one of my friends in Mt. Tremper has also seen an owl in her backyard in the daytime. I wonder if it could be the same one? I am not sure as to the extent of their hunting range. If anyone out there can share more information that would be great.

Benefit for Haiti

There will be an event in Woodstock today to benefit the suffering people of Haiti. Woodland Valley's own Jean Druffner will among the storytellers who are donating their time to this great cause. If you have a chance, go and see Jean and the other folks who are trying to lend a helping hand to this struggling community. Here are the details.

STORYBRIDGE TO HAITI
The benefit for the People of Haiti is this Saturday.

Storytellers and Musicians are gathering together to invite the community to come and hear an "Afternoon of Stories and Music" for all ages.

Saturday, January 23 - 4-6pm
Kleinert/James Arts Center
34 Tinker St. Woodstock, NY

Suggested Donation: $10
This is an opportunity to allow stories and music to bring hope to all of us that Haiti will heal and be a part of helping Haitians get what they need!

Local storytellers and musicians include:

Storytellers:
Mercedes Cecilia, Michele Riddell, Wendy Weinbrund, Jean Druffner, and Jill Olesker

Puppeteer: Grian MacGregor of Ivy Vine Players

Folk Singers: Sonia Malkine, Esther Frances, Elly Wininger and Betty Boomer

All funds raised at this benefit will go to:

The Haitian People's Support Project (HPSP) http://www.haitiansupportproject.org/

a small 501(c) 3 non-profit based in Woodstock, NY that has been working in Haiti for the past 20 years. They have years of experience working within Haitian communities are best equipped to understand the needs of those communities and be able to navigate the hurdles that lie ahead.

If you cannot attend the event this Saturday, but would like to contribute to this Haitian relief project, monetary donations can be sent by check or money order to:

Haitian People's Support Project and mailed to:
HPSP, P.O. Box 496, Woodstock, NY, 12498

Know that 100% of your contribution will be used to effect immediate and lasting change in Haiti. When you go to this website you will see a link that says "click here to donate". Click the link to make a donation via PayPal. This donation is tax deductible. Every donation helps! $10 will create change. $1,000 will change lives.

Diving in Bonaire

WCA member Tom Healy sent me this link to the slide show he made from his diving trip to Bonaire. He shot a lot of really beautiful photos! Great job Tommy and thanks for sharing these with us!!

Got Scuba? Dive Bonaire 2009

Weather for Weekenders - 01/22/10

The weather in the last few days has been sunny. Yesterday during the day it warmed up into the 30s and was really nice. Today is looking like it might but another great day. The slushy snow that fell in the first few days of this week has mostly melted but there is some residual ice in WV driveways, especially high up in the valley. If you are coming up tonight take care when entering your driveway and watch for ice. The forecast for the next few days is for highs in the 30s and 40s. Hopefully, that will melt more of the snow pack.

Phoenicia Library Gets a New Director

The Phoenicia Library announced today that it has a new director. Here is a post by Judith Singer from the "Friends of Phoenicia Library" Facebook page. By the way, those of you in the valley who use the library might consider joining this group to keep updated with all the current news.

"Congratulations to the library and its patrons! We will have a new library director starting in mid-February, Tracy Priest. She is full of enthusiasm and energy, has great ideas, knows so much about building a good collection, grantwriting, budgeting, legal requirements for libraries, AND has the right personality to maintain the very special warm, welcoming and slightly quirky atmosphere of the Phoenicia Library.

The Director Search Committee searched long and hard to find just the right person. We received over thirty resumes, from as far away as Oregon. We studied the resumes and chose to interview about a third of the applicants, whose resumes showed the right qualifications. A few were asked back to a second interview, and they had an interview with the staff as well. Both the Search Committee and the staff thought Tracy was an outstanding candidate. The Board voted to offer her the job at its regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, January 18."

Storm Finished

So, after all the talk of us getting 7 to 10 inches, yesterday's storm brought mostly rain. It snowed from about mid-afternoon until around 5 o'clock when it turned to sleet, then rain. It rained through the night and stopped sometime early this morning. The result is about 1 to 2 inches of slushy wet snow covering the ground. I haven't been out yet so I can't tell you if it is icy or not but the plow has been up and down Woodland Valley all night so I hope the roads aren't too bad.

Just to remind everyone that has stayed for the long MLK weekend and now must make the drive home, the Thruway has live webcams so you can see traffic and road conditions for yourselves. Here is the link. I have also put a permanent link to the site on the right side of the blog in the "Useful Links" section. As usual in these conditions, drive slowly and carefully. Be safe!! Happy MLK Day!

NY Thruway Webcams

In Anticipation of Martin Luther King Day

Southern War Monuments

by J. Michael O’Neil

In great measure the oldest monuments and buildings in today’s Metro Atlanta have been standing little more than one hundred years. William Tecumseh Sherman’s campaign and its aftermath saw to that. Sherman, who couldn’t remember actually using the phrase with which he is universally credited, “War is Hell,” surely did write, “War is cruelty, and you cannot refine it.”
The monuments on Atlanta’s Auburn Street are of considerably more recent vintage. Less famous perhaps than Peachtree Street, sweet Auburn, as it came to be known in its salad days, is the neighborhood where the King family lived and thrived--where Martin Luther King, Jr. was born, where he grew up, and where his body now lies.
On a quiet gray December weekday, long after the hoopla of the hot Summer Olympics has cooled down, is a good time to visit a cluster of four sites there. They are the house in which Martin Luther King was born and lived (50l Auburn), Ebenezer Baptist Church where he was co-pastor with his father (407-13 Auburn), the Freedom Hall Complex which includes his grave site and the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change (now headed by his younger son Dexter Scott King), and the new National Park Service Visitor Center (450 Auburn).
My wife and I could only spend a little time there that morning. It was the end of a trip and we had to be at the airport soon, to return the rental car and board a flight that would carry us back home and to Christmas. Still, it was enough time to fix a few things in memory’s indelible eye.
The film at the Visitor Center was viewed by nine people--six of us, a black family running the gamut of age, the rest of us white--in a theater built to hold 200. Our group’s small size gave us a more intimate sense of shared experience.
The narrator’s professionally dulcet and measured voice (certainly that of Julian Bond) led us through a straightforward accounting of Martin Luther King’s life and death with interviews, still shots, film clips and soundbites from a few of the more beautiful, unforgettable speeches. Here is a black insurance agent calmly explaining how he insisted on picking up the church’s insurance, canceled by the white power structure in an attempt to break one of the first boycotts, fully realizing that his business would almost surely be ruined. “What I explained to them back then,” he says to the camera, “was that insurance is the business of assuming risk, and that’s what I was intent on doing.” Here are John Lewis and Andrew Young reminiscing about their leader’s brilliant ability to create consensus at the end of a day’s meeting with his brawling, cacophonous, civil rights sublieutenants. Coretta Scott King fondly recalls her first sight of her future husband: He looked so young and thin. Here too is the public man, preaching , counseling, being arrested, being awarded the Nobel prize and finally, assassinated. See if you can sit through it without its cumulative force bringing a lump to your throat, and at least one tear.

2. O’Neil--Southern War Monuments

His body lies at rest across the street in a large marble sepulcher. The tomb is outdoors, set on a platform in the middle of a long rectangular pool of calm blue water which is fed by geysering fountains. The pool is surrounded by legions of international flags and its shape reminds one of the reflecting pool at the foot of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. Hewn deeply into the tomb’s marble are the words:

FREE AT LAST, FREE AT LAST
THANK GOD ALMIGHTY
I’M FREE AT LAST

Next door is the spiritual and logistical linchpin--Ebenezer Baptist Church. Its plain brick facade belies the turmoil it has witnessed--both the beatific successes and the cruel horrors attendant upon any war. Almost as an epilogue to her son’s death, the bizarre murder of King’s mother, Alberta Williams King, took place here in 1974--six years after he was killed. She was shot to death by an assassin as she was playing the church organ. So much joy, so much pain to be centered in one building.
On this chilly December morning, as we walk by Ebenezer Baptist, back to the rental car, the pastor bounds down the church’s front steps hurrying to some appointment, slows as he sees us, smiles and says, “Hi--how you doin’?” We greet him back, smiling, in kind. And then we go our separate ways.
It was just a simple exchange of goodwill, but on reflection it was the most compelling monument Sweet Auburn could possibly have erected.

Pantherkilll from a Distance

I received this beautiful photo from Dennis Havel a few days ago. Here what he had to say about it.

"Took this shot last Saturday from Andes very late in the afternoon.  It was exceptionally cold and clear. You can see Panther Mountain in the distance."
Dennis      

Concert Reminder

Don't forget Rick Altman & David Oliver's 7th Annual Winter Concert is this weekend! Here are the details. Great music is an excellent way to beat the winter blahs!!

Rick Altman and David Oliver
An Evening Of New Music For Vibes and Marimbas
Inspired by Jazz, Folk, Ska, Afro-Cuban
and many other World musics.

Special Guest Violinist, Miriam Rose
Saturday January 16th, 7:30 PM
Pine hill community center
287 Main St. Pine Hill, NY12465
(845) 254-5469
pinehillcommunitycenter.org
FREE

Menla Center Looking for Seasonal Staff

Now Hiring Seasonal Staff for 2010

Exposure to a wide variety of holistic and spiritual paradigms
Valuable job experience at a spiritual retreat center
Live in a beautiful Catskill mountain valley
Outdoor activities--hiking, swimming, etc.

Work for a great cause!
Menla Mountain Retreat, located in a stunning, private, mountain valley near Phoenicia, NY, is looking for seasonal residential staff and volunteers to help run our retreat and conference center. Menla is just 25 minutes west of Woodstock, NY, and 2½ hours north of NYC--daily buses connect Phoenicia to NYC.

Working here is dynamic, inspiring, and fun! We’re looking for friendly, hard-working, self-motivated, enthusiastic people who are flexible, upbeat, and have a desire to work for a worthy cause in a remarkable natural setting. You’ll work with a small dedicated year-round staff to host life-changing programs that range from Tibetan Buddhism to Yoga, from Environmental Protection to Social Justice.

After scheduled work time, staff can enjoy the hiking trails, swimming pool, meditation sanctuary, yoga studio, and other facilities. Staff is also invited to participate in Menla-hosted programs.

Full and part-time seasonal staff needed starting as soon as April running through as late as November, 2010.

Compensation for staff includes free room and board plus a full-time weekly stipend of $175 per week and tips.

For more information, visit our website at www.menla.org
To request an application, contact menla@menla.org.
Menla is operated by Tibet House US, a 501(c) non-profit corporation

Barred Owl

There has been another cool bird sighting in the valley Rolf Reiss sent me this.

"A couple of weeks ago while walking down Woodland Valley Road in the middle of the day I saw what I thought was a hawk land in a tree about 200 feet in front of me. It stayed in the tree until I reached it and realized that it was not a hawk but a barred owl with a red squirrel in it's talons. It remained there as I walked away thinking about how odd it was to see an owl hunting in broad daylight. Sure enough after arriving at home I got out my Sibleys field guide to birds where it described the barred owl as " Usually solitary. Nocturnal. Hunts at night for small mammals. A relatively stocky, medium -size owl."

This past Sunday which was cold and windy with snow showers I was standing at my back door just admiring the beauty of the day when out of nowhere an owl landed on the ground about 7 feet from where I stood. I was very lucky to get some photos of this wondrous visitor. It stayed watching the small birds come and go from our bird feeder for quite a while before flying off.
I suspect that it may very well have been the same owl I had seen along the road a few weeks earlier. Has anyone else seen this "nocturnal" beauty?"

- Rolf

Winter Birds

Dennis Havel sent me this beautiful photo of a blue jay in his yard. I love the birds that choose to winter in our area. Although I don't put out any seed in the summer because of the bears, I do put it out in the winter. It always brings a crowd. Although I like the blue jays I especially like the chickadees. They are bold little creatures. A couple of years ago one actually landed on the bag of seed I was carrying and tried to get a head start into the treats. It was awesome!!

Weather for Weekenders - 01/08/10

The weather here has been cold this week but not as cold as the past few weeks. The temperatures have been in the 20's during the day and the teens at night. I always know that I am getting hardened to the cold when it is 20 degrees outside and I start walking around with my coat open because it feels warm to me. Right now, I think as long as we are out of the single digits the world is good. We have had flurries on and off all week. We are having them right now. We haven't gotten more than an inch on any given day (and nearer to town it has even been less). But, as I had mentioned in earlier posts, we are not getting the warm days in between to melt the snow down. So there is a fair amount of ground cover, although nothing unmanageable. For people who have not been here all week and may be heading up for the weekend you can expect an inch or two in your driveway (again depending on where you live in the valley) but nothing too deep.

Free Sand for Residents

Most of you probably already know this but there is free sand for all residents up at town hall. All you have to do is go up with your own bucket and shovel and you can get as much as you need to keep your driveway clear and safe. Just drive up to town hall and go straight into the parking lot. You will see the sand directly ahead of you to the left of the recycling center. I actually keep a bucket in my car for emergencies. It has coming in handy with all the snow and ice around.

Unitard in Brooklyn

For those of you who might find themselves in Brooklyn over the weekend, Unitard (starring Woodland Valley's own David Ilku) will be performing on Friday night. Here are the details.

UNITARD comes to Brooklyn to brighten your 2010 with their latest fast, fun, sick, smart, sarcastic, scatological show!

What: Performance
Start Time: Friday, January 8 at 8:00pm
End Time: Friday, January 8 at 9:30pm
Where: galapagos art space | DUMBO 16 Main Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201

Snow Kidding!!

Even though the weather prediction for today was snow "showers" (what exactly does that mean anyway?) we had snow all day today adding up to about 4 inches or so. It is difficult to tell exactly how much fluffy white stuff fell because there was also a lot of wind and the snow has drifted. The temperature has been cold so all the snow that fell today is of the light, fluffy, easily shoveled variety. (My aching back is thanking the weather Gods for that!) But the storm doesn't seem to be quite finished with us. And, as I said in my last post, since we haven't had any warm days in between, the piles of snow are getting higher everyday. They are not too bad yet but it would be great if some of this melted. The forecast for this week is for it to remain cold. So I guess we will just have to wait a while for the thaw.

Happy New Year!!

2010 arrived in the valley with a bit of flurries. It has been snowing lightly on and off for several days. Total accumulation is only about two inches. (I am so jaded that 2 inches sounds like almost nothing to me these days.) There is a lot of snow lying around from all the different storms we have had since winter began in earnest. Except for the first storm, the snow totals have been pretty minor but all the flurry activity mounts up when we don't have much warm weather to melt it.

The one thing I have consistently noticed is that the weather channels have been predicting much warmer temperatures than we are actually having. Tonight, for instance, was supposed to be in the teens, but I just looked at my thermometer and it said 6 degrees. That seems to be happening a lot lately. So if you are coming here soon pack your long johns because baby it's cold outside!!!

I want to take this opportunity to wish everyone in the valley health, happiness and prosperity in the New Year!! Shalom to all!