Happy Birthday Doris Morehouse!!!

Dakin Morehouse asked me to post this message to his lovely wife Doris, in honor of her birthday. How sweet!

Let me also extend good birthday wishes from the entire Woodland Valley clan to one of it's most beloved members. Happy Birthday Doris!

 (¯`v´¯)
  `*.¸.*´
  ¸.•´ ¸.•*¨)¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´(¸.• (¸.•´¸¸.•¨¯`•.¸¸.•¨¯`•.¸¸. *

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Doris, Louise Fife

Dodie, Fifi - My Wife

Mommy, Mom, now Granna

Weaver, hooker of rugs, the Station Lady

But always - the Love of my Life

            ~  ~  ~  

With Love on your 73^rd Birthday

From your Grumpy Old man

Our Town in the NY Post

Our town was mentioned in an article that was published in the NY Post yesterday.  The piece was titled "The Great Escapes - Recharge Upstate with a Weekend of Artsy, Outdoorsy and Culinary Pleasures". It featured the Phoenicia Lodge, Sweet Sue's, The Phoenicia Pharmacy, Kate's Lazy Meadow, The Emerson and The Peekamoose Restaurant. It also mentioned several other places in Ulster County.

The authors had nice things to say about all the places that they visited. If you would like to check out the article for yourself follow the link below. It is always great to see our town get some good press. 

http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/the_great_escapes_kEgzI6mxX3NWuZJwXv9gWI#ixzz1tSqA55qs

Phoenicia Bridge Repair

Repairs started early last week on the Bridge Street bridge into Phoenicia. As you all know, the span has been closed since it was heavily damaged in Hurricane Irene last summer. This bridge is a critical to the health of the businesses in town. General tourist traffic has significantly decreased since it's closure. Rumor has it that the target date for the completion of repairs is early July. Hopefully, that will be true and Phoenicia will finally get totally back to normal.

Freeze Warning for Tonight

I subscribe to the NYState Alert System and just got this message. Looks like there is a freeze warning in effect for overnight tonight. Bring all those sensitive plants back in for the night. Read On:


Issued By:  NWS Albany (Eastern New York and Western New England)

Affected Jurisdictions:  Albany, Columbia, Fulton, Greene, Herkimer, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Ulster Counties


Headline:  (EXTENSION - area)  Freeze Warning issued April 25 at 3:53PM EDT until April 26 at 8:00AM EDT by NWS Albany

...Freeze Warning In Effect From 2 AM To 8 AM EDT Thursday... The National Weather Service In Albany Has Issued A Freeze Warning...Which Is In Effect From 2 AM To 8 AM EDT Thursday For The Mohawk River Valley...The Schoharie Valley And Eastern Catskills...The Immediate Capital Region...And The Central Taconics. * Locations...The Mohawk River Valley...The Schoharie Valley And Eastern Catskills...The Immediate Capital Region...And The Central Taconics. * Temperatures...In The Upper 20S To Lower 30S. * Timing...From 2 AM To 8 AM Thursday Morning. * Impacts...Any Sensitive Vegetation Will Be Vulnerable To Widespread Frost Thursday Morning. 

A Freeze Warning Means Sub-Freezing Temperatures Are Imminent Or Highly Likely. These Conditions Will Kill Crops And Other Sensitive Vegetation. 

VOICETHEATRE

As part of the Voicetheatre series, WCA member Ricarda O'Conner is directing a reading of "The Life and Times of Tulsa Lovechild" at the School for Young Artists in Woodstock. See below for details.

Join us for a reading of The Life and Times of Tulsa Lovechild By Greg Owens
directed by Ricarda O'Conner

Thursday May 3rd
7:30pm
School for Young Artists
31 Wittenberg Road Bearsville, NY
Tickets $8
Reservations Strongly Recommended
Box Office: 845 679 0154
www.voicetheatre.org

The series continues into May. And has some other interesting offerings.

Spring Reading Series
Thursday Evenings
7:30pm
6 Plays - 6 Weeks - 6 Readings

NEXT UP

Tickets: $8
Limited Seating
Reservations Strongly Recommended
845 679 0154

May 10 - Lovers By Brian Friel
Director, Shauna Kanter

May 17 - Gin Game By D. L. Coburn
Director, Gordon W. Brown

May 24 - After the Revolution By Amy Herzog
Director, Paul Kassel

May 31 - Birds on a Wire By Shauna Kanter
Director, Shauna Kanter

I Spoke Too Soon

It just doesn't pay to be too smug. It seems I have greatly overestimated my ability to read the weather in the Catskills. After posting my relief about the current conditions last night, I woke up to find it hailing and snowing lightly this morning. Ugh!! I don't think any of it will stick but still.....it is the end of April and the snow is dampening my spring spirt! Not to mention the fact that my apple trees are in bloom and I am sure that with temperatures in the 30s the bees are all sticking to the warmer climates. So the cold weather may affect my fruit crop this year. I guess like most other things in the natural world I will just have to wait and see. But I thought I should keep you all informed of the latest weather developments in the valley especially after giving the "all clear" signal last night.

No Snow, Thank Goodness

I have gotten several phone calls today asking if we got any snow up here in Woodland Valley. I am happy to report that we did not. The snow seemed to stay to the west of us. I believe both western Pennsylvania and western NY got some but we were mercifully spared. We did get quite a lot of rain though.

Woodland Valley creek has risen. That is good because it was getting fairly dry and it is too early in the season for that to happen. I read somewhere that the waterways in our area were down about 6 inches from their usual heights. I don't know if what we got in the last couple of days replenished them fully but I think it put a dent in the deficit.

The temperatures have dropped though and are in the low 40s at night. I am back to making a fire in my wood stove. But all things considered that is not too bad. At least I am not out there breaking my back shoveling the heavy, wet snow that falls at this time of year.

So it looks like the rain has stopped and all is again well in the valley.

Hudson Valley Weather

For those of you who are on Facebook and, like me, are always searching for accurate weather forecasts for our area, I have found a cool page to "like". It is Hudson Valley Weather HVWX1 https://www.facebook.com/HVWX1. I find the page a great source of weather commentary for the local Hudson Valley area.

If you would like to read about Alex Marra, who writes the page, here is a link to a recent article in the Kingston Times. Port Ewen Mans Facebook page gets thumbs up with every storm Alex is not a professional meteorologist but uses the National Weather Service Information and his Accuweather Professional account (these are the same sources that the professionals use) to shape his insights. His forecasts have proven to be fairly accurate. Certainly as much or more than the other sources available to us.

So I recommend "liking" him on Facebook and adding him to your weather forecasting arsenal.

Festival Of The Voice Fundraiser

The Festival of the Voice continues it's fund raising efforts this weekend in Saugerties. Here are the details.

GALA FUNDRAISING CONCERT AT SAUGERTIES PERFORMING ARTS FACTORY THIS SUNDAY, 3PM

April 22nd, 3PM Tickets: $15 at the door S.P.A.F. 169 Ulster Ave, Saugerties, NY 12477 Information: (845) 586-3588

Festival of the Voice co-founders Maria Todaro , Kerry Henderson and Louis Otey will raise their voices in an opera concert to help inaugurate the new Saugerties Performing Arts Factory (S.P.A.F.) this Sunday April 22nd. This exciting gala concert will be the grand finale to a weekend filled with arts events from around the region and will serve to introduce this important new arts venue to the public as well as raising funds for the Festival.
The dynamic trio will present an afternoon of sparkling opera, gems from the world of song and musical theater favorites. Special guest artists include the up and coming young soprano Lily Arbisser, accompanist Douglas Martin and the acclaimed concert pianist and Festival favorite Justin Kolb.

Rabies & Distemper Clinic in Shandaken

Rabies & Distemper clinic at the Town of Shandaken town garage
Rt 28 (next to town hall) in Shandaken, NY
Saturday May 5th, 2012 - 11am -2pm.
The clinic will be for both Dogs and Cats.
RABIES VACCINES - $10.00
DISTEMPER VACCINES - $15.00
CASH ONLY FOR SHOTS!!

Shandaken Dog Licensing Also Available
Checks will be accepted for licenses

No appointment necessary
PLEASE KEEP DOGS ON LEADS AND CATS IN CRATES!

PLEASE BRING RECENT VACCINE RECORDS
For more info call: Town Clerks Office (845) 688-5004

Release of Sweet Home

Yesterday, April 16th, was official release of Sweet Home: Over 100 Heritage Desserts and Ideas for Preserving Family Recipes, a cookbook written by Woodland Valley resident Rebecca Miller Ffrench and photographed by fellow Woodland Valley resident Philip Ficks. Peter Occolowitz (a THIRD Woodland Valley resident) assisted on the book.

The cookbook was inspired by a recipe journal that belonged to Rebecca’s great-grandmother. The tattered pages of the journal began an entire dialogue between Rebecca and her grandmother about their family heritage—and thus a whole journey began.

To learn more about the book, watch the Sweet Home video (http://vimeo.com/37533785) or go to sweethomecookbook.com.























There are scrumptious dessert recipes in the book for every occasion, and Philip Ficks’ stunning photographs will make your mouth water as you turn every page.

Rebecca also blogs about food and family at sweet-home.com.

Sweet Home is available for purchase from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and IndieBound.

There will also be a Sweet Home Book Signing and Sweet Tasting at Tenderland Home on May 19th from 3 to 7pm. All proceeds will benefit the Phoenicia Library.



Photo Credits: Above photos Philip Ficks, bottom photo Carol Seitz

The Great Woodland Bear

To remind us all that the bears are waking up and starting to roam the valley again, WCA member Dakin Morehouse sent me this message and a short poem. Thanks for reminder Dakin!


Yep, thare be barre in these parts again.
So to commemorate their return here's a little ditty Doris & I wrote .. uh, late last century ..?

The Great Woodland Bear
Dakin and Doris Morehouse, 1997

There once was a Great Woodland bear
Who had thick, long, messy black hair.

This deplorable bruin
Left everything in ruin,

As he scavenged from here and from there.


This unrefined beast would rip and would tear
A’ tossing the garbage about everywhere.

But as our patience grew thin
At the old garbage bin,

There was nothing to do but to cry – or to swear.


He was rude and uncouth and he – just didn’t care,
And standing his ground he would loudly declare,

With a snort and a growl
As he went on his prowl,

That He – was The Great Woodland Bear!

US Drought Monitor - NY

As drought conditions move into our area I found that there is an interesting site where you can monitor drought conditions in specific regions of the country. You can actually get information for each state. Here is the link to the NY area drought map. The conditions are updated every Thursday so you can check this site every week to see how the region is doing. Check it out.

Art Enhibit By Onteora Students

This Friday, April 13 was the opening of an art exhibit at Ulster Savings Bank on Main Street in Phoenicia, The show features 20 works by Onteora High School students. Stop by the bank and see this lovely exhibit when you get the chance.

Here is a press release about the show from the Ulster Savings Bank website.

ULSTER SAVINGS BANK TO FEATURE ONTEORA HIGH SCHOOL ART STUDENT EXHIBIT AT PHOENICIA BRANCH

Ulster Savings Bank would like to invite the public to their 58 Main Street, Phoenicia branch to view their latest exhibit, a collection of mixed media artwork created by art students at Onteora High School. The exhibit will be featured at the branch through Friday, May 11th.

The exhibition, comprised of artwork by twelve (12) Onteora High School art students, will feature creations made with chalk pastel, color pencil, graphite, charcoal, acrylic, oil, digital media, photography and copper enamel. Coursework from college drawing, Advanced Placement studio art, drawing and painting, advanced photography, glass and metals classes will be represented in this display.

Onteora High School art teacher Shelly Hamilton noted that some students have exhibited at local galleries, including the Muroff Kotler Gallery (located on the SUNY Ulster campus in Stone Ridge), Woodstock School of Art and the Arts Society of Kingston (ASK) Gallery.

For more information concerning the exhibit, please contact Brad Bernard, Phoenicia Branch Manager, at 688-5965, ext. 6701.

Boreegard's Easter Ham Gravy

Mike O'Neil (aka Boreegard), official food columnist for the WV blog has sent me another fine offering for your consideration. Read on:

Bo’s Easter Ham Gravy

Though there were only three of us for Easter dinner this year, I found it impossible not to take advantage of Big Y’s bargain price for their generic smoked butt end ham—98 cents a pound. So I lugged home the smallest one I could find in the bin—around eight pounds. The result, after a proper baking, was a pan with inviting scrapings and drippings begging to be turned into gravy while the meat rested on the sideboard. Here’s how I went about it.

INGREDIENTS

Pan drippings
4 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon dried minced garlic
1 teaspoon paprika
Ground pepper to taste
2 cups heated chicken stock

TO DO

Heat baking pan and drippings on stove over medium heat.
Stir flour into drippings—scrape and stir until flour is fully integrated.
Add garlic, paprika, pepper.
Slowly add chicken stock and stir slowly until it becomes a fine brown—well—gravy.

I didn’t add salt, feeling that the ham drippings were salty enough in their own right. You may want to. Also, feel free to add herbs for your own signature taste (dill weed, thyme, or marjoram come to mind).

By the by—Ben Franklin’s reported definition of Eternity—two people and a ham, also works for three people and a ham.

Boreegard
April 10, 2012

Annual Watershed Conference

In the aftermath of Hurricane Irene I thought that a lot of residents might be interested in attending the upcoming Ashokan Watershed Conference. The theme is: People, Streams & Floods: Lessons from Irene. The focus is on moving forward after a flood event. Here are the details.

The Third Annual Ashokan Watershed Conference will be held on:
Saturday, April 21, 2012
9:00am - 3:00pm
Bearsville Theater
291 Tinker Street
Woodstock, NY 12498
Lunch catered by Bear Cafe
Cost $10.00
Please Register by April 13th

Here is a link to the Ashokan Watershed Stream Management Conference page. You can go to that site to download a registration brochure or get the agenda for the day. Or you can also call (845)-688-3047 0# or email: gr283@cornell.edu for a registration form.

I have heard from many people that this conference is interesting and a lot of good information is presented. So those of you with creekside property might want to attend.

Belated Holiday Greetings

As I was coming out of my sugar induced holiday coma today I realized that I never wished you all a Happy Easter or Passover (whichever you may celebrate). For the non-secular among us I just hope you are enjoying the spring season and the slow greening and flowering of our gorgeous area.

And on the subject of flowering, my daffodils have been at their best in the last few days. After the snow I wasn't sure that they would stand back up. But they are proving to be hardy little devils indeed and rose again to their previous glory. I think that they will be peaking in the next day or two. Hopefully, the rain we are scheduled to be having tomorrow or Wednesday will not take them over again. They are looking very bright and perky and are a wonderful little celebration of the season. (see below)

Happy Easter, Passover and/or Spring to all!

Ban on Burning - March 16 - May 14

This is just to remind all of you that the DEC ban on burning is in effect until March 14th. Here are details from the DEC website.

DEC: State Ban on Residential Brush Burning Began March 16 during High Fire-Risk Season
All residential brush burning is prohibited in smaller communities during the state's historically high fire-risk period from March 16 through May 14, state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Joe Martens reminded New Yorkers today.

"This time of year has the most risk of fires and the risk is even greater this year due to the extremely mild winter we've seen across the state," Commissioner Martens said. "Since the open burning regulation passed in 2009, there have been fewer fires reported in New York state. In an effort to protect the health and safety of our children, families and our natural environment, we remind residents that brush burning is banned statewide beginning this week."

In 2009, New York toughened restrictions on open burning to reduce harmful air pollutants and help prevent wildfires. While the burn ban regulation allows residential brush burning for most of the year in towns with a populations of less than 20,000, it prohibits open burning in all communities during early spring when the bulk of New York's wildfires typically occur. The state regulation prohibits the burning of garbage at all times and in all places.

Several factors enable wildfires to start easily and spread quickly at this time, including the lack of green vegetation, abundance of available fuels such as dry grass and leaves, warm temperatures and wind.

Open burning is the largest single cause of wildfires in New York state. Data from DEC's Forest Protection Division shows that debris burning accounted for about 36 percent of wildfires in the state between 1985 and 2009, which is more than twice the next most-cited cause. In addition, from 2000 to 2009 New York's fire departments responded to an average of 2,300 wildfires each year from March 16 to May 14. That represents about 46 percent of all wildfires for the year.

Fire department data for 2010 and 2011 indicated a 26 percent reduction in wildfires during the burn ban period for those years when compared to the previous 10 years (2000-2009). In addition, 86 percent of all communities across the state had a reduction of wildfires compared with the previous five years.

Some towns are designated "fire towns" primarily in and around the Adirondack Park and Catskill Park. Under the Environmental Conservation Law, open burning is prohibited in these municipalities without a written permit from DEC. Open burning is prohibited at any time in these municipalities. To find out whether a town is a designated "Fire Town" and/or to obtain a permit, parties should contact a DEC regional office. For a directory of the DEC Regional Offices, visit the DEC website.

Violators of the open burning state regulation are subject to both criminal and civil enforcement actions, with a minimum fine of $500 for a first offense. To report environmental law violations call 1-800-TIPP DEC (1-800-847-7332), or report online on DEC's website.

A list of questions and answers on the open burning regulation is available on DEC's website.

Boreegard Rassles With Red Cabbage

Our faithful Woodland Valley View food columnist (he is one of the only people who send me recipes) Mike O'Neil (aka Boreegard) sent me this message earlier in the week. I can't wait to try and make this dish! Read on for Red Cabbage Boreegard style.


Well Huck Honey, there comes a time when to compliment a perfect piece of pork, you MUST do something with red cabbage. I see by my voluminous kitchen notes that on December 23, 2001 I did indeed do something.

I quote:

I served red cabbage this evening along with my stuffed acorn squash and a brined two pound pork tenderloin. The recipients, at a Christmas set table—a beautiful creation of Jeanne’s—were Tim, Karen, Kelly, Dan, Stelious, Jeanne, and me. Griff and Julia were also there and at the end of the meal were cradled, hugged, held, and photographed again and again.

INGREDIENTS

A medium head of red cabbage (about two pounds)
1 medium onion, sliced and chopped.
A large sweet apple, sliced and chopped.
4 slices of bacon, fried to a brown crisp, crunched up, save the drippings.
½ cup of apple vinegar
1 bottle of Ballantine 3 ring ale (XXX)
3 tbsp. honey (preferably Oberbeck’s)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp caraway seeds

TO DO

In a kind, large fry pan or pot, fry bacon to a brown crisp. Remove, and save two tbsp bacon fat. Take pan off heat.

Place cabbage, onions, vinegar, salt, pepper in the pan/pot and allow them to get together. Stir this mix from time to time for about 15 minutes. What you’re doing, Honey, is allowing the cabbage to keep its vibrant redness, by the vinegar soak. Otherwise, it will come out a disgusting pukey color that even Wendy de Austin would rather not describe in polite Texas society.

Add ale ,bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer. Add apples, bacon, butter. Cover. Stir every once and a while. Continue this for at least an hour and a half, maybe longer—red cabbage is a tough mother and needs to be beaten into submission.

Eventually, uncover, and reduce liquid to a minimum. It should stop looking like soup, and look more like something you’d want to put on your plate, or in your bowl.

Boreegard March 29, 2012

Happy Opening Day!

Here is a poem by our own Dakin Morehouse to celebrate the opening of fishing season. Good luck to all you anglers out there.

The First of April
For Anglers Everywhere
Dakin Morehouse, © 2010

How fitting it is One might think for no reason,

That April the First Marks the start of Trout season.

Now I don’t mean to imply That the Day of the Fools

Refers Only to those Who hang around pools,



Snapping lines like a whip With a fly at the tip

In waders to the hip - and a flask for a nip.



In hook laden hat Multi pocketed vest

Net dangling from belt, We’ve all seen the rest,

At dusk and at dawn They swarm into streams

In quest of the Trout For breakfast it seems.



Snapping lines like a whip With a fly at the tip

In waders to the hip - and a flask for a nip.



Not an angler myself - no doubt you have guessed,

I enjoy their obsession, Am amused by their quest.

But I have to admit For the taste of fresh Trout

Sizzling butter in fry pan - simply can’t live - without.



Snapping lines like a whip With a fly at the tip

In waders to the hip - and a flask for a nip.