Too many days without sun. It's been unseasonably warm for a while but also cloudy, wet and dark. If I don't get enough bright, natural, light every day I tend to get cranky, sluggish and depressed. Were it not for Ott Lites and the other sunlight reproducing bulbs I use all the time I'd be in big trouble.
The good news is that I've been doing a lot of hiking and seeing the local bald eagles just about every morning.
This view of the porch, yard and river will give you an idea of just how close they often are.
You can see why I haven't been able to get any picture of them yet. They come around the bend just to the left, skim above the surface of the water, and quickly disappear out of sight to the right. As awesome a sight as it is, they are only in view for a second or two. They also fly and sit in the trees on the other side of the river but I use binoculars to watch them.
You can also see evidence of some of the problems I have with living here. This cottage was built on a flood plain. The yard turns back into a wetland whenever it rains. It is not even legal to even have a dwelling here but my landlord built without benefit of permits or permission. What I live in is officially a "garage". Other issues? The driveway is a nightmare most of the winter, the water which comes from the shallow well is undrinkable and the less said about the septic system the better. I believe I've mentioned the mold in the walls...
Enough whining... Right outside the windows there are eagles, owls, ducks and just about every other bird native to the northeast US. Beaver and otters often swim by and I can hear (and sometimes see) coyotes, wolves and foxes at night. There are also plenty of nearby places to hike and interesting things to see.
Here's one of them. After a day of hiking over in Connecticut I ended up in the town of Canaan at Beckley Furnace. This blast furnace was built in 1847 and produced pig iron for over 70 years until it was fired for the final time in the winter of 1918-19. Here's a late 19th century photo of the furnace in operation. The caption mentions that most of the wooden structures were destroyed in 1896 but enough were rebuilt so that the furnace was "back in blast" by 1898.
Here's a view of the large front Casting Arch and a restored "cutaway" version of the hearth. The huge Casting Shed with sand floor was built on the front of this arch. . The tree-shaped mold for the molten iron (called the "pig beds") was a central channel (the "sow") formed in the sand which fed at right angles into attached molded depressions (the "pigs"). After everything cooled, the resulting ingots, called pig iron, were broken off and could then be made into wrought iron or alloyed into steel.
These are the remains of the primary water powered turbine which powered the blowers to blast the air into the furnace. During the first years of operation the bellows were powered by a water wheel, which this stone structure would have held.
This is a Salamander, a multi-ton hunk of iron created by a failure of some sort within the furnace. It is one of 13 discovered on site. The hearth would have to be dismantled (it was usually at least partially destroyed anyway) and men and oxen would drag the iron out. A huge salamander (and the resulting damage) was the cause of the final shutdown.
Iron and brick were scavenged from the site for several decades until it was purcahsed by the state and designated "Connecticut's Industrial Monument" (the first and only) in 1946.
The site was placed on the National register of Historic Places in 1978 (along with those iron bridges I so love) and was restored and opened to the public just a few years ago.
The furnace, dam and a ten ton salamander
I ended up having a great day and arrived home just before dark.
I hope that you are enjoying your winter (or summer) as much as I am mine! All the best to you and yours...
The good news is that I've been doing a lot of hiking and seeing the local bald eagles just about every morning.
This view of the porch, yard and river will give you an idea of just how close they often are.
You can see why I haven't been able to get any picture of them yet. They come around the bend just to the left, skim above the surface of the water, and quickly disappear out of sight to the right. As awesome a sight as it is, they are only in view for a second or two. They also fly and sit in the trees on the other side of the river but I use binoculars to watch them.
You can also see evidence of some of the problems I have with living here. This cottage was built on a flood plain. The yard turns back into a wetland whenever it rains. It is not even legal to even have a dwelling here but my landlord built without benefit of permits or permission. What I live in is officially a "garage". Other issues? The driveway is a nightmare most of the winter, the water which comes from the shallow well is undrinkable and the less said about the septic system the better. I believe I've mentioned the mold in the walls...
Enough whining... Right outside the windows there are eagles, owls, ducks and just about every other bird native to the northeast US. Beaver and otters often swim by and I can hear (and sometimes see) coyotes, wolves and foxes at night. There are also plenty of nearby places to hike and interesting things to see.
Here's one of them. After a day of hiking over in Connecticut I ended up in the town of Canaan at Beckley Furnace. This blast furnace was built in 1847 and produced pig iron for over 70 years until it was fired for the final time in the winter of 1918-19. Here's a late 19th century photo of the furnace in operation. The caption mentions that most of the wooden structures were destroyed in 1896 but enough were rebuilt so that the furnace was "back in blast" by 1898.
Here's a view of the large front Casting Arch and a restored "cutaway" version of the hearth. The huge Casting Shed with sand floor was built on the front of this arch. . The tree-shaped mold for the molten iron (called the "pig beds") was a central channel (the "sow") formed in the sand which fed at right angles into attached molded depressions (the "pigs"). After everything cooled, the resulting ingots, called pig iron, were broken off and could then be made into wrought iron or alloyed into steel.
These are the remains of the primary water powered turbine which powered the blowers to blast the air into the furnace. During the first years of operation the bellows were powered by a water wheel, which this stone structure would have held.
This is a Salamander, a multi-ton hunk of iron created by a failure of some sort within the furnace. It is one of 13 discovered on site. The hearth would have to be dismantled (it was usually at least partially destroyed anyway) and men and oxen would drag the iron out. A huge salamander (and the resulting damage) was the cause of the final shutdown.
Iron and brick were scavenged from the site for several decades until it was purcahsed by the state and designated "Connecticut's Industrial Monument" (the first and only) in 1946.
The site was placed on the National register of Historic Places in 1978 (along with those iron bridges I so love) and was restored and opened to the public just a few years ago.
The furnace, dam and a ten ton salamanderI ended up having a great day and arrived home just before dark.
I hope that you are enjoying your winter (or summer) as much as I am mine! All the best to you and yours...
Happy New Year!
I hope that 2010 is treating you well. I have no complaints yet!
Christmas and the entire Yule season was really excellent. I spent many hours with my best friends. I loved the gifts they choose for me and was very pleased that they appreciated and enjoyed all those that I picked out for them. The only real disappointment was that I never made it down to New York at any time during the season this year. I love all the decorations and always visit the Museum of Natural History to see the annual tree decorated with Origami. I was just too busy with everything that was going on around here.
I finally did get down to the city this past Monday. I didn't visit any museums though - I was much too busy eating and drinking everything in sight! My friends and I started the day off with hot dogs and juice drinks at Gray's Papaya then immediately moved on to Azuri Cafe and enjoyed a bunch of Ezra's famous Falafel. We then drove across town and parked across the street from Ninth Street Espresso. My first cappuccino (with jelly cookie) was so good that I had to down a second. After all, I needed to be fully alert for all that lay ahead.
We walked back across town to the High Line, New York's new linear park. Once an elevated railway line, now it's an excellent place to stroll, bask in the sun or enjoy the sights on the city's west side.
By now it was getting dark so we walked across town again and met another friend for beers at one of our favorite bars, d.b.a. We walked back up to the car (eating pastries along the way) picked up some other friends and headed over to Bayside, Queens to visit my friend's Mom and brothers - stopping for Sicilian Pizzas along the way. The drive home took us right by one of the city's oldest and best White Castles... I'm always hungry, but my friends all managed to find room for a big bagful of the famous "slyders" and fries as well.
The other big recent New Year expedition was to take my friends to see the Croton Dam, reservoir and old aqueduct - they'd never been there. We were all fascinated by these strange, star shaped fractures in the ice just below the old reservoir railroad bridge. The biggest ones are quite large, about 5 feet (1.5 meters) from tip to tip. I have no idea how they were formed.
There was much less ice a couple miles closer to the dam at the old gatehouse bridge. Ten percent of New York City's water supply gets sucked in right below where I was standing so I guess that everything moves around enough so that not much ice forms there.
We had an excellent time hiking around and climbing on the dam,
then ended the day at (where else?) one of our favorite local bars. I first visited The Blazer Pub back in the late 70's with my first (and yes, favorite) wife. The burgers were wonderful then and
they are wonderful now.
I hope that you are well and happy...
All the best!
I hope that 2010 is treating you well. I have no complaints yet!
Christmas and the entire Yule season was really excellent. I spent many hours with my best friends. I loved the gifts they choose for me and was very pleased that they appreciated and enjoyed all those that I picked out for them. The only real disappointment was that I never made it down to New York at any time during the season this year. I love all the decorations and always visit the Museum of Natural History to see the annual tree decorated with Origami. I was just too busy with everything that was going on around here.
I finally did get down to the city this past Monday. I didn't visit any museums though - I was much too busy eating and drinking everything in sight! My friends and I started the day off with hot dogs and juice drinks at Gray's Papaya then immediately moved on to Azuri Cafe and enjoyed a bunch of Ezra's famous Falafel. We then drove across town and parked across the street from Ninth Street Espresso. My first cappuccino (with jelly cookie) was so good that I had to down a second. After all, I needed to be fully alert for all that lay ahead.
We walked back across town to the High Line, New York's new linear park. Once an elevated railway line, now it's an excellent place to stroll, bask in the sun or enjoy the sights on the city's west side.
By now it was getting dark so we walked across town again and met another friend for beers at one of our favorite bars, d.b.a. We walked back up to the car (eating pastries along the way) picked up some other friends and headed over to Bayside, Queens to visit my friend's Mom and brothers - stopping for Sicilian Pizzas along the way. The drive home took us right by one of the city's oldest and best White Castles... I'm always hungry, but my friends all managed to find room for a big bagful of the famous "slyders" and fries as well.
The other big recent New Year expedition was to take my friends to see the Croton Dam, reservoir and old aqueduct - they'd never been there. We were all fascinated by these strange, star shaped fractures in the ice just below the old reservoir railroad bridge. The biggest ones are quite large, about 5 feet (1.5 meters) from tip to tip. I have no idea how they were formed.
There was much less ice a couple miles closer to the dam at the old gatehouse bridge. Ten percent of New York City's water supply gets sucked in right below where I was standing so I guess that everything moves around enough so that not much ice forms there.
We had an excellent time hiking around and climbing on the dam,
then ended the day at (where else?) one of our favorite local bars. I first visited The Blazer Pub back in the late 70's with my first (and yes, favorite) wife. The burgers were wonderful then and
they are wonderful now.
I hope that you are well and happy...
All the best!
With respect for your beliefs and within the context of mine...
Sincere wishes for good health and much happiness
I hope that you are surrounded by friends on this day and on all to come
May you feel love and be loved in return - give what you can and receive all that you deserve
Best wishes for a Joyous Yuletide and a very
Merry Christmas!
Sincere wishes for good health and much happiness
I hope that you are surrounded by friends on this day and on all to come
May you feel love and be loved in return - give what you can and receive all that you deserve
Best wishes for a Joyous Yuletide and a very
Merry Christmas!
Well, so much for expectations... Much of the East Coast was hit with a huge snowstorm over the past couple of days and I was planning on spending some time cut off from civilization. It was snowing pretty hard just after midnight, right before I turned in for the evening
but it apparently stopped soon after I went to sleep. I'm trapped for a while anyway - there's no telling when my landlord will finally decide to plow the place out. No rush. The birds have plenty of seed
Rhiannon and I have plenty of food and it looks like even my 'gator may have had himself a snack.
One more day until the official beginning of winter!
There's another old iron bridge over in New Milford Connecticut, just a few minutes drive from the beautifully restored Falls Bridge at Lover's Leap that I mentioned in a previous blog.
Boardman's Bridge is slightly older and longer - at 188 feet (57.3 m) it is the longest lenticular truss design bridge in the state and one of the best preserved. It was built in 1888 by the Berlin Iron Bridge Company, seven years before its sister span at Lover's Leap and they were both added to the National Registry of Historic Sites on the same day - June 13, 1976. This bridge remained in service and carried vehicular traffic over the Housatonic River until the late 1970's. I don't know of any plans to restore this bridge. At least they haven't demolished it.
I've read some excellent books over the past few days including the latest from two of my favorite authors - a wonderful trilogy of novellas from Jim Harrison and the fragmentary outline of what would have been the final novel by Vladimir Nabokov.
The Farmer's Daughter - Jim Harrison
The Original of Laura - Vladimir Nabokov
On Gold Mountain - Lisa See
Nabokov had instructed his wife Vera to burn the unfinished draft, which consists of 138 handwritten index cards, upon his death. She had saved the manuscipt of Lolita from the flames several decades earlier and decided to preserve his last work as well. It's a fascinating glimpse into the the creative process of one of the great literary geniuses of the twentieth century.
Ive been pretty busy lately, so there's only been time for just a few DVDs - they are
Fight Club (1999) David Fincher
Unbreakable (2000) M. Night Shyamalan
Pierrot Le Fou (1965) Jean-Luc Godard
The Guitar (2007) Amy Redford
My Father's Glory (1990) Yves Robert
Sirens (1994) John Duigan
One more day 'tl The Solstice and just a few more until Christmas. Best wishes for joyous holidays. All the best...
but it apparently stopped soon after I went to sleep. I'm trapped for a while anyway - there's no telling when my landlord will finally decide to plow the place out. No rush. The birds have plenty of seed
Rhiannon and I have plenty of food and it looks like even my 'gator may have had himself a snack.
One more day until the official beginning of winter!
There's another old iron bridge over in New Milford Connecticut, just a few minutes drive from the beautifully restored Falls Bridge at Lover's Leap that I mentioned in a previous blog.
Boardman's Bridge is slightly older and longer - at 188 feet (57.3 m) it is the longest lenticular truss design bridge in the state and one of the best preserved. It was built in 1888 by the Berlin Iron Bridge Company, seven years before its sister span at Lover's Leap and they were both added to the National Registry of Historic Sites on the same day - June 13, 1976. This bridge remained in service and carried vehicular traffic over the Housatonic River until the late 1970's. I don't know of any plans to restore this bridge. At least they haven't demolished it.
I've read some excellent books over the past few days including the latest from two of my favorite authors - a wonderful trilogy of novellas from Jim Harrison and the fragmentary outline of what would have been the final novel by Vladimir Nabokov.
The Farmer's Daughter - Jim Harrison
The Original of Laura - Vladimir Nabokov
On Gold Mountain - Lisa See
Nabokov had instructed his wife Vera to burn the unfinished draft, which consists of 138 handwritten index cards, upon his death. She had saved the manuscipt of Lolita from the flames several decades earlier and decided to preserve his last work as well. It's a fascinating glimpse into the the creative process of one of the great literary geniuses of the twentieth century.
Ive been pretty busy lately, so there's only been time for just a few DVDs - they are
Fight Club (1999) David Fincher
Unbreakable (2000) M. Night Shyamalan
Pierrot Le Fou (1965) Jean-Luc Godard
The Guitar (2007) Amy Redford
My Father's Glory (1990) Yves Robert
Sirens (1994) John Duigan
One more day 'tl The Solstice and just a few more until Christmas. Best wishes for joyous holidays. All the best...
After the cold and snow last Wednesday we've had much warmer weather and considerable rain the rest of the week. The effect on the local rivers and streams has been quite noticeable.
I've been having a good week, but the best day by far was Monday. The peak of the most awesome celestial show of the year, the Geminid Meteor Shower, was predicted to occur just after midnight on Sunday (12:10 a.m. EST Monday morning). I honestly didn't expect to be able to see anything at all; we'd had cloudy skies, sleet and fog for the entire day and evening. I stepped outside a few minutes before midnight, looked up, and was immediately thrilled to see a bright meteor streak across the surprisingly crystal clear sky. I dashed back inside to grab a blanket and my coat, dragged a lawn chair out into the middle of the yard and enjoyed the spectacle until a bit after 2:00 a.m. when the fog finally rolled in again. The Geminids have long been my favorite meteors - I was thrilled to be able to see them again this year.
Happy and excited, but somewhat tired and chilled, I went inside to sleep for a few hours and awoke to find the sun shining brightly. After being trapped indoors for several days by the relentless rain I was anxious to spend the day outside. I received an unexpected call from my best friend and we decided that this would be the perfect day to take him to see and hike around The New Croton Dam for the first time.
It was an excellent day. There was a prodigious amount of water rushing over the spillway of the dam and down the falls - more than I've seen in quite some time.
The Aqueduct trail was rather muddy and there were several scattered patches of ice. It was slow and slippery going and we weren't able to walk as far as I'd hoped. The sun sank below the western hills while we were still on the return leg of the journey. It was well after sunset by the time we arrived back at the dam. We stood near the base and enjoyed the falling waters until darkness and cold finally got the better of us.
thirty minutes after sunset
On the way home we stopped by the Goldens Bridge railroad station to pick up two good friends that were coming back from a day in the city and we all went out for burgers and beers at a long time favorite bar of mine, The Blazer Pub, which is just up the road. It was a wonderful day.
I've been watching lots of great films. The first three on the list were new to me, all the rest are old favorites - some of them are my very favorite films of all time.
Teeth (2006) Mitchell Lichtenstein
Julie & Julia (2009) Nora Ephron
Matador (1986) Pedro Almodovar
Big Fish (2003) Tim Burton
Finding Neverland (2004) Marc Forster
Encounters at the End of the World (2007) Werner Herzog
Lolita (1964) Stanley Kubric
Dr. Strangelove (1964) Stanley Kubric
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) Stanley Kubric
Black Book (2006) Paul Verhoeven
Gloomy Sunday (1999) Rolf Schebel
Sansho the Balffi (1954) Kenji Mizoguchi
The Pillow Book (1997) Peter Greenaway
Belle Epoque (1992) Ferando Trueba
Gloomy Sunday (1999) Rolf Schebel
The Fifth Element (1997) Luc Besson
The Lair of the White Worm (1988) Ken Russell
Gone with the Wind 1939 Victor Fleming
The Girl on a Motorcycle (1968) Jack Cardiff
Casablanca (1942) Michael Curtis
Blue (1993) Krzysztof Kieslowski
White (1994) Krzysztof Kieslowski
Red (1994) Krzysztof Kieslowski
I had just (re)watched Kieslowski's Trois Couleurs series about a month ago. I simply needed to enjoy it once again.
Books:
I'm getting back up to speed with my reading. I enjoyed the new John Irving novel, two more from Simon R. Green's Nightside series and finshed the Algernon Blackwood compilation and the last book in the Neanderthal Paralax series. I enjoyed them all. The list:
Last Night in Twisted River - John Irvng
Tales of the Uncanny and Supernatural - Algernon Blackwood
Hex and the City - Simon R. Green
Paths Not Taken - Simon R.Green
Hybrids - Robert J. Sawyer
Just a few more days until The Solstice. I hope that the coming season will be a good one for you. Take care...
I've been having a good week, but the best day by far was Monday. The peak of the most awesome celestial show of the year, the Geminid Meteor Shower, was predicted to occur just after midnight on Sunday (12:10 a.m. EST Monday morning). I honestly didn't expect to be able to see anything at all; we'd had cloudy skies, sleet and fog for the entire day and evening. I stepped outside a few minutes before midnight, looked up, and was immediately thrilled to see a bright meteor streak across the surprisingly crystal clear sky. I dashed back inside to grab a blanket and my coat, dragged a lawn chair out into the middle of the yard and enjoyed the spectacle until a bit after 2:00 a.m. when the fog finally rolled in again. The Geminids have long been my favorite meteors - I was thrilled to be able to see them again this year.
Happy and excited, but somewhat tired and chilled, I went inside to sleep for a few hours and awoke to find the sun shining brightly. After being trapped indoors for several days by the relentless rain I was anxious to spend the day outside. I received an unexpected call from my best friend and we decided that this would be the perfect day to take him to see and hike around The New Croton Dam for the first time.
It was an excellent day. There was a prodigious amount of water rushing over the spillway of the dam and down the falls - more than I've seen in quite some time.
The Aqueduct trail was rather muddy and there were several scattered patches of ice. It was slow and slippery going and we weren't able to walk as far as I'd hoped. The sun sank below the western hills while we were still on the return leg of the journey. It was well after sunset by the time we arrived back at the dam. We stood near the base and enjoyed the falling waters until darkness and cold finally got the better of us.
thirty minutes after sunsetOn the way home we stopped by the Goldens Bridge railroad station to pick up two good friends that were coming back from a day in the city and we all went out for burgers and beers at a long time favorite bar of mine, The Blazer Pub, which is just up the road. It was a wonderful day.
I've been watching lots of great films. The first three on the list were new to me, all the rest are old favorites - some of them are my very favorite films of all time.
Teeth (2006) Mitchell Lichtenstein
Julie & Julia (2009) Nora Ephron
Matador (1986) Pedro Almodovar
Big Fish (2003) Tim Burton
Finding Neverland (2004) Marc Forster
Encounters at the End of the World (2007) Werner Herzog
Lolita (1964) Stanley Kubric
Dr. Strangelove (1964) Stanley Kubric
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) Stanley Kubric
Black Book (2006) Paul Verhoeven
Gloomy Sunday (1999) Rolf Schebel
Sansho the Balffi (1954) Kenji Mizoguchi
The Pillow Book (1997) Peter Greenaway
Belle Epoque (1992) Ferando Trueba
Gloomy Sunday (1999) Rolf Schebel
The Fifth Element (1997) Luc Besson
The Lair of the White Worm (1988) Ken Russell
Gone with the Wind 1939 Victor Fleming
The Girl on a Motorcycle (1968) Jack Cardiff
Casablanca (1942) Michael Curtis
Blue (1993) Krzysztof Kieslowski
White (1994) Krzysztof Kieslowski
Red (1994) Krzysztof Kieslowski
I had just (re)watched Kieslowski's Trois Couleurs series about a month ago. I simply needed to enjoy it once again.
Books:
I'm getting back up to speed with my reading. I enjoyed the new John Irving novel, two more from Simon R. Green's Nightside series and finshed the Algernon Blackwood compilation and the last book in the Neanderthal Paralax series. I enjoyed them all. The list:
Last Night in Twisted River - John Irvng
Tales of the Uncanny and Supernatural - Algernon Blackwood
Hex and the City - Simon R. Green
Paths Not Taken - Simon R.Green
Hybrids - Robert J. Sawyer
Just a few more days until The Solstice. I hope that the coming season will be a good one for you. Take care...
Ten more days 'til the Solstice, but I'm officially declaring that Winter here has begun.
We had a big storm on Wednesday complete with snow, sleet and high winds (very high winds) followed by a bit of rain which froze and made driving a real adventure. Half the town lost power for most of the day. My landlord's yard tractor died and we had to dig out the (extremely long) driveway by hand. Fun, fun, fun... Right now it's 10 degrees (- 12 C) and very breezy but at least it looks like the sun is going to stay out. I could use a sunny day. It was frigid and very clear last night and I saw the first of the Geminid Meteors(!) There will be more and more of them over the next few nights. Get out and see them if you can.
I've had only one eagle sighting over the past couple weeks and there have been no further raids on the local ducks. There are lots of fish in the river and a big flock of slow, stupid and very tasty looking pheasant that live just a bit up the road - I assume that they make up most of the Eagles' menu. They don't even have to hunt them. Several birds come to an inglorious end trying to cross the road each and every day.
In other news - I got robbed. I had a couple of people doing work here and now some small but valuable items are missing. Total value was only a couple thousand dollars but - well, it sucks. You think you can trust people.
I went out last night to enjoy a movie and a wonderful dinner (including Turducken!) with friends. There must have been some ice in my car door and when I tried to open it the handle mechanism broke. I'll be sliding across the seats for the next couple of days until I either fix it myself (it may be too cold for that) or bring it in to get it done. Last month the water pump failed (spectacularly) and the month before I had to get a new set of tires. Life has been a bit expensive lately.
I figured I needed something to cheer myself up so I spent even more money and bought myself a new TV and blu-ray player. Hey, I deserved it. I've been relatively good this year and, quite frankly, I didn't think I could count on Santa to come through... So, I've been watching way too many movies - many of my old favorites, including several I'd just watched the last month or so. I've enjoyed sitting at my desk and viewing DVDs on my PC but I must admit that it is absolutely wonderful to lounge on the couch with my favorite beverage close at hand and my cat in my lap. She generally sits mesmerized for the first few minutes, then curls up and goes to sleep. Everybody's happy. Also, now I can have friends over to watch with me, instead of always going over to their homes. I figure it was money well spent. I haven't been doing much reading lately though.
Happy Hannukah to my Jewish friends!
I'm trying to stay warm, getting ready for Christmas (even though I don't celebrate the religious part of it) and looking forward to the New Year. I hope that all is well with you and yours. Take care...
We had a big storm on Wednesday complete with snow, sleet and high winds (very high winds) followed by a bit of rain which froze and made driving a real adventure. Half the town lost power for most of the day. My landlord's yard tractor died and we had to dig out the (extremely long) driveway by hand. Fun, fun, fun... Right now it's 10 degrees (- 12 C) and very breezy but at least it looks like the sun is going to stay out. I could use a sunny day. It was frigid and very clear last night and I saw the first of the Geminid Meteors(!) There will be more and more of them over the next few nights. Get out and see them if you can.
I've had only one eagle sighting over the past couple weeks and there have been no further raids on the local ducks. There are lots of fish in the river and a big flock of slow, stupid and very tasty looking pheasant that live just a bit up the road - I assume that they make up most of the Eagles' menu. They don't even have to hunt them. Several birds come to an inglorious end trying to cross the road each and every day.
In other news - I got robbed. I had a couple of people doing work here and now some small but valuable items are missing. Total value was only a couple thousand dollars but - well, it sucks. You think you can trust people.
I went out last night to enjoy a movie and a wonderful dinner (including Turducken!) with friends. There must have been some ice in my car door and when I tried to open it the handle mechanism broke. I'll be sliding across the seats for the next couple of days until I either fix it myself (it may be too cold for that) or bring it in to get it done. Last month the water pump failed (spectacularly) and the month before I had to get a new set of tires. Life has been a bit expensive lately.
I figured I needed something to cheer myself up so I spent even more money and bought myself a new TV and blu-ray player. Hey, I deserved it. I've been relatively good this year and, quite frankly, I didn't think I could count on Santa to come through... So, I've been watching way too many movies - many of my old favorites, including several I'd just watched the last month or so. I've enjoyed sitting at my desk and viewing DVDs on my PC but I must admit that it is absolutely wonderful to lounge on the couch with my favorite beverage close at hand and my cat in my lap. She generally sits mesmerized for the first few minutes, then curls up and goes to sleep. Everybody's happy. Also, now I can have friends over to watch with me, instead of always going over to their homes. I figure it was money well spent. I haven't been doing much reading lately though.
Happy Hannukah to my Jewish friends!
I'm trying to stay warm, getting ready for Christmas (even though I don't celebrate the religious part of it) and looking forward to the New Year. I hope that all is well with you and yours. Take care...
This is Lover's Leap.
A relationship of mine came to an acrimonious end at this very spot just a few weeks ago but, although the suggestion was made, no leaping occurred.
Lover's Leap got its name from a story that has been passed down for nearly 300 years. There are a couple of minor variations, but I'll relate the one that was first told to me by a local historian many years ago. I'll keep it as brief as possible.
Native Americans lived here at the Great Falls for over 8,000 years. In the early 18th century this was the home of the Weantinocks, whose Sachem was the great Chief Waramaug. The chief had a beautiful young daughter who was loved, admired and desired by all the young men of the tribe. One cold winter day, the princess came upon a lost and dying young white man in the forest, and the compassionate young woman brought him back to her home and nursed him back to health. The princess and the young European feel in love and eventually received her father's blessing to be married. All agreed that the young man should journey back to his people to let them know that he was alive and well and to inform them of his plans. He left, the months passed, and the young bride-to-be waited.
He did not return at the time he said he would. Her father eventually made arrangements for her to be married to the most eligible young brave in the tribe. When she discovered these plans, she jumped into a canoe and paddled out into the middle of the rain swelled Housatonic River. Just as she reached the terrible rapids, she threw away her paddle, lay down in the canoe, and prepared to meet her doom. Her lover returned at that moment. She saw him standing on the cliff, high above the rapids, and called out to him to come and save her. He leapt into the river and was able to reach the canoe, but was unable to save the young maiden - or himself. The two lovers were dashed against the rocks and died in each others arms. They were buried together, contrary to tradition, on the bluff overlooking the river. Chief Waramaug, the last Sachem of the Weantinocks, died in 1735 and was buried close by.
Incurable romantic that I am, I chose to believe it...
Just a couple minutes walk away is this beautiful old iron bridge.
The Falls Bridge (also now sometimes called the Lovers Leap Bridge) was built in 1895 by the Berlin Iron Bridge Company of Berlin, CT. The company built over a thousand bridges throughout the area but this is one of only four that still survive. The bridge is 173 feet (52.7 m) long and is about 100 feet (30.5 m) above the rapids below.
It was constructed at a total cost of $7,398. The bridge was entered into the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 and actually carried vehicular traffic until 1977, when a new bridge was finally built.
This entire area is now a Connecticut State Park and features the newly restored bridge, some fascinating 19th century industrial ruins and several woodland and riverside trails.
My replacement DVD drive finally arrived! I'm a big fan of Kubrick's Lolita, but I also love Adrian Lyne's film, which is far more faithful to the book. It's been out of print for several years but was finally re-released last week. I enjoyed seeing it again. I also had a Darren Aronofsky double feature (I'm a huge fan of all his films - The Wrestler was one of the very best of 2008) and I enjoyed the one new film (at least for me) I watched which was inspired by the poetry of the Iranian mystic Rumi and is all about life, love, death and tantric sex ...and stilt walking.
The list:
Don't Look Down (No mires para abjo - 2008) Eliseo Subiela
Lolita (1997) Adrian Lyne
Pi: Faith in Chaos (1998) Darren Aronofsky
Requiem for a Dream (2000) Darren Aronofsky
Books...
I'm just starting two -
Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger and
Tales of the Uncanny and Supernatural by Algernon Blackwood
You may be wondering what happened to all of those rocks, rapids and waterfalls I mentioned earlier. They're still there but now covered by the artificially deepened Housatonic River. In 1955 Connecticut Light and Power built the Shepaug Dam and created a lake that extends for 12 miles (19.3 k) and covers over 1900 acres. The lake is a haven for wildlife and the dam itself is home to Connecticut's newest and largest hydroelectric plant; its 57,000 horsepower turbines drive a generator capable of producing 43,000 kilowatts of electricity.
One end of the lake begins at Lover's Leap - you can see a large part of it in the first two photos. It's a lovely body of water. It was named Lake Lilinonah in honor and memory of the beautiful Indian Princess.
I hope you're having an excellent week!
All the best to you and yours...
A relationship of mine came to an acrimonious end at this very spot just a few weeks ago but, although the suggestion was made, no leaping occurred.
Lover's Leap got its name from a story that has been passed down for nearly 300 years. There are a couple of minor variations, but I'll relate the one that was first told to me by a local historian many years ago. I'll keep it as brief as possible.
Native Americans lived here at the Great Falls for over 8,000 years. In the early 18th century this was the home of the Weantinocks, whose Sachem was the great Chief Waramaug. The chief had a beautiful young daughter who was loved, admired and desired by all the young men of the tribe. One cold winter day, the princess came upon a lost and dying young white man in the forest, and the compassionate young woman brought him back to her home and nursed him back to health. The princess and the young European feel in love and eventually received her father's blessing to be married. All agreed that the young man should journey back to his people to let them know that he was alive and well and to inform them of his plans. He left, the months passed, and the young bride-to-be waited.
He did not return at the time he said he would. Her father eventually made arrangements for her to be married to the most eligible young brave in the tribe. When she discovered these plans, she jumped into a canoe and paddled out into the middle of the rain swelled Housatonic River. Just as she reached the terrible rapids, she threw away her paddle, lay down in the canoe, and prepared to meet her doom. Her lover returned at that moment. She saw him standing on the cliff, high above the rapids, and called out to him to come and save her. He leapt into the river and was able to reach the canoe, but was unable to save the young maiden - or himself. The two lovers were dashed against the rocks and died in each others arms. They were buried together, contrary to tradition, on the bluff overlooking the river. Chief Waramaug, the last Sachem of the Weantinocks, died in 1735 and was buried close by.
Incurable romantic that I am, I chose to believe it...
Just a couple minutes walk away is this beautiful old iron bridge.
The Falls Bridge (also now sometimes called the Lovers Leap Bridge) was built in 1895 by the Berlin Iron Bridge Company of Berlin, CT. The company built over a thousand bridges throughout the area but this is one of only four that still survive. The bridge is 173 feet (52.7 m) long and is about 100 feet (30.5 m) above the rapids below.
It was constructed at a total cost of $7,398. The bridge was entered into the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 and actually carried vehicular traffic until 1977, when a new bridge was finally built.
This entire area is now a Connecticut State Park and features the newly restored bridge, some fascinating 19th century industrial ruins and several woodland and riverside trails.
My replacement DVD drive finally arrived! I'm a big fan of Kubrick's Lolita, but I also love Adrian Lyne's film, which is far more faithful to the book. It's been out of print for several years but was finally re-released last week. I enjoyed seeing it again. I also had a Darren Aronofsky double feature (I'm a huge fan of all his films - The Wrestler was one of the very best of 2008) and I enjoyed the one new film (at least for me) I watched which was inspired by the poetry of the Iranian mystic Rumi and is all about life, love, death and tantric sex ...and stilt walking.
The list:
Don't Look Down (No mires para abjo - 2008) Eliseo Subiela
Lolita (1997) Adrian Lyne
Pi: Faith in Chaos (1998) Darren Aronofsky
Requiem for a Dream (2000) Darren Aronofsky
Books...
I'm just starting two -
Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger and
Tales of the Uncanny and Supernatural by Algernon Blackwood
You may be wondering what happened to all of those rocks, rapids and waterfalls I mentioned earlier. They're still there but now covered by the artificially deepened Housatonic River. In 1955 Connecticut Light and Power built the Shepaug Dam and created a lake that extends for 12 miles (19.3 k) and covers over 1900 acres. The lake is a haven for wildlife and the dam itself is home to Connecticut's newest and largest hydroelectric plant; its 57,000 horsepower turbines drive a generator capable of producing 43,000 kilowatts of electricity.
One end of the lake begins at Lover's Leap - you can see a large part of it in the first two photos. It's a lovely body of water. It was named Lake Lilinonah in honor and memory of the beautiful Indian Princess.
I hope you're having an excellent week!
All the best to you and yours...
You couldn't hope for a more beautiful autumn day than this afternoon. The sky was a vibrant blue, the sunshine was plentiful and the temperature briefly reached a high of nearly 61 degrees (16 C). I drove down to Croton Gorge Park at the base of the New Croton Dam in Westchester and set out for another hike on the Old Croton Aqueduct Trail. I came across the first Ventilator Tower within a matter of minutes.
I've done a bit of research since my last time on the trail. Of the original 28 ventilators which were built along the Westchester part of the aqueduct at least 24 still remain and are visible along the trail. One was demolished, and the remaining three - well, we’ll get to them later. Ventilators 8 (in Ossining) through 23 (in Yonkers) all had numbers incised into their stones. The remaining towers (seven northern most and the one just before the border into New York City) did not. The one above is ventilator number 4.
And this is number 5. This is the shortest of all the ones along the route. Most of them are close to 20 feet (6 m) tall - this one is not quite 13 (3.9 m). I walked to and then turned around just past tower 6 - that one is the normal height. I had a wonderful time. There were lots of people out on the trail and I smiled, waved and/or said hello to every one of them. It just makes the day so much more pleasant - for everyone! There were lots of dogs to say hello to as well. What can I say? Most dogs love me - and I love them. I got to pet (and in many cases be licked by) several Labs, a big beautiful Poodle, an amazing blue-eyed Husky and several other new friends of indeterminate lineage. A good day in every way. On the way back I hiked to and then along the top of the dam. The view was, as always, spectacular.
While on the drive home I decided to stop and visit a place I’d been curious about for some time now. The Gatehouse for the New Croton Aqueduct, which currently supplies about 10%of New York City’s water, is located around 3.5 miles (5.63 km) upstream (northeast) from the dam.
That's the gatehouse on the right and the Arcady Road (aka Gatehouse) Bridge on the left. I should mention something at this point - I had a rather difficult time taking pictures of the things that I wanted to show you. When I got out of my car I was immediately accosted by two New York State Troopers who then stayed right with me the entire time I remained in the area. Apparently they were on duty watching out for vandals, saboteurs and terrorists. It was a slow day so I guess they had to settle for me. They were actually quite friendly and very interested in what I was doing, but they were adamant that I remain on and take all of my pictures from the road, which made getting any decent shots very difficult.
The bridge was built in 1903 and replaced an older one which was flooded when the new dam was built. Parts of the old bridge are still down there, right underneath this one. The new gatehouse was built in 1992; it replaced the original "new" aqueduct gatehouse, built in 1890, which is visible behind and to the left in this picture.
The "old" gatehouse, built in 1842 (at the same time as the Old Croton Dam) and the place at which the Old Aqueduct begins is underwater, just to the right of the bridge. And the Old Croton Dam? It's underwater as well, just on the other side of the bridge. These are the only parts that are still visible.
I'll stop back sometime when my police friends aren't around and try to get some better pictures.
No movies again this time. My DVD drive still hasn't arrived. The UPS tracking system shows it inexplicably stuck in Texas for over a week now. Maybe it somehow ended up in the Lone Star State's penal system...
My friends called last evening to invite me over for dinner and movies. They watched two of my favorites, Claude Berri's brilliant 1986 films Jean de Florette and Manon of the Spring. I missed the call last night (I was outside sleeping in my hammock) but had an interesting conversation this morning. The films were adapted by Berri and Gerard Brach from Marcel Pagnol's 1962 masterpiece L'Eau descollines: Jean de Florette suivi de Manon des sources. The novels were translated into English in 1988 by W.E. van Heyningen (Jean de Florette & Manon of the Springs) - that book is one of my all time favorites. Now here's the part that I didn't know - Pagnol based his novel(s) on the screenplay for a 1953 film that he wrote and also directed which (like the 1986 film) was also called Manon des sources. I need to find either a DVD or VHS of that, or perhaps it's available online somewhere...
I've read some excellent books since my last blog...
Another superb novel by Jonathan Lethem and my first exposure to an absolutely astounding writer, Alisdair Gray! (Sincere thanks to davy for that recommendation...) A novel about a murder and its effect upon several individuals in and around a small South Dakota town and a wonderful book by an award winning fantasy author set in the wondrous mountains and desert around Tucson Arizona... Here's the list:
The Ends of Our Tethers: 13 Sorry Stories - Alisdair Gray
Motherless Brooklyn - Jonathan Lethem
Twisted Tree - Kent Meyers
The Wood Wife - Terri Windling
Oh, I almost forgot - the final three Ventilator Towers, which may (or may not) still exist.
They're in this picture. One of them is just north of the bridge visible along the top left horizon. One is somewhere at the far right. The final one should be somewhere in the center. Whatever is left of them has been submerged for over a hundred years beneath the waters of the New Croton Reservoir.
Well, that was long one... Sorry!
I hope that you are having a wonderful week. All the best...
I've done a bit of research since my last time on the trail. Of the original 28 ventilators which were built along the Westchester part of the aqueduct at least 24 still remain and are visible along the trail. One was demolished, and the remaining three - well, we’ll get to them later. Ventilators 8 (in Ossining) through 23 (in Yonkers) all had numbers incised into their stones. The remaining towers (seven northern most and the one just before the border into New York City) did not. The one above is ventilator number 4.
And this is number 5. This is the shortest of all the ones along the route. Most of them are close to 20 feet (6 m) tall - this one is not quite 13 (3.9 m). I walked to and then turned around just past tower 6 - that one is the normal height. I had a wonderful time. There were lots of people out on the trail and I smiled, waved and/or said hello to every one of them. It just makes the day so much more pleasant - for everyone! There were lots of dogs to say hello to as well. What can I say? Most dogs love me - and I love them. I got to pet (and in many cases be licked by) several Labs, a big beautiful Poodle, an amazing blue-eyed Husky and several other new friends of indeterminate lineage. A good day in every way. On the way back I hiked to and then along the top of the dam. The view was, as always, spectacular.
While on the drive home I decided to stop and visit a place I’d been curious about for some time now. The Gatehouse for the New Croton Aqueduct, which currently supplies about 10%of New York City’s water, is located around 3.5 miles (5.63 km) upstream (northeast) from the dam.
That's the gatehouse on the right and the Arcady Road (aka Gatehouse) Bridge on the left. I should mention something at this point - I had a rather difficult time taking pictures of the things that I wanted to show you. When I got out of my car I was immediately accosted by two New York State Troopers who then stayed right with me the entire time I remained in the area. Apparently they were on duty watching out for vandals, saboteurs and terrorists. It was a slow day so I guess they had to settle for me. They were actually quite friendly and very interested in what I was doing, but they were adamant that I remain on and take all of my pictures from the road, which made getting any decent shots very difficult.
The bridge was built in 1903 and replaced an older one which was flooded when the new dam was built. Parts of the old bridge are still down there, right underneath this one. The new gatehouse was built in 1992; it replaced the original "new" aqueduct gatehouse, built in 1890, which is visible behind and to the left in this picture.
The "old" gatehouse, built in 1842 (at the same time as the Old Croton Dam) and the place at which the Old Aqueduct begins is underwater, just to the right of the bridge. And the Old Croton Dam? It's underwater as well, just on the other side of the bridge. These are the only parts that are still visible.
I'll stop back sometime when my police friends aren't around and try to get some better pictures.
No movies again this time. My DVD drive still hasn't arrived. The UPS tracking system shows it inexplicably stuck in Texas for over a week now. Maybe it somehow ended up in the Lone Star State's penal system...
My friends called last evening to invite me over for dinner and movies. They watched two of my favorites, Claude Berri's brilliant 1986 films Jean de Florette and Manon of the Spring. I missed the call last night (I was outside sleeping in my hammock) but had an interesting conversation this morning. The films were adapted by Berri and Gerard Brach from Marcel Pagnol's 1962 masterpiece L'Eau descollines: Jean de Florette suivi de Manon des sources. The novels were translated into English in 1988 by W.E. van Heyningen (Jean de Florette & Manon of the Springs) - that book is one of my all time favorites. Now here's the part that I didn't know - Pagnol based his novel(s) on the screenplay for a 1953 film that he wrote and also directed which (like the 1986 film) was also called Manon des sources. I need to find either a DVD or VHS of that, or perhaps it's available online somewhere...
I've read some excellent books since my last blog...
Another superb novel by Jonathan Lethem and my first exposure to an absolutely astounding writer, Alisdair Gray! (Sincere thanks to davy for that recommendation...) A novel about a murder and its effect upon several individuals in and around a small South Dakota town and a wonderful book by an award winning fantasy author set in the wondrous mountains and desert around Tucson Arizona... Here's the list:
The Ends of Our Tethers: 13 Sorry Stories - Alisdair Gray
Motherless Brooklyn - Jonathan Lethem
Twisted Tree - Kent Meyers
The Wood Wife - Terri Windling
Oh, I almost forgot - the final three Ventilator Towers, which may (or may not) still exist.
They're in this picture. One of them is just north of the bridge visible along the top left horizon. One is somewhere at the far right. The final one should be somewhere in the center. Whatever is left of them has been submerged for over a hundred years beneath the waters of the New Croton Reservoir.
Well, that was long one... Sorry!
I hope that you are having a wonderful week. All the best...
Say "Hello" to my little friends...
They come up out of the Tenmile River back in the yard several times a day looking for snacks. I always toss them a few handfuls of sunflower hearts along with some shelled peanuts which they go, well, nuts over. If they haven't seen me for a while, or whenever they tire of eating worms and slugs, they come right up on the porch and chortle, quack and let out with what sound like loud, insane, laughs to attract my attention. If I don't come out with food right away, they've even been known to peck at the door. RtC (Rhiannon the Cat) loves that...
There were well over 30 in the flock at the end of summer but about a third of them are no longer around. The other morning, I discovered one of the probable reasons why. I was lying in the hammock, sipping coffee and reading my (Kindle edition) New York Times, when the ducks in the yard and on the river suddenly freaked out. I looked up just in time to see one of the local Bald Eagles, talons fully extended, diving into the middle of the flock. The ducks all escaped the attack and the eagle then made several more quick passes, all of them unsuccessful as well. He ended up perching in the tree right next to my birdfeeders, glaring down malevolently at the ducks in the water. Then he flew away. The entire episode took only a minute or so and, unfortunately, I didn't have either my camera or my phone handy to capture any of the excitement. Maybe next time.
There's not a great deal of other news to report. I came really close to buying a Hearse a couple of weeks ago. I've wanted one, off and on, since back when I was in school (one of my friends had a really nice one) and I thought that I'd finally found one that would fit the bill. The price was right, it looked good and it was the right type (an older Cadillac model) but mechanically, it was a wreck. Too bad - it would have been perfect for extended winter road trips and a lot of fun in general!
The Tenmile River - when the trees still had leaves
My replacement DVD drive is lost somewhere in cross country shipping limbo so I've watched no films this week.
The migraines are getting much less intense and I'm actually headache free much of the time but I still have't really felt like going out anywhere. Thank goodness for books!
I'm currently reading Mary Karr's Cherry, a memoir of the author's teenage years. Karr is a poet, and in every single sentence she makes that abundantly clear. Lyrical and funny(!) - an extremely enjoyable read and a stunning achievement.
I finished yet another novel by Jonathan Lethem. Lethem = Genius. Enough said.
I've gotten back into the wonderful medieval Celtic - fantasy world of Katharine Kerr's Deverry saga, read two more of Simon R. Green's fun, fast moving and infinitely entertaining Nightside novels and enjoyed the second of three books in Robert J Sawer's Neanderthal Parallax trilogy.
Here's the list
Agents of Light and Darkness - Simon R. Green
Nightingale's Lament - Simon R. Green
A Time of Omens - Katharine Kerr
As She Climbed Across the Table - Jonathan Lethem
Humans - Robert J. Sawyer
The History of the New Croton Dam - Mary Josephine D'Alvia
Well, Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends and, as always, best wishes for good health and much happiness to all! Take care...
They come up out of the Tenmile River back in the yard several times a day looking for snacks. I always toss them a few handfuls of sunflower hearts along with some shelled peanuts which they go, well, nuts over. If they haven't seen me for a while, or whenever they tire of eating worms and slugs, they come right up on the porch and chortle, quack and let out with what sound like loud, insane, laughs to attract my attention. If I don't come out with food right away, they've even been known to peck at the door. RtC (Rhiannon the Cat) loves that...
There were well over 30 in the flock at the end of summer but about a third of them are no longer around. The other morning, I discovered one of the probable reasons why. I was lying in the hammock, sipping coffee and reading my (Kindle edition) New York Times, when the ducks in the yard and on the river suddenly freaked out. I looked up just in time to see one of the local Bald Eagles, talons fully extended, diving into the middle of the flock. The ducks all escaped the attack and the eagle then made several more quick passes, all of them unsuccessful as well. He ended up perching in the tree right next to my birdfeeders, glaring down malevolently at the ducks in the water. Then he flew away. The entire episode took only a minute or so and, unfortunately, I didn't have either my camera or my phone handy to capture any of the excitement. Maybe next time.
There's not a great deal of other news to report. I came really close to buying a Hearse a couple of weeks ago. I've wanted one, off and on, since back when I was in school (one of my friends had a really nice one) and I thought that I'd finally found one that would fit the bill. The price was right, it looked good and it was the right type (an older Cadillac model) but mechanically, it was a wreck. Too bad - it would have been perfect for extended winter road trips and a lot of fun in general!
The Tenmile River - when the trees still had leavesMy replacement DVD drive is lost somewhere in cross country shipping limbo so I've watched no films this week.
The migraines are getting much less intense and I'm actually headache free much of the time but I still have't really felt like going out anywhere. Thank goodness for books!
I'm currently reading Mary Karr's Cherry, a memoir of the author's teenage years. Karr is a poet, and in every single sentence she makes that abundantly clear. Lyrical and funny(!) - an extremely enjoyable read and a stunning achievement.
I finished yet another novel by Jonathan Lethem. Lethem = Genius. Enough said.
I've gotten back into the wonderful medieval Celtic - fantasy world of Katharine Kerr's Deverry saga, read two more of Simon R. Green's fun, fast moving and infinitely entertaining Nightside novels and enjoyed the second of three books in Robert J Sawer's Neanderthal Parallax trilogy.
Here's the list
Agents of Light and Darkness - Simon R. Green
Nightingale's Lament - Simon R. Green
A Time of Omens - Katharine Kerr
As She Climbed Across the Table - Jonathan Lethem
Humans - Robert J. Sawyer
The History of the New Croton Dam - Mary Josephine D'Alvia
Well, Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends and, as always, best wishes for good health and much happiness to all! Take care...
Winter is just around the corner. I'm beginning to feel the very first hints of its icy grip in the air - and in my bones.
On Tuesday I decided to take a final fall hike on 1403 ft (427.6 m) Stissing Mountain. The air was clear and the sunshine plentiful - a perfect day to be outdoors. I realize that compared to the mountains that many of you know (and at least one of you climb) this one is more of a foothill, or perhaps a speed bump - but around here, we're rather proud of it. And there is that 90 ft (27.4 m) fire tower on top...
I was hoping to enjoy a last bit of colorful fall foliage. There were plenty of leaves to be seen on the trees the previous time I was there, about three weeks earlier. The pictures are from both visits. There's no need to label them with dates - it's painfully obvious when each one was taken.
The big new this week was the Leonid Meteor Shower. I love meteors, and astronomy in general. I've been going outside to gaze up at the night sky for as long as I can remember. I often see the occasional rogue meteor, but I haven't witnessed a shower in several years. The weather has simply refused to cooperate. The peak this year was on November 17 and the sky here was completely clouded over, but the next night was crystal clear, and I was rewarded with a plethora of sightings beginning around 3:15 am. I'm already keeping my fingers crossed for good conditions the evenings of the next big shower in mid December.
I've been taking it pretty easy the rest of the week. I've had a series of terrible migraines. I get them sometimes. I've been sleeping, reading (thank goodness that I've been able to...) watching the birds and communing with my cat. Rhiannon is always happy to be engaged in a friendly chat - or to take a nap! I really can't complain - all things considered it's been an excellent week.
I enjoy watching movies on my computer, but my DVD drive died on Wednesday. I suppose that I could hook my TV back up again but that would require a certain amount of effort... The new drive should arrive on Monday. I watched two films this week
Star Trek (2009) J.J. Abrams and
Pornografia (2003) Jan Jakub Kolski
...a bit off my usual pace.
In between naps (and headaches) I've read
Hominids - Robert J. Sawyer
Return to the Hundred Acre Wood - David Benedictus with decorations by Mark Burgess
The Death of Innocents - Sister Helen Prejean
Girl in Landscape - Jonathan Lethem
Anyone who is still in favor of capital punishment needs to read Sister Prejean's book. Thanks again to Liathach for recommending it.
Hominids is the first in a series of three novels concerning a parallel world where Homo sapiens became extinct, and Neanderthals continued to evolve and thrive. A Neanderthal quantum computing experiment drops one of their scientists into our world. How we deal with each other, and the contrasts between our two societies, is quite entertaining - and illuminating. A wonderful, well researched novel.
I'm becoming a huge fan of Jonathan Lethem. He's been favorably compared to several of my favorite writers (Kurt Vonnegut, Margaret Atwood and Philip K. Dick, among others) and, like Paul Auster (another favorite) he's from Brooklyn, NY. I don't know why it took me so long to discover him. By the way, if you're also an Auster fan, Invisible is his best book in many years...
New Pooh. Enough said. Yay! (Thanks ferkixllL)
The Poughkeepsie Bridge (Walkway Over the Hudson) on 4 November
I'm looking forward to hearing about what you've been doing, thinking, reading and watching. I hope that all has been well.
Best wishes!
On Tuesday I decided to take a final fall hike on 1403 ft (427.6 m) Stissing Mountain. The air was clear and the sunshine plentiful - a perfect day to be outdoors. I realize that compared to the mountains that many of you know (and at least one of you climb) this one is more of a foothill, or perhaps a speed bump - but around here, we're rather proud of it. And there is that 90 ft (27.4 m) fire tower on top...
I was hoping to enjoy a last bit of colorful fall foliage. There were plenty of leaves to be seen on the trees the previous time I was there, about three weeks earlier. The pictures are from both visits. There's no need to label them with dates - it's painfully obvious when each one was taken.
The big new this week was the Leonid Meteor Shower. I love meteors, and astronomy in general. I've been going outside to gaze up at the night sky for as long as I can remember. I often see the occasional rogue meteor, but I haven't witnessed a shower in several years. The weather has simply refused to cooperate. The peak this year was on November 17 and the sky here was completely clouded over, but the next night was crystal clear, and I was rewarded with a plethora of sightings beginning around 3:15 am. I'm already keeping my fingers crossed for good conditions the evenings of the next big shower in mid December.
I've been taking it pretty easy the rest of the week. I've had a series of terrible migraines. I get them sometimes. I've been sleeping, reading (thank goodness that I've been able to...) watching the birds and communing with my cat. Rhiannon is always happy to be engaged in a friendly chat - or to take a nap! I really can't complain - all things considered it's been an excellent week.
I enjoy watching movies on my computer, but my DVD drive died on Wednesday. I suppose that I could hook my TV back up again but that would require a certain amount of effort... The new drive should arrive on Monday. I watched two films this week
Star Trek (2009) J.J. Abrams and
Pornografia (2003) Jan Jakub Kolski
...a bit off my usual pace.
In between naps (and headaches) I've read
Hominids - Robert J. Sawyer
Return to the Hundred Acre Wood - David Benedictus with decorations by Mark Burgess
The Death of Innocents - Sister Helen Prejean
Girl in Landscape - Jonathan Lethem
Anyone who is still in favor of capital punishment needs to read Sister Prejean's book. Thanks again to Liathach for recommending it.
Hominids is the first in a series of three novels concerning a parallel world where Homo sapiens became extinct, and Neanderthals continued to evolve and thrive. A Neanderthal quantum computing experiment drops one of their scientists into our world. How we deal with each other, and the contrasts between our two societies, is quite entertaining - and illuminating. A wonderful, well researched novel.
I'm becoming a huge fan of Jonathan Lethem. He's been favorably compared to several of my favorite writers (Kurt Vonnegut, Margaret Atwood and Philip K. Dick, among others) and, like Paul Auster (another favorite) he's from Brooklyn, NY. I don't know why it took me so long to discover him. By the way, if you're also an Auster fan, Invisible is his best book in many years...
New Pooh. Enough said. Yay! (Thanks ferkixllL)
The Poughkeepsie Bridge (Walkway Over the Hudson) on 4 November I'm looking forward to hearing about what you've been doing, thinking, reading and watching. I hope that all has been well.
Best wishes!
