Historic Landmark on the Hudson River

Author: keeper

  • Autumn soul food

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    keeper
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    I stopped by the Germantown Community Farm for their annual Harvest Festival dinner. A hungry crowd lined up to partake of the bountiful harvest, which was served inside the old apple barn. Too many people for an “enigmatic loner” like myself, so I didn’t stick around for the square dance which followed the meal. I…

  • Quack-quack, bang-bang

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    Today is opening day for duck season.  This morning in the pre-dawn twilight as mist curled off the water, the gun-fire started.  Pop. Pop. Pop.  The sound traveled over the water from nearby coves, tidal wetlands and river mudflats. It was like Fourth of July fireworks but without the light show.  Waterfowl took flight over…

  • Lost & Found

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    At the beginning of the week, I received a phone call from Anna, who lost a canoe on North Tivoli Bay. During an outing with a friend over the weekend, she was forced to abandon the canoe in a minor emergency. Both her and her friend were okay, but when Anna returned for the canoe…

  • Lighthouse Sludge

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    When Patrick & Marlena walk to the lighthouse for an evening swim, they invariably bring a bottle of their home-made wine to enjoy a glass as the sun sets behind the Catskills. They are happy to share, so I’ve tasted more than a few glasses myself. Among their vintages, one in particular is reserved for…

  • At dusk on the trail: Eastern Screech Owl

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    While walking the trail at dusk, I heard the distinctive eerie trill of an Eastern Screech Owl from overhead. I looked up and scanned the tree canopy, hoping to catch a glimpse of the tiny owl in the twilight. Standing still for a minute or two, eventually I saw a small silhouette swiftly glide through…

  • Tug John H. Malik

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    This morning, I heard music on the breeze.  Faint as it was, I looked around for source.  The only thing in sight was a tug-&-barge.  The music grew louder as the tug approached.  Eventually, the music was recognizable as country music, though I didn’t know the tune. Passing by the lighthouse, the barge blared country…

  • Racing the tide

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    The tide cycles in such a way that the lowest low tides for the month are associated with the highest high tides. With that in mind, I took advantage of the low tides at the full moon in order to make repairs near the waterline around the stone plinth of the lighthouse. I needed to…

  • Harvest-moon trivia-night kayak paddle

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    Mara called to remind me that tonight was trivia night at the Black Swan Pub in Tivoli, NY. She was part of the winning trivia team last week. Not wanting to miss out, I paddled my kayak across the river by the light of the full moon and walked up the hill to the village. …

  • Fall migration

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    Last week, a monarch butterfly alighted on the beach north of the lighthouse, resting on its long journey south, drinking the moisture from the damp sand.  The autumn migration of the monarch butterflies coincides with the “red maple leaf” migration: dozens of sailboats flying the Canadian flag pass by the lighthouse daily on their way…

  • Boat-and-breakfast

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    This morning I had breakfast at the lighthouse with my downstream neighbors Kate & Dock. Yesterday at dusk, they sailed up from their riverside home in Glasco and anchored overnight in the shallows north of the lighthouse. They were trying out their new/old tri-hulled sailboat and enjoying a moonlit night on the river. When I…