History on sails

The Hudson River Ice Yacht Club will display up to 12 ice boats dating from the late 1800s outdoors in front of the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Presidential Library in Hyde Park this week. Included in the exhibit will be world-championship winning ice yachts owned by John A. Roosevelt and his Hyde Park neighbor, Col. Archibald Rogers.

The exhibit runs through January 3 but will be closed on New Year's Day. (It also may close during inclement weather, so they advise calling ahead to confirm exhibit hours at 845-229-9115 or 1-800-FDR-VISIT.) When the display is open, Ice Yacht Club members will be there to talk about their boats, their sport and the history of ice yachting on the Hudson.

More than 20 years ago, I was a passenger on one of those magnificent old wooden ice yachts when it sailed from Rhinecliff to Tivoli Bay. It was an exhilarating trip which took us the better part of a winter's day and included an impromptu lunch while sitting on the ice under the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge. I sailed with some of the same Ice Yacht Club members who are helping out with this display, so you can ask them if the river has frozen solid enough in frequent years for them to be able to recreate that trip.

In addition to this just being a nice display tied with the season, it's also one that you can use to get into the spirit of things for the 2009 Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial. After all, ice sailing technology is of Dutch origin and FDR owned an ice yacht as a young man. FDR's uncle, Commodore John E. Roosevelt, started the club, which still exists today.

The Ice Yacht Display is sponsored by the Hudson River Ice Yacht Club in cooperation with the Roosevelt-Vanderbilt National Historic Site, the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Presidential Library , the Hudson River Maritime Museum, the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area and Dutchess County.


Poughkeepsie Journal photo by Darryl Bautista

Blow your own ornament

The December issue of Hudson Valley Connoisseur magazine features 72 ideas for wonderful (and local!) gifts. We've listed items for booklovers, fashionistas and foodies, among others. We included big gifts that will impress, small gifts that say "thank you" and many items that are unique to the region.

One suggestion that didn't make it into the article (only due to its timing) was this one: Blow your own ornament, with master glassblower John Gilvey at Hudson Beach Glass in Beacon. Wow, what a great idea for a unique present! It costs $25 (per) and the opportunity is taking place until the end of the year on Saturdays (from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and on Sundays (from 12:30 to 5 p.m.) Those ages 7 and older can participate. You must sign up in advance for a 15-minute slot by calling 845 440-0068 during the weekdays. Groups are welcome.
Hudson Beach Glass is located at 162 Main Street, Beacon.

A $15 steak meal?????

More special deals for folks who are watching their wallets but still want a treat ...

The manager of Shadows on the Hudson tells me they are still offering their fall special of a 20-ounce bone-in ribeye steak special, with garlic mashed potatoes and a mixed vegetable medley, and served with choice of house or Caesar salad, for $15 all day on Sundays through Thursdays. (Tax and gratuity not included.)

The beautiful restaurant is located riverside, at 176 Rinaldi Blvd. in Poughkeepsie (and has great views of the Hudson River and the Mid-Hudson Bridge.) Call 845-486-9500 for reservations and tell them you read about the special in the Hudson Valley CONNOISSEUR magazine blog.

Yum!

To laugh and to think

Another great Sunday event, with an old friend, no less. Oh, I'm torn between this and the free concert at Bard's Fisher Center ...

I highly recommend seeing this performance if you like to laugh and to think.

On Sunday, December 7, Inquiring Minds presents "Readings from the
Impermanent Collection," a reading/performance by Mikhail
Horowitz and Steve Clorfeine, at the Muddy Cup, 58
Main Street, New Paltz, at 5 pm. Horowitz and Clorfeine will
read/perform texts by Gertrude Stein, Samuel Beckett, Dylan Thomas,
and (a-hem!) Clorfeine and Horowitz, singly and in tandem, to breath
do them part. The event is free. For more info, call 255-8300.

Cheers, at 2008 prices ...

They've lowered the price (compared to last year's event) in recognition that many folks are evaluating their spending. That said, the 2008 version of the annual New World Champagne Dinner still offers a chance to spoil yourself (and your favorite friends). Hint, hint.

Feast on five courses of Chef Ric Orlando's "party peasant cuisine" and enjoy five bubbly wines selected by Michael Arthur Weiss (professor of wines at the Culinary Institute of America and HVC magazine's wines columnist.) It's a great party for $59/person, and Michael will also be signing his new book, Winewise.

It takes place at 7 p.m. Dec. 12 (Friday) at New World Home Cooking Co., 1411 Route 212, Saugerties. Click on the image above to see the menu, and call 845-246-0900 for more info. Cheers!

All that jazz, for free too!

And another opportunity for exceptional (and free!) entertainment this weekend:

The 22-piece Vassar College Jazz Ensemble performs at 8 p.m. Friday (Dec. 5) in Skinner Hall of Music, Vassar College, Raymond Avenue, Poughkeepsie. Free. 845-437-7294 or music.vassar.edu/concerts

Chill out with the classics, for free!

There are so many wonderful holiday-themed festivals going on this coming weekend. It's hard to pick just one to attend, and I know we're going to be spending a lot of time walking around outside. ... I have a feeling that by the time Sunday afternoon rolls around, my family is going to need some down time.

Here's one option, featuring fantastic music in a world-class setting on Sunday (Dec. 7) -- and it's FREE!

The Bard Conservatory Orchestra, conducted by Guillermo Figueroa, will perform the Vaughn Williams Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis, the Brahms Concerto for violin, cello and orchestra in A minor ("Double"), Op. 102, with violinist Laurie Smukler and cellist Joel Krosnick, and the Beethoven Symphony No. 4. The performance begins at 3 p.m. in the marvelous Fisher Performing Arts Center on the Bard College campus.

No tickets or reservations are required.

Gals Night Out

Jaymark Jewelers sells some gorgeous natural-colored diamonds that I saw in their recent ad in Hudson Valley Connoisseur magazine and have been wanting to check out in person. Here's a chance to do so -- while sipping Champagne and munching on treats!

Jaymark is hosting a fun, fabulous and free "Bubbles & Baubles" party for women on Thursday (Dec. 4) from 5-8 p.m. at its 3612 Route 9, Cold Spring store.

The shop is calling this "an evening out with friends, sharing complimentary gourmet treats provided by The Melting Pot, Champagne, tea and, of course, fittings of the finest jewels. Free of husbands, children and all distractions, ladies can spend a delightful few hours enjoying gourmet treats, good friends, a glass of Champagne or cup of tea, and the indescribable feeling of being draped in the finest jewels."

Wow, how fun is that? They also are offering some very nice door prizes.

Hostess gift in good taste

Oliver Kita (whose AMAZING artisanal chocolates are included in the upcoming HVC magazine Gift Guide) is making something special for Thanksgiving. Chocolate turkeys! $3.95 each -- and Oliver says that if you buy four, you get two extra just because you stopped into the store (at Astor Square on Route 9 just north of the Dutchess Fairgrounds in Rhinebeck.)

Now this would be a hostess gift in good taste!

Bond. James Bond. Hudson Valley style ...

Who does it for you? Sean Connery? Roger Moore? Or Daniel Craig? Tonight you have a chance to tell others just who your fave James Bond actor is, while enjoying a 3-course dinner and charity casino games -- and benefiting a good cause: the Dyson Center for Cancer Care.

James Bond Dinner and Charity Casino Night at
Terrapin Catering in Staatsburg, tonight (Nov. 21).

Evening schedule includes:
* 7:00pm – 7:30pm cocktail hour
* 7:30pm – 9:00pm dinner and gaming
* 10:00pm – 12:00am gaming and cash bar

All tickets are $29.95 + $20 donation for chips prizes for the big winners! Call 845-876-3330 for more information.

There's a train in the garden ...

The not-to-be-missed Holiday Train Show at The New York Botanical Garden opens on Sunday (Nov. 23) and runs though Jan. 11 in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. In the north Bronx, the garden is easily accessible from our area by car or train.

Here is the NYBG's description:

Wrapped in the glow of twinkling lights, model trains and trolleys zip along over bridges and on winding tracks past scaled replicas of New York landmarks. Orange slices, cinnamon sticks, poppy pods, pine cones and other plant parts make a festive brew as the materials used to create the more than 140 architectural reproductions. Among the favorites are the Empire State Building, the Little Red Lighthouse, the Brooklyn Bridge, and the borough’s own Yankee Stadium. The sounds and sites of locomotives with names such as Holiday Steam Engine and the North Pole and Snowflake Railroad evoke more magic than even Hogwarts Express.

New to the show this year are two famous gateways to New York: Ellis Island, the symbol of America to the 12 million immigrants who passed through its doors from east of the Atlantic, and the George Washington Bridge, the 75-year-old portal to New York for those west of the Hudson River.

Admission is $20/adults; $18/seniors and students; $10/children 2–12. FREE for Garden Members and children under 2. Buying tickets in advance is recommended, as this is a popular show. Info is at the NYBG Web site. The show is open during regular Garden hours.

Learn from a master!

Learn how to make classic Hungarian goulash in this video featuring Certified Master Chef Tom Griffiths, HVC magazine's food columnist!

Wine-ish weekend

I just received news about two local tasting events that sound like fine opportunities to discover some new favorite wines just in time for Thanksgiving ...

-- Madden's Fine Wine and Spirits, 65 Broadway, Kingston, will offer a champagne and wine tasting from 5-7 p.m. on Friday (Nov. 21). The new(ish) shop in the city's Rondout waterfront area will serve food and offer a 10 percent discount on all wines and champagnes tasted and purchased that evening. Madden's phone number is 845-340-WINE (9462).

-- Whitecliff Vineyard’s Red Wine & Chocolate tasting takes place from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday (Nov. 22) at the winery at 331 McKinstry Road in Gardiner. An $8 tasting fee covers this "annual exploration of the wonderful, complex and complementary flavors of red wine and chocolate." Directions are available by calling 845-255-4613 or visiting www.whitecliffwine.com.

Here is more info:

Whitecliff’s Red Wine & Chocolate! tasting will offer a terrific line of Belgian chocolate by Newtree that made the “O list” in The Oprah Magazine in April. The chocolates combine unique flavor extracts with playful names, like milk chocolate Crave with apricot, or dark chocolate Sexy with ginger, and dark chocolate Renew with black current.

Whitecliff will pour some of its award-winning red wines, ranging from light bodied to full bodied, and dry to slightly sweet. With side-by-side sampling of chocolates with these different styles of red wine, people will experience a culinary adventure that allows everyone to get to know their own personal preferences.

Surrounded by 24-acres of vineyard, Whitecliff offers a great wine tasting experience: spectacular cliff views, fine Hudson River Region and New York wines, and friendly staff happy to share their knowledge of winemaking and grape growing.

Cocktails and Couture for NDH

The Northern Dutchess Hospital Mothers' Club annual fashion show, "Cocktails and Couture" raised more than $7,000 to benefit women's and children's services at the hospital. The event took place at The Rhinecliff Hotel and featured fashions and accessories from Rhinebeck-area businesses, including Changes, Pique, Winter Sun, Rhinebeck Department Store, Scruples, Haldora, Darryl's, Hudson Valley Footwear, Hummingbird Jewelers and Sugar Plum.
Thanks to NDH PR director Gina D'Angelo-Mullen for the following photos of the evening:

1) Haldora (center) flanked by two models wearing her designs.

2) Will Stanley, of WKZE radio, models an outfit from Rhinebeck Department Store.

3) Models showing designs from Pique Boutique.

4) A model dressed in fashions from Darryl's.

5) Several items were donated from area businesses for a silent auction and raffle- including FACE Stockholm, Basic French, Haven Spa, Phantom Gardener and Bella Fiore.

6) Denise George, President and CEO of Northern Dutchess Hospital, who modeled fashions from Rhinebeck Department Store, with James Chapman, owner of The Rhinecliff Hotel.

7) L to R front row: Mary Beth Pollis, Elizabeth Marvin, Ana Marvin, Marilyn Fitzpatrick and Stephanie Tucker
L to R, Back row: Joan Marvin and Joy Gross

Winewise opportunity!

Hudson Valley Connoisseur magazine's wines columnist Michael Weiss will be talking about and signing his new book, Winewise, from 7:30-9 p.m. Friday (Nov. 14) at Oblong Books, 6420 Montgomery Street, Rhinebeck. Winewise was published by Wiley, and was written for folks who "have an interest in wine but do not have confidence in their ability to select the 'proper' bottle. It will give them a basic introduction to wine: how to select different varieties and identify their flavors, how to read wine labels, and how to identify grapes from wine-growing regions all over the world." Michael wrote the book along with Steven Kolpan and Brian Smith. (All three co-authors are professors at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park.)

Michael and his wife Jennifer Axinn-Weiss (who creates HVC magazine's wonderful Gourmet Giggles cartoon) will be at Friday's event. It's a great opportunity to pick up some personalized holiday presents!

Sharp shooters!

Brian Connor of East Fishkill is the first winner of the Poughkeepsie Journal's monthly Hudson River photo contest. His photo, "Guardians of the Hudson," shows a seagull resting on a Battery Park City dock with the Statue of Liberty in the distance.

Elisa Shaw of Red Hook won honorable mention for her photo, "As the fog lifts at Bard Rock," depicting an early morning scene along the eastern bank of the Hudson at the Vanderbilt Estate in Hyde Park. The newspaper's staff photographers selected the winners. You can see the photos here.

Congrats to both of them!

Frugal and fantastic!

How about great live music in a beautiful venue? The best part -- it's free!

Bard College's Conservatory Orchestra, conducted by Melvin Chen, will perform Verdi's Overture to Nabucco, Debussy's Premiere rhapsody for clarinet and orchestra, selections for clarinet and orchestra drawn from the Klezmer musical tradition, and Rachmaninoff's Symphony No. 2, at 3 p.m. Sunday in the Sosnoff Theater at Fisher Performing Arts Center, Bard College, Red Hook.

Clarinetist David Krakauer will be the guest faculty artist.

The event is free and open to the public and no tickets or reservations are required. This is on my weekend agenda -- I hope someone saves me a seat!

For more information, visit www.fishercenter.bard.edu

On the road (again)

I'll be on the road today in Dutchess County, blogging about the election for the Poughkeepsie Journal newspaper. This is a nice return, of sorts, as I spent almost 15 years working as a journalist at another newspaper (the first 7+ years as a reporter covering government) before moving into lifestyle magazine publishing. As much as I love my current job, there's nothing like spending Election Day working in (or for) a newsroom.

In addition to checking in at polls throughout the day, I'm going to try to get to a few Election Day community/social events, and a dinner or two. If there is something interesting going on, election-wise, in your Dutchess County neighborhood, send me a message and I'll try to mention it.

The car is gassed, the laptop is charged and the GPS is turned on. I'll be heading out as soon as I send my daughter off to school … come visit me at the newspaper's Web site.:-)

Time is running out!

Today is the deadline for the first contest in the Poughkeepsie Journal's year-long Hudson River photo competition, held in conjunction with the Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial celebrations and the planned opening of the Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge pedestrian walkway project.

The contest began on October 5 and ends on Sept. 30, 2009. A winner and runner up will be selected monthly, with one grand prize winner chosen from the monthly winners when the contest wraps up in the fall of 2009. For more information on the contest, and to see the photos already entered in the contest, visit www.HudsonHappenings.com. There are some impressive entries so far.

You can also find a link there to my Quad Updates blog, which has information about the ways our region (and elsewhere in the world) is commemorating this event!

Auction features Hudson Valley artists

UPDATE: Save the Date! The Fine Art Auction at Locust Grove has been rescheduled for Sunday, April 26, 2009.

Four studies that had been made for the historic Poughkeepsie Post Office mural are among the works that will be sold during Locust Grove’s first-ever Invitational Fine Art Auction. Originally cheduled for early next month (see update), the auction will also include work by contemporary painters, graphic artists, sculptors and photographers of the Hudson Valley. Visit www.LGNY.org or call 845-454-4500 ext. 17 for more information.

“As we move toward the Quadricentennial celebration in 2009, there is no better way to celebrate our valley than through the vision of its artists,” Locust Grove Executive Director Kenneth F. Snodgrass said in a press release. During 2009, the region will mark the 400th anniversary of European exploration of the Hudson River and Lake Champlain.

“Locust Grove and fine art are a natural pairing,” Snodgrass said. Locust Grove in Poughkeepsie was the 19th century country estate of Samuel Morse, who founded the American Academy of Design and was a celebrated artist before gaining even more fame for patenting the telegraph and inventing Morse code. The Young family, subsequent owners and founders of the museum, collected art in Europe as well as from the Hudson River School and this collection can be seen in the mansion today.

Locust Grove will team with gallery owner James Cox, a regional art expert and the force behind the annual fine art auction at the Woodstock Artists Association and Museum (WAAM), to present the auction, online catalog, pre-sale exhibition and preview gala. A portion of every auction sale will benefit Locust Grove, supporting free public access to its gardens and hiking trails, educational programs for school children and preservation of the 40-room Italianate mansion.

The mural studies that will be sold were created by Charles Rosen, who was chosen to participate in a New Deal program administered by the US Treasury Department. Rosen died in 1950, and the studies were only recently discovered by his estate. There is an interesting article here on the Poughkeepsie Journal Web site about the Poughkeepsie Post Office and its historic mural. And if you're interested in learning more about the upcoming Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial, be sure to drop by Hudson Happenings -- the Web site created by the Poughkeepsie Journal to share info about the Quad and the planned opening of the Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge linear park project, Walkway over the Hudson.

Tea thoughts

A nice cup of tea, preferably in good company, is one of those things that just makes life better. We in the Hudson Valley are lucky in that we have a wonderful tea purveyor, Harney & Sons, in northeast Dutchess County. You can buy their teas at lots of shops across the country, including Barnes & Noble, but nothing beats going to their tea shop and tasting room in Millerton and sampling their teas onsite.

I was in Millerton recently to explore the Harlem Valley Rail Trail by bike, so, of course, we stopped by Harney & Sons. I noticed they were selling something new -- the book Harney & Sons Guide to Tea, written by Michael Harney. I haven't read the book yet, but some more exploration on my part turned up a new blog written by Michael all about the tea world. It's quite interesting and I'm sharing a link. Thoughts on Tea

Foodie news

Patrick Decker, who is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and now lives in Ulster County, is one of Rachel Ray's on-air chefs. (Patrick was featured earlier this year in a Hudson Valley Connoisseur magazine article about local folks who knit as a hobby.)

Here's a great new video clip with Rachel preparing a recipe for "Fancy French Cheese Puff Fake-Outs" created by Patrick. Look for him in the video!

I could definitely see using this recipe for get-togethers with friends, and around the holidays. I'd probably use the delicious grated cheese I've found at Leonardo's, an upscale Italian food market in Rhinebeck.

High School Musical 3 premier party!

The Associated Press reports that Disney's "High School Musical 3: Senior Year" topped the box office and brought in $42 million for its opening last weekend, a record for a song-and-dance film.

My daughter and her 8 BFFs were in line Friday evening to see HSM3 as part of her 10th birthday party. She'd been wanting to combine birthday celebration & this movie premier ever since she learned last winter that the movie would open near her birth date.

We started with dinner for everyone at Uncle Chippie's Gourmet Burgers in Red Hook (near the Lyceum movie theater on Route 9.) The restaurant serves freshly prepared, quality, casual food for kids and adults (they use local beef -- be sure to try the slider) and has a great fun atmosphere! Uncle Chippie let us bring in our HSM-themed cake from Hannaford to complete the meal. My daughter's friends gave her several presents with HSM themes, like this popular board game in the photo.
Then off to the movie at the Lyceum – thank goodness I bought the tickets earlier that week because there was quite a crowd (even tho the HSM3 movie was showing about every hour.) Popcorn for everyone (the theater has real butter now, just like at Upstate Films in Rhinebeck!) Then the film – these girls were so entranced by the entire movie. It was a sweet, family friendly film. I think even all the adults with us liked it.

Thumbs up – to Uncle Chippie's, Hannaford, the Lyceum & HSM3 for making this a super birthday party!

Did anyone else have a HSM3 party over the weekend – or see the film???

Voices of the valley

Poets Will Nixon of Woodstock and Matthew J. Spireng of Lomontville (an old friend and former co-worker of mine) will read from their work inspired by the region at 4 p.m., Saturday at the Olive Free Library on 4033 Route 28A in West Shokan. Their books will be available at the reading to buy (and have signed), with a portion of the proceeds to be donated to the Olive Free Library.

Here is more info:

Will Nixon, who grew up in the Connecticut suburbs and lived in Hoboken and Manhattan, moved to a Catskills log cabin and now lives in Woodstock. He is a widely published award-winning poet, journalist and essayist. His books of poems are My Late Mother as a Ruffed Grouse (2008), the award-winning The Fish Are Laughing (2001), and When I Had It Made (2001).

Matthew J. Spireng still lives in the house in Lomontville in which he was raised as a child. He is a widely published award-winning poet and journalist. His books of poems are Young Farmer (2007), Out of Body (2006) winner of the Bluestem Poetry Award from Emporia State University, Encounters (2005), Just This (2003) and the award-winning Inspiration Point (2002).

Local, local, local!

Several opportunities for foodies and especially, locavores, to enjoy themselves in the mid-Hudson Valley ... Tonight, from 6-11 p.m., is Specialty Craft Beer night at Terrapin in Rhinebeck. You can try Capt. Lawrence Smoked Porter, a New York artisanal beer poured from a wooden pin keg by Terrapin beverage director Chris Carbone. How cool is that?

And then tomorrow night, New World Home Cooking Co. in Saugerties and Ric Orlando present Local Food and Local Wine- A "50 Mile Meal"-- their first special dinner for the fall, featuring "wines and center of the plate items that have been produced within 50 miles of New World." You can see the menu (which sounds delicious!) by clicking on the photo above to make it larger. $55 per person, 15% discount for designated drivers. Reserve by calling 845-246-0900.

What a weekend!

Sooooo many choices ...

Here are some suggestions for fun things to do this weekend. (I'm not sure I am going to be able to get to all of these events, but I'll do my best!)

Art Studio Tours in the Rhinebeck-Red Hook area on Saturday and Sunday (Oct. 18-19) -- meet well-known and up-and-coming artists, view works-in-progress and purchase or commission art during this self-guided tour of more than two dozen artist studios. From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. More info and maps at www.artsnortherndutchess.org

On Saturday, Michael Gallo Farrell's exhibit, "An Organic Octave Overture," opens at Mill Street Loft, 45 Pershing Avenue in Poughkeepsie. Michael is the associate director of the Art Institute of Mill Street Loft (and also happens to be married to one of my co-workers, Poughkeepsie Journal assistant local editor Barbara Gallo Farrell.) The exhibit runs through Nov. 20 and "is a now-and-then show embracing the themes of the natural world, the Hudson Valley and real organic music" through a combination of traditional and digital photography. The opening reception takes place from 5-9 p.m. with ethnic food, spirits and live music.

Celebrate the bounty of the Hudson Valley at Octoberfest 2008 -- from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday at Terrapin Catering at Dinsmore Golf Course, Route 9 in Staatsburg (just south of the village of Rhinebeck). The event, presented by Terrapin restaurant and catering and Fleishers Grassfed & Organic Meats, includes beer, wine and food samples from local producers. Additional food vendors will be selling "innovative pub grub and a slant on Octoberfest favorites like kielbasa and more." Live polka music from Brauhause Musikanten. Admission is $19.95 for advance tickets available at WDST.com and $25 at the door; $12 for designated driver/20 and under; kids 12 and under free (all minors must be accompanied by an adult).

This weekend is also the always-wonderful NY Sheep & Wool Festival at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds, Route 9, Rhinebeck. This is the place for you, if you like crafting or eating (there are going to be fab chef demos this year!) Those into the fabric arts might also want to cross the Hudson River and swing by the Quilters Cornucopia taking place Saturday and Sunday in Stone Ridge. Quilts, quilted wearables, quilt-related vendors, demonstrations, and more. Exhibit of artist-made dolls. $6 admission. SUNY Ulster Senate Gym, Cottekill Road, Stone Ridge.

Whew. Have fun!

Gentle art of silhouette

This sounds like an amazing idea for a holiday card, gift or decor.

Artist Deborah O’Connor is dedicated to preserving the 19th century art form of silhouettes, and she will be at Boscobel House & Gardens in Garrison on Saturday, October 25 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. for a day of cutting shadow portraits of all family members, including pets!

“The silhouettes are perfect for those who like to make their own greeting cards,” Donna Blaney, Boscobel’s event coordinator, said in a press release. “They can add a truly old-fashioned feel to holiday cards made online...simply scan the silhouette at home and upload to your favorite card-making website.”

Here is more information:

Each silhouette created by Ms. O’Connor is a small work of art, created freehand using paper and scissors as the only tools. There is no drawing or tracing done first, making it a vanishing art form as far from today’s digital world as you can get. The resulting heirloom-quality portraits are stunning and perfect for framing, gift giving, and more. Matting and framing will be available on site. Prices start at approximately $40.

Call 845-265-3638 x115 to make an appointment for your silhouette sitting. Visit www.Boscobel.org for more information. Boscobel is located on scenic Route 9D in Garrison, New York. From April through October, hours are from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., the last tour at 4:15 p.m. The museum and distinctive gift shop are open every day except Tuesdays, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

Strutting their stuff, for good

Want to help raise money for a good cause? Love fashion? Or just curious about what our local Realtors look like when they are all gussied up and strutting on a runway?

The Ulster County Board of Realtors fashion show takes place from 6-9 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 16 at Hillside Manor in Kingston and will benefit the Rosemary D. Gruner Memorial Cancer Fund at Benedictine Hospital. The Fund helps support local cancer patients and their families with gas and grocery cards, and medical supplies.

The fashion show will feature local Realtors on the runway modeling formal wear. Guests may enjoy appetizers and a cash bar while visiting vendors selling handbags, jewelry, cosmetics and glass creations. Tickets for the event are $30 and may be purchased from the UCBR office at 845-338-5299.

“It was important to us to keep the money we raise in Ulster County,” Broker Associate Jeanine Stoddard of Colucci Shand Realty in Gardiner, who chaired the event, said in a release. “We had a full house at last year’s event and we hope do the same this year.”

The organization represents more than 1,400 real estate professionals. In addition to helping in the fight against cancer, UCBR’s Community Services Committee has raised money for a number of local charitable organizations, including Habitat for Humanity, Ulster County Department of Social Services’ Child Protective Services, Clinton Avenue United Methodist Church’s Caring Hands meal program and People’s Place. The Committee’s next event will be a wine dinner in November to benefit Habitat for Humanity.

3 wagging tails

We give 3 wagging tails to this one :-)

My daughter and I (and our dogs) had a chance to check out the Dog Park at Thomas Bull Memorial Park in Montgomery (near Stewart Airport in Orange County) yesterday. What a great place! We met a friend who lives in the area and our dogs had a lot of fun running around off-leash and making doggie friends.

Here is a description of the place from this Web site. I sure wish there was something like this in northern Dutchess County (where we live). Anyone have info to share about any other good dog runs in the Hudson Valley?

Orange County opened its first dog park during the fall of 2007 at Thomas Bull Memorial Park. This fenced-in off-leash area is approximately 1.5 acres and features separate areas for "Small Dogs" and "All Dogs," water fountains, benches and shade areas. The landscape of the park has contrasts of flat open areas and rolling hills for dogs of all sizes to enjoy. This is a great venue for dogs to socialize and exercise. The dog park is open to the public, 7 days a week from 7:00 a.m. to dusk.

Community Foundation Garden Party

I enjoyed some great food & music, caught up with a lot of old friends (and made a few new ones) this past Sunday at the Community Foundation of Dutchess County Garden Party. The elegant event honored longtime local lawmaker Kip Bleakley O'Neill and attorney Arthur L. Gellert and took place under a large white tent on the grounds of Obercreek, the absolutely beautiful home of Alex Reese and Alison Spear in Hughsonville.

A few photos from the event are here at the Poughkeepsie Journal Web site.

Proceeds from the party go towards the Community Foundation's efforts to promote philanthropy in Dutchess, Ulster and Putnam counties.

River photo contest begins!

Have a passion for photography and the Hudson River? The Poughkeepsie Journal has launched a year-long photo contest to coincide with the Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial celebrations and the planned opening of the Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge pedestrian walkway project.

The contest is open to residents of Dutchess, Orange, Ulster, Putnam, Columbia and Greene counties. It began earlier this week and ends on Sept. 30, 2009. A winner and runner up will be announced for each month, with one grand prize winner chosen from the monthly winners when the contest wraps up in the fall of 2009. The winners will be announced at the newspaper's Hudson Happenings Web site each month. Full rules are at the Hudson Happenings Web site.

Photo entries must show the Hudson River or an identifiable location along the river. Of course, the photos have to be your own and cannot be digitally altered. Photos must be uploaded using the form on the Hudson Happenings Web site as jpg files (see full rules for sizing), and no photo prints will be accepted. You can enter as many times as you like (though you can only win once).

The contest will be judged by the Poughkeepsie Journal's photographers. (Some of their amazing river shots are archived at the Hudson Happenings Web site.)

Here's more about it:

“During the past 200 years, the river has been a beacon for both artists, who developed the Hudson River School of painting, and photographers, who have passionately camped out along the shore at sunrise and sunset to take a beautiful, one-of-a-kind picture,” said Spencer Ainsley, multimedia director for photography and videography at the Poughkeepsie Journal. (He also is photo director for Hudson Valley Connoisseur magazine.) "We know there are many photographers in the region who are passionate about taking beautiful pictures of Hudson River scenes.

“This is a great opportunity and we encourage anyone with a camera to enter the contest."

Beyond the Woods

I was able to attend the opening of Beyond the Woods yesterday at Vassar College. I wish I could have stayed longer to really study the images. I'll try to get back.

Beyond the Woods is Spencer Ainsley’s collection of 31 black and white documentary photographs depicts the striking independence and self-reliance of inhabitants of the secluded Blue Ridge Mountain region of North Carolina in the late 1980s and early 1990s. If you recognize the name, it might be because he is Hudson Valley Connoisseur magazine’s photo director and director of Multimedia for Photography and Videography at the Poughkeepsie Journal. At left is one of the images in the exhibition: Recluse, 1991 -- Murph, 77, a hermit living near the remote and rugged community of Globe, North Carolina, peers out the front door of his license plate sided shack after flood waters washed it down a hillside. A one-time furniture factory worker, Murph lives alone with no electricity or running water. He chops firewood for a private hunting lodge in exchange for food.


Ainsley shot the series when he worked for the New York Times Regional Newspaper Group in Lenoir, NC. The exhibit runs through October 22 at the James W. Palmer III Gallery, Vassar College, 124 Raymond Ave., Poughkeepsie. Gallery hours are Mondays-Fridays, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m; Sundays from noon to 6 p.m.

Museum Day!

An e-mail from the Katonah Museum of Art reminds me that this weekend is Smithsonian Free Museum Day, when participating museums welcome Smithsonian magazine readers and Smithsonian.com visitors for free. (The actual day of the event is Saturday, September 27 but those museums that are not open on Saturday will participate on Sunday.)

A number of cultural institutions in the Hudson Valley are participating, including the Katonah Museum of Art, Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum in Poughkeepsie, Gomez Mill House Museum and Historic Site in Marlboro, and Historic Huguenot Street in New Paltz. (There are many more listed on the directory of participating museums.) You’ll need the free “admission card” in the Smithsonian magazine (or to print it from the Web site) for the free admission.

This is the fourth year for the Free Museum Day, which “reflects the spirit of the magazine, and emulates the free-admission policy of the institution’s Washington, DC-based properties.” Last year, upwards of 100,000 people attended Museum Day, with all 50 states represented in more than 650 museums, according to the release. It sounds like a great opportunity to introduce yourself (or reconnect) to the wonderful museums in our area!

Fall flower sale

Summer may be over but it's not to late to think about gardens. In fact, now is the time to put in some fall blooming plants (such as mums) and plant others that will flower next year (such as rose bushes and tulip bulbs.)

There is a fall flower sale going on in the main lobby of Northern Dutchess Hospital on Thursday and Friday (September 25 and 26) from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The sale is run by the NDH Auxiliary and proceeds benefit their ongoing support of Northern Dutchess Hospital.

Organizers say they'll have a generous supply of bargain-priced plants in beautiful fall colors. The hospital is located on Route 9 in the village of Rhinebeck.

We're walking ...

Rain or shine, on Saturday my daughter and I will be walking in the Paws in the Park fundraiser for the Dutchess County SPCA. Our two rescue dogs are coming along. (One of them came from the Dutchess SPCA and so he'll get to wear a big yellow bow to mark that fact.) It looks like the day's forecast calls for it to be cooler than last year's event (which was a lot of fun -- but hot!)

Michael Woyton has more info on the event on his blog.

See you there? Or if you support the SPCA but cannot make it to the walk in person, you can also donate to the cause online.

Oustanding in this field!

Noting two opportunities to celebrate local food this weekend:

Acclaimed chef Melissa Kelly (who has local ties) will be guest chef at this Sunday's (Sept. 14) Outstanding in the Field dinner at Gigi Market at Greig Farm in Red Hook.

Outstanding in the Field says its mission is to

"re-connect diners to the land and the origins of their food, and to honor the local farmers and food artisans who cultivate it. ... the Field is a roving culinary adventure - literally a restaurant without walls. Since 1999 we have set the long table at farms or gardens, on mountain tops or in sea caves, on islands or at ranches. ... Wherever the location, the consistent theme of each dinner is to honor the people whose good work brings nourishment to the table. Ingredients for the meal are almost all local (sometimes sourced within inches of your seat at the table!) and generally prepared by a celebrated chef of the region. After a tour of the site, we all settle in: farmers, producers, culinary artisans, and diners sharing the long table."

Kelly is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America who has worked as executive chef at the Beekman Tavern in Rhinebeck and The Old Chatham Sheepherding Company Inn in Columbia County. She was named one of the upcoming chefs of the 1990s by Food & Wine magazine, and has been recognized by a lot of other national publications. She won the 1999 James Beard Foundation Award as American Express Best Chef, Northeast and also was nominated in 1998. Today, she is executive chef and proprietor of Primo in Rockland, Maine, along with Price Kushner. According to her online bio, in 2003 she partnered with JW Marriott to open a second Primo at the Grande Lakes Resort; Orlando, Florida. A third followed in 2003 at Starr Pass Resort; Tucson, Arizona.

The event, which starts at 4 p.m., costs $200 per person and will also feature host farmer Norman Greig, and the Biezynski Family of Northwind Farms. Limited seating is still available. Please call John Storm at 845-876-1007 to reserve.

And if you don't feel like forking over $200 to eat with Melissa Kelly, on Saturday (Sept. 13) from 4 to 7 p.m. there's also the opportunity to celebrate local food with the Green Pizza Fundraiser for the Family Farm Festival, with all-you-can-eat pizzas handcrafted using ingredients from local farms, at Epworth Center in High Falls. Suggested donation is $20 per adult, $10 per child ages 7-12. Kids under six eat for free. The menu includes everything you'd want for a meal, including dessert pizzas!

Here is more info from the organizers:

Pizza baked to crispy perfection in a wood-fired cob oven. Heirloom tomato tastings. Acoustic music. Tours of permaculture and edible forest gardens and straw-bale house. All in support of the continuation of the Family Farm Festival from 2009 into the future!

WHY: To gather together the initial funds necessary to incorporate the Family Farm Festival--originally organized by Dina Falconi and Jen Prosser--into a non-profit organization, and to raise money to begin staging the annual festival again in 2009.

I've been to the last few Family Farm Festivals as a member of Slow Food Hudson Valley and can vouch that it is a lovely family event that celebrates local farms and food producers. I'm looking forward to its return!
Directions and more info here: http://www.sunstoneherbs.com/festival

Fall for Art -- tonight!

It's never too soon to start thinking about holiday gift giving ... and here is an opportunity to find some unique items.

The Jewish Federation of Ulster County holds its 12th annual Fall for Art Juried Art Show, Sale and Cocktail Reception fundraiser tonight (Thursday Sept. 4) at Wiltwyck Golf Club in Kingston, from 6-9 p.m.

Admission is $35 advance/$40 at the door. Call 845-338-8131 or visit www.ucjf.org for more info. Fall for Art’s donation recipient is The Children’s Annex, which will develop a visual arts program for children with autism spectrum disorder.

Today I appreciate

Today I appreciate

Being here. At the risk of sounding like a cheerleader for the Hudson Valley, I really appreciate that I live here. I spent last week vacationing in the Midwest (meeting wonderful people, eating way too much good food and in general, having a great time in a really nice part of the country.) But I’m still so happy to be home in the Hudson Valley. Not only is it my home, it’s just a good place to be. We have gorgeous views; great schools and colleges; excellent restaurants, farms and food producers; good shopping; and stellar recreation, entertainment and cultural offerings. Our weather’s not too bad either!

Local apples. Having been raised in a local apple-growing community, I can’t enjoy anything called “apple” that is shipped from elsewhere in the country (or world) and sold in our grocery stores. No matter the variety, Hudson Valley apples just taste better. A farmer told me once that he thought it might be our acid soils that make the local apples taste so fine. Whatever the reason, I am happy it’s apple season now! Do you have a favorite variety or local farmstand?


Only two more days until the Hudson Valley Wine and Food Fest at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds, Route 9, Rhinebeck. Did you see the official program and taster’s guide inserted in last week’s Poughkeepsie Journal? Saturday, September 6, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday, September 7, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Food concessions. Music. Chef demos. Art and crafts vendors. Kids activities. And of course, wine from all over New York state to sample and purchase. Visit www.HudsonValleyWineFest.com for ticket prices and options. I’ll be there on Saturday – stop by the Journal table and say “hi!” You can tell me if you spotted my photo in the program. ☺

UPDATE 5:30 p.m.


And I can’t forget that the fest’s Grand Reserve Wine Tasting on Friday (Sept. 5) from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. benefits the Northern Dutchess Hospital Foundation. The dinner that accompanies the tasting celebrates "The Bounty of the Hudson Valley," featuring Hudson Valley products prepared by eight of the area's most well-respected chefs. Eight wineries, (from the Hudson Valley, the Finger Lakes, and some international locations) will pair wines with each chef's creation. The dinner will be take place in the Horticultural Building at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds in Rhinebeck. Michael Green, (Wine and Spirits consultant to Gourmet Magazine), will speak and will be on hand to offer wine pairing advice to guests.

Here is more from the press release:

George Verrilli, MD, Chairman of the NDH Foundation will be attending the Grand Reserve Dinner with his wife, Christine. "We are so grateful to Michael Babcock and his team for all the effort they have put forth in creating this special event for the benefit of Northern Dutchess Hospital Foundation. We are honored to have been chosen as the recipient of proceeds from his event, and we look forward to seeing many community members -- from wine novices to connoisseurs -- there that night to help us celebrate," said Dr. Verrilli.


Tickets may be purchased online at www.HudsonValleyWineFest.com or by calling 1-888-687-2517. The price is $80 per person, and the ticket price includes a half price admission ticket to the Festival, good for either Saturday, September 6th or Sunday, September 7th (with purchase code HVGR08). All proceeds benefit Northern Dutchess Hospital Foundation.

And I’m especially happy that school started today!!

Wine & food, short & sweet ...

Mark your calendars for the Hudson Valley Wine and Food Fest at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds, Route 9, Rhinebeck.

Saturday, September 6, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday, September 7, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Food concessions. Music. Chef demos. Art and crafts vendors. Kids activities. And of course, wine from all over New York state to sample and purchase.
www.HudsonValleyWineFest.com for ticket prices and options.

On the fast track

One of the articles in the August issue of Hudson Valley Connoisseur looks at clubs for owners of FAST cars, where they can try out their machines legally and safely. If you're interested in watching fast cars, then you should head to the historic Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Connecticut this weekend.

This weekend (from August 29 to September 1), you can discover the glamour, glory and style of historic and vintage sports cars on the track, in the open paddock and during the prestigious Sunday in the Park Automotive Extravaganza at the Rolex Vintage Festival presented by BMW. Tickets range from $15-80. Lime Rock is at 60 White Hollow Road, Lakeville, Connecticut. 860-435-5000 or www.limerock.com

Friends & Neighbors

Local residents and legendary musicians Jack DeJohnette and Pat Metheny team with acclaimed bassist Larry Grenadier for two nights of music Thursday and Friday (August 28 and 29) in a benefit concert for the Tibetan Buddhist Monastery, Karma Triyana Dharmachakra (KTD), and Family of Woodstock, a service agency providing food, shelter, advocacy and counseling in Ulster County. Both shows start at 8 p.m. at the Bearsville Theater, 291 Tinker Street, Woodstock. Tickets at www.bearsvilletheater.com/events-calendar or 845-679-4406.

I'm writing this post ahead of time (as I was away earlier this week) so I'd suggest that before heading to Woodstock you should call first to make sure tickets are still available. This sounds like a great opportunity to see some world-class music in a wonderful venue.

Real time wine

The 2008 New York Wine & Food Classic competition took place this month at the Mohonk Mountain House. I caught up with the group on Wednesday August 20 during a special event to unveil a new Web site promoting Hudson Valley wines, and had a chance to finally meet (in person) Hudson Valley Wine Goddess (and Poughkeepsie Journal wine blogger) Debbie Lessner-Gioquindo. Now, the Internet is great (please -- keep reading our blogs!) but there's nothing better than having a real glass of wine with a new friend!

Santo Stefano Wine Club

Catching up with August -- it's been a busy month.

I was at the August 8 ribbon cutting ceremony/grand opening of the Santo Stefano Winemaking Club in Wappingers Falls ... My understanding is that it's a club where you can buy a membership and then oversee the blending of your own barrel of wine. It's based at a beautiful event facility. This looks like an interesting and fun activity to share with friends who are "into" wine or a unique gift for your favorite wine enthusiast -- and the wine we tasted that day was pretty darn good. :-)

Here's a video of that day.

Today I appreciate

Milkshakes from the 4H booth at the Dutchess County Fair in Rhinebeck. Yes, I know EVERYONE writes about these, but they really are *that* good. And today is the last day to get them (this year). Have fun at the fair if you go.

Fresh tomatoes from my garden, finally! Tomato sandwich for breakfast was heavenly!

The sunflowers lining the fields along Route 299 leaving New Paltz. I saw them last week when I was heading towards Rivendell Winery but didn't have time to take a photo, so you'll have to take a drive to see them for yourself.

Bright Horizons at Casperkill summer camp in Poughkeepsie. This is the third summer my child has spent here, and I'm still amazed at the super facilities, varied programs and especially, the wonderful counselors and counselors-in-training.

Whitecliff vineyards nabs honors ...

Whitecliff Vineyard in Gardiner won an award for its 2007 Traminette during the 2008 New York Wine & Food Classic competition, which took place this week at the Mohonk Mountain House. I caught up with the group on Wednesday during a special event to unveil a new Web site promoting Hudson Valley wines. But more about that later ...

I toured Whitecliff with Slow Food Hudson Valley last year and was impressed not only with its wines but also with its knowledgeable owners and especially, with its scenic location under the Shawangunk Ridge. I recommend it for a visit!

Debbie the Hudson Valley Wine Goddess has more on her blog about regional producers that did well during the Classic.

And here is the official press release:

Swedish Hill Winery from the Finger Lakes won the coveted “Governor’s Cup” trophy at the 2008 New York Wine & Food Classic competition, held on August 19 & 20 at the Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, NY. The “Winery of the Year” award also went to Swedish Hill Winery.

The elegant Governor’s Cup, a large silver chalice, recognizes the “Best of Show” or top prize of all 775 entries in the Classic, known as “The Oscars” of New York wine. The “Winery of the Year” award is presented to the winery with the best overall showing based on the level and number of awards in relation to entries.

This year’s competition included 775 New York wines from the Long Island, Hudson Valley, Finger Lakes, Niagara Escarpment, Lake Erie, and other regions of New York State. The 2007 Vidal Blanc was also voted Best White Wine, and Best Vidal Blanc on its way to the ultimate award. Swedish Hill Winery received 2 Double Gold, 2 Gold, 11 Silver, and 7 Bronze awards on its way to that honor.

A new “Specialty Wine Champion” award was added this year to recognize consistent quality among the increasing number of wines made from fruits other than grapes, or honey. The 2008 winner was Earle Estates Meadery, with 1 Gold, 2 Silver, and 5 Bronze awards.

The awards were based on blind tastings by 25 expert judges—7 from California, 11 from New York, and 7 from other states. Judges included prominent wine writers, restaurateurs, retailers, and wine educators. Four-judge panels determined the initial awards, with top-scoring wines evaluated by all 25 judges for Best of Category and Governor’s Cup awards.

Celebrating its 23rd year, the Classic is organized by Teresa Knapp of the New York Wine & Grape Foundation, and is open to all 242 New York wineries from all regions. In 2008, a total of 14 Double Gold, 62 Gold, 198 Silver, and 266 Bronze medals were awarded. In addition, “Best of Category” and “Best of Class” designations were awarded to wines rated as the finest in various areas. Double Gold medals require unanimity among a panel’s judges that a wine deserves a Gold medal, whereas Gold medals require a majority vote.

The “Best of Category” awards, all eligible for the Governor’s Cup, went to Swedish Hill Winery NV Spumante Blush for Best Sparkling wine, Swedish Hill Winery 2007 Vidal Blanc for Best White wine, Anthony Road Wine Company 2007 Dry Rosé for Best Blush or Rosé wine, Bedell Cellars 2006 Musée for Best Red wine, Earle Estates Meadery Creamy Apricot for Best Specialty wine, and Casa Larga Vineyards 2005 Fiori Vidal Ice Wine for Best Dessert wine.

The “Best of Class” awards for different varietals or proprietary blends, which were tasted off for “Best of Category” awards, went to Swedish Hill Vineyards Spumante Blush wine for Best Native Sparkling wine, Lakewood Vineyards 2007 Dry Riesling for Best Dry Riesling wine, Hosmer 2007 Riesling for Best Semi-Dry Riesling wine, Paumanok Vineyards 2007 Semi-Dry Riesling for Best Semi-Sweet Riesling, Castello di Borghese Vineyard 2006 Chardonnay for Best Chardonnay wine, Macari Vineyards & Winery 2007 Sauvignon Blanc, Katharine’s Field for Best Sauvignon Blanc, McGregor Vineyard 2007 Rkatsiteli-Sereksiya,Estate Grown for Best White Vinifera Blend, Whitecliff Vineyards 2007 Traminette for Best Traminette, Swedish Hill Winery 2007 Vidal Blanc for Best Vidal Blanc, Rooster Hill Vineyards 2007 Silver Pencil for Best White Hybrid Blend, Arbor Hill Grapery 2007 Vergennes for Best Other Native White Varietal, Hickory Hollow Wine Cellars Liquid Wisdom for Best Niagara, Anthony Road Wine Company 2007 Dry Rosé for Best Blush or Rosé, Torrey Ridge Winery Blue Sapphire for Best Concord, Barrington Cellars Baco Noir for Best Baco Noir, Swedish Hill Winery Viking Red for Best Red Hybrid Blend, Red Newt Cellars 2005 Cabernet Franc for Best Cabernet Franc, Osprey’s Dominion 2005 Reserve Merlot for Best Merlot, Chateau Lafayette Reneau 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon, Estate Bottled for Best Cabernet Sauvignon, Bedell Cellars 2006 Musée for Best Red Vinifera Blend, Earle Estates Meadery Creamy Apricot for Best Mead, Heron Hill Winery 2006 Late Harvest Vidal Blanc for Best Late Harvest wine, and Casa Larga Vineyards 2005 Fiori Vidal Ice Wine for Best Ice Wine.

Complete results of the 2008 Classic will soon be posted under “New York Gold” at www.newyorkwines.org, which also includes Gold medal New York wines from other major competitions.

The Quad & the fair

Our area is going to be marking a major anniversary next year, the upcoming Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial as well as the planned opening of the Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge walkway project. During 2009, communities along the Hudson River and Lake Champlain will mark the 400th anniversary (or quadricentennial) of Henry Hudson and Samuel de Champlain's voyages along the river and lake that bear their names and the 200th anniversary of Robert Fulton's successful steamboat voyage and establishment of steam commerce on the Hudson River.

Also, the Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge Walkway Over the Hudson project is slated for a fall 2009 completion. The project, spearheaded by the nonprofit Walkway Over the Hudson, will connect communities on both sides of the river by providing public access for pedestrians, hikers, joggers, bicyclists and people with disabilities.

The Poughkeepsie Journal recently launched Hudson Happenings, a Web site about what's going on as the Hudson Valley gets ready to celebrate these events. The site has an events calendar and tourism info, as well as breaking news and feature stories, photos, podcasts, interactive Web features and videos about the river valley and its inhabitants, its history and its environment

A companion blog on the Hudson Happenings site, Quad Updates, will provide frequent bits of information about the events, including breaking news from some of the key people involved in that planning as well as a few folks here at the newspaper who are keeping tabs on what's going on.

Since I am involved with coordinating Quad info for the Poughkeepsie Journal, you're likely to see my name popping up frequently as the author of Quad Updates posts. Occasionally, I might write about the same things here on this blog and over there at Quad Updates.

Like last night, when during my visit to the Dutchess County Fair, I saw a Quadricentennial display in one of the main buildings. On the wall is a Hudson River mural celebrating the Quad created by resident-artists in the Fine Arts Program of the Northeast Center for Special Care in Lake Katrine. The Ulster County-based center serves those who are challenged by traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries and related conditions.

The charming and colorful mural depicts the Hudson River and several local landmarks in Dutchess, Ulster and Greene counties. (I photographed a small section of it, above.) It is tucked away in a corner of the building that houses the Grange cafeteria, but on the opposite end closer to the carnival rides. It's well worth checking out.

It's FAIR time!

When I am done with work today, I'll be heading out to the Dutchess County Fair, one of my favorite events each year! I'll be there with kids, so we'll be doing kid things (rides, rides, carnival games, rides, and fried fair food, of course.) 4-H milkshakes. Fried dough. Fried 'shrooms. Tomorrow we may regret it, but today we eat!

One exhibit I always try to see is the horticultural building, where amateur and pro gardeners strut their stuff. I LOVE to see what other gardeners are up to -- and if I can talk the kids into going along (or if I can sneak away), I'll get some photos of the floral exhibits to share on my gardening blog at poughkeepsiejournal.com tomorrow. (If not, I'm going back another day!) I also love the fairgrounds' landscaping, which has improved immensely over the past 10 years and is the work of the local Master Gardeners program, I believe.

By the way, those are my photos from last year's fair. The Poughkeepsie Journal just put up a gallery for folks to post their fair photos -- I LOVE looking through those. I believe the newspaper has a booth that has info to help folks post their photos.

See you at the fair!

Talking tomatoes

Great article at poughkeepsiejournal.com by my colleague Barbara Gallo Farrell about Amy Goldman, who is a longtime garden writer acquaintance of mine and who creates lovely books ... and coincidentally, I just got this note from Laura & the crew at Gigi's Trattoria in Rhinebeck: Celebrate the release of The Heirloom Tomato (Bloomsbury USA, 2009) by Rhinebeck's own Amy Goldman -- at Gigi Trattoria, from August 11th - 17th, enjoy Amy's delicious recipes on our daily lunch and dinner "specials". A limited number of signed books will available for purchase.

Today I appreciate

Fresh local corn and peaches from Migliorelli farmstand, on the east side of the Kingston-Rhinecliff bridge

Lifehacker.com (neat blog about time management tools and just fun things on the Web)

Fresh basil and tomatoes from my garden

Yo-Yo Ma -- Schumann Cello Concerto on my iPod. I don't think I will be able to visit Tanglewood this summer so it's the next best thing.

Nalgene drinking water bottles from the Filter for Good program partnership with Brita water filters. I bought a few for my family at the local Hannaford market. Quality bottle at a good price that came bundled with drink mix packets (though I might not use the packets myself, I do know someone else who will use them). Who needs to buy bottled water when you can tote your own?

Short & sweet

Had a late-night dinner at Terrapin Bistro in Rhinebeck last night ... the grilled Coleman natural beef hangar steak, bistro steak fries and horseradish steak sauce (their own -- tomato-based, I believe) were all delicious!

Cheers!

Cecelia Madden, the owner of Madden's Fine Wines & Spirits at 65 Broadway in Kingston, has invited everyone age 21 and over to a tasting of Whitecliff Vineyard's wines on Friday, August 15, from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. I toured Whitecliff during a Slow Food Hudson Valley event and I think its products are great. I especially like the Sky Island Red, which Whitecliff describes as "an elegant Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, and Cabernet Franc is full of body and soft flavorful tannins." Madden's, a beautiful new shop in the city's Rondout waterfront area, carries eight Whitecliff wines. There are also several good restaurants nearby -- this sounds like the recipe for a great night out!

Madden's is also having a tasting of Skyy Cherry Vodka, Skyy Grape Vodka, Smoking Loon Wine, and Hazlitt (New York) Wine from 5-7 p.m. Saturday, August 9. The shop's phone number is 845-340-wine.

Cheers!

Equine enthusiasm

I found good food, good company and interesting art at last evening's Equine Art Gala & Exhibitor Mixer sponsored by Horse Shows in the Sun Saugerties (HITS) and New World Home Cooking Co.

The elite riders are back in our area. Show jumping at HITS Saugerties resumed this past Wednesday after a mid-summer break and there will be three consecutive weeks of competition, with two Grand Prix classes each week this summer. On Thursdays, the $25,000 Ariat Grand Prix will take center stage and on Sundays, riders will compete in the $50,000 Grand Prix. Every Grand Prix at HITS Saugerties is a qualifier for the $100,000 USGPL Invitational, which will take place at HITS Culpeper (in Virginia) on September 28.

The USEF Junior Hunter National Championship for the East Coast will return to HITS Saugerties on August 5 and 6. And the $10,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby and its all-new $5,000 Pony Commotion take place on Thursday, August 8 during Week VI. On August 10, HITS presents World of the Horse, with numerous equine breeds represented in a parade along with special exhibitions and demos. The HITS Web site has information on times and admission.

The Equine Art exhibition last night featured quite a few artists from the Hudson Valley. Well worth checking out their work ... here are their bios (as provided by HITS):

Gretchen Almay is one of nine new artists participating in this year's Art Gala. Almay, of Middleborough, Massachusetts, is an accomplished equine and canine portrait artist with collectors across the United States. Her specialty is highly detailed graphite portraits and oils that capture the animals' unique personalities. Originally from Connecticut, she spent her summers at the family farm, in Westport, Massachusetts. Learning to ride at five, what her parents had hoped was just a childhood hobby turned into a lifetime passion and vocation. She still continues her love of riding on her Thoroughbred, Skye. Almay has a BA in Fine Arts from Randolph-Macon Woman's College in Lynchburg, Virginia. Through her company, Gretchen Almay Designs, she produces commissioned portraits in graphite, oil, digital color renditions and photography as well as a custom gift line.

Mary Bridgman, www.marybridgman.com, is one of four returning artists to this year's event. Employing painting, drawing and photography, Bridgman’s work draws upon a broad range of cultural influences from Renaissance paintings to Modern approaches to traditional artistic subject matter. Bridgman’s equestrian paintings represent her long term relationship with the horse, both as creative inspiration and her favored form of transportation. Her work has been included in exhibitions in New York City, the Hudson Valley, Kentucky, Colorado and Virginia. Bridgman, on the faculty at the Parsons School of Design and the Fashion Institute of Technology, freelances as a designer in the fashion industry and resides in Manhattan.

Jean Campbell of Saugerties, New York is another fresh face to this year's line up. Campbell’s work reveals a love of materials and drawing, with the added dimension of words, to add detail and an often humorous look at the world we live in. Over the years, she has developed a separate, more commercially viable business of doing animal portraits, particularly dogs, cats and horses. Her folk art style captures the essence of the pet, while the words enhance and personalize the painting. She enjoys working with the clients and getting to be privy to their relationships with their animals. She sells these portraits locally as well as in Connecticut, Westchester, Manhattan and Martha’s Vineyard. Although most of her work is in acrylic on irregularly cut wood with a painted border, Campbell has also brought her inimitable style to printmaking, sculpture, encaustics and ceramics. Most recently, she discovered the beauty of watercolor painting while working on an on-site mural on Martha's Vineyard this past spring. She now has integrated this medium into her milieu with much success.

Maria D'Angelo, www.mariadangelo.com, like many artists, believes there's something so beautiful and magical about the horse. Growing up in Staten Island, New York, she never had the opportunity to own one of these magnificent creatures. Capturing them on paper, she says, made her feel closer to them. D'Angelo studied art in college, but attributes her skills to natural ability and self-teaching rather than formal education. She has spent many hours watching horses, learning how they move and understanding their muscular structure. Learning every tiny detail, including veins in their faces and whiskers on their muzzles, is fundamentally important to her as an artist. Graphite is the medium of choice for D'Angelo, due to the amount of control a pencil provides. Recently she has begun exploring the utility of colored pencils. Aside from horses, D'Angelo also does portraits of dogs, cats and children. She also enjoys using her work to help raise money for different animal-related charities.


Phyllis Frazier, www.pfrazier.com, joins the exhibit from New York City and was selected as this year's HITS Saugerties Official Program Cover Artist. Frazier's paintings reflect her lifelong interest in both art, nature and the animal world. In addition to receiving a Bachelor of Science in Studio Art from New York University, she has studied with noted wildlife photographers (to learn how to take her own animal references for study), natural history filmmakers, wildlife conservationists, artists and animal trackers (to understand animals in their own environments, from movement to camouflage). Mesmerized by the complexity of forms in the animal world, she explores the infinite variety of textures, shapes, and colors of feathers, skin, and fur. With oil as her primary medium, she endeavors to not only accurately portray the animal’s physical appearance, but also to reach an inner quality—the essence of the individual—its inner life.

Jean Haines , www.littleshopofhorses.com, is a native of Kingston, New York, and has studied, drawn, painted, photographed and sculpted horses since earliest memory. Since 1995, she has been Assistant Manager of the Coffey Gallery in Kingston and an active volunteer for A.S.K. (Arts Society of Kingston). In 1996, she became a member of the Horse Artists Association (HAA), based in Tucson, Arizona. Haines' work has a unique linear, colorful, swirly semi-abstractness, sometimes resembling stained glass. She works purely from imagination, made possible by a lifelong observation of horses. Her main medium is oil on canvas or paper, but also drawing, clay sculpture, and photography.

Juliet Harrison www.lechevalthehorse.com,
is one of three photographers in this year's exhibit and is a resident of Red Hook, New York. Harrison was given her first 35mm camera for her college graduation. From that point on, she saw herself in the images caught in the viewfinder. Living in New York City in the late 1980’s, Harrison spent a great deal of time photographing the buildings around her, becoming absorbed in the textures, light and geometry of the city. She photographed the peeling paint, the shadows of fire escapes, the edges and corners. Harrison works in 35mm, color and black & white and was greatly influenced by the works of modernist photographers, painters and sculptors. After receiving a Master’s Degree in Photography from Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan, Harrison honed her skills and learned to speak with her camera. And it is also there that she started a fledgling interest in photographing horses.

Lenny Marks, www.lenmarksequine.com, is also a photographer who, after 19 years as a wedding and portrait photographer, turned his photographer's eye towards his passion, horses. His passion for these animals has been the inspiration for several trips to remote parts of the west to photograph horses in the wild. As a result, he has produced magnificent works of art that have generated several gallery shows including his own "Mustangs". Not only does Marks photograph mustangs, he has been commissioned to photograph and create works of art for private owners throughout the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut area and has traveled as far as Colorado. His award-winning photograph "Cold Morning Run" has won first place at the WPPI National Competition and fourth from the Equine Photographers Network, also a national competition. He is from Cold Spring Harbor, New York.

Deborah O'Sullivan, www.artofthehorse.net, utilizes her 35 years of experience in the horse industry to create equine art that appeals not only to the collector but to the horseperson. Her years of dedicated work as a trainer and rider and, always, student of the horse has given her an extensive working knowledge of rider and equine biomechanics, movement, behavior and anatomy. O'Sullivan has had a lifelong passion for horses and strives to engage the viewer with use of bold and vibrant color, brush strokes and an eye to correctness of equine biomechanics, anatomy and detail. Her passion for the horse is evident in her ability to capture the essence of the horse in her portrayal of this timeless subject. She is from Pawling, New York.

Karen Ruoff's 15-year career as an artist follows closely a lifelong passion for working with horses. Ruoff attended the Equestrian Studies Program at Lake Erie College in Ohio where she began her serious exploration of fine art. That exploration continued at the Cleveland Institute of Art and flourished at Louisiana State University's College of Design, culminating in a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Painting and Drawing. Ruoff's work is inspired by a love of horses and the silent communication that can happen between animals and humans. She aims to capture some sense of that experience: a moment, a look, an expression or mood, and enhance it through her own vision, use of color, light and composition. Watercolor is Ruoff's medium of choice these days. She enjoys incorporating other elements such as colored pencil, glitter, glass beads and more. The finished product is often a mystical mix of brightly colored horses in highly stylized and textured landscapes. She is from New Paltz, New York.

JoAnne Sullam, www.daydreamsinnature.com,
has been producing quality artwork for more than 15 years. Having worked closely with horses and the equestrian community, Sullam has extensive knowledge of horse anatomy, behavior, and personality that she learned by going to horse shows and following her long time friend, a horse vet, making her rounds. Last year the artist set up on the show grounds of HITS to sculpt, completing her latest bronze "The Prophet" so named after the artist was told a story of an imprint of the angels thumb on the horse, which brings the riders luck. Her award-winning wildlife paintings and sculptures are a result of years of up-close study. Sullam offers fine equestrian art that ranges from highly detailed to loosely surreal and dreamlike. She is from Saugerties, New York.

Kristen Vetterl, www.kristenvetterl.com, another returning artist, resides in Manasquan, New Jersey. At a young age she showed an artistic talent and an obsession for horses. After receiving her Bachelors of Fine Arts with a concentration in painting, lithography, and graphic arts in 2007 from The University of Rhode Island, she moved back home and continued to do the two things that inspire her most, ride horses and paint them. Her medium of choice is lithography, but she continues to paint in her second favorite medium, oils. Vetterl has become distinguished for her vivid use of color and expression in her equestrian artwork. She paints the horse world in a style very different from classical portraiture. Her lithographs, too, capture the same vivid imagination and expression with line, creating movement and contrast in black and white.

Barbara Widmann, www.barbarawidmann.com, grew up watching her grandfather paint his large, vivid, expressive, contemporary oil paintings, and was influenced to paint and draw at an early age. Fueled by the joy of creating, Widmann was enriched by art classes in school, and was recognized with many awards. Her artistic path took her from expressing her art through graphic arts, to architectural illustration and design, to equine art and portraiture. While she paints mostly with watercolor and her subject is mostly equine, Widmann is also skilled with acrylic paints, pastels, charcoal, pen and ink, graphite pencil and color pencil. As a horsewoman, and a local artist in upstate New York, Widmann grew up around horses and at an early age developed a sense of the equestrian form, movement and spirit. Combining her artistic talent and admiration for horses, she reveals the beauty of horses in art. Although there are many subjects that inspire Widmann, it has always been the horse that takes center stage in her mind, and in her paintings. She is from East Greenbush, New York.

A highlight for me was New World chef-owner Ric Orlando's special Zephyr Gin-Cucumber Lemonade, which was refreshing and perfectly complemented his spicy ethnic-inspired fare -- especially the chef's famed pan-blackened string beans. You should see the lines of folks waiting to buy the beans every year at his booth at the Saugerties Garlic Festival ...

So many choices

reminder -- two great food & wine festivals coming up this weekend in our area:

Two days celebrating Hudson Valley wines at the Shawangunk Wine Trail’s Bounty of the Hudson Food and Wine Festival July 26 & 27. The host is Benmarl Winery in Marlboro, which is up on a hill with lovely views overlooking the Hudson River and is known as “home to America’s oldest vineyard.” Read more ...

and

Meet the chefs and farmers at Columbia County Bounty’s first “Taste of Columbia County Bounty” takes place on Monday, July 28, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Columbia County Fairgrounds in Chatham. This first-ever fundraiser brings together the finest chefs, growers, farmers, producers and processors from Columbia County and the Hudson Valley for a summer’s evening of great food featuring the finest local products. Read more ...

PLUS tonight is Thursday, which means that it is barbecue-and-live-music night at The Garrison ... Read more ...
And Saturday is the Rhinebeck Antiques Fair Summer Magic show

So much to do .....