Wandering Retirees

Monday and Tuesday were full days and we didn’t have the ooomph to post. Actually, I need to own that; the missing ooomph was mine. I’m now hoping to make amends.

We left Joe and Laurie on Monday morning having had a great time with their wonderful hospitality. We laughed and recounted stories of Val and Bob, and their shenanigans. we thank them from the bottom of our hearts for being such good friends to us.

The ride north from Dingman’s Ferry started blisteringly hot (95 degrees). So long as we were moving it was okay. Crawling behind trash trucks was not so okay, as you can imagine. We followed US 209 north into NY, crossing the Hudson at Rhinebeck, and sauntered on to Chatham, NY. The area is largely rural with wide roadways that have sweeping curves and beautiful farms. We were blessed with sparse traffic and temps in the mid-80’s. Our destination was a pretty AirBnB in dense woods just south of Chatham. My brother, Jeff, and sister-in-law, Rosemary were waiting for us. The gab fest commenced.

The house was beautifully laid with wall to wall books. History, philosophy, psychology, art, literature, you name it. Winston Churchill’s history of the Second World War in 4 volumes, the definitive works of Michelangelo, DaVinci, Van Gogh, and Chagall, and so on and so forth. We all felt like we were in a candy store. Better yet, I imagined that basking in the presence of such scholarship made us a little smarter. (Imagination doesn’t cost much.)

We learned later that the former owner of this house was something of a recluse and a misanthrope who loved her great books for company.

After breakfast, professionally assembled by Jeff, we walked a short ways to a unique place, the Taconic Sculpture Park. The creator/artist was Roy Kanwit, a self described hippy who bought the land with his wife, Mary DeBay and created a mystical place akin to Grounds for Sculpture in Ewing, NJ. Using concrete and stones from the area, he lovingly fashioned large installations celebrating Mother Earth, ancient Titans, gods and goddesses and more. There is a 20 foot statue of Gaea that overlooks the valley below. And he built a 4 story house out of local rocks and cement with his own hands.

Mr Kanwit and Mary DeBay kept this vision alive for 40 years. Roy died last fall, sadly. Mary, who graciously visited with us for nearly an hour, shared richly of her insights into the park and the legacy of her husband. We all feel richer for our time spent with her at the park.

Later in the day we went into Chatham to enjoy a good meal. Jeff and I found an advertisement seeking wait staff. Jeff just may have the look they’re looking for.

Today we climbed on the beast and rode about 225 miles (how the crow does not fly) to Stowe, VT. We’ve covered almost 500 miles so far. Tomorrow we’re headed to Lewiston, ME.

As always, Connie and I are tickled that you are reading this, hopefully with pleasure. It increases our enjoyment immeasurably.

Have a good night!