Catching Up

So I haven't been keeping up with my blog, bad Manny. We have all been very busy. Here are some quick highlights.

I finally finished painting the front stairs. Bridget asked everyone for their opinion on the design and a simple fleur-de-lis pattern won. I'm very happy with the final results, but it took forever. The last step was painting the banister, what a pain!

The Gunk House

Bridget and her colleagues, Mark and Anthony like to get together occasionally for dinner.  This time we decided to go to one of our new favorites, the Gunk House in Clintondale. This was our third trip, but the first time it was warm enough for us to eat out on the deck. Since our last visit they did a lot of landscape work around the house, and I chatted with one of the landscapers as we waited to be seated at the bar.

The food and company was wonderful. As the sun set the bugs came out and we retreated back to the bar for dessert. The men had an aperitif of Apple Jack....wooo! A good way to end the evening.

Anthony, Angela, Lisa, Mark, Bridge and Manny

Sunset over the Gunks

Burger Hill

Bridget and I took a short escape to one of our favorite spots, Burger Hill. Scenic Hudson purchased and preserved this gem for all to enjoy. It is without a doubt, the shortest hike with the best view in the Hudson Valley. We walked up just before sunset with Bailey. A young girl who was admiring the view took our photo and then we had the whole 270 degree panorama to ourselves.

We opened my joke Alaskan beer, Panty Peeler, and watched as the sky put on its show.

The Team

Ashokan High Point in the mist.

My Girl

Just before the sun went down we decided to try Bailey off leash. She was being great, when a nice lady and her 80 pound puppy arrived. After a couple of tense moments, they turned out to be best buddies!

Bailey finds a friend.

God's Art!

Bridget's Birthday

On my wife's birthday she is the Queen, and we do what she wants! After a quiet breakfast she decided on a bikeride, one of her favorite activities. We decided to go to Copake Falls and ride the isolated 4 mile section of the Harlem Valley Rail Trail. We parked  accross the street from the old station which is now a deli. As a 12 year old scout I started coming to Copake Falls to camp. I remember hearing the train whistle late at night and putting pennies on the track to flatten them. As it turned out the rails were soon abandoned.

The trail was cool and mostly quiet. Every once in a while there would be views of Harlem Valley farmland, cool tree lined fills over creeks, or a brief look at Alander Mountain above us.

Bridge at a farm crossing.

101 miles to NYC

We explored the old Copake Iron Works before heading back to the deli for a 'buffalo chicken" sandwich and a Mike's Hard Lemonade. This was probably not a very good choice as the hot sauce didn't sit right in our stomachs.

Copake Iron Works Furnace

A walk to Bash Bish Falls was the answer to our stomach woes. It's one of Bridget's favorite spots and a short three quarter mile walk to falls. I was feeling a bit dead legged after yesterdays hike, but it was worth the effort. The water was running high and the breeze created a nice cooling mist as we enjoyed the view.

Bash Bish Falls

Enjoying the mist.

Hiking with Mo

One of the most formative experiences for me had been my time at Pocantico Hills Day Camp. Only someone who was a camper or staff can truly understand the magic that occurs there. Mo exemplifies everything that camp is! She has been a camper or staff member for over 30 years, and this was her swan song.

I worked the Wilderness program at Pocantico for 14 years and took Mo and her kids on many backpacking and tubing adventures. I caught up with her group at the Mt. Washington State Forest trailhead in MA. It was like I never left camp as I helped kids pack and I lead them down the trail.

After a two mile walk in to our campsite we set up camp and prepared for our hike to Brace Mt. I found Brace accidentally when on a backpacking trip with my buddy John when we were 21. It's the highest mountain in Dutchess County at 2304 feet. It's not tall, but has outstanding views of the Harlem Valley and the Catskill Mountains beyond.

Mo near the top of Brace.

View from Brace of the Harlem Valley.

One of the highlights of the trip for the kids was the two para-gliders who showed up just after we reached the top. They kindly answered our questions about their 40 pound loads. In 15 minutes they were off and gliding in wide arcs across the valley. Amazing!

Preparing to take off.

So Cool!

We changed our route on the way back down to avoid the many small streams and mud created by last weeks heavy thunderstorms. This is the wettest I've ever seen the Taconics in the summer. We reached a final trail junction where I said my goodbyes to Mo and camp. As I walked the last mile and a half in the dark, I reminisced about the many great adventures I had with Pocantico.

I decided to challenge myself on this hike and carried my overnight backpack with all my gear. It was a long time since I carried a full pack 10 miles. I can honestly say I was bushed, but happy....

Thanks for the memories Mo!

James Taylor

Bridget's birthday present was tickets to a James Taylor concert at Bethel Woods. The Bethel Woods Performing Arts Center is located on the same property as the original Woodstock Music Festival in 1969. It's an amazing venue to see a concert. The drive out to the Western Catskill's took us about an hour and forty minutes. It's hard to imagine 400 thousand young people trying to drive here, the traffic must have been insane.

We stopped at the Dancing Cat Saloon for an early lunch of hot wings and bacon cheese burgers. Good beer too!

Bridget with cool cat sculpture behind her.

Beer!

Before the concert we had time to visit the Museum that documented the first Woodstock concert. It was definitely worth checking out. A highlight for me was riding the "hippy bus" theater.

The Hippy Bus

James Taylor was amazing! Our seats were in the lawn area, but we still had a good view of the stage. We sipped a Mike's Hard Lemonade and sat back and enjoyed the music and each others company.

Stage

James!

With my "Only One"!

We had a great time, but leaving was a real nightmare. We sat in the parking lot for over an hour before we got out of the complex. Next time we will be prepared with a stove for tea and some nice desert. Bridget fell asleep on the long ride home. That's ok, I was with my "Only One"!

Busy....

It's been a couple of days since I last posted. Life has been busy but oh so good!

On Sunday we went down the street to what used to be Secor Farm. Since Mr. Secor died last year the farm has been leased and is called "Nick's Farm Market". We're happy it's remaining a farm, Lagrange has enough houses.

Nick's Farm Market

We've made many a fall pilgrimage to Secor Farm to pick pumpkins, but today we were blueberry picking. We spent a leisurely hour picking 10 pounds of berries. We were surprised to find Manny's friend Tim working at the farm. Bridget freezes some of the berries and we just finished last years making a breakfast of blueberry pancakes. Time to restock!

Manny and Tim Picking

Dad with his haul.

Girls ready to pick.

Walk on the Rail Trail and Sweet Sixteen Party

Busy as usual, but things seem to have slowed down a bit since the girls came home. I'm still getting my walks in but yesterday Bridget and I took a walk on the Dutchess County Rail Trail. The section between Lake Walton Road and the Hopewell Depot is really pleasant. The newly restored station was open and it was a pleasure checking out the displays and talking to the volunteers. They are now working one reconstructing the switching tower that used to be on the site. It will house composting toilets for rail trail users and give people a better idea of what the area looked like many years ago.

With my walking pal at the Hopewell Junction Station

After 5 o'clock Mass we went to a Sweet Sixteen Party for one of T's best buddies. It was a ton of fun, but Bridget was glad she took Therese to Rome in lieu of a party. It was a lot of stress and work for the parents.

Therese and Lauren ready to party.

My Girls

Therese getting a candle!

Curtains, Cabaret and Painting

Things are pretty normal the last couple of days. Walk the dog and do some chores. :) Bridge and I worked on the window treatments in the guest bedroom and it looks very nice. I still need to put in a couple of hooks for the tie backs. I've been working on painting the staircase as well. Its a complicated paint job, that calls for contrasting colors. Eventually I will be stenciling fleur de lis and diamonds on the risers.

Ready for the moldings.

Manny has been suffering with his hurt shoulder and he went to visit our friend who is a PT. It's not a separation but he needs to rest it. He's still working, but has had to hang up his cleats for a while.

Wednesday was a crazy day! We got up early so Bridge could make a doctors appointment in Mt. Kisco. We then drove down to Mom D's to pick up the medicine she forgot. We ended up driving down to Morristown New Jersey where we met her, Regina, Maureen and the kids. We didn't even have time eat with them, we turned around and headed to Vasasar Hospital to meet Manny. He's had a couple of episodes where his heart races and the doctor wanted him to have some basic tests. (EKG) He had to wear a heart monitor for 24 hours. I wanted a photo, but he was a grouch about it.

We finished the day by driving to Sharon Connecticut to see Therese in a "Community Cabaret". Sharon is a sleepy little town in the northwestern part of the state. The Sharon Playhouse has been around for 25 years and puts on some nice productions. T's drama teacher has been involved with the playhouse for it's whole existence. Therese performed "At the Ballet" with one of her best buddies, Amanda.

Curtain Call

Finally I must include a photo of the St. Therese Hydrangeas that have finally bloomed. I love that blue color!

Life is Good! Today when I was walking the dog, I looked up at the perfect day and asked is this Heaven? The response I heard was, "If you Love and Believe". Isn't that what its all about!

God, Family and Summer Reading

I enjoyed a nice summer Sunday with family. I got up early and walked my Bailey. After a quick shower we went to Mass at St. Martin's. When we arrived home, Mom, Maureen and Sean arrived. Jeannette and Emilia pulled up a few minutes later. We had a nice lunch of Fishkill Provisions sausages on the grill. While the girls chatted, Sean and I watched the Mets and the World Cup final.

The Mets won handily 9-1, but Argentina lost in OT to Germany.... oh well.

A good read so far.

I will spend the rest of my evening reading Drums along the Mohawk. Summer is the perfect time to catch up on your reading and this is a historical novel I've been wanting to dig into. 

Italian vs. Irish Art

I know I'm biased, but I love the beautiful Irish statue!

Being a bit Lazy

Since the girls came home, I haven't' gotten much accomplished expect regular home chores. Plenty of laundry and stories to hear about Italy. Great photos too! Way too much to absorb, I don't know how they kept track of all the stuff they saw. Thanks to Father Greg for taking care of my Ladies, even I know the answer is "Pope Pius" or "Gregory the Great".

Meeting Father Greg for the first time.
We were both a lot thinner and had more hair! :)

Still getting my walks in, but later in the day. The last couple of days have been less humid, but hot never the less.

Visited Mom Dunican, Maureen and Sean in Sleepy Hollow. It's hard to believe that we won't be traveling down to Pocantico anymore. Bridget will be the last of the Dunican clan left in New York State, very weird. We'll be the halfway point between the Habib and the Moriarty clans. We loaded up the car with piles of boxes destined for Therese's garage sale. (My garage is now half filled with Boccini and Dunican stuff!)

Sean came home with  us to hang with his cousins and watch Manny play ball in Danbury. Ate Pat's Pizza (second time this summer!) at the game. Manny reached base 5 times. (One single, an error and 3 walks). His on base percentage is amazing. His shoulder is giving him a lot of pain after he hyper extended it a couple of games ago. He's playing in PA this afternoon and has a double header tomorrow.

Home Sweet Home

Mission accomplished!

The girls are home safe and sound and full of great stories. I got to the airport 2 hours early, I was worried about rush hour and Met's traffic. The ride home was full of stories of the trip.  Bridge is working on curriculum today and T is still asleep. Manny is working but he has a game tonight. I took my 5 mile walk with the dog, but am dragging today. 

Yesterday I painted some trim in the kitchen then cleaned the house. I didn't want my wife coming home to any surprises. The place was tidy, but vacuuming and dusting needed to be done.

I prepped some corn for tonight's corn chowder, then plan to clean out a small gutter... then more weeding and mowing the lawn. It's still very wet from last nights storms.

Only 11 Hours!

I can't wait to see my girls! 

Especially my better (much better) half!

Last 2 Days

It's been busy as usual.

Sunday

• 5 mile walk with dog
• Church at St. Martin's
• Pick up a desk at the Sullivan's
• Watch Manny's 2 baseball games.
• Dinner at Moe's, good burrittos!

Dancing off first base.

Monday

• 5 mile walk with dog
• Laundry
• Manny came home from work, suffering with a shoulder injury from baseball.
• Continued painting the kitchen. Only trim work is left. Replaced switch plates, kitchen objects and scrubbed the floor.
• Folded laundry
• Made dinner and cleaned up.
• Did some summer planning. :)

The highlight of the Monday was Face Time with my world travelers. 

They come home tomorrow!!  I've really missed them.

Painting and Steak

After Bailey and I returned from our regular walk, I got back to painting the kitchen. The first coat looks pretty good but I think I'll have to go over it. Some of the edging (brushwork) didn't cover completely. A bitter sweet moment came when I had to decide to cover Manny IV's growth chart. He was ok with it. I documented it and sent the girls the image.

I think he's taller than his Dad!
Much better looking too!

The highlight of the day was dinner with Mom, Dad, Jeannette and Emilia. Dad took us to his favorite, Texas Roadhouse. They tried the fried pickles, but didn't appreciate them like Manny and I. Steak, caeser salad, and mashed potatoes. the perfect meal. Desert was at Jeannette's house. I sure love her huge chocolate chip cookies. 

Got some great hugs from Emmy!!

No Princeton Battlefield this year.

The weather has been crazy this 4th of July. Hurricane Arthur decided to make a turn to the left and hugged the coast. I decided not to make the drive to NJ. My commander thought I made a good decision. The day started with heavy rain but cleared long enough for me to get my five miles in. The temperatures were much cooler than the last couple of days making walking a pleasure.

Made breakfast burritos and hash browns for brunch. Yummy!

After watching France lose to Germany I got back to my painting. I finished the ceiling. Tomorrow the walls.

Manny is off to a friend's to celebrate the 4th. I'm going to take a hot bath.

Continued Humidity

I got out early for my walk with the dog. The humidity is still really high and I came back drenched in sweat. Took a quick shower, tossed in a load of laundry and got right to work. Today's major job was priming the kitchen. I had to do a bit of extra patch work on the ceiling and it came out OK. I finished up around 3 pm.

I haven't cut the grass in days because of the lack of rain. I banged it out in a couple of hours and now I'm pretty much exhausted. Manny just wolfed down a Hot Pocket and took off for his street hockey game. Baseball is cancelled because of the chance of more severe thunder showers.

I'm not sure if I'll be heading to the Princeton Battlefield tomorrow. Weather is still questionable. It's a lot of driving for what could be a bust.

Manny's Birthday

Proud Dad!

The poor kid had to work on his birthday. It was a "scorcher" today and they let everyone go home a half hour early. We had a quick video chat with his Mom and Sister, then went to Formosa for Chinese food. A quick stop at Stewarts for some ice cream and now he's watching the Mets. Bridget and I have been blessed, he is a great kid.

Manny on day 2 with Grandma Morrow

What a difference 19 years makes!

I gave him his first lesson on a manual transmission on the way home. He did pretty well for his first time. It sure brought back some memories for me. My first car, a 1977 Subaru Wagon, had a standard transmission. I, however, didn't know how to drive standard. My Dad and my best friend John taught me, but it took a while to get comfortable on those hills. Manny is doing better then I did!

I was able to completely clean my car and vacuum out the minivan. I'll finish up tomorrow.

World Cup and Wings

Manny was off early on his first day at work. I got my 5 mile walk in before the heat kicked in and decided to work inside for a while. Bridget had a small grease fire in the kitchen, so I cleaned all the walls and cabinets. I just can't seem to get all the soot off. It looks like I'll have to prime the whole thing. Oh well....

With the shade in the front of the house, and a salimi, cheese and lettuce wrap in my belly, I went back out to tackle the weeds. The air is very unsettled and I thought I would get a thunder shower, but it never came. It's getting really dry.

Front Right Border

I quit at 3 pm and got an order of wings for the big game. The wings were great, but the United States couldn't withstand the Belgium attack. We almost pulled it off.....

Weeds and Soccer..........

Report Card

Therese you always make me proud, but this is an awesome report card! You are the best!! I wonder what you got wrong on the Global Regents? Only a 99!

Family and Pizza

It was another typical summer day. I went through my usual routine, make bed, walk, etc. I dropped off my car to get tires all around. They had a "Buy 3 get One Free Sale", but it still came in well over three hundred dollars with balancing. Oh well, it had to be done, the old tires were really bald.

Went to Lowe's and Harbor Freight to pick up some materials for the Kitchen job. Wood is expensive!! More weeding....will it ever end......edged front walk.

Was able to talk to Bridget and Therese for a couple of minutes on Face Time. I really miss them! Face time is weird, the color is really strange and it cuts out all the time. It's better then nothing.

Took Manny in to the doctors for a physical and then headed down to Mom D's to celebrate his birthday. Family was  in from California, PA and MA. Naturally we had "Pat's" pizza. Talk was of Mom's move down to PA.

Really slow delivery today...

Awesome as usual!

Celebrating 19 Years.

I missed posting on Sunday.

• Five mile walk with dog.
• Mass at St. Martin de Porres Church
• Saw game 1 of Manny's double header. He went 1 for 2 with a walk and a run scored. No hitter!!
• More weeding.