WELCOME
Summer 2010
...stories, artwork and photos from our kayak adventures...
June 26, 2010:Embarked on a new adventure (no pun intended) with Outdoor Bound located in Cornwall on Hudson just beyond West Point's gorgeous golf course. This was a trip designed for kayakers and their dogs and I believe we were the guinea pigs for this experiment! There were 18 boaters and apprx. 15 dogs varying in size and years. Our Hudson, had been well trained in the kayak genre and was most non-chalont about the event, but the city folks with their cute and small dogs were more apprehensive. I give them credit, they went for it! We had a dachsund named Jack, two black retrievers named Josie and Marley, a Greyhound rescue named Shiraz and more. It was very hectic and frankly tough to relax, but we enjoyed circling Bannerman's Island on the Hudson River and taking lots of photos and eating sandy pretzels! We have some fun photo's to share and it seems that our 9 month old puppy has surpassed all expectations for tackling the Hudson River, which is just fine with me! She is a beauty!
June 5, 2010: The Mandarin duck stays! "Vladi" as we like to refer to him, has apparently made his home in our neighborhood visiting everyone to the north and south of us, eating berries from the tree overhanging the river next door as well as enjoying the black oil sunflower seeds we keep in the feeder in our back yard.
Nothing amazes us on this river; constantly changing and surprising. We have taken many short paddles since Memorial Day weekend when the weather was glorious. Since the puppy likes to kayak as well, we always include her.
We attended a wonderful party at Gene P's grand house on River Road and met many new neighbors including Toni M. I made a new appetizer which I called "dragonflies" ...keeping with the summer theme... and I think they went over well. I took a seedless red grape, a piece of fresh mozzarella (cube), a tiny sliver of fresh basil and a piece of prosciutto and skewered the ingredients together with a toothpick. It looks like a dragonfly! Easy to pop into your mouth in one bite. It is a refreshing and healthy snack!
Here comes SUMMER!!
May 15, 2010: The three ducks came to feed this morning, check out these photos!
Mandarin in the middle!
I enlisted my neighbor, an honest to goodness bird watcher and she had not a clue what this duck- like bird was. We brought the bird book out and could not find the markings we were seeing, could not identify this duck! Was it a duck?
Today I went to the Barnes and Noble to research. I went through two or three books and an encyclopedia and nothing matched the photo I had taken of the duck. I finally came across "BIRD" The Definitive Visual Guide - Audubon. On page 30, there it was: Mandarin Duck, from eastern Russia and China! The markings were finally a match; "The male's coloration is very showy, with a red bill (yes), broad white eyebrows (yes), an orange fan of neck hackles (yes, now I know what hackles are...), orange wing sails (yes...sails?), and two white bands on the black breast (Check mate!).
More to come sports fans!
May 11, 2010: Beautiful cool day, calm river, sun rising and bouncing off the Tappan Zee Bridge. Kayaks are at the ready...hoping to get in the water this week!
April 24, 2010: The first REAL (more than one hour on the river) kayak trip of the season! Today we paddle north from Grand View under the TPZ towards Nyack village on the west coastline of the Hudson. We have a R O'D sighting along the river. We wave, she waves and gives us a thumbs up. We continue to a beach next to the Hook Mountain Yacht Club (a ramshackle boat house with genuine Hudson River character) where we have been invited to scour a private beach after meeting a local resident at the dog park. In fact, there is usually very good glass here, but today we find exquisite drift wood. Photo below -- front of kayak.
A perfect piece to clean and hollow out with a wood chisel is retrieved and balanced on the kayak for the trip back.
After living here for 4 years we have made friends with our neighbors. As with any small town or village, friendship and trust take time and as we engaged with local politics and our community we have enjoyed getting to know our neighbors. Since sharing what we do for a hobby and our Art on Hudson website, we have received invitations to land on private beaches along the river to hunt and collect treasures.
Our final stop...E & M's house where we find the best tumbled sea/river glass. Their beach is covered with lemon-sized, flat round rocks which serve as a natural tumbling machine as the Hudson River tide comes in and out approximately every six hours. The location of the beach is not encumbered with any major obstacles and old glass shards seem to land there and remain, tumbling to perfection by the abrasive physical conditioning.
Excellent
examples of genuine tumbled sea glass collected from one Hudson River
beach today...great shapes and colors
What is sea glass perfection? It is glass with no sharp edges, completely rounded and etched sometimes with minute "smile" lines or crescents resulting from hydrated glass in this abrasive environment, indicating age. Most are frosted and all are soft and smooth. It can take up to 10 years to create significant etching and 20-30 years to eliminate hard edges. A typical shape is a soft triangle and surprisingly like snowflakes, no two pieces of pure sea glass are identical. These pieces are perfect for the type of art we create. Below, see pieces of sea glass with hand drawn images of beach secenes, horseshoe crabs, anchors and beach signs in India ink.
Hudson River Stone Harbor collection produced
for the Glass Gallery in Stone harbor, NJ.
April 17, 2010 Its a rather gloomy weekend so outside activities have been limited to some erratic gardening. Since I love to cut, clip and lob that's an easy choice with Fiskars in hand I really take it to the hearty boxwood hedge I have growing along the house, it's like a bloody jungle under those bushes. The branches are brittle and crooked as if they are creating puzzle from the growth for their own summer amusement. It truly is fun to cut away and see light between the hedge and the lawn. I make space for the gigantic, old hydrangea's which will grace the yard for the entire summer with their fluffy white, pink and cornflower colors.
The kayaks remain in their holds....the Hudson has not been calling this weekend. It is still chilly and the sky is ominous. Hudson, the dog, took her first dip into the river today -- by mistake. She had two yellow lab visitors; Soba and Bowie, both boys. Once they we freed from their leashes the three of them pounded across the lawn and into the water, before Hudson knew what happened she was swimming! Now, she is sleeping and dreaming about her boyfriends and more summer fun to come.
Spring's First Day 2010: Hit the water today with the kayak to review the coast line and any leftovers from the massive Nor'easter. Stopped at neighbor's along the way going south and scavenged some sea glass and other treats! Along came a beaver swimming in and out of the debris and showing off it's swimming skills. BTW, The beaver pelt was a very prized item in this area in the 17th century, traded for anything useful and valuable by the Indians, the Dutch and English colonists. Further along I come upon the 16' long tree drifting south since 4:00 am last night (noticed it in front of our sea wall while walking the puppy), this could destroy any size boat in it's way! I stop at my usual spots and pick up 
some beautiful sea glass shards and as I approach the favorite willow tree, I remember we saw some tugboat rope all hung up in the branches the previous week. Well, with nothing else to do, I stay inside my kayak and start untangling about 50 lbs. of yellow fiber type rope, which is approx. 3-4 inched in diameter...someone calls me "rope girl". GREAT upper body workout! So many nicknames, so little time! After a half hour I have it untangled and on the bow of my kayak, a new way to keep my cold drink upright!
I tow it home on the bow and now it graces my favorite Scholar tree in the yard. That is the Tappan Zee bridge in the background on a fine Spring Day!
March 14, 2010: The morning after the massive storm which brought high tides, huge waves, blowing winds and damage to our little hamlet of Grand View. Electricity went out at 9:00 p.m. and we reverted to playing game after game of scrabble by candle light on our iPhones. Our neighbor had to call the fire department to pump out her basement after we had placed sand bags against the back door. This morning her back yard looked like a massive drift wood and plastic bottle debris field. Our back yard turned into a lake as waves blasted over the sea wall and eventually flooded one third of our lawn ...and we got off easy.
River Road Grand View, NY
We decide to take a ride down River Road to check out the local damage and "quel domage!" A major tree has snapped at the base and crashed onto a lawn, this is the second tree in several weeks to go down on the same property, the first one destroyed their porch. A little further south a tree takes out another porch, now heading towards Piermont, docks and fences are strewn all around but once on the Piermont Pier road we see that the Hudson River has taken over the entire Pier and is totally impassable.
It is a dog's paradise as we find dozens of assorted balls -- tennis balls, baseballs, plastic and rubber balls. I pick up a lost lure and we head for home. In the four years we have been here, we have never seen this kind of weather or damage. Clean up time!
Major Nor'easter hits NY/NJ coast. Winds up to 60 mph, coastal flooding creating havoc on Saturday, March 13.
Within days of Spring our Rockland County gets walloped with a real doozy. Forget plans for Saturday night! We stayed home and watched the backyard turn into a lake. The Hudson River looked like an ocean with waves up to 4 feet crashing against the north side of the Tappan Zee Bridge. Tugs secured underneath by Port Authority workers were bobbing and weaving and slamming up against the pilings....nature's drama.
Piermont Pier Road - overtaken by the Hudson River in March
March 5, 2010: TGIF!!! Back in Grand View-on-Hudson now, there is a hint of Spring in the air but I know there will be yet another snow fall because there always is just as you are getting geared up for some outdoor activity and KAYAKING. It's going to be 50 degrees this weekend and the strippers are starting to run up the Hudson and that means only one thing...
TIME TO FISH!!! Planning to use a slider lure with a #2 weight and a juicy blood worm. Bait will come from Gabrielson's, the "crab man's" son in Nyack. We lost Bob Sr. to cancer last year, my Hudson River fishing mentor. Bob fished and crabbed these waters for 40 years and supplied blue crab to restaurants in Maryland...yes it's true! Bob, we miss your sweet smile, fish stories and dry humor.
March 2, 2010: What an adventure to Vancouver! The last day I spent on a rented bike starting from the downtown area where the sea planes take off and cycled the perimeter of Stanley Park. It was invigorating due to the fact that I wore my flip flops and a sweatshirt. Not quite the weather for flip flops but it didn't the keep the "ox" from continuing the trek! Collected some sea glass along the way...mostly ambers BUT as I came upon a beach towards the end of my ride, I got off the bike and secured it carefully to a railing. As I walked onto the stretch of beach I immediateley see a yellow piece of glass...it couldnt be! It is! A beautiful yellow miniature marble, well worn and polished by the Pacific Ocean.
What a find! Really, the best of all my finds in years and made it all so worth it and memorable...I carefully placed it in my inside jeans pocket! Continuing along the path around Stanley Park, I would be remiss if I did not mention an unusual encounter and I came to the the end of my bike trip. One last beach to explore...as I moved along a similar stretch of beach I notice a woman doing the same thing as me...perhaps she too is looking for treasures and beach glass. We pass each other a few times and send quiet looks only to be interrupted by the clacking of rocks being stacked nearby. There is a guy moving rocks to make a barrier from the oncoming tide. Finally, breaking our silence I ask the woman if she knows how to get back to the sea planes in Vancouver harbor. "No, but he might. What is he doing?" I ask, "Well, we are building a beach for our friends and family, it's called "Cowabunga Beach!"
OK....what a coincidence since one of the very first signs (above) I made from Hudson River driftwood was a sign painted with the word "Cowabunga" --- OK, what are the chances? "Coast to Coast" I remark. I hope Kim (from Calgary) and her friends have a chance to read this because I plan to make another sign for their beach so they can place it somewhere on Cowabunga Beach with the treasures they have collected and the sea walls they have built. They are creating their little haven along the Pacific Northwest coast in Vancouver, the Olympic city with a twinkle!
February 28, 2010: I realize that this entry is not about kayaking on the Hudson but it is an "adventure blog" so, today I am on the second to last day in Vancouver, which I have coined " 'couver" which doesn't seem to resonate with the locals, who knew? Regardless the city is bizurk about the match up with the US Men's Hockey team today. People are literally clamoring all over the city to either find a bar stool at a pub or a gold medal ticket to the game. It is infectious and I am faced with making a decision. Do I rent a bike in Stanley Park (in the rain) to hunt for sea glass at low tide, find a pub and loose my voice screaming for the US or chill at the hotel until I need to make my way to the Closing Ceremonies....hmmmmm....all three choices seem like a winner, so you'll just have to come back and read all about it!
Check out the photo below from my trip to the Women's Gold Medal Hockey Game (Canada 2 - US 0).
Before the cigars...
A weird guy in a bass outfit...
A friendly fan ready to celebrate!
February 26, 2010: Writing from Vancouver, BC while all the Olympic excitement is beginning to wind down. Big game on the horizon with US v. Canada in Men's Hockey and I predict US will take the gold. As I walk around Vancouver I cannot help to notice that all is in place, it is a very organized and regimented Games, neatly managed on all fronts with very little access to those ho do not have credentials or tickets. A tight seal is in place and it almost seems a bit hermetic. But I can understand these things coming from the NYC area, post 9/11.
As I meander along Grandville Street, I come upon a single VW bug parked outside a Starbuck's. The license plate reads: I AM EH. The bug is completely covered with knick knacks and hoodliwinks and it stops people in their tracks. "The car is dedicated to the magic of art that talks and gives experiences that liberates the creativity of the child within us all" says Mark Heartwell, sitting nearby sipping a cup of coffee at a Starbucks. I introduce myself and offer Mark and his friend a complimentary "'couver is groovey" T-shirt just for understanding me! Mark let me don the shirt on the front of the bug as passersby snapped photos. We chatted and Mark said there were not many hippies in Vancouver, in fact Mark was a clean cut 50-something, but he could relate.
February 22, 2010: A hint of Spring is in the air today, it's about 45 degrees and a great day to take a walk in Hader Park on the mountain ridge overlooking the vast Hudson River and Tappan Zee Bridge. Hudson bounds along the trail checking out each set of wooden steps leading up to the next magnificent house along the path. So far we are alone along the trail and as we turn around to head back we see Soba, a male yellow lab who is walking with his boss, Dan. Hudson loves Soba but we keep trucking along. Next comes a chocolate lab named Hudson, a common name in these parts! Chipmunks are scurrying and a few robins make an appearance....ahh..... winter is beginning to thaw.
February 16, 2010: Still snowing! It is beautiful, white, wet and wooley here, in the New York State of mind. Meanwhile it is 50 degrees in Vancouver and I think I saw cherry blossoms in some coverage up there. Could they really be blooming? Love the biathalon event. That is one remarkable and kinda steamy feat of power and poise. The click of the gun and the clack of the target is just awe inspiring after the cross country ski portion transitions to target shooting and you are holding your breath with the athlete as he takes aim.
Took a road trip to Rye Beach, NH, about 250 miles north for President's Day weekend. Gorgeous landscapes and seascapes and even saw some kayakers out there ocean paddling up the "Stinky River" by Petey's where we get our fix of clam strips and lobster rolls. Found some small shards of sea glass, but mostly common colors and one piece of old china. Lots of Periwinkles, dogs (mostly labs) and seaweed. It was a wonderful respite from the daily grind of NYC.
February 11, 2010: A shout out to K Mos who is slaving away in Vancouver for NBC Uni and making it all happen! Dont forget the Opening Ceremonies on NBC tomorrow night! I will be traveling to Vancouver on 2/24 and will be sending up to the minute reports on the action, the food and the sea glass!
February 10, 2010: Blizzard hits the Tri-state area! See photo...approx. 4-5 inches so far and it's only 10:30 a.m.It is a "vinter vunderland!" Vundervar!!! I want to send a shout out to Edith, my mother-in-law and one of Art on Hudson's biggest fans! We love you Edie!!!!
Steady snow is falling here, under the Tappan Zee bridge. Trees are heavy with snow clumps and I will go on a shaking mission in a few hours to keep the limbs from breaking under the weight of the snow.
It is absolutely beautiful and it is great to work from home today and stay in the flannel jammies and Ugg boots.10:30 a.m. February 10
February 7, 2010: Superbowl Sunday and I predict the Saints will come marching home and it will be a competition to the end, both teams are prepared and whats better than being in sunny Florida playing football in front of adoring fans?
Here in Rockland County it's 17 degrees this morning, no snow but bitter with a frozen Hudson River clogged up with huge chunks of ice as far as you can see. I know this because I thought I saw an abandoned watercraft out there and after a closer look with the binocs it was in fact a massive stack of river ice. No geese, no mallards and where do they go when their water is frozen? There is a fresh water run-off from the mountain flowing down to the shore under the Tappan Zee where you will see them hanging out but they aren't there either...are they taking cover in someone's shed or underneath a house? Hmmmmm.
January 11, 2010:
It is soooo cold outside that we cannot even bring ourselves to walk along the river, it is hibernating time in the Northeast! The past few days have hovered around 20 - 25 degrees, there are huge chunks of ice floating on the Hudson River and boat moorings are being ripped up and taken away with the tides. I am looking forward to alot of scavenger hunting this spring during a full moon and a low tide!
December 30, 2009:
Today we venture north along the Hudson River to Bear Mountain, just 16 miles from Grand View-on-Hudson via the Palisades Interstate Parkway. We are traveling by car along with our puppy, Hudson, and our first stop is Bear Mountain. We pay $7.00 to park and as we walk around the grounds of Bear Mountain State Park we see the old lodge built in 1916, now undergoing a lengthy renovation with original completion date of 2006. I guess we won't be looking for lodging there in the near future.
Now, we decide to walk around Hessian Lake because it is right in front of us, it's cold out, there is no one around and it is about a mile around the lake and cameras in hand there seems to be great opportunity for winter photos. About half way we run into some manly men from the park service who are readying their chain saw for a monster tree trunk.
Bear Mountain Bridge & Hessian Lake in the foreground.
Ice formations on tree limbs touching
the surface of the lake.
We ask Hudson to pose on a park bench below.
As it turns out, Hessian Lake was named "Bloody Pond" during the Revolutionary War, an eeery and unsettling fact we later discovered but we are here to bring you our adventures on and around the Hudson River, so nothing but the facts! The story claims that when Hessian soldiers were killed in October of 1777 at the battle of Fort Clinton, their corpses were thrown into the lake, turning it red from the blood. Since the Knickerbocker Ice Company later harvested ice here, it was renamed to Highland Lake, eventually again renamed to Hessian Lake. I am really glad that we didn't discover the story until we had left the area.
We continue north to Beacon, NY where we heard there were many artists and antiques in the area. We arrive and voila, almost all the shops are closed until after the New Year, how bizarre! Not only is the place dead, many of the store fronts are empty or 'for rent' in a very economically depressed area. Within this adventure from Bloody Pond to the village of Beacon, there is a bright light in the story; we come upon an eclectic store front, it's like a mirage. The Hudson Beach Glass Company. WOW! It is meant to be, surely. We pull into the lot and enter a side door that leads us smack dab to the middle of a working glass factory with two ovens all fired up. Continuing through the building we come upon a gorgeous show room of high-end hand crafted glass sculpture, artwork and jewelry. I suddenly felt transformed to a time when I visited the Murano glass factory in Venice, Italy. We were in awe.
It was a great finale to an otherwise drab and frigid winter afternoon. With the original intention of antiquing along the Hudson, we instead found an absolutely charming store.
Here's to 2010, a year with a great ring to it... 20 -- 10 ...rolls right off your tongue. The second half exactly half of the first half, simple, clean and easy to remember when you start writing checks, if you're still actually writing checks. It's an entire decade post the dreaded and over-hyped Y2K.
I look forward to "TwentyTen" and getting closer to the warmer months so we can get our kayaks back on the majestic and mysterious Hudson River.
November 15, 2009:
It is Sunday and a beautiful day on the Hudson River! After a week of threatening remnants of Hurricane Ida, bringing extremely high tides, which lapped against the sea walls of ours and our neighbors property, no damage was sustained.
Hudson, the puppy, is now 11 weeks and huge! She has almost tripled in size and enjoys chasing the rope we found while kayaking, she also loves the buoys we have attached to garden pieces which she attacks without abandon!
Hudson Peace Ribbon
Hudson Gardening
Since Hudson arrived, we no longer have birds carousing through the air space of our yard. In fact, my bird feeder is left completely unused with an abundance of bird feed still inside...it will go to a neighbor who enjoys birds...afterall we needed to eliminate the geese who wander into the yard. Problem solved!
October 31, 2009:
Say hello to Hudson, now 9 weeks old! Trying out the Kayak already getting ready for the Hudson River.
October 18, 2009
The North American Seaglass Festival is taking place this weekend in Erie, PA. We wish them good luck! We had planned to go but had very important plans to visit and select our new puppy!
Hudson
Born: September 4, 2009
We pick her up this coming Friday!
You can only imagine the time it takes to "puppy proof" a cottage filled with sea glass! Well, we wanted to share a photo of the newest addition to the artonhudson family...her name is "Hudson" and her full AKC name is: Amazzing Hudson River (the kennel name is always listed first followed by the dog's full name).
Why are we sharing this news here? Simple...Hudson will be an integral part of our kayak adventures on the Hudson River. She will ride in our two-person kayak, swim along side, explore the coastline and search the beaches with us.
Hudson has arrived in time for the cold weather and she will be a hearty dog. By next summer Hudson will be swimming in the River and taking kayaks trips. Be sure to return here for Hudson updates!
September 28, 2009:
Here it is...we were kayaking right next to these rescue boats yesterday as they came back to the Tappan Zee Port Authority apparently after finding the jumper. Scroll down to see photos. What an incredibly sad story!
I have added the newspaper blurb below about the woman who took her life...
"Times Herald-Record" by Doyle Murphy
TAPPAN ZEE BRIDGE — "Five-foot high swells have forced rescue crews to suspend a water search on the Hudson River for a woman who jumped from the Tappan Zee Bridge Thursday night, state police said.
The Journal News is reporting the woman is Anne Morell Petrillo, 38, of Ryebrook. Petrillo's stepfather killed her newspaper heiress mother, Anne Scripps Douglas, in 1993 and then jumped from the same bridge.
State police Investigator Joseph Becera said Friday afternoon the state police are not yet publicly identifying the woman. Becera said they're still interviewing the woman's relatives to find out why she jumped.
Witnesses have told police they saw the woman leap about 8 p.m. She left behind a BMW SUV parked on the bridge and a note, Becera said. He declined to discuss the contents of the note.
Douglas, who was 47 at the time of her murder, was an heiress to the Scripps newspaper fortune. She was found in her home New Year's Day 1994, severely beaten. Her husband's BMW had been found hours before on the Tappan Zee, according to news reports at the time. His body was founds months later on the shore of the Hudson.
The case was widely covered in the media as an example of domestic abuse that progressed to its brutal end."
September 27, 2009:
"Dexter" premiers tonight! Speaking of creepy things, we had a jumper on Friday night, unfortunately a female ended her life by jumping off the Tappan Zee Bridge at about 9:00 p.m. We heard the sirens, which are not uncommon being in close proximity to the bridge. Today we decide to see what activities are taking place since we observed State Troopers camped out for a few days on the Port Authority work area under the bridge. There are at least three vans, a compressor pumping, a state trooper boat, a fire emergency boat and a Port Authority boat. As we enter the water, we notice how calm it was and remark that it isn't such an awful rainy day afterall.
We work our way along the Tappan Zee Bridge pilings, staying a safe 25 yards from the bridge and head to the highest part of the span. In the distance, red and blue lights spin atop a police boat now in the middle of the Hudson River channel on the North side of the bridge. It's weird when a body is missing because you take notice of everything that is floating.
We come upon an unidentified object approximately 100 yards away, it is moving quite fast so I am sure it is nothing. As we get closer the adrenalin spikes...we both stop, look and wonder. As I come upon it it appears to be a Burger King bag with burger leftovers. I pick it up and put it in my kayak. Returning to the launch point we see three boats pulling in as if they are either dragging the bottom or returning for supplies. Most likely, both. We take some photos and it appears that the troopers are getting tanks of air for another round of searching, it is now 4:00 p.m.
State police after returning to home base from the search.
Tanks of oxygen stand by for the frogmen.
September 26, 2009:
Up early and ready to charge the water. It's 9:00 a.m. the tide is still going out, which means it will be low and we can hunt. Today, we take off to our favorite spot, which I cannot disclose, but it is where we generally find our most unique pieces...did we ever! We fly down the river, the tide drags us to our destination within 45 minutes, we have a west wind which is helpful. As we come upon the site all we hear is clank, clink, rrrroll, wash, clink, roll...which means great stuff is waiting to be discovered. Without hesitation we are out of the kayaks collecting...the first thing I find is a glass Lea & Perrins bottle stopper and it is in excellent condition (on the left) and a perfect glass stopper with bubbles (on the right) indicating it is old.
More to come; cobalt glass, bottle rims, large china shards with stamps and lots of black glass. We spend approximately 2 hours scouring the beach, as we search we see a couple taking a kayak out to explore the neighboring cat tails and canals. They ask what we are looking for as I wield my hand held garden hoe..."sea glass" ...of course! Wandering, I see deer tracks nearby and know we have just missed a few deer who often wander to the shoreline to drink.
Our backs are breaking and our hamstrings are aching from bending and searching, you have no idea how physically challenging a serious search can be. In any case we don't notice how achy breaky we feel until we actually leave. In the mean time we have collected another unusual haul.
I have found my first "frozen charlotte" (far right) very soon after finding this I find a white ceramic dolls leg (far left) and a white marble male torso (middle) . See attached photos. The tide is now coming in and it is an opportune time to return with the wind at our back and the incoming tide pulling us home!
September 20, 2009:
The last Sunday of the summer and it is absolutely glorious on the Hudson River today. The water is calm, there is a slight breeze and there is nothing but water in my path. The past few trips we have taken have been abundant with sea glass and so today, we feel like just paddling for a little upper body exercize.
Over the weekend we opened up our www.etsy.com store after taking the summer off and we posted our miniature sea glass art. Most of the illustrations are themed with images of our summer trip to Cape Cod, our kayaking and fishing. Check it out, under artonhudson. We have listed unique pieces of white and blue sea glass, which is the best canvas for the artwork. It will hopefully make you smile. Each one is totally unique!
Back to today's paddle...we are starting to see people in kayaks who we recognize and in some cases know, which is super cool because you just kind of pull up and lean back and chat as you are floating...kind of like bellying up to a bar. So, we saw Michelle and Rose who had just returned from a day trip to Piermont, where they paddled and had lunch and were on their way back to Memorial Park. We spoke about getting a group to kayak to Batterman's Island further north in the next few weeks.
We are also preparing for the 2009 North American Sea Glass Festival on October 17 & 18 in Erie, PA. a mere 7 hour drive from NYC! Well, we have our hotel reservations set, now do we drive, train it or fly? Either way, we will be there doing some show and tell (not selling) and I am so excited!!!
See you in Erie!
September 5, 2009:
Labor Day weekend and nothing but water! Today we head up towards Hook Mountain and continue to Haverstraw where a 3.5 mile bike/hike trail runs parallel to the river from Nyack State Beach. Having explored from both land and water I know this is a great area to frequent.
Benedict Arnold was captured here and hung for treason in the 1700's. We naturally think we are going to find a historic piece, but c'mon this stuff is buried by centuries of rock, dirt and development, in some cases.
We stop and exit the boats where we see many pieces of drift wood, planks, pieces of river craft and old docks probably washed up from the last high tide and affect of the full moon and rains.
Since my latest obsession is rope, it is all I train my eye for now as I balance my way through the debris. Aha! "ROPE!" I yell.
I am not quite sure why I suddenly have this thing for rope, but I think it all started when I saw a display at the UGG Boot store in Manhattan a few weeks ago. I am walking along Amsterdam Avenue and I see this fabulous window display. There it is...cut tree trunks of varying sizes with a piece of 2 inch thick marine rope wrapped around the bases...so nautical! Now I am looking for rope. I see this heavy... 
dirty rope entwined in some rock and branches. I have to have it! But it weighs about 20 lbs. and is quite difficult as rope goes! As we look it over we see an old fishing lure/spoon caught up in the rope. Two finds! Bonus! We stash the rope up the hill behind a tree and retrieve it by foot the next day. Our paddle continues and I say to myself "always an adventure on the Hudson!"
August 16, 2009:
The hottest summer day yet and a perfect opportunity to get on the river, stay cool and take advantage of the VERY low tide. Paddling south of the Tappan Zee and gingerly hugging the coast line, we make many stops picking up perfect beach glass shards. What is a perfect beach glass shard? It is a triangular shape, no bigger than a quarter and tumbled with no sharp edges. It can be any color; the more rare colors are teel, aqua, cobalt, red, orange, pink, black and grey. Today we are seeing the more common colors; white, green and purple, but the quality and shape are superb for our business cards (which you can view on the home page if you scroll down).
There are a few incredible surprises today. Under our favorite tree, overhanging the river and where we usually find more unusual pieces...I find a serving spoon with flower designs on the handle. There are no markings to indicate that it is Sterling, but it is old and interesting, a first for this type of discovery. Another first is a black button and then, a larger black button with a cross design...from a uniform? They are both made from glass, black glass which is rare. Today, I find TWO glass stoppers,
which are both light green in color and my kayak partner finds a turquoise glass stopper...VERY UNIQUE!
We continue to hunt until we see the tide turning, as the moored boats begin their slow dance towards the south indicating the incoming tide. North facing bow...the tide is moving out (low tide) and south facing bow is an incoming tide (high tide).
August 7, 2009:
After an unusual summer of lower than normal temperatures and great quantities of rain, today we finally get out on the river with great anticipation. We have the entire day to paddle and we plan to take full advantage of the tides. It's 9:30 a.m. and the tide is coming in, which means we travel North. The air temperature is about 75 degrees and the water temp is comparable. Equipped with life jackets and spray skirts we are off! As the tide pushes us along, we face a head wind, but it doesn't curtail our eagerness to take full advantage of the day. As we near Hook Mountain past Nyack, we begin the crossing to the East side of the Hudson River. We aim at Ossining Prison. Once in the shipping channel, the waves begin to kick up and the wind is erratic. This is fun. After an hour of riding this coaster of 4-5 foot waves, we realize that we aren't really making any progress towards are target so, we paddle harder. Finally, we arrive on the shore just north of Ossining Prison. The time is 11:13 a.m. We pull up to a slice of beach near a Coast Guard post and begin scouring for treasure. Lots of beach glass and drift wood here. We notice china shards and pieces of plates are washing up in the now receeding tide. After a few minutes we embark and head south. As we pass the prison, we look up toward the guard towers and wave at the guard standing on his perch. Wow, what a peaceful job with an amazing view of the Palisades and Hudson River!
As we pass closely, hugging and surveying the coastline, we notice a 100' high wooden wall, shaped in a triangle, but thick and we wonder "what the heck is this?"...OK, let's pull into the next beach and check it out! No sooner had we placed one foot on land, we hear a gunshot, then another, then a barrage! "let's get out of here!" Now, we are thinking that the guards are trying to scare us and shoo us away, but we figure out that the thick-walled structure is actually their shooting range.
Well, that certainly gets the adrenaline pumping! Heading south, there are five'-six' rollers pushing us along as if a massive hand of a strong north wind is physically urging us out of harms way?
Realizing that this trip is not only challenging because of the conditions, but that we have paddled farther than ever before, we settle into the fact that we happily have plenty of water, but as we near 1:30 p.m. we are famished. Knowing that Phillipsburg Manor is not far and there is a private beach club there with a landing, we are hoping to grab a quick bite and a cold drink, however this is not going to happen, there are no concessions anywhere!
OK, it is time to cross to the west side of the Hudson, the wind must be 15-20 knots, the waves bigger than I have seen and we are TIRED, sore, hungry, achy, but happy...turning we head in a perpendicular direction towards the village of Nyack. As we enter the shipping lane again, which is extremely unpredictable, we notice a tug chugging north that is approx. 1 mile south of us just past the Tappan Zee Bridge. My kayak partner says "paddle harder" she wants to outrun the tug! I roll my eyes and murmur, "here we go again..." we are paddling against all odds and I know it, but just to humor myself, I concede and keep working against the wind which is fully in my face and the rolling tide coming at me sideways. Having faced this situation before and seeing the size of the tug which I now make out as the "Irish Sea" I know in my heart that we are on a collision course with the boat, which as it approaches, I can see is the largest tug I have noticed on the Hudson before, probably 100' long.
I pull out of the paddle and tell my buddy to as well. She agrees almost immediately, we let the tug pass. Now, there is no great hurry and we paddle slowly and gingerly, muscles hurting all the way. Arriving finally at our final destination, it is coming on 2:30 p.m. - a six hour paddle. Today's unique finds include: two glass marbles, actually one and a half because the yellow and light blue marble is broken, some wonderful old china shards with markings and stamps, a turquoise glass bead shaped like a cone and a few yet to be identified pieces.
The marking below Masons Patent Ironstone China dates to 1815
Until our next adventure!
July 18, 2009: A simple paddle turns into a major find! "Beyond Beach Glass" today's chapter finds the Art on Hudson club paddling north, because its there...
Since I just returned from 8 days of intense focus on my major event of the year which takes place in LA, home of the Michael Jackson tribute that never ends, it was time to hit the H2O. Paddling north towards Nyack and Hook Mountain, we stop for a moment to watch our resident shore birds, the Black Crested Night Heron, circling overhead fishing for breakfast. There are two herons who hang under the Tappan Zee Bridge beside our sea wall. Their wing span is about five feet. We continue paddling towards a beach we haven't checked out for a while next to the Nyack Boat Club. There is lots of copper wire and oddball items that seem to appeal to me today. A great piece of rope, some twisted molten aluminum, a piece of animal hip and a section of molars from a deer??? My pal says "creepy" and I say "Beyond Beach Glass..."
Next stop Peterson's Ship Yard! There is lots of drift wood piled up on the rock jetty where someone obviously was directed to put the "garbage" and we picked out two very large and very long pieces and carefully placed them on the stern of the kayaks.
Once ashore, I notice that someone has bulldozed or dragged the beach so that the rocks, debris and beach glass are now pushed onto the far side of the beach. It is absolutely the BEST tumbled glass I have seen on the river and for that matter anywhere. Piece after piece of triangular (best shape) glass shards, tumbled soft and smooth in mostly whites and greens can be found in abundance. Surprisingly, I come across a fragment of a dutch pipe! I know this because they have them in museums and in articles and books I have read about the area of the Hudson River we are exploring. These tiny white clay pipes are probably 300 years old! I am so stoked and once we have filled our canvas bag and secured the drift wood onto the kayaks, we are set to return to the Ponderosa. It is time to create some art!
Dutch Pipe
July 5, 2009: Art on Hudson gals have decided to cross the River to Tarrytown and check out the goings on to the Northeast side of the Tappan Zee. It's a perfect day, sun and clouds, 74 degrees, low tide and calm. it's 2:00 p.m. and since we dont have to be back to the Ponderosa until 5:00 p.m. (to meet the dogwood ladies) we embark on a drift wood hunt.
The crossing is stunning, lots of boats of all shapes and sizes, two yachts passing, a few sailboats gliding, token jet skis driven by people who look like they are running from the law (ever notice that?), a tug and my goodness, a couple of kayaks!
We approach the rock jetty walls to the south of the Tarrytown lighthouse and with a particular garden sign in mind we notice a plank that would do the trick and it is retrieved. Further along we are seeing a variety of sun-baked driftwoods along the rocks, but nowhere to safely place the kayaks. We continue north where we know there is a small beach to plant the boats. Jumping out we are careful to take our paddles with us because there are onlookers hanging in the park...who probaly think this would be fun.
We see great bleached driftwood up and down the rocks and selectively, we pluck the manageable pieces...ones that will fit nicely under the bungees on the kayaks or in the storage compartments. Until this...my companion sees a magnificent piece of whitewashed cedar, six feet long and twelve inches wide, laying there like a beautiful slab of GIANT mackeral. "We have to take it with us!" I cry. "We'll never be able to move it!" She cries. "Yes, we can do this!" and you get the idea, this goes on for about 20 minutes until finally we have it in the water and are pushing it and heading back across the river to our destination, only 3 miles away.
Well, the rest is histerical in so many fun and evil ways. We try any number of methods of tying the piece, riding it, pushing, pulling and screaming at it. I glance around hoping a motor boat will come along and give us a pull. My arms and neck are strained and salty from three hours of paddling. It's 5:05 p.m. and I am "sent" home to fulfill my appt. with the dogwoods, my trusted partner is left to drag the monstrous piece from pole #150 to pole #0 along the bridge.
Within 30 minutes , there she is proudly pulling in our new family member! "Tappan" we decide to name it. Just another fabulous day on you know where!!
June 27, 2009: It's Saturday and it looks like a real winner, having already checked the tide charts we know that today is one of the lowest tides of the month due to the new moon and it peaks at 8:30 a.m. we are already in the kayaks at 7:30 a.m. and paddling south to our "secret spot" where we KNOW we will find plenty of treasure. The HUNT is on!
With the tide still pulling, we arrive at our destination within an hour, 4 miles down river. We pull up and thank goodness we have the booties, the petite waves create a clinkling noise where water meets glass and it washes back and forth. A fantastic sound that reminds you of delicate chimes... another good reason to wear kayak booties is to avoid a spectacular cut.
Today, I have a trowel with me, thinking if I dig I will find more. Not the way it is actually, because everything we see and pick is right on the beach itself. A wonderland of beach glass, china shards and weird and mysterious stuff from the 1900's and earlier, much earlier. We find a porcelain doll's leg, about 1" long, some of the paint is still in tact on the shoe. I find a couple of old pestals, as in, "mortar and pestal" that were used to grind powders, etc. Lots of black glass dating back to the 1700's which were known to hold beer.
We returned with quite a collection, in fact our kayaks were at least 20 lbs. heavier as we paddled back up the Hudson. It was all worth every minute of muscle pain. We LOVE it!
June 21, 2009:
What with the weather!!! Happy Fathers Day! We had a small break in the weather and after working in the yard all day, we decided to take a chance. It is muggy, the sun is poking in and out, a visitor stops with his homemade kayak, a teacher at Rockland Community College as it turns out. He tries out the surf ski and does remarkably well. We get the instant bug, the water calls...let's go to the "tree" for a hunt. As the tide pulls us out, it is low and we yearn to find some teasure along the shore. We pass Grand View Village Hall and promise ourselves we will stop on the return. Cruising with the out going low tide, we are quickly upon the spot where we know there are some beach glass shards for the taking. Yes!
Perfect triangle beach glass, no momentous colors but the shape is incredibly important too. As we move down the shore, we notice a storm swelling to the North, "let's do it!" We decide to outrun the storm (not smart, BTW) if it actually comes to that. As we pull up to the rocky shore, we are immediately engaged in the task at hand, "the hunt." China shards and a few bottle necks are found. But the treasure of the day, an antique toothbrush made of bone! Could it be GW's?!
Now, I think it is bone, my partner thinks it is plastic, because it is hard to believe that we have discovered this piece, into the bag it goes. Turns out it IS bone and probably dates to the eraly 1800's.
Time to go, the sky is thickening. We see rain over the Tappan Zee, moving East, there is a clearing to the West which is exactly where we are headed. "Start padding!!" it is immediate mayhem, as we fight through the driving rain and wind, I am happy! This is what I love, the adrenalin is kickin' in and I am chasing the storm ahead. We are going to beat it, BAM! The rain is hitting my face like pellets, feels GREAT! This is what it is to be alive, I think to myself. I dig and pull and we are all of a sudden in calm waters pulling up to the property, ahhhhhh! There is nothing better...
Another day where the rubber meets the river.
June 12, 2009: It's Saturday and after a week of rain we are in the mindset that it will not rain today. Our plan: a new trip. Today we are venturing across the river to the Ardsley-on-Hudson train station about a 50 minute paddle. As we cross we see a beautiful sailing vessel, "Mystic Whaler" from New London, CT heading up river, about 60' in length. Pulling along the Ardsley train station a family is waiting for the train all decked out in their Mets gear...they wished they could be us!
Anyway, our goal was to get down to Dobbs Ferry...why? I am not sure, but my grandmother said it was very "fashionable." This is all in the past now because it was a indistinguishable rivertown with a hazy view of New York City and the great cliffs of the Palisades. From here we move from the East bank due West to Tallman, our favorite spot. It is now raining, but the river is calm and the air is warm.
After picking up a few pieces of beach glass and china shards, including an old green glass bottle stopper, we slowly move along the western shore of the River past acres of cattails which move in and out as the high tide covers and and uncovers the long green strands like a million emerald necklaces caught in the water.
Now the paddling becomes meditative, we are on hour four and heading home. As I am paddling, I pull with a methodical beat making a clear path towards the Tappan Zee not thinking about much but listening to the water as my boat slices through. It is exhilerating and relaxing at the same time. There are three fishing boats camped under the bridge and six kayaks make their way towards us. We pull into the boat ramp pleasantly exhausted from another quiet day on the river.
400th Anniversary - Hudson River
June 6, 2009:
Where did May go? I will tell you, it rained the entire month...thus kayaking was limited, if not completely out of the question, but today was different. A sunny 80 degrees on the official Quadricentennial of Henry discovering the Hudson River in 1609. Pretty cool stuff. After foregoing an invitation to Antiques Roadshow in Atlantic City, we stayed local. Soon after checking out the Piermont Pier by bike, the officer on duty said "she'll be here in 15 minutes." We jumped back on the bikes and roared down River Road and slammed the kayaks into the River, immediately taking off towards the Piermont Pier. We could see the flotilla moving slowly up-river. It is incredibly deceiving because the ships look as if they won't fit under the Tappan Zee Bridge and secure thoughts of: "we can catch them" ....NOT!
After 45 minutes of paddling harder than I think I have ever paddled in my life, we were finally gaining. There she was the "Half Moon" followed by dozens of privately skippered sail boats, at least 4 coast guard power boats and even a police cigarette boat ominously gazing in my direction ...as I crossed the shipping lane of the mighty Hudson! That was the least of it because as I was desperately trying to reach the fleet, who was sailing from NYC to Albany, I was faced with an oncoming barge powered by a tug that seemed quite unforgiving about it's goal to get down-river! I had a few several hundred yards and fewer minutes to get out of the way. Without missing a beat, I pulled out my Canon digital with telephoto lense and captured the oncoming barge, splashing towards me. I can hardly relate the situation other than it was a dramatic moment which only fueled my desire to keep digging my paddle through the river water. I even gave a wave hello to the police boat, who's occupants could only stare me down with disdain.
After reaching the safe zone and now, on the other side of the river, I could take a breath. Behind us came a beautiful green wooden sail boat with a rust colored sail. The occupants said they had sailed from Philipsburg Manor, another sail boat crossed in front, someone yelled "I hope you have good insurance for that camera!" Very funny!
Now it was time to click away. Pete Seeger's Clearwater was just passing under the large span of the bridge and low and behold, here comes the Half Moon, "she's turning around!" I scream. We poise ourselves and I am clicking and my kayak mate is shooting film of the event.
Indeed, the Half Moon was just showing off in front of Tarrytown Harbor before returning to the Piermont Pier, where it would spend the night under a full moon and a huge, coordinated display of fireworks.
We stay on the River until our eyes feasted on enough of a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Just phenomenal!
Check out the slide show on You Tube, "400th Anniversary Hudson River" we set to Handel's Water Music, my favorite Handel piece introduced to me by my mom, Adele at an early age. Ma, I finally found a home for the piece, along side an awesome moment on the Hudson!
April 24: When the Art on Hudson gals heard about the summer weather we scampered to the kayaks and took right to the water. We still had spray skirts because the water was a tad cool, possibly 60 degrees at best. "OK" we said, let's cross the river, it's been a year and it looked awfully enticing! We paddled under the Tappan Zee, going north and continued for about ten minutes, then made a right 90degree angle and started the crossing. It was a beautiful day, about 78 degrees and going to 88. As we got closer to the shipping lane there was a wicked wind and white caps, it was surprising to see. As soon as we realized it was kicking up some hell, I said let's surf these 2-3 foot waves, since we had a south wind. So, we started to actually surf the waves north towards Hook Mountain and Nyack Beach. It was great fun! As the waves drove up behind the boat you just start paddling as hard as you can and poof, you are another 50 yards along!
We arrived at Nyack Beach and all the day trippers and tourists who had been cooped up all winter were sunning, fishing and sleeping on the small strand of beach at the foot of the park. We scoured the area and I came away with quite a treat, a long handled boat brush, which I strapped onto my kayak. As I was paddling back, I stopped at a private beach and found a brand new life jacket tangled up in a tree. Pluck!
Now, the fun began...all of a sudden there was a fierce south wind, I'd say 15 mph, which I wish I knew knots because I would sound more seaworthy, but it was BLOWING!
My partner in crime was in charge of her own destiny and decided it was best to get back home. I figured if I could just make one more stop at a beach I don't remember seeing before, perhaps the winds would die down. She waved goodbye, I was on my own. I found this great streatch of beach at the bottom of a cliff below a Nyack mansion, someone had dumped huge stone sculptures which were wedged into the ground, kinda sorta looking like a grave yard! There was also an old fort with gunnels filled with dirt. I tried to channel some spirits or treasures, but only came away with some galss shards. I figured to take a cement statuette, I would likely sink.
Next came the paddle back. It was one of the best workouts I have had and great timing because to get in shape for a summer of paddling this is what the doctor ordered. It was sooooooooo rough and wet I got!
By the time I could see the bend in the river by the west end of the Tappan Zee, I was actually relieved to be home. What a great day!!!
April 18: It is 6:00 a.m. and I can't sleep, what do you do when you can't sleep? Go kayaking, of course! As I look out the back window onto the water, it is like glass and that's all I need to motivate myself outside and into the boat...where the rubber meets the river...the sun is just breaking through the clouds and there are a series of planes taking to the sky, leaving jet trails across the horizon and there is a half moon over the Tappan Zee Bridge. Paddling north, it feels like a dream and since I am groggy with sleep, it could be...
Today we bring the video cam to capture what nature brings. We get a very dramtaic sun rise and some noisy geese, mallards and seagulls have their morning visit at the base of Memorial Park, in Nyack. A four woman crew is standing on the dock getting ready to put in and we just wait and watch. I have my fishing pole with me, along with blood worm bait and I toss a few lines in, which is challenging because I don't have an anchor to stay in one place...fishing quickly becomes a moot point.
After an hour of floating and nodding off, it's time to get back for a hearty breakfast. I can just smell the coffee and imagine the eggs and bacon sizzling in the pan...mmmmmm....just another day onm the mighty Hudson.
April 17: Welcome 70 degree weather! In search of colors today...beach glass hunting on the Hudson River beaches. The water is vibrating when we set in our kayaks. Amazing because there was a fine breeze and as it touches down on the river, it looks like it is vibrating to its rythym. As we bee line toward Piermont Pier, we see very few other water craft. Astriped bass comes to the surface to snag an insect... a huge fish. It takes almost 45 minutes to reach the Pier and we swing wide because there are at least a dozen fisherman leaning over their poles. It is striped bass season. It kicked off on March 26 and it has been so cold that there has been few takers, but today is different. Patience is key when bass fishing and generally you cast out your blood worm and set the pole in a pole holder and wait. There is a neat little gadget that attaches to the tip of the pole to alert you if there is a bite, it is a clip with two tiny bells attached, they ring when something hits the hook. Genius!
Heading south, we find to our favorite beach "dump" and pull up. We are mostly collecting "black glass" which is old and rare and as I mentioned earlier, I am looking for colors today. Reds, pinks, yellow, orange and teal are all rare colors. I do find a tremendous amount of teal beach glass as well as many different blues, such as a turquoise piece of milk glass. I also find a great selection of china shards with writing on the back or even part of a label. My favorite today is a fantastic deep blue patterned china piece, it is only 1/4" in diameter, a handsome design. I turn it over and WOW, it says wedge...wedgewood! What a find. Anyway, I will add a photo here of all the small pieces I find today and when I return. At least a dozen glass buttons too! Ice tray comes in handy to keep the smaller shards safe from getting chipped.
April 5: It's Saturday and it is Spring however, Spring is struggling to unite with the date and there is still a chill in the air. Today is 49 degrees but it doesn't stop us. The tide is low and the river is calling for us to make a journey today for scavenging. Low tide is the right time to find treasures hidden between the rocks and buried under the sediment and sand. We gear up with long sleeve shirts, wind breakers, fleece vests, long shorts, kayak booties and a hat...d'oh! Our wonderful neighbor, Nancy says "are you two crazy!?" but the idea of picking along the coast just makes it all TOO EXCITING to bear!
We head to one of our favorite spots (where the old safe was found - see an earlier adventure about the safe below) under the huge willow just a 20 minute paddle away. It is so good to feel the weight of the water against my arms as I paddle through and glide along with a terrific tail wind at our backs. We are supposed to have 40 mph winds today, but no bother...if equipped properly, as we are with gloves and a spray skirt, it isn't too much of an issue...always stay smart about weather though!
Once on shore, I am surprised by the lack of "stuff" we see because this spot always yields great china shards, bottle tops and blue glass, especially. Turns out, we are kind of too far to the north of the spot and as we wander down the rocky beach, POW! We start to find select-type river glass. Today, we find unique items: a glass stopper, probably from an old perfume bottle, an ornate twisted glass handle, a periwinkle-colored (rare color) glass bottle top and a brass key which has been broken in half! See image above...next I see a plate wedged against a bolder and begin to pry, little by little it loosens, but not without a fight. In fact, I slice my finger pretty well as I do this. There is blood, but it doesn't seem to matter because there is a greater reason...the plate, which is in it's original state and is unbroken! This brings me to mention an interesting phenomenon about treasure hunting for river glass. It is terrifically satisfying to find just a part of something, a shard, a broken piece, half of a stamp on the back of a piece of china, like that...usually an unidentifiable making your imagination go off into unchartere an old d territory wondering what it is and how old it could be. Well, the plate is finally set free from the rocks and BORING, it is just an old white plate, no markings and immediately discarded.
Two hours go by, I realize that can't feel my toes or my fingers, I am bloody and think it would be a smart idea to get back home, get dry and get some first aid. As we return, the wind and surf are strating to pick up. The rally caps gets turned backward and we dig out the water, making our way back up the river. Brrrrrrrrrrrrr! Is it really Spring??
March 15: Back in South Florida for some sun and sport for a long weekend. WOW, the fishing was absolutely tremendous this weekend. Using live bait (shrimp) I snagged a couple of Pompano (14"), Seatrout (20") and of course, the lowly and pudgified Catfish. The Pompano and Trout were great eating fish. This was the first time I tasted Pompano and while I wasn't sure how I was going to cook it, I heard it was tasty fish. After fileting the fish myself, I knew it would be delicious pan-fried, just from the consistancy of the flesh, which was fine and dense. I dusted it in flour and sauteed it in butter, olive oil, garlic and lemon and finished it off with a dash of white wine. It was delicious and actually reminded me of Sand Dabs. The Trout went the way of seasoned breadcrumbs, again pan-fried in olive oil and a touch of lemon. This is a much denser and stronger tasting fish, but, oh so good!
For sport, we took the surf skiis out onto the intercoastal for our last chance to maximize a paddle because we were getting ready to fly home to NYC later in the day. It was beautiful weather, 80's and sunny with a clip of South West wind. The surf skiis we had the advantage of using are extremely tippy and with peddles that maneuver the rudder on a dime, you can be in the water before you know it. They move nicely and by the time you actually realize you have been paddling for a while, you are already a few miles away from your original launch point. We had the tide and the wind against us and strangely, it was easier to control the boat under these conditions than on the return, which was with the wind and the current, not to mention being caught in the crosshairs of the mammoth pleasure cruisers motoring along through the channel! I was literally stuck at a buoy for ten minutes while 30' and 40' yachts powered through foolishly, without even noticing that I was there. I felt like Rodney Dangerfield was at the helm! Yelling "turkey" and other obscenities, I ultimately kept my balance (not my cool) until the traffic cleared and continued the paddle back to Englewood from Royal Palm Marina.
March 5: Absolutely the earliest we have been able to launch the kayacks onto the river. Today the air temperature is 63 degrees! The river is flat, with a mirror finish. our lat muscles are twittering as we slowly paddle north along the shore. The water is murky and still wintry looking. There are fisherman lined up on the rocks hoping to catch a random striped bass. We pull into shore to visit a neighbor. There are a few pieces of river glass for the pockets.
We have been introduced to the world of ETSY, a place to buy and sell original and unique artwork...look for Art On Hudson there, coming soon! Meanwhile we have pieces at "Outside in Piermont" along with local artists, a great place to stop for a cup of tea and fun conversation with Bill and Joe. They are located on the canal on Ferdon Street.
Lots going on at Riverspace (formerly the Helen Hayes Theatre) in Nyack. Wonderful programming such as "Conversations with Mike Nichols," director of classics like The Graduate, Carnal Knowledge, Silkwood...very interesting evening and Diane Sawyer came along! This is what we do during the winter and early spring months while waiting patiently for the right weather to arrive so that we can get back to basic scavenger hunting and paddling on the mighty Hudson.
I am working on a unique new piece inspired by the movie "Who Does She Think She Is" it is about women and their art, while juggling family and relationships. A documentary by Academy Award winning director, Pamela Tanner Boll. The women talk about goddesses, a female diety and how women were once only thought of as a goddess, this was 10,000 years ago. How times have changed! I have a goddess piece in the works, made from drift wood, she will have a river glass heart. Watch for the finished piece here!
February 15: Tallman Mountain, located on the cliffs of the Palisades between Sparkill and Piermont, NY, was calling us on Sunday. The weather has been enticingly sunny and since the temperature broke the freezing mark, we took advantage of the day. Since it is still too cold (for us) to get the kayaks mobilized, we decided to hike the trail leading into the mountain from route 9W. The trail is marked and we follow it East. Chesnut casings litter the path and it's hard to keep balance, but we traverse the still frozen ground for 1/4 of a mile. Seeing the ridge of the mountain, it is time to veer off the trail and seek the water's edge. To do this we take the fire break developed for accessing fires and other emergencies including downed electric lines and as we follow the break it begins to descend quite radically and we find ourselves gingerly lowering ourselves down the side of the mountain.
We know we are getting closer to the river because we see the cat tails hovering in the breeze, they are indicative of the lower Piermont waterway that we are so familiar with when we are kayaking these parts. As we reach level ground, we turn south and continue our hike towards Sneden's Landing, one of our favorite little settlements along the river, located directly across from Dobb's Ferry. Now it starts to get a little more interesting because we know it is low tide, however there are some challenges; water, trees, rocks, vines, leaves and mud to deal with. Our goal is to reach some land where we can walk freely and perhaps find a treasure or two. The brambles are almost impossible to break through so we are forced to climb upward, along the face of Tallman Mountain. Now I am thinking, black snakes, bear, holes, sprained ankles...alone in a remote area...this is when the natural paranoia sets in and we say, almost simultaneously "we are certifiably insane!"
Should we continue?
Sure, we have come this far (approximately 2 miles) and we realize we WILL see signs of life...eventually. Up and down we climb until we find secure, level land and lots of mud...is it quick sand?! We have arrived, there it is a semi-level beach area, just littered with drift wood and broken buoys, garbage washed up from the ongoing tides, a toy gun, some shards of river glass and lots of sandy mud!
After catching our breath, we make our way to the closest available road which leads us back to route 9W. As we walk along, we are still laughing at the apparent need to reach the river's edge, where we are so used to kayaking and it all amounts to the fact that we cannot wait until Spring when we can again launch the kayaks into our river and scour the shores again.