Spring Semester

     'Know thyself.'

     OK. Sounds like a good idea.

     Who am I to argue with a Greek philosopher? Socrates no less. Unfortunately I can't help you much with that task. It's kind of a 'between you and you' thing.

      'Know thy place.'

      Now that is more up my alley. Exploring the world around us and pondering how we fit into it.

     With that in mind I want to pass along a list of upcoming tours offered thru SUNY Adirondack's continuing ed program. They look like fun ways to 'Know thy place.' These are all Washington County oriented but there are others in Warren and Saratoga. Check the website for a complete list.

* Mapleland Farms Tour

   March 23 - Wednesday - From 2 to 4pm

   Visit the Campbell family's operation during the height of 'sugar season'. See how the trees are tapped and the sap turned into syrup. Bonus: the breathtaking view of the Taconics looking east from Bunker Hill Road.

* Northern Cross Vineyard Tour

   April 8 - Friday - From 2 to 4pm

   Featuring another of my favorite liquids! See how grapes are grown and wine is made.

Dave and Marge

* Ideal Dairy & Argyle Cheese Farmer Tour

   April 13 - Wednesday - 1 to 3pm

   I milked one cow this morning. At Ideal Dairy they milk 3000 cows. So I guess we're in the same business. Sort of. See how dairying has evolved and then visit  Argyle Cheese's processing plant and store. Both are in Hudson Falls and if you're wondering why it's called Argyle Cheese you'll just have to ask Marge. She used to do my taxes and I still miss the view from the office/home/farm up on Coach Road. And I miss seeing Marge too. An amazing lady.

* Pleasant Valley Farm Tour

   April 25 - Monday - 1 to 3pm

   Here's a chance to visit another farm and this one was still in Argyle last time I checked. Paul and Sandy Arnold have been growing veggies, fruits and herbs since 1988. 

* Old Fort House Museum Tour

   April 27 - Wednesday - 1 to 3pm

   Local historian R. Paul McCarty will show you the buildings and grounds of this Fort Edward landmark.

* Strand Theatre Tour

   April 29 - Friday - 1 to 3pm

   Another local landmark. Hudson Fall's Strand Theatre has been around (off and on) since 1923. It's currently enjoying an exciting rebirth.

On Rogers Island

* Rogers Island Tour

   May 4 - Wednesday - 1 to 3pm

   Rogers Island is more than a Hudson River stepping stone on the way to Fort Edward. Archeologists have uncovered a rich history here dating back to early Native Americans and the frontier wars before the Revolution. R. Paul McCarty will share his knowledge on this walking tour of the island and visitors center.

* Tour and lunch at Skene Manor

   May 6 - Friday - 11:30am to 1:30pm

   Views, lunch and a look at the opulent splendor of days gone by in Whitehall.

* Salem Art Works

   May 18 - 1 to 3pm

   The Cary Hill Sculpture Park never fails to amaze and the views into Vermont aren't too shabby either. The pond and Beaver Brook add to the ambience.  

 

     

Born to Wander

     Bye, Bye Bernice was my 2015 farewell post to a remarkable woman. Bernice Ende (aka Lady Long Rider) had spent the winter of 2014-2015 in Fort Edward and was preparing to leave as spring approached. Her time here was but a brief chapter in a long sea to shining sea journey that covered some 8000 miles over two and a half years ... all on horseback.

     Now it's time to say a final farewell. Bernice Ende passed away on October 2, 2021 at her sister's house in New Mexico. Over her lifetime she logged more than 30,000 miles with a number of horses and her beloved dog Claire. For more on her extraordinary travels you can read her book, watch a movie about her and visit a website which remains up for the time being. 

     Gwenne, Holly and I visited her several times in the winter she spent here. What always struck me was how she was more interested in our lives, in what we were doing, than in talking about herself. She was a thoughtful, contemplative person but couldn't easily explain why she spent days in the saddle, nights on the ground. On her website she does mention four reasons for her travels: To encourage female leadership. To discover, learn and grow. It's her personal version of the oft repeated justification for climbing mountains: "Because it's there".

     We all develop our own individual relationship with place. For most it's about finding somewhere secure and nurturing to live out our lives, to raise our families. But not for everyone. Somewhere deep in our DNA is the nomad gene that urges us to wander, to see what is beyond the next hill. It's what lead us out of Africa, to explore every nook and cranny of our world and even to venture into space. It may someday be the end of us as our travels are now fueled by spewing carbon into the air and have become so efficiently globe-spanning that we can spread deadly virus's in a matter of days.

     That's why I'm thankful for those who show us how to scratch the wandering itch simply, quietly while doing no harm. Thankful for people like Bernice Ende. 

     * Joni Mitchell's poetic sensibility touches on the deep stirrings that send us roaming. Here's a link to her Urge For Going.