Touring a Town's History

Ah, Spring. The flowers are blooming and the house tours are happening. This weekend I enjoyed a tour of historic homes in Yorktown, many dating from the 1700's and with a juicy role in the Revolutionary War. In between ogling at wide floor boards and beehive ovens, we stopped at Peter Pratt's Inn for a delightful lunch on the patio and a chat with a real revolutionary soldier (okay, it might have been a local history teacher). It was a great way to spend the afternoon—and to get to know the area even better.

Sounds of Spring

Ah, the snow has melted and spring is in the air. (Which doesn't mean that it won't snow again!) Check out the video posted on Westmoreland Sanctuary's Nature Notes of the Wood Frogs who like to hang out in woodland pools— and make quite a racket!

Sunset

The view from the train, coming home early last week (before the ice on the river melted).

Welcoming 2011

As always, the family rang in the new year with a walk in the woods. The sky was a bit overcast and the snow drifts across the path were a challenge at times, but it was a very beautiful walk. Truthfully, we walk in the woods most weekends—but there is something very satisfying about doing it on the first day of the year. It's a promise to ourselves to make sure that, no matter what the year brings, we find time to do the things we love—and to take advantage of where we live.

Ogling in Ossining

The November issue of Elle Decor sports a feature article on the Ossining home of Doug Turshen and Rochelle Udell.  Located in the Sparta Historic District, part of the house dates to 1789 and part was added in 1921. The owners, both art directors, purchased the place four years ago and then embarked on a six-month renovation—which left the exterior untouched. Inside, they removed woodwork and moldings to pare down the spaces. Their biggest change was in the dining room, which they paneled with quarter-sawn oak. Check out the article for more photos and details. 
Images: Elle Decor

Most Beautiful Homes Around?

You know what they say about beauty. Well, Westchester Home magazine published a list of "The 10 Most Beautiful Homes in Westchester," and I can't say I behold things as they do. But some of their picks sure are beauties. Of the ten, four are in the area this blog covers: in (clockwise, from top left) Bedford, Croton, Yorktown, and Katonah. These are nice indeed (love the Croton place!), but I can think of some others that I prefer. Check out the article for details.
Images: Westchester Home

Fruit of My Land

This is my ninth harvest here in Northern Westchester and I still can't get over the fact that the trees on my own land produce a bounty of edible delights. There's nothing like spending a crisp early fall day picking apples off of your trees and then biting into the tart and delicious meat. The next best thing is eating the apple pancakes I had for breakfast. Or the apple bread I had for lunch. Or the apple pie...

Moody Monday Morning

The beauty before the storm yesterday morning, as seen from my train window pulling out of the Croton-Harmon station.

My Staycation

I spent my holiday weekend within a short radius of my house, but still managed to get in a lot of scenery, sun, splashing, and fireworks. Living in the lower Hudson Valley is a joy, especially in the summertime. Hope you all had a great holiday, too!

Summer Hours

The weather is hot and the blogger is disinterested. It happens every year, right about now. So, my apologies for blowing off last week's Weekend Picks post. Thanks to my traffic trackers, I know that a lot of you check the site every Friday and use the picks post. I feel bad for letting you down—and for not promoting the many cool things that were going on this weekend. I hope you all found out about them elsewhere. In the coming months, I'll do my best to keep the critical posts going, but expect fewer posts than usual. Truth is, I'd rather enjoy the sunset on the river (as seen from Croton Point Park this weekend, above) than be at the computer.

Living (and Selling) Westchester Modern

The spring issue of Westchester Home magazine is all about modern living in the county. The cover story features a 1957 home  designed by Skidmore, Owings, Merrill architect Arthur Witthoefft. Once on the verge of being bulldozed, the house was restored by Todd Goddard and his partner, Andrew Mandolene. Mr. Goddard is a realtor with Houlihan Lawrence who specializes in what the magazine calls "high-end iconic contemporary properties." His website, architecturalhomesny, has info on his house and his current roster of mod listings (one of which has the distinction of being a hot property). While the homes are pretty strictly high-end, the site is a fun read.
Photos: Westchester Magazine

Spring is in the Air

Nesting along the Croton reservoir.
Image by The Arch1

Ain't We Lucky We Got Em

All in all, 2009 was a pretty rocky road. Fortunately, I live in an area where it's a little easier to forget about the stress and anxiety of the so-called real world. I took these photos over the past year in places in Northern Westchester where I had some truly good times. Here's wishing us all many more.

And to all a good night!

Photo by bknydugga

Sunday Evening in the Park in Peekskill

Seasonal Sights

Colorful reflections on the Croton Reservoir in Yorktown.
Photo by richdrogpa.

Kitchen Inspiration

The latest issue of Westchester Home magazine features this "dream kitchen" in Chappaqua. The 330 square foot space serves as a family kitchen but also functions as the headquarters of Marissa’s Kitchen, doing duty for cooking classes and catering. The cabinets are bamboo and the counters are Firelslate.
Images: Westchester Home

Views of the River

The stunning  Peekskill Bay is just one of the photographs by Joseph Squillante shown in the exhibit "Icons of the Hudson: Portrait of a River" at the Field Library gallery through October 25.

On Vacation

This spot at Muscoot Farm is one of my favorite places to chill. But, as glorious as our area is, sometimes it is nice to get away. Which is what I'm doing for the next 10 days. Have fun!
Image: Muscoot Farm by JMS2

Water Keeps Falling

The near-daily rainfall throughout June brought plenty of water to the Croton Resevoir and falls, as can be seen in this photo taken a week ago by mathewmiggz. You can almost hear the roar.