On a Break

I'm taking a little rest and relax break. See you all soon.

Weekend Picks—Pick Your Own

I didn't get around to selecting weekend picks. In the spirit of our local "U Pick" farms, please post your own suggestions for fun things to do in the area this weekend. I've included one to get you started.

Moonviewing Concert The Japanese Stroll Garden, lit by paper lanterns, is a magical setting for this ancient custom, Saturday, 6:30 pm. Hammond Museum

Behind the Camera

Catch the award winning film "Bill Cunningham New York" that tells the inside story of the famed New York Times photographer. For decades, Cunningham chronicled fashion trends and high society in his columns “On the Street” and “Evening Hours.” Now this documentary takes a look at his life and times. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday at 8:00 pm. Paramount Center for the Arts

Early Birders

Join the farm's birder for a morning bird walk through the pastures and hiking trails to identify species. Tuesday, 7:30 am. Hilltop Hanover Farm

Rental: Teatown Treat

Year Built: 1930
Square Feet: 4,133

Bedrooms: 3

Property: 0.599 of an acre

Location: The Croton section of the Teatown area.

Best features: Location and charm. Set in a nice spot on lovely Blinn Road in the Teatown section, this property is a sweet spot to spend some time. (For hikers, it's a stone's throw from Bald Mountain, Teatown Lake Reservation, and the Teatown-Kitchawan hiking trail.) The large house has a nice living room with cathedral ceilings, a lovely dining room, and some great fireplace mantels. Outside, there's a killer front porch and a sweet rear patio.

Downside: The small property is a downside, but for a rental there's more than enough land.

Monthly Rent: $4,200

Agency: Sotheby's International

Maps: Google Map, bing Map

Wednesday Night Music

Enjoy the sounds of Jon Cobert, a musician who is adept at the piano, organ, accordion, guitar, bass, drums, and singing. He'll be performing tunes from his new CD, "Here's your Canoe". Wednesday, 8:00 pm, at 12 Grapes Music and Wine Bar.

Micro Brews, To Go

"A new shop in Croton-on-Hudson is now offering a constantly changing lineup of brews in growlers; most of them are not even available in traditional bottles. The Green Growler Grocery has a half-dozen draft lines ready to fill 32- or 64-ounce jugs (about $7 to $9, or $10 to $17 each)... The bottles cost $3.50 and can be brought back for refills — or you can bring your own."

— The New York Times article on the Green Growler Grocery in Croton. Check out the shop's website for a list of current brews. The store also sells all you need to brew your own at home.

Weekend Picks

My picks for the best activities and things to do this weekend in Northern Westchester

Peekskill Celebration Come down to the Riverfront Green Park to enjoy dragon boat races, festival foods, music performances, Underground Railroad tours, petting animals, and the nighttime fireworks extravaganza. Friday and Saturday. Peekskill Celebration

Caramoor International Jazz Festival The three-day festival is packed with jazz legends and innovative voices on the international scene. Pianist Renee Rosnes and her own quartet kicks off the festival, followed by virtuoso bassist Christian McBride, guitarist Juan Carlos Formell, Jason Moran, Edmar Castaneda, and many others. Friday through Sunday. Caramoor International Jazz Festival

Guided Nature Hike Join a hike lead by a naturalist on the trails through the sanctuary. Saturday, 10:00 am. Westmoreland Sanctuary 

What Do You Do if Someone Wants to Eat You? Hide! Run! Fight back! Explore these methods and others that animals use to protect themselves from being a predator’s lunch. Saturday, 1:00  pm. Teatown Lake Reservation

Evening Howl Enjoy visiting the wolves during their favorite hour - dusk. Learn about the mythology, biology and ecology of wolf families and discover why summer is a magical time for packs in North America. Saturday, 7:00 pm. Wolf Conservation Center

River Day Take a boat-ride and celebrate our relationship to the river in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Hands-on activities include fishing, hearth cooking, and brick making. Sunday, 12:00 to 5:00 pm. Van Cortlandt Manor

Annual Small Press Celebration Enjoy listening to readers from Slapering Hol Press, Toadlilly, Westchester Review, and Inkwel. Sunday, 4:30 pm. Hudson Valley Writer's Center

In Town Tudor

Year Built: 1929
Square Feet: 2,777 
Bedrooms: 4

Property: 0.31 of an acre

Location: Mt. Kisco, on a nice street and just steps from the shops and restaurants

Best features: If you're looking for a walkable location, this is one of the best the area has to offer. The house is one block from Main Street and a short walk to the train station, library, and everything else in Mt. Kisco. The slate-roofed abode has loads of Tudor charm and a great screened porch. Inside, the rooms are gracious and boast some nice details—love that stairway banister!

Downside: It looks like some sprucing up is in order.

Taxes: $10,463

Asking Price: $620,000

Agency: Coldwell Banker

Maps: Google Map, bing Map

Nature, by Black Light

What's out and about at night? Take a walk as darkness falls to black-light for splendid creatures of the night. Thursday, 8:00 pm, at Teatown Lake Reservation.

Local Farmland Protected

The Yorktown Patch reports that Yorktown, Cortlandt, and Westchester County have joined forces to ensure that Hemlock Hill Farm remains protected from development. The owners of the 118-acre farm, located in the towns of Cortlandt and Yorktown, sold the conservation easement for the land to the county. The purchase of the $2.7 million easement will ensure the continuation of the family-owned farm well into the future. Check out the farm's store for dairy products, meat, poultry, eggs, and more.

The Buzz on Beekeeping

What's the latest trend to hit Northern Westchester? According to an article in The New York Times, the area is abuzz with beekeepers. Beekeeping classes at Peter Pratt’s Inn in Yorktown Heights and at the John Jay Homestead in Katonah are finding a growing number of interested attendees. Classes have also been held at the Teatown Lake Reservation, Muscoot Farm, and other area spots (and are often featured in my Weekend Picks). The Times quotes Margaret von der Meden, who tends four hives at Hilltop Hanover Farm in Yorktown Heights, as saying, “When I started 13 years ago, no one was doing it. Today, people are beekeeping all over the place.” Ms. Von der Meden belongs to Croton Bees, a beekeeping club with over 30 members, and has recently started producing a line of bee-based creams, Beehive Goods. If you'd like the pleasure of local honey without the trouble of beekeeping, Peter Pratt's Inn sells it own honey and several local brands are for sale at both Hilltop Hanover Farm and Table Local Market.

Image: The New York Times

On the Set

Croton Gorge Park was taken over for a few days last week by the filming of Gods Behaving Badly, the movie based on Marie Phillips' novel starring Christopher Walken, Sharon Stone, Edie Falco, and other notables as Greek Gods. The movie is set—and mostly filming—in Manhattan, but the park is standing in for Zeus' mansion (note the faux doors erected along the dam's wall). The film is set to release in 2012.