Stone Barns Center

I started a photography class in the beginning of May at the Stone Barns center in Westchester. What a beautiful place this is. It is such a joy to be able to visit there every week for the afternoon. Each week our teacher Todd gives us an assignment and then we walk around and shoot. We meet at the end to go over the photographs we took the last week. I really like having a focus for photographing the area. My favorite was the one where we had to go to a spot on the property and sit for 20 minutes before we picked up our cameras. What a difference that time made in what I saw and what I shot. We had to do that in three different places. This past week we had to work with back-lighting or side lighting. I had such a great time I ended up shooting 4 rolls of film (Jay is really wishing I had gone digital now.) Anyway, here are some of the photgraphs I took in the past few weeks.


 

 

Adventures with Lisa

My friend Lisa is in from Ohio and staying with a friend of hers in Summit, NJ. Yesterday afternoon I drove down to visit with her. We headed over to the Short Hills Mall to walk around and then have dinner. First, this mall is crazy...very upscale. You know you are in a different world when the cars being featured throughout the mall are porsches and bentleys. There is even a store that sells wolf ranges and subzero fridges... it was wild. After the stores closed we had dinner at Pappa Razzi and then started out to find our way back to her friend's house. Let me just say that street signs in NJ are not always the best and forget about it in the dark. We were driving all over the place, heading in circles, can you say LOST? Well now I am one of the most law abiding people, I hate to do things that I know are wrong and when I do I generally get caught, last night was no exception. After driving around I started getting lazy in my U-turns. I would take them anywhere, not looking for a driveway or street. Well, as we were headed in the wrong direction once more, the street was totally empty and I just said, forget it, I'll turn around. Little did I know that I was on a ramp that was a one way ramp. All of a sudden I realize all the signs are facing away from me so I quickly take another illegal U-turn. Phew, no problem, we are headed the right way, life is good. That is until the lights start flashing in my rearview mirror. "Can I see you license, registration and insurance card ma'am?" Says the big police officer. Of course I couldn't find my registration and insurance card, I am now sick to my stomach as I ask the officer if I can call my husband to ask where those cards might be. I find them as I wait for Jay to answer the phone. Now I wait for the policeman to come back to my car to show him. I see him in his car working on his computer, writing something in a book and I tell LIsa I am so getting a ticket. It takes forever for him to come to back to get my papers and then he tells me he is not going to give me a ticket and that he is going to escort Lisa and me to Peggy's house. Once I dropped Lisa off and found my way, legally, back home I have made a decision- I am never going to Summit, NJ again! :)

The Finish

Tuesday night the site was shut down because we were so far ahead of schedule. When I arrived on Wednesday morning the house was all blocked off but before long work started again and I was back on food duty. We were mostly just hanging around trying to find a way to get into the house to see how it all looked. I went up to the head guy and asked if he needed us to go in and start cleaning things and it was a go. I am sure everyone would have liked if I got a picture of myself cleaning... we all know how much I like doing that, especially bathrooms. I did manage to get a few shots of some of the semi finished rooms
This is the bathroom for the master bedroom. Everything here was done right, the vanity was beautifully made, Great stone tiles, really nice, but very dusty and filled with all kinds of construction dirt.
This is the master bedroom. The wall paper is beautiful and I loved the special Pella windows, they had these special privacy shades that are so pretty. Love it!
This is the sunset room for one of the family's daughters. I can't wait to see the show to see what it all looked like when the furniture is in. The show is supposed to come on in the middle of July. 

Day 2

Things really moved after we left Sunday night and when I arrived at 6am Monday morning the house was looking great. Today I would make sure I got inside the house. My chance came as I took care of the food and drinks up by the site. I grabbed a case of water and headed in to get drinks to the guys inside. It was hot, dusty and filled with guys. I climbed over debris and deposited water on all 3 floors. The upstairs had 4 bedrooms, a laundry room and three full baths. Main level had living space, kitchen and dining area a coat closet, one bedroom and a full bath. Lower level had the garage, some kind of family room (?) and a bathroom. It also had a crawl space for storage.
While I supplied food the traditional way, Paul the designer had his own technique for feeding the guys.
The beginning of the kitchen. Everything they used in this house was top quality. 

Day one Extreme Makeover

Sunday night Jay had arranged for 20 of our friends to help out at the makeover house site. We all arrived by 5:30 ready to do anything. The crowds were unbelievable and that was just the volunteers!! We were told to sit around the volunteer area and wait to be called to help. Jay took off to check on the site and see if he could hook us up with something to do. And disappeared. We sat....and sat..and sat. It was nice to get caught up with some old friends but we were all ready to work. I started helping in the food tent just ot have something to do and before long I was sent to the food tent by the house to check on supplies there..Whoo Hooo, I put on my hard hat and took off to see the house. Most of the others got tired of waiting and were gone by the time I got back. There were just too many people volunteering. If only they waited a little longer because before too long we were pulling people off the street to help. Anyway, the house was moving along quickly and we had a blast just being there.
This is what the house looked like when we arrived at 6- this is just 26 hours after demolition was complete. Amazing!!!
Here I am with Anna and my dad. Anna and I were on the job bringing ice up to the worksite to keep the drinks cold- very important business. We headed home at midnight and I had a few short hours to sllep cause I was back on the schedule for 6am. My goal for Monday was to get into the house!! 

Extreme Home Makeover

Last week Jay got a call from a friend telling him that EHM was going to be in our area the next (this) week and that they were looking for volunteers, was he interested? Well is the Pope Catholic? We are faithful watchers of this show and were thrilled at the possibility to help out. So, guess where I will be tomorrow night at 6PM-12AM? And then on Monday at 6AM -12PM? Can you say, Ty, would you like a little cream in your coffee? Or maybe I will be saying, Of course Paulie, I can drag that pile of cardboard over there to the garbage container. I am so excited I could spit (actually in the dental world we say expectorate.) Now I am figuring what to wear that I have plenty of room for my camera... I hope they allow them. Who knows if the designers will even be there when we are...I don't even care. I am so excited to be a part of this. I just hope I am not disappointed in how things are done. See you on TV!

Saturday at the Celery Farm

Yes, I am a little obsessed with this place. I am loving heading there early in the morning and walking around the trail and just watching the wild life. I have been lucky enough to see not one but 2 ospreys fly in, dive down, catch a fish and then fly off. Awsome. Yesterday I saw a kingfisher- so beautiful and a reminder of Africa where I saw some of his relatives. The swans are waiting on the hatching of their babies and the carp are having a field day mating or whatever it is that they do along the banks of the water. I saw a molestation of a female duck by a male mallard, at least it seemed like a molestation, the female did not seem too happy. This morning a muskrat swam almost right up to me before he dove down under water to disappear. I just love being there.
Can you blame me? This place is so beautiful and nestled in, right there in the middle of surburban Bergen County NJ.
Ok, picture this... I am walking along the trail and I hear some tapping. "Ah, must be a woodpecker I say to myself," and I start searching the trees where I Hear the noise. I see nothing..I am actually looking at the wrong tree... until I see a woodpecker come flying up and land on the tree next to where I am looking. Another woodpecker peeks her head out, flies out of the tree and the male woodpecker pops in. Tap..tap..tap..tap. It goes on for about 5 minutes(or maybe it was one but it seemed like 5 minutes) and they switch places again. I watched for a couple of switches before moving on along the trail. What a cool experience. Tomorrow Jay wants to come with me and see this place I keep talking about. 

Colorizing my world

Finally the paint is going on the walls in my house. All last week while I was away the painters have been working on the addition and my living room. Jay has given up some of his fear of color and I am having fun. Our living room is a lovely shade of blue. I think it is called belladonna. I am loving it but think I might need to get all new upholstelry (however you spell it)
My craft room is a very bright shade of yellow, I am happy just thinking about it.
The new bathroom is a bright (Almost neon) shade of green
The mudroom is going to be this grayish shade of blue. I am going to love it with the stone floor. I can't wait to see it all done. 

National Postal Museum

Shelby and I had seen a show on the Smithsonian and both wanted to visit the postal museum it featured. They have a letter that survived the Hindenburg's explosion and another that survived a train robbery from the 1800s. I know this sounds more like my inner nerd coming out but this was a cool museum. We all enjoyed walking through it's exhibits and while I won't say it is my favorite museum I can say I really had fun there.
 

B&O Train Museum

On Tuesday we headed sown to VA to visit with Tamsen and her family. On our way we stopped at my Uncle Bill's and had breakfast with him. Then we headed into Baltimore and went to the B&O Train museum, a place my dad has tried to visit in the past but never made it. It was a beautiful day and we had a great time wandering around looking at all the exhibits. The Round House was a beautiful building just on its own.
One of the trains on display was this Gratitude train from France used during WWII. My dad shared that this was the kind of train he traveled through France when he was overseas during the war. They called it 40+8 car meaning that it would hold 40 men or 8 horses. When I looked at the train closer there was a plaque stating just that, just in French. It was so cool.
Just one of the engines in the round house
We ended our visit to the museum with a train ride on the B&O. I am so glad we got to share this with Dad. 

NY Car Show

Last Monday night we took the Ferry into NY and went to see the car show. Loved all the Hybrids on show- I hope a lot of people get them. Jay, Shelby and I all loved this remake of the Charger- Wonder if they will make it in a Hybrid?
We got to see two Shelbys there. Shelby keeps thinking we need to buy one for her. I wish we could afford it.
This Ford super Chief was unbelievable. The back seats had foot rests, real ones. The steering "wheel" was like a plane's. Very cool car.
Jay met the Geico Geecko- How cute are they? 

Easter at the Celery Farm

I went back to the Celery Farm today with my father and my sister Janet. It was such a beautiful day, we had brunch at The Mason Jar and needed to get out and walk. "Why not go to my favorite new spot?" I asked. And off we went. The park was packed once again ( I like it much better early in the morning before others are there.) I got to see some of my favorite birds and today we got to see some turtles, big big turtles, and I cuaght sight of my first muskrat!! It was way cool.
Dad enjoying the sights from a park bench
turtle love in the afternoon
Male swan enjoying the sun.

Happy Easter All! 

Embracing my inner nerd

Alright, I am going to say it right out... I am not cool. Like anyone thought I was. But this morning I realized how far gone I was when I found myself heading out at 7am with binoculars in hand to walk at the Celery Farm and look at birds along the way. I don't think I ever saw that in the rule book for cool. But I guess that is the good thing about being 44..I don't really care about being cool anymore. But I am not yet a full fledged birder either. I meet up with people on the trails and they will ask whayt birds I have seen and I will say, "Oh I saw one that had some red and yellow on its wing." At that point they just smile and walk away, not really. I have found that birders are excited to share their knowledge with other people out there and I have been enjoying the education. So this first picture is a red-winged black bird...
This is a Hairy Woodpecker (Or is it furry?) Who knows?
These are Egrets and this last picture is of a North American Alligator...Not really but had you going for a moment there didn't I?