This Week's Activities

In the midst of a very busy weekend meeting longtime wonderful friends, I lunched with Katie, who graciously drove up from New York City.  I love to hear what's happening with her, and her interesting pursuits and travels. As with many of my friends, I come away inspired.  Maya Cafe and Cantina , located on Route 9 in Fishkill, NY provided a perfect place to enjoy a meal and catch up on our activities.  I ordered my favorite....a steak quesadilla, made with skirt steak, which I happen to love.  Katie's choice was Machaca y Huevos. which is Brisket, eggs and queso fresco.   My meal was delicious and Katie told the waiter how much she enjoyed hers.  The food and the atmosphere make the Maya Cafe a "must dine at" restaurant.

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On Tuesday, my sister and I visited my grandson's Eagle Scout project.  He created a rest stop with picnic tables for walkers and bikers on the Dutchess County Rail Trail in LaGrange (picture on right).  It is located about one mile north of Titusville Road.  The walk was relaxing and pleasant.  We followed it with lunch at the Acropolis Diner in Poughkeepsie.  They serve a bowl of Matzoh Ball soup, which was perfect after a long walk.

We had planned to visit Our Lady of the Rosary Chapel (built in 1906) in Poughkeepsie NY.  It is located on property formerly housing The Hudson Valley Psychiatric Center and is now owned by St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church in Hyde Park.  I was told it was very beautiful.  So we traversed the winding road until we found it impassible due to workmen repairing the pavement.  Hopefully, I'll get there on the next visit to the area.

Today is cold and rainy.  A good day to hibernate.  What a surprise....snow.  The first of the season!

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Climbed Mt. Beacon

On Monday, My 14 year old grandson and I climbed Mt. Beacon in Beacon, NY. Well, sort of.... We climbed a stairway of 200 steps to a level of about 600 feet.   The mountain is 1,610 feet high.  I wanted to get above the tree line to take some photos to the area.   The stairs are very sturdy and I had no problem climbing.  Then I saw the path at the end of the stairs and that was the end of my climb.  The path with slanted slabs of rock was too steep for me. 

So, there ended my quest.  The mountain seems to be a popular hiking spot.  The hikers passed right by us traveling up and down the path.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to climb high enough to photograph the scenery I wanted, due to haze over the Hudson River.

At one time, there was a casino (circa 1902), hotel, and restaurant atop Mt. Beacon. Many people rode an "incline railway" to the top. Presently, there are plans to rebuild the "incline." I hope to experience the ride when it is completed.   At the top of the mountain there is also a reservior, which provides the city of Beacon with water.  My grandson told me that the area up there is relatively flat.  On the way down, he told me about another way up the mountain.  There is a dirt road at the end of East Main Street.   Actually, Wikipedia says that way is the easier way to climb Mt. Beacon.

Near the bottom, we checked out the remnants of the "incline" and what is left of the old "lower railhead"structure.  We also found a strange looking remains of a tree (see photo at right). 

Just before we exited Mt. Beacon Park, my grandson pointed to the "gum" trees.  Apparently hikers plant their chewing gum on a tree either before or after their climb. 

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What a Week (Continued)

Well, I flew to New York on my $328 round trip ticket. The Delta flight was uneventful and pleasant. The personnel were helpful, friendly and efficient.. The trip went to Detroit and then, on to Newburgh, NY. The only drawback was that the seat was near the rear. As we prepared to take off, the young woman sitting in the middle seat in my row said, "Sorry, Ladies" to me and the woman sitting on the aisle. Then she opened a bag with a box enclosed. As she opened her box, there was an "In and Out" cheeseburger neatly packaged with french fries. It certainly looked inviting. The aroma was enticing. She then offered us a french fry, which I declined. Just then, the flight attendant came along and remarked, "In and Out, I want one." Again, the young woman offered her a french fry. Except for pleasant conversation, that was pretty much the highlight of the first leg of the trip. After landing in Detroit, I had 38 minutes to make the next flight. Being near the rear slowed the exodus from the plane as passengers remove their carry-on luggage. When I finally reached the building, I discovered that I was in Terminal A and had to rush to Terminal C for my next flight. A fast walk and half a run had me arrive as almost everyone else had already boarded.  No way was I missing this flight. A small price for a cheap flight. Also, Delta served a Bischoff cookie that was out of this world. Except for breaking apart when you opened the package, they really nailed it with the taste.

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WHAT A WEEK

Last Wednesday, my fliptop cell phone met its demise.  Because it was fried, I was unable to recover the phone directory.  Thursday evening I was in the Sprint store getting my new one with a touchtone screen.  With this, I was catapulted into the twenty-first century.  The touchstone screen locks so I can't inadvertently press the wrong thing.  I was advised that Sprint would be calling me within three days for a customer survey.  No problem.  They called the very next day.  As I listened, I was prompted to press 1.  Where's the "one"?  Where's the "one"?  I couldn't find it.  Oh, the pressure.  I lost the call.  Oh well....  The next challenges were receiving calls, but I'm improving.  When you get a call, you can't just say "Hello."   First you have to unlock the touchtone screen before pressing receive.  Then, while I had problems accessing the phone numbers in my contact list, I saw that my 10 year old granddaughter didn't.  I discovered that I was using too much pressure.  The next evening I saw a hummingbird and tried to take a picture with the phone.  After taking three pictures, I realized that I was taking a picture of my own eye.  Then, I realized that I was supposed to hold the phone so that I could see the picture before taking it.  Text message notices appear in the form of a cartoon "bubble".   If I'm quick enough in unlocking the screen and pressing the "bubble", I am able to read the message.  If not, I guess it goes into the "black hole" because when I go to "messages", unread ones are not there.  I've touched the "bubble" notice on the status bar 'till I'm blue in the face.  While I'm very grateful for the phone, I feel like the Webcam 101 for Seniors grandparents on YouTube.

More on "What a Week" on the next posting.

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