August 29, 2012

There Was Never A Train In The Yard

In the years past,
I would often make deliveries in the area of New York City.
I learned very quickly that much traffic could be avoided if I drove north on the Bronx River Parkway
or Interstate 684; the later of the two was useful if the vehicle was commercial as it was completely restricted from parkways.
I would sometimes decide to drive north of  the I-684 and continue on New York State Route 22.
Along the way about 75 miles from the New York City boundary is
Wassaic a hamlet in the Town of Amenia, Dutchess County, New York.
This was the last stop for the Harlem Line of the Metro-North Railroad, the track went no further.
As it was always during the midday,
all of the trains were out along the track at different locations engaged in commuter activities.
There was never a train in the yard, as a driver, 
I felt a since of disappointment that the trains had left.
I wanted to know why such a long line would end abruptly in upstate New York?
Why was it not routed through Pittsfield, Massachusetts and into Burlington, Vermont?
I would continue to drive northward, convinced that the railroad was inadequate as the line was not completed.

I have since learned that one link to Burlington, Vermont is routed from Albany, New York.
Regardless, 
there was something about a large railroad yard without trains at the end of a long line 
that made want to introduce legislation to complete the line by integration with all adjacent lines.
There was never a train in the yard.

'Live to Rise' recorded by Soundgarden in 2012

This video starts of with a train at Wassaic, NY .
There is a train in the yard, two of them, a third train had left about twenty-five minutes earlier.





'What About Me?'
~International Travel Edition~
recorded by
MPK
2012



There was never a train in the yard.


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August 27, 2012

Sunday

The weekend was pleasant as I was able to be outside on both days.
I really don't like the way 'Bridge Song Three' came out.
I am in the process of remixing the composition as well as recording several different tracks;
I am considering adding vocals.

I know I don't have much range,
At Broome Community College as I was in a choir class,
the instructor said that I could only hit two octaves and,
that 'they couldn't use me',
I was asked to drop the class,
the instructor said I could stop by his office the next day and he would sign the slip.

Looking back at it,
where does a community college have the authority to deny a student access to a class that they are registered for?
I think I really do have issues with the BCC music curriculum and it's director.

Anyhow, I picked up my guitar and laid out a darling arrangement;
be sure and give it a listen,
it is the bottom song above my picture.
Enjoy!!!


'Sunday' recorded by MPK 2012


-I picked up my guitar and laid out a darling arrangement.-




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August 25, 2012

Soothed by The Warmth

It is good as I walk beneath the sunlight and my bare flesh is soothed 
by the warmth of the brightest hours of the day.




'Brother' recorded by Murder by Death in 2006



I m not having too much of a problem adjusting to the new foot-ware,
the old foot-ware is rather uncomfortable by comparison.


'Bridge Song Three'
Composed and Produced by
MPK
2012-08


-soothed by the warmth of the brightest hours of the day-


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August 22, 2012

That's More Like It!

-A cell phone that won't hold a charge inasmuch so that I can make a call to 
obtain road breakdown service to fix the lift-gate of a truck 
as it sits flat on the pavement.

-The service technician that cannot find my location until four hours later.

-The sunrise from a parking lot in Yorktown Heights, NY.

-The slow progression of the hours of the day that led to the realization 
that I will not do much when I return home as 
I am worn and faded from another perfect storm of circumstance.

I am not face down in this water of comparable tranquility, I am simply unapproachable.



'All Falls Down' recorded by Adelitas Way in 2009


 -simply unapproachable from within another perfect storm of circumstance-

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August 20, 2012

The Cooler Temperature

The weekend was rather pleasant as I walked on both days.
I enjoyed a cook out in my parents backyard.
There has been a much appreciated drop in the temperature, 
during the nights, 
the temperature has doped beneath 50 degrees Fahrenheit.



'28' and 'Magic Carpet Ride' recorded by Steppenwolf in 1968




-much appreciated drop in the temperature-


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Where The Edge of The Stone Meets The Water

New footwear is always a very much appreciated occurrence in my household.
Today, I bought a new pair of walking shoes.
Nike City Court is a type of walking shoe that has a hard rubber bottom that can endure about 500 miles of wear, including difficult edged surfaces that occur when hiking and walking in numerous creek beds.
After that, it defaults to a general purpose footwear for lighter applications and eventually, it becomes the underwater shoe for swimming in areas with undesirable bottom surfaces.


'Miss Misery' recorded by Nazareth in 1975






-hiking and walking in numerous creek beds-


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Dimensions of Procrastination

As I sit here...
I am thinking about what type of original thought I could express in writing.
In the photograph below, it is on the side of what will probably be named Interstate Highway 99.
The numerical assignment is not accurate as it violates the grid, that being:

Odd numbers run from south to north, lower odd numbers start in the west and the higher odd numbers end in the east. 
I-5 is in California through Washington state, I -95 is in Florida through Maine.

Even numbers run from west to east, lower even numbers start in the west and the higher even numbers end in the east.
I-10 is in California through Florida, I-90 Is in Washington state through Massachusetts.

Interstate Highway 99 violates the grid as it is situated between I-79 and I-81.
I would like to re-assign I-99 to I-67 at Morgantown, West Virginia at Interstate Highway 79.
Currently, Interstate Highway 68 is posted there.
I would piggyback I-67 onto I-68, There would be some notation in the posted distance suggesting that the actual starting mile of I-67 is in Indiana (although not constructed at this time).
Regardless, we need a developed Interstate Highway corridor from Morgantown, West Virginia to Plattsburgh, New York.
This would include, State College, PA, Williamsport, PA, Corning, NY, Ithaca, NY, Cortland, NY, Rome, NY and, Plattsburgh, NY.
In the recent years, we have seen a severe decline in transportation infrastructure development.
There is a need to develop transportation corridors to support economic development in non-developed regions.
In regions such as the Adirondack Mountains, there would be a minimal amount of  adjacent construction, this would enable significantly improved access to the popular region.




recorded by the Blue Öyster Cult in 1975 and 1976





-original thought I could express in writing-

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Two Days and A Love Song

It is now a Monday morning, I am tired and will soon fall asleep.
I wanted to post several blog entries however, I cannot function well enough at this time.
The two days depicted here were pleasant for different reasons, all of which were centered around good weather.




'Love Song' recorded by Tesla in 1989



No-one ever wants to read about sugar alcohol.
I am some-one that never again will eat the better part of one-half gallon of 'no sugar added' ice cream and engage in excersice.
The intestinal bloating bordered on a phenomenon; one of which I had no practical idea as how to alleviate. 
I made it home and, I didn't set too of a high priority on walking for the next several days. 



-I had no practical idea-


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August 18, 2012

The Annual Walk to Greenwood Park

Just about every year, there is a picnic at Greenwood Park. On this day of Saturday August 11th 2012, I made another annual walk to Greenwood Park, Town of Nanticoke, Broome County, New York.



I started off at an early 07:30,
the walk was peaceful as I am in good health.
I carried a backpack with one gallon of water in it.




Although it was humid, I was comfortable as I took many photographs.
Throughout the later morning, there was a brisk amount of traffic on Nanticoke Road, I thought that perhaps it was heading to the park.
As I arrived at the park, I realized that there were probably no more than 200 people on the park grounds.




'Don't Say No' recorded by Can in 1977



I was at this park to meet my mother, her husband and, a entire family that are good friends of our family.
I was hours ahead of the 14:15 rendezvous. I decided to spend several hours swimming; after an seventeen mile walk it would be refreshing.
I continued to trod water and remained submersed up to my neck in soothing water for over two hours.
My leg mussels became partially stiff so, I changed motion in which I moved my legs to eliminate the potential cramping. Sometime during the second hour, both of my legs experienced debilitating cramping and, I was unable to alleviate it through any holding pattern or position of my legs.
Eventually after I had my feet pressed against the firm sandy bottom did the severe pain of the cramps stop.
I recognized this window as the opportunity to quickly exit from the water and sit on a bench with a towel wrapped around me. I was rather well chilled and, I really did feel quite good; I was waterlogged.




After about one-half hour of sitting on the park bench, I noticed that it was 15:10, Why had the others not approached me? Were they here? I decided to patrol the park on foot to see if I could find them
I did find them in the usual location, everything was set up, there was food on the grills.
They eagerly greeted me asking me how long it took me to walk to the park?
I explained that I had been submersed in water for the past two hours.
They explained that they went to the beach but, they did not see me.
I effectively spent at least one hour in the water while they were there.
I didn't mind too much, dinner was served and I believe that I ate about one pound of grilled chicken.
I was driven home afterward.


I was driven home afterward.

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Back Home


I am keeping pace with photography, video production and, some music composition.
I have more recorded tracks than ever to sort through and arrange.
I want to update my blog as much as possible.

These photographs are the 'at home' photographs after the Newton family reunion
and the trip to the Catskill Mountains.
I have twice been to Yosemite National Park with my dad, his wife and relatives.
The Catskill Mountains, much smaller as they are, size up rather nicely in terms of hiking and photography.




'Right on Time' recorded by Spirit in 1971








'I Got a Line on You' recorded by Spirit in 1968




I have more recorded tracks than ever to sort through and arrange.

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August 17, 2012

Kaaterskill Falls, The Upper Falls

The lure of the Kaaterskill Clove is the extreme contrast from the sea level elevation of the Hudson River to the mountain tops far above. The stunning reality is a 3,500 foot contrast.
The Catskill Mountains are the first significant mass of earth to accumulate moisture from the Atlantic Ocean as the clouds move inward. It is not uncommon to see afternoon rain showers in Haines Falls, Town of Hunter as the sun shines. As A result of the accumulated precipitation, there is usually an abundance of flowing water at the very eastern portion of the Catskill Mountains. This gracious precipitation does not go too far in terms of supplying much of central New York State with water; most runoff is diverted through the Shandaken Tunnel to Esopus Creek and ultimately into the Catskill Aqueduct.


'.....The Overall Thought In The First Place.....'
MPK
2012






(2012-08) Kaaterskill Falls, The Upper Falls


Looking north-east:
Kaaterskill Falls 
are in the background.





Looking north-east:
Kaaterskill Falls 
are in the background.



(2012-08) Kaaterskill Falls, The Upper Falls





Looking north-east:
Kaaterskill Falls 
are in the background.



A Misunderstanding of Soil Characteristics:

 I want to discuss my presence here in March of 2012.
I had not been here before other than driving on New York State Route 23A.
As I would drive up the mountain, I would marvel at the waterfall beside the highway.
On one day that was convenient, I decided to park the vehicle in the parking lot and walk over to the waterfall and photograph it.
I was impressed with the display of water as I photographed it; I decided to walk further up the trail until I saw Kaaterskill Falls for the first time. I recognized the image of the falls as it is iconic of the Catskill Mountains; I simply did not know that it was there.

  It was an unusually warm March in 2012, later that day, the temperature would be above 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
As I approached the waterfall at the bottom, I wanted to see the upper level, I edged my foot into what I though was moist compacted top soil, it was easy to climb above the second level and look down at the upper waterfall.
The only characteristic that I thought negatively of the soil was that it was more slippery than I expected, it appeared to have something similar to talc in it.
At the very top of the slope there was a trail along the upper cliff that led over to the waterfall area, I was able to look down and photograph the upper waterfall.
I did slip on a patch of ice but, I was not terribly concerned because I assumed that the soil was sufficient to arrest my slide at a the steep angle that I would have traveled.
I was a bit concerned about the thought of climbing down but, my footwear was sufficient to maintain traction in the soil as I executed careful well planned steps to the trail.

'Change' recorded by Candlebox in 1993

 The encounter in the month of March was positive and I was excited to return to this location in August of 2012. I decided that I was going to climb to the second waterfall and photograph it as I looked up at the water as it was falling; in March, I was quite some distance above it as I looked down.
I eagerly started to climb the very steep slope toward the upper waterfall; a great difference was observed, the soil was hard compacted clay that didn't provide any traction.
I made it to the same level as the upper waterfall and started to walk toward it, I had difficulty with my footwear, I had to project my movements to coincide with stationary objects such as trees.
I really didn't have sufficient traction. 
As I approached the upper waterfall for the first time, I encountered the rope railing.
The trail is not level as the upper area is approached, it is a thin strip beside a high cliff that drops down to the bottom of the lower waterfall, there is a wall on the other side of the trail that restricts access to the upper waterfall from any other location except the uneven trail.
I wanted to stand at the bottom of the upper water fall so, I held the rope with a hand to guide me as I walked the otherwise deadly trail onto the spectacular ledge that is washed clean and flat at the base of the upper waterfall.
As I stood below the falling water, it was a spiritual occurrence as I felt nothing less than the thin moisture from the falling water as the wind would sometimes blow and shift the gentle stream by a few feet.
I had stood where countless others had striven to stand as I was at that moment.
I had the most vivid amphitheater providing a show of water that turned to mist on the long way down to me.
I was able to walk on the level floor and see myself as someone that could climb in the deep spirit of motivation toward a fulfilling an ambition. 

 
(2012-03) Kaaterskill Falls


 The climb down was not spiritual, it was of mortal concern for my well being.
The concrete that I once thought was topsoil was harsh and required me to step from stone to stone with the aid of the occasional tree to support me in my great descent.
The grade was so steep that I had to place my feet as I leaned far back and embraced a rock with my hands; I would appear to be sitting if observed from the bottom of the slope.
I took the necessary time to think every move through; I understand the consequences of a hasty movement in this environment.
People at the bottom could see me slowly working my way toward their location, I arrived safely at the official end of the trail.
I was the first person of the day to stand beneath the falling veil of water.



'Don't You' recorded by Candlebox in 1993


It is not topsoil, it is hard clay that requires significant traction; good footwear may need to be inclusive of cleats to achieve suitable traction. The soft clay in March was a fluke and should never be counted on to provide life sustaining support.



I over climbed and, it saved me of a difficult encounter with much ice that is perpetuated with mist from the upper falls. I am actually better off standing above the upper falls.



 
(2012-03) Kaaterskill Falls



'You' recorded by Candlebox in 1993


I had stood where countless others had striven to stand 
as I was at that moment.


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August 15, 2012

Monday In The Catskill Mountains

The July 28th family reunion at Letchworth State Park was very nice, although, I was somewhat tired at the end of it all.
To my pleasant surprise, an aunt needed a ride from my home, The Village of Endicott, New York to Poughkeepsie, New York. 
I immediately realized that this could be the golden opportunity to explore the Plattekill Clove in Greene County, New York.
I left Poughkeepsie at about 10:00am and I was at Saugerties, New York at about 12:00 noon.




This is an overview of all five stops, I entered the map at the lower right corner and stopped at:
Kaaterskill Falls (the very top), 
Lexington, New York (river overlook), 



'Monday In The Catskill Mountains' is a mini-documentary about a day trip that I took on 2012-07-30. 
On my way back, I stopped at these locations. 
All of the terrain is moderate to difficult and requires some experience in hiking over uneven surfaces.





Looking westward from the Hudson Valley,
Indian Head Mountain (left) and, Kaaterskill Falls (right) are marked on this map.


'Everything Zen' recorded by Bush in 1994


 Looking south-west:
Indian Head Mountain is marked with the trail that I used; 
I cant imagine how this would be used in the winter.
There is quite a bit of climbing involved; it involves pulling oneself up a set of rocks that are in 
four or five foot steps.




 Looking east:
This is a 1,473 foot actual climb from the base to summit.


Looking north-west:


 Looking north:


'Smells Like Teen Spirit' recorded by Nirvana in 1991



Overview map of the locations of interest.



 Looking north:



This location cannot be referred to as a safe overlook.
It is possible to walk out and sit unrestrained on several protruding rocks.
Most of the people at this location live in and near Haines Falls, New York.
I was surprised to realize just how easily accessible this location actually is.
It is far more difficult to hike to the waterfall from below.


Looking north-east:




Looking north-east:





This is the old Gilboa bridge, it was replaced in the early 2000's.
There is an exceptional amount of sedimentation in the water.


Looking north-east:




Looking north-east:
The Hudson Valley is observed in the upper right corner.



'E-Z Rider'
Arthur Lee
1972

'Easy Rider - Take 1'
Arthur Lee & Jimi Hendrix
1970

'Easy Rider - Take 2'
Arthur Lee & Jimi Hendrix
1970

It is now August 15th and I am posting this entry from July 30th.
This is one of my more successful days outside.
At some time during non-ice weather, 
I hope to acquire more imagery from the other mountains.






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