Along The Trails Edge

Wild Strawberries

Today was one of those days where I just needed to get away, found myself wanting to reconnect with Mother Nature and her bounty...so, camera in hand took a long walk on our "Rails to Trails" corridor.  Some pictures were taken in my mind, my hands not quick enough to snap a picture of the hummingbird temporarily perched in the higher branches of a birch tree, others skipped because a camera cannot catch the movement of a leaf silently rustling in the spring breeze. 

Thought it would be nice to share with our readers some of my own favorite photographs from the day, take you the reader along the same journey I made today as I reconnected with the earth, nature, and the wonderful bounty found along the trails edge between Mountaindale and Woodridge.  It really is a beautiful place to spend and afternoon just strolling through the woods listening to the sounds, and taking in the sites that only Mother Nature can create.

The Goose and her goslings was shot just along the creeks edge at Krieger Park over in Woodridge just over from the Blue Angels jet.  There were maybe six adult geese, and at least 25-30 new little hatch-lings swimming along the water's edge.  Saw many birds along my walk in a dizzying array of colors, everything from blue birds, gold finches to what I am pretty sure is a Baltimore Oriole, though being honest, have not gotten out the bird book to verify my suspicions.  

Was able to get a picture of the more subdued female gold finch, but the much brighter male was not being one bit cooperative.  Not a problem, as that gives me an excuse to go out on another sojourn sooner rather than later.   One bird picture I took I could use some help in identifying, so if any one recognizes this next bird can you leave its identification in a comment below?  It has a beautiful slate gray cap atop its head, with the body a lighter shade of gray all over, and it's size is similar to that of say a cardinal, maybe just a titch bit bigger, but not near as large of girth as a bluejay is.

Last but certainly not least, some of the flora spotted along the way.  If you find yourself with a hour or so to spare, or are just wanting to get out and enjoy Mother Nature, the Mountaindale to Woodridge segment of the "Rails to Trails" makes for a great little walk with plenty of beautiful sites along the way.  Make sure to bring yourself a bottle of water, or even a little snack...and please carry out everything that you bring in so that our trail stays beautiful and pristine for those who walk in our footsteps on another day.

Click on any picture to see them all enlarged in slide show format.

No Motorized Vehicles On Trail

ATV and Rider On Mountaindale Rails to Trails

Today, took a wonderful walk on the trail with my camera from here in Mountaindale over to Woodridge and back...had a beautiful time, snapped some beautiful pictures of the flora and fauna along the trails edge, and noticed the very conspicuous signs that inform those using the trail that no motorized vehicles are allowed on the trail. It's a pretty straight forward message and rule. 

Sadly, some folks like the one in this picture snapped this afternoon don't feel the rules apply to them and their All Terrain Vehicles (ATV's). 

People of all ages walk and ride bikes on our "Rails to Trails" corridor, mothers with their children in strollers are a common site, and there are good reasons that ATV's and other motorized vehicles are forbidden on the trail.  Additionally, these motorized vehicles, and those riding them don't seem too realize that their machines destroy the quiet tranquility of the path, and tear up the trail as well.  Simply stated, it appears that they feel themselves and their vehicles are above the law.

So please, obey the rules of the trail, especially the one plainly posted that says, "No motorized vehicles allowed on the trail."

Our Little Blog Reaches Milestone

Hello Everyone:

With this post our Mountaindale NY News blog reaches another milestone...we have officially put up 200 Blog Articles since launching earlier this year! This is our second major milestone, the first being reaching 5,000 visitors, a goal we attained back in August...the amazing thing is just how fast our traffic is growing, as we are about to cross over the 8,000 visits threshold as we strive to reach our goal of 10,000 visitors by calendars end on December 31, 2011.

So, to our regular readers, and our occasional visitors...THANK YOU! Without you stopping by to read our articles, without all the encouraging words we get from you, none of this would be possible.

Sullivan Striders Second Annual Rails to Trails Race/Walk Huge Success

This past Sunday, camera in hand, I was up and out of my camper at 6:30 in the morning heading into Mountaindale for the Second Annual Rails to Trails Run/Walk which started and ended in Mountaindale. The community was out in force to support the Sullivan Striders and the run, and a fabulous time was had by all!

The Mountaindale Fire Department was on hand, had set up cones to handle the traffic into and out of town, and the ambulanceman seemed like really nice folks. The Sullivan Striders had all their bases covered...great food on hand for their runners, plenty of water at the firehouse, and out on the trail, and more than adequate staff to handle the rush of people at the registration tables.

The race started a tad late, and for good reason...they were still registering people that wanted to run or walk our community's beautiful section of the trail that runs from Mountaindale to Woodridge.

Some of my own favorite highlights of the event included the students from Upstate Karate who seemed to have shown up in mass to participate in the event, all of them in their official Karate garb. Janet from Radiant Yoga leading those same students in some pre-event breathing exercises. Lastly, the awards ceremony, where it seemed like almost every participant received recognition, and a beautiful perennial plant from Manza Farm's nursery.

A lot of businesses sponsored the event, almost too many to mention, but one particular one stands out, deserves special recognition...Kohl's stepped up big time for the Sullivan Striders with five employees volunteering for the event, and the company making a very large donation to the event, so thank you Kohl's for being such an ardent supporter of the Sullivan Striders, our community, and the Rails to Trails.

All monies raised from this event are spent doing maintenance and improvements on the Rails to Trails, so thanks to everyone who participated! This year's Second Annual Rails to Trails event is over, but many of us are already looking forward to next year's event, are pleased that this event will be around now for decades to come.

Sullivan Striders Practice Run-Rails To Trails

First, a reminder...a week from this Sunday on July 17th, come out and be a part of it all as the Sullivan Striders host the Second Annual Rails to Trails Run and Walk. You can find more information, and print up the application form here.

Last night while working on this year's Mountaindale Beautification Project along the trail, we were fortunate to be on site when the Sullivan Striders showed up in force for a practice run for next week's BIG EVENT. Let me tell you, these people are serious about their sport, and I was amazed at how quickly they made the run.

Also pleased to announce, that they were the first group EVER to have their group picture taken in front of Mountaindale's new train as it takes shape, comes to life on the trail...thank you Sullivan Striders for taking a few minutes to let us capture the photographs we are sharing here! Looking forward to being there next Sunday to lend you a hand, and take photographs of your event. Again everyone, make sure to come down and be a part of the Second Annual Rails to Trails Run and Walk...proceeds to benefit improvements to the trail.

Manza Family Farm a Gardener's Paradise

I learned the joy found in gardening early on in my life, planting marigolds in the front of our house in Jeffersonville Indiana, carefully putting them in the holes my Mom had pre-dug for them, her following behind me righting whatever I did not get quite right. I remember with fondness going out with the hose to water her flower beds, feeling so grown up when she praised her little gardening man. All these decades later, looking back, gardening has been one of those constants in my life, a touchstone that has kept me grounded even when my life seemed scattered and in disarray. There is something magical about digging one's hands into the soil, a purity found in the simple pleasure of digging holes and planting seedlings that will grow up into beautiful plants with beautiful blooms that could have only been designed in the heavens above.

It is the life long love affair with gardening that has me serving as this year's Committee Chair for the "Mountaindale Community Development Project's" beautification project for Sullivan Renaissance, and that responsibility comes with certain rewards that one cannot put a value on. One of those rewards occurred this past Saturday when Barb Schmitt and I loaded into her mini van and headed East on Route 17 as we made our way to the Manza Family Farm in Montgomery, NY.

If you are into gardening, landscaping, if you love trees, bushes, shrubs and a rainbow of beautiful flowers, you have GOT TO PLAN A VISIT to this spectacular gardening center. The staff is there to serve you. They are friendly, knowledgeable, helpful, and PATIENT...trust me, me in a gardening center of this quality is like letting a kid loose in a candy store, and patience is an important attribute to possess, as I was jumping from pillar to post as this flower and that would capture my attention, my mind whirling at the possibilities, while another part of my brain was trying to get everything I wanted, while at the same time staying WITHIN MY BUDGET!

The employees took my enthusiasm in stride, traveled with me on my journey of joy through their stock, one of them making of list of everything I choose, while another one pulled out the plants, tagging each and every one, all the while, giving me the time I needed to see everything they had, answering my questions when they popped into my head. Imagine Barb and I in "Alice's Wonderland," each of us asking the other almost simultaneously, "Did you see this" or "Oh look at the colors of these Delphiniums" as we wrestled with important decisions, trying to find the perfect plants to give us that winning WOW FACTOR for our little project in Mountaindale.

We left the Manza Farm tired, happy, knowing our choices will be cared for until Friday when we can pick them up. As a man who has done professional landscaping, I left impressed for several reasons. First, I was impressed with the staff, appreciated them letting me think as I strode about their beautiful kingdom being dazzled at one of the best inventories of planting stock I have seen in years...not since I worked for Scarff's Nursery in New Carlisle, Ohio some three plus decades ago have I seen such a wide variety. Secondly, their stock is healthy, vibrant, lush, ready to make a statement in your garden this year, and for years to come.

If you and your family are planning a garden, or just looking for a few statement pieces to enhance what you already have, encourage you to take a drive over to Manza's Family Farm. You will be happy you did!

MANZA FARMS
730 Route 211
Montgomery, NY 12549
Phone: (845)692-4364
Fax: (845)692-4109

Thanks To Small Army of Volunteers, Flower Boxes Are Out on Main Street in Mountaindale

Despite the weekends iffy weather here in Mountaindale, our volunteers were out in full force on Saturday as we turned the soil, started planting our Main Street flower boxes.

We had volunteers from every age group, with our youngest volunteer supervising from her stroller...TALK ABOUT CUTE. Want to give all our volunteers from yesterday a VERY LOUD Shout Out for your hard work, and great conversation. Without all of you, your generous donation of your time, your efforts, so many of the special touches like our flower boxes that make Mountaindale the beautiful little hamlet that it is just would not happen.

Ken & Barb Schmitt
Aaron & Rachel Schmitt
Sherwood Martinelli
Tyler Buholz
Jenny Foster
Gina & Arianna Columbo (& Gianna)
Antonia Columbo
Adrian Alcala
Toni Burke

Everyone had a wonderful time getting their hands in the dirt, and one of our big maintenance projects can now be checked off our list as the flower boxes are both planted, and out on Main Street for everyone to enjoy. So glad the Schmitt's have a fork lift adapter for their backhoe, as I would not have wanted to carry all those boxes out and place them by hand. Everything looks beautiful, and cannot wait for the plants to fill out and get some size on them. Again, a hearty THANK YOU to everyone who showed up to lend a hand with some of the heavy lifting as Mountaindale rolls out our Summer Welcome Mat.

Just as a FYI, please mark your calendars for Saturday July 16th, as the Mountaindale Community Development Project (MCDP) is planning a gala fund raising event to benefit our 2011 Sullivan Renaissance Project...details coming soon.