Dutchess County Fair

I'm just about all faired out for this summer !

Fun time

I love my lensbaby !!!  Maybe one of these days I'll use a regular lens again.

The Altamont Fair

Part III

Part II

At the Fair

There are so many photos to look at from the last two days. Will upload more as they are finished , enjoy !

Wardsboro Road Cemetery

For the last 20 years or so I have spend much of my free time driving old forgotten roads in the mountains of NY , NH , Vermont and Maine. roads that don't show up on most maps. While it never crossed my mind early on, one of the more interesting finds are cemeteries left long forgotten. I actively seek them out now.


Many are small , run down and abandoned with headstones dating back to the 1600’s.amazingly I have come across a few out in the middle of nowhere that are still maintained and cared for. It would be nice to come across some of the people that visit these cemeteries and listen to their family stories.

But most of all there is a sadness about these final resting places. It doesn’t take long to realize that life was especially cruel to the woman and children. The mother’s ages in the low to mid 20’s with the children here just months or a few years. I can’t help but wonder at the pain, struggles and sacrifices the families must have suffered.

Today I came across two cemeteries in the Adirondacks . One I knew about and the other was by total surprise. Padanarum Rd Cemetery and Wardsboro Rd Cemetery. Walking and reading the headstones at Wardsboro was truly heartbreaking. Founded in 1842 most of the stones were of young women and children. The newest headstone I seen was dated 1862.

Sitting there I could not help but wonder what happened to everyone? Did the men take up new wife’s and have more children, did they move on looking for a new life or march off to war never to return ,did they perish with no one left to bury them? Where is the rest of the story? Are there relatives out there with this final resting place lost from them forever? It makes one wonder where one’s own family resting grounds are.

Raised in the projects, immigrating to the streets and enlisting in the Navy at 17 I always had the confidence that I could pretty much stand face up to anything. But over the years after visiting these places would I have the same courage to face the unbearable existence that these people faced day in and day out. Would I had even reached 17.

In a day when many people believe that life owes them something I think of these words from the Declaration of Independence,

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

While these people may never of though of themselves in this manner , they are the faceless heroes and trailblazers I admire and respect for the courage to live by these words long before Thomas Jefferson ever penned them.

                                              

Troy Music Hall

Today is a recovery day for me. they don’t come by often so I take advantage of them when they do present themselves. relaxing I popped in the movie , “ The Reader “ and there is a scene where they sit and listen to the local choir which brings back memories of Saint Mary’s School and the years spent singing in their choir.

one weekend of every year we would compete with all the other schools in the Capitol District at the Troy Music Hall. For those who have not ever heard of the hall it is considered one of the finest acoustically sound music halls in the world. last place was pretty much reserved for us every year but it is always one of the first happy moments of my young life that come's to mind.

should one ever get a chance to visit the hall, jump at it, it is a wonderful place to rest your ears. well unless I'm singing there.



http://www.troymusichall.org/acous.asp

=O)

Personal Favorites

I had a dream last night that I died and traveled to meet my maker. When I got to the gates Peter was standing there with a little funny smile , shaking his head. well needless to say I didn't feel overly confident about my chances of bouncing from cloud to cloud anytime soon.

Hey Pete , What's up? I said , figuring what the hell , I'll be there soon enought. in one hand he had a lone sheet of paper with his other arm leaning on what looked like the , " The Books of History Chronicles." Ya know Mick , looking at the lone sheet , you done some good and interesting things in your life. looking to his left he said. , " and then there's this!"  I'm thinking , there isn't anything interesting in that big pile?

smiling , he put his arm on my shoulders , walking me away from the gates and tells me, " I like you kid , you were good for a few laughs but I just can't let you in right now . you're going to have to spend a little time in the sweat box."

 the good news is that I would be allowed to take one CD with me to listen to while I burn off the fat of sin. so off I go with my copy of ...

Note : With the exception of the song " Dimples "  , all the songs were produced by Van Morrison and Mike Kappus.


other personal favorites are:

Albert King     ~~ Born under a bad sign ~~  when you listen to Clapton , Hendrix , the Allman brothers, Stevie Ray Vaughn and countless other pretenders you are really listening to Albert King.

BB King            ~~ Live in Cook County Jail ~~ No I wasn't there .

Billie Holiday   ~~ Love Songs ~~

Van Morrison  ~~ The Healing Game ~~


So I'm now sweating and dancing away the sins of my fat , waiting on my star in the heaven's.