The biggest event of this reporting period was the brief trip back to Louisville for the wedding of Jeremy and Jody. It was something that likely would have never come about had it not been for the changing times in which we live.
Jeremy Songer (left) and Jody Caldwell (right) exchange vows
in a ceremony conducted Saturday evening, August 20, in the
presents of family, friends, and neighbors.
Jody and Jeremy each comment about the cake and
the joyful feelings the evening brought.
Our weekend began by driving to White Plains, which is on the eastern side of the Hudson just north of New York City. Since we weren't familiar with that airport, we figured we needed to plan to arrive two hours ahead of flight time. The White Plains airport, as we learned later, caters to business travelers since IBM's Armonk office is nearby. It doesn't cater to the general public. By that we mean that the ticket lobby, TSA security line, and waiting lobby were all be within 20 or 30 steps of each other. Even though there were two people ahead of us for the security scan when we arrived, getting through took less than ten minutes. (Later we found that the average is twelve minutes). Since the four gates all share the same lounge, the announcement of flights was funny. It went something like this. "We are now boarding flight 1234 for Atlanta. If you've not yet come through security, please do so now to avoid further delay." The announcement is made over two or three speakers since the space is so tight. In other words, there was no need to be at the airport more than twenty minutes before boarding. That was quite a change from the procedure in Orlando or Louisville. The convenience, however, came with a cost since parking was $30 per day with four hours constituting a day (a business expense for companies but a high price for individuals).
Since Byron enjoys planes, trains and other forms of transportation, we went to Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome. It was a pleasant drive across the Mid-Hudson Bridge and northward through rolling countryside to the historic town of Rhinebeck. Though the website stated they had an admission we were pleasantly surprised to find there was no one to collect money. Apparently the admission policy only applies on weekends or busier times of year. Though there were a couple of personnel around and a handful of other visitors, we were able to tour the four museum buildings housing the static displays of aircraft.
Some of the hangars are used for static displays of models of early
aircraft while others are used for those flown regularly in the air shows.
Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome was started nearly 50 years ago by a World War I aviation enthusiast. He had acquired a few planes (mostly of German origin), purchased a grass airstrip on the outskirts of the small city, and set out to create a flying museum. And fly, they do. Nearly every weekend several of the planes (all are still operational) take to the air for a show. Not only does it have one of the world's largest collections of early "aeroplanes" but it also has a few automobiles, motorcycles, and memorabilia spanning the period from 1900-1939. In fact, several of the planes restored there are now on loan to the Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian in Washington. They even have a full-scale and flying model of the Spirit of St. Louis, Lindbergh's famous plane. According to their website they will even fly the 1909 Bleriot (the oldest flying aircraft in the United States) on Saturdays if it isn't too windy. The Sunday shows feature a World War I dogfight.
In addition to models or refurbished antique planes, the Aerodrome
also has some antique vehicles available for viewing.
The Friday before Labor Day Weekend we took off for a hike around Storm King Art Center. Storm King, as it is commonly referred to and named after its proximity to Storm King Mountain, is an open-air museum located in Mountainville, New York about a 30-minute drive south of our campground or one hour north of Manhattan. It contains what is perhaps the largest collection of contemporary outdoor sculptures in the United States. Founded in 1960 by Ralph E. Ogden as a museum for Hudson River School paintings, it soon evolved into a major sculpture venue with works from some of the most acclaimed artists of the 20th century. The site spans approximately 500 acres and is divided in two with a north and south field for the structures.
A view of the South Field from near the Visitor Center. And, yes, the structures
would be classified as contemporary art.
The southern boundary is marked by a rock wall. As rock walls, created
by moving the stones from the fields, are common in New England the
logic thing was to make it decorative by winding it around the trees
after it rises from the lake.
One of the larger "objects of art" is the Three-Legged Buddha.
For the disabled, a tram will take visitors from sculpture to sculpture. Able-bodied people, however, are allowed to walk the paths on the 500-acre grounds; not enjoyable on a hot day with widely scattered storms -- which is what we encountered.
As to Labor Day Weekend, the campground was filled to capacity. Since we're off on Thursdays and Fridays, we worked the weekend.
