Kingston Ramble

Sometimes I put myself in a position where I book my week solid, then burn myself out doing 10,000 things.

Today, my therapy appointment got canceled and I immediately filled the slot with a date to sail on the Hudson for a few hours. Who could resist?

While in the beer store (buying Lambic as a treat for the sail) I was multi-tasking, talking to my mother's surgeon and staff who have been trying to track me down for a few days. I explained to them that I have not been home, and that I was not sure if I could get reception in the middle of the Hudson River if they needed to reach me. The beer salespeople must have wondered what I was up to, discussing bowel movements, and colonoscopies. I ended up booking a surgery for her en route to the boat and giving consent while I had reception.

I met Ed in time, but, as the fates would have it, there was a problem with the boat, and we could not go out. Ed and I ended up sitting for an hour or so doing nothing, but enjoying each other's company and conversation. Imagine that..sitting still, sipping on a Lambic under a canopy on the edge of a creek, with the train passing overhead on the tressle, looking like some little toy 100 feet up in the air.

Once home I took a long walk in my neighborhood. My ramble took me down one of the oldest streets in our city, the walls still standing from the early 1800's. (pictured here)

Kingston was the Capitol of New York in the later 1700's for 20 years or so before it was moved to Albany. The city was burned by the British, but later became an important hub for the transportation of coal, bluestone, and other goods via the D and H Canal system which linked Pennsylvania to the Hudson River by way of the Rondout Creek. Kingston was home to IBM for quite a while before Big Blue pulled out and left the city a financial mess. 15+ years later, it is slowly recovering.

Here are a few pictures from my walk. I love where I live, and enjoy the beauty of the old homes around me. My house was built in 1928, but many of the houses surrounding me were built in the later 1800's. A few blocks away there are some 18th century homes, and you can visit the Senate House or have dinner at the Hoffman House to get a taste of historic Dutch Stone House architecture.

More another time. Allergies have gotten to me and I need to rest.

Patti O History