New York NYC Journal

I went outside to scout my back-backyard and saw a herd of 6 deer. A couple of crows were cawing.

I saw some Knotweed beginning to sprout that I’ll have to weed out.

A crisp morning, kinda beautiful and lush with possibilities.

Cal
 
I contacted the Peekskill Regeneration Farm.

They have a May 29th event where they donate to the community free seedlings.

Pretty much a good envelope and enough time for me to build out many of my 24 inch squares.

I sent them an E-mail.

Going to check the weather to see if it is warm enough for me to work outside.

Cal
 
Austin posted that video of the big blonde.

The thought dawned on me that the 18 inch arch top will be a big blonde and its name is “Jane” after Jane Mansfield another big blonde.

Anyways my dream come true.

I went through a 5 pound box of screws. So far I have made 16 squares, and it looks like I have enough materials to build out another 30-40. I might keep some planks in reserve for my own future use, and build them out at a later date. I don’t want to cheat myself.

The screws cost $35.00 a box.

Like Phil reminded, “Put on your own oxygen mask before assisting others.” Why screw myself?

I managed to get “Maggie” to allow me to install some of my squares below the horizon line that appears as a cliff from our upstairs and our back-backyard. The view is of receding space with a lot of depth. I too don’t want to spoil the view either.

I’ll lay the squares along one of my lower terraces.

I know that deer don’t eat tomatoes.

I figure this will be an experiment of sorts.

Cal
 
From my upstairs window I saw an animal on my “table” in my back-backyard.

I ran downstairs and got my glasses to investigate. I quietly went out the kitchen door and rushed behind the garage to begin stalking my prey.

I saw a deer, she looked up and gazed at me, and I approached closer to see how tame these deer are. Pretty much got to about 20 feet away before she egressed a bit, but then I saw a second deer emerge from my left.

I might be restricted to tomatoes in the back-backyard because of all the deer.

Hmmm…

Cal
 
The Santa Cruz Model F’s seem to crush the Santa Cruz OM.

Kinda surprised because the OM is made of old growth Brazilian Rosewood. Pretty much mythical wood.

The Model F’s just have a deeper bass that speaks authoritively. The mid rich mahogany also adds so much warmth.

It seems I have grown to dislike the scalloped bracing. It scoops the mids in an attempt to enhance the bass. The OM is a smaller guitar, and it sounds smaller.

WOW. I’m excited about the idea of getting an 18 inch archtop. Now that is a big box to push a lot of air. Seems that is what I favor.

The OM might do better with lighter strings to play as a smaller guitar. This might be a good thing and worth experimenting with. The trebles will be brighter, and pretty much it will play like an electric guitar.

Maybe tomorrow I’ll change the strings and adjust the neck.

Cal
 
Did an hour jog to enjoy the mild weather. Did much better than last time. Always hard shedding the rust. To morrow is expected a 70 degree day.

Then possible rain the rest of the week.

I’m gong to try and restring the Santa Cruz OM with lighter gauge strings.

Cal
 
The Santa Cruz OM I just started playing, and didn’t re string. What a great guitar.

For me the eclipse was a non event.

Saw a red tail hawk fly low into my dead end. It’s perched on a bare tree on the empty house property.

Ran into my neighbor who has the extra 5/8 exterior plywood. He has 7 sheets to spare which is 220 square feet, I need enought to cover 240 square feet. Might have to buy a sheet. Ed told me a way to get the full sheets onto the second floor. Pretty much through a second story window above my front porch.

A little teamwork required. I offered hime some free firewood. My other friend so far has not come by to do any pick up. Oh-well.

Tomorrow is an expected 75 degree day. I’ll try and exploit it. The run I did today was much better than the initial run I did a while ago. I don’t feel beat up or hammered at all.

Tonight is the State Of The City address at City Hall. We will be attending.

Cal
 
While other locals in Westchester are growing at 5%, Peekskill is growing at 10%.

Pretty much it is about affordability. Westchester is one of the wealthiest counties in the U.S. Location-location-location. Directly north of NYC, the beautiful Hudson Valley, and just across the river from the wildernesses of Bear Mountain State Park and Harriman State Park.

Anyways a lot of development is happening in our city and they are using New York grants and Westchester County grants instead of raising taxes to fund these projects.

Unlike our Federal Government our local government here seems to be functional.

We also score a 93 out of a hundred on a diversity scale.

Going to go practice some scales and my 7th chord inversions.

Cal
 
Physical therapy for “Maggie” and later in the day pick up the grandson from daycare.

My agenda is do a longer run today to pump some blood and enjoy the expected 75 degree weather. I need to pick up that handlebar bag for the bike. Maybe I ride the bike instead.

Tomorrow I have my rescheduled physical.

I have a pretty easy life, and I love it.

A Century doing 16-17 MPH on a bike by myself on level ground would be 6 hours in the saddle. This would be some serious fitness pumping lots of blood and burning lots of calories. I figure 2500-3000 calories. That’s like not eating for a day or the equiv of three meals.

I guess I have to set 16-17 MPH as a pace to build up to, then extend the time.

It might take a lot of long slow distance to get to that pace though. I’m cool with that. I need to get my weight down to 155 or below again. I feel I got fat over the winter. Love handles on a skinny guy looks bad. Call me mucho vain.

Cal
 
Did my run. My job in retirement is to pump blood.

Today’s run felt better than yesterday’s. I think that guy Dave I met gave good advice to jump start my training with running. With running you pretty much can’t coast like on a bike.

Anyways I feel and look better. I feel a tightness in my torso. My legs seem firmer. It’s only been two consecutive days.

I mounted the handlebar bag on my Ti IBIS. Pretty much built like a small camera bad that clips on and off a bracket. The bag has a surprise feature of converting into a fanny pack. Kinda great for a bike and shoot.

The bag is too small for the SL perhaps even with the Noct-Nikkor. I have to check. Also pretty easy to convert to other bikes by remounting the bracket.

Also know that AJ sold me the bag at a nice discount. He is a good friend.

It’s 2:00 PM and I want to make the most of the day.

Cal
 
So far I have 14 of my squares built.

Tomorrow Arthur will be coming by from CCHOP to pick up what I already have built. This Saturday they will be given out to people that need them.

Arthur might know a free supply of garden soil, and on May 29th free seedlings will be distributed by the Peekskill Regeneration Garden, an organic farm run by volunteers.

After my doctor’s appointment I’ll likely will be screwing more of the squares together.

Cal
 
Inflation is stubborn, the June expected rate cut now is off the table.

The drop in gold prices suggests even a possible rate increase.

Pretty much a “Red Screen” for the major indexes and a 500 point drop on the DOW upon the open.

At the doctor I was told that I have a body of a healthy 40 year old, and also I look and can pass as a 40 year old.

BTW my PCP is a general practitioner, but specializes in Gerontology.

We spent some time going through all the lab results from my ER visit and my Hematologist.

I weighed in at 160, and pretty much I already shed 3 pounds of my winter weight. I’d like to get down to 155 or below to look ripped, my look of a skinny bitch.

My blood pressure was low.

My legs are stiff and tight. Will have to do some stretching to limber up. Might be a good time to take a bike ride to vary the workout just to pump some blood.

The sun is out, but earlier forecasts predicted cloudy today.

Cal
 
Running on rolling hills killed my legs. I feel it climbing down my stairs. I decided to rest my legs today.

Built out 4 more garden squares and now I have 17 built out, plus the one I dropped off at CCHOP, for a total of 18. Arthur was suppose to pick them up today, but that did not happen. Tomorrow at noon he will come by with a van.

Saturday 9:00 AM till noon the food pantry is open in the downtown. Arthur suggests coming by to distribute them.

“Maggie” mentions that patrons of the pantry might not have the means to get soil or seedlings. Plan “B” is the Regeneration Farm, a volunteer organic farm run by the Peekskill community. On May 29th they will have free seedlings to give away.

I concede that my idea might have limitations, but even if I help one family I’m cool with that. In my mind though I think the demand could outstrip my supply.

I likely have materials to perhaps make 30-40 more squares, but now Maggie is thinking of adding beds in the back-backyard closer to the garage, because of all the deer I have seen yesterday and today. Today I saw 3 down the slope. I also saw a rabbit by my garage.

Maggie is a fussy eater. Pretty much Italian veggies: egg plant, zucchini, peppers… I know that tomatoes are deer resistant, so I will plant them by my garden shed.

We will be growing herbs for the food pantry.

For exercise I spent 6 hours scrapping paint off of moldings rescued from my dinning room. I had the contractor save the original moldings, and I’m glad I did. Pretty much they are old growth yellow pine like my floors. This wood is only available today as reclaimed lumber, and it is costly.

I use this scrapper that does well in removing the paint. I think I am lucky because the paint covers the original 1912 schellac which is brittle and allows the scrapper to act like a plane. I have these nice folding saw horses from Home Cheapo, and a Dewalt bar clamp to secure the moldings to the saw horses.

Lots of upper body draws and pulls became a long sustained upper body workout. I got a lot of the window and doorway trim done. Still have 2 more window trims to do and some base moldings. This wood is treasure. Clear yellow pine and in wide planks. Pretty select.

I will use a dark reddish brown gel stain. In the end it looks like mahogany when finished.

I figure some OCD behavior is displayed because very few people would go through the bother. These molding would e rather costly to replace because the base moldings, window trim, and door trim utilize wide moldings and have ornate crowns.

My physical went well, and the only thing I have to worry about is my PSA. Last year it was high and then I went to a urologist for a more in depth test. The second test was right at the threshold, but was lower than the initial reading from my PCP. I’ll find out if I need to go to a urologist again.

Tomorrow I have to take Maggie to her eye doctor. Tomorrow evening is some presentation by some historian about Peekskill’s manufacturing, innovations, and artistic history. One Hudson River School of painting artist pretty much made his career painting right here in Peekskill and not in the Hudson Highlands.

One thing that Maggie and I are doing to prevent dementia is that we are socially active in our community, but also get about the Hudson Valley and the Catskills.

They say rain tomorrow.

Cal
 
Getting old means and translates into doing lots of maintenance. Not only diet and exercise, but also a lot of medical check ins to do as preventative maintenance.

“Maggie” has blue eyes and this increases the risk of Macular Degeneration. She also gets skin Cancer screenings frequently, and when I say frequently I mean more than once a year.

I have a Hematologist visit to monitor my disease (CAD), and my elevated PSA levels now need a Urologist monitoring appears to be at least twice a year.

Maggie and I are considered healthy and live without meds, yet a good amount of our time is attending to doctor’s appointments.

I am grateful that first rate medical care in nearby. Just saying all this monitoring and preventive medicine comes into the forefront.

I think today I will row. Cloudy and periods of rain for the next few days.

Another thing to mention is that we make it a point to socialize and exert ourselves in the community, and when I mention community I include now the Hudson Valley and even the Catskills. This weekend we will be going to Hudson, having lunch with friends, and then will be attending an event.

Next week into NYC for a Gala event.

It seems my Editor likes the street photographer influence in the shots she selects.

Seems like I’m back into thinking about my attic. A friend mentioned that the garage conversion into a studio only makes sense if it were the entire garage. That would be a very nice studio for sure, 20x20, with a high ceiling (hip roof).

Arthur and Darrel picked up the 17 squares I had built out. In conversation he said they will go quick.

Cal
 
Peekskill was an important industrial center at one time. The geography played an important part.

Hydropower from numerous creeks harnessed power, and this brought in many industrialists and inventors. Later steam engines powered industry.

Iron was open pit mined in Montrose the tiny town that is just south of Peekskill, a town that is now part of Cortlandt the township, that in turn is the sprawling suburbs surrounding the City of Peekskill.

Pretty much housing stock in Peekskill is mucho limited, only condo’s, or houses that are priced high and are trash.

Most of this industry was centered what now has become the downtown of Peekskill on the northern end of the city. This is where mountains emerge on the eastern bank of the Hudson River where the Hudson Highlands begin. Meanwhile on the western bank of the Hudson River the terrain is a vista of mountains.

There is a lot of drama here with the weather and every sunset is particularly spectacular. The Hudson River is wide and forms a large bay, and it reminds me of Long Island Sound because of its ocean like appearance. The water is brackish and there is a tide.

Back in the day Peekskill was known for its cast iron stoves and plows. The historian and preservationist has a stove collection, and the stoves in his collection were notable for their innovations, designs, and also decorative beauty.

Being the South Gate of the Hudson Highlands Peekskill also was also used as a subject by some Hudson River School of Painting artists.

I’m thinking I might take a boating safety course and join the local boating club. No boat required to join. My friend Andrew mentioned and recommended joining. Could lead to buying a Hobie pedal kayak and have a hassle free place to park right on the bay at a beautiful location.

I am pleased because the geography and location distinguish Peekskill as a very highly prized place to live. Being a rivertown City and having a limited size means it is not a “Yonkers” a bigger city with too many poor and too many problems. Peekskill is not “pocketed” and segregated by class and race.

Because of affordability Peekskill is growing at a 10% rate, while the rest of Westchester is growing at only 5%. Peekskill is a city of 25K.

Today “Maggie” goes into NYC to do her skin Cancer screening which gets done twice a year. She also has to do some book signing.

I pretty much have a day off and a chance to plug in and make some noise with my guitars.

Maggie and I are making it a point to get out there, meet people, and socialize to avoid social isolation. Pretty important to advance good aging, stay stimulated, and avoid dementia.

Tomorrow a trip to Hudson to meet with friends up there, and do a book event. For us the burbs are interesting and stimulating. When we want peace and quiet we get that too.

I’m reading an anthology that was edited by one of our friends from the Woodstock Book Festival. Sari lives in Kingston, another interesting city that formally was the Capitol of New York. Albany became the new State Capitol further north when the British took over Kingston.

About 1/3rd of Kingston is the remnants of a fort and old colonial houses make it a crusty area. The downtown is a waterfront area that has a canal that connects to a western river. The mid section kinda sprawls and it seems many writers and artists live there. Woodstock is not far away. The Woodstock Center For Photography relocated to Kingston and is a place I want to visit.

Anyways back to the anthology “Say Goodbye To All That” is basically is a collection of essays about the love/hate relationship with NYC. Pretty much the draw, the life, and then the leaving of NYC. Notable writers are represented here. The book is a classic, so much so that it got updated and reprinted into a new edition.

Sari also has a magazine on substack called “Oldster” that is notable. Pretty much a good model for Maggie to create her own magazine.

According to Maggie substack is not Social Media…

Cal
 
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