The Home of Vagrant Intentions
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Vagrant Visits: Kaaterskill Falls and Catskill Mountain House
After avoiding the traffic on 23A we arrive at Bastion Falls. The water is coming over at a decent rate, so I know we're in for a treat when we get to the top. There are quite a few people lurking about, including the usual type who see Bastion Falls and then just leave (I guess they figure that's all there is to see).
We head for Kaaterskill, and the trek is quite easy this time - not so much mud and wetness where slippery footing becomes an issue. Chey also has a far easier time than the previous few years when you'd have to hold her hand or keep an overly watchful eye on her 90% of the journey.
Just before we hit the clearing you can hear the roar of the water coming over the falls. True enough, we break thru are privy to the majestic Kaaterskill Falls. Despite being there several times before, I never get tired of seeing them. The water cascades down from the top tier, launched like it was thrown from buckets. The large pool in-between then overflows into the lower section where the falls are much fuller and traditional.
I'm always amazed to see the number of people present who have never seen the falls. Despite being the tallest in the entire state and only being a half mile hike, the site is one of the areas best kept secrets. We meet two such gentlemen, who have made the journey from Philadelphia and New York City to see the falls. We talk a little about the area and what it has to offer. After taking a few pictures of the two men together (proof for their wives that they were doing something productive on their trip), they offer to snap a few of Chey and I.
Afterwards, we take in the scenery for a while as we usually do. We hop up on one of the large rocks and enjoy the never ending theater the falls present. There are many visitors on this day, some with large "commercial" type cameras - lengthy fancy lenses, tripods, etc. Others frolic near the resulting stream, Kaaterskill Creek.
Eventually, we make our way back down the trail towards the car - we've got another stop to make on this day!
Here are two links - one for a photo gallery and one a video of our hike from Kaaterskill Falls back down to Bastion Falls.
Golf Challenge at the End of Year Party
Mike Goodrich's club goes farther than his ball:
2008 End of Year Home Run Derby
The Derby was held at the Town of Ulster field in Kingston, NY.
A 47 Degree Axis
Would you? (original)
Would you?
1992 Ulster Lightning Softball
1993 Michael's Diner Softball
2008 Hall of Fame Game
Heath Bell was the star of the show, he was like a big kid. He snapped pictures whenever possible, of fans, the field, teammates. It was nice to see that some guys still enjoy baseball for what it is, a game.
Other random observations. Greg Maddux is hilarious in that he refuses to sign autographs for adults. Luke Carlin looks to be about 14 years old. Tony Clark is seemingly on stilts. Kevin Towers was wearing the greatest shirt I've ever seen. Paul McAnulty was a seemingly genuine nice guy. He even chuckled when I mentioned the "Jack-Anulty" nickname to him.
Chase Headley generated a lot of excitement when people saw him there with the team.
Trevor Hoffman played catch with his sons for the entire time the Padres were warming up. Here's a short video:
There are some things I know and some things I don't
Quoth John, from Cincinnati
"If my words are yours, can you hear my Father? Can Bill know my Father, keeping his eye on me? Can I bone Kai and Butchie know my Father instead?"
"My Father's shy doing his business. Kai helps my Father dump out. Bill takes a shot. Shaunie is much improved.
"Joe is a Doubting Thomas. Joe will save Not-Aleman. Joe will bring his buddies home. This is how Freddy relaxes. Cup-o'joe, and Winchell's variety dozen.
"Mitch catches a good wave. Mitch wipes out. Mitch wipes out Cissy. Cissy shows Butchie how to do that. Cissy wipes Butchie out. Butchie hurts Barry's head. Mister Rollins comes in Barry's face. My Father runs the Mega-Millions.
"Fur is big. Mud is big. The stick is big. The word is big. Fire is huge. The wheel is huge. The line and circle are big. On the wall, the line and circle are huge. On the wall, the man at the wall makes a man from the circle and line. The man at the wall makes a Word on the wall from the circle and line. The Word on the wall hears my Father.
"The zeroes and ones make the Word in Cass's camera. In the Word on the wall that hears my-Father-in-Cass's-camera, the good one Mitch catches doesn't wipe Cissy out. In the-Word-that-hears-my-Father, Cissy shows Butchie something else. In-my-Father's-Word, Cissy shows Butchie in Shaun. In-my-Father's-Word, Tina raises Shaun at lunch. In Cass's-camera, Butchie lays the court out for Barry, and Mister Rollins watches, and he doesn't come on Barry's face. In Cass's-camera, Butchie knows Kai kept the faith. In-my-Father's-Word, the Wave lifts them up.
"In Cass's camera, Bill doesn't bump his head on the stairs. In Cass's-camera, as long as he's being stupid, Bill gives Lois a kiss.
"In His-Word-in-Cass's-camera, the Internet is big. Nine-Eleven is big, but not every towel-head is eradicated. In His-Word, We are coming Nine-Eleven-Fourteen.
"In my-Father's-Word, Bill sees how Freddy relaxes. In Cass's-camera, Ramon wants to know who's hungry, in the courtyard and Room Forty-Five.
"In my-Father's-Word-to-come-in-Cass's-camera, Doctor Smith calls Ocean Properties. In Cass's-camera-to-come, my Father stares Not Aleman down, and Freddy sees Bill much-improved.
"You will not note my-Father's-Word, nor remember Cass's-camera, but you will not forget what we did here."