Peabody-Essex Museum - Nature's Nation: American Art and Environment

Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019 - Wendy and I went to an Evening Opening occasion at the Peabody-Essex Museum (Salem, Mass.) to get a "first look" at their upcoming exhibition: Nature's Nation: American Art and Environment:

Spoiler Alert: I Highly Recommend it!! and it closes May 5, 2019

There are pieces from at least 12 other museums, including the National Gallery of Art (Washington, DC), R.W. Norton Art Gallery (Shreveport, LA), Gilcrease Museum (Tulsa, OK), Philadelphia Museum of Art, New-York Historical Society Museum, and Princeton University Art Museum, which co-sponsored the exhibition. I took pictures of 20 pieces! Highlights include:

Thomas Cole - "A View of the Mountain Pass Called the Notch of the White Mountains (Crawford Notch)", 1839 (National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC)


Thomas Cole - "A Snow Squall", 1825 (R.W. Norton Art Gallery, Shreveport, LA)


Thomas Moran - "Lower Falls, Yellowstone Park", 1893 (Gilcrease Museum, Tulsa, OK)


Frederic Edwin Church - "Cayambe", 1858 (New-York Historical Society, New York, NY)


Albert Bierstadt - "Bridal Veil Falls, Yosemite", about 1871-73 (North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh, NC)


Ansel Adams - "Monolith, the Face of Half Dome", 1927, printed 1960:


There is an N.C. Wyeth painting, and an Andrew Wyeth painting, both from Private Collections, plus many other pieces. As I said: I Highly Recommend it!! and it closes May 5, 2019.

New Jersey skiing - Neuberger Museum of Art

Thursday, Jan. 24, 2019 - Skiing (maybe) in New Jersey, visit the Neuberger Museum of Art = 365 miles driving, almost 7 hours:


Wendy and Caroline are up in Toronto for 4 days for a Revival/Conference, so I'm hitting the road for a couple of days. I spent last night in the Rodeway Inn in Kingston, NY (redeemed points = FREE!).

Wendy and I were visiting a friend Scott out in Jackson Hole last September. He was telling stories, and one stuck in my head: there was a guy last winter, looking out-of-place while waiting for the gondola to the top of Jackson Hole. Scott said "Um, you know that there are only Expert Slopes down from the top of this lift?." The guy took umbrage at Scott's remarks, and said "Well, I have skied all the Black Diamonds in New Jersey!" Well, that certainly put Scott in his place.

So that got me wondering: just how many Black Diamond trails are there in New Jersey?

Well, it turns out there are 2 resorts in New Jersey: Mountain Creek and Campgaw Mountain Ski Area. I count kind-of 7 black diamonds at Mountain Creek:

and maybe 2 at Campgaw:


So Let's Do This!!

Except that today it was 60° and POURING RAIN!! Well, I'm out on the road, and I want to do some exploring before I go home. So I headed south toward Mountain Creek. Before I knew it, I was going through FLORIDA (NY):



Why is it always awful weather when I go to Florida?

40 minutes later I was at Mountain Creek:




One hour later I had made my way over to Campgaw Mountain Ski Area:




Not a soul around, in the rain - no skiing today, Jessie Bear.

At noon, I was able to spend a few minutes at the Neuberger Museum of Art (Purchase College, SUNY, Purchase, NY), and see a wonderful Jackson Pollock:



A cool piece there was "Untitled", 1963, by Zao Wou-Ki:

and it was fun watching workers (?grad art students?) prepping an exhibition area:



So then there I was on the Merritt Parkway around 12:30, so I decided to visit my old house on Tinywood Road in Darien, Connecticut:



Glad to see not much has changed.

Back on the highway, and headed home (5:30 PM). Thank you God for these Wonderful Adventures!

I'm listening to a cd I burning 19 years ago, consisting of 181 songs in mp3 format. Today's Driving Music:

The Police - Synchronicity, 1983


Jackson Browne - World in Motion, 1989


and that finished the mp3/cd. I then started with my iPod on Random (#160 up through #239):

#160 = "Walk Like a Man" by Bruce Springsteen - Tunnel of Love, 1987


through #239 - "Cherish the Day" by Sade - Love Deluxe, 1992


highlights include:

"Land of Hope and Dreams" by Bruce Springsteen - Live at Madison Square Garden, New York, NY - June/July 2000, 2000


"Alive" by Pearl Jam - Ten, 1991 first album

Otis Ridge skiing - Kaaterskill Falls hike

Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2019 - Skiing at Otis Ridge, hiking at Kaaterskill Falls = 174 miles driving, 4+ hours:


Wendy and Caroline are up in Toronto for 4 days for a Revival/Conference, so I'm hitting the road for a couple of days. After I dropped off Caroline at Logan yesterday afternoon, I headed out the Mass Pike, and spent the night at the EconoLodge in Pittsfield (redeemed points = FREE!).

Today I was up-and-about - left Pittsfield just after 9, and got to Otis Ridge Ski Camp just before 10:


I remember going to ski camp here when I was 12 years old - I haven't been back since! (It seemed bigger back then):



I did 8 runs in an hour, for $20 - I had a wonderful time!!

I'm still collecting Post Offices:



At noon I had a nice lunch at the "West Street Grill" in Litchfield, Conn.:



I then drove northwest into New York State. I recently discovered a GREAT BOOK:

(I'm getting a copy on my birthday!) I discovered "River Road":



which is a really nice road from Rhinebeck to Annandale-on-Hudson.

After that nice drive, I crossed over the Hudson River and made my way up to the Kaaterskill Falls Trail Head. I had previously been up here (Thursday, May 17, 2018), but I didn't go far enough up the Trail to see the actual Falls!

A 3:20 PM shot of the lower falls today:

versus last May:


It was a great hike (picture this all with snow!):

it was great getting up to the "real Falls":

and even up behind them:


Very Cool Frozen Blue Waterfall!!!.

I hiked 3.22 miles in 1 hour 38 minutes (before the sun set), and then headed down to the Rodeway Inn in Kingston, NY (another free night thanks to Points!). Thank you God for these Wonderful Adventures!

I'm listening to a cd I burning 19 years ago, consisting of 181 songs in mp3 format. Yesterday's Driving Music was:

Robert Plant - Fate of Nations, 1993


Dire Straits - Love Over Gold, 1982


various artists - MIX 98.5 Vol. 2, 1988


Today's Driving Music:

Bonnie Raitt - Nick of Time, 1989


Pink Floyd - The Wall, 1979 double album


R.E.M. - Murmur, 1983 first album


Robbie Robertson - Robbie Robertson, 1987 solo debut album


The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, 1967


Jimmy Buffett - Son of a Son of a Sailor, 1978