A walk to Ossining – Albany Post Road (Route 9)

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As I was walking past the house in the preceding post three men doing garden maintenance turned on their really loud leaf blowers. I continued walking along the road very much aware of the noise of the cars racing along it. Then I heard the sound of a passing airplane before a flight of blackhawk helicopters roared overhead, no doubt on their way to West Point.

“The Post Road followed the original Wickquasgeck Trail, carved into the brush of Manhattan by its Native American inhabitants. This trail originally snaked through swamps and rocks along the length of Manhattan Island. Upon the arrival of the Dutch, the trail soon became the main road through the island from Nieuw Amsterdam at the southern tip. The Dutch explorer and entrepreneur David Pietersz. de Vries gives the first mention of it in his journal for the year 1642 (“the Wickquasgeck Road over which the Indians passed daily”). The Dutch named the road “Heerestraat”.

In 1669, the provincial government of New York designated a postal route between New York City and Albany, the colony’s two most important settlements at the time. It was little more than a narrow path in many places, following old trails used by the Wiccoppe and Wappinger tribes. Stagecoaches headed north originally started from Cortlandt Street in lower Manhattan; later the starting point was moved up to Broadway and Twenty-first Street.

In 1703, the legislative body provided for the postal road to be a “public and common general highway” along the same route, starting in Kingsbridge, Bronx and ending at a ferry landing in present-day Rensselaer. It was called the Queen’s Road, after Queen Anne.

The King’s Bridge was built as a toll bridge in 1693, by Frederick Philipse, a wealthy merchant and major landholder in the Bronx and Westchester. The bridge, the first connecting Manhattan with the mainland, spanned the former Spuyten Duyvil Creek at what today is Kingsbridge Avenue. At Kingsbridge the Post Road split with the eastern spur heading to Boston, and the northern branch heading to Albany.” (Wikipedia).

I’m very interested in the history of the US Revolutionary War and I couldn’t help but wonder what this road was like during the revolution. A lot quieter I imagine. We certainly pay a price for the convenience that 21st century living brings to us.

Taken with a Fuji X-E3 and Fuji XC 16-50mm f3.5-5.6 OSS II

Mazda MX-5

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My late wife used to own one of these, except that hers was the earlier model with the flip up lights and it was bright red in color. She first bought it when we were living in Geneva, and was heart broken when she had to leave it there when we moved back to New York. Then one day I noticed an advertisement for an identical model, same year, same color on a notice board at the office. I drew it to her attention and of course she bought it immediately. It served her well until it finally gave up the ghost many years later and was replaced by a BMW convertible.

Taken with a Sony A7IV and Sony FE 28-75 f3.5-5.6 OSS.

Still more New York City pictures

by Posted in Abstracts, Buildings/Structures, People, Things, Vehicles Leave a comment
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A few pictures taken while walking from one destination in New York City to Another. Above: Blue bicycles.

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Skyscrapers. I liked all the different shapes and lines.

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Abstract composition in an iron girder?

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Street people. I don’t usually take pictures of street people, but there were so many of them along this one block near St. Patrick’s Cathedral. I found myself wondering why they were there?

Taken with a Fuji X-E3, Fuji XC 16-50mm f3.5-5.6 OSS II and Fuji XF Fuji X-E1 and Fuji XF 35mm f1.4 R.

Goodbye my friend

by Posted in Black & White, People, Vehicles Leave a comment
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I was sad to learn recently that my friend, Paul Savior had passed away.

I’ve posted pictures of him, his house and garden and even helped him do a photobook of old pictures for his children (See: Paul’s house; My friend Paul; One of Paul’s cats; and Paul and Family.

A recent communication from the Roaring Brook Lake Garden Club described him as follows: “We wanted to share with you the very sad news that longtime Garden Club member Paul Savior passed away on Friday. Paul had just celebrated his 90th birthday on August 16. He is survived by daughters Valerie and Allison. His daughters said the Garden Club meant a lot to him. Paul had an acting career that spanned over six decades, with roles in shows like Kojak, Mannix, General Hospital, and The Young and The Restless. And of course, starring roles at Tompkins Corner and Garrison Depot Theatre.

I have many memories of Paul, but a couple stand out. The first is of a one man show that he performed at the Tompkins Corners Cultural Center. The show consisted of readings from Edgar Allan Poe, one of Paul’s favorite authors. I don’t think I’d realized just how good a performer he was until I saw this. The second is of him driving around the lake in his midnight blue, convertible Jaguar, which seemed to fit his personality so perfectly.

RIP Paul. I’ll miss you.

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Photos taken with a Sony RX-100 M1.