A visit to upstate New York and Vermont – Overview

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Above and below: Barn in Vermont.

I was going to spend some time in upstate New York with friends from Canada. The plan was that I would take the Amtrak train from nearby Croton-Harmon station up to Saratoga Springs where we would be staying. Or so I thought. Things didn’t turn out quite as I expected, but more on that later. We would explore Saratoga Springs; visit the Saratoga Revolutionary War Battle Site; Take a look at one of my “bucket list” destinations: Fort Ticonderoga; and while in Ticonderoga take the Star Trek Original Series Set Tour.

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My friends had kindly offered to drive me back home, so after all of the above we headed back to Westchester County where they would stay for a couple of days and take a look around Briarcliff Manor and other parts of the lower Hudson Valley.

Taken with a Sony RX10 IV

Taste NY Market

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This Taste NY Market is located at the Todd Hill rest area on the Taconic Parkway (one mile south of Route 55). It’s a destination where motorists can stop for local and affordable food and beverages, and where commuters and local residents can purchase healthy ingredients for home cooked meals. The market also operates a seasonal outdoor farmers’ market. The food looked good, but it seemed to me to be rather expensive. I had a smoked salmon sandwich with arugula (I think). It was OK, but I wouldn’t rave about it. This might just be me though. I’ve never cared for arugula. So why did I buy it. All I can say is that it seemed like a good idea at the time.

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There was an interesting information board detailing the history of the Taconic State Parkway in the parking area.

Taken with a Sony RX10 IV

A History of The Faith Lutheran Brethren Church

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On October 26th, 2024, the Briarcliff Manor Historical Society (BMSHS) in collaboration with the Faith Lutheran Brethren Church organized the next presentation in our 50th Anniversary series on Briarcliff Manor Houses of Worship. Rev. Anthony Karlik told us about the history of the church.

He described the Church of the Lutheran Brethren as originating in Norway around 1900 when an assembly of Lutherans felt the need to reject several former beliefs as incompatible with their newfound spirituality. The Church was formed in Fergus Falls Minnesota in 1900. Pastor Tony then went on to describe how members of the Church had emigrated to the United States, initially to the cities, but later to the suburbs including Briarcliff Manor. Eventually there was a need for a physical home, a Church building. This led to the telling of the incredible story of the construction of the present Church, which was built entirely by members of the Congregation! Pastor Tony gave an impressive presentation. He spoke with passion and without reference to notes or other guides (e.g. Powerpoint Slides). The participants seemed to enjoy the presentation and asked a number of questions.

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Every year the church organizes a pumpkin patch. It was operating before, during and after the presentation. It seemed to be doing well.

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Taken with a Fuji X-E3 and Sigma 18-50mm f2.8

Encounter at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery

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The weekend before last I was in Tarrytown/Sleepy Hollow. They were well into their preparations for Hallowe’en. Of course, Hallowe’en is a big event in Sleepy Hollow because of the connection with Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”.
I walked through Sleepy Hollow Cemetery and was waiting for my ride when I came across this very pleasant trio outside the Administrative Office/Chapel.

We chatted for a while, and I discovered that their names were (from left to right) Danita, Luna and (believe it or not) Darryl. While they all looked great, Luna looked fantastic (particularly in her second picture).

Apologies to Danita. I missed focus on her closeup picture.

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Luna
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Luna
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Darryl

Taken with a Kodak P880