Sound Baths at Open Eye Theater Saturday

MARGARETVILLE — The Open Eye Theater presents Sound Baths: Find Your Calm Saturday, Saturday, Nov. 22 at 3 pm, at The Open Eye Theater 

Join us for another deeply relaxing Sound Bath with healer and percussionist Marcel Smith — a meditative experience that immerses you in soothing, vibrational sounds.

Bring a yoga mat and lie back, or sit comfortably as waves of gong and percussion wash over you in peaceful resonance.

Next Session: Saturday, November 22 at 3 PM

The Open Eye Theater, 960 Main Street, Margaretville

Tickets: Pay-What-You-Will (Suggested $20)

Let go of stress and embrace tranquility — you deserve this moment of stillness.

 

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New Jersey Hiker Aided by Forest Rangers

SHANDAKEN — Wilderness Search: On November 16 at 12 p.m., Ulster County 911 contacted Ray Brook Dispatch to send Rangers to a call for a hiker with difficulty breathing near the summit of Slide Mountain Ranger Sweeney made phone contact with the 30-year-old from New Jersey. The original group was eight hikers—four were experienced and left the novice hikers behind.
The hiker who needed help has asthma but did not bring an inhaler. While Rangers Horn and Stratton responded, Ranger Sweeney told the group to stay where they were and wait for help. Approximately 15 minutes later, Ranger Sweeney called the group again and the hiker was breathing much better. Rangers Horn and Stratton led the search with Big Indian Fire Department and Shandaken EMS responded to the trailhead. At 2 p.m., rescuers found the hiker in good health. The subject refused further medical attention. Resources were clear at 4:30 p.m.

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HOLIDAY INVITATIONAL EXHIBIT: ARTISTS CHOOSE ARTISTS 2025 LONGYEAR GALLERY, NOV. 21st - JAN. 4th, ARTISTS' RECEPTION: SATURDAY, NOV. 22nd, 3-5 P.M.

Bea Ortiz, Tabula Rasa, acrylic on paper

 

Bernard Cohen, Somerset Bellevue Orchard, silver gelatin print

Corneel Verlaan, Study 2—Mirror Moth, 2025,  mixed media

 

Ellen Wong, A Gentle Glow, oil on board

Jan Sosnowitz, Fly Oil, collage

Sandra Finkenberg, Rocks in Bedding, oil on canvas

 

MARGARETVILLE — “Holiday Invitational Exhibit: Artists Choose Artists 2025” will open Friday, November 21st at Margaretville’s Longyear Gallery. This is Longyear’s fifteenth invitational show and will feature exhibitions of the work 71 of Longyear Gallery members' favorite guest artists working in different media along with a group show of the work of Longyear Gallery members. The Artists’ Reception will take place Saturday, November 22nd from 3-5 p.m. 

The works on display include pieces by local, regional, and city artists, each chosen by a Longyear Gallery member artist to create a dynamic visual dialogue for exhibition. This year’s invited artists include, with their Longyear host’s name followed in parentheses: Pati Airey (Lesley A. Powell), Christein Aromando (Sheila McManus), Richard Arnold (Marcia Clark ), Suzanne Ausnit (Deborah Ruggerio), William Behnken (Richard Kirk Mills), Erica Bradbury (Gail Freund), Deb Brindis (Michelle Seigei Spark), Robert Brune (Deborah Ruggerio), Bernard Cohen (Gail Freund), Holly Cohen (Deborah Ruggerio), Cena Pohl Crane (Richard Kirk Mills),  Christopher Criswell (Ron Macklin), Donna David (Irina Grinevitsky), Maria Del Carmen Garcia (Gail Freund), Elizabeth Dimon (Gail Freund), Eddie Donoghue (Deborah Ruggerio), Robin Factor (Mary McFerran), Sandra Finkenberg (Richard Kirk Mills), Don Freeman (Deborah Ruggerio), Jerry D. Gallo (Richard Kirk Mills), Tabitha Gilmore-Barnes (Deborah Ruggerio), Lori Glavin (Richard Kirk Mills ), Kathleen Green (Sara Stone), Josepha Gutelius (Lynn Woods), Oneida Hammond (Sara Stone), Daniel Hauben (Richard Kirk Mills), Aileen Hengeveld (Joanne Barham), Ann F. Hoffman (Deborah Ruggerio), Ben Huberman (Temma Bell), Robin Kappy (Deborah Ruggerio), Ulla Kjarval (Temma Bell), Odgen Kruger (Robin Halpern), Jonas Kyle (Hedi Kyle), Richard LaPresti (Marcia Clark), Zen Linder (Anthony Margiotta), Myra Lobel (Sara Stone), Claire Lofrese (Gerda van Leeuwen), Parker Manis (Anthony Margiotta), Frank Manzo (Margaret Leveson), Helene Manzo (Margaret Leveson), Gary Mayer (Wayne Morris), Harry G. McCarthy (Anthony Margiotta), Parker Manis (Anthony Margiotta), Amy Alice Metnick (Marion Behr), Joe Miller (Deborah Ruggerio), Joanna Murphy (Richard Kirk Mills), Lillian Mulero (Patrice Lorenz), James Nevin (Bonnie Mitchell), Bea Ortiz (Wayne Morris), Kari Pagnano (Ann Lee Fuller), Kevin Palfreyman (Louise Kalin), Linda Leo Palfreyman (Louise Kalin), Ellen Parker (Michelle Seigei Spark), Bill Quinn (Lesley A. Powell), Jennifer Lord Rhodes (Richard Kirk Mills), Susan Rochmis (Neil Driscoll), Julia Rubin (Lesley A. Powell), Michael Francis Ryan (Robin Halpern), Judy Scheck (Mary McFerran), Michelle Sidrane (Deborah Ruggerio), Amy Silberkleit (Gail Freund), Veronica Rose Snead (Alan Powell), Jan Sosnowitz (Gail Freund), GG Stankiewicz (Hedi Kyle), Kathleen Sweeney (Robin Halpern), Barbara Taff (Ron Macklin), Mina Teslaru (Bonnie Mitchell), Tamara Vasan (Michelle Seigei Spark), Corneel Verlaan (Anthony Margiotta), Fred Woller (Lesley A. Powell), Ellen Wong (Sheila McManus), and Ricky Zia (Deborah Ruggerio).  

The work of these artists varies in style and vision, including a large range of media: oil paintings, pastels, watercolor, mixed media, photographs, collages, gouaches, pencil drawings, and acrylics. “It’s always an exciting exhibition since we’re able to invite our artist friends to show their work with us this year,” notes artist and gallery member Gail Freund, “and it inspires our own work as well.” Longyear Gallery artist member Deborah Ruggerio agrees, adding “It’s also a pleasure to be able once again to use our gallery to bring these terrific artists to the attention of our local Catskill community.”

“Holiday Invitational Exhibit: Artists Choose Artists 2025” will be on display at Longyear Gallery from Friday, November 21st through Sunday, January 4th, and the gallery will be open Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays each weekend. Gallery hours are from 11 p.m.-4 p.m.  Longyear Gallery is located Downstairs in The Commons, 785 Main Street, Margaretville, New York. For information, please see Longyear Gallery’s website, http://longyeargallery.org/or call 845.586.3270 during gallery hours. 

 

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A Conversation about …Revelations

By Jean Thomas

Most of the green screen of foliage has dropped, finishing the summer. (The oaks resist the trend, keeping their leaves as long as they can into the winter weather. They're brown, not green, but they persist.) A colorful show on the trees precedes another floor show in the lawn and the forest floor,. followed by stripping almost all leaves. No longer adorned with decorative features, the naked deciduous trees reveal their structural beauty (or flaws). Dead branches of trees and shrubs dangle, vulnerable. Upstart invasive plants can't hide like they did when lurking behind the green screens. This is an excellent time to prune and eradicate many problems. Weaknesses of gates, fences and walls become evident.

Those are the basic maintenance concerns. There are  also ample harvests during the revelation season. Natural materials for Christmas and Thanksgiving decorations are freely available. Winterberry branches, evergreen cones and boughs, and birch branches are easy to find and collect. And to see and gain access once the leaves have cleared away. Try to be aware of the bad choices for decorations. Chinese Bittersweet is bad. Learn about American Bittersweet instead. The other two villainous invasives that can be dangerous are Burning Bush (when they retain their leaves) and Barberry( pretty berries.) These invasives all reseed profusely, and using them gives them many more opportunities.  Mycologists have certain favorite mushrooms to collect at this time of year, also easier to find without the green camouflage of leaves.

Not only foragers cherish this season. Bird watchers rejoice in discoveries of abandoned nests . Some hold glittery snow , others caches of nuts and clumps of fur from small animals camping out to raise their own babies in abandoned bird nurseries.

The homes of many birds endure this recycling. The hawks and eagles, as well as herons and egrets, construct massive structures that they enlarge year after year.  With the repopulation of the American Eagle, there are many places to observe these, including the Hudson River Valley and throughout the Catskills When we see these nests in the winter, we are usually amazed at how a bird could build such a thing at all, but wonder how we never saw them before now? And among the massive nests, we've also seen those big messy clumps of nests in the treetops. Sometimes they belong to crows, but more often to squirrels. If the primary building  material is leaves and not twigs, probably a squirrel's winter resident and/or seasonal residence. These are known to squirrel experts as “dreys.” Dreys are distinct from “cavity nests” or dens, usually shelters in trees.

Keep an eye out for tree trunks in general, and specifically dead or dying ones. Observe the holes drilled or dug out. Take pictures and google them to find out which of dozens animals use the habitat they provide.

Another winter surprise is often hornet or paper wasp nests. These structures made of paper created by the insects, are sturdy and can hold up beautifully through most weather. Once discovered by animals that consider the larva a tasty treat (Bears, skunks and raccoons primarily) they are dismantled over a relatively short time. Even though they are likely dead after a prolonged cold spell, don't underestimate their danger, even then.

If you have comments or suggestions for future columns, contact me at jeanthepipper@duck.com.

 

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THE CATSKILL GEOLOGISTS BY PROFESSORS ROBERT AND JOHANNA TITUS - Eroding the Catskill Front

If you are like us, then one of your favorite spots to visit is the Mountain House ledge. That’s where the famed Catskill Mountain House Hotel once stood. It stood along the edge of this cliff and towered above the Hudson Valley. Countless people have stood right there and, enthralled, gazed down at the view before them. We have done this, ourselves, many times; we never get tired of being there. But then we look left and right and see something else. Take a good look at our photo. In the foreground is the edge of a very straight cliff. Behind it lies another straight ledge. This second one has a compass direction which is approximately northeast to southwest. Then in the distance are three more. These ledges seem to define a series of 90-degree angles. There is a pattern here.

                                   

How many times have we said it: when Nature presents scientists with a pattern then she is challenging them to solve a problem. Let’s get to work on this one. There’s not a geologist anywhere who would not quickly recognize that these cliffs are a series of straight vertical fractures. These are called joints: geological joints. They formed in response to stresses generated when Africa collided with North America. That was about 325 million years ago. Take a look at our second photo. That shows two more joints, but these do not define cliffs. How is that? What turned some joints into cliffs and left the others alone?

                       

Well, we have been around for quite some time so we quickly saw the answer. We looked north and in our mind’s eye we envisioned the great Hudson Valley glacier advancing to the south. It swelled up the slope below and rose all the way to this level. Now it was rubbing up against the Wall of Manitou, this the Catskill Front. The moving ice stuck to the bedrock and then yanked massive blocks of rock out and dragged them off to the south. Those blocks broke along the joints, mostly the northeast/southwest-oriented ones.

                                         

So, there was a lot going on right here late in the Ice Age. See our third photo, courtesy of the US Geological Survey. Do you see the dashed line? We are guessing that all that is bedrock that was eroded away by the passing ice, That’s a lot of missing Catskill Mountains! Now, see the southwestern trending Wall of Manitou. It’s ten-mile-long straight line and it was carved along those joints by the Hudson Valley glacier. All these are things we think you should know and understand the next time you visit the ledge.

Contact the authors at “randjtitus@prodigy.net.” Join their facebook page “The Catskill Geologist.” Read their blogs at “The Catskill Geologist.com.” 

 

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Whittling Away with Dick Brooks - Pondering

The other day, having stumbled across a small block of free time, I decided to take a break and have a small ponder.  While sitting in my ponder spot and trying to decide upon a topic, my eyes fell upon the bathtub.  The tub is a little hard to ignore since it takes up the most space in my Fortress of Solitude.  “As good a topic as any”, I said to myself since there was no one else present at the time.

I haven’t had a bath in over twenty years, I don’t think I even know anyone who’s had one lately.  The topic doesn’t come up often so I’m not absolutely positive.  I have a few acquaintances who, when approached from downwind, don’t seem to have put any kind of bathing high on their priority list.  I, on the other hand, hose down with fairly frequent regularity on a seasonal basis.

Can it be that personal hygiene is on the decline?  Nope, everyone I know showers.  Who’s got time for a tub bath nowadays?  By the time the tub is filled to a proper dunking level, I can be showered, shaved and five miles down the road.  Showers save time and water.  The tub takes forty gallons to fill, showers use about two gallons of water a minute.  One tub full=a twenty minute shower.  There hasn’t been a twenty minute shower in our house since The Princess went away to college.  In fact, after she left for school, the local water table rose five feet.  I frequently think how fortunate for Ithaca College that it was located at the end of one on the Finger Lakes, good planning I call it.

Back in a simpler time, I loved the tub.  First of all, it was bigger than the sink where I was first introduced to the routine of soap and water.  Granted it was a little crowded what with my little brothers and their toys, but good clean bubbly fun.  I finally got old enough to have my own bath time.  I didn’t miss the brothers, but I did miss the toys.  I quickly discovered the joys of Ivory Soap.  It was one of the major joys of my childhood.  Admiral Brooks spent hours sailing his 99 and 44/100% pure battleship upon the porcelain seas.  Ivory makes a great submarine too.  You can hold it under water and when you let go, it jumps right out of the water.  If your soap toy got boring, you could always slide down and see how long you could hold your breath.  That usually got soapy water in your ears and it was kind of fun shaking your head back and forth to hear it slosh.  Turning the water on using just your toes to warm it up when you had been in so long that it was starting to get cold was fun and led to the ability to peel a banana without using my hands which was a great hit during my college days.  When you finally got out, you were all pruney and wrinkled. 

I have fond memories of those soaks but I’m not going back to them.  I don’t have the time and we don’t use Ivory Soap anymore.  In fact, sharing my life with my fair Queen means that it’s hard to find a bar of soap anyway.  There are all these bottles and jars full of stuff that make bubbles and get you clean but I can never decide what I want to spend the day smelling like.  My male friends look a little askance when I show up smelling like a floral coconut bouquet.  I think that after all these shower years, I’d feel kind of scummy after a soak and would want to shower just to get the soap residue off.

Tubs are still a part of our life though, a few years back, we redid the bathroom and actually thought of eliminating the tub in favor of a really nice shower stall.  The shower stall was easier to get into and didn’t require sitting on those sandpaper strips people glue to the bottom of their tubs so they don’t slip.  We wound up putting in a tub, what’s a bathroom without a tub?  We’ll probably never use it but it is there if we ever want to.  I’m not going to use it, at my age, the last thing I need is more wrinkles.

Thought for the week—Old age is when former classmates are so gray and wrinkled and bald, they don’t recognize you.

Until next week, may you and yours be happy and well.

whittle12124@yahoo.com   

 

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Seasonal Celebrations in Store for One and All

Helen Truszkowski

GREENE, DELAWARE, & SCHOHARIE COUNTIES — Can’t wait to deck out your tree with the customary red and green razzle-dazzle, to fill the kitchen with the scent of cinnamon cookies and gingerbread as pine cones and cloves linger in the air?  Then it’s time to hit those local Christmas markets filled with holiday gifts, handmade crafts and delicious festive fare. From adorable outdoor light displays and parades to seasonal cideries and distilleries bringing holiday cheer, the magic of Christmas awaits. So pack your totes, bundle up the kids, and head on out. Follow Helen’s  A-Z for some of the best the region has to offer this Festive Season. Fingers crossed for a light dusting of snow…you may just feel you’re walking through a snowglobe.

Athens

Dec 13, from 1-5 pm. Come celebrate the Victorian Stroll at the Family Ice Skating Rink at Athens Riverfront Park. Bring your skates as families and friends gather for a free, fun-filled day in celebration of the annual event. Up and down the historic village’s Second Street, Athens Riverfront Park and all around the Village, businesses, residents and community organizations host family-friendly activities, free goodies and entertainment galore, with nods to Athens’ past. The Coxsackie-Athens Community Band will be ‘wrapping up’ with traditional Christmas and popular Holiday music at The First Reformed Church of Athens, New York at 1pm. The concert lasts one-hour. Admission is free

Cairo

Dec 7, 14 & 21 from 1-6 pm. Celebrate the magic of the season at Storybrook Hollow, 194 Route 145. Take holiday portraits with Father Christmas inside an enchanting castle. Step into a festive wonderland filled with twinkling lights, old-world charm, and cozy holiday cheer. Families, children, and couples welcome. Festive attire encouraged. Enjoy warm cider, mulled wine, and award-winning craft brews at the castle tavern while you wait. Or browse the gift shop for handmade treasures for every loved one on your Christmas list. 

Dec 20, from 12:30-3:30 pm Families can share a royal moment with Princess Belle herself and capture beautiful keepsake photos amidst the fairytale splendor.

Catskill

Nov 28, from 5:30-9 pm. Celebrate the season at Catskill’s beloved Parade of Lights Enjoy dazzling floats, festive music, delicious treats, and a visit from Santa as Main Street sparkles with holiday cheer. The parade runs from Dutchman’s Landing to the Top of Main Street, with family fun kicking off at and fireworks lighting up the sky at 8:30 pm.

Dec 2. Get in the holiday spirit with Joanie Madden & Cherish the Ladies for a world-class Celtic Christmas celebration at The Shamrock House, East Durham. Get ready for a festive evening filled with your favorite classic Christmas songs intermingled with traditional Irish music, song, dance and holiday cheer.

Dec 6, 7, 13, 14, at  2 pm and 7 pm. Start the festivities in style with the Catskill Mountain Foundation’s Nutcracker at OPAC at 6050 Rte 23A, Tannersville.

The beloved annual tradition features the ballet stars of tomorrow and acclaimed collaborations with the Joffrey Ballet School New York and Ballet Hispánico. 

Dec 7. Pre Christmas prep at the Thomas Cole House promises an afternoon of free, family-friendly fun. Enjoy holiday shopping, winter tours, art making, hot chocolate, a tree lighting, and more festive activities for all ages.

Dec 21, from 4-8 pm. Catskill Village’s Winter Solstice Stroll is a magical celebration of the year’s longest night. Stroll along Main Street, transformed into a pedestrian-only wonderland illuminated by twinkling lights and adorned with seasonal charm. Explore holiday shops and savor the offerings of local restaurants with family and friends alike as live music fills the air and warm refreshments keep the chill at bay. Reflect on the transition from darkness to light, embrace the spirit of renewal, and send your wishes for happiness and prosperity in 2026.

Cooperstown

All of Cooperstown looks as pretty as a greeting card with ice fishing on Otsego Lake, 300 miles of snowmobiling trails, and its 18th-century buildings set aglow with twinkling lights. 

Nov 15 through Dec 23. The Cooperstown Art Association’s beloved tradition is back! The Holiday Show & Sale transforms their chic galleries into a festive marketplace, brimming with creativity and holiday cheer. The galleries sparkle with a dazzling variety of fine art and handcrafted treasures—each one created by our talented member artists.

Nov 22 through Dec 28, from 5:30 pm-9 pm. The Fenimore Farm & Country Village gets into the holiday glow with the Glimmer Nights holiday light show. Each weekend features special themed fun, from holiday shopping to classic carols, warm wassail, and festive surprises for the whole family. 

Nov 28, from 4-7 pm. The parade brings music, lights, and plenty of holiday cheer down Main Street. The parade ends back at Santa’s Cottage in Pioneer Park for the tree lighting. Find Santa and Mrs. Claus at their cottage where there’s a mailbox to drop off letters to Kris Kringle. 

Nov 29 through Dec 21. Cooperstown & Charlotte Valley Railroad runs Santa Claus Express and North Pole Express trains that are so popular they tend to sell out each year.

Dec 2, from 4pm. The National Baseball Hall of Fame hosts an annual holiday party that doubles as a food and toy drive. Local residents will be given access to the Museum free of charge.

12 Dec, from 4-7:30 pm. Bundle up as you step into the enchanting world of 19th-century holiday traditions with Hyde Hall’s Victorian Candlelight Christmas Tours. Experience the magic of the season as it was celebrated 200 years ago.

Delhi

Dec 6, from 11 am-4 pm. Birdsong Farm Holiday Markets, 38480 NY-10, between Delhi and Hamden, welcomes shoppers to their annual Holiday Markets. Shop from amazing local vendors, get pictures with Santa, enjoy live music, and snack on tasty seasonal treats. 

Dec 6, from 11 am-3 pm. Delaware County Historical Association, 46549 State Highway 10, hosts  their Holiday of the Heart Tree Celebration to get festivities underway this holiday season. Do some holiday shopping, enjoy light fare and live music, shop the bake sale, and enter the raffle to win a beautifully decorated Christmas Tree

Dec 23, from 5:30-7 pm. The First Presbyterian Church of Delhi, 4 Clinton Street, will again present an outdoor Living Nativity as a gift to the community and as a reminder of the true meaning of Christmas, complete with costumes, music and live animals. The community is invited to participate and to bring a donation to drop for the Food Bank.

Esperance

Dec 6, from 10 am-3 pm. The eagerly awaited annual Christmas event  at the Esperance Historical Society Museum and Library, 123 Church St, is all about decorating trees, free homemade cookies and hot cocoa, crafts, raffles, a Letter to Santa drop-off and so much more.

Schoharie 

Dec 13, from 10-4 pm. The Old Stone Fort Museum event includes a festive day with Christmas-themed craft vendors, DIY crafts for all ages, and a cookie contest. Enjoy a festive day filled with Christmas-themed craft vendors, DIY crafts for all ages, and a cookie contest that’s sure to sweeten your spirits. Step back in time with living historians at Hartmann’s Dorf House, sharing 18th-century holiday traditions. Plus, enjoy the sounds of the season with caroling throughout the day to fill the air with festive cheer.

Sharon Springs

The holidays can be hectic, but your shopping experience doesn’t have to be. Holiday Stroll is Sharon Spring’s local shopping initiative. It takes place over several weekends. Visit local businesses and receive gift certificates with your qualifying purchases.

Dec 2 & 3rd, from 10am. The Holiday Artisan Faire is a full weekend of holiday festivities.  Activities include local artisans, seasonal foods and drinks, holiday music, and festive decorations in shops and restaurants. To kick off the event enjoy a Holiday Concert at 7pm in Klinkhart Hall on Friday evening. Tree lighting at 5.30 pm followed by Santa’s parade.

Zzzzzzzz

Nov 27, Get ready for the BIGGEST Turkey Trot yet! The 2025 Turkey Trot 5k for Hospice Care is back and better than ever – more runners, more fun, and more community spirit! Lace up your sneakers, grab your friends and family, and help make this year’s event one to remember. Celebrate yr win with a family-style turkey dinner order from the Brewery Ommegang Tap House. Reserve your dinner by email C.Huntington@Ommegang.com or (607) 544-1800 Ext. 831

Then it’s off to catch up on some well-deserved zzzzzzzzzzs .. 

 

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