An Afternoon with Dan and Alex

 It's a long rip to Potter Hollow (3 hours-177 miles) but a lot shorter than the trips we used to make from Indiana to the East coast to see our children.  We left around 10 am arrived around 1:30.   We snacked on fruit from local orchards and I had some of Alex's homemade yogurt and granola--so delicious! 

We talked about options for the afternoon and decided to ride, not walk, up Engle Road to Fran and Janet's land where we could pull off and walk down a hill to the stream and the waterfall. The walking was a bit treacherous--uneven and I am always vigilant for poison ivy-but it was worth the effort.  Plus my dear son gave me his hand many times to help me navigate--especially when we got down to the rocks in the streambed area.   How wonderful to see such beauty hidden in the woods just for us--just for today.   

A bit of a back story here is that during my early morning walk I listened to  "Pray as You Go" in which we were informed that yesterday was Pope Francis' call for prayer for our environment.  We were challenged to look at nature and appreciate its beauty and think of the Creator God who made it.   I hoped we would be seeing  the waterfall and thought about how timely that challenge was  for me yesterday. The time flew too fast so a visit to one of the lovely villages nearby will have to wait.   Potter Hollow is not a lovely village but is a series of somewhat derelict buildings along the side of the road.   For that matter, Engle Road has its share of rundown campers and sheds.  

After returning to the cabin, we enjoyed a lovely Rose wine and homemade naan (Dan's successful experiment) and sausages.  And wonderful peach cobbler made from local peaches from the CSA box.  

And then on the road again just before 5 pm because we wanted to try to get home before dark.  We didn't make it with the sun setting at 7:30 but at least by that tie we were on the familiar 206 and close to home.

We hope to make one more trip to Potter Hollow before Dan and Alex give up their lease on November 1.   The colors should be beautiful later this month or in early October.  Dan and Alex have big decisions to make because their Brooklyn apartment's lease is up on October 1.  They have loved their rural life but will probably end up closer to the city.  They did put some money down on a new car so that was progress.   Right now there are so many uncertainties for work and the possibility of continuing to work remotely. Over the years, Dan's living arrangements have brought us to several areas of San Francisco and then Brooklyn and now the Catskills.   What will be next?