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Jul. 16th, 2001 06:02 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
podlingRight, so several odd things happened this weekend. Figured some of you would
like to hear the highlights. They were odd.
Okay, so first, on Friday, we were cooking for a friend. To entertain Cara
while she was doing her cooking part, we read Adam's take on Sindarizations out
loud, olde time radio style. Ahem. I almost hurt myself laughing, and it had
about the same effect on Matteo & Cara. The poor boy didn't know what he was
getting into, he walked in and I said "Here, read the colored parts out loud."
Next day I went to Westchester County in New York. It's tree filled. We
wanted to kayak, but there are apparently no places to do that sort of thing
there. Weird. So I bought some nifty green overalls for way cheap at a doc
martin outlet, then we wandered off, looking at stuff, mostly. So anyway,
randomly driving around, Josh & I saw several odd sites. We drove through the
Bear Mountain area (most notable for the fact that Josh didn't know where it
was, even though there are signs every 20 feet or so near there, sort of like
how I didn't know where the Seaport is (all of 2 blocks away from work)) then
stopped off at a scenic overlook, where a vanload of chinese women were hanging
out with an old buddhist monk in his orange garb, taking photos and such.
There were also 2 bikers, the weekend warrior kind. So the monk goes over to
have a picture taken next to this fabulous harley and the guy who owns it
seemed somewhat amused. The monk was so happy. The woman taking the picture
was trying to explain to the biker that the monk loved the bike but could never
afford one. It was very... surreal, I guess. It was a very scenic overlook.
Off in the distance in one direction was a nuclear power plant, that likewise
was kind of surreal. Oh, and there was what looked like it wanted to be a
commune, that used to be a military base, that now has what seems to be a fleet
of Ryder trucks parked at it. Suspicious, if you ask me.
Eventually, we drive on, and I say something like 'what's that up on that
hill?' http://maki.simplenet.com/dmm/lulu/wilbur/wilbur.jpg (incidentally, i
have no idea whose website this is, or what it's really about, but it does a
good job of cataloguing where we were) Josh had no idea what I was talking
about, but decided to humor me and go investigate. And this is what we
found...
http://maki.simplenet.com/dmm/lulu/wilbur/sign1.jpg Now, look at that sign,
and tell me you wouldn't have investigated. Further on up the road we see this
one, which totally piqued our interest. It was an adventure at this point...
http://maki.simplenet.com/dmm/lulu/wilbur/sign2.jpg then we pass what appears
to be (and is) a convent http://maki.simplenet.com/dmm/lulu/wilbur/convent.jpg
We keep going, and it keeps seeming like the road will end, but it keeps
rounding odd turns around weird large stone buildings that look perfect for any
of the following options: a private artist colony funded by a eccentric rich
person, a cult headquarters, the part of the horror film right before the two
intrepid heroes bite it. Keep going, and there appears to be (and is) a huge
old stonework building on the cliff (as in, the first pic) that apparently is
now condos or something. It was so neat! There was a courtyard with a
fountain visible underneath gargoyles through this archway. But given that it
said things like private property and no trespassing, we didn't wander in.
Specially given that there was at least one resident tracking our every move
from their window. It looks like a fabulous place to live, and seemed so
weirdly private, what with the windy road and the convent and the cliff.
Now, the rest of the weekend, while fun, doesn't require comment really.
However, there is something I noticed there, and I'm wondering if this is a
northeast U.S. thing, or what. There are no places that are dark that you can
go to at night without it being against the law. All we wanted was to
stargaze, but there was really no place to do it. Everyplace that seemingly
exists is one of the following, exceptionally well-lit for our protection
(against whatever), private property (which may or may not be well-lit, IBM's
employee-access-only lot was damn well lit), public access (but not at night,
only until half an hour after dusk). Even near lakes around there. What
gives? They sell stargazing books and equipment, so where is it that people do
this? It's not like we were in a city or anything either. Why? Why why why?
I just wanted to enjoy the stars...
Andrea
like to hear the highlights. They were odd.
Okay, so first, on Friday, we were cooking for a friend. To entertain Cara
while she was doing her cooking part, we read Adam's take on Sindarizations out
loud, olde time radio style. Ahem. I almost hurt myself laughing, and it had
about the same effect on Matteo & Cara. The poor boy didn't know what he was
getting into, he walked in and I said "Here, read the colored parts out loud."
Next day I went to Westchester County in New York. It's tree filled. We
wanted to kayak, but there are apparently no places to do that sort of thing
there. Weird. So I bought some nifty green overalls for way cheap at a doc
martin outlet, then we wandered off, looking at stuff, mostly. So anyway,
randomly driving around, Josh & I saw several odd sites. We drove through the
Bear Mountain area (most notable for the fact that Josh didn't know where it
was, even though there are signs every 20 feet or so near there, sort of like
how I didn't know where the Seaport is (all of 2 blocks away from work)) then
stopped off at a scenic overlook, where a vanload of chinese women were hanging
out with an old buddhist monk in his orange garb, taking photos and such.
There were also 2 bikers, the weekend warrior kind. So the monk goes over to
have a picture taken next to this fabulous harley and the guy who owns it
seemed somewhat amused. The monk was so happy. The woman taking the picture
was trying to explain to the biker that the monk loved the bike but could never
afford one. It was very... surreal, I guess. It was a very scenic overlook.
Off in the distance in one direction was a nuclear power plant, that likewise
was kind of surreal. Oh, and there was what looked like it wanted to be a
commune, that used to be a military base, that now has what seems to be a fleet
of Ryder trucks parked at it. Suspicious, if you ask me.
Eventually, we drive on, and I say something like 'what's that up on that
hill?' http://maki.simplenet.com/dmm/lulu/wilbur/wilbur.jpg (incidentally, i
have no idea whose website this is, or what it's really about, but it does a
good job of cataloguing where we were) Josh had no idea what I was talking
about, but decided to humor me and go investigate. And this is what we
found...
http://maki.simplenet.com/dmm/lulu/wilbur/sign1.jpg Now, look at that sign,
and tell me you wouldn't have investigated. Further on up the road we see this
one, which totally piqued our interest. It was an adventure at this point...
http://maki.simplenet.com/dmm/lulu/wilbur/sign2.jpg then we pass what appears
to be (and is) a convent http://maki.simplenet.com/dmm/lulu/wilbur/convent.jpg
We keep going, and it keeps seeming like the road will end, but it keeps
rounding odd turns around weird large stone buildings that look perfect for any
of the following options: a private artist colony funded by a eccentric rich
person, a cult headquarters, the part of the horror film right before the two
intrepid heroes bite it. Keep going, and there appears to be (and is) a huge
old stonework building on the cliff (as in, the first pic) that apparently is
now condos or something. It was so neat! There was a courtyard with a
fountain visible underneath gargoyles through this archway. But given that it
said things like private property and no trespassing, we didn't wander in.
Specially given that there was at least one resident tracking our every move
from their window. It looks like a fabulous place to live, and seemed so
weirdly private, what with the windy road and the convent and the cliff.
Now, the rest of the weekend, while fun, doesn't require comment really.
However, there is something I noticed there, and I'm wondering if this is a
northeast U.S. thing, or what. There are no places that are dark that you can
go to at night without it being against the law. All we wanted was to
stargaze, but there was really no place to do it. Everyplace that seemingly
exists is one of the following, exceptionally well-lit for our protection
(against whatever), private property (which may or may not be well-lit, IBM's
employee-access-only lot was damn well lit), public access (but not at night,
only until half an hour after dusk). Even near lakes around there. What
gives? They sell stargazing books and equipment, so where is it that people do
this? It's not like we were in a city or anything either. Why? Why why why?
I just wanted to enjoy the stars...
Andrea
