Consider the following exchange I had with “Joe,” the owner of an unnamed inn in the western Adirondacks:

It was roughly 9am, and I was waiting for Joe’s wife, who served as hostess, waitress, chef, and (remarkably, still) a charming bartender, to put the finishing touches on the […]

Mark Twain is credited with the pronouncement that “Golf is a good walk spoiled.” Truth is that the judgement was first rendered 38 years after Twain’s death … but the presumption continues. True or not, the balance to that invective might well be that Art Omi in […]

“Home is a place not only of strong affections,” Harriet Beeche Stowe once said. “But of entire unreserved.” The famous sentiment has since encompassed the entirety of the nation’s romantic ambitions for home ownership. It is not only a place we value as a “dressing room” for […]

What was your family doing 100 years ago? That’s four or five generations back. Past your parents, your grandparents, your great-grandparents, and on to your great-great grandparents. Think about it. How far back do your family stories go? If you’re the average person who knows something about […]

There is a lot to be said about the terms “routine” and “tradition” after the collective experience of 2020. For over a century, generations of local families have fastened themselves to the tradition of attending the Dutchess County Fair so much so that the annual event has […]

In an area like ours, where you can easily stumble across a local farm’s produce stand or a small business selling unique goods, farmers markets are a perfect way for the community to come together and appreciate these nearby offerings in one place. There are endless benefits […]

Emerging from our COVID has left us hungry – for experiences and joyful connection. For more than a year, we closed in on ourselves, threw ourselves into gardening and growing food, and found solace in the outdoors, perhaps becoming more curious about the natural world. It would […]

How does one properly pay homage to a symbol? As a child, I visited Millerton, NY’s The Moviehouse and gaped at the clock tower perched on its peak like a homing beacon for those in search of an escape into the world of film. It was a […]

There’s something about watching someone do something they love with their hands that’s mesmerizing. It’s like watching ballet or like watching a child put a puzzle together. You become fully engaged yourself and can’t look away.

I didn’t know roasting coffee beans was as hands-on an experience as […]

After almost a decade in New York State’s Assembly representing District 106, which includes parts of Dutchess and Columbia Counties, it’s easy for residents to feel as though Didi Barrett has been present for most of their lives – and in a way she has. Barrett was […]