Something Beautiful

Columbia County, NY

It looks like I will be moving away from Ulster County, NY, where I have lived for the past seven years, to Columbia County, near Albany, NY.   It's not such a big change geographically -- only fifty miles -- but it means the end of a whole way of life here and the attempt to establish a new way of life, with a new circle of friends and acquaintances, there.    As mental and spiritual preparation, I'll start making a record of some of the very fine things one can find in what I hope will be my new home county.

Here's a site about Columbia County generally -- Columbia Co. And here are two local historic sites --

Olana, home of artist Thomas Cole
Steepletop, country home of Edna St. Vincent Millay

Not too awfully far away is Edith Wharton's country home The Mount, in Lenox, Massachusetts. 

Ah, peace

Just looking at these mountains makes all my muscles relax.

Irish Beaches (for Liz E.)

One doesn't really associate Ireland with beaches, but you will find some lovely ones there if you look.

You could try, for example, Smerwick Harbour Beach in County Kerry. 

Or the beach at Dunquin, also in Kerry.   I myself have wonderful memories of a morning visit to the Dunquin beach a good many years ago.   Of course, there's lots to see around Dunquin, for example, these nearby ruins (in HDR).

Kerry is in the southwest of Ireland.   Away up in the northeast, you come to Co. Donegal where you can find this beach.   Here's a more general look at the area, called Downings.

Boyle Abbey, Co. Roscommon

The ruins of Boyle Abbey are found in Co. Roscommon, Ireland.     You can read a bit about it in this brief Wikipedia entry. 

I love the old Cistercian monastery ruins in Ireland, of which Boyle Abbey is a particularly fine example. 

And I have long loved, in particular, this marvelous stone which apparently once decorated its walls.   Magical!