Catskills Valentine
February 2023
What to do for Valentine’s Day? A
perennial quandary. One unusual option: India's Hindu nationalist government
has proclaimed February 14 "Cow Hug Day," countering a holiday they
say “encourages female promiscuity and vulgar behavior." I prefer the tried-and-true
option of a romantic getaway. But where? My Red Cross blood delivery driving
offers an answer. The “Southwest” route takes me to Cobleskill, where I
recently came across a group of locals (deer, that is) strolling thru a
neighborhood below the hospital, then to Catskill villages Walton &
Margaretville. Very scenic: farms, lakes & streams, covered bridges, mountain
vistas, villages with pretty houses, churches, & shops. Going thru
Downsville I spot the Old Schoolhouse Inn. Looks promising, but an internet
check back home finds some negative reviews. Further on, Margaretville Mountain
Inn seems a better choice, plus more eateries & interesting shops in the
village. First efforts find only 3-night stays but changing dates and help from
booking.com scores an overnight into Valentine’s Day itself. What could be
better?
Afterward, Becky gives me a tour of the new space for ESYO – a former school
being remodeled & expanded to house the various ESYO ensembles with
rehearsal & office space. Quite a project, aiming for Fall ’24 completion.
I share my Valentine plans with Becky; she approves.
First let’s look at the lead-up to what
Marjorie might call our “Valentine Festival” (like her “Birthday Festivals”). Tho
I’m on the Board & Past President of Colonie Senior Service Centers, Inc.,
Marjorie seems more connected to CSSC. She joins neighbors Mary Ann & Paul
to see PBS documentary “Searching for Timbuctoo” about a
pre-Civil War Black settlement organized by abolitionists in the Adirondacks,
hosted at CSSC by the filmmaker; ironically, a CSSC Board meeting prevents my
joining them.
