Photo by Joe Bruno
Photo by Carolyn Reiss
Photo by Janet Sawyer
There were the men . . .
. . . and the women, too
Although the men left their calling card . . .
Photos by Valerie Wolzien
An omelet in the works?
A buzz-cut lawn
Photos by Edward Kasinec
Photo by Philip Monteleoni
Recently, Amanda Slattery attended The US Open to watch the Greats play. Who?
Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz played Doubles
Serena Williams serves
Gaël Monfils serves
And returns . . .
Photos by Amanda Slattery
Ducks gather at the Long Dock Park at Beacon within happy sight of The Hudson, by Carolyn Reiss
Carolyn and Allie Reiss decided to venture into Croton’s Oscawana Park to see what’s what.
They found natural beauty and interesting things . . .
. . . and poison ivy. The walk didn’t last long.
Twenty-five years ago this week, the World Trade Centers were attacked by a terrorist group in what was a coordinated attack on the USA. That day—as part of the coordinated attack—Flight 93 was hijacked and passengers bravely sacrificed themselves and foiled the hyjackers’ efforts. Let’s pause for a moment on 9/11 to remember those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001—and the outpouring of worldwide support, grief, and help for the USA in its time of such great sorrow.
Oil sketch contributed by Peter Sibley
Pat McGrath and his daughter, Moriah, have taken off on a Great Adventure! The final reports:
Wow, we got lucky. At dinner the first night in Canada at the magnificent Butchart gardens in Victoria, Moriah and I were seated with the only Canadians in the group, our two guides, and a mother/daughter team from Saskatchewan. We soon realized that they were very nice people and that the impending war between the US and Canada was unlikely despite the headlines. In fact, they claimed that a deal between Prime Minister Carney and Trump was very close to completion. Reassuringly, our dinner companions contended that all Canadians were eager to sustain their lifelong affection for their south-of-the-border neighbors after we become their 11th province.
So let’s all hope there’s no chickening out on this rumored deal!
Here’s the marina below our hotel in Brentwood Bay, Victoria.
And here’s a view of the Saanich Inlet from the ferry taking us and our bikes to the morning ride:
On Wednesday we left (huge) Vancouver Island for (tiny) Salt Spring Island. There are only two ways to make the trip: ferry or seaplane. We took the ferry.
While we were biking on Salt Spring Island, we stopped at at a glass maker’s workshop that was literally in the woods. The craftsman has pioneered the re-use of discarded glass and energy efficient furnaces. He has been making fine glass objects for 30 years and sells them to tourists as well as several distributors. His work is unique and completely unindustrializable. In case you’re interested in seeing his work, here’s his website: https://theglassfoundry.com/what-we-do/. Several of the riders, including both me and Moriah, bought items from him. When one of them asked if they could pay to have it shipped to avoid breakage in her luggage, he said yes, but that a 50% tariff had just gone into effect which would have to be paid upon re-entering the US.
So the cost of his products to American customers (virtually all of his customers are American tourists) has increased by 50%. And the purported benefit to American glass artisans is that they may be able to charge more, although their competition certainly doesn’t include him, so they will probably be not affected one way or another. The benefits for American tourists wanting souvenirs of their travels? Not so much. Moriah and I both bought our pieces anyway, and I look forward to showing you mine when I return.
Next stop: Galiano Island.
We ended our biking and hiking tour of the British Columbia islands on Friday. The final exertion was a very steep climb to Bluff’s Park on Galiano Island where we could see our watery route to Vancouver and the wooded islands over which we had walked, ridden—and even kayaked—all week.
Among the sights we leave behind are the Madrone trees, also called Arbutus, which live on the Pacific Coast from BC to Southern California, Their orange red bark peels away to reveal a greenish silver layer underneath. They grow in contorted shapes and bear fruit in autumn. It looks like a show off among its spruce and fir neighbors.
Here we are at our final dinner—with the ferry landing in the background.
A final comment on Canada. The ferries we relied upon to go from place to place moved people and their cars and the trucks that provisioned the remote islands, reliably, frequently, inexpensively. The ferry we took to Vancouver (actually the port is named Tsawwassen—if you can pronounce it) had the capacity for about 50 vehicles, 100 people, a snack bar, including alcohol, a crew of at least a dozen, what must have been a huge diesel engine in a place where automobile gas is ~$5.50US/gallon. The trip takes 55 minutes. The cost per passenger is $ 7 US.
As of September 7, election day—November 3—is but 58 days away. Are you registered to vote? Especially, you Kendal newbies! October 24 is the deadline for registration if you want to vote on November 3. You can find out more about how and where to register by clicking below.
Lisa Rosenbloom recently led a group of Kendalites to the OCC to celebrate the opening of their expanded Garden, partially funded with a Kendal donation. (The Residents’ Website included pictures last week.) The Garden is where the children grow vegetables that they can pick and eat. There were also some outstanding pumpkins in their garden! The children drew pictures of their favorites in the garden. Grace, 6 years old, drew the pumpkins and then wrote on the back of her picture that she liked to pick and eat the mint. The children were asked to give their pictures to the guests—one of whom was Lisa Rosenboom. Lisa says, “I was lucky to have Grace give me hers—and pretty nicely done for a 6 year old!”
The Residents’ Website would agree.
A racing pigeon—lost and exhausted—had the good fortune to land outside of Robert Fulton. Good Samaritans Betsy Anderson and Lisa Rosenbloom gave the weakened bird water and food. Though a nice place to visit, no racing pigeon would want to live there. Bob Paxton pointed out that it was banded. There was hope! Sadly, the owners could not be found. After multiple calls, a bird rescue organization from Jefferson Valley offered to pick up “Kendal Snowy,” (a name bestowed by the Samaritans). In the meantime, he (Snowy)—nourished and safe from predators—took up quarters in an Amazon box on Betsy’s balcony, awaiting a better life.
Snow lands at Kendal
Good Semaritan Betsy Anderson announces its dinnertime
Snowy (a bit bashful) in his new (though temporary) digs.
The next day, a rescue lady in Jefferson Valley arrived to take Snowy to an animal sanctuary in South Salem where he will live in a farm silo with other pigeons or doves, open to the outside at the top so he can fly out whenever he likes. (First, however, he’ll be treated for mites. How embarrassing!)
As he rode away to his new home, some were sure they heard him coo, “I have always depended on the kindness of strangers." Probably a fan of Tennessee Williams's A Streetcar Named Desire.
Many thanks to the Village of Sleepy Hollow for alerting us to the many, many autumn/Halloween events that may clog the roads and parking of this our now-home town, as well as alerting us as to “What’s New” in the village’s attempt to help residents and tourists navigate the season.
Continued from last week . . .
Went to an antique show and people were bidding on me.
I won’t say I’m worn out, but I don’t get near the curb on trash day.
People who wonder if the glass is half empty or half full miss the point. The glass is refillable.
Retired: Under new management. See spouse for details.
Be the kind of woman who when your feet hit the floor first thing in the morning, the devil says: “Oh, oh, here she comes.”
When you can’t find the sunshine . . . be the sunshine.
I don’t have grey hair. I have wisdom highlights.
I’m a nightmare dressed like a daydream.
Sometimes it takes me all day to get nothing done.
I don’t trip, I do random gravity checks.
To be continued again next week!
Contributed by Simone
Each September, our geographic area dives into The Spooky Season: all things Halloween and beyond. It’s more than we at the Residents’ Website can juggle to announce all the events and their schedule, but—hallelujah!—the “Visit Sleepy Hollow” folks have done it for us.
If you want to see a list of all that is being offered this season, click below.
And if you scroll down on that page, you’ll find a click to reach a date/time schedule for all these events: September through November!
We will post this announcement on “Coming Soon” so it’s available throughout The Spooky Season! [Insert maniacal laughter]
From the Office of Ellen Ottstadt
There is a micronation on a fortress at sea off the coast of Great Britain, and the British government once considered blowing it up.
During World War II, a series of sea forts was built to shoot down Nazi bombers. These structures were cylindrical towers of concrete and steel. One of these, Roughs Tower, sits 110 feet above sea level, off the coast of Suffolk in the North Sea.
After the war, these forts were largely abandoned. To British army major Paddy Roy Bates, Roughs looked like an ideal spot for a pirate radio station. In the 1960s the BBC dominated radio in Great Britain as the country’s only licensed broadcaster. The station played popular music only at night, irking listeners and causing pirate radio stations to proliferate. Bates first set up a pirate radio station at Knock John, another sea fort. He was evicted, prosecuted, and fined in 1966. That’s how he ended up at Roughs: At 6.5 nautical miles offshore, it was outside the standard territorial reach.
Bates declared the platform the Principality of Sealand and asserted its sovereignty as a micronation distinct from Great Britain. He named himself prince and his wife, Joan, princess, in September 1967: It was her birthday, so he made her royalty (men, take note). The couple and their two children, Michael and Penelope, moved in.
In 1968, Britain considered evicting the family by force, with declassified documents showing a plan to raze the fort. But the prime minister balked at turning weapons on a family—and a veteran, no less. Instead, the government mostly left Sealand alone.
In 1975 the country got a constitution. A currency, an anthem, passports, stamps, a flag, and a coat of arms followed. The country is self-supporting, with official Sealandic titles available for purchase. It is nearly self-sufficient, with solar power and wind technology.
Sealand has made headlines more than once. It has hosted skateboarding competitions, diplomats, helicopter visits, and even a short-lived data center.
Great Britain extended its boundary waters in 1987, but the Bates family maintains Sealand’s sovereignty: Roy Bates extended Sealand’s boundary waters a month earlier, after all.
These days, caretakers occupy the micronation, and the family lives mostly on the mainland.
Source: Britannica.com, Today in History, Michele Metych, September 2, 2026
Contributed by Maria Harris
Art and photo by Sheila Benedis
Althea was finding the air quality a little dicier than usual
Granny felt that all the kids looked best in petal pink
Gribble saw the strange white pigeon again
Jolyon’s class was open to all fitness levels
Lucinda was 40 before she realized that she could communicate telepathically
Art and photos by Jane Hart
Photos by Philip Monteleoni
While walking in the park one day, Carolyn Reiss and Allie came across not just any ol’ deer. They met #62.
Photo by Carolyn Reiss
Photo by Jane Hart
Photo by Edward Kasinec
Photo by Carolyn Reiss
Photo by Beverly Aisenbrey
Sunday, August 30: The day of the Lighthouse Swim fundraiser whose aim is to combat food insecurity in the region through a beautiful and challenging two-and-a-half mile swim across the Hudson, from Nyack to Sleepy Hollow. And Amanda Slattery was there—not to swim, but to watch and take pictures.
Dozens of swimmers ranging in age from 15 to 75 took part in the fifth annual swim.
The beneficiaries of the swim are Feeding Westchester, Soup Angels, and the Nyack Center. Why? Because the need for food assistance continues to grow, with 41% of county households in Westchester considered at risk. The event’s goal: $50,000. The actual realized: $66,000! Things certainly did go swimingly.
A great day for the event, by Amanda Slattery
Steady as ya go. One of the swimmers who helped raise $66,000. Photo by Amanda Slattery
Recently, the popular classic-rock cover-and-tribute band The Force was at the Mohansic Grill in Yorktown Heights. Amanda Slattery was there. Yes, she’s a fan, but there’s more:
Her hairdresser—Gary Renza—plays guitar in the band (his brother Roy plays the drums).
Photos by Amanda Slattery
Amanda Slattery spent some of the summer back in England and noticed something: British stores are not shy when advertising their wares.
Photo by Amanda Slattery
Pat McGrath and his daughter, Moriah, have taken off on a Great Adventure! The second report is now in:
August 24:
Phew! We woke up Saturday morning eager to ferry to Victoria BC from Seattle and heard the news that Canada had declared war on the US or maybe vice versa. One never knows anymore.
But it was too late to change our plans so we could only hope we would not be recognized as Americans. It worked! Our English was as good as theirs (I threw in a couple of “aboots” just to be sure) and French is spoken only on historical markers. More helpful, Canadians only wear American clothes so we blended right in. Although to the extent I understand the tariff dispute, Levi’s may soon cost $100 here, so next time we come (even if it’s become a state by then) they’ll only be able to afford fast fashion wardrobes, so Americans will stand out.
Victoria is beautiful, famous for its gardens. Here’s a mother whale and her calf in downtown Victoria. Note mom and junior are both “spouting.”
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Photographs of life at Kendal on Hudson are by residents.