Jay Gaulard

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Blog posts the fall under the Fitness & Recreation category. Read all I have written about this topic.

Walking in the Woods Near the Shawangunk Ridge

Today was an awesome day. It was one of those days that makes it worth it to live in the Northeast. It was 60 degrees today. Weather.com said it was only 57 outside, but my thermometer said it was 60, and that was in the shade.

I had a bunch of things to do today. One of them was to pick up the rest of the sheetrock that was laying at the end of the driveway under some black plastic. I had about two garbage cans worth.

When I first went outside, I was in a short sleeve shirt. I was working away, breaking up the sheetrock, putting it into the garbage cans. I was working so hard, I started to sweat. Because of this, I had to take my short off. Some cars drove by and were probably wondering what the weird guy was doing in the driveway with no shirt on. Whatever. I think I am the only guy in the neighborhood who takes his shirt off when working outside. I think we moved into a conservative area.

It was so nice outside, I thought it would be a nice idea to share a short walk in the woods with my faithful viewers. Now, this is not an exciting walk, but you do get to see what the woods in back of our house look like and you get to hear my voice. So here goes…


A Nice Day For An Autumn Walk

We were going to go for a hike this afternoon, but I feared the ground would be swampy when we got to our destination. I wanted to hike down to a pond a few acres away. I think we’ll get to that another day, but for today, we stuck with our usual walk down the road.

I have to say, for all those people who put off hiking in the summer because it’s too hot, today was the day for you. Weather.com tells me it’s 44 degrees outside…perfect for walking or hiking. No sweating and no freezing. Just perfect.

In an unusual move, I thought I would bring the camera along. It’s nice and sunny, so I knew the photos would come out nicely. Wanna see a few?

Ducks Swimming in Pond

Small Pond in Autumn

Row of White Pine Trees

This is a piece of property down the road that both Laura and I are very jealous of. I am not sure how many acres it is, but they have a pond, a grassy area, a main house and another house out back. They also have a table and chairs set up near the back of the pond. I would like to drink my morning coffee there.

Stream Full of Stones

Moving further along, there is a river that flows pretty much along the entire road. When Rob came up to visit a while ago, we looked for salamanders under the rocks in this river.

Brick Driveway Covered with Leaves

This is Laura’s favorite house on this road. It’s an old white farm-ish type house. It’s hard to see back there, but what I was trying to get a picture of was the nice driveway and Pacasandra planted off to the right.

Yellow Autumn Maples Leaves Falling from Tree

I just had to grab this one on our way back. The sun was hitting it and the leaves were bright yellow. Also, this is a great stone house to look at.


ATV Riding in the Rocky Mountains

Since this blog is named Blog and my brother Jeff is still a G, he deserves some real estate on these pages.

He went out to Colorado last week for some business and during that visit, he was lucky enough to go ATV riding up in the Rocky Mountains. I saw the photos and I felt like I needed to go riding too. That didn’t happen, but I still have the photos, so I decided to post them here. Maybe one day I will visit the same person my brother visited and we will all go riding.

Jeff writes…

I was out in Denver for work and stayed the weekend. One of the managers lives out there and he has a bunch of ATVs. We drove to the mountains to a little town called Buena Vista, CO. We rode a little on Friday and all day Saturday. We rode 70 miles thru the Rockies an thru 3 passes in the Rockies. We rode to Tin Cup, St. Elmo and others. We had perfect weather and only very minor incidents. Attached are a couple pics of the trip.

Sitting on Cliff in Rocky Mountains

Beautiful Rocky Mountains

Dead Tree in Rockies

ATV Trail in Rocky Mountains

Old Wooden Shack in Rockies

ATVs Riding in Rockies

Rugged ATV Riding on Trail in Rocky Mountains


Hiking Up Mount Beacon

If you are reading this post, you have probably seen Mount Beacon (Beacon Mountain). Maybe you didn’t even know you were looking at it. Just doing a Google Search surprised me…there are so many people interested in this mountain. Here are some interesting links…

– Beauty atop Mount Beacon
– Gateway to Mount Beacon Park
– Save the Mount Beacon Fire Tower
– Mount Beacon Amateur Radio Club
– Mt. Beacon Incline Railway

I always knew there were a bunch of radio towers up on the moutain, but I was not aware of how many people love this place. I once new a guy…yeah, I knew a guy who used to ride a quad up Mount Beacon. Boy, he told me it sure was a difficult ride. The bottom was easy to get up, but once he hit the old ski slopes, it was nothing but huge rocks. That is pretty hard terrain for a quad.

I have heard many stories about Mount Beacon, but I really don’t know what to believe. Here is what I do know…the mountain offers a view over the City of Beacon, NY. There are radio towers, among other towers at the top of the mountain. There are also some old fire towers up there too. It offers some really great ATV riding as well, but you didn’t hear that from me.

Here are the rumors that I heard, which may very well be true. You can see New York City on a clear day. There used to be an old ski lodge at the top of the mountain with ski slopes going down the face. There was a trolly type thing that used to get pulled up the mountain. Who knows…

One of the most interesting things to me is the reservoir at the top of the mountain. I have some photos of that below. Well, what am I waiting for? Let’s see the photos…

Mt. Beacon Lake

See, I told you there was a reservoir on the mountain. This old broken down sign tells us that the reservoir holds 125 million gallons of water.

Mt. Beacon Fire Tower

This is a view across the reservoir to one of the old fire towers. This particular one is towards the back/side of the mountain and is not as well known as the one people generally talk about at the front of the mountain.

Mt. Beacon Reservoir and Dam

This is a photo of the Mt. Beacon reservoir dam. Yeah, this holds all the water back, so don’t jump on it.

Mt. Beacon View of Newburgh-Beacon Bridge

This photo is a view from the top of Mt. Beacon. This view overlooks the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge and the Hudson River.

My. Beacon View

This is a photo taken from the same spot as the last one, but looking more North up the Hudson River, towards Kingston, NY.

Do you have any fables, myths or truths about this mountain? I would love to hear them.


Riding a Segway in the Hudson Valley

A really nice guy, Jack White of “Segway of the Hudson Valley,” stopped by work today to show us some of his good stuff.

Jack owns a few companies that sell high-end mobility products. He is quite informative and really knows his stuff. Anyway, today was the day of the Segway.

When Paul and I were leaving to go to lunch, we noticed a truck in the parking lot. I ran over to the truck because there was a Segway sitting on a trailer type thing on the back of it. I was so excited…I have always wanted to ride one of those things. I kept looking around for the person the Segway belonged to, but couldn’t find them. We were getting hungry, so we hopped in the car and left.

So, we ate and had a nice lunch. We hung out on Main Street, Beacon. Then, we drove back to work and pulled in the parking lot. We saw a few people standing around the back of the truck with the Segway nearby…but wait, there were two!!! Man oh man, it was our lucky day. Jack kindly offered to let Paul and me take both Segways for a ride around the parking lot. I have to say, those things are quite handy. They can be quick or just stay slow and they turn on a dime. They are really easy to learn too. Within about 2 minutes, I was up and at ’em.

Notice the two different Segways…one with the smaller tires and one with the bigger tires. I like the one with the bigger tires better. I would like to go on a ramp or hit a jump or something.


The Azalea Festival in Wilmington, North Carolina

This post was written by Kristin G

If you’re the type of person who sees a beautiful garden and can’t wait to get home and incorporate some of the ideas you’ve seen into your own backyard, take the garden tour some year at the Azalea Festival in Wilmington, North Carolina. I’ve been lucky enough to have lived in Wilmington since 1998 and this tour is the highlight of the year for me.

Of course you can also attend the street fair on the beautiful Cape Fear River, or attend one or two of the “big name” concerts given in the auditorium of the UNCW campus, or take the home tour of some of the gorgeously restored homes in the downtown area, or attend the parade chock full of princesses and queens from local communities, etc., etc., but to my taste the garden tour beats all the other festivities.

A ribbon cutting at the most impressive house on the Friday of the festival starts the tour and can be attended by anybody who buys the $15 (early bird) or $20 ticket. Every cent of the proceeds which is collected by the Cape Fear Garden Club goes back to community beautification and conservation.

Azalea Festival Garden at Side of House

Azalea Festival Garden

Southern Belles at Azalea Festival in Wilmington, NC

Not only is the home surrounded by colorful gardens exuding Southern charm, but it is adorned with high school-age belles, dressed in handmade antebellum hooped gowns, holding their delicate parasols and escorted by the extremely handsome Summerall Guards from the Citadel, South Carolina’s state-supported military college. Lording over all these youths is the queen who is the center of attention for the week.

But for me, the best part is the exploring of the gardens on the tour, which range from the manicured lawns and flower beds professionally done by landscape artists, to the hidden “secret gardens” in small spaces overflowing with the imagination of dedicated gardeners. As an added bonus, each garden has one or two of the belles welcoming you, usually with her skirt spread out under the shade of a live oak tree and her curls bouncing under her parasol.

If the hot sun gets to you, a few of the gardens are designated as “night-time” gardens and there is a magical quality walking through these special places which makes you realize how beautiful a spring evening in the South can be. As you can see I’ve been completely won over by the charm and friendliness of my new home state!


Yard Sales and Auctions – What Can You Find?

This post was written by Steve Henry

One never knows what will be found on any given Saturday morning yard sale or a late Friday night at your local auction house.

I started going to these things a few years ago, just for something to do. How exciting it was! I was hooked the first day. I have found many bargains and treasures that I have re-sold on ebay. I once bought an old skateboard…the kind I had back in the 1970s. It was made of plastic, was skinny and was short in length. The lady was asking $2, but I gave her only $1. The only reason I bought the skateboard was because it reminded me of good times when I was a child. That night, I looked up the skateboard on ebay, and to my surprise, it was being sold for $50. I decided to sell mine and I got $54 from a college student in Colorado.

I do not attend auctions for the single pieces, but for what is called “box lots.” These boxes are stuffed with “junk” and usually you cannot see everything in the box. I usually pay between $1 and $10 for a box. I have found many treasures in these boxes including; old coins, antique pottery, video games, tools, antique tools, etc. Some of these things I keep and some I sell. I always wonder if one of my treasures will end up on the television show “Antiques Roadshow.”

Let’s talk about my favorite type of auction. This auction occurs at what is known as mini-storage units. Every month, these businesses advertise auctions on the contents of units that rent has not been paid on. Sometimes the auctioneer will sell the whole storage unit for one price. Sometimes they will do what is called a “piece it out.” A piece it out just means that the auctioneer pulls out things from the storage unit one piece at a time and sells it individually. I love buying boxes this way. The good auctioneers will not open the boxes, but sell them contents unseen. I have found many treasures in these boxes, such as old militaria, and have been able to do some good along the way. For example, one box I bought was full of pictures, some personal memorabilia and a program from a funeral. I looked up the information from the name of the deceased and was able to return the box to the daughter of the gentleman who had passed away 18 months earlier. She was very elated and thought she had lost these things forever.

Below is something I discovered in one of my boxes. It is a whole notebook of drawings and prints from the 1970s…most of which are of characters from J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, The Lord Of The Rings, The Fellowship Of The Ring and The Return Of The King. I would like to know more about the drawings and prints. There are many other drawings, sketches and prints in the notebook, but do not have any idea of who made them or where they came from.

Lord of the Rings Elf Print

Hobbit Print

Prints of Elves and Hobbits from Lord of the Rings

Frodo Print from Lord of the Rings

Finds like this keep me going to auctions and yard sales all the time. I just never know what I might find.


Bear Mountian Dogs Walk For Cancer

Well, it’s another year for the Bear Mountain Dogs Walk for Cancer. I think it might be the “Dogswalk” for Cancer though. I did a post on this last year, so you already may have an idea of what goes on with the walk, but I may have better photos this time. Of course, I brought the camera with this in mind.

So basically what happens is this…you register for the walk and you go there and walk. Around the lake that is. Of course, there is the whole park to explore afterwards if you want, but the basic jist is the walk around the lake. If the Bear Mountain Inn is open, you can hang out in there too. Today, the Inn was closed for renovations.

So here goes…

Bear Mountain Merry-go-Round

This is the Bear Mountain Merry-Go-Round. This is where some radio personalities and vendors set up shop.

Bear Mountain Path Around Lake

Ahh, the walk begins. The photo above is the first leg of the walk around Hessian Lake. The whole walk isn’t even that long…maybe 3/4 of a mile.

Who else but Holly and me? Laura took about five pictures of us on this bench, but this was the best one. Holly freaks out a little bit when the camera comes out.

Rocks at Side of Bear Mountain Lake

Lake at Bear Mountain

Mountain Across Lake with Bear Mountain Bridge

These are just more pictures of Hessian Lake, from different angles. In the last one, you can see the top part of Bear Mountain Bridge.

This is a very important shot that Laura took. Doesn’t it look like I am standing on the edge of the picture?

Another important shot by Laura. Her whole family was impressed by my balancing skill.
Walking at Bear Mountain Dog Walk for Cancer

Here we go down the last leg of the walk. This is a slight decline heading towards the canoe area and back to the big field.

Dog Walk Finish Sign

Finally done. I don’t think we were as tired as the dog in the picture, but it’s a decent little workout.

After the walk is finished, some people come up to you and hand you a bag with little goodies in it. Mostly it is promotional items for dog food companies, but sometimes you get lucky with a frisbee or something. Also, the big thing is to walk around and visit all the tables giving out free stuff.

Another year down and a good tradition followed. Till next year!


Hiking at Bull’s Bridge – Kent, CT

Every Easter, Laura and I try to go to dinner at “Fife’n Drum” restaurant in Kent, CT and then hiking down at Bull’s Bridge. This has become a little tradition for us. It gives us something to look forward to during this time of year.

Yesterday was pretty fun. We got into Millbrook and took Rt.343 down to Dover, NY. 343 has some of the nicest houses on it! I just love to look at those places…horse farms and all that. Reminds me of one day in the future when I will sit with my feet up laughing at my past.

We took a bunch of back roads all the way into Kent, CT. We made it to Fife’n Drum about a half hour late, but the dude let us in anyway. The people over there in CT are a little different than the people that we live near. I am not sure they would put up with the barking dog my neighbor has. Yeah, they seem like the kind of people that might have a little problem with that, if you catch my drift.

Dinner was good, even though it was at 2PM. The thing that makes this day so much fun, is that we get to go hiking down at Bull’s Bridge after dinner.

Bull's Bridge Scenic Area Sign

Bull's Bridge in Kent, CT

Bull’s Bridge is a little covered wooden bridge right off Rt.7. The bridge is nice, but the hiking is nicer. There is part of the Appalachian Trail right next to it.

Appalachian Trail - Maine to Georgia Sign

Trails at Bull's Bridge

We go hiking all the way down to a small campground. I think it’s called 10 Mile Campground or something. It’s about a mile down the trail. There is so much to look at along the way…like an overlook and rapids and all that. It’s pretty damn cool.

Trail Leading to Road

Housatonic River in Kent, Connecticut

Waterfall at Housatonic River

We spent a few hours hiking and then came back to head up to Laura’s parents house for some dessert. Overall, I would have to say it was a rather enjoyable day. Enjoy the pics!


Flight School – 1:00PM-3:30PM – Cross Country to N53 – Stroudsburg/Pocono

Hours – 33.6

The conditions were confirmed for me at the end of the lesson when Yigal told me to tie down the airplane with all three ropes. Breezy? Maybe.

This lesson was scheduled for 3 hours. I was supposed to go up for a cross country with Yigal for two hours and then practice solo for the last one. Well, let’s just say that plan didn’t work out.

I called the “Oh so accurate” weather briefers. Ummm, 8 knots of wind at 3,000ft. Good! Great day for a cross country to East Stroudsburg, PA. It was only 49.4 nautical miles away, but we would fly more than 50.

Cessna Airplane Dashboard

On the way to the runway, while taxiing, we waved to another guy and took a picture of his plane.

Low Winged Airplane

We started talking on the radio and agreed to fly in formation with him after takeoff for a few good shots. Most were blurry, but one came out good.

Flying Over Another Airplane

It was good to get some nice shots. It was important for me to get some pictures during this lesson because I have virtually no photo archive of anything that I am doing.

I had everything set up fine…the VOR, the frequencies…everything except the GPS. I wanted to fly by only VOR this time, just for practice. The GPS is very helpful, but there may be too much of a reliance on it. Well, I made it to the VOR station and changed course, just like I was supposed to.

I continue on past Port Jervis and kept with the Delaware River and passed by some beautiful land. I never knew it was this nice in Pennsylvania. I always just dismissed the state. I have no idea why.

Port Jervis Aerial View

Aerial View of Delaware River

Resort Neighborhood in Pennsylvania

Anyway, Yigal started asking me when I would know when I was at the airport. I told him I was aware of where I was because of the river features. There was a zig zag in the river and I was looking at it on the map as well as out the window. Also, I would see the airport. A lot of them are visible from 20 miles away. Well, as it turns out, the river feature I was looking at turned out to be the wrong one. Also, the airport was like someone’s driveway, surrounded by houses. I had no idea that it was that small. I flew right over it. Yigal kept trying to give me hints, like, “Oh, look at that big break in the mountian where the river runs through it” and “Check out that bridge.” I kept wondering what the heck he was talking about because the airport was nowhere in sight.

I was lost.

There were a few options. I could use ATC for radar vectoring, which is embarrassing, especially when you are flying right over the airport or you could use your navigation equipment. I decided to use the two VOR instruments to locate where I was. I did find an airport and thought it was the one, but it had big “X’s” on the runway. Also, the runway direction was off. Finally, I found the little, tiny runway, hidden down in the woods. I could almost see Stewart from where I was, 50 miles away, but couldn’t see the airport I was right on top of. I decided to descend for a landing on the 30ft wide runway.

Oh, I almost forgot to tell you, the weather briefing was wrong. The wind and turbulence up there were horrible. A few times, I thought the plane was going to go vertical. My altitude was going from 4,500 to 4,900 to 3,900 in a matter of minutes. It was crazy. The turbulence over the airport was bad too.

We flew the pattern to come in for a landing. I was on final approach and doing ok. The trees were right under me, but that wasn’t a big concern. I came in for my landing and the wind took me all over the place. Yigal had to take over and land. That pretty much sucked. He wanted me to land at this airport, so I took off again for another one. This time, there was just no way…we were running out of runway. We made a go-around for another try. Success…I finally did it. If I was alone, I would’ve just flown back to Orange County without landing.

With that done, We took off to head back home. I did my stuff after a little tif with the Allentown ATC guy. I asked him to repeat something and he told me to listen up next time. If I ever meet him in person, I would like to have a short chat. From about 20 miles away, I saw MGJ and flew toward it, getting bounced around the whole time.

I came in for an easy landing on runway 3 at Orange County. Oh so smooth, until at the last second an unexpected gust took me to the right. Yigal landed the plane. I taxied back and felt like crap.

I have to say that I am getting very tired. I mean literally. I think the pollen in the air is making me sleepy. I need a few weeks off just to get motivated again.