SAID THE CAT: There and Back Again

Keoni, Aidan and I listened to Rhapsody in Blue via one of the iPhones blu-toothing thru the car system during part of our two and a half hour drive to New Windsor, NY. Nice drive, good music. (Why is there so much fuss about electronics? They're wonderful. Everybody is just getting used to them and working out new codes of conduct. It'll get figured out. I'm now so old I remember in my early reading years the fuss was that comic books were a detriment to minds. Did Wonder Woman, Captain Marvel or Superman hurt my brain? Well, I guess we're all mad here.)

We pulled into the Econo Lodge that, of course, didn't look like the pictures. India-Americans have largely turned to garden-variety Americans to cover the front desk I noticed last week and during some stays along last spring's road trip. I received a very nice email of apology from the young woman after I'd submitted the "Tell us about your stay" electronic form where I'd listed the physical deficiencies and the amazing luck we'd had by taking our showers before the water supply disappeared during the night. I hope it helped that I commended the clean linens and helpful front desk service; she and the cleaning staff truly earned their tips. Alas, a disappointing stay but the kids and I still had a good time for all the tackiness.

We made it to Storm King Art Center just in time for the bike rentals before they closed for the day and I got on the last tram ride around the 500 acres of grounds. It was worth every bit of the trip to see and hear the grandsons' amazement and expressive remarks when we drove onto the grounds and the wonderful sculptures came into view. They did a lot of pictures on their trip, but events have been so thick and fast since we returned to PA that Keoni hasn't bounced them to me as yet. I don't see them on his Facebook page yet either. Mine don't do much justice having taken them from the tram. I was on the last circuit of the place so I didn't get off my ride. Still, it was a great going around, and the tram driver most helpful about stopping where I could see the best.

A shoutout to Janie: Your sister Lynda has made some amazing contributions to art!

Lynda Benglis'.

From the tram...

These are in perpetual motion.

New installation going in. Amazing one in background.

The (dry) wall wove its way over a lot of the landscape.

This "wave" earth sculpture is for Jackie...

...because of what's in the foreground. What could be better, Jackie.

The boys and I met back at the Visitor Center and spent more time with Lynda's Water Sources. I don't know what was wished for, but the they used up all my change tossing the coins into the fountains for silent desires. It was a beautiful relief walking around the tree-shaded, Center grounds after our bike and tram tours that hot, humid afternoon. We took our time.

After the tram: Lynda's on the Center's grounds...

We headed back to our motel to clean up and find some hamburgers at Woody's nearby. They turned out to be the best hamburgers we've eaten.

The grandsons loved how the sculptures fit so well into the landscape settings and understood the landscape helped the sculpture and vice versa. Aidan couldn't wait to go up close to them to see how they were made. Both totally got the art idea. It was so worth the time and efforts to go there.

We made our way back to PA the next day after a visit to West Point: US Military Academy, and their museum there. The short drive there took us along the Hudson River.

It poured rain the last half hour of the trip home and stopped as we pulled into the drive. The boys were quickly off to other commitments in the late afternoon. But, not before Aidan constructed a playing card foundation for stuff he stacked on top...