Water Balloon Fights with Friends

This summer has been hot!! And it has only been pretty much a month into this summer season. I have totally forgotten about how humid the east coast is. I do not mind the hot, but the humidity, is not so fun every now and then (ok, more like all the time). It makes me really miss the dry heat from the Tetons! I am really grateful for the air condition. But I guess working for the Preserve, I get the benefit to swim in the Coxing Kill or at Mohonk Lake, but sometimes I just want to stay home and cool off. So, while in Poughkeepsie running errands, I totally stopped in Target and picked up some waterballoons! Marc and I called over the Toman's and we had some dinner together and decided to cool off! It was super fun and a great way to beat this heat!

TheChristyBel

Hallie and Fish stole my phone and took a billion selfies with it.

Fun times in our backyard!

Windchime Upcycle

I went back to Delaware a few months ago and brought back the windchime centerpiece that my grandmother painted for me when I was a little girl. My grandfather helped cut the glass for her. Back in the day, he would also cut pipes he would get from work, rig them with chains, and together, would make windchimes. My grandmother would paint all sorts of things on the centerpiece glass - from plants, birds, whatever. She knew I loved cats and so for my windchime, I was getting a cat. We never did complete it into a chime. I just had the glass hanging in my room.

While I was home, I saw it hanging and after recent events of my grandfather, I decided to bring it up to New Paltz and complete the windchime. My friend, Wendy, had an old windchime lying around and gave it to me. So I spent the day painting the wood, restringing the pipes, and giving this windchime a second life.

Now I feel I have something from my grandfather (and my grandmother) up here with me. It's very comforting in this time of grieving.

TheChristyBel

The Old Chime

Time to Give it a Second Life

Removing the Strings

Our Backyard has some color now!
And memory of my Grandfather.

Goodbye to Little Blue

I was introduced to a 2005 Kia Spectra in the summer of 2009 after getting into a car accident shortly after I graduated from the University of Delaware. This little sedan was not at all what I was expecting to drive as my first car. I originally wanted a car that could drive down crazy back roads, uneven terrain, and maybe having 4-wheel drive. Instead, I was introduced to Little Blue! This sporty, beachy, loud-colored car that just screams, "I am not an outdoorsy, rugged car!" But over the last 11 years, this car and I have gone through EVERYTHING together. Naming her, "Little Blue," she had become my reliable, loyal, trustworthy friend. Going through job transitions, break ups, listening to me talk to myself over lists, scenarios, venting, getting me to and from competitions and Winter Guard tours, and then safely getting me through the extreme elements of Wyoming and back to the east coast. Little Blue, you were there for everything. 

Thank you for 11-years of a great friendship, Little Blue!

This past spring, the Shawangunks had a late snow storm in April. I decided to drive home early from work on a snowy afternoon, not realizing, "maybe I should leave early before more snow comes down" and not, "maybe I should wait until the roads are re-plowed before I go home." So I left early from work. Marc and I live at the bottom of a hill and we need to drive down a hill (either way) to get to our house. So as I started to drive down slowly, I started to swerve, and I skidded off the road.

Saying Goodbye to a Dear Friend!
And a Delaware Driver's License & Plate!

The result of this minor accident, there was a lot of scraped and ripped damage on the undercarriage of Little Blue. She roared whenever I would turn on the car, her exhaust needed repair, and her alignment needed some adjusting. 

With all the money that I would have invested to put into Little Blue to make her better, I decided that it was time. It was time for a new car purchase. I was already thinking that a new car purchase was in my cards in the upcoming months, but this accident was definitely a catalyst for the new car. 

After doing some research and keeping my career and recreational lifestyle expectations in mind, I decided to join the Subaru family. We explored around used and revamped cars and were not satisfied on what we were finding. Then I started to look at new cars. After getting advice from one of my co-workers, we visited the Ruge's Subaru in Rhinebeck, NY. Even my mom suggested them from a friend that had purchased from them too! And we pretty much fell in love with this dealership. The person we worked with, Jenn, just made us feel comfortable and at home. She was super knowledgeable, honest about our questions, personal and gave use her advice, and even jumped in the car with us while we got to test drive.

After a week of working with them, I decided this was it! And after my parents came up and allowed me to trade in Little Blue, I was able to pick out a beautiful, scarlet-colored Subaru Forester 2.5i Premium! She is just so wonderful, a level up from the standard model, this new car comes with a sunroof, all-weather package (heated seats, de-icing windshield and mirrors, and all-weather tires). She also came with all weather mats, the mud-proof trunk mat, and trunk cover. 

Signing Away!

Adulting!

Driving her home, I felt instantly safer and much more in control driving. There is still no name (still in a first-date phase), but let me introduce you to my new car!

TheChristyBel

I did an adult thing!

Mountain Laurel & Sheep Laurel Peak

Mountain Laurel

A Phenological Update: Late May into early June is clearly one of my most favorite seasons of the Shawangunks. This job has given me so many opporutnities to learn about the natural landscape here and I have been expanding my flora scope. Currently right now, we are experiencing the Laurel peak. Quarter-sized, umbrella looking, white, sticky flower blooms are opening up all over the Ridge. That flower is called Moutain Laurel. Kalmia latifolia is a broad-leaved evergreen shrub that has round flowers that come in dark shades of white to pink to even red/maroon. Although this plant is very poisonous, it is a great flower for many pollinators. Similar to the Blueberry, this plant really thrives in acidic soil (mostly 90% of the soil around here is acidic from the conglomerate). But right now, it is just in full bloom boom here. And a large popular attraction for the spring (similar to the fall foliage peak in the fall). If you have not been up here in the spring around this time before, you definitely need to add it to your bucket list. It is just beautiful and it smells nice too!

Some Pink Morphs

Not Mountain Laurel, but the tinier cousin, Sheep Laurel
Just as beuatiful!

So cute!

Skipping Work to the City

Christina's World by Andrew Wyeth

Deciding to take the day off, Marc and I travelled into the city this morning for the whole day. Later this evening, we were going to attend a production that his sister, Kim, was producing. So to get the most out of a trip to the city, it was time to explore! Knowing Marc and I, art and science is something we always like to get into during a traveling adventure. So with that, the MoMa and the Museum of Natural History were on out daily bucket list. My friend, Andrew, from my Ashland counseling days hooked us up with some free passes into the MoMa, the Museum of Metropolitan Art. It is so surprising that I have never been to the MoMa before! It was just filled with so many of my favorite artists and pieces! I felt like such a tourist, taking photos of every piece of artwork and getting photos of me with all of them too! After lunch, we moved on over to the Museum of Natural History for the second time! We had visited the M of NH a few months prior but never finished getting through it all. So we had to go back and finish where we left off. The one disappointment was that both times now, the great ocean room was blocked off to a wedding or reception of some sort, so we were unable to fully look at all the exhibits. I guess we need to go back again, not that I am complaining. After dinner, we attended the play called "Denmark" written by Matthew Grasda, produced by Marc's sister, Kim. It was a very intimate gathering of a small cast about a whole variety of deep emotion and relations among members of a family and a love affair. It was definitely a deep, dark, multiple-themed production; and very well executed. Feel free to check out the description of it here. It was pretty cool to watch and was super proud of Kim and how she helped fundraise and get this out into the public.

TheChristyBel

Go See Denmark!

The Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh

One: Number 31, 1950 by Jackson Pollock

Squid Heads!

Perks of Being a Teacher

This morning I received a huge envelope in my mailbox. To my surprise it was a "Thank You" poster from my Pond Keepers and Forest & Stream - Ms. Carubia's 3rd Grade Class from Kerhonkson Elementary. They were totally adorable, a little crazy, but overall excited to be outside and getting their hands dirty! Getting gifts is definitely a perk of being an educator, even if you are not with these students everyday. This gift really made my morning!

TheChristyBel

The Special Perks of Working with Little Ones

Upcycling Bar Stools

After seeing my upcycled arm chair, my friend, Wendy, convinced me to re-purpose two bar stools she was trying to sell at her yard sale. So I literally spent the entire day working on these stools in front of her customers. It was actually pretty cool when people would come up and ask questions about what I was doing. Not to mention, when I finished, the compliments I got and the bids! Unfortunately, no one bit on the chairs, so I got to take them home...for Free!

TheChristyBel

Ted Takes Over...The Bed

When work is hard, tiring, and stressful. Coming home and snuggling and cuddling up to the Ted, is just, the best remedy ever. I am just going to leave these here. Enjoy! 

TheChristyBel

"Just Love Me"

Cuds!

There is no such thing as personal space for the Ted!

Sleepy Kitty

This is how he sleeps...all the time.

Or like this...on top of us.

Even when we make the bed, it is still his.

He Loves Kitty I Have Had Since I was a Babe!
Yes, I still have it. Do not judge!

And you can never be mad
Just look at that face!

He takes over the bed when you're sleeping...

He takes over your arms...

And you can never be mad
Just look at that face!

A Remarkable Prehistoric Find

Trilobite!

Fingertip Tiny!

After getting a geologic hint from two of my volunteers, I had to adventure and find this prehistoric discovery. I cannot tell you where it is, but among all the conglomerate, there was a limestone erratic that had a tiny TRILOBITE!!!! Check this out!

I was beside myself excited!

TheChristyBel

Mossy Head

Look who decided to pay us an upclose and personal visit during my 3rd grade Pond Study program at Duck Pond today! None other than our infamous friend, Mossy Head! This Common Snapping Turtle has to be the size of the seat of an office, swirly desk chair! Whenever it comes up close, I get super nervous with our students checking it out, but they always keep a good distance and Mossy Head never really gets too close. 

#RespectWildlife from a good distance!

TheChristyBel

Mossy Head Visits!