Hudson Hawk"s 100th Blog

So , it has come to this. According to my stats I have now reached my 100th blog. So with my morning coffee I set down to ......say what. I guess I will do what writer , director , producer Blake Edwards said when he accepted his honorary Academy Award in the mid nighties. He said"when I really began to think about this I finally had to simply say I need to thank everybody.' So I do as well. I have received over 4,000 hits in the past few yrs and have received occasional comments. People have allowed me to interview them about their memories. Some people have simply remained my friend. All  important to me. A few people have allowed me to explore their property as well as their memories. My wife has given me encouragement , atleast some of the time as long as I don't bring home to much clutter as she calls it. I even have a small but steady group of readers who check in to see what is new. To all I say a simple thanks. Whether  I write of an aeroplane landing in Castleton NY in 1911 or a set of sports car keys I discover at a garage sale I am somewhat amazed people read about it from me. I intend with some  of the time left to me to do some more exploring and piecing together. NYT's writer Thomas Friedman recently said the future belongs to those with imagination. This will create our new economy in the future. The more I look into the past I  have come to believe that I explore imagination as well. We stand on the imagination  of the past. So wherever this blog takes me once again thanks,  BE SEEING YOU.

Paul McCartney: As The Moon Rose Over Yankee Stadium 7/15/11

 Last night as a full orange colored moon came up over Yankee Stadium  on a warm , humid night I saw Paul McCartney step out on stage. It was an all most perfect night for a concert. The older crowd  of which I am a member and the younger crowd not fully aware of the total body of work of this era seemed mellow and  responsive. A good night , everyone got their monies worth. The audience was of course reliving a part of their past. but there was one part of the past that was missing. No , not Lennon or Harrison. Bad sound. A member of the band you did not see was there at the start of the stadium design. The acoustic engineer. We have come so far.....we have forgotten the past. Good sound was not all ways so , in many ways the rarity. The famous first concert of The Beatles at Shea Stadium was essentially done with only the bands amps and speakers.  So all the screams was in a real sense a blessing.....you didn't have to hear them play. Companies like BOSE have taken science and made it functional. Places like the Fillmore in NYC and Aerodrome in Schenectady NY began  to set a standard in decent sound reproduction in the 60's. Slowly this has been brought into this , the larger arena. Thank God.and science because it made for a very good night last night.

Pissing on Maple hill High School: Schodack NY12033

They say confession is good 4 the soul. So here is a story of minor confession. First weekend after graduation. Me and a friend whose identity I will leave blank.....................were going to pick up another friend. OK we both had a couple of beers. It was the first Saturday after. graduation. As we drove past our recently graduated high school one of us suggested we urinate on the school. So we pulled in back of the school and went to where the old Gym was located. It was after seven and no one was around. A few feet from a drinking fountain in back we let it rip. On this solemn occasion of minor rebellion for some reason we decided to sing our Alma Mater.
 On the heights above the Hudson , famed in history seen , stands our noble Alma Mater , gracious and serene.
Castleton will keep they memory ever in it's heart , may they teachings guide us safely , though we're far apart.
We finished , started to laugh and went back to the truck. As we pulled out down the road we saw a Schodack police car. Call it teenage paranoia , or perhaps we somehow had not committed the perfect crime we hung a left and went in the opposite direction from where we were going. Took another right , headed towards Gould Apple Orchards. Low and behold as we looked back so did the police car.  Oh shit. He was still far back , we speeded up. No doubt probably just on patrol but we wanted to get away.  So we ended up pulling into the Eckert's driveway and pulled behind a tree. The police car passed. at a rather high rate of speed. Hhhmmm. better cover our trail. So we took a longer route around. After a couple of minutes we both started laughing. A cathartic laugh , a deep laugh that came from deep within us. We were graduates , to many memories and I assure you not all good. Free at last , free at last , thank God Almighty we are free at last. We pulled over & continued our laugh fest for a couple of minutes. Lets go pick up J. We had in a small way moved on. I know  , how immature , stupid , etc. But we have both gone onto responsible adulthood , and most likely remember our farewell.

Moordener Kill Schodack NY

This is my first blog from a hotel , the Best Western at Franklyn Square Inn in Troy New York. I have spent the last couple of days exploring the lower Moordener Kill in Schodack/Castleton New York area. Met a couple of fisherman and 4 kids swimming under the lower falls. School is out and the kids so far seemed to enjoy the summer. Even in the later 19th Century this was an area of recreation. I have found old nails and such I believe from when there were benches below the lower falls. People would use that area to cool off and enjoy the natural beauty. Trust me I find that area still  quite attractive despite remainders of industrial use like the concrete pilings. On ebay I have purchased a postcard postmarked July of 1913. It shows the upper falls. Though written in pencil it was sent to a lark Street location in Albany. I can read a portion saying wonderful time , beautiful town. The falls were apparently a beauty spot of Schodack. I have  read old letters telling of people  taking their Sunday's after church in the gorge area reading newspapers and playing in the water etc. Probably the coolest part of the area to be in on a hot summer day. This went on even into the 1950's where people ice skated above the upper falls then known as The Dam. Also swimming in various parts of the stream. On Patrick Way there was a place known as The Grove. Picnic tables and places to cookout were there and many families and church groups reserved time . There was also a small store  that sold soda and basics of that nature.  Essentially an old fashioned swimming hole. Times have certainly changed especially since the suburban push began in the late 1950's , early 1960's  within the village and town. We were going from a rural backwater to more a suburban culture very rapidly.  This is why I have spent time on my last couple of trips , finding evidence of this past though much has been flushed to the Hudson river where it empties. So after a long day of this searching it is time for dinner and an early goodnight.

Neighborhood House Parties And Their Decline

 Being that the 4th of July is on a Monday this yr we are starting what we call a long holiday weekend.. The beach or visiting relatives , fire works , cookouts. Kids are on summer vacation. Weather looks overall good.  Good times ahead. Now I don't want to make this out to be a remember the good old day's piece. God knows we hear that alot. But one thing  I wish to write about before  my tickets to the Mets game arrives is about a memory I have. House parties. In his book Bowling Alone Robert D. Putnam attempts to demonstrate how increasing fragmented our society is becoming. How we are becoming a less social society and participate less in civic affairs. I agree. A while back I came across an old Look magazine. One of the things I noticed was an advertisement for  a charcoal grill. The caption stated excitement for your next House Party. Now there is a term you don't hear that much anymore. House Party. I am as you might guess in my fifties. I've got a long memory perhaps to long. But as a kid & teenager I do remember many more simple get togethers in local neighborhoods. Generally called House Parties , especially in the summer months. Invite some relatives , some neighbors , perhaps work associates. Fire up the grill , get a cooler full of beer and soda for the kids throw on the ice. If you had a pool  the more fun. One could drive by the various newer housing developments in my hometown of  12033 in the early evening and see the garage door opened a few lawn chairs out lights on and people relaxing and talking.having maybe one to many beers or glasses of Sangria. What is my point here is our basic social beings were getting fed. Increasingly psych research shows us that for a greater feeling of social happiness we need these connections. I do believe we have less than we did. But for many the loner style so treasured in film and social lore is a myth. We need people , connection. Those House Parties provided connection , simple function that they were.Honestly many of the conversations at these events were not deep. Sometimes politics but more likely Moms talking about what department store like a Robert Hall had the best sales on school clothes for the fall or who had gotten engaged etc. OK , to much boozing back then.....to many cigarettes smoked......to much keeping up with The Jones , sure. That was America back then. Like today there was no lack  of social critics. But somewhere we sunk into a deeper quiet than is in my opinion  been healthy for us on a personal level or The Body Politic as we used to say.   But frankly BSing on a summer evening or even a mid -February gathering in a living room had real benefit. Nothing terribly formal mind you but you stayed within a construct of a community. Felt a part of something bigger than you. Now off my Soap box. Enjoy the weekend.