It is so beautiful on this part of the Hudson. The shores are dotted with homes, some old, some new, some large, and some small. Parts of this area apear to be summer homes and parts look year round. It is forested and lush. I like it a lot. The river is calm. There are hardly any boats out. I also like that.

We are spending the night at the marina here that sits in front of a restaurant. We hopped on our bikes and rode into town. This is a town that is dying a slow death. There was a small restaurant that was recommened to us but it was closed as of a week ago because taxes hadn’t been paid.

There are so many old homes here and they are falling apart. The young man that has just bought the marina is so nice; I hope that he can make it.

Tomorrow we shove off for Troy. The locks to Lake Champlain await.

Kelley took a long morning walk. We didn’t need to rush to the next spot because it was only about 6 miles. In fact, Kelley kept saying that we should just untie the boat and let the incoming tide move us north.

Right after we left the dock it started to rain. It felt a little chilly; I was pleased to grab a little jacket. With in this short journey were two of the biggest, and wholly unexpected gifts: light houses! The first one is being restored. WOuldn’t it be a charming spot to spend the summer? Of course in the winter you would be surrounded by ice….

And this one was at the entrance to Kingston. It looks like someone could be living there. There are curtains in the windows….This one was built in 1813….

We took a bus into Kingston. We should have done the “tourist’ thing, but instead hit the grocery store and hardware store and made it back on the next bus (on the hour). We are having a quiet afternoon. Tiger Woods is playing, in fact, he has just won the US Open.

There is a severe weather watch. not a surprise for us. It seems lately that where ever we go rain, thunderstorms and lightening are sure to show up. Better shut the computer down. I do love this weather.

We pulled up anchor and didn’t really know how far we would go. For once I was comfortable with the idea. There wasn’t any wind, hardly any traffic, especially for a Sunday. We just motored along. Going slowly here is a good thing, especially after a storm. Logs, branches and pieces of lumber, floating in the river. We are amazed at how fast so may of the boats go with so much junk floating in our paths.

Kelley called Dan Carter, our neighbor and friend, as we were coming up to West Point. Dan and Joan were there last week. Dan is a graduate of the academy. We were surprised at how large the grounds are for it. It seemed to go on and on. We were disappointed that there isn’t a spot to tie up and visit.

We spent the night at the Poughkeepsie Yacht Club. It is not a recipricol club. The people were so nice to us. Bill, the officer of the day, came over and ended his day sharing a class of wine with us. He expained how the docks have to be taken out at the end of the season and put back in when it starts. This club is a working club. Members must donate 50 hours a year. They don’t do parties every weekend; with the setting that they have it would be fun to have gatherings there.

The Lakers! They did it! It was a rocky night. Being on the river we could feel every swell. We were rocked to sleep.

We left Tarrytown at 11:30. We had decided not to go very far and that we would anchor. There was to be a little wind and we knew rain and thunderstorms, but we figured we had all afternoon to make sure that the anchor was holding us. We expected to have some traffic as it was Saturday, but there was very little. Is it that it is too early in the season for New York or that the fuel prices are holding people back from enjoying their boats?

Ossining! Originally known as Sing Sing. But, apparently, when there was a boycott of prison-made goods, the people of this town needed to make sure their buyers knew that they were not prison made. They changed the name of their town. So, there we were, anchored off Croton Point with Sing Sing on the hill. How frustrating to be in that prison – a view of the Hudson River with all of the ships and boats going by and the commuter train tooting its horn. Confined and continually reminded that life is truly passing in front of you.

Well, we were not disappointed. Our day was pleasant. Gentle rain came in the evening and with it came the lightening and thunder. Not one storm, but several. Kelley and I ate a delicious barbecued steak dinner with potato and salad. The rain poured. We held our ground and slept like babies.