Colin and Amanda’s Wedding in Boiceville, New York

$Colin and Amanda\'s Wedding - Onteora Mountain House, Boiceville, New York$

Colin and Amanda's Wedding in Boiceville, New York

Jun 042011

Last weekend, a couple of my good friends — Colin and Amanda — got hitched at the jaw-droppingly beautiful Onteora Mountain House in Boiceville, New York. Surrounded by the Catskill mountains in all directions, it was the perfect “Mansion on the Hill” atmospheric wedding. It was an especially important event because Colin and Amanda are some of my first good friends to tie the knot and we got to celebrate with a lot of our mutual friends. They were also kind enough to give me the night off.* But, hey, it’s not like I was going to leave my camera at home.

colin amanda onteora mountain house wedding photos 1 Colin and Amandas Wedding in Boiceville, New York

colin amanda onteora mountain house wedding photos 2 Colin and Amandas Wedding in Boiceville, New York

colin amanda onteora mountain house wedding photos 3 Colin and Amandas Wedding in Boiceville, New York Continue reading »

In the Sun We Feel As One

U.S.A.

Oct 222009

Soaking up the last bit of the East Coast sun, and in celebration of Andrew’s 26th birthday, a bunch of us took the Metro North train from Grand Central terminal to Hudson Valley, New York for the annual Oktoberfest celebrations. After a brisk walk through quiet country woods, we arrived at Bear Mountain State Park and saw grown men in bright lederhosens flapping arms to polka music. More importantly, steins bigger than our heads were frothing with German beer.

There was no place Andrew (or the rest of us) would rather be.

Every Last One of Them

U.S.A.

Oct 052009

“Every last one of them voted for Obama. I just know it.” –Overheard at Cayuga Lake in Upstate, New York.

Corn Camping

U.S.A.

Jul 302009

During our weekend of Swinefest extravaganza, we decided to spend Saturday night in Pine Plains, New York, rather than drive home at 4 in the morning having consumed large quantities of pork and beer. Luckily, the good folks at The Farm were thinking along the same lines, and offered us a spot on their giant green field.

So there were were, pitching a tent at the edge of a cornfield with the soft green mountains of the Catskills all around us. I loved this! (Sorry, I didn’t get enough of this sleeping-on-the-ground business having spent most of my life in Hollywood and Brooklyn). Continue reading »

Swinefest

Food, U.S.A.

Jul 222009

Last weekend, I went to my first-ever pig roast, dubbed “Swinefest 2009″ in Pine Plains, New York. The affair included four roasted pigs, 40 kegs of beer, and fireworks so close I tasted ash on my beer. It was all miraculous!

Apparently, these huge gatherings centered around a barbecue and hillbilly music — we camped at the edge of a cornfield and woke up to the lyrics, “she was rocking the beer gut” blasting from a pickup truck — are fairly common in the Midwest, and Kelly had been to more than her share of them. Yet, as a newbie and a creature of city-life, I enjoyed it. I even took part in the dance party under a white tent filled with hay to the Jock Jam beats of Sublime and Blink 182.

Nothing says, “we’re no longer in New York City” than standing on top a picturesque hill overlooking the beautiful Catskill mountains and all of Hudson Valley in full greenery with the smell of burnt flesh in the air and a bottomless plastic cup in your hand.

Jake watching fireworks.