Time to Gogh Home

 
The Man writes...surely it isn't really four years since we visited the Clark Institute in Williamstown? The place had certainly changed enormously in the meantime, with large new galleries and a striking reflecting pool.

Big Sunday morning crowds were out for their terrific "Van Gogh and Nature" exhibition, chronicling the last six years of Van Gogh's life and demonstrating how his style evolved as his health deteriorated.

There was the added treat of seeing the superb American classic "Whistler's Mother",  which is on temporary loan from the Musee D'Orsay in Paris. Interestingly, it was actually painted in London and is formally titled  "Arrangement in Grey and Black Number 1". It looks something like this:

We had a smooth journey back to London, out of Albany via Washington. After a week of absolutely perfect weather, we landed in rain under grey, heavy skies. Our brief Capital District holiday already seems like a dream.

Five and Four

The Man writes...our last full day in Albany was one full of eating and socializing. The Girl and I started the day at a fund raising "Pancake Breakfast", moved on to the Farmers Market, and then via Five Rivers to various friends' houses and then dinner at Swifty's at Delmar's Four Corners. 

Signs of the Times

The Man writes...already there are lawn signs everywhere for November elections, and even a few "Bernie for President" signs, which I guess will probably be there for another twelve months. First buried under leaves, then a few feet of snow, and finally mowed around.

Bernie Sanders is of course a thirty year House veteran whose independent, consistent, socialist views are gaining significant support from party activists who have become disillusioned by politicians who all sound the same and achieve no progress. Does this sound familiar to British readers?

Shire, Horse

The Man writes...the Girl was back at Indian Ladder Farms' today, where she took this photo. The notice on the little door reads "Mr Bilbo Baggins". Who knew the real location of "The Shire" was the Capital District? You live and learn.

This evening I was at "Druthers" up in Saratoga Springs with former work colleagues. The whole town was busy and lively - we are deep into track season and particularly large crowds are expected this weekend to view a huge new national celebrity: American Pharoah, the first Triple Crown winner in 37 years.

Finding Closure

The Man writes...today someone in The Office (that's my old workplace, not the American TV Series - although the two are virtually indistinguishable) joked that there are two seasons in this part of the world: "winter" and "construction".

Certainly, there are road works on all the major arteries (90, 85, 787), as if to make the most of the last few months before the cold weather sets in. Everyone tells me last winter was especially harsh.

The Girl's main activity today was a modest party with five friends, who had to be assembled and then dropped off all over. At least, if we come next year they might possibly all be driving themselves - the driving age here is sixteen. 

Winging it

The Man writes...the Girl spent the morning helping out with a camp at Indian Ladder Farms. Having spent much of the time with cute chickens, she knew exactly what she wanted for lunch: barbacue wings from Hanafords.

The Girl went to meet her old ice skating coach at the Knickerbacker Arena in Troy - a cool oasis in the summer heat - and then on to enjoying pizza and ice cream with her old Girl Scout group, before she ended the day with a sleepover at another friend's house.

Big ideas

The Man writes...today the Girl and some friends visited the school she last attended in 2010, but where she always gets a warm welcome.

To escape the heat I headed up to Thacher State Park and the wonderful Indian Ladder trail. At the head of the trail they have started work on a new Nature Center (in additional to the one nearby at Thompson's Lake), which looks like it will be enormous.

In reply to the frequent but slightly impossible question "What's England like?" the Girl tends to say something along the lines of "Everything is smaller - apart from the bath tubs". She is right - just look at the tomatoes here, for example.