Caldwell House Bed and Breakfast

Caldwell House Landscaping Project Update

noreply@blogger.com (Caldwell House Bed and Breakfast) — Wed, 23 May 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Caldwell House Landscaping Project Update

It has been a while since my last update on our landscaping project but as I have had to learn, one needs patience with Mother Nature as change does happen overnight!

After all the plowing, raking, digging, sifting, and then planting, one must sit back several weeks and let nature take its course. Despite my bouts with impatience, I am more than happy with how things have turned out.

Here are a couple of “finished product” views and then some “before and after” looks…….

The Lawn

After lots of bulldozing, power-raking, grading, aerating, raking, fertilizing, and seeding, on top of the big tree removal project that we undertook in March, the new lawn is finally taking hold.

The Plants and Shrubs

We replaced the bushes in front of the porch with some new Azaleas - pink, purple, and red. They are fairly young plants so it will take a year or two for them to really grow into the size we’d like.

In addition to the Boxwoods we added up front, we planted many new Rose bushes along the the new walkway leading from the street to the front doorway.....

Throughout the yard, various other tall bushes and trees are blooming and the mix of colors is wonderful.....

More to come!!!

Memorial Day Sales @ The Outlets!

noreply@blogger.com (Caldwell House Bed and Breakfast) — Wed, 23 May 2012 13:08:00 +0000

Great shopping opportunity this weekend at Woodbury Commons. We still have rooms available on Sunday night!

Memorial Day Sidewalk Sale
Fri – Mon, May 25 - 28
Don’t miss the Memorial Day Sidewalk Sale at Woodbury Common Premium Outlets®. Enjoy extra savings on top of already low outlet prices. Visit the Sales & Events page for in-store promotions. Featuring 220 stores including Burberry, Coach, Chloe, Dior, Gucci, Jimmy Choo, Last Call by Neiman Marcus, Polo Ralph Lauren and many more. Shop Brilliantly.

Center Hours
Visit the Hours page for extended sale hours.
Summer Music Series Presented by Coca-Cola
All performances held at the Gazebo located in Red Apple Court from 1pm to 5pm
Sat, May 26: 3D Ritmo de Vida
*weather permitting

New Stores Now Open
James Perse
Vera Bradley
Stores Opening Soon
Canali - opening Summer 2012
Loft Outlet - opening August 2012
Reed Krakoff - opening May 2012
Tom Ford – opening July 15 (est)
Ilori – opening July 1 (est)
Shopping Packages
Hampton Inn - Woodbury is less than a half-mile from Woodbury Common Premium Outlets. Shop & Stay package available which includes a $25 gift card which can be used at all 220 stores at Woodbury Common Premium Outlets. Please call (845) 782-9600 for additional information and reservations. Continuous shuttle service from the hotel to Woodbury Common Premium Outlets daily. Visit the Accommodations & Attractions page for more information.
Things to Do Around Town
Plan to spend the day shopping at Woodbury Common Premium Outlets as well as visiting local attractions and events with your family and friends, including:
Zerbini Family Circus, Monroe
Friday, May 25 – Monday, May 28
Museum Village, Monroe. Jugglers, high flyers, high wire, camels, clowns and more. Fri, May 25 at 7pm. Sat, May 26 at 2pm, and 5pm. Sun, May 27 at 1pm and 4:30pm. Mon, May 28 at 5pm. 845-782-8248. Located approximately 6 miles from Woodbury Common Premium Outlets.
Tango Under the Tent, Sugar Loaf
Sat, May 26, 7pm – Sun, May 27, 12am
Seligmann Homestead, Sugar Loaf. Class 7-8:30PM. Milonga starts at 8:30PM until midnight. Refreshments served and donations to refreshment table appreciated. Located approximately 12 miles from Woodbury Common Premium Outlets.
Exclusive VIP Savings
Visit the VIP Lounge for exclusive coupons* from Bass, DKNY, Jones New York, Last Call by Neiman Marcus, Polo Ralph Lauren, Ultra Diamonds and many more. Plus, print a voucher for a complimentary VIP Coupon Book.
Not a member? Join Now.
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
*Email cannot be used to redeem discounts. Coupons must be printed from the VIP Lounge.

Storm King Art Center - upcoming member events

noreply@blogger.com (Caldwell House Bed and Breakfast) — Wed, 16 May 2012 22:38:00 +0000

Members' Event

Private Tour with Director and Curator, David R. Collens, and photographer, Jerry L. Thompson

Saturday, May 19, 3:00 pm

Enjoy Storm King at the height of the spring season! Join David R. Collens, Director and Curator, and photographer Jerry L. Thompson for a private tour that focuses on the questions and complexities of siting outdoor sculpture in the unique and ever-changing environment at Storm King.

R.S.V.P. to membership@stormkingartcenter.org.

Donor Members and above.

Beekeeper Tours

of Peter Coffin's Untitled (Bees Making Honey) (2012)

Saturdays at 12pm and 1pm

Storm King's beekeeper leads small tours of the beehives that are installed as part of artist Peter Coffin's project Untitled (Bees Making Honey)(2012). Participants will learn about the ways that honey bees make use of the sun's light, and will take away a sample of local honey. Space is limited on each tour.

Kite-Making and Flying Workshop

Sunday, May 20, 1:00 - 4:00 pm

Join Queens-based Free Style Arts Association for a creative and active afternoon of kite-making and kite-flying! Materials provided.

Family Tour with Wally McGuire

Sunday, May 27, 1:00 pm

Celebrated educator Wally McGuire introduces children (and adults) to Storm King's sculpture collection. McGuire's tours enable visitors of all ages to find personal connections to sculpture and introduces concepts such as representation, abstraction, and stylization.

Storm King is pleased to announce the World Monuments Fund's Inaugural H. Peter Stern Lecture

Monday, May 21, 6:30 pm

The Graduate Center CUNY, Harold M. Proshansky Auditorium

365 Fifth Avenue (at East 34th), New York City

To inaugurate the H. Peter Stern Lecture, Pico Iyer will deliver a special lecture for World Monuments Fund supporters, sharing insights about the wonder of travel and the responsibilities that accompany it.

For more information or to purchase tickets, please click here.

noreply@blogger.com (Caldwell House Bed and Breakfast) — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 17:39:00 +0000

The Caldwell House Landscaping Project

Part 4

When law can stop the blades of grass from growin' as they grow,
An' when the leaves in summer time their color dare not show,
Then I will change the color, too, I wear in my caubeen;
But till that day, please God, I'll stick to the Wearin' o' the Green.
~Author Unknown

Well, Chris DeSantis and his crew from DeSantis Landscaping have pulled up stake and left the day to day work to me. To prepare myself for the new tasks at hand, a quick trip to the nearest John Deere Tractor dealership was in order! All that can be said is, my transformation to “gentleman farmer” has taken a huge leap forward!!!

With all the attachments that come along with it, we will be ready to attack nearly any project.

Getting back to the work that has been done, here’s an update…..

The New Walkway

With our plans to eventually build up and landscape the land across the street from the BnB taking on a bit more form, one important step was to create a link between the two properties. We thought it best to develop a walkway that would connect the two and here is what has resulted……

Neither Chris nor I harbored any allusions regarding who was in charge of the designing of the walkway - DENA! Chris and I were overruled on numerous occasions when it came to various suggestions. Like all good men, we decided to simply shut up and do as we were told!

And, finally, the finished product….

As for the rest of the yard, well, after teasing us with a taste of summer, mother nature went back to a a late winter/early spring mode so all the blooming and growing has slowed down considerably. Here are some glimpses of what we can se in the yard....

Irish Prayers & Toasts for St Patrick's Day

noreply@blogger.com (Caldwell House Bed and Breakfast) — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 23:32:00 +0000

Irish Prayers & Toasts for St Patrick's Day

May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields and,
Until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

May the sun shine, all day long,
everything go right, and nothing wrong.
May those you love bring love back to you,
and may all the wishes you wish come true!

May you always walk in sunshine.
May you never want for more.
May Irish angels rest their wings right beside your door.

May the Irish hills caress you.
May her lakes and rivers bless you.
May the luck of the Irish enfold you.
May the blessings of Saint Patrick behold you.

Whenever there is happiness
Hope you'll be there too,
Wherever there are friendly smiles
Hope they'll smile on you,
Whenever there is sunshine,
Hope it shine especially for you to make each day
for you as bright as it can be.

The Caldwell House Landscaping Project Part3

noreply@blogger.com (Caldwell House Bed and Breakfast) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 21:07:00 +0000

The Caldwell House Landscaping Project

Part3

We took some time off to enjoy the weekend and the incredible weather we've been having out here. We also had some great guests in this weekend, so it was nice to put the shovels down for a bit and relax.

But, as the saying goes, "all good things must come to an end" and with the sounds of the Monday morning school bus meant it was time to get back at it.

We have made a lot of progress up to this point and, while we still have more work to do, much of the future "work" is in the hands of Mother Nature.

The Front Lawn

Most of the work on redoing the front lawn is complete. It has been tilled, raked, leveled, hydro seeded, fertilized, and constantly watered. Now it is up to mother nature to work her magic. We figure it will take another week or so before we start to see any meaningful growth - unless the weather turns cold again, in which case it might take a bit longer.

My hope is to be able to posts pictures on line during the playing of the Masters and have people guess - "is it Amen corner or the Caldwell House?"

The Magnolia Trees

Speaking of the Masters, just like Augusta we are blessed with a number of Magnolia Trees on the property and it is hard to think of anything more beautiful when they bloom (ok, cherry trees might give them a run for their money).

The pictures above are from just one of several tress on the property - and each tree has a different color. There is a very pretty all white one blooming on the other side of the B and B that is a good match with this pinkish one.

The Back Yard

The back yard, or "back 40" as I like to call it, have only been lightly touched so far. There is so much potential back there and offers so many opportunities. We want the yard to offer the sort of backdrop that any bride and groom would dream to have for their wedding or reception.

The first project undertaken was to clear out an "island" about a third of the way out in the yard. By doing this, we have opened up the yard so that there is a clear view from the house all the way to the back of the yard - which is quite a ways out there (I'm guessing it's a Par 5 for all you golfers).

To buffer the yard from Route 94 in the way back, we have planted 5 Spruce Trees. While only 6 or 7 feet tall now, they grow to 60 feet or so tall and about 20 feet around. Who knows, maybe someday we'll have a Rockefeller Center Tree to offer??!!

Next - the walkway is completed. The area between The Caldwell House, the little green house, and Loughran's is remade, and more...

Stewart State Forest

noreply@blogger.com (Caldwell House Bed and Breakfast) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 17:00:00 +0000

Stewart State Forest

A real treasure trove of outdoor activities - and often forgotten about - is the gem called The Stewart State Forest. To top it off, it is only about a 5 minute drive from the Caldwell House!

The roughly 7,000-acres of Stewart State Forest are unique in the northeast and increasingly rare in the Hudson Valley. A mix of wetlands, fields and woods, the site includes 18 miles of gravel roads and over 22 miles of major trails which provide unparalleled recreation - hiking, biking, horseback riding, hunting, dog training and trials, skiing, snowmobiling, bird watching and fishing. Old farm fields take you to an earlier gentler time in our nation's history.

History

The Stewart Bufferlands and the Supersonic Airport

More than 400 acres of land is still being farmed at Stewart State Forest

In 1971, today's Stewart State Forest was first set aside as the "Stewart Bufferlands," when NYS condemned 8,076 acres to the west of then Stewart Air Force Base. The land was to become the east coast's premier Super Sonic Transport (SST) airport, and the large buffer was needed for expansion and noise abatement. The State bought 802 parcels of land, removing 337 farms and houses, and almost 1,200 people.

The airport expansion and SST plans were abandoned by 1982 and commercial flights began at Stewart in 1990. The airport's long runway remains one of several emergency landing sites for the Space Shuttle. Between 1974 and 1999, the DEC's Division of Fish and Wildlife managed Stewart as a Cooperative Hunting Area. The "Stewart Bufferlands" were turned over to the DEC in 1999 and 2006, after decisions were made concerning several development proposals for parts of the property.

Recreational Activities at Stewart State Forest

Hunting

Fishing

Since 1974, the 7,000 acres west of Drury Lane have been a New York State DEC Cooperative Wildlife Management Area, with almost 10,000 hunters visiting the area annually. The area represents a diverse population of game including deer, turkey, pheasant, grouse, rabbit, squirrel and an occasional black bear. Hunters are allowed access by permit and may park at the entry location lots or in any of the numerous areas provided alongside and inside the lands. Small game season starts in early October; large game/deer season begins around Thanksgiving, when hunters have exclusive use of the Forest into December. Turkey season begins May 1.

Dog Trials

Numerous ponds and small lakes dot Stewart State Forest. Many fishermen visit these waters annually. These waters provide excellent fishing for Bass, Yellow & White Perch, Crappies and Catfish.

	Many dog trial and hunting clubs hold regular training sessions and competitions at Stewart State Forest.
Horseback Riding
	Stewart State Forest provides an excellent place for horseback riding. With 7,000 acres of open space, fire-roads and trails, it has become a favorite place for many riders. Ample parking for horse trailers is available at the entrances on Ridge Road and Barron Road.
Bicycling
	Stewart State Forest provides a variety of terrain to accommodate cyclists of all abilities. Over 16 miles of maintained fire roads offer easy to moderate conditions. More advanced cyclists will enjoy the over 50 miles of single-track trails. Several mountain bike events are held annually on the lands, including SPARC's annual Stewart State Forest Bike Tour. An 11x17 map of the lands with trails marked is available from SPARC for a $5 donation. www.stewartparkandreservecoalition.org/
Hiking
	Numerous hikers and bird watchers visit the lands regularly. The large amount of land and trails combined with the peace, quiet and solitude of this environment make it an excellent choice for a relaxed hike. Many visitors come to watch the wildlife, especially birds. Stewart State Forest boasts a wide range of birds, and a variety of hawks and other birds of prey.

Access to Stewart State Forest for the Fall Hunting Seasons

Stewart State Forest is open to the public during the small game and special big game (archery and muzzleloader) hunting seasons. However, access during the Regular Big Game Season is restricted to licensed hunters and trappers for the purpose of hunting and trapping. Licensed hunters and trappers can gain vehicular access to the interior road network and internal parking areas through the Weed Road gate from October 1 through December 31 between one hour before sunrise and one hour after sunset (road and weather conditions permitting). Vehicle access to the interior of the area is also permitted for participants in the statewide youth pheasant hunting weekend (the weekend immediately proceeding October 1). All other users are prohibited from accessing the property by motor vehicle unless permitted by the Department and must park in an exterior parking area.

The Department and Orange County Federation of Sportsmen host an annual Youth Hunting Day on the 2nd Saturday in October. Hunting parties must include a junior hunter (ages 12-15) to access the area.

Reservations for the Regular Big Game Hunting Season

Reservations are required for the first two days (Saturday and Sunday) of the Regular Big Game season. To make a reservation, call Tuesday, 11 days before opening day, beginning at 8:30 AM. Only one reservation will be accepted per phone call. The telephone number to make a reservation is 845-256-3095.

DEC staff will be at the hunter check station on Weed Road one hour before sunrise to check in hunters on mornings when reservations are required. Hunters must claim their reservations by 7:00 AM. Unclaimed reservations may be reassigned after that time. Vacating a parking area after 8:00 AM will result in forfeiture of a party's reservation for the remainder of the day.

Go to the following for more info http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/57959.html

Mountain Biking

This domain is the “holy land” to the local mountain biking community because of its excellent and competitive singletrack trail system over a variety of challenging terrains. The cooperative area is composed of a combination of active and abandoned farmland, apple and pear orchards, and second-growth forestland. Ponds and marshes dot the landscape, along with several small streams. Twelve miles of wide, gravelly, hard-packed dirt roads crisscross the hilly interior, providing long, sweeping descents from hills. These roads are perfect for the novice or experienced rider hungry for some genuine fat-tire fun. For the more serious riders and technicians, there are wads of intermediate and advanced high-tech singletracks. These trails traverse what seems to be an unlimited supply of hills and tight turns punctuated by myriad jumps. They can be attacked aggressively or handled slowly. The lunar, 10-mile, jackhammer, singletrack loop described below is for dedicated hammerheads with a purpose. Good bike handlers will get an excellent workout. Sections of the ride are actually banked and pitched at an angle, keeping you off the brakes and moving fast. As you navigate through the many twists and turns of the trail, the riding begins to take on a Zenlike quality. You’re not overbraking or oversteering, and the tires seem to carve like skis. You come out of corners with just enough momentum, as if the trail is controlling the bike and you’re just along for the ride. The Stewart Airport Cooperative area, aka “the holy land,” is a great place to come with a group of people with different riding skills. There is plenty of track for those who would like some easy peddling through scenic countryside. For the dirt disciples who are not happy unless they have shredded some rock and come back bruised and battered and have conquered every hill, this is heaven. Located in northeastern Orange County between the city of Newburgh and the village of Maybrook. The area is bounded on the north by Interstate 84, on the east by the New York State Thruway (Interstate 87), and on the south by NY 207. The topography is generally flat and gently rolling. The layout of the single-track loop takes full advantage of the hilly terrain and varied woodland, including as many short-haul ascents and descents as can fit into the trail's 10 miles. There are no major long hauls up any mountain, just lots of tiny hills. The double-track rolls gently along the interior dirt roads with no appreciable gain or loss in elevation.

Date Nite at The Caldwell House - Update

noreply@blogger.com (Caldwell House Bed and Breakfast) — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 00:06:00 +0000

Update!!!

Date Nite Special - ****EXTENDED****

Due to the success of our Date Nite Special at the Caldwell House - we are EXTENDING IT!! Pick any room for only $125/night - first come/ first served - Monday thru Thursday for the remainder of March thru Tax Filing Week (ending April 19).

Spend that refund check or come let us help you forget about the check you had to write, either way we'll help you leave the everyday world for a little while and allow you to have a romantic getaway here in the scenic Hudson Valley.

Introducing Date Night at

The Caldwell House

pick any room for only $125/night

- first come first served -

Monday - Thursday for the remainder of FEBRUARY THRU March

(starting Feb 20 - ending Mar 29)

Continental Breakfast served to get you on your way quickly in the morning!

The Caldwell House Landscaping Project Day 2

noreply@blogger.com (Caldwell House Bed and Breakfast) — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 20:08:00 +0000

The Caldwell House Landscaping Project

Day 2

The Project is underway in earnest - or should I say "Projects" - as there seems to be many things going on at the same time. Being that a picture is worth a thousand words, I'll do a lot more posting of pictures than actual describing.

Along the way, you'll see that we'll have unanswered questions, for example, today's questions is - what perennials should we be planting in our front entryway gardens. Any and all suggestions are quite welcome!!!

So, here we go...

Project # 1 involved John and his Bobcat. He cleared out a large are between the little green Caldwell house, the B and B , and Loughran's. Let's just say that that piece of land had been neglected for many years and was in need of a very good spring clean up!

When everything has been completely cleared and the ground has been leveled, we will over-seed it good and within a few weeks it will look like a beautiful rolling hill.

Here's a view of the rolling hill after clearing but before the hydro-seeding and other landscaping work we'll be doing to it.

Hey, I'm begining to grow fond of the little opening in the fence!

Chris DeSantis and his crew moved in with the heavy duty equipment and tore up the existing lawn at the B and B. They used a "power rake" which was attached to a bulldozer. The combination helped aerate, till, and level the land, preparing it for the next stages which included liming, fertilizing and hydro-seeding.

In addition to the lawn, we've changed out all the shrubbery in the front. A row of weather worn hedges just in front of the front porch has been replaced with pink, purple and red Azaleas.

A somewhat new addition will be a redefined walkway entrance from the street. We'll be adding a Flagstone walkway from the street to the front door and alongside the walkway will be gardens on either side which will have mulched in flower beds with yet to be determined perennials.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's update as progress is occurring at a brisk pace!

The Caldwell House Landscaping Project

noreply@blogger.com (Caldwell House Bed and Breakfast) — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 02:33:00 +0000

The Caldwell House Landscaping Project
The Beginning

Spring has sprung early this year so we have decided to take advantage of it and get off to a fast start with our Landscaping Project.

Step 1 was to remove several large trees from around the property (don’t worry, there are plenty more of them still here!) We focused on the ones that were damaged by Hurricane Irene/the October Snow Storm, and those that were inhibiting sunlight from getting through to the front lawn and certain gardens. A special thanks to John Flanagan and all the guys at Flanagan’s Tree Services for the great work they did for us!

Next, and the funnest part yet, John rented a Bobcat machine and he bulldozed everything in sight. There was only one - minor - mishap, that being when John backed up through one of the wooden fences (why are there no rear view mirrors on those things??!!) Anyway, we were able to clear lots (and I mean lots!!) of area around the house next to the B and B and a good portion of the deep back part of the B and B grounds. After 2 days of clearing the "back forty", it was time to return the 'Cat. Dena swears she saw a tear in John’s eye when the rental company came to pick the Bobcat up.

Today we begin a major part of the upgrade. We have hired Chris DeSantis and his crew at DeSantis Landscaping http://www.desantislandscaping.com/ to do the “big stuff.” Starting in the front yard, they will be tearing up the existing lawn, power raking it, leveling it, adding topsoil, lime, and fertilizer to it, and then hydro seeding it with top notch seed. Believe it or not, I already have the “after” pictures….

You may think it looks like Augusta but that is just because you have been seeing a lot of commercials for the upcoming Masters Golf Tournament.

Along with the lawn, we will be replacing (actually transplanting) a bunch of the bushes we have in front with Azaleas and Boxwoods.

Last, but certainly not least, now that much of the path between the B and B and Loughran’s Irish Pub http://www.loughransirishpub.com/ has been cleared, plans for a bridge over the rock wall are in the planning phase. We already have a winning name suggestion - “The Quiet Man Bridge” from the famous John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara movie. We have also had a very intriguing inital design submission.

Tell us what you think…… Again, any resemblance to Augusta is simply coincidental!!!