Where's Santa?

Ho! Ho! Huh? Santa, baby - no loafing on the job, tonight of all nights! Get your padded butt out of the Phoenicia Pharmacy…even if that old dentist's chair IS comfortable! You've got work to do, man!

As I wrap up another year of oddities, I'd like to thank my friends of the Catskills for always surprising me with another curiosity just around the corner…and for not pressing charges for trespassing. You make these marvelous mountains the coolest place in the world! Have a magical and memorable holiday, brimming with love and goodwill to all! And cookies. Lots of cookies.

Library Love

I love libraries. They are the defenders of democracy, the champions against censorship and the fighters for intellectual freedom. They are the keepers of our stories and our histories and our humanity. Their doors are open to all. Come inside the Haines Falls Free Library, won't you?

The Haines Falls Library was founded in 1900, and although it has progressed with the times, it still retains its early 20th century charm. Their system is fully automated, but the card catalog remains present, as if to say, "I am here for you, too. And don't I look lovely?"

It's the little touches that give every library personality and life. Product placement should be thoughtfully displayed.

That little boy's grandma is looking for her bookmark, I bet!

Because everyone has the right to be able to read clearly.

Mysteries hold a prominent position in front of the fireplace. I thought I heard a tap-tap-tapping from the blocked-off hearth.

Young adults…represent! Although I think that copy of Edna Ferber's Giant on the third shelf there was more representative of my mother's teen aged years.

My favorite section of a small town library would have to be the local history collection. Priceless treasure to be found here.

That lovely long-necked lady is Maude Adams, a stage actress best known for playing Peter Pan. She lived her final years of celebrity in nearby Tannersville. The woman on the left gained notoriety for having an overdue library book for 67 years (Edna Ferber's Giant). The wooden dude next to her? No clue, but he's featured in my nightmares now.

It seems that librarians cannot help themselves from documenting and cataloguing everything. This was found in the bathroom. Joe did a fine job with all the fittings, but someone had a heavy hand with the paintbrush.

Does this not look like something you'd find in The Shire?

I imagine Bilbo Baggins would treat his library like the precious institution it is. We all should. And whaddya know? September is Library Card Sign-Up Month! If you don't have a library card, what are you waiting for? It's your passport to the world and beyond. And librarians (myself included) are there to help you embark!

Rip Tide!

It is along this scenic route, built by convict labor (thank you, convicts!), where Rip Van Winkle took the world's longest nap. Mmmm…naps.

Most of us know the tale of Rip Van Winkle's famous slumber, but few know that Washington Irving's first draft had Rip waking up to a confusing case of identity disorder! Here he is, ready to strike up the band.

On the other side of town, he was found gearing up for ski season…

and Rip-lining! (otherwise known as zip-lining to those not as ego-centric as Rip)

Rip knows that women cannot resist a man in a kilt…

Or in top hat and tails. Oh, that ritzy Rip!

Well hello there, ripped Rip! Where have you been all my life?

At the height of his identity disorder, Rip believed he was Jerry Garcia. The Jerry Garcia who works for cheese. I would work for cheese, too…

…and for beer.

Then there's the Rip who was so confused by his affliction, that he just tried to blend in unnoticed. 

Psst…I can see you, Rip! 

Strategically placed lighthouse. Oh my.

Kapow! Are you sensing a disturbing crotch trend here, or is it just me? (Yes, I'm 12 years old)

Okay, at this point, I've gotta come clean - I've just been ripping ribbing you! Rip did not awaken to a schizoid existence. He was fine…albeit a bit confused at first. "You mean there was a Revolutionary War?!"

All of these artistic incarnations of Mr. Van Winkle are part of a yearly fund-raising effort to raise money for non-profit organizations, to assist those who were affected by last year's devastating Hurricane Irene, and to help our local artists. There are more than fifty Rips dotting the landscape along Route 23A…Wowza! And they'll be auctioned off on October 6th, so you, too, can own a piece of this historic mountaintop legend. More info here at Rip Lives!

Fun House

One of the best reasons for taking a road less travelled is the possible and sudden explosion of art when one least expects it. Tucked away in the landscape, a bit of whimsy catches the eye at 40 miles an hour....Quick, hit the brakes!!

Let's stop and investigate! What's this? A flaming beach ball sent to earth...

and a rocket in a pocket of dirt.

An iron garden...

reaches for the sun.

And further afield...

a capital "F" for FUN!

Shall we go upstairs?

There's a cozy sitting area to take in the view.

Well, hello there...who are you?

This reminds me of a film set in another state...isolated area, big guy with a chainsaw... perhaps we should explore the lower floor. C'mon! Right down the stairs...

It's a different world down there!  A crystal chandelier...

a charcoal nude...

and an assortment of gourds to set the mood.

But alas, not a soul in sight to shed any light. Just another lonesome oddity to puzzle and delight.

Everything AND the Kitchen Sink

While on a lengthy drive to a trailhead, we stopped at the side of the road to let our restless dogs do what dogs do on the sides of roads. A few yards up we came across a curious discovery.

As if dropped from a temporal portal of the past and plunked down among the moss in the middle of nowhere sits this porcelain sink, circa 1950. A dishtowel has been carefully draped on the edge and the plates and saucers are neatly stacked in the drainer, as if June Cleaver herself, having finished her after-dinner chores, disappeared in a puff of smoke along with the rest of her surroundings.

Nary a house nor campsite can be found nearby to explain its presence. Judging by the trademarks on the dinnerware, this is old, durable crockery. My mother had an entire set of Corelle by Corning which held plenty of scrumptious mac 'n' cheese lunches throughout the years...but that was long ago and I certainly didn't help rinse the dishes in the woods after gorging myself on Kraft.

So why is it here? And who is using it? Have the bears in the Catskills evolved in ways we're not aware? It's a puzzle wrapped in porcelain shrouded in soapsuds, and I fear it will never be solved!

Ebony & Ivory...

...live together in perfect pine-scented harmony. This lyrical sculpture was found in a wide field between two homes.

The oversized keys are made of wood, but the cast-iron frames and taut metal strings are authentic.

Behning & Sons, established in New York City in 1861, was known for building high quality, expensive pianos. Their success was dampered by the Great Depression - a sad coda, for sure - and the firm was sold to Kohler & Campbell, who continued producing pianos under the Behning name into the 1950s.

I often wonder about the oddities I find here in the Catskills. So many of them are objects that have found a second, sometimes altered, life. Who was the artist that constructed this....was he or she a musician? What happened to the original piano? And who was its first owner? All sorts of scenarios pop into my head over the provenance of such an item, which strikes a decidedly odd and mysterious chord in my imagination.

He knows.

Pay no attention to the freakish old elf giving you the side eye. May all your days be merry and bright!

Peace and Love from Upstate Oddities