Run in the Country

I do get outside my radius from time to time.  This past weekend, my wife and I enjoyed a getaway in Rosendale, NY, a small Hudson Valley town about 90 minutes north.

For my Sunday run I ventured south of town on a shoulderless blacktop, not knowing precisely where I was going but assuming I could find a loop back or at least retrace my steps.  After a substantial climb in the first mile, I settled in on a ridge with east views of the valley (toward the Hudson) and west views of Catskill bluffs.  It was pleasantly cool and quiet and continuously beautiful.

Old houses in various repair, some clustered, some spread far apart, flanked the road; many were mere feet from the occasional car or pickup that sped by.  Such road proximity was common and practical back when all that sped by were horses.  Indeed, some had old hitching posts.  Most were encased in modern siding that at first glance disguised their age.  One stone house was blatantly old, and a historic marker verified its colonial origins.  The local history was further explained by another marker designating the corner of the original 1677 grant to Huguenot settlers.

As much as I love beauty and history, it's the off-beat that really grabs me.  While it's common anywhere for the concrete steps of a house to survive the house itself, it's rare -- unique? -- for the front door to be preserved.  I posted the picture below on Facebook, seeking captions, and got a slew of good ones, many making clever references to C. S. Lewis or Alice in Wonderland or The Doors.  My favorite, though, may be: "Dali Residence."

The outside?  Over there.