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We have landed in an area with easy access to a number of multi-use paths. We have already walked the Westchester Riverwalk right along the Hudson River and the pedestrian/bike path across the Hudson over the Mario Cuomo Bridge, today we walked a very short portion of the Old Croton Aqueduct Trail (OCA). This is a 26.5 mile linear state park that stretches from the New Croton Dam in Cortland, New York, to Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx. It follows the path of an aqueduct constructed in 1842 and is now a multi-use path of varied surfaces (from hard packed dirt to grass to residential sidewalks).

We started on it a block from the house and headed north for a little over an hour before turning around and coming back into Tarrytown. Our walk roughly paralleled the Hudson River but much higher up. We started in a residential area before getting onto school property, then alongside the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery and into Rockefeller State Park.

Bob and I have joined a recreation center here. It’s about a 15-20 minute walk from the house — downhill there and uphill back. It’s just on the other side of the train tracks. Bob has developed a workout routine for the gym, and it allows me to bike until my foot (just my 4th toe at this point) is back to normal. It is the first time we’ve benefited from a senior discount —$26/month for non-residents. Quite the deal!

Yesterday, we met at the BakeHouse, a cute cafe in the train depot for breakfast after our workout. I’m not usually a food photographer, but this was the best breakfast sandwich I’ve ever had! Avocado toast, but I paid $1 more for the bread to be Brazilian cheese bread. So yummy!

Today, I turned 61. Crazy age and honestly it seems like I just turned 60. I wish life would slow down a bit. To celebrate, besides dealing with Con Edison to get the gas turned on at the house (It has been off due to homeowner renovations), Bob and I walked across the Mario Cuomo Bridge. There were a surprising number of people out walking on it, including a large class of female students on the Nyack, NY, side.

The bridge is 3.6 miles long from Westchester Landing in Tarrytown to Rockland Landing in Nyack. Our walk ended up being close to nine miles with the walk from and back to the house added on.

Along the bridge, over the water portion, there are 6 sitting and view point areas off of the bike and pedestrian path.

Yesterday, was the 250th anniversary of the birth of the United States as a country. It was a very hot day here, so we didn’t do much. We got some New York bagels for breakfast and also picked up a New York Times newspaper to read before we headed to the weekly farmers market, which was mostly to-go foods rather than produce.

Last night, at about 8:15 or so, a storm came through with thunder, lightning, winds, and heavy rain. The lights flicked on and off a couple of times. We were pretty sure the fireworks for Tarrytown would be canceled, but the rain eased and at about 9:15 or so, the fireworks started. We had a great view from the balcony off the top floor of the house, as they shot the fireworks off over the Hudson River.

More storms moved through overnight, but we’ve had a mostly dry day today. Since the rest of the week is looking pretty rainy, we got out to explore the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery which is about a 2 mile walk from the house. The cemetery is featured in Washington Irving’s “Legend of Sleepy Hollow, and is the final resting place for a number of prominent figures, including: Elizabeth Arden, Vincent and Brooke Astor, Andrew Carnegie, Walter Chrysler, Samuel Gompers, Harry and Leona Helmsley, Washington Irving, Albert Lasker, William Rockefeller, among others. The cemetery provides a free map that lists about 8 prominent memorials to visit.

A sign near the bridge noted that the Headless Horseman Bridge described by Irving in “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” formerly spanned the stream at this spot. On the way into the cemetery, there was a sign advertising evening tours.

The heat is on! It’s been or is hot all over, so I guess it’s our turn now. No central heat in the house, as is typical in lots of areas, but we do have window units. We hadn’t been using them but have started over the past few days. It’s a 2 story house with a basement, and the lovely main bedroom is on the top floor, so we definitely enjoy that one for sleeping. We have been leading a rather more leisurely pace while settling into our Tarrytown home/pet care routine.

A couple of days ago, we had our first New York bagels of this trip. There is a good place near us, with lots of flavors, and Bob walked over and picked up a couple for us that I had ordered online. We walked by a little later in the day after our excursion over part of the Mario Cuomo Bridge (see below), and the bagel place was just as busy for lunch.

The Mario Cuomo Bridge, that we drove across to get to Tarrytown and that we can see from the house, was fully opened to traffic in 2018 and replaced the former Tappan Zee Bridge. There is a pedestrian/bike section walled off from the automobile lanes. The entire trail is 3.6 miles long over the bridge connecting Tarrytown to Nyack, NY, three miles of which are over the Hudson River. It is the longest bridge in New York State.

On Tuesday, we walked part of the trail but hope to do the full back and forth over the bridge some time before we leave in early September.

Yesterday, we walked back across the railroad tracks and then into Sleepy Hollow to check out a market that Bob had seen online. It was actually a very pricey (but attractively displayed) grocery store, DeCicco & Sons, with space for events and a bar and patio on top with views of the bridge.

One risk with housesitting for pets and pet ownership is the chance that your adorable ball of fur might find another small creature to eat/play with/bring to you as proof of their awesome hunting prowess. This morning, these two lovely ladies found and caught a live mouse. That’s up there on my list of undesired things to deal with. I first saw Bella with a tail hanging out of her mouth, and then she eventually put it down, and Cleo grabbed it. Long story short, Cleo finally gave it up, and I was able to trap it under a container, which Bob then took outside. Eek!

We have been shopping at a local coop-type grocery where we have become members, but today we decided to drive to a larger grocery that the homeowner told us about that we had never heard of, Stew Leonard’s. It was a unique experience that might be a one and done for us, but we’re glad we tried it.

The family opened a small retail shop in the 1890s in Brooklyn to sell goods from their farm. They now have 8 stores total in Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York. It still retains the farm/market look with a silo near the store and produce displayed market style both inside and out along with a large garden section. They also have a small cafe on the patio as well as an ice cream shop. We both got ice cream (soft serve only) before we shopped, as the weather almost seems to require it. Heat advisory here until 9:00 pm tomorrow night.

Wherever you are, stay cool and safe!

Before I get into our recent outings, I wanted to share a photo of Cleo and Bella that I took yesterday. Bella (the white one) is the alpha of the two and also the friendliest with humans. I took this mid-cleaning session with the 2 of them.

Yesterday and today, Bob and I have walked on the Westchester River Walk along the Hudson River. Yesterday, we were down there to check out a rec center that Bob is thinking of joining and then we headed into downtown for a community block party that was held yesterday afternoon. Today, we continued on along the Hudson into the village of Sleepy Hollow.

A rail line, one that could take us south into NYC or north to other communities along the Hudson, lies between the house and the Hudson River, so there are only a couple of places where we can cross the railroad tracks to get close to the river. One goes through a small train station.

The sign also provides some historical information on Tarrytown. What is now Tarrytown was first settled by the Weckquaesgeek American Indians. Dutch settlers arrived in the early 1600s, and the village was incorporated in 1670. On September 23, 1780, during the Revolutionary War, British Major John Andre was captured at what is now Patriots Park in Tarrytown (site of their weekly farmers market that we hope to get to). Andre, acting as Benedict Arnold’s co-conspirator was caught carrying plans of American defenses at West Point.

Today, we continued along the River Walk.

Bob and I have had a chill couple of days settling into the new house. The house is situated right off of Broadway, one of the main streets through town and very close to the small downtown, rail station, and with views of the Hudson River and the Mario Cuomo Bridge, which is lit up at night.

Today we explored the downtown area a bit more, basically Main Street off of Broadway before stopping into a local market to pick up a few items.

What do we know about Tarrytown, New York? Very little at this point, although I’m about to do some quick online research, but one thing you can’t fail to pick up on when you’re in the area is the connection to Washington Irving. Tarrytown lies just south of the community of Sleepy Hollow, and our house is only a couple of blocks from Washington Irving School. Our homeowners tell us that the area is pretty rabid about Halloween. You are definitely expected to decorate.

Wikipedia tells me that Irving was born in 1783 in Manhattan and died in 1859 here in Tarrytown. He is fittingly buried in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Sleepy Hollow, New York. In addition to writing short stories such as “Rip Van Winkle” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” which is how I’m familiar with him, he also wrote a number of biographies (including one of George Washington) and served as Ambassador to Spain in the 1840s. Hopefully, we will continue to learn more about the area during our stay.

This music hall was built in 1885, which makes it the oldest operating theater in Westchester County. It has 843 seats and hosts stand-up comedy, musical acts, and films. The night we arrived, Patton Oswald was playing. We are hoping to get tickets to something while we’re here.

As a quick update on my foot injury. The swelling has gone down quite a bit, and it was feeling much better yesterday after trying to stay off of it and icing it on and off, elevating it, etc. This morning it was pretty painful again during our walk, so we headed to an urgent care center just to have it assessed. No fracture or broken bones, so just have to keep icing, blah, blah, blah. I have ordered a walking boot to help keep me mobile through the recovery.

Yesterday was one of the very few times that Bob and I ended one housesit and began another on the same day, and based on my behavior, maybe it’s not something we should do often.

We left Newtown, Pennsylvania at 11:00 am, and prior to departure, as per usual, we were doing our last bits of cleaning, taking out trash, etc. While I was vacuuming the floor on the main level yesterday, I managed to hit my right food hard against the corner of a wall and then again against the vacuum. It now looks like this.

It was very tough to walk on it yesterday, but today it feels much better but looks worse. I’m trying to take it easy today and then see how it feels tomorrow to see whether I need to get it x-rayed or not.

The 2.5 hour drive got us into Tarrytown, New York, at about 1:30, but we weren’t due at the homeowners until 4:30, so we checked out a couple of local gyms, had a picnic lunch in a park, and visited the local library before heading to the new house.

Our homeowners have 3 dogs, 2 cats, and fish. However, they are taking the dogs with them on their 2 month cross-country driving vacation. We will be caring for their adorable cats — Bella and Cleo (short for Cleopatra) and a few small fish in their aquarium.

After a thorough walk through of the pet responsibilities, home, and small yard, they treated us to dinner at a local restaurant downtown, about a 10 minute walk from the house. They also showed us a great walking/running path on the way back. They left about 6 this morning.

We are looking forward to exploring Tarrytown and the surrounding area — hopefully both of us on 2 good feet!

Our current housesit is in an area of the country that is rich with places that have great significance in the formation of this country. We visited one of those sites today — Washington Crossing Historic Park. This park was founded in 1917 to preserve the site of George Washington and his troops’ crossing of the Delaware River on December 25, 1776. The park has historical buildings, walking paths, picnic pavilions, and hosts special events and reenactments. It is free to visit.

The short version of the crossing and its importance is that we (those supporting independence) were losing the war. We were outnumbered, outgunned, and Washington’s campaign in New York had not gone well. By early December 1776, he and his troops had retreated across the Delaware River to Pennsylvania. With critical foresight, he ordered all boats moored along the Delaware moved to the Pennsylvania side of the River so the enemy couldn’t cross.

Desperate for a victory, he decided to attempt crossing the Delaware River once again to attack Hessian (mercenary troops from Germany supporting the British) troops at Trenton. He led the troops in an overnight crossing, which took 11 hours for the boats to get all 2,400 troops and their equipment across in the icy conditions. They then had another 8 hour march to Trenton through snow and sleet. They were expecting to be supported by 2 additional brigades, but those were unable to cross the river. Even so, Washington’s troops achieved a resounding victory as well as 2 more within 10 days time, helping to turn the tide and recruit and retain more troops for the long fight.

In addition to the film, there was an exhibit that provided a good overview of the battle as well as the hardships endured by the soldiers, who were actually much more likely to die from disease, infection, or lack of adequate medical attention than from a gunshot.

After going through the exhibit, we walked outside to view the various historical buildings in the park.

Today is our last full day at this housesit. Tomorrow we leave about midday and head immediately to our next housesit in New York.

Before our homeowners left, they provided us with a list of places to visit, restaurants to eat at, etc. Today, Bob and I visited two of the places they recommended. Both were areas with lots of stores, hotels/inns, and restaurants in scenic settings, and we were happy to have visited both when the crowds were minimal.

The first stop was Peddler’s Village, about a 25 minute drive from the house. it is located in Lahaina, Pennsylvania, in Buck’s County (like Newtown). It consists of a number of blocks of 18th century style shops surrounded by brick pathways, pretty landscaping, and offering family entertainment and special events. While we were there, we got to enjoy their American Road Trip themed sand sculptures as well as Bucks Fever Art and Sculpture competition.

We started our visit in the Visitors Center where they were displaying the results of the art competition.

Below are some of the pics I took of the shops and grounds. We enjoyed poking through a few stores, and even made a purchase for our next homeowners, but we enjoyed the sand art most of all.

Because the theme of the sand art exhibit was American Road Trip, there were sculptures representing the different regions of the country, although I think Hawaii was neglected.

After our perusal of Peddler’s Village, we drove about 10 minutes to another small Bucks County town — New Hope— to check out their shopping area that lies between the Delaware River and an old canal and tow path. New Hope lies on the very edge of Pennsylvania, so we walked out onto the bridge across the Delaware River to straddle the state line between Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Bob and I are currently in Newtown, Pennsylvania, caring for the elderly and anxious but adorable Brooklyn. We will be here until about mid-day Thursday when we head to New York to start a 2 month sit. Brooklyn is a pacer. She gets her steps in circling the house, going up and down stairs and out and in the dog door until she feels comfortable with everything or wears herself out. We felt bad for her yesterday because she was asleep when her humans left and except for when we walked her or she was eating, she seemed to be constantly looking for the homeowners.

However, she slept pretty well last night and has even showed a bit of playfulness today when we came back from our short excursion, so hopefully she isn’t too stressed.

The current housesit is in Newtown, Pennsylvania, for which there is both a borough and a township. Not sure which one the house is in. They both are part of the Philadelphia Metropolitan Area and are located in Bucks County. The heritage districts of each abut each other, and we walked a portion of each this morning.

The land for Newtown was purchased by William Penn in 1682. He named the area New Towne, which has become Newtown, and Newtown was the county seat of Bucks County until 1813. The borough incorporated as a borough in 1838, separating from the township.

It was just a 5 minute drive into the heritage area from the house but across some busy streets. We found the self-guided map online, chose our route, and read the historical markers as we found them. While we were walking through the historical district, it was filled with lots of retail, markets, cafes, banks, etc. It is definitely a vibrant area.

We started our walk in Newtown Borough.

Bob and I moved into Newtown Township once we crossed Newtown Creek.

We saw two more historic buildings in the borough after we crossed back over Newtown Creek.