Arts and Crafts Come to Orange County

Summertime brings out the creativity in all of us. We plant and design gardens. We do home improvements to make our houses more appealing. And some of us become the artist that dwells deep in our very being.

Every summer, local artists display their talents and sometimes even share their skills during the Warwick Studio Tour. Artist’s studios are open around the Warwick and Florida areas and can accommodate visitors during regularly scheduled days.

For instance, Amity Arts Pottery in Florida, NY is a great mix of pottery and people.
It's run by Judy Duboff who teaches pottery for people of all ages. There is also a retail store for those who would rather just admire her wares.

In Warwick, there is a plethera of galleries and classes. Daniel Mack Rustic Furnishings Studio is in a 1906 carriage house filled with beautiful and exotic natural materials that Dan uses to make furniture, architectural elements, and sculptural objects.

Warwick Pottery Studio, run by Marilyn Dale displays creative and expertly made clay art for your home. There are beautiful pottery, dishes, mugs and bowls that will compliment your dining experience, as well as tiles, vases, sinks, and backsplashes.
Marilyn conducts classes mid week second Sunday studio tour most months.

Now schedules can change and it’s best to call before you go to confirm that a studio is open. You can get more info on the website, www.warwickstudiostour.info.

Bill and I have been busy being creative ourselves with the addition and the landscaping around the Inn. Sort of doing our creative part in beautifying Warwick. So don't forget to stop and see us when you are visiting the area.

See you all soon and keep cool this August.

Blossoms on the Menu?

Happy belated Independence Day to you all. Hope your weekend was wonderful. Bill and I had a great weekend. My son, Zack graduated last weekend and we had a small family party to celebrate. And we are also celebrating a visit from my mom from Florida who hasn't been up to New York in 7 years.

In the past few posts I have been bragging about our vegetable garden as well as our new Serenity Rose garden. Well, I am happy to report that the rose garden has a multitude of buds and we are expecting a floral explosion within the next week.
The veggie garden has been showing signs of all kinds of produce. Our tomato plants are bursting with fruit and our peppers are getting huge. What a great omelet that is going to make. Our lettuce is sweet and tender. But our pride and joy are our zucchini and squash plants. The plants produce two kinds of blossoms before they bear fruit. The female blossom produces the squash and zucchini and those should not be disturbed. But the male blossoms produce a large orange/yellow blossom that is most definitely edible and very delicious. Bill takes the blossoms and after cleaning them thoroughly, he dips them in a tempura batter and fries them. We serve them at breakfast with maple syrup and the guests love them. They can also be served as an appetizer with a honey mustard or mango sauce. Yummmmmmmmy.

The garden, however, does come with its share of headaches. We thought at first that we would just be battling weeds. We didn't realize how hard it would be to keep the critters like rabbits and groundhogs away from our labors. We have tried everything. We have a 6 ft. fence around the whole perimeter with chicken wire at the base. But we have a ground hog that is intent on digging his way in from under the adjoining shed. If you have any ideas, please share them with us.

Well, summer is in full swing and vacation time is here. Warwick and the surrounding Orange County have lots to offer in the way of sightseeing, wine tasting, great restaurants and history, history and more history. So if you have a mind to be up in this area, come see us at the Inn at Stony Creek. We would love to see you.

Bye until next time