U.S.A. Stony Kill Falls and byebye USA!
First of all in this post, we are going to go back in time. No, further back. No, really way way WAY back. Like 480 years. I'm sorry that was a typo, I meant 480 MILLION years. I know it's a while ago, but bear with me. The mountain range is huge, reaching into the sky like the Alps, or the Rockies. It stretches from what will be Newfoundland (many million years later, obviously) all the way down South to what will be Alabama.
At this point, the rocks had already formed, mainly sedimentary rocks formed by sand being laid down over aeons and pressed together harder and harder until it formed rock characterized by horizontal layers (this is also the kind of rock that fossils are mostly found in).
All in all, we spent a memorable 12 months in Wallkill and learnt a lot about U.S.A and indeed about ourselves. And the highlight, as it is in all places, is the great people we had the privilege to meet. Let me introduce you to a few of them...and just let me say right now if you are not among them it's not because we don't love you but more likely because I didn't have a nice picture of you!
Jael and Danny: Jeal invited us to her place and made us 'chai tea'. We didn't tell her its a Kenyan invention and she made it perfectly - with real cardamom and other spices and everything. Anyway, when you are in a foreign country, even being invited over for an evening makes a big difference. Thank you for taking us in!
Jacob and Madison: What to say about you two? Thank you for adopting us into your crew and introducing us to pretty much all the amazing musicians in New York state. We are proud of you both for your need-greating adventure in Central America, and also for standing in the freezing cold posing for this picture haha.
Chris and Daphne: We were pretty sure Daphne was Kenyan from her face..and we went so far as to ask her. She replied sweetly in her Southern drawl, 'No, I'm from Alabama.' And since then we became lifelong friends.
Moriah and Jeff: Not too much you can add to friendships that last 20 years - we love you for all you do for Jehovah in spite of tough circumstances. It was a highlight to see you again and spend an afternoon with you!
Spencer and Ai: our favorite Japanese/Malawian couple. Fancy bumping into you here, thousands of kilometers from our respective homes. It was wonderful to spend a day with you before you hit the Gilead books!
Shirley: You took us in and were kind and welcoming to us even though you yourself are from the other side of the continent. We hope you make it one day to come and need great in Kenya - you will love it.
We had of course met Gianluigi and Carla in their home country of Italy. What a privilege to get the chance to work together (and cook, and eat, and play football together) for our stay there. We hope one day you come and visit us here.
The brother standing with them is a long time Bethelite and he had such a lovely story about how when he came to bethel he told everyone in his home congregation that he was going to work in the printery. When he got to Bethel of course that is the one place he never worked. So now when people ask him what he plans to do in paradise, he says, 'I am not falling for that again!' and refuses to say.
And with that, we say good bye to our home that was for a while, and as a bonus we get to keep all the friends even though we now live on the other side of the planet!
At this point, the rocks had already formed, mainly sedimentary rocks formed by sand being laid down over aeons and pressed together harder and harder until it formed rock characterized by horizontal layers (this is also the kind of rock that fossils are mostly found in).
Then under heat and pressure, this sedimentary rock was fused into harder rocks like slate. Eventually, maybe a bit like the blankets on a bed neatly made ripple and buckle as we move around underneath them, the huge plates that the continents rest on collided, they were pushed upwards to form this fearsome mountain range.
Then as time went on, natural erosion happened. Uncountable seasons of flowing water, freezing water, wind...even massive glaciers covering the whole continent wore down those might mountains until they were....still mighty to be honest, just not as mighty as they used to be.
I may have gotten a bit sidetracked there. But the main point is this: The Stony Kill hike has taken millions of years to craft, and it is spectacular. But not known too well - we passed by the hordes of vehicles parked at the official entrance of the Minnewaska State Park, then drove down a road of many old and abandoned houses. They few houses that were not abandoned looked like they might be the last holdouts of some moonshine manufacturing backwoods types. Then the road abruptly ended. A few cars were parked on the side of the road so we gathered up courage to walk down the trail.
Eventually we came upon a....helicopter pad. And a large area of seemingly innocuous land closed off with barbed wire and alarming looking 'keep out' signs. 'What is this place?' we thought, remembering scenes from movies where places like this turn out to be secret army bases where alien spacecraft are disassembled and their alien technologies analyzed. It turns out that it is nothing so weird, just a shaft to an aqueduct that is part of New York city's water supply. Though it still doesn't explain the helipad..
Past the alien experimental area, past the warning sign about rattlesnakes, and you are into a short but awe-inspiring hike through beautiful forest, up a stream and to a pool area with the stunning Stony Kill waterfall pouring down.
Hike up the steep trail next to the fall and you are rewarded with a view over the falls (where we duly had our lunch), and then another set of waterfalls. Not as high, but just as pretty.
Remember those layers of sedimentary rock laid down by years of silt and clay? You can see them clearly in the picture below.
Why are they called the Appalachian Mountains? In 1528 a Spaniard expedition landed in Florida at a small Native American village called Apalachen. Over the years the name spread until the whole mountain range was named the Appalachians.
Then as time went on, natural erosion happened. Uncountable seasons of flowing water, freezing water, wind...even massive glaciers covering the whole continent wore down those might mountains until they were....still mighty to be honest, just not as mighty as they used to be.
I may have gotten a bit sidetracked there. But the main point is this: The Stony Kill hike has taken millions of years to craft, and it is spectacular. But not known too well - we passed by the hordes of vehicles parked at the official entrance of the Minnewaska State Park, then drove down a road of many old and abandoned houses. They few houses that were not abandoned looked like they might be the last holdouts of some moonshine manufacturing backwoods types. Then the road abruptly ended. A few cars were parked on the side of the road so we gathered up courage to walk down the trail.
Eventually we came upon a....helicopter pad. And a large area of seemingly innocuous land closed off with barbed wire and alarming looking 'keep out' signs. 'What is this place?' we thought, remembering scenes from movies where places like this turn out to be secret army bases where alien spacecraft are disassembled and their alien technologies analyzed. It turns out that it is nothing so weird, just a shaft to an aqueduct that is part of New York city's water supply. Though it still doesn't explain the helipad..
Past the alien experimental area, past the warning sign about rattlesnakes, and you are into a short but awe-inspiring hike through beautiful forest, up a stream and to a pool area with the stunning Stony Kill waterfall pouring down.
Remember those layers of sedimentary rock laid down by years of silt and clay? You can see them clearly in the picture below.
Jael and Danny: Jeal invited us to her place and made us 'chai tea'. We didn't tell her its a Kenyan invention and she made it perfectly - with real cardamom and other spices and everything. Anyway, when you are in a foreign country, even being invited over for an evening makes a big difference. Thank you for taking us in!
Chris and Daphne: We were pretty sure Daphne was Kenyan from her face..and we went so far as to ask her. She replied sweetly in her Southern drawl, 'No, I'm from Alabama.' And since then we became lifelong friends.
Moriah and Jeff: Not too much you can add to friendships that last 20 years - we love you for all you do for Jehovah in spite of tough circumstances. It was a highlight to see you again and spend an afternoon with you!
Spencer and Ai: our favorite Japanese/Malawian couple. Fancy bumping into you here, thousands of kilometers from our respective homes. It was wonderful to spend a day with you before you hit the Gilead books!
Shirley: You took us in and were kind and welcoming to us even though you yourself are from the other side of the continent. We hope you make it one day to come and need great in Kenya - you will love it.
We had of course met Gianluigi and Carla in their home country of Italy. What a privilege to get the chance to work together (and cook, and eat, and play football together) for our stay there. We hope one day you come and visit us here.
The brother standing with them is a long time Bethelite and he had such a lovely story about how when he came to bethel he told everyone in his home congregation that he was going to work in the printery. When he got to Bethel of course that is the one place he never worked. So now when people ask him what he plans to do in paradise, he says, 'I am not falling for that again!' and refuses to say.
And with that, we say good bye to our home that was for a while, and as a bonus we get to keep all the friends even though we now live on the other side of the planet!
