Category Archives: Environment

Ramp Fest Hudson 2015: Gone in a Flash

Posted on May 8, 2015 by upstatedowntown

By Christopher Matthews On one of the most beautiful days of the year upstate (so far), the fifth annual Ramp Fest, a culinary celebration of “the wild onion of myth and mystery”, took place last Saturday (5/2/15) at  Basilica Hudson in Hudson, NY. … Continue reading →

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Cali Vintners Walking the Green Talk

Posted on April 15, 2015 by upstatedowntown

By Christopher Matthews The severe drought in California is making not only headlines, but also for some tough, long-term choices. Perhaps this is only a nasty — and lengthy — cyclical drought, and the rains will return, as they have in the past. But that’s not … Continue reading →

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Biodynamic Syrah, Naturally (from Chateau Maris)

Posted on January 27, 2015 by upstatedowntown

By Christopher Matthews Before going to our friends’ house for a Boxing Day gathering during the holidays, I stopped by Sipperly’s, our local wine shop upstate, for a gift bottle of wine. As I’ve mentioned before, the store’s layout is chaotic, … Continue reading →

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This Spring, Clean Out the Plastics

Posted on March 8, 2013 by upstatedowntown

By Christopher Matthews “Plastics.” One of my all-time favorite movie quotes, the famous “one word” of advice for young Benjamin Braddock in “The Graduate”, has only become more prescient over time — plastic rules our modern daily life, on a scale that … Continue reading →

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Bloom Times in the Hudson Valley

Posted on May 25, 2012 by upstatedowntown

By Christopher Matthews Every year is different, but as springs go, 2012 has been quite the rollercoaster in the Hudson Valley. After virtually no winter, March shattered records for warmth, remained unusually dry and generated historically early blooms — plum trees, … Continue reading →

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Losing My Mac Virginity…

Posted on June 14, 2011 by upstatedowntown

Buying a Mac for the very first time Continue reading →

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Hudson Valley Foraging: Ramps!

Posted on April 25, 2011 by upstatedowntown

By Christopher Matthews Spring has been a halting, chilly affair in the Northeast this year. Come to think of it, this describes most of the recent springs in our part of the world. But despite the Mud Season’s lack of … Continue reading →

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Charms of an Old Farmhouse: Basement Flood!

Posted on March 21, 2011 by upstatedowntown

By Christopher Matthews As soon as I saw my neighbor’s number appear on my office phone on the morning of  March 11, I knew what had happened: water in the basement! While old farmhouses have a romantic ring, and certainly have their … Continue reading →

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A Tale of Two Lawns

Posted on September 6, 2010 by upstatedowntown

By Christopher Matthews Most of the time, from early spring until snow cover, my neighbor’s lawn would easily win a beauty contest with our’s. The reasons are simple: like many Americans, he is passionate about the look of his lawn, and … Continue reading →

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