Ep 268: Finding Our Way Again Along the Paulins Kill
Sat, Sep 12, 2026 8:40 PM • 11:34
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
Nature, Woods, Trail, Wildflowers, Ferns, History, Railroad, River, Dam, Restoration, Landscape, Memories, Resilience, Transitions, Life
SPEAKERS
Mary Stone
Mary Stone 00:00
Hello, fellow lovers of all things green. I'm Mary Stone, and welcome to Garden Dilemmas, Delights, and Discoveries. It's not only about gardens; it's about nature's inspirations, about grasping the glories of the world around us, gathering what we learn from Mother Nature, and carrying these lessons into our garden of life. So let's jump in in the spirit of learning from each other, we have lots to talk about.
Mary Stone 00:26
Hello there, it's Mary Stone on this screen porch, and I'm giggling already because there's no break between the nighttime singers and the daytime singers. So once again, we are going to have the cicadas singing in the trees. I don't know if you hear them, and we have some construction nearby, so we will have to deal with it, as we have to deal with all the things in life that can intrude upon our peace and serenity. But it's up to us to allow that serenity to live within.
Mary Stone 00:54
I want to thank those that reach back after our last chat about a not-so-peachy gel dilemma. Indeed, while we can't prevent every loss, we can remember that there will always be other peaches, other seasons, and other sweetness still to come, which is a perfect parley to this episode today. I'd like to share with you, and it starts like this: Hello, fellow lovers of all things green. After an unsettling morning recently, I decided to soothe my soul with a walk in the woods. Jolie and I headed to the Pollenskill Valley Trail, parking at the lot by Footbridge Park, to walk our often-traveled three-mile route to Blairstown Airport and back. But barricades greeted us with Park Service signs: the area was closed. There was easy access beyond the barrier, and I considered investigating, but honored the announcement.
Mary Stone 01:50
So, leaving the truck parked, we walked beyond the footbridge park to the trail entrance in the opposite direction. So you could say I didn't choose another route; I was guided there. And as it turned out, the path brought treasures, memories, and reflections that help my heart. I always enjoy the life of the woods and the beautiful combinations of plants Mother Nature puts in place. There's something about walking amongst trees that draws my attention away from the noise in my head, and towards the beauty around me.
Mary Stone 02:23
White wood asters are beginning their late-summer show. Their small white flowers hovering above dark green foliage and mingling with colonies of Christmas fern and lady fern. Have you noticed how many woodland wildflowers bloom white? Their flowers are especially luminous in the subdued light beneath the tree canopy, where they lure a host of late-season pollinators, and white glows at dusk and dawn, as I mentioned before. Yes, there was Japanese stilt grass here and there among them, and I felt the urge to weed it out. But had I started, I might still be there.
Mary Stone 03:01
Jolee remembered the trail, even though we hadn't traveled this direction together in a long while. She knew the little paths leading down to the pollen skill and headed towards the water for a dip. It's funny how dogs remember these things. I kept her on a retractable leash rather than allowing her usual explorations, mostly in pursuit of chipmunks. I wasn't up for the stress of her gallivanting that day, and she didn't seem to mind. On the return trip, we made our way down a rocky slope to a small pool someone had fashioned with stones in a nook along the water's edge. The water was fresh and clear, and Jolie happily stepped in. I considered dipping my feet too, but that day wasn't quite warm enough.
Mary Stone 03:48
Back on the trail, the old railroad cinders turned Jolie's sweat pads black-a trace of another time next to the wildflowers and ferns of today. The Pollenskill Valley Trail follows the former New York Susquehanna and Western Railway, which once carried passengers, coal, produce, and dairy products through the valley. Pieces of its history linger beneath our feet and alongside the trail. And I came upon one of them, an old concrete milepost marked J.C. 81, signifying 81 miles to Jersey City, the railroad's eastern terminus. But in that moment, I saw something else. J.C. brought Jesus Christ to mind, and the eight turned sideways became the symbol for infinity. The one stood alone beside it. I smiled. Sometimes we see what we need to see.
Mary Stone 04:48
My heart lifted. Sadly, further along on our return, I noticed another old mile marker tossed off to the side, perhaps displaced when the trail was widened. Or work was done there. Seeing pieces of history cast aside always makes me a little sad. History tells us where we've been, even when the landscape moves forward. I think there is value in remembering what came before. And there was a great deal to remember along that particular stretch of trail. The nearly 130-year-old Paulina Dam near East Crisman Road was removed in 2024, allowing the Pollins Kill to return to its natural, free-flowing state.
Mary Stone 05:34
I remember this landscape before the dam came down; the Pollins Kill spread wide behind it, creating a broad, lake-like expanse of water, and houses sat high above the river, enjoying magnificent water views. I loved watching turtles sun themselves on logs and rocks below. The dam itself had a presence. I remember the tremendous sound of water spilling over it and the misty spray that felt wonderful on a hot summer day. I walked that trail during different chapters in my life. One of my tenderest memories is coming here with Ellie when she was quite sick. She couldn't walk very far, so Kurt and I sat at a viewpoint with her. It was one of those precious times between us, tender and kind and loving, as we shared our love and concern for our girl. It was one of our last walks here with Ellie.
Mary Stone 06:32
Years later, Jolee learned some of those same little trails to the water. So interesting, isn't it, when we look back at transitions in our lives and realize we couldn't yet see the signs of the path ahead. I had also walked that section with Kurt after the dam was removed, before nature began reclaiming much of the newly exposed land. The landscape looked raw then. Now it's changing again; protective tubes surround newly planted trees, and vegetation is filling areas that, for generations, were underwater. The river itself looked dramatically different. Where there had been a wide expanse of water, the Pollens Kill is narrow again, twisting and turning as it's meant to be.
Mary Stone 07:21
Below one of the houses, a paddle boat rested off to the side, a castaway from the landscape that used to be there. I wondered about the people living in those houses. Their broad river views had changed dramatically. Were they sad? Did they miss the water as it had been?
Mary Stone 07:40
I know the dam's removal was intended to restore the natural flow of the Pualins Kill and reconnect habitat, and I remember hearing about efforts to protect and relocate wildlife during the restoration. Still, I couldn't help thinking about the turtles I used to watch sunning themselves on those logs and rocks. Where do they sun themselves now? Of course, nature adapts. Wildlife finds new places. Plants recolonize newly exposed soil. Rivers reshape their banks. But for the moment, it felt almost ghost-like, with the paddle boat with no broad water to paddle upon, the houses overlooking a view entirely different from the one their owners had known. There were young trees beginning where water once stood, and there were my own memories layered over the landscape: Ellie, Jolie, Curt, and me, different walks, different times, different versions of our lives.
Mary Stone 08:47
There can be sadness in watching something familiar disappear, even when we understand that what is happening may ultimately be restorative. Yet beneath the sense of loss, I could feel something else-the breath of the river returned to its natural state. The Paulins Kill is finding its way again, which brings me back to those barricades at Footbridge Park.
Mary Stone 09:12
I hadn't intended to walk this way at all. I intended to take the familiar path, the one I knew, the route I had planned. Instead, that path was closed, and I was guided in another direction. It's so interesting when we look back at transitions in our lives and realize we couldn't see the path ahead of us. We aren't meant to. Sometimes the familiar path is closed, and all we can do is turn in another direction and keep walking. And as Jolee and I continued along the Pollenskill Valley Trail, I thought of the river beside us finding its way again. Perhaps I'm finding my way too. Garden dilemmas? Ask MaryStone.com. In the garden of life.
Mary Stone 10:01
I can't thank you enough for coming along with me on the walk in the woods and for the many weeks we've spent on the screen porch, sharing different parts of life. I know this has been a hard time for me as I go through this difficult transition in my life. I imagine many of you are going through your own difficult transitions, and I believe we are here to help each other through them, to love each other, to draw wisdom from nature in our gardens, and to watch the resilience and restoration underway. And the history of the past that we cannot forget, because it matters, and we learn from it, and wounds heal, and growth begins again. So I look forward to the next time on the screen porch. Maybe these cicadas will stop singing. Nothing against you, little guys. It's just part of the season we're living in. Until next time, have a beautiful day.
Mary Stone 11:04
You can follow Garden Dilemmas on Facebook or online at gardendilemmas.com, and on Instagram at hashtag MaryElaine Stone. Garden Dilemmas: Delights and Discoveries is produced by Alex Bartling. Thanks for coming by. I look forward to chatting again from my screen porch, and always remember to embrace the unexpected in this garden of life. Have a great day.
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