My summer staycation

“Have you been gardening or something?” asked my chiropractor as she attempted to loosen the butterfly knot that is my right shoulder blade. “Duh, yeah,” I replied loquaciously. What else is there to do on a summer staycation?

That got me thinking, and I compiled a list for you, dear Reader.

1. Weed, weed, weed. This is always number one on my to-do list, but this year the rainforest atmosphere has made it more important than ever. My perennial border is being overtaken by volunteer violets as I write this. I can’t tell a new weed from a six-foot foxglove.

2. Go to the theater! With all the money you’ve saved on airfare and hotels, there is plenty of good (and cheap) theater to see right here. North American Cultural Laboratory (NACL) in Highland Lake, NY, Sullivan County Dramatic Workshop in South Fallsburg, NY, The Ritz Playhouse in Hawley, PA, Forestburgh Playhouse in Forestburgh, NY. The latter has seasoned Equity actors playing alongside tomorrow’s stars, and even offers a post-theater cabaret for late-night noshing. The young company of actors sing and dance for you between waiting tables, just like the old Catskills. I had the best mixed-berry pie there recently.

3. See a concert. This weekend I’m headed for Beaver Brook Rod & Gun Club for the “Good Folk” benefit concert for Angela Page. It doesn’t hurt that my daughter is performing. Callison is the opening act at 11:00 a.m., and the day is packed with folk performers like Joe Crookston.

4. Eagle-watching. If you live in Narrowsburg you don’t even have to get in the car. Young eagles are just fledging from a nest in the Flats. They can be seen from the deck on Main Street, hanging out on the big island in the eddy. Less visible than their parents, who sport bold white head and tail feathers, they are as big or bigger at six weeks and strike the same regal pose we see on our shrinking currency. Oh yes, and the viewing is free!

5. Plant a vegetable garden, employ a chiropractor! You should have already started seedlings in your basement, but if you’re a vacationer you can buy heirloom tomato plants, melons, cukes, peppers and herbs at Silver Heights Farm on Route 52 or at many of the farmers’ markets all over the county and in neighboring Pennsylvania. To avoid the back-breaking labor of tilling our clay-based earth, I chose the back-breaking alternative of hoisting 50-pound bags onto the back deck, filling a sheep-watering trough with about six cubic yards of friable soil and calling it my vegetable garden. Just don’t buy Monsanto seeds! I already have tender lettuces and herbs for the salad bowl. Soon, we will harvest tomatoes and peppers, then melons and beans and finally, a second round of spinach and lettuces. I didn’t have to build a deer fence either, as the deck railing stands more than six feet off the ground, providing a ready-made barrier.

5. Get out and swim! Or bike or hike or paddle or row. A staycation is a great time to start a fitness routine. A daily bike ride has already trimmed some of my winter tummy bulge and I feel stronger too.

6. Write it down! If all this sounds too much like work, how about starting that memoir? The best part of writing is how little equipment you need. A pen and a notebook will set you back less than $4. Then all you need is a comfortable chair, a lap desk if you’re fussy like I am, and some peace and quiet. The library is a perfect place for most writers, although I can’t stand to write in public. Even family members garner withering glares when they intrude on my writing time.

There are so many things to do on a staycation, you’ll wonder why you ever left home. Then you’l look around at all the dirty dishes and un-made beds and you’ll know. Nobody waits on you at home.