Portrait of Annetje Kool 1740

Portrait of Annetje Kool, attributed to Peter Vanderlyn (1687 - 1778)
Ulster County N.Y. Circa 1740
Oil on Canvas 30-5/8 x 25-1/4 inches, with original painted frame
Jane Katcher Collection of Americana

We believe that this house was built by Cornelis Kool, and this painting may be his granddaughter Annetje Kool who married Mathew Newkirk in the Dutch Reformed Church of Kingston, NY, in 1740. Her wedding ring is prominent on her left hand and in her right hand she holds a silver box marked "A.K."
See more here: http://www.afanews.com/articles/item/737-inspired-traditions-selections-from-the-jane-katcher-collection-of-americana#.Uyy6SlJOVaQ

Birding at The Stone House

       Male Wood Duck, photo Wikimedia Commons

Today one of our visitors spotted two male Wood Ducks on the Esopus Creek in our backyard. These very beautiful ducks are amongst the most colorful in North America. We were reminded what a great spot this is for birding. Three smaller streams come together into one great pool and this place on the creek has a special, rather magical quality, surrounded by woods, adjacent to the Hurley Flats and with the foothills of the Catskill Mountains in the distance. We heard our Pileated Woodpecker moving around all day, jackhammering the older trees. Sometimes guests have reported seeing or hearing up to 20 species of birds here at one time. We've even seen Bald Eagles cruising down the Esopus. Here are some great birding sites nearby listed by the John Burroughs Natural History Society http://www.jbnhs.org/birding-in-the-hudson-valley.html .