Julio’s Musings Around Columbia County, New York

Late Wednesday October 1st, 2008 ,after a long day of packing and working, working and packing and turning over the Reston condo , I pointed the car north and headed back to the Big Apple. Of course, owing to tradition, I first had to pick up a Grande Starbucks, listen to the idle chatter of the barrister one last time about the weather or something inane, have my Starbucks card swiped and take the walk back out to the car.

An experiment of 4 and a half years living and working in Northern Virginia was closing. The experiment was a success as I survived to make it back home to New York City. Actually Northern Virginia is quite a civilized place and I had the privilege of working at one of the top internet companies on the globe and now will do the same but out of the newly situated headquarters in Gotham.
The trip down to Northern Virginia way back in 2004 during a 4th of July holiday was done during the wee hours of the morning but with the holiday hordes creating traffic jams at midnight on the New Jersey turnpike. The return was similarly during the wee hours but during a recession, $4 gas and mostly trucks and myself with a few deer sprinkled in the Catskills area.

Tags: Julio Hernandez-Miyares, New York City

A beautiful early fall weekend in Northern Virgina , Reston to be exact. A stroll along the perimeter of Lake Anne over to the Old Towne Center for a dinner of Tappas , then Macaroni Grill and a little Big Bowl with the Parents who were visiting for a wedding in Washington, DC over the weekend.
Reston Town Center, both New and Old are about all that makes Northern Virginia enticing to me.
Guess I am too much of a New Yorker. Well, at the same time as I was taking the parents around I was also boxing up the accumulations of 4 years in Northern Virginia as I ready for a move north back to the Big Apple. The pendulum has swung decidedly to New York City for the company I work for and I become another one that takes I-95 North approximately 265 miles to the Empire State Building without looking back.
Back to the land of subways and taxis and restaurants that just start hopping at 9pm instead of making last call from the kitchen. Back to a place where the car behind you honks before the light turns green just to make sure you are awake and ready to bolt the moment it does. Back to the land where asking for a coffee doesn’t result in a conversation about life (except at Starbucks that are all the same regardless except in China since I couldn’t speak Chinese).

Looking forward to watch the skyscrapers at the original World Trade Center start rising including 1 World Trade Center which just recently got above street level on its trek to 1,776 feet high.

It’s going to be good to be back.

Tags: Julio Hernandez-Miyares

Well, Key Biscayne Florida came and went, the suspense around Obama’s Vice Presidential selection is over and the last of the big 3 Summer long weekends is just around the corner and the first year of crop harvest at the Miyares Farm is coming to an end as we now move headlong into the long dark cold days of winter. Winter is long in Columbia County, New York
Overall life is good and moves along.

Tags: Julio Hernandez-Miyares

How to deal with the high and rising cost of food? Well here at the Miyares Farm already starting to eat what we sow! Arugula, Spinach, Tomatoes , Corn, Blueberries and more.
This year only planted a small patch but expect to increase to an acre or more by 2009. The plans also call for a hen house for fresh eggs.
The photo was taken early in the day , June 14th 2008 to be exact to the day. The land looked parched and it was but had a deluge late in the afternoon which brought much needed relief for what has been a dry late spring.
Rasputin, the guard dog at the Miyares Farm poses defiantly for the camera in the photo to the left next to a row of Tomato plantings.

Tags: Miyares Farm, Julio Hernandez-Miyares, Columbia County

New Yorkers enjoying a beautiful Spring day in late May 2008 on the Great Lawn in Central Park. Dropped a pretty penny at Tavern on the Green. Took the extended family for brunch and since I guess I look like the rich one in the group, was handed the check no questions asked.

Tags: Central Park, New York City, Julio Hernandez-Miyares

Storm clouds forming in the distance on the way to a dive in the Florida Keys. This has become one of my favorite photos. I am sure it has much esthetic value which I will need someone more conversant with language to describe. A poet perhaps.

Back at the ranch, (this was taken during vacation) , perhaps the analogy is to the brewing storm where I currently work. The annual preparation for wackings are producing the budding rumour mill and angst they usually do at this time of year. Not angst on my part; I sleep like a baby; but in others that worry about such things.

Tags: Key Biscayne, Julio Hernandez-Miyares

Ah, a distant memory as I write this entry from hip Northern Virginia. Mind you, I don’t miss the abysmal driving, constant anti-Castro rhetoric, profusion of Hummers (haven’t these folks heard or give a damn of global warming?). Makes you almost wish for a Category 6 hurricane to wash away all of the human made excesses.

Nevertheless, how can you argue with the tropical weather , the beautiful beaches, the numerous diving opportunities , the Cuban food (check out my Yelp Reviews on that)
As I plan my upcoming business trips to London England, Dublin Ireland and China , I will long for just one more moment on the sand, Till next time, I will have nothing more then these photos.

Tags: Julio Hernandez-Miyares, Key Biscayne

A sliver of the Downtown Miami, Florida skyline. Pay particular attention to the cranes. This skyline has risen like summer weeds. Last year when I was here, many of the building were just cleared sites. No doubt has taken on a boom/bust cycle where we are currently in the bust portion. Many of the units in these still un-finished buildings (predominantly condos) had folks putting down a deposit with no intention other then a quick profit by flipping it in anticipation of constantly increasing prices. Now that prices are on a downward slope, these “flippers” either ante up a full purchase price or walk away and lose whatever deposit they may have made.

Tomorrow I return to another boom town but without the Bust - New York City.

Tags: Julio Hernandez-Miyares, Key Biscayne

Oh, what a view! Looking towards Downtown Miami from the beach in Key Biscayne.
Of course, no view of Hummers and other overly large SUVs in this photo.
Florida, and Miami in particular haven’t yet gotten the memo of $3+ gas prices and Global warming. Too busy dealing with foreclosures and the
effects of the housing bust which is very pronounced in Florida and in Miami where speculation on new condo construction became a sport.

Tags: Key Biscayne, Julio Hernandez-Miyares

Resting after a hard day of working the farm, 93 year old “Apita” relaxes
at Web 2.0 fields at the Miyares Farm.
A farmer in her native land of Cuba, Apita is right at home in the rustic setting of Columbia County, New York. One of the factors in her longevity is clearly staying active including at her ripe age.

Tags: Miyares Farm, Apita, Julio Hernandez-Miyares