Film Diary: A Winter Weekend in Upstate New York
I’m sitting down to write this on the afternoon of the Spring Equinox. Despite it being a cold, rainy day that forced me to return the thermostat to its heat setting, a new season is here. Fat-bellied robins sprinkle the ground and add life to naked branches. Sunny daffodils and purple perennials bloom amidst the morning frost. Sidewalks and cafes are ripe with people—all emerging from hibernation.
Before bidding a final farewell to this year’s winter, I don’t want to forget to share my film scans from a cozy, snow-covered weekend spent in Upstate New York this past December.
About 30 minutes southeast of Watkins Glen and 30 minutes southwest of Ithaca is the town of Erin, New York. Otherwise ordinary and unassuming, Erin is home to a small, lovingly-renovated shipping container that sits on the wooded hillside of a secluded plot of farmland.
Formerly known as Fun Acres, the 400-some acres of land was originally a commune started by a group of idealist Cornell grads in the 70s. In its heyday, Fun Acres was a haven for nonconformists who spent their days painting, hiking, naked gardening, and generally sticking it to The Man. Over time, the commune morphed into a co-op, and eventually—after most members moved away for love, work, or new adventures—a privately-owned property by the last remaining co-op member (at least by geographical means), Barbara.
After serendipitously obtaining a 40ft shipping container that had been totaled in a trucking accident, Barb saw an opportunity. Part passion project, part income stream, part gift from the universe, the refrigerated reefer was already insulated, free to a good home, and just the thing that could help Barb pay the property taxes on her newly-acquired 400+ acres—so she spent the summer transforming it into a guest house.
Cozy, centrally located, and dog-friendly, it made for the perfect winter getaway for Alex, Kylo, and me to recharge before the Christmas holiday.
We arrived in the evening with fresh snowfall, and spent the weekend cooking, hiking, napping, and repeating.
We drove up to Watkins Glen and Ithaca. We collected views of the waterfalls and explored the hiking trails. We ate turkey sandwiches in the car and watched Christmas movies in bed. We drank wine and played card games. We enjoyed the slow passing of time.
There was just enough to do—and just enough not to do—to make for a restful, relaxing way to end the year.
