Another Pleasant Valley Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday.....

Nobody who's ever ventured north of NY City or Westchester County would ever imagine this! Only 70 miles away from the Big Apple is a beautiful and peaceful landscape. Manhattanites who come up here for a weekend drive usually fall in love with the Upstate NY countryside. Often I've heard it said - "I feel like I've died and gone to heaven". No wonder one Hudson Valley town was named Pleasant Valley!

Many stay long enough to check out the local real estate market - and eventually they become residents who commute to work in The City. The smart thing, for those who have jobs that are conducive enough is to figure out a way to telecommute. Some people transition to a 4 day work week. until they can eventually retire here. One of these people is novelist and New York Times bestselling author Michael Korda (former editor-in-chief for Simon and Schuster) - he and his wife gave up city life about 25 years ago and moved to Pleasant Valley. http://www.answers.com/topic/michael-korda

Korda writes about his experiences of becoming a country folk in his book titled: Country Matters - The Pleasures and Tribulations of Moving from a Big City to an Old Country Farmhouse. Entertaining, canny, and moving, Country Matters does for Dutchess County, New York, what Under the Tuscan Sun did for Tuscany. With his inimitable sense of humor and storytelling talent, New York Times bestselling author Michael Korda brings us this charming, hilarious, self-deprecating memoir of a city couple's new life in the country.

Although I have never met Michael Korda personally, after reading his book I feel like I know him.

I'm sure our paths have even probably crossed many times because we share the same Pleasant Valley zip-code. Maybe I've bumped into him at the Pleasant Valley post office, The A&P, or our local Dunkin Donuts!

I also moved here from a bigger city where traffic jams were the norm and smog alerts were reported daily. I fell in love with the Hudson Valley for probably the same reasons Michael Korda did. Fall is one of the obvious times to appreciate the Hudson Valley. As I drove to my office today, I was 1 1/2 miles from my Pleasant Valley home (just about 2 miles to the Town of Poughkeepsie border) when it occurred to me that I should stop and take some photos. I felt the need to share! This is what I see on my daily drives - and this is what others see when they come here and fall in love!