To Bee or Not To Bee
Though bees might be your least favorite part of summertime, there's good reason to keep them around and help them thrive. Hudson Valley Bee Supply in Kingston can not only give you the means to do so, but can guide you through the entire process of becoming an expert beekeeper—a necessity if you hope to enjoy these insects' golden rewards. The bee season starts in January, which is when you can start contacting Megan Denver and her colleagues at the bee supply to set you up with some new striped friends. As spring approaches, you can take classes like Queen Rearing, Starting Right with Bees, and Beekeeping Spring Essentials. which will help ensure you'll be up to your ears in honey by July. In the meantime, try a wax processing class where you can learn how to make your own candles, soap, and more using honey and beeswax. "You know where your ingredients are coming from, you can customize your creations to your own needs and fragrances, and if you have any allergies you could easily accommodate them," says Denver.
(845) 336-6233; Hudsonvalleybeesupply.com.
Soften the Blow
When considering the prospect of a 2,000-degree furnace, a long blow pipe, and the piece of molten glass at the end of it, it might seem as though glassblowing is an art best left to the professionals. However, everyone was once a beginner. Gilmor Glass in Millerton could be your place to start, offering intimate two-hour classes for two to three people at a time. Owner John Gilmor says these workshops usually take place the third week of every month and students can leave with their own handmade glass goods like a tumbler, paperweight, or small vase. "It's unusual, it's not something you're going to get anywhere else and it gives you a greater understanding of how glass is made—it's very challenging," says Gilmor. Though it's certainly an intricate art form, John Gilvey of Hudson Beach Glass in Beacon insists that it's something even a child can tackle. At their Christmas ornament making class in the fall, Gilvey and his colleagues work with kids as young as five or six as well as adults. "I don't know who gets more out of it, the parent or the child. When the parent sees their six-year-old standing in front of a hot furnace, it's thrilling and terrifying," he said. You can book an Intro to Glassblowing class at your own convenience and work one-on-one with an instructor. On August 17 and 18 you can also try out a beadmaking class—for six hours each day students work closely with a small torch to craft elaborate beads. By the middle of the first day Gilvey guarantees you'll get the hang of it, and by the end of the second day you'll leave with a handful of art.
(518) 789-8000; Gilmorglass.com. (845) 440-0068; Hudsonbeachglass.com.
Kicking Back
You might not be looking to earn a black belt or take anyone down to the mat anytime soon, but a boost in self-esteem and self-control never hurt anyone. At Doug Cook's Chosun Taekwondo Academy in Warwick, taekwondo is only a combat sport if you want it to be. "We teach the martial art of taekwondo rather than the sport. We focus on meditation, self defense drills, forms—a solo practice very similar to tai chi that allows the practitioner to move through different motions of self-defense by themselves," he says. By offering a curriculum that focuses on these essential principles, Cook says his academy is more adult-friendly than most. "Most martial arts schools really cater to kids more than anything else. Adults tend to be reluctant because they think it's something for children and don't realize there's an avenue for them," explains Cook. For adults looking to give it a try, Cook offers a $29 no-commitment special, which lets students take unlimited classes for a month. Throughout August, stop in for classes like Hatha yoga, sunrise instruction for all belts, and even sessions in Warwick Town Park on August 11 and 25.
(845) 986-2288; Chosuntkd.com.
