The podcast is still on a bit of a hiatus while I produce "Little Pod" (a limited series with Olivia Muenter).

I'll be back with new episodes here soon, but in the meantime, I'm re-sharing this episode about Pinkster Festival – a Black cultural celebration with Dutch colonial roots – which was revived for the first time in more than 200 years last year.

Pinkster began as a Dutch Christian holiday but evolved into a vital gathering for enslaved and free Black New Yorkers in the 18th and 19th centuries. This episode follows the festival’s modern-day return, in partnership with the African American Archive of Columbia County and local organizations working to reconnect descendants, reanimate memory, and reclaim a once-forgotten holiday.

You’ll hear from festival organizers, historians, community members, and King Charley, as they honor ancestors through the libations ceremony and explore the unique shape of slavery in the Northeast.

We also reflect on what it means to hold this celebration just steps from the historic Persons of Color Cemetery, and how genealogy and place are being used to build one of the largest known Black family trees in New York State.

If you found this episode interesting, text it to someone who might like to hear it! Word of mouth really helps this show grow.

And if you'd like to hear my earlier episode with the Archive where we visited the Jan Van Hoesen-Charles Marriott House, you can find that here.

To learn more about the African American Archive of Columbia County, visit them at: https://www.afamarchivecc.org

You can hear "Little Pod" wherever you find podcasts.

Support the show

"The Jiffy Audio Newsletter Podcast" is an audio documentary zine – the official podcast of The Jiffy – exploring the odd histories, cozy mysteries, and surprising characters of upstate New York. Each episode is an adventure, and new episodes drop every other week.

Subscribe, share, and take the scenic route with us.

Follow James on Instagram: @jamescave

Subscribe to the newsletter here.

Mother Ann Lee is one of the most consequential (and least understood) figures in early American religious history.

In just ten years in the colonies, during the chaos of the American Revolution, she helped give rise to a movement that would shape communal life, labor, design, music, and belief across America (and even Europe) for generations.This episode of The Jiffy traces Ann Lee's life from industrial Manchester to upstate New York, from persecution and imprisonment to the founding of the Shakers' first American settlement near Albany and across New England.

With guidance from Kathleen Lynch, curator and director of collections at Hancock Shaker Village, we examine what can be known about Mother Ann, and what survives only as testimony, memory, myth, and legend.As renewed attention turns toward Ann's life, this episode offers the long view that intends to place her where she belongs: not as an abstraction or aesthetic, but as a human being whose convictions helped shape a country still defining itself.

By the way, Kathleen took me on a tour of the 1830 Brick Dwelling in 2024 for my series, "This Old Vibe," and showed me the Shaker concept of borrowed light. You can watch that video here.

You can visit Hancock Shaker Village at: https://hancockshakervillage.org

Here's more info on "Ann the Word: the Story of Ann Lee, Female Messiah, Mother of the Shakers, the Woman Clothed with the Sun," by Richard Francis

This is part of my series throughout 2026 looking at how New York looks at itself during the Semiquincentennial: The Jiffty250. 

Support the show

"The Jiffy Audio Newsletter Podcast" is an audio documentary zine – the official podcast of The Jiffy – exploring the odd histories, cozy mysteries, and surprising characters of upstate New York. Each episode is an adventure, and new episodes drop every other week.

Subscribe, share, and take the scenic route with us.

Follow James on Instagram: @jamescave

Subscribe to the newsletter here.

In the first episode of the New Year, we get as close to the concept of time as possible: by climbing into Chatham’s 1872 clock tower with village timekeeper Stephen Piazza.

Here are some things we learned:

• It's very steep to the top and hard to do with a microphone and really large headphones.

• Don't touch the pendulum.

• Why heat and cold change a pendulum’s pace

• How gravity pulls on the gear train differently from 12 to 6

• And why a tiny turn smaller than a 64th of an inch can mean minutes gained or lost. 

• We talk through the choreography of daylight saving, from stopping the clock to avoid “fall back” confusion to advancing the hands ever so gently in spring so the village sees the new time without phantom bells throwing everything into disarray.

• We also made it into the Village Timekeeper's Logbook for all of time to see!

Here's more on "Selling the True Time," by Ian R. Bartky

Here's more on the Chatham Clock Tower from the Chatham Village Historical Society

Here's my previous "Guide To The Many Chathams" episode

Support the show

"The Jiffy Audio Newsletter Podcast" is an audio documentary zine – the official podcast of The Jiffy – exploring the odd histories, cozy mysteries, and surprising characters of upstate New York. Each episode is an adventure, and new episodes drop every other week.

Subscribe, share, and take the scenic route with us.

Follow James on Instagram: @jamescave

Subscribe to the newsletter here.

Dylan Tupper Rupert joins the show today in my first-ever feed drop to take us on a ride-along with her podcast "Music Person!"

It's the first part in a three-part series for her show, dedicated to mapping out how the Hudson Valley’s history, density, and seasons shape a vibrant indie music scene today. In part 1, which we feature here, Dylan visits Hannah Cohen, Sam Evian, Flying Cloud Studios, and Big Pink (and Jenn Pelly and Olivia Bee make some cameos).

Go check out Dylan's full series here: https://www.talkhouse.com/artist/music-person

Listen ad-free and support her show here: https://www.patreon.com/cw/musicperson

And follow Dylan on Instagram here! @yaydylan

Support the show

"The Jiffy Audio Newsletter Podcast" is an audio documentary zine – the official podcast of The Jiffy – exploring the odd histories, cozy mysteries, and surprising characters of upstate New York. Each episode is an adventure, and new episodes drop every other week.

Subscribe, share, and take the scenic route with us.

Follow James on Instagram: @jamescave

Subscribe to the newsletter here.

While on a holiday break in December, I'm sharing this special episode featuring local news and gossip from the Rhinebeck Gazette of the 1800s, available through the Hudson River Valley Heritage Historical Newspapers Archive.I'll be back to normal programming soon. In the meantime, be sure to stock up on your boots, shoes, and rubbers!

These news items are from the following issues:

• Rhinebeck Gazette: Dec. 1, 1857

• Rhinebeck Gazette, Dec. 8, 1857

• Rhinebeck Gazette, Dec. 22, 1857

• Rhinebeck Gazette, Dec. 21, 1858

• Rhinebeck Gazette, Dec. 27, 1859

• Rhinebeck Gazette: Dec. 5, 1865

To support my end of year fund drive and keep The Jiffy going into 2026, you can become a sustaining member, or (and??) make a one-time donation here:

• Become a sustaining member here

• Donate here

Support the show

"The Jiffy Audio Newsletter Podcast" is an audio documentary zine – the official podcast of The Jiffy – exploring the odd histories, cozy mysteries, and surprising characters of upstate New York. Each episode is a small adventure, told with curiosity, humor, and the occasional text message from a stranger.

New episodes drop every other week. Subscribe, share, and take the scenic route with us.

Support the show

"The Jiffy Audio Newsletter Podcast" is an audio documentary zine – the official podcast of The Jiffy – exploring the odd histories, cozy mysteries, and surprising characters of upstate New York. Each episode is an adventure, and new episodes drop every other week.

Subscribe, share, and take the scenic route with us.

Follow James on Instagram: @jamescave

Subscribe to the newsletter here.

What is the job of a County Clerk? In Ulster County, it can mean managing DMV processes, preserving 300-year-old land records, and keeping the legal paper trail of everyday life in order. But earlier this year, that job landed one local official, Taylor Bruck, inside a national constitutional standoff.Only a few months into his role as Acting County Clerk, Taylor received something unusual: a legal judgment from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, asking him to accept and process it in New York. The judgment involved a New York doctor, telemedicine, abortion medication, and a question that reaches beyond healthcare: Can one state make another enforce its laws?In this episode, I visit Taylor in his Kingston office to talk about how a routine administrative role quickly became a test case for New York’s brand-new shield law. We talk about constitutional boundaries, state identity, what it means to uphold local law in a national dispute, and how it felt to go from archivist to defendant in a case that could one day reach the Supreme Court.

Support the show

"The Jiffy Audio Newsletter Podcast" is an audio documentary zine – the official podcast of The Jiffy – exploring the odd histories, cozy mysteries, and surprising characters of upstate New York. Each episode is an adventure, and new episodes drop every other week.

Subscribe, share, and take the scenic route with us.

Follow James on Instagram: @jamescave

Subscribe to the newsletter here.

Sometimes things get too stressful here at The Jiffy, a podcast about upstate New York that really takes you places.

And when this happens, I lace up my hiking boots and guide you on a restful Sleep Hike, where I do the hiking, while you do the sleeping.

I've been told that my methods could use some training, so in this episode we visit Anna Yang and Alex Artymiak, the co-founders of Empty Space.

Empty Space is a sound studio in Old Chatham, New York, with ancient singing bowls, gongs, sansulas, harps, and more, and in this episode, we learn how we can perhaps tune out the noise by listening to the sounds within.

You can find Anna and Alex at @emptyspace.sound.

Some previous Sleep Hike episodes:

The Jiffy Takes A Sleep Hike

A Sleep Hike Through Mud Creek

Support the show

"The Jiffy Audio Newsletter Podcast" is an audio documentary zine – the official podcast of The Jiffy – exploring the odd histories, cozy mysteries, and surprising characters of upstate New York. Each episode is an adventure, and new episodes drop every other week.

Subscribe, share, and take the scenic route with us.

Follow James on Instagram: @jamescave

Subscribe to the newsletter here.

It’s a brisk October afternoon in Kingston, New York, for the final game of the Vintage Base Ball 2025 season between the Kingston Guards and the Ulster Nine.

We're at Herzog Field, beside the Catskill Mountain Railroad Station and the  Hannaford parking lot, to watch two teams play baseball by 1864 rules.

From “ballists” and “muffins” to hand-caught fly balls and gentlemanly arbitration, this episode dives into the language, spirit, and spectacle of vintage base ball culture.

We hear from:

• Dan Torres, co-founder of the Kingston Guards

• Jon Palmer, team historian and player

• Brady, youngest ballist

• Holley Boncek, vintage baseball umpire

• Max, musician and Kingston Guard

• Brock, and additional members of the Ulster Nine and Kingston Guards

We get to know about:

• The rebirth of 19th-century baseball in the Hudson Valley

• 1864 rule differences: no gloves, fair/foul quirks, gentleman’s umpiring

• The community appeal of vintage sports

Music played:

"Take Me Out to the Ball Game" (1908) — Edward Meeker, Edison Records Digitized by the Internet Archive. Public Domain (U.S.).

Links & References:

• Kingston Guards — kingstonguards.com

• Instagram: @kingstonguardsbaseball + @ulsterninebaseball1864

• Vintage Base Ball Association: vbba.org

• Rules of Base Ball (1864 edition) — Library of Congress archive

• Jon Palmer’s photography: @joninthewoods

The Kingston Guards are a nonprofit organization. Donations help fund their community outreach, education programs, and historical research. Visit their website to join, volunteer, or contribute.

Conan Plays Old Timey Baseball

Inside Conan: Kevin Dorff Revisits Old Timey Baseball

Support the show

"The Jiffy Audio Newsletter Podcast" is an audio documentary zine – the official podcast of The Jiffy – exploring the odd histories, cozy mysteries, and surprising characters of upstate New York. Each episode is an adventure, and new episodes drop every other week.

Subscribe, share, and take the scenic route with us.

Follow James on Instagram: @jamescave

Subscribe to the newsletter here.

It’s peak leaf peeping season, and I'm bringing this episode to you from The Leaf Watch Desk deep in the Woods of the James Cave Instagram Feed. This year’s official Leaf Watch Leaf, as voted by listeners, is the Northern Red Oak, and it’s putting on quite a show.

In this episode, I hike the Windham Path in the Great Northern Catskills with Francis X. Driscoll, a 12-year veteran “leaf spotter” for I LOVE NY’s Fall Foliage Report.

Together, we talk about how New York’s iconic fall color forecasts are made, what it takes to predict “peak,” and how one storm – or one weekend – can change everything.

Follow the journey of this year’s fall foliage and see real-time updates on The Jiffy’s Leaf Watch Cam as the season moves toward its final hues.

Support the show

"The Jiffy Audio Newsletter Podcast" is an audio documentary zine – the official podcast of The Jiffy – exploring the odd histories, cozy mysteries, and surprising characters of upstate New York. Each episode is an adventure, and new episodes drop every other week.

Subscribe, share, and take the scenic route with us.

Follow James on Instagram: @jamescave

Subscribe to the newsletter here.

What does it mean to belong to a place? Standing in the famous gazebo at the intersection of multiple boundaries – the village of Chatham, the town of Chatham, and perhaps even the town of Ghent – this question feels especially important.

This rural upstate New York community actually comprises numerous Chathams: Old Chatham, North Chatham, East Chatham, Chatham Center, and the village itself. And, of course, Malden Bridge.Through conversations with lifelong residents and relative newcomers, we get to know the layers of identity that define this rural community: Melissa Davis, who recently opened a boutique on Main Street with Sherri Marton (Marton & Davis), lovingly compares the village to Stars Hollow from Gilmore Girls, complete with quirky characters and a strong sense of community.

Meanwhile, Jeanne Veillette Bowerman, who manages an antique shop in the oldest building in the village (reportedly inhabited by 19th-century spirits), sees the ghosts of a Chatham that no longer exists.The community stands at a crossroads of preservation and change. The historic Crandell Theater is being restored to its 1920s glory, though not to the version most longtime locals might remember. The Shaker Museum recently broke ground on a new headquarters. The Harlem Valley Rail Trail will soon connect Chatham to Wassaic, 46 miles away, and all the while, the Chatham Dirt Road Coalition fights to protect the town's 50-plus miles of unpaved roads from the pavers, seeing them as essential to maintaining rural character here.Hidden histories emerge at every turn – from the modest farmhouse where the Three Stooges once lived to avoid the World War I draft to the 153-year-old clock still keeping time above Main Street. Each story reveals how communities navigate the delicate balance between honoring the past and embracing the future.To hear my previous episode in Chatham, featuring our anonymous food critic The Hungry Eye and the Great Chatham Bake-Off, click here.

Support the show

"The Jiffy Audio Newsletter Podcast" is an audio documentary zine – the official podcast of The Jiffy – exploring the odd histories, cozy mysteries, and surprising characters of upstate New York. Each episode is an adventure, and new episodes drop every other week.

Subscribe, share, and take the scenic route with us.

Follow James on Instagram: @jamescave

Subscribe to the newsletter here.

While on a holiday break at the Columbia County Fair, I'm sharing this special episode featuring local news stories from the Chatham Courier newspapers of the 1800s, available through the Hudson River Valley Heritage Historical Newspapers Archive.I'll be back to normal programming in the next episode. Watch out for the horse thieves!

Support the show

"The Jiffy Audio Newsletter Podcast" is an audio documentary zine – the official podcast of The Jiffy – exploring the odd histories, cozy mysteries, and surprising characters of upstate New York. Each episode is an adventure, and new episodes drop every other week.

Subscribe, share, and take the scenic route with us.

Follow James on Instagram: @jamescave

Subscribe to the newsletter here.

I finally received my first Listener Question!!! (You can use the link in the show notes above to send in yours.)

So when listener Murphy asked how to create "the ultimate Hudson Valley picnic before it's too late," I embarked on a journey through picnicking's rich history and romantic execution. I learn some French, I learn some Basque, it's a worldly experience through time, seasons, and picnic traditions on the podcast today.

Matthew White, proprietor of the Hillsdale General Store, shares wisdom on picnic hampers and the theatrical experience they create. Betsy Jacks, executive directer emerita of the Thomas Cole Site in Catskill, walks us through one of Thomas Cole's classics: "A Pic-Nic Party." Colu Henry shares her pro picnic tips (and we get a recipe for her Snappy and Herby Potato Salad, soon to be featured in her forthcoming cookbook, out in Spring 2026), Rachel Merriam, a sommelier and owner of Fulton & Forbes, tells us which wines to get, and Tom Grattan, novelist and Official Book Reader for the podcast, shares his short story selections for a picnic.

This might be the most times the words "picnic basket" have ever been said in a single podcast episode!! And it's all for you, Murphy, anonymous listener who sent in their question. Hope this helps!!

Support the show

"The Jiffy Audio Newsletter Podcast" is an audio documentary zine – the official podcast of The Jiffy – exploring the odd histories, cozy mysteries, and surprising characters of upstate New York. Each episode is an adventure, and new episodes drop every other week.

Subscribe, share, and take the scenic route with us.

Follow James on Instagram: @jamescave

Subscribe to the newsletter here.

It’s a Jiffy Audio Postcard today from Rothermel Park in Kinderhook, where the Pinkster Festival – a powerful Black cultural celebration with Dutch colonial roots – was revived for the first time in more than 200 years.

Pinkster began as a Dutch Christian holiday but evolved into a vital gathering for enslaved and free Black New Yorkers in the 18th and 19th centuries. This episode follows the festival’s modern-day return, in partnership with the African American Archive of Columbia County and local organizations working to reconnect descendants, reanimate memory, and reclaim a once-forgotten holiday.

You’ll hear from festival organizers, historians, community members, and King Charley, as they honor ancestors through the libations ceremony and explore the unique shape of slavery in the Northeast.

We also reflect on what it means to hold this celebration just steps from the historic Persons of Color Cemetery, and how genealogy and place are being used to build one of the largest known Black family trees in New York State.

If you found this episode interesting, text it to someone who might like to hear it! Word of mouth really helps this show grow.

And if you'd like to hear my earlier episode with the Archive where we visited the Jan Van Hoesen-Charles Marriott House, you can find that here.

To learn more about the African American Archive of Columbia County, visit them at: https://www.afamarchivecc.org

Support the show

"The Jiffy Audio Newsletter Podcast" is an audio documentary zine – the official podcast of The Jiffy – exploring the odd histories, cozy mysteries, and surprising characters of upstate New York. Each episode is an adventure, and new episodes drop every other week.

Subscribe, share, and take the scenic route with us.

Follow James on Instagram: @jamescave

Subscribe to the newsletter here.

I locked James out of the studio for this one.

Because Ruth Reichl – my hero, my origin story, my reason for existing – came to Chatham, New York, to judge the Great Chatham Bake-Off. And I, The Hungry Eye, the anonymous food critic for the podcast, had to be there. In the gazebo. In the humidity. Bearing witness.

In this episode, I take you to the center of it all in the village square as 30+ bakers compete for the coveted first place ribbon: There’s a pineapple-pistachio-bacon crumble cake. A focaccia interpretation of Edvard Munch's "The Scream." A one-year-old that I'm not quite convinced actually baked what they said he baked. 

Jack Shear, Betsy Thorleifson, and Ruth – each gracious, judicious, precise – guide us through the cakes, pavlovas, brownies, pies, cobblers, savories, and sweets, as they wield fate and crown the worthy.

It's an immersive experience on the show today, a show that is now proud to be a James Beard Award Winning-Adjacent podcast. And if you want the full hour-long conversation I had with Ruth (we talked about her NYT disguises, how she invented such personas as Chloe and Aunt Betty, and how I might improve my disguises as the anonymous food critic), it’s available to premium subscribers as an Audio Exclusive in The Jiffy-Mart Members' Lounge.

You can upgrade to a premium membership here.

Be sure to read Ruth's memoir of her time as the restaurant critic for the New York Times, "Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise."

Learn more about the Ellsworth Kelly Foundation here.

And follow Betsy Thorleifson on Instagram: @ninecakes

Support the show

"The Jiffy Audio Newsletter Podcast" is an audio documentary zine – the official podcast of The Jiffy – exploring the odd histories, cozy mysteries, and surprising characters of upstate New York. Each episode is an adventure, and new episodes drop every other week.

Subscribe, share, and take the scenic route with us.

Follow James on Instagram: @jamescave

Subscribe to the newsletter here.

In this episode, I’m continuing our tour through The Jiffy-Mart – my online bodega and members’ lounge – and this time, we’re stepping through the forest refrigerator straight into the Catskill Mountains. I’m bringing back my series "Tree Minute" to finally learn what I’m looking at out there in the woods. To help, I’ve teamed up with Giovanna D’Angelo, an education forester with the Catskill Forest Association, who graciously agreed to teach me how to tell a yellow birch from a black birch and why some aspens quake that way.

Then, I visit my friend, novelist Tom Grattan, to hear what he’s been reading lately. He’s got four summer books to recommend, from a queer coming-of-age classic to a smart novella about the illusions of perfection – and the page-turner set in upstate New York that everybody's been talking about for the past year.

Books We Talk About

• "Tramps Like Us," by Joe Westmoreland

• "The Hive and the Honey," by Paul Yoon

• "The God of the Woods," by Liz Moore

• "Perfection," by Vincenzo Latronico, translated by Sophie Hughes

Links & Resources

• Browse The Jiffy-Mart: thejiffy.xyz/jiffy-mart

• Follow me on Instagram: @jamescave

• Follow Catskill Forest Association: @catskillforest

• Follow Tom Grattan: @tomgrattan

Join the Community!

If you like this podcast, consider becoming a premium member. You’ll get audio exclusives (including my side chat with Tom about blurbs), behind-the-scenes updates, and access to J: Magazine The Style Magazine Of The James Cave Instagram Feed. Every membership helps me keep making this work.Join or upgrade here.

I’ve been thinking about blurbs (those endorsements you see on book covers) and I’d love to know: What would your blurb be about this podcast? You can text me your blurb (there’s a link in the show notes), and maybe I’ll share a few on the next episode.

If you enjoyed this one, I hope you’ll share it with a friend. Word of mouth is still the best way to keep the Grab Bag of Goods stocked and thriving.

Until next time, I'll see you on the Instagram feed.

Support the show

"The Jiffy Audio Newsletter Podcast" is an audio documentary zine – the official podcast of The Jiffy – exploring the odd histories, cozy mysteries, and surprising characters of upstate New York. Each episode is an adventure, and new episodes drop every other week.

Subscribe, share, and take the scenic route with us.

Follow James on Instagram: @jamescave

Subscribe to the newsletter here.

In this episode, we tour the Jiffy-Mart, the official digital bodega of the James Cave Instagram Feed.

Then we dive into a thoughtful exploration of land acknowledgments with Indigenous expert Heather Bruegl, who shares insights on creating meaningful statements that honor ancestral lands and their original stewards:

• Native-land.ca serves as a starting point for researching whose land you're on

• Tribal territories often overlapped, unlike modern state borders

• Research should include archives, libraries, land records, and the National Archives

• Always do preliminary work before approaching tribal nations for collaboration

• Land acknowledgments require months of research, reflection and action behind the words

• Heather shares the experience of returning to her ancestral homelands in New York

• Museums need better support systems for BIPOC workers presenting hard histories

• Even as an Indigenous person, Heather acknowledges her role in colonization

• A meaningful acknowledgment should feel like entering a form of ceremony

Heather Breugl can be reached at https://www.heatherbruegl.com.

You can upgrade to a Jiffy Premium account (aka J'Fay Supreme) here: https://thejiffymart-shop.fourthwall.com/pages/memberships

If you like the podcast, please share it with a friend. You can also send me a text through the link in the show notes. I read all messages!Follow me on Instagram: @jamescave

Visit the website: thejiffy.xyz

Support the show

"The Jiffy Audio Newsletter Podcast" is an audio documentary zine – the official podcast of The Jiffy – exploring the odd histories, cozy mysteries, and surprising characters of upstate New York. Each episode is an adventure, and new episodes drop every other week.

Subscribe, share, and take the scenic route with us.

Follow James on Instagram: @jamescave

Subscribe to the newsletter here.

It's Mud Season here, not just at The James Cave Instagram Feed, but across all of the northeast.

And for this relaxing Sleep Hike, I thought it would be peaceful to take a restful walk through Mud Creek, in Hudson, New York. Mud Creek is a part of the Mud Creek Environmental Learning Center, located on the property of Columbia County Soil & Water Conservation District office.

They host a variety of hands-on, inquiry based, environmental education programs, and here, we take a Sleep Hike through its marshy landscape. Mud Creek is home to beavers, muskrats, rabbits, coyotes, lots of birds, potentially ticks, and even a bobcat.

But because it's a Sleep Hike, you don't have to worry about running into any of that wildlife. Just sit back, relax, and let me take you on this peaceful path to slumber.

If you enjoyed this Sleep Hike, consider subscribing to "The Jiffy Audio Newsletter Podcast" wherever you listen. And if you're a subscriber, share it with someone you love or hate! Either way, it helps.

If you'd like to support this kind of slow content – and unlock exclusive audio extras – upgrade to J'Fay Supreme. I have a few tiers of support, and it really helps make projects like this possible.

OK – good night!

Support the show

"The Jiffy Audio Newsletter Podcast" is an audio documentary zine – the official podcast of The Jiffy – exploring the odd histories, cozy mysteries, and surprising characters of upstate New York. Each episode is an adventure, and new episodes drop every other week.

Subscribe, share, and take the scenic route with us.

Follow James on Instagram: @jamescave

Subscribe to the newsletter here.

It’s spring in upstate New York, also known as Mud Season. In this episode, I go searching for the answers to its riddles: why Mud Season exists, what’s really happening down there in the ground, and why the ground breathes more heavily when it's stressed out – just like me.

To guide me through it all, I visit Dr. Jane Lucas, a soil ecologist at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies. We talk about microbial dormancy, stressed-out soil experiments, why New York has such intense mud, and whether it’s possible to have a mud season on Mars.

It turns out one teaspoon of soil contains more microbes than there are humans on Earth. That's over 8 billion microorganisms in just one spoonful – an incomprehensibly dense and diverse ecosystem beneath our feet. Mud Season!

Guest:

Dr. Jane Lucas – Soil ecologist at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, lead researcher on the Stressed Out Soils (SOS) project

Topics Covered:

• ​What is Mud Season, really?

• ​Why the Hudson Valley’s soil is so soggy

• ​What topsoil has in common with stressed-out humans

• ​How warming, drought, antibiotics, and fungicides affect soil health

• ​Why microbes might be your garden’s secret workforceWhy dirt isn’t dead (it’s just misunderstood)

Extras:

• ​Watch my tour of the Stressed Out Soils site on Instagram: @jamescave

• ​Hear more from Jane Lucas on From the Forest: catskillforest.org

Want to know if Mars could ever have a mud season? Subscribe to the J'Fay Supreme level to hear this Audio Exclusive.

• ​Upgrade to J'Fay Supreme for the bonus audio: $5/month or $50/year → Subscribe here!

Help Spread the Mud: Love the show? Email your favorite neighborhood local newspaper editor and let them know The Jiffy Audio Newsletter Podcast exists. Because next time they publish a roundup of upstate podcasts, I'd love to make the cut. It might be hard to describe, but just tell them it will all make sense one day. 

Thanks for listening all the way to the end. Until next time, I’ll see you on the Instagram feed!

Subscribe to my newsletter, The Jiffy!

Support the show

"The Jiffy Audio Newsletter Podcast" is an audio documentary zine – the official podcast of The Jiffy – exploring the odd histories, cozy mysteries, and surprising characters of upstate New York. Each episode is an adventure, and new episodes drop every other week.

Subscribe, share, and take the scenic route with us.

Follow James on Instagram: @jamescave

Subscribe to the newsletter here.

This week brought the first official day of spring – but as a confusing and misplaced winter storm batters my windows, I’m bringing you one last cozy episode before we fold up the Cozy Map for good.

In this episode, I visit one of my favorite places on earth: Rodgers Book Barn in Hillsdale, NY. I chat with legendary owner Maureen Rodgers, who’s been stocking her shelves with used books since the 1960s, about how she finds books, what makes a book cozy, and how the book barn industry has changed over the decades.

Then, I drive to Kinderhook to visit my friend Tom Grattan, esteemed novelist and experienced reader. I snoop around his book shelves a bit, and Tom gives us three of his top reading recommendations for 2025 so far – with one bonus pick saved just for The Jiffy newsletter subscribers at the J'Fay Supreme level.

Guests:

• Maureen Rodgers – Owner of Rodgers Book Barn

• Tom Grattan – Author of "The Recent East" and "In Tongues"

Books Recommended by Tom:

1. "Mothers and Sons," by Adam Haslett

2. "Ghost Roots," by Pemi Aguda

3. "Lives of the Saints," by Nancy Lemann

4. Mysterious Book by Important Author

Extras:

• Get Maureen’s Cozy Reading Tips + Tom’s Bonus Book Pick – only at the J'Fay Supreme level.

• Upgrade for $5/month or $50/year: https://thejiffy.beehiiv.com/upgrade

Follow Tom on Instagram: @tomgrattan

Follow the Book Barn on Instagram: @rodgersbookbarn

Follow me: @jamescave

More Jiffy: thejiffy.xyz

Support the show

"The Jiffy Audio Newsletter Podcast" is an audio documentary zine – the official podcast of The Jiffy – exploring the odd histories, cozy mysteries, and surprising characters of upstate New York. Each episode is an adventure, and new episodes drop every other week.

Subscribe, share, and take the scenic route with us.

Follow James on Instagram: @jamescave

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On today's episode, I’m making a house call to one of the oldest – and most mysterious – homes in the Hudson Valley. The Van Housen-Marriott House on Route 66 has stood for centuries, witnessing the full weight of American history. It was a site of Dutch colonial settlement, a place of enslavement, and, possibly, a stop on the Underground Railroad. But now, this house is falling apart, and efforts to save it are racing against time.

As part of a project with the African American Archive of Columbia County, I speak with Ed Klingler, Brenda Shufelt, Lisa Fludd-Smith, and historian Fergus Bordewich to unpack the house’s past and explore what it truly means to preserve history.

Could this weathered Dutch home have once sheltered freedom seekers? And what does it take to save a piece of history before it disappears? It's all here on this very historic podcast episode.

To learn more about the African American Archive of Columbia County, visit: https://www.afamarchivecc.org

To find the Cozy Map Of Comfy Places, visit: https://thejiffy.xyz/are-you-looking-for-the-cozy-map-of-comfy-places

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"The Jiffy Audio Newsletter Podcast" is an audio documentary zine – the official podcast of The Jiffy – exploring the odd histories, cozy mysteries, and surprising characters of upstate New York. Each episode is an adventure, and new episodes drop every other week.

Subscribe, share, and take the scenic route with us.

Follow James on Instagram: @jamescave

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In this episode of "The Jiffy Audio Newsletter Podcast," I’m beginning a new journey: an odyssey to find the coziest spots in upstate New York. 

But before I can begin, I receive guidance from Maria M. Silva, a reporter for the Times Union and someone who knows all about cozy restaurants. Her cozy map of Hudson Valley restaurants for the Times Union proved to be a crucial resource in my initial research.

We chat about what it takes for a restaurant to be truly cozy, how to make a map the whole community can use, and why I may or may not be in a feud with the Times Union.

It's very cozy! Be sure to check out Maria's recently-updated map here: https://www.timesunion.com/projects/hudsonvalley/cozy-restaurants-fireplaces/

Support the show

"The Jiffy Audio Newsletter Podcast" is an audio documentary zine – the official podcast of The Jiffy – exploring the odd histories, cozy mysteries, and surprising characters of upstate New York. Each episode is an adventure, and new episodes drop every other week.

Subscribe, share, and take the scenic route with us.

Follow James on Instagram: @jamescave

Subscribe to the newsletter here.

In the first episode of 2025, we start with an end: The end of "This Old Vibe."

Join me as we hear from some of the enlightening experts along the way and reveal the results of my Vibe Enhancement Project: the Desolate Corner.

Be sure to pick up a copy of "Sean Scherer's Vignettes" here:

https://bookshop.org/a/95638/9780865654419

Subscribe to The Jiffy newsletter:

https://thejiffy.beehiiv.com/subscribe

Visit The Jiffy:

https://thejiffy.xyz/

Support the show

"The Jiffy Audio Newsletter Podcast" is an audio documentary zine – the official podcast of The Jiffy – exploring the odd histories, cozy mysteries, and surprising characters of upstate New York. Each episode is an adventure, and new episodes drop every other week.

Subscribe, share, and take the scenic route with us.

Follow James on Instagram: @jamescave

Subscribe to the newsletter here.

In this special episode of The Jiffy Audio Newsletter Podcast, we check in with our entertainment reporter, Jimmy Jam, who brings you intimate access to the stars of the Hudson Valley as they walk the Denim Carpet on their way out of the back door of the service kitchen of the Holiday Inn in Coxsackie to their cars.

Jimmy talks with Taco the Best Farm Dog of the Year, with Maria of MX Morningstar Farm; Bella, the winner of Best Dressed Alpaca of the Year; we check back in with the elusive Kinderhooker Instagram Feed, a New York village meme account with disproportionate political power; and we get to know the Wife of the Year 2024, Jessica Lima! It's all here in our coverage of the 2024 Jiffy Awards Denim Carpet Closing Ceremonies.

Support the show

"The Jiffy Audio Newsletter Podcast" is an audio documentary zine – the official podcast of The Jiffy – exploring the odd histories, cozy mysteries, and surprising characters of upstate New York. Each episode is an adventure, and new episodes drop every other week.

Subscribe, share, and take the scenic route with us.

Follow James on Instagram: @jamescave

Subscribe to the newsletter here.

In this episode, we revisit a conversation I had with Candice Hopkins for my series, "This Old Vibe" – it's an EXTENDED CUT, and we talk about so many things: 

What is a land acknowledgment statement? Are they helpful? Why should we write one, and what should people think about when writing one that truly, literally supports the tribes they're hoping to "acknowledge," and more.

Candice is the executive director of Forge Project, a Native-led organization that's dedicated to cultivating and advancing Indigenous leadership in arts and culture. 

We also visit Brenda Shufelt at the Hudson Area Library's History Room to learn about how to start the research process, because we're going to write a land acknowledgment statement here at The Jiffy. More to come in a following episode!

To learn more about Forge Project and to support, visit: https://forgeproject.com/support/fundraising-values

To learn more about Hudson Area Library's resources, visit: https://historyroom.hudsonarealibrary.org

Support the show

"The Jiffy Audio Newsletter Podcast" is an audio documentary zine – the official podcast of The Jiffy – exploring the odd histories, cozy mysteries, and surprising characters of upstate New York. Each episode is an adventure, and new episodes drop every other week.

Subscribe, share, and take the scenic route with us.

Follow James on Instagram: @jamescave

Subscribe to the newsletter here.

What is The Jiffy? This trailer holds all the answers.

To learn more, visit: jamescave.xyz

Support the show

"The Jiffy Audio Newsletter Podcast" is an audio documentary zine – the official podcast of The Jiffy – exploring the odd histories, cozy mysteries, and surprising characters of upstate New York. Each episode is an adventure, and new episodes drop every other week.

Subscribe, share, and take the scenic route with us.

Follow James on Instagram: @jamescave

Subscribe to the newsletter here.

Things got really stressful last week, so we're taking a Sleep Hike.

And this time, we're Sleep Hiking through Innisfree Garden in Millbrook, New York. It's a beautiful place, very relaxing.

What is a Sleep Hike? It's when I do the hiking while you do the sleeping. 

So sit back, relax, kick off your shoes, and let's take a hike.

To subscribe to The Jiffy, click HERE.

To learn more about Innisfree Garden, click HERE.

Good night!

Support the show

"The Jiffy Audio Newsletter Podcast" is an audio documentary zine – the official podcast of The Jiffy – exploring the odd histories, cozy mysteries, and surprising characters of upstate New York. Each episode is an adventure, and new episodes drop every other week.

Subscribe, share, and take the scenic route with us.

Follow James on Instagram: @jamescave

Subscribe to the newsletter here.

In this episode, we visit The Kitchen Shrink to get to know Tamar Adler, author of "The Everlasting Meal Cookbook: Leftovers A-Z," and learn about the Secret Room and how to cook a giant duck egg. Guest-hosted by The Hungry Eye.

Subscribe to Tamar's newsletter: tamaradler.substack.com

Follower Tamar on Instagram: @tamar.e.adler

Upgrade to the J'Fay Supreme membership for just $5 a month: https://thejiffy.beehiiv.com/upgrade

Support the show

"The Jiffy Audio Newsletter Podcast" is an audio documentary zine – the official podcast of The Jiffy – exploring the odd histories, cozy mysteries, and surprising characters of upstate New York. Each episode is an adventure, and new episodes drop every other week.

Subscribe, share, and take the scenic route with us.

Follow James on Instagram: @jamescave

Subscribe to the newsletter here.

This is a special episode of The Jiffy Newsletter Podcast: For my ongoing series, "This Old Vibe," we are invited into the Hudson home of chef, author, and artist, Susan Simon to try and understand just what makes a Hudson Valley home a "Hudson Valley home." 

This is the first time anybody has ever invited us into their home, and it is also the first time we're taking the podcast out of the studio and into a real life scenario. So much could have gone wrong. But thankfully, we had a fun time, and nobody was injured. 

It's a Susan Simon Super Special episode, and you can see photos of Susan's house at the James Cave Instagram Feed: @jamescave (link here: https://www.instagram.com/jamescave)

Visit W.W. Norton for information on Susan's new cookbook, "The Cook and The Rabbi." (link here: https://wwnorton.com/books/9781682688106/about-the-book/product-details)

You can subscribe to The Jiffy here (link here: https://thejiffy.beehiiv.com).

Support the show

"The Jiffy Audio Newsletter Podcast" is an audio documentary zine – the official podcast of The Jiffy – exploring the odd histories, cozy mysteries, and surprising characters of upstate New York. Each episode is an adventure, and new episodes drop every other week.

Subscribe, share, and take the scenic route with us.

Follow James on Instagram: @jamescave

Subscribe to the newsletter here.

In this episode, we discover that my house has a terrifying corner known as a Vibe Desert, and the only remedy is a new Deep Dive. We also get to know our fashion photographer, James C'Avedon, a bit more — but is there really ever "knowing" James C'Avedon? We also hear about a Cow You Should Know!

Support the show

"The Jiffy Audio Newsletter Podcast" is an audio documentary zine – the official podcast of The Jiffy – exploring the odd histories, cozy mysteries, and surprising characters of upstate New York. Each episode is an adventure, and new episodes drop every other week.

Subscribe, share, and take the scenic route with us.

Follow James on Instagram: @jamescave

Subscribe to the newsletter here.

In this episode, we get to know my new Neighborhood Local Day Job Neighbors in the historic — and uncommonly idyllic — village of Kinderhook, New York.

Support the show

"The Jiffy Audio Newsletter Podcast" is an audio documentary zine – the official podcast of The Jiffy – exploring the odd histories, cozy mysteries, and surprising characters of upstate New York. Each episode is an adventure, and new episodes drop every other week.

Subscribe, share, and take the scenic route with us.

Follow James on Instagram: @jamescave

Subscribe to the newsletter here.

Just don't look at it too long 👓 😵‍💫

Support the show

"The Jiffy Audio Newsletter Podcast" is an audio documentary zine – the official podcast of The Jiffy – exploring the odd histories, cozy mysteries, and surprising characters of upstate New York. Each episode is an adventure, and new episodes drop every other week.

Subscribe, share, and take the scenic route with us.

Follow James on Instagram: @jamescave

Subscribe to the newsletter here.