The Mighty Hudson...

Surprise! The blog is early for a change. Instead of Tillie Tours, we joined the Waterville Travelers Club for a trip in Tillie's BIG "Uncle George" and headed for a luncheon cruise on the Hudson River around Albany.

The building with all the red turrets is the New York State capital. "No dome?" you say. The story goes that a dome was in the original plans. However, the rise (they call it a hill but I think that's stretching it a bit) it was being built on proved to be "unstable"... in other words the more they built the more they thought it might "slip" off the hill. So instead of adding the planned heavy dome, they opted instead for a skylight. (I might also add they were waaaaaaaay over budget, not that that ever has anything to do with spending public dollars.)

I sometimes forget Albany is a port city (it always seems too far inland for that) but the channel in the Hudson is 32 feet deep from NYC to Albany and over 200 BIG ocean-going ships load and unload there every year. What you're looking at on the docks in the photo are the parts to wind generators that are going up all over NY State. Just this summer we're able to see 19 more down the valley from us. Clean, renewable energy - we love it!

Further down the river we spotted a bald eagle, saw lots of beautiful cottages including two new Habitat for Humanities built homes, etc. The "cruise" was a relaxing thing to do on a hot summer day. Then it was on to the State Museum. GREAT exhibit, very moving, on the World Trade Center; another on the city of NY. There were LOTS of other exhibits but ninety minutes is just not long enough to see it all. By the way and wonder of wonders, NYS charges no admission...

On the way home we stopped at Johnson Hall (it's in Johnstown). When you think of plantations and slaves, upstate NY probably does NOT come to mind. However, NY did have a few including this one. Sir William Johnson was an interesting fellow (I'll leave it up to you to read in detail about him). However, he had a great interest in Native Americans (his second and third wives were both Native American - and in case you're wondering he only had one wife at a time) and was Supt. of Indian Affairs for the British in the 1760's.

Stay tuned - the next blog will be on sink or sail weekend... It's a 50/50 chance which way it will turn out.

We survived!!!

Circus camp is over!! The kids seemed to have a great time and so did we (although John & I were wondering if we'd survive it - reality TV has nothing on us!)

Remember the bonfire from last week? Well, boys being boys, they discovered the charcoal/ash that's left makes great body paint. That was followed by hosing each other down (our well water is 55 degrees) so that required a lot of hollering as well. Then there was "streaking" from bush to bush (it's a good thing we don't have neighbors in sight!) followed by trying to sneak in the back door with laundry baskets over their privates. And that was only Monday!

The building of the tepee -saws, dead branches, old tarps (who needs electronic games?!) kept them busy for hours. The two extra kids are Corey & Kelsey (our friend Leigh's great nephew & niece who were at Circus Camp as well).

I did manage to pick a couple of gallons of blueberries on Tuesday, not all of which went in the freeezer.

Finally, finally the big performance on Friday night. In the three middle photos, the kid on the tightrope is Maverick; on stilts there's Corey, Dillon, ??, & Win (blue tee shirt); and then Win on the left in one of their clown routines. All the kids did multiple things - diablo yoyo-ing, unicycle, tumbling; clowning; juggling etc. but my little camera is not much good with action shots - trust me, the kids were much better than my photos.

And I almost forgot to mention - we finished the latest Harry Potter!!! The kids had Friday morning off - on performance day they go in at 1 and stay for the duration (good thing too as I'm not sure we would have finished HP otherwise). Oletta read fast, the boys were up a half hour earlier than usual (on their own accord) as they were determined to hear the outcome before they had to go to camp. The boys even skipped breakfast (NOT something I would normally support but it was Harry Potter after all!) I finally sent John (who had napped through the chapters he had joined us for) after homemade donuts from our Amish neighbors to tide them (who am I kidding?)/ME over until the story was finished. Oletta finished the last chapter while they ate lunch. "The show must go on" but I'm not sure that would have included having to wait to hear the end of Harry Potter...

So is that a circus dog? No, that's Uncle Bridge's dog, Roscoe who just looks like he should be in the circus. Bridge came up to go to the performance and stayed an extra night with us. August is upon us. See the white on the horizon just beyond Bridge's head? That's typical August weather for this part of the world. The fog sits in the valleys until mid-morning making it look like we're surrounded by lakes. It also means fall is not too far behind. Where does the time go?

Listen! Can you hear the quiet? Everyone's gone with only the sound of washing machine purring in the background. Bliss!...

Circus Camp - week 2

You will all be relieved to know, I'm sure, that John & I have survived week 1 of Circus Camp... and it's been FUN, even for us! We must admit, however, that several things have been in our favor...
- Corn is in season!!! and who doesn't like corn? (of course, I could also fill up this page with ALL the things at least one of the kids doesn't like but your imagination is probably as good as theirs). If you need a terrific corn shucker, Maverick is your man!
- In spite of an occasional "trying" moment, the boys get along well together. Please notice, if you will, how Win (his own idea I might add) decided to make lemonade drinks complete with a wedge of lime for Dillon, Maverick & Peyton and serve them on a platter. (Of course, the grown-ups WERE enjoying a bottle of wine at the time and hadn't offered to share.)
- The moms, Oletta (who's here for the full two weeks - John & I keep thanking our lucky stars for that stroke of luck!) and Kathleen (who came with 3 year old Peyton for a long weekend) are wonderful to have around and keep the boys towing the line as needed.
- Rambo (remember our old rusty RV?) was "discovered" over the weekend and christened the "house car" by Peyton. The boys have spent several hours in there already (can't you just see the ad when we get ready to get rid of it? "For Sale - Mobile clubhouse for the kids in your life")
- The boys did help load the rotten wood from the tree we took down into the back of the pickup (was that just a chore or had they pushed "mom's" buttons one too many times?- can't remember now...) Anyway, it made the best bonfire with a lot of whooping and hollering and even a little marshmallow toasting for s'mores. (I myself waited for the DElicious apricot-cherry tart Grandma Joey brought up - a MUCH better choice!)
- In case you missed it (fat chance) the new Harry Potter is out. Oletta has been reading it chapter by chapter to all of us (although John does seem to nod off on a regular basis - of course he didn't read the first six books so I guess he does have some excuse...)
- Circus camp must be fun too as the boys had all eaten breakfast, made their lunches, and were out the door this morning before the adults were ready to drive them there. The performance is a "secret" so we'll have to wait until Friday to see what they're up to. Stay tuned...

Lebanon...

Where do you travel when you're expecting 3 boys (9, 10 & 12) to stay with you for the next two weeks while they go to Circus Camp? The answer is... you don't! So I snapped some photos around our yard, sans kids, to just remind myself and you (if you didn't already know) how beautiful central New York is in the summer even if you go no further than your own back yard. Lilies are blooming; the grapes are doing their thing over the grape arbor (the chairs are really just for show as we never seem to have time to try them out); the asparagus is over my head; the flower gardens have filled out; John (second cello from the left) and a small quintet provided an enjoyable free concert on the shores of Craine Lake at the bottom of "our hill" as part of our bicentennial activities; the veggie garden is producing like crazy; flowers, veggies and now kids everywhere! Life is good.

Smyrna & more Finger Lakes...

Just down the road from us is the little village of Smyrna - home to the Smyrna Citizens Band. Every Monday night during the summer they perform on the porch above the library. This is their 89th year (I think they're the oldest continuous village band in the state) so of course they're really good. It's sort of like going to the drive-in movies. You can back in across the street and listen to the music from the comfort of your car (then honk your horn after each number). Or you can bring your lawn chair, or you can stand or sit on one of the steps or porches. The fire department serves hot dogs and hamburgs before "the show" and the Methodist Church has a GREAT selection of homemade pies. This Monday was also my birthday. It's not every girl who has a town band dedicate "Teddy Trombone" to her on her birthday!

Later in the week it was back to Finger Lakes. First stop - Auburn. (For those of you interested in real trivia, Auburn was the birthplace of talking movies. In 1924 Case Research Lab partnered with Fox Studios - result... Movietone News.) Anyway, the Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center in Auburn currently has a special "Made in New York" exhibit - well worth a stop.

Then it was on to find a campsite for Tillie (her first overnight this summer). Notice in the photo her "younger sister" is at a campsite below (can you expect anything less from a campground named "Cheerful Valley"?!) Not to hurt Rambo's feelings, but Tillie's bed IS a bit more comfortable and roomy...

Our destination that night was to see "La Cage aux Folles" (local production) at the restored 1898 Smith Opera House in Geneva. It's a beautiful theater saved, thank heavens, from the wrecking ball in the 1970's.

However, the real purpose of the trip was to go to the Peppermint Festival in Lyons. (John was pooh-poohing the idea but ended up having a GREAT time - thank heavens!) Lyons was the home of the Hotchkiss Oil Co. until it was sold in 1990 (peppermint oil is now made in Indiana). H.G. Hotchkiss, as I'm sure you know, was the world's Peppermint King. The company was established in 1839 and at one time there were over 100 stills on peppermint farms in the area distilling the oil. (Wonder if they distilled other things as well....) Wild peppermint found in the area proved to be the highest quality in the world. The Hotchkiss company bought the oil from the farmers, further refined it (how did they do that?), and sold it worldwide. The company's back door opened onto the Erie canal. Apparently you could smell the factory for miles around. (I, of course, had to buy a peppermint plant. Now to find a place to plant it where I don't mind it spreading all over! - should I begin looking for a still on ebay?)

The Barge Canal (it replaced the Erie Canal) goes through Lyons and, as it happened, the Schooner Lois McClure was docked there for the day. This boat is a reproduction sailing barge canal built by the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum in Vermont and is spending the summer on the Barge Canal stopping at various towns so folks can take tours. John LOVED it. My boat of choice on the other hand was the little tug boat that's pulling it through the canal (the schooner only sails across the lakes).

Even without the boat and the festival, Lyons is a pretty little village to explore. If you're ever out that way, be sure and plan a stop. It's a great place to stretch your legs.

Hector

Tillie is back on the road again! and running like a top I might add even though we heard the comment more than once as we passed through parking lots - "Look, there goes Little Miss Sunshine".

Cherries are ripe here in NY and Hector is where it's at if you want to pick your own. The orchards had only been open three days when we got there. Even so, we stopped at three before we found one that still had sour cherries - guess we're not the only folks in NY who like them. These were semi-dwarf trees so no climbing was needed (John was relieved) and we ended up with 20 pounds off a couple of trees in not too much time. Since we were literally right across the road from the Red Newt Bistro and Winery we discovered when we went to Watkins Glen, we of course had to "reward" ourselves with another GREAT lunch - that woman sure knows how to cook!!! - even the fruity wine seems to taste better on a hot summer day.

When we left home we left with intentions of going to the Cortland Repertory Theater and camping overnight. But even being packed in Happy Ice (it's made in Albany, Utica, Syracuse, Rochester & Buffalo & John now thinks it's the best ice on earth because it's clear unlike the ice our ice maker makes that John now thinks looks too frosty - fussy, fussy) the cherries seemed too ripe to spend the night in Tillie (plus there were thunder storms all around and the closest campground to the theater is the Empire Haven Nudist Park - sometimes there is such a thing as too much entertainment...)

Mystic to Cuddebackville...

Even though NY does have coast line, for some reason the Wooden Boat Show was held at Mystic Seaport in Connecticut instead. So, because John loves wooden boats so much, off we went. There were LOTS of beautiful wooden boats including the one in the photo. Plus John took a class in caulking (perhaps because he took so much grief when Terry's wooden sailboat he worked on a couple of years ago immediately sank - it did eventually swell up enough to float so all was not lost. Watch the blog in August - Terry's boat and John's should both be out of the workshop and a sailing regatta is being planned.)

Turns out "everyone" is "doing" wine these days. Stopping with John's cousins John & Judy we sampled Connecticut's wares - really GOOD wine and we're all kicking ourselves now that we were too cheap to only buy a couple of bottles.

The handsome fellow to the left is our friend Jack with his pretty wife Joann. Jack's 70th birthday was over the weekend - looks GREAT doesn't he? (John & I discussed that perhaps walking 4 miles starting at 5 each morning as Jack & Joann do is the key to the fountain of youth but at 5 this morning it seemed VERY unlikely...)

Back in NY we took backroads home and passed through the little blink of Cuddebackville. There's not much there except for a school and the D&H Canal Park with a little museum (not open today). However you could see the stone base which carried the canal aqueduct across the Neversink River (LOVE these names). It (the base not the river) was designed by J.A. Roebling who was also the architect for the Brooklyn Bridge. That man did know how to work with stone! We had hoped to visit the Neversink Gorge State Unique Area (whatever that means?!) but the only way to it seemed to be by foot (a loooooong way by foot) and this was not the day for us to do that. So we settled instead for going to Monticello and discovered the absolutely BEST Jewish bakery we've been to outside NYC. (My hips are VERY grateful it is a long way from home!!!) We also stopped in Hancock where they're redoing one of the old hotels in town. In fact the whole town looks on the verge of being discovered so if you're of a mind to start a small business Hancock might bear looking into. After all if a man can make a living there catching eels from the river and smoking them (he was even written up in Gourmet magazine), then anything is possible... You heard it here first!

Zigzagging around...

Last week it was a woman's outing to Longwood Gardens. This week it was John's turn for a man's outing - a baseball game. (To my way of thinking I got a MUCH better deal.) It was NOT a Yankee's game (their stadium is usually full) but the Syracuse Chiefs (to our north). Fans John & Karol are being photographed by fan Bruce. If YOU are into baseball, the minor leagues are a fun way to enjoy the sport (I'm told).


Karol and a couple of other guys from Maine were around most of the week working on a barn nearby. Boys baseball night was followed the next night by dinner at Matthews on Main in Callacoon on the Delaware (to our south). Absolutely wonderful food (the women were HAPPY to join in that event). And a new trick was added to our repertoire. Put a cork in a bottle and then a toothpick in the cork. Hook the tines of a fork over the bowl of a spoon, then poke another toothpick through the tines of the fork. Now put the toothpick points together to suspend the fork/spoon in perfect balance. It's easier than you think (but comes increasingly harder with each glass of wine consumed).


Saying goodbye to friends and barn reconstruction we headed towards Jefferson County on the St. Lawrence (back to our north). In Watertown we just happened to park in front of the Museum. "Free" & "Open" the sign said so of course we had to take a peek. Thanks to someone named Kinne, it has the largest collection in the world of cast iron turbines. (The "pointer" in the photo found the exhibit much more interesting than the photographer...)

Most of you owe many a good night's sleep to a Watertown invention. Turns out that in 1853 the wife of James Liddy wanted him to take her to town. While she was shopping he decided to take a nap on the buggy seat - best nap he'd ever had. He decided it was because of the springs in the seat. The next day when he went to work in the carriage shop in Watertown he devised springs to replace the planks or ropes in beds and thus became the inventor of bedsprings. Unfortunately he neglected to get a patent so only his dreams, not his wallet, benefited from the invention.


The St. Lawrence is home to the Thousand Islands and thousands of different things - far too many for this blog. However, the Wooden Boat Museum in Clayton is a must visit anytime in you are in the area. They also host special events including weddings. The Zipper just "delivered" the bride and groom (NOT John & Terry).

While Terry was at the wedding reception, John & I wandered off to the NYS Food & Wine Festival where we sampled FAR too many "products". In the food line there were LOTS of different cheddar cheeses, a few salsas & barbecue sauces, maple syrup products, honey. And then there was the wine........

Peterboro & ...

For the past 15 years Peterboro has hosted a Civil War Weekend to raise funds to preserve and restore its historic buildings. Seems like a strange location until you realize Peterboro was the home of Gerrit Smith, a very wealthy and very active abolitionist. Both the NYS and National Underground Railroad trails list the National Abolition Hall of Fame and Gerrit Smith's Land Office has sites in Peterboro to visit. This is the first time we had ever been to a reenactment (we probably do NOT need to do that again). The South won the day we went, the North won the day before (apparently they take turns). It was rather odd to watch the reenactment take place under electric lines with a wind turbine on the hill in the distance.

Elizabeth Smith Miller, Smith's daughter, was very active in women's rights, suffrage and even dress reform - in fact she was responsible for what would later be known as Bloomers. The talk I went to on "fashions of the times" was very interesting (John chose to go elsewhere). Thank heavens we do not have to wear corsets (you couldn't breathe) or bonnets (they held the heat in - NOT good on hot days) so us modern gals do not worry about passing out on a regular basis(goodbye smelling salts!)

The last thing this little hamlet (don't you love that term) is known for (thanks again to Gerrit Smith who imported the mom)... it's the home of the first registered Holstein-Friesian cow in the US (those are the black & white cows that supply more milk in the US than any other breed). The name chosen for this first calf was Agoo...

On a totally different trip last week, I zipped down to Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania with my friend Mary. It's always a beautiful spot to visit - you can see lots of great pictures (much better than mine) on their web site. Have you been there but don't recognize this one? That's because it's outside Mary's back door right here in NYS. Who needs to leave home when it is so beautiful here?!

On the other hand, I might never have spied this sign outside a convenience store near where we stayed in Amish country in Pennsylvania.

Watkins Glen...

Watkins Glen was one of my parents favorite stopovers when they drove from Arkansas to visit us in NY. John and I have been to Watkins Glen several times. We've even been to the auto races (once -quite enough for me, thank you). But (we should hang our heads) we had never walked the gorge.

So... we packed up Rambo (Tillie is out of the barn for the summer but hasn't been re-licensed yet) and headed west. As luck would have it we made it to the Finger Lakes region in plenty of time for lunch at one of the local wineries (Red Newt - the BEST food I've had in ages. When was the last time you had homemade whole wheat ravioli with caramelized rhubarb and a creamy roasted garlic sauce? - heaven!) Anyway, it turned out it was a good thing we took time to fortify ourselves. There are over 800 steps UP (did my parents actually "climb" that trail every time they stopped?!) on the mile and half gorge trail. The 19 waterfalls offer plenty of photo opportunities (and let you catch your breath). If you have not been there it is well worth the trip/walk! Once to the top you can opt to come back via the Indian trail along the top and past a massive cemetery (is that for those folks who didn't quite make it to the top?).

The camp site in the park was quite nice (it was a bit disconcerting to hear the drone in the distance from the racetrack). The next day dawned with a promise of hot and muggy (but Rambo has air conditioning so we weren't worried). First stop - Ovid. The map indicated this is the home of the Three Bears. The Three Bears = buildings. The health dept. is in the big one (no one there). The sheriff's dept. is in the middle one (no one there). The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War is in the small one (no one there).

Next spot of interest on the map - the "Museum of Drainage Tile" (now really, how could you NOT want to go there?!). Inquiries were to be made at the Rose Hill Mansion (photo). Unfortunately, the Drain Tile museum's furnace had "backfired" over the winter and covered everything in oily grime so the tile were still out being cleaned (we were encouraged to come back in the fall). We took a tour of the mansion instead - not a bad second choice.

As luck would have it there was another winery serving lunch across the street. We enjoyed a pleasant meal on the deck but when the temperature reached into the 90's we decided to head towards home. Roll up the windows in Rambo, turn on the air and start out. I said "turn on the air", okay "please turn on the air"... Rambo refuses to cooperate - no air, no fan (this vehicle does NOT have Tillie's charm so when the air refuses to work I am more than happy to take it to the junk yard!) But no... we sweat our way home. Rambo's outdoor thermometer (never reliable) fluctuates between 95.0 and 108.4 - I believe the latter! Maybe next trip it will be Tillie's turn.

Oswego....

Even if you don't live in New York State, chances are you hear of Oswego at least once a winter. That's the place that measures lake effect snowfall in feet rather than inches. When we left to journey south in February, Oswego's snowfall for the week (that's 7 days) was already over 8 feet. From that particular storm they ended up with 11-15 feet depending on where you live (and who you talk to). LATE spring is a MUCH better time to visit!

One of the most interesting and perhaps least known tidbit about Oswego is that it is the only place in the US that took refugees during WWII. Roosevelt was VERY reluctant to admit refugees but in 1944 (perhaps due to Eleanor's influence), 982 refugees from 18 countries, most Jewish, boarded a US ship in Italy and came to New York. Fort Ontario in Oswego was chosen for the camp because the barracks were habitable (barely). The refugees lived for two winters (18 months) in these barracks - no insulation, frame structures, tar paper roofs, long two story buildings with only a pot belly stove at either end for heat (coming from warm Naples...). The common language was Italian, but local teachers taught them English and the kids went to Oswego public schools. When the war ended no one knew what to do with them. Roosevelt had died, they had no visas and they had all signed documents saying they would return to Europe except they had nothing to go back to. Congress finally decided to put them on buses, take them to the American consulate on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, get their visas stamped, bring them back to the US and put them on a bus to wherever they wanted to go. Some had relatives in this country. A good many chose California. Only one family elected to stay in Oswego (I wonder if the snow played a part in their decisions...) Anyway the museum in the former office for the camp and is well worth a special trip (just try to make it in and out before the snow starts falling!)

Our next stop - Mexico (still in Oswego County). If you're a baked bean fan, you might recognize Mexico NY as being the home of Grandma Brown's baked beans. Unfortunately they no longer give factory tours but I was able to snap this photo of Grandma (her photo is on the label) and, the rarely seen, Grandpa Brown (note he did NOT need to wear a hairnet).

Also in Mexico is what the sign describes as "Upstate New York's Liberty Bell". It's in the public school and not a bell at all but "La Guerre d'Independence" - a multi-colored woodblock series of murals depicting America's War of Independence. It was made in France and only two exist -the other is in the White House. (You might be interested to note that when we asked the high schools kids "loitering" at the front door where the mural was described on the sign to their left, they had no idea. It turned out to be about 20 feet behind them on the second floor just opposite the library. They were able, however, to tell us where the baked bean factory was. You can draw your own conclusions...)

Our last stop in Oswego County - a little walk in the woods to Salmon Falls. This falls was the "end" for Atlantic salmon that came up river to spawn. It's 110 feet straight up and even a salmon can't jump that high. It was an important fishing ground for the Iroquois Indians who caught and smoked the salmon. (Dams of course now prevent the salmon from spawning here. Instead there's a salmon hatchery down the road...) Although we didn't see any, the brochure says bald eagles winter here (are they nuts?!!! perhaps this is the reason they are/were endangered!) Can you see the rainbow in the middle of the falls?

Kids...

Memorial weekend... a NY adventure for kids (our godson Dillon & his brother Peyton).
Question - What's not too far from our house that is kid friendly AND that John & I had yet to explore? Answer - Oneida Lake. Packing a picnic, we headed off to the Verona Beach State Park on Oneida Lake. It comes complete with playground (I had forgotten when a kid is told to take off his shoes before going to play in the sandy playground, it doesn't necessarily mean take off your socks too...) It is a lovely park with lots of picnic tables and shady trees but of course the highlight was the beach area. Sand castles are always in. The water temp was 71 - a bit too cool even to temp the kids. The crazies in the water at the top of the photo were all teens.

When the adults had reached their "sand limit", we headed a couple miles down the road to Sylvan Beach that has a fun little amusement park for kids... & us. It celebrated its 50th anniversary last year and many of the original arcade machines and old timey rides are still there. Bumper cars, Tilt-A-Whirl (photo shows mom Kathleen with sons Peyton & Dillon), Haunted House (the track designed by a pretzel maker) and now more funny than haunted (I speak from experience) etc. etc.

The arcade (now a quarter, not a penny) has all sorts of games where you win tickets and exchange them for prizes (VERY cheap prizes I might add). John hit the jackpot and (did he share with the kids? - NO WAY) he turned his tickets in for a VERY cheap wrist watch to wear in his workshop.

In return he "got" to take Peyton on his first (and probably John's last) roller coaster ride. Notice that even though John looks a bit pale he is wearing a wrist watch on both wrists just to show he was a winner.

Truth be told, I think Peyton (& certainly John) had much more fun when we got home going for a ride on the tractor.

Going north for spring...

Our adventure this week started off with a stop at the end of our road to give you a snapshot of the trillium in full bloom in the woods. The logging trail was put in last year (this used to the ALL trillium) but it is still one of the prettiest sights around.

For years we've heard about Rochester's Lilac Festival - after all, gathering to see their lilacs has been an annual event since 1898. Once in Rochester you really don't need directions... just follow your nose. They have over 500 varieties (all in bloom) on 22 acres - a pretty heady experience (probably NOT the event for you if your subject to allergies). The variety in the photo is called Avalanche. The Park Dept. was very kindly selling plants so of course our garden now has one too. And if you want to wear the scent of lilacs all year long, the festival sells lilac perfume made from buds and blossoms harvested by volunteers and sent to a perfume company for processing (I refrained... enough is enough).

Highland Park where the lilacs are is worth a trip in itself. It was designed by Fred. Law Olmstead who also designed Central Park. Some of the trees look like they might have been original to the park when it was given to the city in 1888. (Fortunately for our yard the Park Dept. was only selling lilacs...)

Since it was a pretty day we decided to head home via the Seaway Trail that skirts the shore of Lake Ontario and goes through some of NY's apple orchards - in full bloom right now. (It takes a LOT of trees for NY to produce 25 million bushels of apples each year!) Our tourism map had a little dot for Chimney Bluffs State Park (we'd never heard of it but it sounded interesting). Turns out it encompasses a section of shoreline being eroded away by Lake Ontario. A fairly exciting trail with warning signs not to get too close to the edge. Parts of the trail have obviously slipped over the edge since last year (probably NOT the best hike to take after a rain). But it was beautiful with lots of photo opts. I particularly liked the bit of sod still clinging to the top of the bluff in the right of the photo.

While the trail is definitely "hike at your own risk", I guess the state did feel the need to reinforce the fact that the road is also dropping off (perhaps they were getting too many nominations for the Darwin Awards...).

In search of Millard Fillmore...

Our goal for this trip was to find the birthplace of Millard Fillmore, our 13th President and the only one born in New York State.

It had been years since we were in the village of Homer so we decided to stop there on our way. The center of town, 170 stores and homes, is listed on the Federal Registry of Historical Places, and is a VERY pretty place to walk around, especially in the spring. As far as claims to fame, they do boast this is where the "real" David Harum lived. (Do you recognize the name? It was a VERY popular novel in 1898 and was later made into a movie with Will Rodgers.) Homer is also home to 3 rare lenticular (a new word for me - something to do with metal cabling) truss bridges built in 1881 (the "kit" was made in Connecticut). Two are now "pedestrian only" bridges including the one in the picture. The Wall Street bridge is a fully functional one lane bridge (no weight limit but a large truck would not fit).

Although I have about 50 pounds of NYS tourism info, nothing tells you exactly where Millard Fillmore was born - just a dot on the tourism map outside of Homer. We finally happened upon "Millard Fillmore Road" and, putting two and two together... The picture shows the site. Pretty exciting, right??!!! Let's see - they have that pathetic little sign on the right which says "Millard Fillmore Birthplace" in small letters and "Open Dawn to Dusk" in big letters; a bigger sign down on the left by the flag... however, that just shows a map of the Millard Fillmore trail; to the right of the flag there's a very nice bronze plaque mounted on granite... however, that's in memory of MF's biographer, Robert Scarry; down by the main road there is a NYS historical marker (from 1932) that says he was born in a cabin here but that's all; and (I almost forgot) 4 picnic tables in various stages of disrepair. (Some say he's our most forgotten president - perhaps they are right.)

Although this site was a bit of a disappointment, remember the next time you flush the toilet that it was Millard Fillmore who put indoor plumbing in the White House. And of course you can Google him and learn more including the details of his last run for President in 1856 as a member of the Know Nothing Party...

Since that little adventure didn't take up a much time, we decided to stop at the 1890 House in Cortland (another thing we've been intending to do for years). It was VERY interesting. Five floors of "things" to look at (have you ever seen a Tiddlytennis game?), not to mention the lovely architecture. It was built (you guessed it) in 1890 for Chester Wickwire and is the mirror image of a house in NYC (another trip). What you may not know is you probably have one of his inventions in your home - screen wire. He ran a hardware store. One of his customers who couldn't pay his bill gave him a carpet loom instead of cash. It must have been black fly season because Wickwire got the idea of weaving metal instead of carpets. It worked. Wickwire built a factory (closed in 1972 - who knows where it comes from now) and made a fortune.

Speaking of black flies - it's that season in upstate NY so camping is OUT for me until they're gone in June as I'm allergic. But don't dismay, more exciting day trips are planned (this one was just late getting posted because our computers have been in the shop for the last ten days).

It starts with a C...

Every year for at LEAST eight years, we and our friends Leigh & Bruce have been making New Year's resolutions (perhaps that's a bit of a stretch but close...) that we HAVE to go to the Corning Museum of Glass. So, with you all as inspiration (after all I did promise you a new place each week and promises are more binding than resolutions), we finally did it. Printed on the glass entrance doors is "Corning Museum of Glass" as proof that we actually gave up a BEAUTIFUL day to venture indoors. (Just so you know how beautiful it was, our car and about a dozen others - probably staff cars, were the only ones in the parking lot. There were, however, about 2 dozen tour buses with mostly Asian visitors. In fact the glass blowing demonstration received a live interpretation in Mandarian so that gives you some clue.)

So what was it like? It was as beautiful as the day and well worth the trip. We started out diligently reading every sign board, then just the title or the artist, then just sort of strolling past all these glass objects. Our eyes were about as glassy as the display of glass eyeballs by the time we came to them.

However, I LOVED this little "perfume diffuser". The sign said they didn't actually know for sure what it was used for. (I also saw it during my "strolling" phase so forgot to note where it was from - maybe Italy????- or when it was made. Sorry. You'll have to go yourself and find out.) Anyway, did you ever see an object like this with such an attitude? And in something so small? It was only about 8 inches tall.

You probably guessed the window is Tiffany. It's the first one that was commissioned for a private house. (They didn't say how they happened to acquire it. Somewhere on the Hudson is probably "what used to be" a grand house with a plain old Anderson window.) Tiffany said something to the effect that he didn't understand why Americans had such a problem adding color to their clothing and their architecture. Perhaps I'll try to add a colorful shirt to my wardrobe - am not sure I'm ready for a purple house yet.

Just so we didn't get too bored with "the collection" there was a large exhibit of innovations including an exhibit on lenses and mirrors. Since you seldom see a photo of me... (By this point we had moved from our "glassy eyed" to "loopy" phase.)

In case you missed it, Saturday was Derby Day. We stopped on the way home at a bar in Ithaca to cheer for "our horse". LUCK is our middle name!!!! (We didn't have a dime bet on "our horse"...)

Until next week...

Lititz, Lebanon & Hershey...

Tuesday found John aiming the hose on Rambo to find the leak over the driver’s seat before wrapping up the day on the roof of Rambo. Wednesday found us heading south to a campsite near Hershey PA… in the rain. Apparently John’s repair worked because neither the inside umbrella or the shoulder drip pan were needed for the driver. However… the leak around the back door was another story. As luck would have it, that is John’s side of the bed so I was worry free.

So why, you might ask, were we headed to Hershey? A boondoggle (is that really a word?). We “won” two nights free camping, $50 in gas and dinner for two – all we had to do was listen to an hour’s presentation on the campground. So we listened, said “no thank you” to the “membership” concept, and explored the area. Notice the goose nesting by the light next to the campground sign in the first photo – she said "yes" to the membership.

Lititz PA was our first stop. Turns out it “could” be an interesting little town. Linden Hall (photo 2) is the oldest girls’ residence school in the US, founded in 1746 by the Moravian Church. The church was built in the 1800’s (but CLOSED when we got there). The tree (I think) is a linden (if it’s not, it should be). Across the street (photo 4) is the site of the first pretzel factory in the US started by Julius Sturgis in 1861 (currently CLOSED for renovations). Next stop, photo 3 – Wilbur Chocolates (OPEN! leaving us poorer and heavier – great chocolate though). And lest you think that’s all Lititz has to offer, it is the home of Victor Mousetraps, photo 5 (CLOSED – no deals on mousetraps this trip).

Up the road is Lebanon PA. It is the home of “Loser’s Music”, Shyla Clay Pigeons, and Hershey’s “Idle Asset Storage” (John said he could relate). The real treasure was the Union Canal Transportation tunnel (photo 6). Completed in 1827, it is the oldest existing transportation tunnel in the US. It was part of the canal system so of course it is not used much. If you’re there in summer you can take a moonlight float through the tunnel (for us? - CLOSED). The first boat to use it was “Alpha of Tulephocken” (something I’m sure you’ll remember for your next trivia competition).

Running out of obvious things to do in Lebanon, we headed to Hershey Gardens (in Hershey). John particularly liked the Children’s Garden – you guessed it, photo 7. The owner of the gardens (they also have a controlling share in Hershey Chocolate) is the heir to the Hershey fortune, the Milton Hershey School. They have 1500 residential students selected on the basis of social & economic need from age 4 to 19. A VERY nice school (not that it shouldn’t be with an $8 billion endowment). Photo 8 is the outside of their rotunda (my dinky camera was overwhelmed by the inside). In 1970 when it was built it was second in size only to St. Peter’s at the Vatican.

Wrapping up our trip we met a friend at the Hershey Hotel for a very decadent lunch and gained a few more pounds by sampling every chocolate dessert they had (lobby photo 9 – the hotel is also owned by the school). John did, however, have enough energy to “tiptoe through the tulips” before we headed home. Back in NY it was comforting to see a sign for a new business – “Rita Mae’s Flowers & Worms”…

Until our next trip...

Check out our other blog...
www.musingsfromthecountry.blogspot.com

A bit about Heifer International...

Several of you also asked about Heifer Project so.... you get to hear a bit about them too.

Heifer International has projects all over the world including the U.S. (Sad to say, but we still have hungry people in our country.) Rather than just giving food to the hungry, Heifer's aim is to provide families with an "agricultural" means to help them secure food as well as provide an income source. Therefore a family might receive a goat or a hive of bees or even a heifer and given instruction on sustainable agricultural practices - practices designed to protect our environment. The family who receives the animal will in turn "gift" another family with one of the offspring and so on, thus helping the entire community.

When John & I visited the "ranch" in Arkansas, we saw several examples of how this works. I particularly liked the goat demonstration. Rather than letting the goat graze wherever as is the normal practice in much of the world, owners are taught to build confinement areas/buildings on slopes with slatted floors to allow the manure to be easily collected. The manure is used to enrich the land so food can be raised for the goats and for the owners. The confinement areas protect the goats from predators and the children, freed from the responsibility of watching the goats all day, can now go to school. The goat itself is also a food source, not only for meat, but for milk to drink or make cheese which the family can eat or sell. (And, of course, goatskin gloves are always popular.)

There are 3 demonstration farms in the US (Ark., Mass., Calif.) if you'd like to visit. Although "generic" contributions are always welcome, they also have a neat way to make a "contribution" gift. (This is what my family has been doing for several years for Christmas gifts instead of buying more things for each other that none of us need.) For example you can sponsor a flock of chicks for $20 or three rabbits for $60 (just in time for Easter) or a water buffalo for $250 or even a heifer for $500 (for some reason a camel is NOT listed - maybe that's why he's at the ranch). The next time you're looking for that perfect gift for the person who has everything, consider sponsoring an animal in their name. www.heifer.org

I'm going to take the next few days "off" from blog posting. If I can think of some new topics next week, I'll post to www.musingsfromthecountry.blogspot.com
So until our next trip, stay well....