New York Traveler

More Pics of Independence Day

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs Mecomber) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 02:35:00 +0000

It may be over a week since the great holiday... but, EVERY day is Independence Day for us! :D Here are some more really great photos of our fun trip we had that day. If you don't recall, we visited Fort Stanwix in Rome, NY, and then attended a Tea Party at Rome City Hall. Both we spectacular! The public reading of the Declaration of Independence was especially moving. (I haven't yet made the video of the reading).

To get into Fort Stanwix this day, a guard stopped us and asked us where our loyalties lay, with King George or the Continental Congress?

Needless to say, we got in. :D

The nice thing about the Fort is that there is a combination of museum, activity, and living museum displays. We are able to look at formal displays of life as it was 235 years ago, but we are also able to interact with re-enactors.

The amount of work it took to maintian a fort in the wilderness is staggering when you think of it. This was waaay before the age of weight losss supplements-- back then, people tried to EAT a lot because their labors were so exhausting.

I'll have more photos, and hopefully that video, very soon!

Trip to Rome, NY

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs Mecomber) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 01:30:00 +0000

Well, we didn't get to Fort Ticonderoga for July 4th, but we did go somewhere! And we had a blast! We visited Fort Stanwix in Rome, NY, to hear the Declaration of Independence and to give our huzzahs to the 13 united colonies and the Continental Congress. And we went to a Tea Party!

The more often I go to Rome the more I like the city. I know it is in decline as so many Upstate cities are, but it's got an amazing history. And the general atmosphere just seems very conducive to liberty.

The Tea Party there, at Rome City Hall, was excellent. I loved this lady's shirt that said "Liberty Starts Here Again" with New York State on it. Yeah!!

Protests were not so much about the problems of such things as social security disability or the Iraq war, but more about how very far our country has strayed from the principles that made us great, and from the very things that define us as Americans.

And I have GOT to get one of those flags!!!

So When Are We Going to Travel?!

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs Mecomber) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 17:18:00 +0000

Ugh, it's been WEEKS since we did anything! Work, work, work! My kids are working through the summer, plus there's the gardening and home improvements around here. Not to mention, I work a job at home.... busy! BUT we are hoping to get out this weekend. Both Mr. Mecomber and I have the day off, so we are trying to plan on something big.

I saw this video at YouTube... and it got my little mind whirling. Can you guess where this is?

It's a really good thing I've done my digital camcorders shopping and nabbed a good one! Because I think this is what I will be doing this weekend, if we can "wing it"! It's Fort Ticonderoga! If you are an "old" reader, you may remember that the last time we went here, the place was closed for the season. We did sneak in to see the grounds and to view Lake Champlain.... but our desire has been to return and see the buildings and celebrate independence there. I'm REALLY REALLY hoping this weekend is it! I'll keep you posted!

Vintage Dick Cavett Tribute to Utica, NY

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs Mecomber) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 20:55:00 +0000

I remember the Dick Cavett Show-- well, I remember my mom watching it. I was too young to be a viewer (and understand what he was talking about!). I came across this really neat old video clip of the Dick Cavett Show. In it, Cavett honors Utica, NY, for the local television station (WUTR) adding his show to the TV schedule. This guy is really funny!! The show starts out a little slow, but then Cavett does a "tribute" to Utica, and it's pretty funny!

Did you happen to notice the big stage walls, that spinned when Cavett came walking down the stairs? They looked like petal-shaped stainless steel backsplash panels, did you notice them? I'll bet that back then, that was super-advanced technology, eh? LOL!

This is what is so neat about the Internet-- things that were considered "lost" (like vintage shows or photos) are now available for all to see. SO COOL! I'm going to go see what else I can dig up....

Ithaca Hours: A Local Currency

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs Mecomber) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:58:00 +0000

Ithaca, NY, is well known for it's "progressive" ways. It's a beautiful city in a gorgeous area of New York State, but I don't share its progressive philosophies very much. However, I recently read about the city's "Ithaca Hours"-- their very own currency that the local busines! In a time of financial and economic stability, I think something like this may actually be a viable idea for the times ahead. Before indepence from Britain, the colonies all had their own currencies (and this actually caused a lot of friction between the colonies, especially the greedy Northeastern colonies, like New York). One of the first things the founding fathers did was establish a national currency, for all colonies to have in common. It was worked pretty well up until 1913 (Federal Reserve Act) to now. The federal government seems bent on killing our currency and our economy!

ANYWAY.. Ithaca has a rather cutsie currency system that promotes local small businesses amongst the business community, and keeps the dollars in the city. A great idea! This is from the website:

Are Ithaca HOURS real money?

Yes. At present, no monetary systems are backed by an actual commodity (such as gold), but instead notes are simply declared to be money by an authority ("fiat money"). In the case of U.S. currency that authority is the national government. In the case of Ithaca HOURS that authority is the board of the corporation.
As such, Ithaca HOURS are taxable, and it is illegal to counterfeit them.

The name HOUR is meant to remind you that, in addition to being a medium of exchange for commodities, currency represents someone's labor, the time taken to provide a skill or perform a service. Your time is worth something to someone else. When yo ugive someone an HOUR, you are telling them: "I did this much somewhere else. Please give me the equivalent here."

So, if you are a businessperson and want to buy shoes or groceries or a script for Fenphedra, the Ithaca Hours system encourages you to join the system and get it from another local business, rather than an outsider "Big Box" business. Brilliant!

The website is difficult to navigate. I finally found the FAQ page that gives more information on what Ithaca Hours are and what they do.

What a Great Cat and Other Blabber

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs Mecomber) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 15:36:00 +0000

This post has absolutely nothing to do with travel... or anything, for that matter! lol! It's being filed under "Miscellaneous Blabber"!

Anyway, I'm not much for watching loads of videos online, but I saw this at Holy Cuteness. MAN, this dog has got it soooo good. Toooooo too cute!!!

I'm a real sucker for cute animal videos. Obviously, lol. The kids are I are totally hooked on I Can Haz Cheeseburger (LOL Cats). When we're tired of studying and need a break, it's a fun place for belly laughs. If you go there, though, be sure you have your browser's ad-block on, because the banner ads are disgusting. Too bad. But the photos and captions are HILARIOUS! I think I'm addicted! Is there a drug rehab for LOL Cats?? Here are some of my favorites.

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

See? What did I tell you! Aren't they hilarious! Bwahahahaha!

New York News

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs Mecomber) — Tue, 26 May 2009 16:26:00 +0000

Interesting news. The New York Power Authority, with its usual dose of wacked-out, mafia-like, New York favoritism, has offered to give Yahoo, Inc. reduced power rates if it will build a data center in Western New York State.

This deal would bring a whopping 125 jobs to Upstate NY. Whooooppeee! That should offset the 25,000 jobs we've lost!

I scratch my head and marvel at our state. Why the heck won't they just lower rates, lower taxes, reduce regulation?! New York residents are taxed to the GILLS-- on everything from Cyber Monday Internet purchases (which is unconstitutional) to taxes upon taxes! It's insanity! It's so maddening!

Memorial Day On the Way!!

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs Mecomber) — Thu, 21 May 2009 16:48:00 +0000

FINALLY! The day I've been waiting for! Memorial Day is the traditional first day of summer. And it is also the day when New York's tourist season officially gets underway! Hurray! After a long, drab, travel-less winter and spring, New York is finally awakening. The parks, the beaches, the museums, the rv parks, the nature centers-- FINALLY! We are, obviously, thrilled.

I don't know why we must wait so long for places to finally open their doors. I've lamented in the past about how wonderful travel is in Upstate NY during the late autumn. And then to have to wait until practically June until places open... it's ridiculous, really.

If you're planning on any NY travel this season, I recommend checking out the I Love NY website. They've revamped it, and while I think they could improve the "Cities & Towns" search engine feature (it's very inadequate), the site looks very nice. I also see the ability to create one's own brochure for a personal NY travel guide. I tried it but had trouble downloading the odf file to my desktop. I have yet to determine if it is the pdf or my browser... it looks really good in theory, anyway.

So... see ya on the road! At LAST!

Stars of Fame at Landmark Theatre, Syracuse, NY

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs Mecomber) — Mon, 04 May 2009 20:12:00 +0000

We visited the Upstate New York city of Syracise, NY, a few weeks ago. Parking was very sparse (and it didn't help that there was a ton of road construction downtown), so we parked our car several blocks from our destination, and walked around the downtown Syracuse a little. It has been years since I did that! Last time I was here, it was as a youth attending a youth rally. And before then, as a junior high school student on a field trip. Walking around this area sure brough back memories.

One place we walked past (that I had seen on that fieldtrip) was the Landmark Theatre. In the field trip, my class has toured the architectural beauty, learning of its art and history and importance to the area. Unfortunately, the Theatre was closed on the day I visited with my kids. But we got to explore the area surrounding area. And I spotted something I hadn't seen before (because it wasn't there back in the 80s): some cool "stars of Fame" outside the theatre! I submit them now for posterity. ;)

The name is difficult to make out on this one-- it's Joanna Cassidy, wife of the late Paul Newman. I wonder what she was doing at the Landmark? Was she in a play here?

Dick Clark was here. He got his start in entertainment in Utica, NY, nearer to where I live.

This made me chuckle: L. Frank Baum! He's still alive?! For some reason, I thought he was of an earlier genre. What was he doing here in Syracuse, I wonder?

Oh LOOK! Mrs. Mecomber was here!!! Everyone knows her, she's VERY famous! She hawks stuff like baby announcements, doesn't she?! lol

Here are more:

So although we didn't get to go into the theatre, it was still nice to walk around and enjoy the sights. And I don't know if anyone has any online library of those Stars of Fame... but there's one, now!

Thanks for visiting. :)

More Photos of the MOST in Syracuse, NY

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs Mecomber) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 17:37:00 +0000

I posted Part 1 of our visit to the Museum of Science and Technology in Syracuse, NY; and if you haven't yet seen the posts about the amazing Toothpick City II, I recoemmend it! You can see it here and here.

I snapped about 200, 250 photos. All of them are amazing! I thought I'd share some of the random ones here.

Besides the Toothpick City display, another terrific display was an enormous train model display. I could have spent hours looking at it. I loved making miniature things like this as a kid.

These are mini models of areas in Upstate NY; mostly Jamesville, NY. I suppose every teeny-tiny thing was handmade?! The display was enormous-- we walked around and around the diplay-- I can't imagine making or finding all the tiny little Ferrari parts and train parts and etc for this!

Click to enlarge any image.

The kids loved this, a gigantic calculator.

By far, this was my favorite. A green screen! The TV showed your image when you stepped into the green area. You could then play virtual basketball. It was difficult, trying to move while watching yourself on the TV.

So that's the MOST! We loved it. After our visit, we explored a few places in Downtown Syracuse; I'll have more on that later.

Random Photos of Downtown Syracuse

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs Mecomber) — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 11:32:00 +0000

We visited the Museum of Science and Technology (MOST) in Syracuse recently (see my post about the amazing Toothpick City II there). The parking was so packed (and so expensive) that we had to park about 10 blocks away and hoof it to the museum. Then on the way back, I took a wrong turn (road construction, blast it!) and we wound up in the opposite direction of our vehicle. Whew. I'd say we spent about 4 hours walking (including the visit to the museum). Good exercise, definitely, better than the best diet pill around! The kids were huffing and puffing, though. (Not me, of course).

Syracuse is an interesting city. There's a blend of very old, beautiful buildings with modern, antiseptic-looking buildings.

It was a busy day in the city. The road looks like it has some old trolley tracks that have been covered up. See it, in the bottom right-hand side of the photo below? Are those trolley tracks?

This is City Hall. It was very unobtrusive, hidden among taller and newer buildings and not situated next to the courthouse. If I hadn't stopped to inspect the columns, I never would have realized this was City Hall.

The stones are of local limestone. You can see the coral fossils in the limestone. Until relatively recently in history, New York State was all under water. The waers must have been rather warm, for coral to have flourished here.

I took loads more photos! I'll be posting more soon.

Photos from Toothpick City II at Syracuse, NY

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs Mecomber) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 17:28:00 +0000

The kids and I visited the MOST in Syracuse, NY, and got a real treat-- seeing Stan Munro's Toothpick City II! What an amazing display! I blogged about our adventure here, but I wanted to post more photos of these amazing structures.

Certainly when one thinks of toothpicks, either tooth-cleaning or diet supplements comes to mind. But to Stan Munro, toothpicks means TOWERS! These are just amazing!

I can't get over how incredible these things are. This is the La Seu Cathedral in Spain. Look at the detail!

You can read more about Stan and how he got started on this, plus more photos, at New York Traveler.net.

Maple Syrup Season!

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs Mecomber) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 15:56:00 +0000

Now that spring is FINALLY here, New York State ihas geared up for another great maple syrup season. New York's maple syrup industry is big, big business, both for larger companies and small farms. The I Love NY website has a page of some larger maple syrup events going on, including:

Cornell Cooperative Extenstion of St. Lawrence County - Canton, NY

Moore’s Maple Shack & Pancake House - Freedom, NY

The American Maple Museum - Croghan, NY

Maple Glen Sugar House - Gowanda, NY

Their list is not extensive by any means. If you go to the I Love NY page, and do a search on "maple syrup," you'll find a larger listing of farms and businesses that are having events and tastings for the season. I was hoping to take the kids to a local farm around here... don't know if we'll make it this year, though.

In other news, I found this incredible piece of information that there is a "maple syrup and baking soda" cure for cancer! I have no idea if it's true. I discovered this information while doing a search. Has anyone heard of this? Is this something for all kinds of cancers, or just, for example, Mesothelioma cancer, or something? It sounds really wild. You can read about it here and here and here. I like to learn about natural remedies, so it was interesting to me.

Utica Zoo Nature Trail

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs Mecomber) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 02:03:00 +0000

It's finally SPRING SPRING SPRING! No leaves on the trees yet, no flowers showing except the snowdrops and crocus, but it IS spring! It came early this year, and we are pleased as punch. For some reason, this winter was loathesome. It wasn't particularly snowy or cold (although we did have a few subzero cold snaps), just ugly, dull, and boring. I am thrilled to see my lawn starting to fill in.

We took a short trip to the Utica Zoo a week ago. The zoo charges no admission during the winter. It was a fun visit, and we got a healthy, long walk out of it. I have no idea how far we must have walked that day, but several hours of brisk walking was better than any best diet supplements. It was GREAT to be active and outside again.

This was our first time walking up the nature trail behind the zoo.

Utica sits in a low valley, and it is a lovely sight from the zoo at the top of a hill.

I spotted my first robin of the spring here. I'd been hearing them around for a few days previously, but this was my first sighting. Can you click on the photo, enlarge it, and find him?

And for the first time, the tigers were active. Every other time I've been here, they've either been skulking behind the trees in the back, or sitting like lumps on a big stone. They were chasing each other and having a grand old time.

I'll have more photos and story snippets later. Hurray, spring is here!

Cottage Lawn Photos

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs Mecomber) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 14:35:00 +0000

I've been showcasing our trip to the Madison County Historical Society, Cottage Lawn, at my travel blog. You can read Part 1 and Part 2. And the previous post here with loads of photos is here.

I took so many photos of many interesting things! Back in the early to mid-1800s, America experienced an explosion in prosperity and invention. The house was filled with numerous, amazing little gadgets.

This is a "gasoliere." It was once a natural gas-fueled chandelier, but was semi-converted when electricity came to Oneida, NY, in 1888 or so. Click the photo to choose a larger view; the detail is magnificent.

What is so unique about this fixture is that, back then, electricity was limited in availability. Town residents had 2 hours of electricity per day. The rest of the day (or night) was lit using gas. Which means... that this fixture was designed to run with natural gas half of the time, and electricity at other times. Which means... that the electrical wiring is installed in the same tube that filled with natural gas for firing up the lamps. YOW!!!!! That would NEVER pass any kind of electrical inspection today, for good reason.

This is quite the curiosity.

It's a cheese curd spoon. The mouse is a quirky touch. I wonder exactly how they used the spoon? Did they fish curds out of the liquid?

Mice were no doubt a very common site to the everyday home-dweller. Oneida, NY, was built on a swamp, so I assume the residents had more than their share of the critters. I'll bet they spent a lot of their time trying to rid themselves of such pests, and utilizing mold killers to keep the swampy, moist air from ruining everything. I would think that a figure of a mouse would be the last thing they'd want on their spoons, though!

And this is a "nanny bench." It's half-crib, half-bench. The nanny would lay the baby in the cribbed section, and sit on the bench. She could be close to the baby, rock the baby, and have her hands free for mending.

I hope you liked seeing the photos of all these quirky things from the 1800s as much as I enjoyed showing you! I'll have one more post up at New York Traveler.net, so be sure to look for it!

Photos Of Madison Co. Historical Society

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs Mecomber) — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 21:00:00 +0000

I posted an article about our trip to Oneida, NY, to see Cottage Lawn, a lovely home that houses the Madison County Historical Society and also serves as a museum. I took about 100 photos! I couldn't possibly place them all into one or even two posts, so I snapped some photos specifically to share here.

The home was built by the Higinbothams of Oneida. It was once a four-acre lot, with fruit trees and a small stream flowing through the property. The home now sits on an acre-lot, with many houses nearby. The place was built in 1849, and it's like walking back in time! It has these two stone lions at the stairs that we found perfect fodder for an amusing photo.

The house is "English Cottage" style. Kind of cozy but it has a Gothic flair. The Tudor-ish windows give it the English feel.

One of the daughters of the family, Julia, was a musician. She played piano. Her parents had this miniature piano made for her, to fit over her lap in bed.

Upstairs is a delightful (and HUGE) collection of stuffed animals-- an eagle, all sorts of birds, and this amazing pufferfish (or is it a porcupine fish?!).

That's a 150-year old fish in there!

Here's a beautiful old sewing machine, a treadle one. My mom had one of these-- they are simply constructed and work wonderfully. No button-holing with these things, though.

In the bedrooms are displays of everyday living. These bloomers were in Grandma's room. The family were friends with Amelia Bloomer, of Smithfield. Elizabeth Smith Miller (daughter of Gerrit Smith who was a close friend of the Higinbotham's here), made the bloomer fashion. We visited Smithfield and snapped a photo of the historical marker about the advent of Bloomerism here.

And here is a folded-up hoopskirt in a hold trunk. UGH. Imagine wearing those! I am grateful for sweatpants!

I'll have more photos to come!

Random Photos of Rural Upstate NY

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs Mecomber) — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 23:59:00 +0000

I went out for a nice drive in the heart of Central NY recently. AND I remembered to bring the camera! Wooo! This is what rural Upstate NY looks like in early March. Most of the snow is gone-- although more can be expected here. We don't consider ourselves safe until about mid-April! So the landcspae has a gloomy, muddy brown look to it right now. The gray clouds also lend a "Walton's" feel to it (remember that old TV show?).

This is an old salvage barn store in Madison, NY. I've passed by this place for almost twenty years, and have yet to stop by and take a peek inside. Someday, I'm going to.

The stuff isn't exactly gold rings, but to a renovator of old homes or an antique collector, these items can be valuable. They do make great rustic subjects for photos!

My son thought the name on this little wagon was funny.

This is a photo of a house taken in Bouckville, the antiques capital of the U.S., so it is claimed. I couldn't tell if anyone exactly lived here-- I thought I saw a light in the window but didn't want to poke around.

And here is a fine old house in Waterville, NY. I like the style, it's very quirky. Like a lot of other Victorian behemoths of New York, this home has been converted into an apartment building.

And for no other reason than I think it's interesting, here's a photo of a cliff area in Hamilton, NY. The road used to run right beneath that area, with a sign that said "Falling Rock Zone" on it. I guess motorists saw one too many falling rocks, and the state changed the road to be a further distance from the cliff. I liek the way the tree roots are barely clinging to the edge.

I also wrote a post about Colgate University, which is in Hamilton, NY. Feel free to peruse that, here.

Cold But Cute!

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs Mecomber) — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 22:33:00 +0000

My kitty, Livvy (short for Olivia) is at the age now where she is BEGGING to go outside. You'd think she'd be happy being in a warm, safe, dry, happy environment in the house, but NO! She thinks she needs to be outside. Well, she's an indoor cat; but we've decided to let her taste the cold, cruel world. I got her a harness and a little leash and we took her outside today.

It was 15 degrees, though. Does she look a little chilly?

She wouldn't move her paws- the concrete was too cold. She just stood there, a little stiff, while she squinted in the sunshine and smelled the tart winter air.

A little wind blew from time to time, and her ears flattened. Aw!!!

Poor baby. Here we are, warming her ears.

We strolled around the yard, carrying her. Here is her face after seeing the dog in the yard.

Talk about a reaction! That's a Hublot Big Bang there... we moved her away from the dog (so she wouldn't squirm out of our arms) and showed her the van.

My purpose is to get her acquainted with the vehicle, so she won't freak out everytime we have to take her to the vet. Also, if we ever go on an extended trip away from home, I think we'd probably have to take her. She's a real "people" cat and I don't think she could bear to be home alone for very long. So we're training her to be mobile. I'm happy to say that she took to her harness pretty well.

After her brief excursion outside, she was happy to be back in the toasty warm house. She took a nap in her favorite, warmest place: on me, at the computer. She loves to cuddle in my arms under my neck.

A Few More Photos of Hamilton, NY

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs Mecomber) — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 22:47:00 +0000

I am sometimes so surprised by the comments and emails I get after posting one of our travels-- so many people seem to have once lived in the state, or have relatives living here. And they all thank me for the photos and stories. That is so neat!

I have a few snapshots of our visit to Hamilton, NY. They are extraneous photos, not of anything in particular, but just shots of the area. I actually like it when bloggers do this-- I like looking at photos and seeing what things are like in other places. The photos don't necessarily need to be artistic or well-done (and count me in on that!).

Anyway, I'm taking a long time just to say I'm putting up more photos of our trip to this small town in Madison County! You can read more about Hamiton, NY, here.

I saw this red house and thought it was appealing. I like red houses, and I especially like the white paint on the federal-style trim here. It looks so old-fashioned and cozy. That's the Hamilton Library to the left, by the way.

This is the clock tower in the center of town. It sits atop an old warehouse that is now the Hamilton Bookstore. I never noticed that small white balcony in the front of the building (your left-hand side, down the front of the building) until now. I wonder if it is useable?

I love this bookstore-- it retains the lofty feel of the old warehouse. The old wood flooring squeaks when you walk. And there are three stories to explore!

So those are my simple photos. I hope you liked them. I have hopes of taking more simple photos of every day life here in Upstate New York. Spring is coming, so there will be so much to photograph!

Photos of Hamilton, NY

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs Mecomber) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 21:24:00 +0000

We took a drive to Hamilton, NY, recently. It's a small town in Madison County, population about 3500. But it's a college town (Colgate University), so the place is kept up beautifully. I blogged about our drive at my travel blog here. But I want to post a few photos of some neat quirky stuff on this blog, for you to see.

This is a neat little alley. I was SOOO tempted to investigate it, but a lady passed by in front of us as I was taking photos, went in the alley and entered a door in there. I hesitated after that, thinking that this alley probably leads to the entrances of offices for the stores on the front entrances. Nuts.

Walking down the street, I snapped photos here and there. I like this door. It's just so OLD looking.

And there was this quaint little sign outside a small drugstore.

I love little touches like that.

Not all of the buildings are grandiose. This stucco-sided building screamed Plain Jane. It's a tavern. I think it's very homely and sticks out like a sore thumb, or a bad acne treatment, when compared to the other more elegant buildings.

Next to it is the "Main Moon" Chinese restaurant. I think this restaurant has been in this town for about 20 years?! It's been here as long as I can remember. This is the first time I've seen it in this newer red building, though. I love the name: Main Moon. lol.

This is St. Mary's church, the first "Hamilton" building I see when I enter the town. The rectangular steeple in the front (right hand side) always makes me marvel. I know it's stone but I can't help thinking that one severe windstorm, and that roof is going to topple...

And finally, here's a wacky-looking war memorial, situated between the Hamilton library and Village Hall building. It's just a strange-looking monument for an old-fashioned town like Hamilton.

Stay tuned for more photos at my other travel blog, too! Thanks for joining me with this visit!

Zzzzzzzz.....

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs Mecomber) — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 03:38:00 +0000

February. SUCH a boring month! The temperatures are up, then they are down... the snow has become brown and ugly and has lost its charming appeal... and STILL nothing in New York State is open!! :-p Besides the Super Bowl, chicken wings, and the subsequent focus on weight loss pills, there's really still nothing to do around here yet. I always get so antsy, come February.

So, I haven't anything travel-y or New York-y to say. Got any suggestions? I could snap photos of the dirty brown snowbanks... ?

Our activities are still indoor activities. This is the time we really start to feel restless up here. A lot of people take their winter break to go to Florida for a week. I'm making plans on a trip down south sometime, but it won't be this month.

So... zzzzz..... sleepy February.

The Huge NY Luge

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs Mecomber) — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 00:55:00 +0000

Wowsa! I'll bet this family looks forward to winter every year! The dad who built this backyard luge is from Orchard Park, NY.

It isn't your ordinary backyard.

John Mastrangelo builds a homemade ice luge each winter. He started small seven years ago, but he expands the project each year. Now, with the help of his family and Mother Nature, his ice luge is over two stories tall.

"It took a good to condense it into days 14 days 21 days of solid work," John told News 4.

"I am the official hot chocolate girl. Im the official washing up the floor cause we walks in a thousand times and makes everything muddy its a great thing, but he comes here before work after work all weekend long," said Lisa Mastrangelo.

The luge is a continual work in progress. This year its 22 feet high, the run is 200 feet long and this year its bigger than ever.

It's fun for everyone, the kids, the neighbors, and even Dad.

"It's become quite an obsession."

"So cool, fun we get to go on it everyday," said Dante Mastrangelo, about having the luge in his yard.

The kids are all very brave and go down the luge like it was nothing.

"I get really excited and can't wait to go and do it again," said Gabe Mastrangelo.

Isn't it the coolest thing?! I would love to go sliding down that thing! I'd probably need to recover for a day in a comfy sleep number bed if I did, though. Boy, sometimes I wish I was young again!

Hat tip Junkfoodaholic.

That Dumb Groundhog

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs Mecomber) — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 20:18:00 +0000

The groundhog/winter thing is a little old. How old is this goofy tradition? I really can't believe grown people still follow through with it, lol! And the groundhog bit New York City mayor Bloomberg this last time, lol. Pardon my laughing, but golly-- that's kinda funny!

So all the groundhogians are saying winter will still maintain its icy grip for the next six weeks. :-p And that, my friends, is why I hate Groundhog Day. Call it cabin fever or whatever, I am TIRED of winter.

Wah wah, I know- what a complainer, lol! OK, yeah, winter is a nice time to do indoors things. We try to spend more time reading together as a family, playing games, and othr indoor things. That is very enjoyable. The boys like computer games, but I am not too fond of those as a leisure activity, unless the game has some educational purpose.

One very nice website my sons have found is at MagNext . My youngest discovered the site a few months ago, and loves it! I love the Legends King Arthur game (hee) but the big favorite with the boys right now is Plasma Clash. This is a great website to send the kids during those long quiet winter days. It also make a great motivational tool for them-- I find that chores and schoolwork gets done much quicker whrn they know that a visit to the MEGA Brands website is in store for them. Hehheh! The site allows members to collect "magz" to go toward purchases, too.

So I guess winter isn't all that bad. It would be neat of someone could invent a "groundhog" game like Whack-a-Mole or something! LOL!

P.S. MagNext is free to play, by the way-- AND it's a kid friendly website. Believe me, your kids will love it!

We Got Snow

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs Mecomber) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 18:38:00 +0000

Well, my blogging pal Chilly has been begging for me to send him some snow. Chilly-- the Post Office is a remarkable institution, but I seriously doubt they'd get this package right, lol. So I have the next best thing-- snow photos! Looking at them makes me feel cold all over again.

Here's the path we had to cut to our dog's area. Usually she is in the basement (heated) when it gets really cold, but she prefers to be outside in the snow, actually. Here she is, expecting me to bring the leash and go out for a walk. She's a little pudgy, isn't she? Do they make best diet pills for pudgy beagles?

Here's our backyard and driveway, buried in snow.

The kids love it! Look at the size of the snowbanks.

This is the Snow Mountain. Great for sledding.

I like the smooth, untouched snow in the backyard. That's about 17 inches or so there.

So there ya go-- snow! Enjoy! lol. Me, I can't wait until it all melts. I'm tired of it.

Cold, Cold, Cold!

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs Mecomber) — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 12:47:00 +0000

This photo, taken on a "warm" day last week (about 20 degrees F), seems perfect for today. I took it at the frozen shores of Oneida Lake in Central New York. Doesn't it make you feel colder?

BRR!

Today our temps will barely reach 10-15. I'd better start digging for some summertime photos before my fingers freeze to the keyboard, lol!