Friday

It's Garbage Day!

It's possible that my indoor/outdoor thermometer needs new batteries, or perhaps it's just fine: it just looks odd.

33.3
66.6

• Friday: Snow showers. Chilly and breezy. High in the mid 30s. Light accumulation possible south of Utica and also on the Tug Hill Plateau.
• Friday Night: Snow showers. Cold. Some accumulation possible. Low in the mid to upper 20s.
• Saturday: Light snow. High: 39, Low: 26
• Sunday: A mix of sun and clouds. High: 40, Low: 18

There's no sign of anything white outdoors, now, but it is time to start checking Webcams to see where it's snowed!

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Between a morning of shopping and an afternoon of computer graphics, I only took a few pictures yesterday, and of those THIS one is so absolutely choice that I discarded the rest right away! There's nothing particularly wonderful about the composition of the photograph, but it tells a story.

I have no idea whether this particular decoration - Polar Bears - was intended to represent the residents of the building and/or to send a message to the landlord, but it certainly could! The big difference between Polar Bears and People, of course, is that one likes being cold; the other doesn't.

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I'd gotten away from reprinting bits and pieces of "In Timely Manner" - the column that
I write for The Waterville Times - and I've been reminded that there are one or two blog-readers who miss it. Here are just a few things from this week's issue:

The Benefit for Mike Olsen that took place on the 4th was a huge success, attended by so many from the community that not only was the parking lot at the Legion full, but cars lined he sides of the highway as well as he Bishton family driveway and McCabe Road!

“Hops and Vines” is the name of the new gift emporium which Ms. Patsy Hill has opened in her home on the way to Sangerfield. The writer is the recipient (in exchange for a drawing of hops) of a beautifully-wrapped and very attractive electric “tart warmer” which has perfumed her home in Whiskey Hollow with the aromas of both freshly-baked apple pie and ginger cookies and resulted in great olfactory pleasure with neither a bit of kitchen mess nor risk of caloric overdose!

(Hops and Vines will be open Sunday Afternoons from 1 - 5 'til Christmas or by chance or appointment. Watch for the OPEN sign on the front lawn.)

Not long ago, Mr. D. Meszler of Sanger Avenue acquired a new “hybrid” automobile whose performance has pleased him a great deal. Now, however, if one were to ask him what his NEXT mode of transportation might be, he would tell you, “A Segway!” While he and Lori were in Florida, last week, he had the opportunity to spend several hours riding a "personal transporter" all around EPCOT (at the manufacturer’s expense!) Were he to own his own, it might make travelling to his many local meetings fairly efficient - at least in good weather - but not even the Segway Company would recommend it for his daily to-Utica-and-back commute!

(It's much more fun being able to use links!)

The Burbacks, also of Sanger Avenue, have just returned from spending three weeks in Eqypt visiting their daughter Alison and her family which includes grandsons Umar, who is seven years old, and Humzah, age five. It was their first trip to Egypt and they spent most of their time in the city of Alexandria, where Alison lives, seeing all of the “tourist” spots and much more. They took a side trip to Cairo where they visited the National Museum, the Sphinx and the Pyramids (yes: Paula rode a camel!) Mr. Burback made a point of telling me that the Egyptians - unlike profiles circulated by other sources - are actually very “kind, gracious, welcoming, and very cordial toward Americans!” The writer, also having been to Egypt, joins him in urging all those who have the opportunity to travel to other parts of the world to go there at least once; spend time in that cloudless, friendly country of bright cheerful colors and unequaled antiquities!

The paving of new sidewalks on Berrill Avenue, Putnam Street, White Street, and Tower Street has been completed AND there is also a new sidewalk leading from the Schoolhouse Apartments along the side of Babbott Field - perfect for anyone pushing strollers or even tykes riding trikes on their way to the Kiddie Playground and Pavilion.

Everything will be getting busier and busier, now! High on our list of places to go next weekend will be the Sauquoit Valley Fine Arts & Crafts Festival at the Sauquoit Valley School. Admission will be $3 and a shuttle will run continually to all parking areas.

Planning ahead: Tapestry, the All-centuries Singers (in Renaissance costume) and the Grasse River Players of Canton will give one local performance of the famous seasonal farce, “The Second Shepherd’s Play,” at the Kirkland Art Center on December 15th. Only sixty seats will be available (make that 58!) and Tapestry suggests purchasing tickets in advance. The admission charge of $12.00 will include a variety of seasonal refreshments as well as traditional choral music and, of course, the farce. Call any Tapestry singer or 315/853-6282.

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Have a Great Weekend, Everyone!

Thursday

It's Recyclables Day!

41 degrees and soggy.

• Today: Morning rain, gradually mixing with and changing to wet snow from high elevations down throughout the afternoon. Little to no accumulation expected, except in Northern Herkimer and Hamilton Counties where as much as 1" of new snow may accumulate by evening. Morning high in the mid 40s, but turning cooler throughout the day.
• Thursday Night: Snow showers. Accumulations by morning in the Mohawk Valley will be just a slushy coating to perhaps an inch. On the hilltops surrounding the valley 1"-2" amounts are expected, with total snowfall of 3"-7" for Northern Herkimer and Hamilton Counties. Lows 28-33.
• Friday: Scattered snow showers, especially late in the day. Some accumulation possible. High: 36, Low: 27

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Getting ready for Winter

out on Hanover Road.

Getting ready for Christmas

on Upper White Street.

Getting ready to open

in the center of Waterville.

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When I visited the ACCESS branch office on Hallowe'en, I wasn't particularly aware of any decorations that weren't cobwebby or creepy. Those are all gone, now, and in their place - in both lobby and offices - hang five or six very large photographic prints of Waterville, "once-upon-a-time."

The enlargements are the work of Skip Foppes with matting and framing by Maple Leaf Construction.

Their size and clarity of the pictures make them all a "must see!" and the ACCESS staff will be delighted to show them to you!


This enlargement of a fifty-year-old photograph of the Olde American Hotel, is so clear that you can read all of the signs and see all of the details of that building and the now-ACCESS Federal Credit Union bank.

Main Street, just the way some of you remember it.


If you belonged to the Waterville Central School Camera Club around 1940 or remember M.L. "Pete" (or "Professor") Peterson, you need to take a close look at this print.

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Take a close look at the front door on the St. John Apartment building, too!

The new paint brings out details that never showed up, before.

I noticed this for the first time, yesterday. It's on E. Main Street; a fine surprise!

The groundwork's laid; the design drawn. I think it's safe to say that the WCS Art Club will be at the Post Office on Saturday!

Wednesday

Metals Collection!

It's 37.2 degrees.

• Wednesday: Increasing Clouds. Breezy. Showers late. Mild. High near 60.
• Wednesday night: Rain showers. Turning cooler late. Low around 40.
• Thursday: Breezy and cool with rain showers mixing with and possibly changing to snow showers. High: 46, Low: 29

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Yesterday really turned out to be quite pleasant. Painting continued at the St. John Apartments ........


Bob Mayne added to his fine Winter supply of firewood .......

the Coles hung garlands .........

and on Madison Street the Fosters' ornamental kale glowed in the afternoon sun.


The leaves of this tree looked like polished silver!
Perhaps someone can identify it for me? (Mark Mowrey could!)
It's on Sally Road just about at Fuess-Cleary Road in what used to be called the "Bank Lot."

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841-4077 to register!

OR

Consider this: Lawrence Gilley writes to say that The Marshall Historical Society will meet at the Town Hall on Thursday, November 15, 2007, 7:30 pm. Guest Speakers: Students from Clinton under the leadership of Principal Richard Hunt will present: "Local Baseball History".

The students are a chapter of the Society of American Baseball Research (SABR) which has about 7000 members and 56 regional chapters throughout the United States. SABR members study baseball past and present and research the historical aspects of American's pastime.

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That new driveway that I showed you on November 7?

Seems it's on Village property and no one noticed 'til it was too late!

How could that happen?

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Perhaps we'll learn what this - on Route 315 - is all about ----
next Summer!

Have you ever been to Shako:wi? It's not a long drive and it's a nice "discovery!"
From this morning's O-D: Shako:wi Cultural Center offers craft classes The Oneida Indian Nation’s Shako:wi Cultural Center offers ongoing craft classes for cornhusk doll making at 2 p.m. every Tuesday and Saturday.

Classes are free and limited to ten participants. Registration is required by calling 829-8801.

The center is located on Route 46, about three miles south from the intersection of state routes 5 and 46. The center is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and features a gift shop on premises.

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This may be the last of our "outdoor" days:

enjoy it!

Tuesday

NOW it's Garbage Day!

It's 40 degrees and wet, but the forecast for this afternoon looks fine, indeed!

• Tuesday: Decreasing clouds and turning partly sunny. Pleasantly mild. High in the mid 50s.
• Tuesday night: Partly cloudy and cool. Low in the low 30s.

• Wednesday: Mostly cloudy with rain arriving later. High: 56, Low: 40

On a very gray day, a very bright glow suddenly appeared in the middle of the Village!
The shopping carts have arrived: can the Sales be far behind?

You wouldn't guess it from looking at these window boxes of pansies on Sanger Avenue,
but yesterday was really quite chilly, and there are signs of the season throughout the Village.

The DPW has set out all 124 (or is it 142?) barrels;

stacks of cord wood grow longer and taller at Red Mack's

and the Freibels'.

(A "Cord" is defined as a woodpile 4' wide x 4 foot high x 8 feet long. A "rick" or "rack" or "face cord" is the amount of firewood stacked by 4' by 8' by one row of the length of the stick.)

Margie was raking .........

and the Tamaracks (or Larches) in "state land" forests down on Beaver Creek Road are turning yellow.

There were quite a few Canada Geese on the big pond. Brian Staring wrote to me, a few weeks ago, and said that many years ago his Granfather Lallier (that would be Lovina's father) had owned the pond and surrounding land. He had wanted to develop it into a camping area but that "the state" put a stop to it saying that "if the dam gave out it would flood Brookfield!"

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I have no idea what incident created this
"event", but I'm quite sure that it wasn't coincidental or social!

Drive Safely!

and have a great day!

Monday

It's a Holiday, so there's

No School

No Garbage Collection

and the Post Office will be Closed.

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It's 30 degrees on the nose.

• Monday: Mostly cloudy with showers developing late. High 52
• Monday night: Rain showers. Low 38
• Tuesday: Partly sunny. High 53 Low 35

On Friday afternoon, the DPW hung all of the wreaths and banners on telephone poles on Main Street ...........

and yesterday I spotted the Ruanes of White Street stringing lights.


Some decorations are out at this house on Sanger Avenue,


and I found a "string" of bright red Bittersweet berries out in the country.


......... and another pretty view in Hanover.

The view Westward from Upper White Street - out beyond Sheepskin Hollow and near the entrance to the old reservoir - didn't look very cold, 'tho there was some left-over snow in shady spots .............

...........and the golden Beech Trees, with leaves turning to "parchment," looked especially nice in the Wintery sunshine.

I went out to Chittening Pond, hoping - of course - for a glimpse of that elusive Eagle, but there were only three Seagulls there, just drifting in the breeze, waiting for the tide to come in, or ... something.

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Back to normal, tomorrow.

Have a Great Day!

Veterans' Day!

It's 19 degrees and the lawn is frosty-white.

I wasn't going to do a blog posting, today, but thought a reminder wouldn't hurt:

And just take "A Pittance of Time" ........

How many Veterans will we see today to whom we owe

"Thank You!"