Tuesday morning

It's "May Day!"

and

"BIG TRASH" Day, too.

34.3 degrees; the sunrise was announced loudly, at just 5:42, by the ever-helpful Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, who starts each day with a percussion solo on the barn roof.

From WKTV: "sun and clouds will rule the morning (more clouds than sun at times), but you will notice a stark increase in cloudiness as the day progresses. A sprinkle or two is possible toward sunset Tuesday. Widespread rain showers will develop Tuesday evening and Tuesday night. A quick hitting dose of locally heavy rain, especially south of the Thruway will move through overnight and clear the area by mid Wednesday morning. A rumble of thunder is not likely, but is possible. Highs on Tuesday will reach around 60 degrees, with cooler conditions where clouds thicken up first. Tuesday night will see lows near 40 degrees."


DOT Landscaper Paul Evans was in town, yesterday, leaving trails and clusters of fluttering flags which mark locations for about sixty more new trees which will be planted in the next week or so. Seven Hop Hornbeams will go in the Park, some Flowering Crabapple Trees in the tree grates between "Michael's" and the Tyler building; with more "crabs" and Elm and Pin Oak here and there from the Fire House to Sangerfield.


Mayor Younes, Mr. Ostrander, Mr. Bechy and Clerk-treasurer Lorena Lenard held yet another meeting at the mill to discuss the Village's options.




Out in the woods, bright yellow Turk's Cap Lilies (sometimes called Adder's Tongue or Trout Lily - because of the speckling on the leaves) and tiny pink Spring Beauty make mossy May Day bouquets.

Rusty Fredericks, who lives out toward Brookfield, took some pictures of bluebirds yesterday morning. This one was so perfect that I "watermarked" it so that it wouldn't end up in someone else' portfolio. (Thanks, Rusty!)

I should probably also "watermark" the grand photographs that Jeff Reynolds sends me, now and then. This one must have been taken on his afternoon commute from Waterville to Cooperstown. Thanks, Jeff!

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Planning Ahead

"Michael's Fine Food and Spirits" will open at noon on Saturday for a special "Cinco de Mayo" celebration. Check his website for details!

***

Sunday, May 13th is

MOTHER'S DAY

and SouthGate Ministries extends an invitation to the community:

"We at SouthGate are having a

Mother's Day Breakfast
from 8 to 10 am.

The event is FREE to the community.

Please call 841-3266 and leave your name and the number of people who will be attending."

***********

I had a nice E-note, yesterday, from Charles Thompson of No Sheep Designs. Apparently he's a Blog-reader, and he was pleased to find himself - and No Sheep - mentioned! He did graduate from WCS - in 1985 - and has been designing websites for about eight years. (Thanks, Charles!)

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And now the sun is really shining: have a Great Day, everyone!

Monday morning

It's 47.7 degrees.

and it's Garbage Day.

WKTV predicts - a few more sprinkly days, followed by SUNSHINE!

• Monday: A morning sprinkle, otherwise partly sunny. High 59
• Monday night: Partly cloudy. Low 39
• Tuesday: Partly sunny with a slight chance of a shower. High 60 Low 42
• Wednesday: Mostly cloudy with showers. High 55 Low 34
• Thursday: Partly sunny. High 59 Low 37
• Friday: Mostly sunny. High 63 Low 41
• Saturday: Mostly sunny. High 69 Low 47

Although it is an "alternate" Monday night, it is not a Village Board Meeting night: those happen only on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month (unless these fall on a Monday holiday, in which case the meetings take place on the following Wednesday.)


The Village Board did, however, meet in a lengthy Executive Session on Saturday to discuss the demolition of the Putnam Hall "Mill" and the hope that it can be razed and all brought to the ground, by professionals, as soon as is possible.

The building was constructed by George Putnam in 1867 and for several years housed railroad offices storage space and - on the third floor - a large ballrom where entertainments of all sorts, from dances to high school graduation to plays and dinner parties, took place. About ten years after it was built, the building changed hands and it became the Buell Boot and Shoe manufactory. Years later, of course - and until fifteen or twenty years ago (and I hope that someone will tell me the exact year) it was a division of the Waterville Knitting Mill.

*******

Elsewhere:

Carol Aldridge asked me - just yesterday, in Foodking - if my "Lenten Rose" had bloomed.

Yes!

********************

And down in the Bronx...........

New, for your edification and enjoyment .............

visit "Michael's Fine Food & Spirits" website

which was created by

Charles Thompson at his company,

"No Sheep Designs,"

in Clinton!

Sunday morning

How unusual!


I overslept --- ALOT!

... and even found my grandson, Iain, already downstairs, giggling because he beaten me, and waiting for his cinnamon toast and cocoa!

A quick assessment of the day:

It's 40-ish and foggy.

and dreary in Boston, but ......

that's only fair!

************

"More toast, please!"

******

And I'll be back, later! Have a good day!

Saturday Alarm

The siren rang around midnight. Andy Gillete, who lives right next door to the old "Putnam Hall" Mill building, said there was a huge "WHUMP!!! The whole house shook and it sounded like ten tons of snow falling off the roof." But he knew, right away, just what had happened.

The frame addition to the brick structure, already sagging, finally just collapsed, taking some brickwork of the larger building with it.

An emergency meeting of Village Officials took place this morning.

And, on the eastern side of the building, a portion of the Mansard roof threatens to fall.

Saturday!

49 degrees; not raining!

..but it looks, according to Weather.com, as if it'll be drippy, again.

That won't have any effect on the

MUSIC BOOSTERS BOTTLE DRIVE

this morning from 9 - noon.

.... but it might effect the game between the Yankees and Redsox that's scheduled for 3:55 this afternoon in the Bronx!

There's already a "lake" of Blue Scilla next to the Burback residence on Sanger Avenue and several more small ponds of the same plant elsewhere in the village.


Is this a beach?

One doorway at a time, Dan Maine & Co. have been refurbishing and painting the doors at SouthGate Ministries - the old Presbyterian Church - on Main Street.

And as the new siding goes on, we know that the answer is: "White!"

********

We seem to be having more of the "case of the disappearing pictures" and some blog-followers have even lost "Huddle" completely! I'm not sure what the answer to these problems is, but I'll try to keep tabs on the situation, today.

Whatever you do, have a Great Day!

Friday afternoon

Here's our ancient Elm Tree. It seems to have survived the trauma of construction, two years ago. You can see the one bare twig in the very center of the crown. With the sort of rain we've been having, the tree should at least start the season in good shape, considering its age!

***********

Headlines

from the front page of this week's issue of

The Waterville Times

Blood Drive - There will be a blood drive in honor of Ryan Still on Monday, April 30th from noon 'til 5:00 P.M. at the Oriskany Falls Fire House.

Law Day Has Activities - Paul Hadley is coordinating activities for the Madison County Bar Association's observance of Law Day on May 1.

St. Mary's Chrch Will Close in Mid-August - Bishop James Moynihan of the Catholic Diocese of Syracuse announced last Saturday that St. Mary's Church in North Brookfield will have its last Mass on August 16.

Waterville Adopts 2007-2008 Budget - The Waterville Village Board approved a budget of $741,190 with an $8.60 per assessed $1,000 tax rate.

Oriskany Falls Plans Informal Census - Mayor Doug Smoral said that the 2000 U.S. Census showed that the village had just 687 people. "We think that's not the correct number. It seems too small," he said.

Step it Up - photo story. Sixteen people gathered on the steps of the United Church of Christ in Deansboro, on April 14, to call on Congress to adopt legislation that will set the country on a course to reduce carbon emissions 80 percent by 2050.

Storm Damages Town's Computers - The Town of Augusta lost two computers, a printer, radio equipment and a copier due to a power shortage from the April 16 snow storm.

Candidates File Petitions - Candidates for the May 15 school board elections have filed their petitions to run.

Ag Events Promoted - The Oneida County Agriculture Economic Development Program received a state agri-tourism grant of $43,450.

*************

Don't Forget the

MUSIC BOOSTERS BOTTLE DRIVE

tomorrow from 9:00 'til noon

and the

SPAGHETTI SUPPER at the HIGH SCHOOL

from 4:30 - 7:00.

Proceeds will be used to defray expenses for members of the Waterville Marching Band on their trip to Washington D.C. for the Fourth of July Parade!

Friday morning

It's 46 degrees.

Going to be drippy.

Yesterday was quite nice and - besides doing some flowerbed cleanup - I took Mrs. Davis' advice and drove over to Oriskany Falls and then northward on Route 12B to VanHyning Road to see the house that's being built, there. It's right at the foot of the hill and was once the Miller residence. It's large! And hearsay has it that it will be a Bed & Breakfast!

Municipal Hall was the first building to have
mown lawns; now it's the first to have dandelions!


The Great Blue Heron are back. There's one - right in the center of this picture - looking for all the World like a stick of dead wood, patiently waiting to catch something in the little pond on Sanger Hill Road.

The Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers have returned to Whiskey Hollow - right on schedule. I havn't seen it, yet, but I've heard one: they find any and all sorts of metal - like our barn roof and the township signs - to tap on, signalling their territory.

The Yankees and Redsox begin a three-game weekend series in the Bronx on Friday evening.

**************

There's a nice article in today's Observer-Dispatch about Elm-planting projects in Utica and other cities.

DOT Landscape Architect Paul Evans will be in town next Monday staking locations for quite a number of new street trees that will be planted during the next few weeks. His list does include the "Accolade Elm." I noticed, yesterday, that Waterville's one big, old elm tree - the one in front of the Fire House - appears to be alive except for a couple of smallish, twiggy branches. I'll take a picure of it, today.

*******

WKTV Newschannel 2 reports on former Vice-president Al Gore's talk at Hamilton College, last night.

**************************

I'll post Headlines from this week's issue of The Waterville Times, later on, but wanted to make sure that this - also in the Times - reaches all of you:

How can I possibly say “Thank You!” to all of you?

Dr. Chabot and everyone in his office, as well as the many at the Harding Nursing Home who cared for Dick - and me - all did so with the most remarkably gentle, kind efficiency. My daughter Allison and her family have been supportive and helpful beyond description, and Patty Louise, in her eloquent article, gave all of us a lasting memory of "Rf" to hold on to.

I simply can't find the right words to express my enormous appreciation and gratitude for all of the compassion and generosity shown me during Dick's illness and since his death. I have been overwhelmed - and humbled - by all of it and can only say that I shall try to follow his energies with my own and, in my own way, attempt to give back to the Waterville Community all that it gave to Dick and me for so many years.

Allison and I will be setting a date for Dick's “damned fine party” so that those friends who are still away right now will be able to attend, and then we'll let all of you know when and where it will take place! Allison, Rick, Iain and I, as well as some of our "East Coast" relatives and friends, will look forward to seeing all of you, then!

God Bless you All!

Sincerely, Philippa Brown

******

"The Kids" are coming for the weekend!

You Have a good day!