Thursday morning

It's Garbage Day!

It's 56 degrees; fine sleeping weather!
(And that will explain both the tardiness and brevity of this posting!)

• Thursday: Partly sunny. High 76
• Thursday night: Mostly clear. Low 55
• Friday: Partly sunny with a chance for a shower or storm. High 75 Low 56

There was a very sparse gathering in the Park, yesterday, for Farmers Market. Perhaps both vendors and shoppers had been scared off by predictions of strong afternoon storms - which never came.

Edie Eastman, who lives on Route 315, wrote to say that the fields behind her house are planted to RYE.


I had a telephone call from Sally Zweifel who wanted to "confess!"

For years, of course, she has planted little flowerbeds at the four corners of the Hanover-Shanley Road intersection. But she wanted everyone to know that this year her new neighbors in the big white house - Sharron and Myron Mosher - had taken it upon themselves to plant their corner. She wanted to make sure that they - not she - got the credit for it!


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Karin and Heath Zwahlen get credit for this ......


.... but Mother Nature probably planted these hollyhocks on Brouillette Road all by herself!

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Now: about Cows in the Countryside.

("Bovine Basics" for newcomers like me.)


Most of the dairy cattle raised around here are the black and white HOLSTEIN .....


... with an occasional JERSEY ....


... or BROWN SWISS.


Steve Cleary's "brown cows" are HERFORDS - beef cattle.

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And to make sure that the grains aren't wasted and cattle never hungry ......
Louis Gale & Son, Richer Feeds and Sangerfield Feed are located nearby.

Wednesday morning

Recycleables Day!
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It's just about 70 degrees and gray - "lowry" or "loury."

WKTV predicts:

• Some morning sun, followed by widespread afternoon showers and storms. Some of these storms could produce some gusty winds and small hail. High 83
• Tomorrow night: Rain, tapering to showers. Much cooler. Low 55
• Thursday: Partly sunny. High 76 Low 55

Let's hope that there's a break in the weather

- like from 1 o'clock 'til 7 - when the

Farmers Market

will be in the Park!

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Yesterday, Bill Vetter and his crew were working on Mrs. Zambri's Sanger Avenue home.

Other than that, it seemed very quiet around the village!


Esther Swarthout must have taken just one look at David O'Dowd's photograph of the bright blue Alpine flower: she wrote immediately to say, "Yes, it is gentian--also called 'Enzian' there." (Thank You!)

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Now, perhaps, someone can tell me which of these grains is which!

(It's embarrassing: I've lived here for nearly forty years and I should be able to tell the difference, but I don't!)

I think that the pale blue-green type, shown above, is OATS: is that right?

And this certainly is WHEAT - but is it just plain "wheat" or is it BARLEY or RYE?

And how do you tell which is which?


Potatoes - yes?

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Tomorrow: CATTLE!

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Both the Yankees and the Redsox had a hand in helping the American League win last night's All-Star game 5-4 over the National League. There are no games scheduled for tonight, but regular play resumes tomorrow.

Tuesday

9 YEARS OLD TODAY!

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It's 66 degrees.

• Tuesday: Hazy, hot, and humid. Slight chance of a late day storm. High 92 Low 70
• Wednesday: Hot and humid with afternoon showers and storms. Some have the potential to be strong. High 89 Low 60

There were some very impressive clouds to the North of Waterville, yesterday afternoon, and later on WKTV reported on Power outages and storm damage from what was called, on the Weather Blog, a "supercell" thunderstorm.

Wheat is ripening, and we certainly don't want any heavy storms right now.

Basically, it's going to be another hot one!

Becky Maggio sent me these two photographs of the American Legion Riders and this letter:

"This past Saturday 7/7/07 The American Legions Riders from Clifford J Fulmer had their 2nd Annual Poker Run... What a beautiful day for it too!! The ride started at the Waterville Post and from there went to the following Legions; Munnsville, Oriskany, Richfield Springs and then back to Waterville. The money that was raised will be used for many different charitable events though out the year. There are many more Motorcycle Runs left to go this summer & into fall... The Pediatric Brain Tumor Ride that will start in Deerfield on July 15th, The Make A Wish Ride that will be starting at Utica Harley Davidson on August 4th, The Toy Run that will start from Waterville on September 15th....and many others. The American Legion Riders are a fantastic group and they raise money for so many causes. There are quite a few Legion Riders groups throughout the state and nation. Our community should be very proud to have such a special group right here at the Waterville American Legion."

(Thanks, Becky! and Thanks, Riders!)

Coming home.

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Audrey Welch sent Greetings from North Carolina and this advice: "You will enjoy your predictament with the wrens. We have had the same thing happen in our ferns for several years with finches. The way to water is to carefully tip the basket a little and let the water run under the nest. Usually the mama bird doesnt even fly away. She just stays really still." (Sounds like a very good idea: Thanks!)

Now blooming along roadsides near Waterville:

Daylilies and Wild Sweet Peas.

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David O'Dowd sent me this photograph and note, yesterday. "I just got back from a fantastic trip to Zermatt, Switzerland and Provence (with a quick stay in Paris!). While hiking in Zermatt near the base of the Matterhorn I saw a number of really beautiful alpine flowers."
He didn't know the name of the plant, but I believe that it's a variety of Gentian. Perhaps someone can corroborate that?



Tim Francisco of ProActive Physical Therapy, who returned recently from spending his "vacation" on a Medical Missions trip to Ecuador, sent me a beautiful postcard with a view of this mountain .........

Mt. Chimborazo ~ 21,000 feet elevation.

Was he thinking of climbing it?

Now that's a really "High Peak!"

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Have a great day!

Monday

It's 66 degrees and muggy.

What a thunder storm we had, during the night! And, finally, it rained - not a downpour, but just a good, steady rain that lasted quite a long time.

• Monday: Hazy, hot, and humid with the chance for an afternoon shower or storm. High 90
• Monday night: Partly cloudy and muggy. Low 66
• Tuesday: Hazy, hot, and humid. Slight chance of a late day storm. High 92 Low 70

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For everything Boilermaker, see the Utica O-D and WKTV.

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I didn't have a great deal of time for a Ride in the Country, yesterday, but did drive down Beaver Creek Road as far as Bailey Lake Road to gather some wildflowers. The Beaver Ponds are all nearly empty: perhaps someone knows whether or not this is the result of trapping? or did the former occupants simply decide to move elsewhere?

This barn wall at Dave and Donna Wicks' caught my eye ......

as did this "planter" down in an old pasture on Newberry Road.

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Two years ago, our pair of Carolina Wrens - called The Lone Wrenger & Tonto, because they have white eye stripes - built a nest in a windowbox directly outside one of our kitchen windows. But then came a huge rainstorm and the nest, which was more like a "hut" shaped like a rounded lean-to, collapsed. They're quite vocal birds, and it sounded to us as if the "she" was giving the "he" quite a tongue-lashing in re: his roof-building abilities! Although we could hear discussions continuing, for several days, we never knew where they rebuilt - or rented - but they've stayed with us, even in the Winter.

Yesterday, I suddenly spotted both of them checking out the window boxes, again. "She," however, seemed to discourage that idea and, instead, they began to build a new nest in a hanging Impatiens just outside my kitchen door!

The plant is fairly-well protected from rain, so the new structure may have survived last night's rain, but - even if it did - how am I supposed to water the plant?!?!


I had a better view, yesterday, of the front door of this newly constructed building - the Belfield Agency on West Main Sreet.

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Elsewhere:

Roger Federer won his Fifth Title at Wimbledon.

And the Yankee are moving up!

Boilermaker Runners

Here are the PHOTOS of the Boilermaker Running Group that Mary Campbell took at the school, this morning, and other shots taken during the race itself! And here's what she wrote:

"Waterville was well represented in both the 5K and 15 Races.

Something very newsworthy is: Michael Trendell (2007 WCS graduate) - he had an outstanding cross country and track career in Waterville, going on to Division I Niagara University. He finished the race with the elite runners - 52 minutes flat - that is an amazing time!"

Congratulations, Everyone!

Sunday

It's Boilermaker Day!

61.7 degrees at 5:30

• Sunday: Partly sunny, hot, and humid. High: 89
• Sunday night: Mostly clear. Patchy fog and muggy. Low: 68
• Monday: Hot and humid with afternoon and evening showers and storms. High: 90, Low: 66

Among the many runners from Waterville and surrounding communities will be several from Tammy Alcott's running group. They started training in March and have been meeting every Thursday night since - some preparing to run the Boilermaker 5K and some the 15K. For the last several years, Tammy has encouraged all level runners to participate in this famous event and this year she organized several of WCS soccer athletes to compete in the high school 5K division of the Boilermaker.

Mary Campbell will be at the highschool at 6:00, this morning (!) to take pictures of all of them. Just as soon as she has those on the WCS website I'll add a link, right here, so check back!

For everything else "Boilermaker," go to the Utica Observer-Dispatch or WKTV Newschannel 2.

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A good place to be later today!

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There was lots of activity at the Waterville Historical Society, yesterday.

With Loomis Country Rides starting at 9 o'clock and parkinglots filled,

Sandy and Dick Martin were ready with Hot Dogs;

and Al Toussaint was out at the Hop Exhibit showing off a fairly new acquisition - this enormous, hand-woven hop basket.

Final count: 141 tour bus riders who had come from as far away as South Carolina and Pennsylvania and one family named "Loomis" came from New York City!

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Pat's South Babbot Avenue Shop was open, too.

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In other news:

It's the last day of play at Wimbledon, with Gentlemen's Singles and several Doubles matches on the schedule. Yesterday, Venus Williams claimed her fourth center-court championship.

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