Kingston, Ontario Canada |
| 7/27/2010 5:59:51 PM |
Instead of taking the 1000 Island Bridge near Alexandria Bay to Canada, we take the little international ferry at Cape Vincent in the United States to Wolfe Island which is the largest island in the 1000 Island group. It’s a more laid back way to travel (which is why we went on vacation in the first place) and you get two “cruises” on the way to Kingston. Wolfe Island is... Read More |
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Kids, Dogs, Boats, and Water in Gananoque, Ontario Canada |
| 7/25/2010 5:01:26 AM |
Late one afternoon while we were in Gananoque Canada, we watched while some children were given a lesson on how to properly paddle a kayak. They took to the water as easily as a new duckling takes to the water on its first swim. I had to smile as a “two-man” kayak passed by with a German shepherd sitting on one of the seats. He seemed pleased with his boat ride and why not... Read More |
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The Islandview Inn B&B in Gananoque, Canada |
| 7/21/2010 5:06:11 PM |
One of our special places to visit which is not in the Finger Lakes but is in the 1000 Islands area of Ontario, Canada. The 1000 Islands area is just a pleasant three and a half hour drive from the Finger Lakes of NY. We just returned home from our third visit to the Islandview Inn B&B in Gananoque, Ontario. If you love living along the water, boating, fishing, and... Read More |
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The Calm after a Finger Lakes Storm |
| 7/18/2010 5:15:30 AM |
Recently we had a day of heavy rains here in the Canandaigua which tested the capacity of all of the drainage ditches and culverts. Here in Deep Run, the retention pond was almost filled to capacity and doing what a retention pond is supposed to do – retain the heavy runoff and only allow a small amount of water to flow into Canandaigua Lake.
That evening the dark storm... Read More |
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How is Your Garden Doing in the Finger Lakes |
| 7/12/2010 6:21:48 PM |
Nancy, my sister-in-law out in California recently asked me how my garden was doing in the Finger Lakes. My brother Sylvan raises a huge garden in Modesto, California and because of the climate there, he can start planting in February.
I’ve been struggling this year trying to take care of two gardens. The one here at my home is my vegetable and flower garden and it’s doing... Read More |
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A Finger Lakes Vacation in Ithaca, NY |
| 7/6/2010 1:14:25 PM |
| It was a lovely day on July fifth and after having rested up from all of the Fourth of July festivities, we decided to drive to Ithaca, a small village located on Cayuga Lake which is the second largest of the Finger Lakes. Our friends Jim and Marie have a boat at The Allen Treman State Marine Park in Ithaca which is beside the old Eire Barge Canal. It's a wonderful spot... Read More |
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The Canandaigua Lady Misses Out on Fourth of July Celebrations |
| 7/5/2010 5:05:15 AM |
I was wondering why I haven’t seen the Canandaigua Lady pass by Deep Run Park on her evening cruise run. But now we know: The Lady has been moved to Woodville at the southern end of Canandaigua Lake for some needed repairs to the hydraulic system.
The 26 year old boat is the reason that Jeanette and I moved to Canandaigua and the Finger Lakes. We were treated to a lunch on... Read More |
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Graduation Time in the Finger Lakes |
| 7/1/2010 4:28:04 AM |
Everywhere you look there seems to be a graduation party! Up the street, next door, in Canandaigua, in East Rochester, everywhere in the Finger Lakes, all are celebrating the completion of 12 years in public school. I’m trying hard to remember my graduation. There were 62 seniors that graduated from my little high school in Smithville, Ohio. We were all grown up then. We... Read More |
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It's Strawberry Picking Time in the Finger Lakes |
| 6/22/2010 2:08:50 PM |
That’s what I have been waiting for - strawberry picking time in the Finger Lakes! None of those big berries from California that look like a strawberry, have hollow centers, and then you need to close your eyes and imagine that you are eating a strawberry. No, I am talking about plump juicy sweet red delicious strawberries that are grown locally.
There are many market... Read More |
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Of Money and Manure in the Finger Lakes |
| 6/16/2010 5:41:11 PM |
What does money and manure have in common? Both are no good unless you spread them around! And that’s what I did with my pile of organic compost yesterday. The potatoes are now nicely hilled with rich organic compost and my tomato plants are top dressed with a thick layer of the compost. The compost helps to hold the moisture in the ground as well as providing nourishment... Read More |
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Garage Sales in the Finger Lakes |
| 6/14/2010 4:34:46 AM |
Just as soon as the weather clears in the spring, out come the signs and tables on the lawn announcing a garage sale. They are quite popular here in the Finger Lakes. They give one an incentive to the clean out your garage and basement of all of those unneeded items that have accumulated over the years.
The Chapin Church in Canandaigua recently held its annual garage sale.... Read More |
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Family Farming in the Finger Lakes |
| 6/10/2010 4:44:43 PM |
The organic fertilizer for my garden arrived today which means that I have my work cut out for me. It is composted locally and is especially blended for raising mushrooms, but works quite well on gardens too. This year I am using it as a top dressing for the tomatoes and also to hill up the potatoes in the potato patch. Nothing fancy when it comes to spreading the stuff -... Read More |
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Early Industrial Development in Erie, Pennsylvania |
| 6/6/2010 4:23:18 AM |
During our recent visit to Erie, Pennsylvania, we stopped at the Watson-Curtze Mansion on West Sixth Street (click here). This Manson was the home of Harrison F. Watson from 1891 and then Frederick Feliz Curtze in 1923 until his death in 1941.
I am more interested in what these men did for a living than I am in the homes that they lived in. Harrison F. Watson was president... Read More |
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Presque Isle at Erie, Pennsylvania |
| 6/2/2010 6:14:05 PM |
Presque Isle by Native Legend is called “The Sheltering Arm of the Great Spirit.” According to the legend, this beautiful sand bar was formed by the right arm of Manitou, The Great Spirit of the Erie’s, as a shelter and harbor for the Great Spirit’s favorite children, the Erie Tribe.
For everyone today, it’s a beautiful place to visit and to enjoy its ever changing natural... Read More |
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The Lighthouses of Erie, Pennsylvania |
| 5/30/2010 5:15:14 AM |
| Jeanette and I traveled with the Centerfield Homemakers travel club to Erie, Pennsylvania. Our destination was not announced as this was to be a mystery trip. The bus headed west from Canandaigua along the New York Thruway. We have passed by Erie many many times in our travels but have never actually visited the city of Erie which is the fourth largest city in... Read More |
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Memorial Day Preparations in the Finger Lakes |
| 5/25/2010 6:27:27 PM |
It seems like Memorial Day comes sooner and sooner each year. Our spring came early this year in the Finger Lakes, but for some reason I seem to be running late in doing all of the things that need to be done in my lawn and garden. The poppies are blooming out in the garden. Their lovely bright orange blooms are a sure sign that Memorial Day is just around the corner. They... Read More |
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Future Arteries of Commerce in the Finger Lakes |
| 5/22/2010 4:32:28 AM |
What will the future arteries of commerce look like in the Finger Lakes? Will the Federal Government give New York State over $100 million dollars to help us implement high speed railroads? (As of this writing, that meant improving the tracks and increasing the speed to 87 mph on some 11 miles of track!)
Or will there be a totally new high speed road system where cars and... Read More |
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Moving the Freight in the Finger Lakes |
| 5/17/2010 7:07:05 PM |
In my last writing I posted about traveling along the old arteries of commerce that spawned the Industrial Revolution here in the Finger Lakes – the canals, rivers, the railroads, and the Finger Lakes themselves which were used to carry the raw materials and the finished goods to their markets.
All of these old arteries of commerce have been replaced by the New York Thurway... Read More |
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Retracing Our Finger Lakes Manufacturing Heritage |
| 5/12/2010 4:04:39 PM |
I treated Jeanette to lunch at the Sherwood in Skaneateles (click here) for her birthday. Instead of taking the Thruway, we took route 5&20 which meanders along the top of four of the five major Finger Lakes: Canandaigua, Seneca, Cayuga, and Skaneateles Lakes. Route 5&20 also passes through Auburn which sits at the top of Owasco Lake. It is along this route that... Read More |
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Mother's Day in the Finger Lakes |
| 5/9/2010 4:24:58 AM |
The old church that I attend dates back to 1853. The Chapin Methodist Church was built here in the Finger Lakes before the days of the Civil War. The paint on the Chapin Church is peeling, the stained glass windows hang precariously in their leaded frames, and even the foundation cement which was hand-mixed is crumbling from the passage of time.
But what is more important... Read More |
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