tag:moguling.com,2010:sm-92233720368547701142010-07-27T18:00:49-07:00<![CDATA[Finger Lakes Living]]>James R. Bupp - Ph.DMeridian One Technologies Inc.tag:moguling.com,2010:sm-92233720368546354862010-07-27T17:59:51-07:002010-07-27T18:00:47-07:00<![CDATA[Kingston, Ontario Canada]]>
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 in Canada so one must stop at customs after you drive your car off the ferry. You then head across the island to Marysville to catch the bigger 80 car ferry to Kingston. This ferry is operated by the City of Kingston and is free! (When was the last time that you went on a beautiful boat ride for free?)
The City of Kingston is a very historic city and has much to offer visitors in terms of restaurants, parks, colleges, historical sites, and sports. We love the little park along the St. Lawrence River in Kingston and it’s always our first stop when we visit. The locomotive engine there at the park was one of more than 3000 steam engines built in the city of Kingston. At one time the Canadian Pacific Railroad ran along the St. Lawrence River front in Kingston and connected Toronto to Ottawa. The old railroad station in Kingston now serves as a tourist souvenir shop. It is here that you can buy a bus ticket which will take you on a tour of the city. The bus tour is a tourist ‘must do’ as they take you around the city in an air-conditioned bus to see the historical sites, the colleges, and tell you a little about the history of this beautiful city. The tour is worth much more than the fourteen dollar price for a ticket!
James R. Bupp
]]>James R. Bupp - Ph.Dtag:moguling.com,2010:sm-92233720368546357232010-07-25T05:01:26-07:002010-07-25T05:10:11-07:00<![CDATA[Kids, Dogs, Boats, and Water in Gananoque, Ontario Canada]]>
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 – he didn’t have to paddle!
Later, we watched some children going for a swim in the St. Lawrence River at the Joel Stone Heritage Park. It was a warm evening and they loved jumping off the raft which was anchored out in a few feet of water. It took me back to my youth when we used to go swimming in the local creeks, but I am thinking that the waters of the St. Lawrence River are much cleaner today than the creeks that I used to swim in!
Boating is enjoyed by many folks who live, work, and vacation in the 1000 Island area. But the adults' toys are bigger, more expensive, and for the most part, I would have to wager a guess that the kids and the dogs were having a lot more fun cooling off in waters of the St. Lawrence River.
James R. Bupp
]]>James R. Bupp - Ph.Dtag:moguling.com,2010:sm-92233720368546359852010-07-21T17:06:11-07:002010-07-21T17:06:11-07:00<![CDATA[The Islandview Inn B&B in Gananoque, Canada]]>
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 exploring the waters of the St. Lawrence River, you’re going to fall in love with the little town of Gananoque, Ontario.
Large tour boats depart from Gananoque daily to take vacationers on a water tour of the 1000 Island area. The IslandView Inn B&B (click here) is located at 195 Market St. Its location is secluded from the tourists but within easy walking distance to the marina, the Joel Stone Heritage Park, the boat tours, and some very fine restaurants in Gananoque.
The Inn is owned by Lisa Wells and is a lovely renovated turn-of-the-century Victorian home that has been turned into a B&B by Lisa with the help of many skilled tradesmen who live in the 1000 Islands area. Lisa takes great pride in operating the Inn herself, making fancy breakfasts which delight everyone who comes, and keeping the place immaculate. Staying at the Islandview Inn for a couple of days is a great Finger Lakes getaway!
James R. Bupp
]]>James R. Bupp - Ph.Dtag:moguling.com,2010:sm-92233720368546363692010-07-18T05:15:30-07:002010-07-18T18:27:40-07:00<![CDATA[The Calm after a Finger Lakes Storm]]>
That evening the dark storm clouds were still hanging low in the western sky, but at sunset, we were treated to a magnificent Finger Lakes sunset! The moisture in those thick dark clouds refracted the light of the setting sun so that we saw only the deep red colors of the spectrum.
Storms seem to serve a special purpose. They bring anxiety, tension, and sometimes destruction, but after the storm, there seems to be a peaceful calm and a clearing of the air as a new weather front moves in. And after the storm has passed, we humans seem to be renewed too!
James R. Bupp
]]>James R. Bupp - Ph.Dtag:moguling.com,2010:sm-92233720368546368602010-07-12T18:21:48-07:002010-07-12T18:21:48-07:00<![CDATA[How is Your Garden Doing in the Finger Lakes]]> 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 quite well. We have had plenty of rain and nice warm sunshine this year. We are enjoying lettuce, onions, radishes, zucchini, and summer squash from this garden. The potatoes are in bloom. So are the tomatoes.
My other garden is quite different. I mow the lawn at the church where I attend and also plant some geraniums there to try to brighten up the neglected exterior of our little country church. I’m hoping that if the outside of our church is a little more attractive, perhaps others will notice and they will come to learn about what is being taught inside the church. My sister-in-law Nancy would understand. She and some of the neighborhood school children in Modesto worked on planting a garden near the school where she teaches. We both hope that our efforts will help people learn about the benefits of community work and the joy that it brings to all.
James R. Bupp
]]>James R. Bupp - Ph.Dtag:moguling.com,2010:sm-92233720368546373692010-07-06T13:14:25-07:002010-07-07T04:15:09-07:00<![CDATA[A Finger Lakes Vacation in Ithaca, NY]]>
We arrived late in the afternoon and they graciously consented to take us aboard their boat, Summer Daze, and then on a little lake cruise. It was a beautiful evening and most of the Fourth of July celebrators had already left for home. After a brief cruise, we ended up at the Boathouse Restaurant on Lookout Point.
I guess it has been one of my fantasies to be able to dock your boat alongside a restaurant just like you would park your car, have dinner, and then depart in the boat. We had a lovely dinner outside on the patio while enjoying a beautiful summer evening in the company of our friends. We reminisced about the days gone by and made a few plans for the future. A summer dream had just come true!
James R. Bupp
]]>James R. Bupp - Ph.Dtag:moguling.com,2010:sm-92233720368546375082010-07-05T05:05:15-07:002010-07-05T09:46:44-07:00<![CDATA[The Canandaigua Lady Misses Out on Fourth of July Celebrations]]>
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 the Canandaigua Lady by my son and daughter-in-law as a retirement present some 12 years ago. The boat needs to have all of its hydraulic lines replaced and the timing of the repair is unfortunate as it will keep the Lady out of service until August.
During the summer, the Canandaigua Lady is usually docked at The Steamboat Landing Resort along the northern shores of the lake where the locals and a lot of out of town guests board the Lady for a nice relaxing scenic boat tour of Canandaigua Lake. But when something breaks, you have to take the time to fix it. After the repairs are complete, the owner is expecting another 20 years of use out of the boat. That’s a good thing as I sure do miss the Lady’s evening visits!
James R. Bupp
]]>James R. Bupp - Ph.Dtag:moguling.com,2010:sm-92233720368546378472010-07-01T04:28:04-07:002010-07-01T04:28:04-07:00<![CDATA[Graduation Time in the Finger Lakes]]>
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 had achieved what had been carefully laid out for us by our teachers, our parents, and members of the community. Our motto was, “The Best Is Yet To Be!” We were given a diploma but it didn’t come with a map which laid out our future. Likewise, we weren’t even given a list of warnings as to what difficulties we might have to face or endure. But we surely did possess a huge amount of enthusiasm and youthful energy to “get on with the future!”
My grandson Christian graduated from East Rochester High School last Saturday. We celebrated his graduation with a little party at an East Rochester restaurant. It was a happy occasion. Today Christian, you feel like you are at the top of the ladder. But soon you will see that there are many more rungs left to climb. We hope that you too are filled with enthusiasm, optimism, and hope. These are the propellants which will take you to the next level of your journey. Our very best wishes!
James R. Bupp
]]>James R. Bupp - Ph.Dtag:moguling.com,2010:sm-92233720368546386572010-06-22T14:08:50-07:002010-06-22T14:14:41-07:00<![CDATA[It's Strawberry Picking Time in the Finger Lakes]]>
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 farms in the Finger Lakes which grow strawberries, but my favorite one is Tomion’s Farm Market over on route 14A near Penn Yan. And the strawberries are now ripe and in season. You can pick your own for only $1.65 per quart! Or if you are like me and are a bit lazy, you can buy them for $3.50 per quart already picked.
Tomion’s Farm Market features a lot of other fresh locally grown fruits and vegetables when in season. I usually pick up a big bag of red potatoes when I go there. Today was no exception as I picked up 20 pounds of red potatoes, some onion sets for my garden, and a cup of coffee for myself!
James R. Bupp
]]>James R. Bupp - Ph.Dtag:moguling.com,2010:sm-92233720368546392992010-06-16T17:41:11-07:002010-06-20T05:30:20-07:00<![CDATA[Of Money and Manure in the Finger Lakes ]]>
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 to the plants.
June is really busting out all over and in just a few days the sun will be at its zenith for the year and the days will begin to grow shorter! Now that’s a sobering thought but fortunately the descent of the sun is very slow at first and we will have all summer to enjoy the warmth that it gives to the earth.
We’ve enjoyed the first of our vegetables – some lettuce and a few radishes for our dinner salad last night. The summer squash plants are now in bloom and soon we will have some squash for our dinner vegetable. The family harvest has just begun.
James R. Bupp
]]>James R. Bupp - Ph.Dtag:moguling.com,2010:sm-92233720368546395802010-06-14T04:34:46-07:002010-06-14T04:34:46-07:00<![CDATA[Garage Sales in the Finger Lakes]]>
The Chapin Church in Canandaigua recently held its annual garage sale. Garage sales are a lot of work and due to the dwindling numbers of church members, we decided to hold a trunk sale and just sell the space where you can come and park your car or truck on the church’s property to sell your favorite treasurers that you no longer need.
It’s a good way to meet neighbors and friends. We sold some hot dogs, soda, and bottled water, and in general just enjoyed spending time outdoors together.
James R. Bupp
]]>James R. Bupp - Ph.Dtag:moguling.com,2010:sm-92233720368546398662010-06-10T16:44:43-07:002010-06-10T16:44:43-07:00<![CDATA[Family Farming in the Finger Lakes ]]>
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 - just my old wheel barrow and a shovel. No batteries or moving parts except me. And some days that’s the part which is hardest to get moving!
I did have to replant my yellow beans. This time, I soaked them in water for 24 hours before I planted them. We shall see if this helps. I don’t know what happened to the May 19th planting, but not one bean emerged from the entire planting! Perhaps the soil was too cold. The rains that we have been having this past week have done wonders for my garden and the lawn. The rain and the sun are for sure the most important ingredients for a successful garden, but ones which we can’t control.
I go to the trouble of raising a garden because it is a part of my heritage of being raised on a family farm and it makes me a part of the family farms here in the Finger Lakes. There’s nothing like fresh lettuce, onions, beans, tomatoes, broccoli, and potatoes from your own garden. It’s a family harvest that’s worth the effort!
James R. Bupp
]]>James R. Bupp - Ph.Dtag:moguling.com,2010:sm-92233720368546404192010-06-06T04:23:18-07:002010-06-06T04:23:18-07:00<![CDATA[Early Industrial Development in Erie, Pennsylvania]]>
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 of the H.F. Watson Paper Company which manufactured building, roofing, lining materials, as well as steam pipe and boiler packaging materials. Frederick Felix Curtze was president of the Erie Trust Company, Heisler Locomotive Works, Union Iron Works, and the Keystone Fish Company. All of these business endeavors allowed the two men and their families to enjoy a lifestyle that has since passed with the Industrial Revolution.
The Manson is indeed lovely. It has 24 rooms, 17 closets, 5 bathrooms, and 12 fireplaces. The building materials are lovely with heavily decorated woodwork which appears throughout the house and hardwood oak floors in all of the rooms. Heat for the house was originally provided by a coal furnace and probably a boiler with steam or hot water heat. Oh, and ladies, don’t fret because of all of the work that it would take to clean 5 bathrooms, or run such a lovely home; they had a staff of 6 domestic servants!
James R. Bupp
]]>James R. Bupp - Ph.Dtag:moguling.com,2010:sm-92233720368546406942010-06-02T18:14:05-07:002010-06-02T18:14:05-07:00<![CDATA[Presque Isle at Erie, Pennsylvania]]>
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 beauty. The Presque Isle beaches are protected from the constant winds and waves of the waters of Lake Erie by man-made barrier reefs. Just as in the Native Legend, people come out here in the evening to enjoy watching the sun slowly sink into Lake Erie.
But sailors and beach-goers beware; the Spirits of the Lake can still cause great storms, and there are more sunken ships off Presque Isle than there are in the Bermuda Triangle!
James R. Bupp
]]>James R. Bupp - Ph.Dtag:moguling.com,2010:sm-92233720368546410962010-05-30T05:15:14-07:002010-06-01T04:08:20-07:00<![CDATA[The Lighthouses of Erie, Pennsylvania]]>
The Erie Land Lighthouse was the first lighthouse on the Great Lakes authorized by Congress in 1812. The current structure was constructed in 1867 and the beacon served until 1899. The lantern was transferred to the Marblehead Lighthouse in Ohio.
Just across the Erie Bay, one can see the Black & White Lighthouse on the North Pier to Presque Isle Bay. This smaller lighthouse is made out of cast iron and was forged in France to replace a wooden beacon which was destroyed by a schooner in an 1857 storm.
The Lighthouse on Presque Isle sits on the Erie Lake side of Presque Isle. It was built in 1872 and is currently functional. The residence at the lighthouse is occupied and one can only look at the structure.
James R. Bupp
]]>James R. Bupp - Ph.Dtag:moguling.com,2010:sm-92233720368546414812010-05-25T18:27:27-07:002010-05-25T18:27:27-07:00<![CDATA[Memorial Day Preparations in the Finger Lakes]]>
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 remind me of Bob Stackhouse who was a World War II Veteran and my lifelong friend. Bob’s birthday was on June 1. He was a self-made man who was raised by an uncle and had to learn to fend for himself at the age of 15. I admired him because he wasn’t afraid to try anything and he was very successful in his many varied ventures.
I don’t travel to Ohio much anymore. I do hope that my brother and sister- in- law plant some flowers on Mom and Dad’s grave. My memorial to them is to plant some geraniums at the church where I attend. Nothing fancy, but my mother did enjoy her geraniums so much. And I don’t see any reason why she won’t enjoy seeing them grow here in the Finger Lakes.
James R. Bupp
]]>James R. Bupp - Ph.Dtag:moguling.com,2010:sm-92233720368546419072010-05-22T04:32:28-07:002010-05-22T04:32:28-07:00<![CDATA[Future Arteries of Commerce in the Finger Lakes]]>
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 trucks can travel at 150 mph following wires embedded in the road way which will not only supply the electric power to the vehicle but also control the position and spacing between the vehicles so you relax and take in the beauty of Upstate New York? My best guess for either of these two ideas is that there is little to be gained for the money invested.
Upgrading our existing arteries of commerce makes more sense to me. It’s less expensive to ship freight on a barge or on a train than it is on a tractor trailer. (Moving freight by rail costs about 25 cents per ton mile as opposed to $1.11 for trucks according to Sandi Saracen, VP and General Manager of Ontario Midland Railroad.) The old arteries of transportation were far greener in that they required less fossil fuel and made use of renewable resources like the rivers, lakes, and water falls which abound here in Upstate New York.
James R. Bupp
]]>James R. Bupp - Ph.Dtag:moguling.com,2010:sm-92233720368546423742010-05-17T19:07:05-07:002010-05-17T19:08:50-07:00<![CDATA[Moving the Freight in the Finger Lakes]]>
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 which runs across Upstate New York from Eire Pennsylvania on the west to the Massachusetts line on the east. You can drive your car on the Thruway, but it’s really the kingdom of the truckers and the trucking companies who haul the freight in New York State. Driving along side a Kenworth pulling two 53 foot trailers reminds me of trying to pass a freight train – the only difference being that the trains on the Finger Lakes Railroad lumber along at a leisurely 30 mph while the Kenworths hum at 70 mph!
The Thruway passes just north of the Finger Lakes region, but it’s not the way to see the Finger Lakes. During the winter months, it’s best to leave the Thurway to the truckers, as they have to get their loads to their final destination on time and they can’t let a little ice or snow slow them down. For the remainder of the year, if you have to get from point A to point B on a time schedule, it’s the way to go.
James R. Bupp
]]>James R. Bupp - Ph.Dtag:moguling.com,2010:sm-92233720368546428502010-05-12T16:04:39-07:002010-05-12T16:04:39-07:00<![CDATA[Retracing Our Finger Lakes Manufacturing Heritage]]>
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 the industrial revolution came to the Finger Lakes region. Towns like Waterloo which celebrated our first Memorial Day, Seneca Falls which gave birth to the Women’s Rights Movement, and Auburn which was home during the Civil War to our United States Secretary of State, William H. Seward. Auburn was also the home of Harriet Tubman, a major “conductor” on the Underground Railroad.
The remains of the transportation systems and water powered factories can be seen in these towns. The Seneca-Cayuga Canal, the Finger Lakes Railroad, and the Seneca River Canal which connects Seneca and Cayuga Lake to the Eire Barge Canal at Montezuma.
One can’t help but wonder what these towns will look like in another 50 years. Will the population keep moving on to more work friendly places, leaving behind the remaining farms, factories, churches, and beautiful old Victoria homes to further decay? Or will the people in the region finally decide that “enough is enough” and begin to reject goods and services from off shore? I won’t be around to see the outcome, but I don’t like where things are headed.
James R. Bupp
]]>James R. Bupp - Ph.Dtag:moguling.com,2010:sm-92233720368546432362010-05-09T04:24:58-07:002010-05-11T13:27:00-07:00<![CDATA[Mother's Day in the Finger Lakes]]>
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 to me than the old building is what is taught there – teachings which date back to before the birth of Jesus Christ. Everyone seems to be too busy today to pay any attention to the fundamental rules which were given to us by Moses (read Exodus Chapter 20), but most folks today be cry what is happening in our society and how the minds of our children have been taken captive by the television, internet, and the entertainment industry.
On this Mother’s Day, I think that we need to remember not only what our Mothers taught us, but to go back and review the fundamentals of living which were given to us. And just as my Mother had to do with me, it’s a lesson that must be repeated over and over again!
