I 81 South to Cabela's

Alan took Becky and me along on his senior trip yesterday. He didn't choose to go on his actual class trip (to drink and party down in the Catskills) and, although the Cabela's trip was something he always wanted to do instead, cash and circumstances had never conspired to make it possible.




However, he and his sister pooled their money and planned this excursion to the Cabela's store in Hamburg PA for yesterday. And they invited me to join them.



There is a certain amount of choice in routes between here and there. And it is possible, nay probable, that Alan's choice of 476, the toll road that ambles off toward Allentown, may have been an improvement over my choice...I-81 that is....which is the one we took. I-81 is industrial strength ugly, make no mistake about it.




Some quotes from participants in the epic journey and others who heard of our woes:

"I-81 is one long rumble strip from the border to the exit for Hamburg."

"Hey, lookit that guy that went off on the median and is driving there! Wow, is he crazy or what???"

"No, it's probably smoother there."

And of Route 61, which was the one we took from 81 to Hamburg, "I think this road was laid out by a white-tailed deer on crack."

Yeah, the ride was rough.





However, the store is really, really, really cool. It is an amazing thing to actually see the mounts of deer you have read about in Outdoor Life or Field and Stream. I wish my feet had been up to more time in the deer room, where there are legions of legendary bucks for viewing. I didn't even take any pics there as the room is very dark and I am a poor student of flash photography.

There is so much stuff to see, and hear (such as folks who should stay away from turkey calls as they are going to scare away any turkeys they encounter...of course I couldn't get Alan, the terror of the stairwells at Coby...to demonstrate his stuff) smell, (I shudder to imagine the reaction of a deer that accidentally found itself in the deer lure department...just mind boggling...if I ever go again I am going AROUND that departement) and taste, (yeah cinnamon roasted pecans, what's not to like)



I took some photos, probably fewer than I should have, but if you can visit the place yourself, do.... just plan on buying ball joints, tie rods, shocks, and tranquilizers at the end of the trip..

My favorite part was the aquarium. I could have spent the whole time there!

More pics from our trip here.

I Got a Raise

The Winterberry Holly is amazing this fall.
This patch was filled with robins having a feast on their way south.

Well, almost....been writing the Farm Side for 11 years...been paid the same the whole time, except for the first couple of weeks. When I got my pay this month it reflected a significant raise. Of course I was tickled about half to death.

At Lykers

Alas, being a reasonably honest soul, I called the controller at the paper...and yeah, it was just a mistake. Oh, well, I enjoyed the imagined glory while it lasted...lol

Eclipsed wood duck, identified by Alan
at fifty mph as we passed,
and photographed by him as well (we went back and parked for that)

And Alan and I raced off to spend the money on groceries over in Cobleskill...now I just have to write four more columns that are already paid for. My cupboards are now crowded with things with which we can make other things.......and this is good.

On a sugar maple stump

Yesterday in the Mountains

One of those very special brothers of mine offered to help us out with the challenge of getting Becky home from Potsdam for break. He was kind enough to take time from his work and home life and choir practice and all to drive for over nine hours up mountains and down, across night and day, so a college kid could come home and see her family for the first time since the 28th of August.



As always the Adirondacks offered up their best and shiningest as a reward for the long distance drive.



The trees lay across the mountains like the tawny pelt of some large wild thing, rocky, granite bones jutting up through golden browness. They seemed to shrug off a few leaves here and there as we passed like a lion shrugging off flies as it lay licking its paws on the Savannah.




All the colors of a lion swirled across them, turned luminescent by bright, thin sun. There were trees the color of pumpkins, lanterns,and oranges, with crimson cardinal flags from the swamp maples, and russet, gold and cinnamon from the many scattered oaks. Hickories splayed leafy brown and green fingers over swift, and silent waters, lakes and rivers turned blue jay blue where the sun hit, and liquid ink in the deepened shade.

Sacandaga River, Raquette River, sleek lakes by the dozen, I don't think I have ever seen them lovelier. The Sacandaga was showing its teeth after all the rain, with whitened fangs piercing the smooth indigo of its flow wherever a rock was hidden. Beck was in class when we arrived, and not answering her phone. We were looking for a coffee stop when I glanced across the road, across the campus, across a dozen others, and spotted her as instantly as one heart recognizes another. It was a grand moment I will tell you.





As we returned home and dusk fell, along about Lake Durant the catch-light waters let go their hold on the sinking sun and closed their shining mirrors for the day.

I love the Adirondacks. A trip across them is as much a treat as any theme park or holiday party. More in fact. Much more.

Thanks brother for the joy and the music and the good talk of old memories while we made new ones too.
And thanks for the special reward at the end of the day...the whole family together again, at least for a little while.....we love you muchly.

***I must also thank those who stayed at home and kept the work moving along, so thanks guys and especially, thanks Liz....hope old Mando gets it in gear and has that calf real soon.

*****I must also question. What is with the corner yard with bathroom fittings (you know, the most important ones) set at regular intervals with sunflower planted behind each of them? In downtown Potsdam that is? The traffic was just too heavy to get a picture, but we sure were puzzled.

Fishing Mallet Pond and Looking Glass Pond

(Click for detail)

With college guys who were also taking care of lab work for terrestrial ecology class. (Middle pic in the first collage is college work-it just wasn't like that when I went). We saw newts, a red-bellied snake, Canada geese and assorted other common birds, some interesting fungi, an amazing sun rise, with light slanting across the corn fields and mountains and more beautiful scenery than is probably even legal. We saw Alan's friend's truck tail gate bobbing in front of us at great speed among stately trees and deeply ruts too. (I quickly learned where all the hand grips and toe holds are in his truck.)




They caught blue gills at Looking Glass Pond (Burnt-Rossman Hills State Forest) . I got bites, but missed them.





I took 84 pictures, which after severe pruning and editing came down to these collages and pics.




It was nice. They were nice young men and I was flattered that they chose to accompany Alan on a fishing trip he engineered for his old mother. (I tried not to put too much of a damper on their fun.) It was nice to hike down the long hill to Mallet pond. It was not quite as nice to contemplate climbing back up. However, the boys brought their truck down and gave us a ride back up...backwards all the way! Alan's friend can back up better than anybody I have ever met.


It was fun (more for them than for me) to run for miles down those narrow woods roads from pond to pond. Boys are braver than old ladies and there were times when the tree trunks were a tad too close for comfort. The hill up to Looking Glass Pond was so steep that Alan's 5-speed Ram 1500 had all it wanted to climb it in second gear (coming down was worse...).



I was amazed to find places like this that I had never even imagined existed and so close to home at that. I hope we can go again. Soon.

First frost 08

A collage of fall colors from the ride yesterday.
All taken from a moving car, but you get the idea of how pretty things are these cool autumn days.

Sorry about no post yesterday. Seems we are so busy it is like we are hurtling downhill in a race to get who knows where or why and no time to stop for anything. I am having a hard time even getting all my comments answered and I apologize.

The first frost came night before last. Just a light one in some places but hard enough for ice in others. Any tomatoes that weren't covered are toast. I am going to have to pick all the rest...maybe today if I get the Farm Side done in time. It is 33 now so we will probably get another before dawn. I picked some sunflower seeds to save yesterday as the blue jays are mowing through them with amazing alacrity.

The boss and I ran over to Altamont to pick up a beef we had processed yesterday. It was a Holstein steer that didn't finish all that well so we had it all put into minute steaks, hamburger and stew beef. Tested the first last night...very tasty. Beck made gravy with minute steaks...very tender.




Picked up half a bushel of apples on the way. I have been craving apples and ours are still so green as to be barely edible for some reason. Most of the winesaps split from late heavy rains I guess so the best they will be is jelly...which I would like to make if they ever ripen. These are galas, golden delicious and Jonagold...all terrific varieties. The Delicious won't keep long, but you can't beat em at this time of year...especially chilled. I had the first one on the way over yesterday and it was icy cold from sitting outdoors overnight. Indescribable!

Off to the barn now. Have a good one.

Some errands then home again, home again jiggitty jig

Alan and I went to Fort Plain yesterday to get barn calcite, hydrated lime, chicken feed, vacuum pump oil, beet pulp, bicarb and bread (the only thing that was actually for people.) We saw a lot of traffic of the sort in the photo below. It is scary how hard these are to see from behind if they are out on the highway and pass under a shady tree. they are supposed to have the big orange triangle slow moving vehicle signs affixed to the back so you can see them, but they just use a little orange tape instead. We hustled to get home because I wanted to say good bye to Liz who went to Syracuse for a rodeo. Just made it.





The home again part is always nice. I am no traveler. My folks invited me to go west to pan gold with them this fall and I turned them down.....actually though, I would have taken them up on that one, I am just crazy for treasure hunting and they are going to my utmost favorite national park. However, it is isn't fair to the rest of the crew when I leave them with that much work. My camp vacation is enough for me I guess
.

Geraniums I grew from seed this spring

Rhubarb leaf bird bath made by my aunt and uncle.
Birds are finally using it now.

And all you knowledgeable gardeners, could you tell me what this flower is? It is the lone survivor of a pack of assorted wild flowers I planted ten years ago or so. It grows down by the driveway and blooms every summer. I am thinking of moving it up by the pond.

Road trip with tacky treasures

Tires have created the crisis de jour way too often the past couple of weeks here at Northview. Flat ones that is. Yesterday it was the stock trailer that showed up with one. We need to ship a cow next week, so Alan and I were elected to run up to Fort Plain for a new one, as well as to get some lug nuts and an impact socket for the repair job. Always inclined to combine tasks we stopped off to see my brother and his family for a few minutes as they live just down the road from the tire place. He is going to be working out of state for a while so we needed to check in.
Got to see their new garden pond, which is super nice. Couldn't stay long because we had so many stops to make.

Soon we passed a little garage sale. It was right next to a handsome old cemetery, so we grabbed a picture before we checked out the merchandise.The nicest part about this particular sale is that everything was free!




We wouldn't have even stopped but I saw these from the road, just sitting on the table calling my name.



I love cow figurines, but these are the ugliest I have acquired yet..... in such an appealing way. They are so tacky yet cute (of course I aspire to a pair of pink flamingos for the lawn too).

Then there was the dog. We were driving along one back road when a handsome golden retriever cross ran right out in the road in front of us, rendering movement impossible without hitting it. "Ruby!" Alan proclaimed, sure it was one of our friends' dogs, miles from her home. (I had never seen Ruby so I couldn't argue.) He checked her collar....just a rabies tag. No help there. I wasn't about to let him put a strange dog in the truck, Ruby or no Ruby, so we drove on down to our last stop (once she let us move the truck) and phoned home for our friend's phone number (hooray for cell phones). Of course when we got it no one answered at their farm.

Soooooo, on the way home we stopped there too to report the alleged Ruby sighting. Of course, Ruby was right there in the yard, waiting to bark us up the driveway. I have to admit, I could see why Alan thought the other dog was her though. The resemblance was remarkable. I wonder if they were litter mates. I am sure glad we didn't put dog A in the truck and drive her "home" though. That would have required some heavy duty explanations.






Upon arriving at our own home we found this guy lounging in the driveway.
Talk about solid comfort!
He didn't want to move until we were almost on top of him.

Much as I hate to leave the place and as much work as didn't get done in the garden because I wasn't home to do it, we had a great time. Adventure and excitement every step of the way

Road trip

.The Mohawk River from Dunkin' Donuts

Ran errands again with the girls while the boss spread fertilizer and disked it in. I don't know if he is going to plant corn tomorrow or try to bale some hay or both. We barely see him since Liz is home and he can do field work whenever he wants to.

Making cheese at Palatine Valley Dairy (where we stopped to pick up a Semex Jersey stud book....(don't ask).
Naturally we bought some cheese too. How could we not?

Road trip once again

My Brand new chauffeur

Bought these to plant beside the front flower bed

Sat here for a while while the chauffeur loaded some hay.

The boss went out to plant corn yesterday and left Alan a stack 'o chores...go to Fort Plain Agway and get barn calcite. The cows are going in and out to pasture now. (You should have seen the rodeo the first day they went out...you simply wouldn't think that dairy cows could or would get up to such stuff. Made the PBR look tame. We don't want them to slip on the floor.) Then head up to the farm where we buy hay and get a load. Not any huge tasks, but a busy schedule just the same.

Anyhow, the kid asked me to ride along. There were any number of reasons why I should have stayed home. The house has been virtually entirely neglected the past few weeks while I have been helping with cows and playing in the garden. My beans need to be replanted as the first planting failed. Ditto potatoes. I could go on and on. But then, how many teen aged boys want their mother along when somebody turns them loose with a pick up truck and a tank of gas?

I climbed in, rolled down the window and away we went and it was so much fun. The sun was shining, it was just warm enough to feel like summer might be coming and the grass was green as Ireland. When we picked up the barn cal, Agway had some fat sassy marigolds for sale. I'd been wanting some for a certain flower bed so into the truck they went. Then there was the aquarium store in Canajoharie. (They have guppies you know.) The kid was delighted to stop in for me. Some women may consider diamonds a girl's best friend, but I am much more fond of sparkly little fish. We bought a pair with white shiny tails and a couple of black snaky patterned ones.

Then we headed off down the winding back roads to where we are buying hay from some friends. Everyone is planting corn apace and the fields look better tended than my living room rug, with the rows from the corn planter still stamped on the smoothly crumbled soil. Our friends live well back in the country, away from all the trains and the Interstate so it was sweetly quiet sitting in one of their back barn yards watching the swallows swoop by. (That is a small part of their place above...took the pictures out the truck window.) Alan hooked up the hay elevator and had the truck full in no time.

All too soon it was time to take our booty and head home. We spent the rest of the afternoon companionably working out in the yard....him tearing down the DR string trimmer that belonged to his grandma. Me planting marigolds and weeding. The dishes didn't get done. The lilac bushes didn't get planted. The DR still doesn't run. (Even after a new spark plug, a cleaned out fuel line, all kinds of priming and pumping and pulling on the starter cord.) Other than a stack of hay and a couple boxes of orange and yellow we didn't have much to show for how we spent our time when the boss came down (and of course HE got a third of the sixty-acre lot all planted.)

However, I couldn't have asked for a better day. The kid and I had a heck of a time...and all that other stuff can get done today....or maybe tomorrow.

***Not to mention, later on I ran in the house during milking to get some bread out to thaw and Liz was right smack in the middle of watching the Preakness. Got to see Big Brown romp as if he was out for a sleepy morning gallop. What a horse!

The ride

I went along for the ride to return the pin, (due to certain guilt issues). It was gloomy, but spring is springing so enthusiastically that it was nice-ish. There was one place where the road is lined with stone walls and between them and the winding strip of blacktop someone has planted thousands of daffodils. They were in glorious bloom...couldn't get a picture though, sorry. These aren't great...poor light, moving car, but the green was just amazing. The latter road photo is the village of Ames and the building is the Ames museum.

When we got to the auction site the boss asked the man he borrowed the pin from whether he thought he would ever see it again. The guy said, "Yeah, I am a pretty good judge of whether people are telling the truth or not...and besides, you gave me your name."

Kindness

Yesterday the guys went to the regional junk..... er....I mean used farm machinery...auction. Before they left the boss put a draw pin in the back of the truck and tossed some hay on it so it wasn't obvious.

Way too trusting. When they went to hook up the small set of field drags they bought, the draw pin was gone. What kindness! Someone obviously forgot to bring one so they helped themselves. (At least they left the hookup for the horse trailer, which was also there under the hay.)

They were in quite a fix, many, many miles from home and too late in the day to go buy another pin somewhere. However, a complete stranger who was there working on loading machinery loaned them his so they could bring the drags home.

Of course now they have to go back up today to return the pin.
But what kindness, to loan something to someone they didn't know, whom they had no way to know they would ever see again.

However, there are rumblings that they want me to ride along when they take it back. It is cloudy and rainy and I get enough road travel on the daily college trip. It is cold. It is not a very interesting trip. Hmmm....how am I going to get out of this? My Sunday chair is calling, chores are done and I have a real good book. What to do, what to do...

You know it has been a long winter when

You go out for a Sunday drive and complete strangers step up to your car to chat. We decided to try for duck photos, and although the best I could do was a couple of mallards in a ditch, we met so many nice people and saw so many pretty places that I was just delighted. Who needs ducks?



First we pulled over at the mystery duck spot where the beaver dam is and an elder fella stopped to invite us to hunt ducks on his land if we wished. It isn't duck season anyhow, but he was real disappointed to see the camera rather than something more lethal. I guess mostly he wanted to talk to someone about how the beaver dam on someone else's land had flooded forty acres on him and he wasn't too happy about it.

A blurry shot of the gorge (but didn't the bushes come out nice?) Still you can get a sense of how far down it is.

We chatted for a few minutes until another car came along and we had to get out of the way. Then we stopped to try to get pictures of this gorge. We were across the road from a house and the folks there saw us and came out to the car. Rather than chase us away, as we expected, they brought their digital camera to show us the pictures they had taken earlier in the day, after climbing down INTO the gorge. My photos do not give you the sense of how steep this is, but believe me, you could not pay me enough to climb down or back up. They were really friendly, just plain nice folks and we enjoyed chatting with them and seeing their excellent pictures...(much better than mine).

Photo by mom

Photo by Alan

It was the same everywhere we went, from stopping at Stewart's for coffee and having bystanders in the parking lot joking around with us, to folks in backyards waving as we meandered by taking pictures out the windows of the car. This is neither the South nor the Midwest.
This is NY.
Such friendliness is a wonderful and rare phenomenon here in the state that spawned New York City. It has REALLY been a long winter and I think folks are just plain sick of it and glad to share a warm, sunny delicious day like this.
And right now I am going outside to help Alan pull off some plastic mulch and reclaim some ground to plant beets and lettuce. See ya later.

Alan just had to take a picture of this...could it be that the General Lee has come north to hibernate, or perhaps to nest and lay eggs?