Kim's Thoughts
Just a few thoughts I feel worthy of jotting down!
January Daily Photo Challenge – Second Half!
Well, that month flew by……at this rate, it’ll be Christmas again before we know it! UGH!!!
Here we go with the second half of January’s Daily Photo Challenge Pics:
I AM HERE
Not to worry…..just my routine check up! All is good!
GREEN ON PINK
MIRROR
A WALL
What you see when the projector dies just before the movie starts! LOL
I AM….
So Blessed!
COLD
IN MY TOWN
(same photo – wider view)
BRIGHT
I MISS….
the sun!
WARM
RAINBOW
(taken at Waimea Canyon, Kauai, Hawaii)
TRIO
CHEERS!
(with ale of the ginger variety! hahaha)
So…..tomorrow is the first day of February……spring is just around the corner!!!
Here are February’s Daily Photo Topics……should be an interesting photo month!
Kim's Thoughts 
…your lead photo had me worried.
Aw, Thanks, Tom!
Hey Kim,
Wow did this past email of yours (Jan Photo challenge pics) bring back some memories ! Been a while since I have been out in Albion. Had that same ‘routine checkup’ in Oct 19. Actually it was complete annual physical (amazingly enough, all good results). For a 78 year old, I am doing fairly good and fortunate so far ! Just hope it stays that way for a little while longer !
Charles W. Howard ! Seems like yesterday our whole family went to the Santa Claus school of his the very first time. If I recall it was located on the western outskirts of Albion off of route 31. Had to be late 40’s maybe very early 50’s ! That sign, those pictures and the monument sign, those appear to be located in downtown on main street somewhere north of the old news room. What building did they tear down to create that monumental spot ?
Ah yes Hawaii ! Been there 3 times. Once service (Navy) connected and twice afterwards. Once in 77 (10th year wedding anniversary) and again in 87 (20th). Can’t believe my wife and I are going on 53 years [in all honesty, she deserves sainthood on earth putting up with the likes of me that long ! I’ll be the first one to admit that wasn’t easy]. Been to most all the islands during these 3 trips ! Only made it the other way (East-Europe) once and that was a business trip to a few Rochester Products Manufacturing facilities [late 80’s]. Had recent plans to go to Italy but haven’t made it yet ! Always wanted to go to the city where my Dad was born, Pasero, southwest of Venice ! Would also like to visit Palermo in Sicily where my moms folks came from. Maybe there is still time ?
Spring ! Always look forward to it but we still have a couple of months ahead of us that can give us some pretty nasty weather, Feb and March ! I always remember the ice storm of Mar 91 and we were without power for 13 days ! For a few days we lived with flashlights and fires in the fireplace for heat ! Our neighbors across the street got their power back after 7 days and we ran a couple extension cords across the street to our house to power the furnace, refrig and freezer. And that is the way it stayed till we got our power back 6 days later. My Mom passed away in Aug 90 and the home at ‘232’ had not been sold yet ! The water was left on as was the heat and electricity. But I was worried sick about what damage I would find at ‘232’ considering all the damage that happened in Webster. It was almost a week before I could get out that way because the roads were not passable with all the trees and power lines that were down all over. I finally managed to get out that way on route 31 and when I got to Fancher, it appeared like the ice storm had stopped (which it actually did !). When I got to ‘232’, I couldn’t believe my eyes. There was only one limb down on the front lawn and nothing else. The electricity was still on as was the heat ! I remember sleeping downstairs in the cellar on a mat overnight and went home the next day after checking everything out at ‘232’ ! Very lucky indeed ! I made a number of trips out to Albion to check ‘232’ until it was sold in June 91 !
I always look forward to sping as I can once again, drive my classic [71] Chevelle convertible. I have owned that car since new, over 49 years ! My son Chris (age 46) first ride home from the hospital when born was in the back seat of this car with his mother (top up of course). Fun car to drive in the spring, summer and fall with the top down ! Car has never been in the winter and ran only a few times when I got caught in it ! Hope I am still around to enjoy it a few more years at least !
Ok Kim I have babbled on long enough. Take care and keep those postings coming !
-Poof- / -Paul-
Hi, Paul — glad I bring you so many fond memories!!! yes, the Santa School was out on Rt 31 west of town (corner of 31 and Gaines Basin / Phipps Rd). It was there till the early 60’s – here’s a blog post I wrote on it a few years ago: https://thoughtsbykim.com/2007/12/21/fond-memories-of-santa/ If you can’t cut and paste the link to make it work, just type “Santa” in the search box on my blog page and it will bring up a few posts with Santa as a key word – you’ll want the one called “Fond Memories of Santa” – one of the others that will come up is about when the Santas from all over the world came for a Santa Convention a couple years ago – it was really cool!!!
Here is the link to the one about the Santa Convention in Albion: https://thoughtsbykim.com/2015/04/20/santa-claus-came-to-town/ Oh – and I forgot to answer your question about the building the mural is on — it is in the middle of the block between Bank St and the Canal — not sure what building it was (can’t remember what was in there back in the day), but it burned many years ago, so they made it into a little park they named Waterman Park (perhaps the building name was Waterman??? Hhhmmm) – it is right in the middle of the block north of Fischer’s News Room and before the old Citizen’s Bank building.
The Santa mural was painted by Stacey Kirby Stewart – she is Tim Kirby’s daughter (Tim owns the Kirby’s Farm Market on the ridge just west of Brockport and he graduated from AHS in ’74 with me). There is also another mural on the opposite wall in Waterman Park commemorating the Quarrymen who worked the quarries many years ago – it was painted by a Lyndonville artist – here’s a link with a photo I took of it a while back: https://thoughtsbykim.com/2014/02/11/sunday-stills-murals-or-graffiti/