Kim's Thoughts
Just a few thoughts I feel worthy of jotting down!
Kazoo Factory Adventure
Check another item off my Adventure Bucket List……I finally went to tour the Kazoo Factory and Museum in Eden, NY this week! The Original American Kazoo Company was established in 1916 right here in the small village of Eden in Western New York, where the first metal kazoo was made. This same building, with the same die presses that were in the business for other purposes since 1907 and the same process for manufacturing kazoos used since 1916, is now the only metal kazoo factory in North America. It is a true working museum where you can watch the employees manufacture kazoos exactly as they did in 1916. Visit their web site for more history and tour information – click here!
When you think of a kazoo, you likely think of a child’s toy. But, in fact, kazoos have many professional musical uses. When you hum into the end of a kazoo, it creates a vibration that turns your hum into a musical instrument. It really is very cool and fun! Like they say at The Original American Kazoo Company in Eden, NY: “If you can hum, you can play”! This is a photo of the original metal kazoo – sold to me yesterday – looks just like it did back in 1916!
Here are some photos of my adventure:
Enter through the front where the gift shop is located
You can’t miss this stunning pink flamingo just before entering the factory
All along the horseshoe shaped walkway are tutorials with step-by-step details of the process
This young man greeted me and asked if I had any questions while he worked one of the presses
This tutorial board describes step # 18 – the final step in the process
And then there are the displays of many different vintage and novelty kazoos
And displays of ads, historic information, and photos
I loved this photo above the manufacturing area – a All American Kazoo Band!!!
Visitors are invited to pin a piece of paper with their name and where they came from on this map
And, finally, the bins of various types of kazoos that are for sale in the gift shop
They also have less expensive plastic kazoos that they do not make there, but some people like that option for their kids
So, there you have it……a gorgeous day for an adventure and a very fine adventure it was!!! I’m very glad I took the time to learn all about the history of kazoos in our little corner of the world……and I got a t-shirt to prove it!!! hehehe
Fairies in the Garden!
Love fairy gardens! So, this year, I created two of my own and I am really proud of them!!! I did one in a small birdbath and put it under my weeping crab apple tree in the front yard. I did the other one in a dish to put out on the back patio.
Here they are:
Art – it’s in the eye of the beholder….
I may be many things……I fancy myself an amature writer, adventurer, and movie critic, among other things…..but, artist? Um, not so much! But…..when a friend and local downtown shop owner asked if I wanted to do a painting for a fundraiser our local Merchants Association is doing, I said, “why not, this ought to be fun”. I thought I can do as well as the famous painting monkeys and elephants (and some artists) do…..right? Well, turns out, I can…sort of!!! LOL
I knew as soon as she asked me that I was going to try to do a “fashion girl” – something I used to sketch in high school and still do in some note cards I write. They are rough and not so perfect, but fun! But, when I was sketching out some practice ones, it evolved into the “fashion girl” plus a nice sunny day scene plus I threw in the infamous “Kilroy” and his fence…..and it came out kinda cute!!! I’m sure it will never hang in the Louvre……but it just might raise the $10.00 price all the paintings will bring to help the Albion Merchants Association with their flower fund and other downtown activities! If you’re in town between May 16 – June 13, stop by the Hoag Library and see this and all the other masterpieces that will be on display and available for sale!
Black Bird Gets His Prize!
So, I was getting in my car at Walmart and saw this HUGE black bird fly in from who-knows-where carrying this big McDonald’s bag in his mouth – the bag was bigger than he was!
He lands across from me and starts circling the bag…..assessing his situation and making his plan!
Then, he gets on top of the bag and tears a hole in it…..
….then he pulls out the napkins and drops them to the ground…..
….then he pulls out the wrappers and drops them to the ground…..
….then, as he is finally getting to something worth his trouble, people start walking by – he flies a short distance away, but keeps his eye on his prize…..
….then, he goes back and circles the bag, again, before he gets back to work on his dinner…..
….then, some seagulls start to fly in circles looking for a chance to steal his treasure, but he runs them off and defends it – IT IS ALL HIS!!!
I don’t know if he ended up getting enough out of the bag to make it worth his while, but he made a heck of a mess in the parking lot and it sure was an entertaining scene to watch!!! LOL
I love that the bag is positioned on the “I’m Loving It” side…..cause he sure was….and so was I!!!
Movie Review – The Longest Ride
It has been a while since I’ve been to the movies and I was itching to go! There were several I really, really wanted to see over the winter, but the harsh weather we had for so long and some other things got in the way……now, they are no longer in the theaters! So, guess they will have to wait until they come out on OnDemand or other sources! Yesterday, I decided on the spur of the moment to head to Tinsletown! I wasn’t sure what was out right now, so I looked it up and was excited to see a new Nicholas Sparks movie!!! That was it — I grabbed my purse and off I went!
First off……for all you Nicholas Sparks fans out there……rest assured – he did it again!!! This movie has everything we’ve come to love and expect from his stories – everlasting love, heartbreak, beautiful North Carolina scenery, tears (sobs), laughter, and a well balanced mix of new love and enduring love across the years! OK…..I usually leave my rating to the end, but I’m fairly sure you’ve guessed it, so here it is…..I LOVED IT and rate it a solid A+!
The movie starts out with Sophia Danko, an art student at Wake Forest University, reluctantly attending a bull riding competition with some friends. Sophia is a city girl with her eyes on a summer internship with an influential art dealer in NYC, so she isn’t much interested in donning a pair of cowboy boots and watching a bunch of bull riders. But, she meets and is instantly attracted to one of the cowboys – handsome Luke Collins. Sophia is played by Britt Robinson – you may recognize her from the TV series Under The Dome – and she does a great job with the part. Luke is played by none other than Clint Eastwood’s son, Scott Eastwood….hubba hubba – be still my heart!!! Although Sophia is attracted to Luke (and, by the way, the attraction is just as strong on Luke’s side), she sees no sense in responding when he calls her because she will be leaving for NYC in a couple of months. But, alas, she can not resist…..she agrees to dinner with him and he treats her to a romantic evening that any girl would swoon over! On their way home, they come upon an accident and save the life of an elderly man – Ira Levinson, played brilliantly by Alan Alda (I do love Alan Alda – such a sweetie). A friendship and bond between Sophia and Ira develops as she visits him to read his old letters to him and listen to his stories of the love of his life – as told through flash backs of a young Ira and Ruth played by Jack Huston and Oona Chaplin – I don’t believe I’ve seen either of these two actors before, but really enjoyed both of their performances a lot!
No more spoilers……except to remind those who know Nicholas Sparks and to warn those who don’t — take a hefty supply of tissues or napkins in the theater with you…..you’re gonna need them!!!
I’ll say it again – I loved this movie! I highly recommend it for anyone who loves a good romantic story and I know that all the Nicholas Sparks fans won’t be disappointed at all…..so, go see it!!!
Santa Claus Came To Town!
So…..what do you do when you wake up on a drizzly Friday morning and want to do something interesting and unusual? Well, you go to a Santa Claus convention, of course!!!
You read it correctly – no need to go back and reread that last sentence….this weekend was a very special weekend, indeed. Hundreds of Santas and Mrs. Clauses arrived in our little village to participate in a Santa Claus conference/convention! Why Albion, you ask? Well, Albion, NY is home to the most revered Santa ever – Charles W. Howard, who founded the very first internationally renowned Santa Claus School and Christmas Park and was the first (and for many years the only) official Santa of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade! How cool is that? (I wrote a blog post about Charlie Howard a few years ago – click here to read it)
The Santas and Mrs. Clauses participated in various events and conference presentations over a three day period. I was lucky enough to be able to attend some of them and meet several of the Santas. It was so exciting! On Friday morning as I was driving around town, I spotted several cars with Santas at the wheel and in the passenger seats headed to their destinations for one event or another. The first sighting was a string of about 4-5 cars with multiple Santas in each car — I got so excited (it was a good thing I was stopped at a traffic light at the time) — I swelled all up almost to the point of bursting, clapped my hands, got tears in my eyes, and called out loud, “oh, WOW, a convoy of Santas!” What a thrill to see! Then, it seemed like everywhere I went, I spotted a few Santas – even in places that weren’t part of the programs they were participating in…..like at the Village House Restaurant when I popped in for lunch on Saturday and in the Albion First Baptist Church when I was on a Stained Glass Window Tour.
So…..here are a few of the well over 100 photos I took:
At the Elks Lodge
The Elks Lodge was the home of the Santa vendors – booths where the Santas (and us regular folks) could purchase all things Santa!
They came in vehicles befitting a true Santa
A portrait of the Beloved Charlie Howard
And they could buy all kinds of “stuff”
At the International Peace Garden Dedication
One of the events some of the Santas participated in was a dedication of an official International Peace Garden in honor of the War of 1812 and the significant involvement and impact residents in this area had on the war. A previously dedicated International Peace Garden for the War of 1812 is located at Brown’s Berry Patch – land owned by the descendants of Bathshua Brown and her 12 children. Bathshua is said to have fought off the British during the War of 1812 and even captured a British sea captain in defense of her land. (I mentioned Bathshua in a blog post I wrote a while back about the history of Point Breeze – click here to read it) This newly dedicated International Peace Garden is located on the former homestead of John Proctor, known as the Paul Revere of the Ridge because he rode on horseback along the Ridge Road warning settlers that the British were coming during the War of 1812.
John Proctor’s log cabin is no longer there, but an historic brick home has recently been restored and is the home of an Artist Co-op called Fair Haven Treasures. The International Peace Garden is located on the lawn in front of the building and is in the shape of an artist’s palette.
The Color Guard is the Claus Clan – a group of Santas who honor their Scottish heritage
Santa’s Drill Team – a group from Florida – often participate in historical events and read the legend of a huge American Flag that flew over the fighting during the War of 1812 and how Francis Scott Key wrote the “Star Spangled Banner” in honor of that flag
The Claus Clan with Ray and Linda Burke, owners of Fair Haven Treasures
Miscellaneous Photos of Santas
Me with Santa
Oh, dear……is he adding me to his “Naughty” list???
This Santa traveled all the way from Norway!!!
These Santas came from the New England area looking like they are on vacation
Just hanging out sharing Santa stories
This is an auditorium full of Santas singing Christmas Carols……I thought I’d died and went to heaven!!!
A Santa and his Mrs. Claus here from the Hoosier State
I loved this Santa and Mrs. Claus’ outfits – both hand made by Mrs. Claus – they were from Michigan
I found that Santas LOVE to have their photos taken!
Albion’s own Mrs. Claus – Valerie Elwell Rush with the Santa from Norway and her Dad….and a few other Santas photo-bombing them!
(photo courtesy of Valerie Rush)
Valerie Elwell Rush (Albion’s Mrs. Claus) with a Santa selling handmade hats
(photo courtesy of Valerie Rush)
Santas gathering at the Orleans County Courthouse for a group photo
(photo courtesy of Sarah Brigham)
A wonderful group photo (photo courtesy of Sarah Brigham)
Now……tell me you don’t believe in Santa – I’ll hunt you down and slap you! hehehe
For more photos and coverage of the Santa convention, see these links to articles on The Orleans Hub – not all inclusive – The Hub did a great job of covering the event, so search to find other articles:
http://www.orleanshub.com/news2015/Santas-many-faces-on-display-in-group-photo.htm
http://orleanshub.com/news2015/Santas-take-oath-vow-to-carry-out-mission-of-Saint-Nicholas.htm
http://www.orleanshub.com/news2015/Santas-add-6-to-their-Hall-of-Fame.htm
http://www.orleanshub.com/news2015/Santas-reconnect-kick-off-conference.htm
http://www.orleanshub.com/news2015/Local-Santa-honored-with-prestigious-Charles-W-Howard-Award.htm
Waterfalls
Today turned into a gorgeous day, so I decided to head out to some of the area waterfalls – Shelby Falls near Forrestel Farm, Holley Falls, and Clarendon Falls! I figured that all the rain we’ve been having would have them flowing heavy…..and I was correct!!! So glad I took the time to check them out! Here are some photos I shot:
SHELBY – NEAR FORRESTEL FARM
The water was so high here, it looked more like just a really rapidly raging creek than a waterfall, but the waterfall is there!!!
HOLLEY FALLS
So beautiful…..I sat there on a picnic bench just watching and listening for quite a while…..so peaceful!!! Holley has a nice park for their falls…..picnic tables, benches, a bridge over the creek, walking trail, and a small pavilion with several picnic tables!
CLARENDON FALLS
It was too muddy to get down close to the falls, but I still got a couple good shots…thanks to the zoom feature on my iPhone! Clarendon, too, has a nice parking area and a bench to view the falls.
I wish other falls would have easier access — Medina and Waterport both have amazing waterfalls, but you have to be a mountain climber to get to them! They would make great tourist attractions if they would provide easy trails and some seating so more people could enjoy them……but, as they are now, I didn’t even consider going by to check them out!
AND, NOW…..ENJOY THE PEACE AND SERENITY OF THE HOLLEY FALLS:
Maple Syrup and More Adventure
A big spring crop that is very plentiful around here is maple syrup and all things maple! There is an abundance of sugar shacks in the area that harvest the sap from maple trees and produce the sweetest of delights….fresh, pure maple syrup! There are two weekends in the spring that are considered “Maple Weekend” – this year, they were March 21-22 and March 28-29 – where you can visit all the maple producers for tours and the chance to purchase and, in most cases, taste the freshly made treats! One place is particularly popular this time of year! Cartwright’s Maple Tree Inn near Angelica, NY. They open their business for just a few short weeks each year – this is their 53rd season and they were open Feb 10th thru Mar 12th – and serve up all-you-can-eat buckwheat pancakes and their own fresh maple syrup! People come from all over the state and beyond year after year to visit this little shack tucked away on a back road in the middle of nowhere to enjoy the best breakfast of the year!
Each year, a group from our church makes the one and a half or so hour trek to Cartwright’s. Every year for the past three years, I have planned to go with them. Every year, something comes up to prevent me from going. THIS year, I blocked out my calendar with stern notes warning me of consequences if I should try to book anything else on that day! This year, I got to go! And……I had the best time!!!
I got up and dressed and ready early. The group was meeting to carpool at 9:00 at the church, but, as usual, I was planning to drive myself so that I could do some exploring afterwards – I was going to be in an area of the state that I had never been in, before, so wanted to check it out! I plugged in my trusty GPS, Gabby, and entered the address…..uh, oh……Gabby didn’t recognize the address! So, I tried to find it in a few different ways…..no luck! So, by then, I assumed I missed the carpool group…..I figured I’d get as close as I could using the GPS and then go by the written directions I had. But, as luck would have it, the group was still there and just starting to leave when I drove by the church! So, I took a couple passengers and followed the leader! We took an awesome rural route that snaked through the country side….I saw towns I’ve never heard of and things I’ll likely never find again! But, it was GREAT!
When we got there, I was surprised to find that we hit it at the exact right time…..no line going in the restaurant (I’m told that is extremely unusual – even on off days)! We got to sit right down and the food started coming! We ordered “family style” – which means you don’t order off the menu – they bring your choice of beverage and a plate with three hot buckwheat pancakes, a slice of ham, and a hand pressed sausage patty – then, they keep replacing the stack of hot pancakes in the center of the table until everyone is stuffed and stops eating…..for as along as that takes!!! I, personally, ate SIX pancakes – in my defense, they are thinner and a little smaller than the ones I make at home or find in other restaurants, so maybe I ate the equivalent of 2 or 3…..that’s my story and I’m sticking to it!!! And were they GOOD!!! I have never had buckwheat pancakes OR fresh pure maple syrup before…..what a treat — I have really been missing out all these years!
After we left Cartwright’s, we went into Angelica, NY to get some of their claim to fame – salt-rising bread – and to do some browsing through the many antique shops that line their historic downtown area. After that, one of my riders works at Letchworth State Park – recently named the #1 Best State Park in all of the United States – so we drove through there on the way back home. I left the house just before 9:00 am and returned just after 4:00 pm…..exhausted and happy! It was a GREAT day!!!
Here are photos from my wonderful adventure:
FROM CARTWRIGHT’S MAPLE TREE INN
I can’t take credit for this photo – I “borrowed” it from Cartwright’s Facebook page
Posted in 2012, it shows the exterior of the building and the line of people waiting to get in!
We were greeted by this happy fellow! Love his feet!
Cooking the buckwheat pancakes
And, later, another of the continuously grilled batches being flipped
My tea came in this HUGE and very pretty mug
My second helping…..I was so excited to dig in, I didn’t get a photo of the first helping with the meat!
Their gift shop is full of wonderful maple products and souvenirs
Downstairs, they have some cool items from their original business
This is the evaporator – you can watch the guys processing the syrup
That room smelled so sweet……it gave me a sugar high just breathing in there!
FROM ANGELICA, NY
One of many antique stores along the downtown area….and a cow!
You know I can’t resist photographing a cow or horse statue…..my friend, Diane, got in on the fun!
Their claim to fame is “salt-rising” bread – it is a very heavy, dense bread with almost a sour-dough taste – best when toasted!
What a great name for a shop…..
….and, compared to the other buildings on the street, it WAS the little building!!!
The Angelica Legion Post
There was a huge traffic circle around a park with this memorial
Most of the buildings had some beautiful brick work
A display of vintage hats…..no, I didn’t buy one!
Angelica Bakery – where they make their famous salt-rising bread!
This lovely bed and breakfast inn has a “For Sale” sign in the window!
Angelica Free Library
And, there were a couple of these really cool looking stone houses!
FROM LETCHWORTH STATE PARK
The frozen fountain at the Glen Iris Inn in Letchworth brought national attention, this year – it got bigger than usual and stayed longer than usual…..this is what it looked like yesterday – starting to melt down, but still VERY large and impressive!
This photo – from the Glen Iris Inn Facebook page – shows it at its peak!
My friend, Diane, and her Dad rode along with me and I was telling her I’ve never been able to find the Lower Falls, so she took me to it! Here is the gorge and rapids just downstream from the Lower Falls
And, here it is……a horrible photo of it, but I finally found it and it was very nice in person!!!
So, there you have it…..my Maple Syrup Adventure…..wonder where I’ll go exploring next???
Just a Block Away….
Tradition and change…..they tend to contradict each other…..one is comfortable – a part of us…..the other upsets our lives, our emotions, and our sense of security. Everyone has some traditions they hold dear and everyone has some level of adversity to change….and, the older we get, the more we cling to traditions and the more adverse we are to change.
I am a fifth generation member of the Albion First United Methodist church! I attended services there as a child, my mother was a member from the time she was a little girl, my grandmother attended with her mother, who attended with her mother! When I retired and moved back to Albion, I also returned to the church of my roots. I quickly made many new friends that have become very dear to me. I joined committees and the choir and I looked for ways to be active in events and missions. I settled in nicely! So, it was very much to my dismay to discover that they had been dealing with some very heavy issues with the building. Apparently, about 100 years ago the congregation at the time wanted to reorient the sanctuary and, at the same time, created a vaulted ceiling and installed a magnificent stained glass window depicting the Good Shepherd that was gifted by their pastor. To do all this, they cut the cross beams that spanned across the sanctuary ceiling. Fast forward 100 years and we find ourselves in a precarious and extremely expensive situation of having approximately a million or so dollars worth of structural damage……$1,000,000 that we just don’t have and, despite the best efforts over several years, have been unable to secure any grants or other sources of funding to pay for it!
So, we’re moving…..that is a simple statement that fails to convey the years of agonizing over options and decisions and heartache, but it is the fact……we’re moving! We have worked out an agreement with another one of the seven historic churches sitting around the Courthouse Square – a district listed on the National Registry of Historic Places – to share their church. Beginning tomorrow morning – Easter Sunday – our congregation will move just one block away to the Christ Episcopal Church on Main St in Albion. We will hold our services at 9:30 am and they will hold theirs at 11:00 am…..and, together, the two congregations will serve the community as we always have….just from a shared space…..just one block away!
This hasn’t been easy on our congregation…….reread that first paragraph about tradition and change! It has been so very emotional for us all. But, we’re staying together as a congregation and as a church family of friends, so we’re OK!
Here is our new church home……the Christ Church……and what a lovely new home it is!!! (For a more detailed accounting of the events that compile the last of the last things we did in our church, click on over to the blog I write for the church)
Here’s to change, new beginnings, transferred traditions, and new traditions……
Wordless Wednesday – Early Spring
OK, so Spring officially started this past Friday. I’ve been waiting for a good day to get out and snap some photos around town showing the early signs of the season change…..today was it! We had a forecasted high of 51 degrees, today – it didn’t quite reach it and, when I was out and about this morning, it was heavily overcast in anticipation of the rain that came a little later in the day. But, it was still a nice morning and I think I got some fun shots! Things may still be kinda brown and dingy from the remnants of winter, but you can find the beauty in ANYTHING, if you just look for it!!!
Here is what I captured – with as few words as possible on this Wordless Wednesday:
Let’s start with the Erie Canal….the Main Street lift bridge in Albion closed just before I was there taking photos – much needed repairs will be completed in preparation for the canal season!
Barges, tug boats, tenders, and equipment lined up at the bottom of the canal over the winter months are waiting for the canal to be filled so they can start their work when the canal opens in May.
Canal workers performing maintenance on some pieces of equipment to prepare for the upcoming active season.
The boat launch on Albion-Eagle Harbor Rd looks pretty lonely hanging out there way above the lowered water level.
A couple seagulls enjoying the cold water below the boat launch.
Looking up the canal towards the Gaines Basin Rd bridge.
When I was down town taking photos, most of the stores weren’t open, yet, and Main Street looked pretty sleepy.
The Perry’s Ice Cream sign at the par-3 golf course on Gaines Basin Rd teases of the possibility of cool treats on warm summer days.
Farm equipment dormant over the winter stands in wait for the chance to irrigate the fields when needed.
This farm field looks like it was just freshly plowed up…..but, upon closer look, it is obvious that the dirt is WAY too saturated from melted snow to even think about taking any equipment out on it…..surely even a person trying to walk across this field will sink down into the bog, let alone a heavy plow!
This cracked me up when I saw it…..when the snow plow pushed the high banks back from the road, it dug up some sod and it ended up laying on top of the snow bank……now that the banks are pretty much melted down, all I could think of was a “toupee on top of a snow cap”! Hahahahaha!!!!
This one has nothing to do with spring, but I took it today, so wanted to include it! It is the Good Shepherd Window in the Albion First United Methodist Church. I was there this evening for choir practice and snapped this shot to fill a request and, as always, it took my breath away!
Happy Spring, y’all……stay tuned for more photos as I get out and about in the much improved weather!
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