Kim's Thoughts
Just a few thoughts I feel worthy of jotting down!
Canal at Dusk
Today, I read some wonderful news about the Erie Barge Canal……it has been placed on the National Registry of Historic Places! It is about time! The canal is a huge part of the history of New York State and was the main reason many small town were established – including Albion! The canal was considered an engineering marvel and still is even by today’s standards……hand dug by immigrants with locks and gates to account for changes in elevation and flood control just about all the way across this great state of ours and bridges that have stood the test of time and are still in operation today! So, to commemorate this amazing news, I stopped along the canal to take some photos at dusk this evening……here they are!
Oh – and here is the link to the article about the National Registry distinction on the Orleans Hub:
click here
Corning and Hammondsport Adventure
Check it off my bucket list…..I made it to the Corning Museum of Glass! This has been on my “places to go and things to do” list since I moved back home – three years – and I have finally completed it and can chalk it up to another great adventure in the memory books!
Synopsis of the adventure:
We left Monday (09/29) morning with plans of a leisurely drive taking the scenic route and stopping at points of interest along the way – the end goal of the day was to get to Hammondsport by dinner time. We decided to go through Piffard and stop at the Abbey where they make Monk’s Bread to see the chapel and grounds. I have never been there before, so I was really looking forward to it. But – we were disappointed to find that they were under construction and all we could do was browse through the bread store. I’ll have to plan to go back, someday, because it really did look like it was really beautiful there. We proceeded to drive through the country side looking at the scenery and made our way to Naples – the plan was to stop there for lunch and we were told that they are famous for their grape pie! Well, disappointment # 2 – a couple locals told us where the best grape pie was and that we “couldn’t miss it”……we missed it……twice! After driving back and forth up the main drag, we decided to give up and just head on the Hammondsport to get checked in and have our lunch there!
Hammondsport is a sleepy little town situated right on the tip of Keuka Lake in the Finger Lakes region of NY state. It is beautiful there! We had an OK lunch – nice, but probably wouldn’t recommend it to anyone – and then walked around the historic downtown area and stopped in at an ice cream parlor for dessert. After a long drive along the lake looking at the scenery, we got settled in to our motel – Keuka Lakeside Inn – a very nice little 1960s style motel that has been modernized and renovated (the owner has done a really nice job on the place) with lake views. Our room faced the lake and there were chairs and a gazebo on the property to sit and enjoy the lake – very nice! We sat out by the lake and talked for quite a while, went in and took a nap, and then went out for dinner.
The next day was spent in Corning – mostly at the Corning Museum of Glass. What an amazing place that is!!! Beautiful glass of every kind and from every era and every country around the world! They also had an incredible exhibit of Lalique pieces that was breathtaking and totally emotional to see. We watched a glass blower do his magic to make a pretty ruffled bowl, learned a lot about the history of glass making, saw some gorgeous works of art (and some really strange works of art), and we even did the “make your own glass” session – I made a set of wind chimes and my friend made a clock – that was a lot of fun and I love the finished product! After leaving the museum, we wandered around the historic Market Street area of Corning — what a quaint place that is — and we had dinner at the nicest Italian restaurant and had the BEST pasta EVER!!!
We spent our last night back at the motel in Hammondsport, stopped back in the Corning Museum of Glass to pick up the glass pieces we made and look around a little more, and then headed back home. On our way back home, we drove through Letchworth State Park, stopped to shop at The Giggling Pig (an Amish furniture store and gift shop) in Caledonia, and had dinner in Leroy. It was a GREAT trip!!!
Photos from the adventure:
From Hammondsport, NY at the tip of Keuka Lake
First photo I took — we got out of the car in downtown Hammondsport and this took our breath away!!!
This little church had a prominent spot in downtown Hammondsport — so pretty and inviting!
We had lunch at the Village Tavern Restaurant and Inn — the historic downtown area is so quaint!
This was a little park literally in the center of the historic downtown area – everything circled around the park!
I found an ice cream parlor……
……and had a delicious chocolate soda – all chocolate!!! YUMMO!!!
The gazebo and chairs at our motel…..it was a lovely evening to sit outside and enjoy the lake!
Beautiful Keuka Lake
Docks at our motel – so peaceful and relaxing
More of the view from the lake side seating at our motel
And, one more…….the autumn colors really made our view so beautiful
Dinner was at the Luna Mezza Grille — VERY good and a lovely restaurant!!!
I had the pork medallions with a zucchini/tomato medley and seasoned steak fries! DELICIOUS!!!
From the Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, NY
Loved this old truck right at the entrance near the store
Loved it so much I had to have my photo taken with it……but, I really should burn it – it is HORRIBLE
(even though it shows off my new purple hat with the glass crystal embellishments on it)
There was glass of every kind on display — like this quirky chandelier……
……and this bowl with a delicate and intricate city skyline carved in the upper rim……
……and this beautiful gown on a lady’s torso….
…..and this crystal light….
…..and a room FULL of bottles and dishes!
There were several stained glass windows and lighting pieces made by Tiffany – this one was huge and gorgeous!
This one really touched me – I turned the corner, saw it, and instantly started to cry!
It is called “The Righteous Shall Receive a Crown of Glory” – based on the bible verse Peter 5:4
It was made for the United Methodist Church of Waterville, NY about 1901
I’d like this window in my house……along with the matching lamp in the display to the right
Here I am sitting in a display at the opening of the room that housed the Lalique exhibit
A few of the many delicate and incredibly beautiful pieces designed by Lalique
One more from the Lalique exhibit
And, this is MY work of art……the wind chimes I made in the “Make Your Own Glass” session!!!
There were several demonstration stops – like this one where they blew a beautiful ruffled bowl and explained the glass blowing process
And interactive displays, like this one where the glass reflects you upside down (that’s me and my friend at the top of the glass) and then, you flip right side up as you walk towards it!
From the historic Market Street area of Corning, NY
I loved this little park – if it wasn’t about to dump a thunderstorm on us, I could have sat here for hours
The historic buildings were just gorgeous
More of the park — this marks the center of Market Street – just loved it there!
What an incredible framework for a bank’s drive thru lanes!!!
The best restaurant and meal of the trip!!! Sorge’s Italian Restaurant on Market Street in Corning!
Beautifully decorated, great service, and the BEST homemade pasta EVER!!! They make it fresh every day!
Now, doesn’t this make your mouth water? It was absolutely AMAZING!!! (if I lived closer, I’d eat there every day)
From Letchworth State Park
The middle falls at the Glen Iris Inn
The gorge with the Genesee River below
I always find it sad that signs like this are necessary – you’d think common sense would prevail, but……
More of the gorge from a different spot along the 19 or so mile drive through Letchworth
Me next to a HUGE chair at the dam
The Mt. Morris Dam
Downstream of the dam
Miscellaneous photos from the rest of the drive home
The Gigglin’ Pig – an Amish furniture store and gift shop we stopped at in Caledonia, NY
Final meal of the trip – steak, mashed potatoes, and carrots at the Depot Restaurant in Leroy, NY
So, that’s it for this adventure……next planned adventure – I’m going to Lancaster, PA with a group from church later this fall! Can’t wait!
Movie Review – Gone Girl
I went to see the highly anticipated movie, Gone Girl, with a friend yesterday. We both read the book – written by Gillian Flynn – and both had a similar critique of it……loved the story and was riveted to the pages throughout….right up to the horrible ending! It seemed to be a very common response from just about everyone (scratch out the “just about” part – I do believe it isn’t a stretch to just use the word EVERYONE without any qualifiers) I knew that read it and by others I heard talking about it: Loved the book, hated the ending!!!
The author, Gillian Flynn, must have decided to react to what was likely a universal complaint – I had heard that the ending was changed for the movie! That made me even more excited to go see it. I thought that a better ending would really make a difference in my experience with the story. Well, let me start out by saying that I STILL hate the ending!!! It really wasn’t that much different…….no spoilers, here, but suffice it to say that they take it a little further and provide a plausible explanation, but it still left me wanting a very different outcome.
So, what did I think overall? Well……I have mixed emotions about it! I’m really not sure if I am willing to recommend it — I think I am, but with some strong cautions! First and foremost – respect that “R” rating – this is NOT a movie for kids! It is VERY graphic – the cussing, the sex, some nudity (but don’t hold your breath for the full frontal nudity of Ben Affleck that has been played up in the media – I must have blinked cause I never saw it and I paid attention to the only shower scene), and the violence is blatant and not a movie I would be happy to see kids – even teens – watching. BUT – if you are one of those who read the book and concluded that you “loved the book, hated the ending”, the movie will likely leave you feeling the same way. The movie follows the book very closely – it has been a good two, maybe three, years since I read the book and the movie reminded me of all the little details I forgot and made me feel like I was re-reading it. That is something a lot of movies made from popular books fall short on – they tend to change things too much – not here! However, there are just a couple of major changes that made me send off a note to someone who recently read the book to clarify my memory of what happened in the book. Like I said earlier, the ending is somewhat different – it doesn’t end as abruptly as the book does and attempts to give a plausible explanation, but it still falls short of reasonable expectations of how it should end. The other change that confused me was the way the character Desi Collings dies, but I won’t go into that — I don’t want my review to spoil the movie for anyone.
Overall, I found it to be very exciting — just like I was riveted to the pages of the book, I was riveted to the edge of my seat in the theater! Even though it followed the book very closely, so I knew what to expect, I still found myself tense and engaged throughout! Ben Affleck was very convincing in his portrayal of the husband, Nick Dunne……I loved Tyler Perry as super star attorney, Tanner Bolt……and, Neil Patrick Harris was delightfully dapper as rich stalker, Desi Collings. I wasn’t impressed with the other three main characters – Roseamund Pike as Amy Dunne, Carrie Coon as Margo Dunne, and Kim Dickens, as Det. Rhonda Boney – each gave decent performances, but really didn’t have a lot of chemistry with the other characters and kinda fell flat for me……although, Roseamund Pike did have some shining moments where her character stood out more than it did through most of the film.
For those of you who didn’t read the book: The basic story is that Nick and Amy Dunne fall in love and enter into a fairy tale marriage that turns into a nightmare when Amy is apparently abducted or murdered and Nick is seen as the prime suspect. Fairly early on, you find that Amy actually orchestrates the whole ordeal as revenge on Nick for making her miserable and for his infidelities. She takes Nick and the detectives on a scavenger hunt of clues that all lead back to the conclusion that Nick murdered his wife and somehow disposed of the body. Which of course, is an incorrect conclusion, but the evidence is overwhelming and Nick soon becomes the most hated man in America in a national media frenzy. Synopsis ends here to avoid spoilers that, if you haven’t read the book, would be unfair to disclose.
One major observation I had as I was leaving the theater……….since the mid-80s, the Glenn Close/Michael Douglas movie, Fatal Attraction, has been the ultimate horror movie for unfaithful men – the classic worst case scenario of “crazy bitch takes revenge”! Well, I think Gone Girl has successfully knocked Fatal Attraction off that pedestal and has taken the “crazy bitch” crown!
My rating? I’m torn……on one hand, I found it riveting, very close to the book, and a great, highly suspenseful, story…….on the other hand, it was a little too graphic and visual for me……..and the biggie is that I STILL HATE THE ENDING!!! So, I’m going to deduct some points and give it a B+ rating. Do I recommend it? Yeah, I guess I do — sort of — I don’t know! I lot of people are saying they loved it……I fall short of that, but it will definitely be an individual thing – more so than most movies I see. So, use your own judgment – if you’re looking for a really suspenseful movie, this just might be the one for you! I know there will be some who think I’m nuts and wonder why I didn’t highly recommend it and there will be some who wonder why I didn’t just come out and say I don’t recommend it — it is that kind of a movie! And…..I really can’t use my usual movie criteria – I did chuckle a little here and there, but I didn’t cry, I didn’t really fall in love with any of the characters (although I did feel for some of them), and I didn’t leave feeling good — tense and confused, yes, but not good! 🙂
But, don’t let me stop you from making your own decision or relying on others who advise you……..cause I’m just way too torn on this one!
Pink and Blue
As you know, I absolutely can not be anywhere near Lake Ontario without snapping photos — especially Point Breeze! It is never the same and I love it!!! Tonight, it was the most amazing shades of pale blue and pale pink – both the water and the sky had varying shades of both colors in it and you could barely tell where one color started and the other color stopped! And, then, within minutes, it changed to a little more vibrant, deep shades of pink, blue, and there was an addition of purple in the mix!!!
A-W-E-S-O-M-E
Here are photos of Point Breeze, NY at about 7:00-ish on Friday, September 26, 2014:
High Tea Adventure
Anyone who knows me knows that I love Downton Abbey and most things British – the culture and traditions fascinate me, I enjoy listening to the accents (I even set Gabby to talk to me in a British accent when giving me my GPS directions), and the history is so interesting! It might be because my ancestors were English – my Great Grandmother was the most recent generation born in England. I also love tea – especially as a calming treat on a chilly night, but really just about any time! Well, today I had an adventure that plays right into all these things and I had a BLAST!!! It was such a lovely day to spend with friends and enjoy the very English tradition of proper high tea……right here in Albion, NY, USA!!!
A few years ago – I believe about 2006 or so – Tony McMurtrie, a Scottish native who, by the way, is a real sweetheart and insanely funny and enjoyable to talk to, began to renovate an old run down mansion here in Albion. His efforts resulted in The Pillars Estate on County House Road – an elegant banquet hall and bed and breakfast that, until recently, catered to special events. Earlier this summer, Tony opened up the estate to the public for lunches and his friend, Cora Goyette, opened a proper English Tea Room two days a week for high tea. Cora is a native of England and personally ensures the integrity of the offerings in her Tea Room, as well as makes the pastries fresh each morning.
Today, my dear friends, Cathy and Judy, and I finally got together and went to check it out…….and we were totally impressed! Everything was delicious, Cora was delightful, and the atmosphere was lovely. Cora enthusiastically explained each stage of the experience with references to British traditions and entertaining stories along the way. I, of course, could not resist donning a hat and white gloves to enhance my experience — after all, what is a proper high tea without a lovely hat and gloves?
So, here is my attempt to use the photos I took to help me walk you through the experience…..I hope I make it sound as incredibly awesome as it was!
Cora explained that the purpose of high tea is to help bridge the gap between lunch and dinner – in England and Scotland, dinner is served rather late in the day, so there is usually about a 6 hour gap between lunch and dinner – high tea provides an opportunity to have tea and a little something light to eat. They wouldn’t typically eat as much as was served to us, but Cora serves samples of most of the most typical types of foods selected in a proper tea sitting.
Each table was adorned with beautiful dried roses and heather
I was especially drawn to the incredible chandeliers in the tea room
The fine china serving dishes and patterned linen table cloths were so pretty
First up was proper English tea served in a beautifully adorned sterling silver tea pot
We were then served our choice of finger sandwiches – traditional English recipes complete with the crusts removed and cut into small servings
They were all delicious – my favorite was the egg salad made with English salad cream – YUM!!!
I also really enjoyed the cucumber sandwiches with a spread made of cream, whipped butter, and Dijon mustard – VERY GOOD!!!
Cora served the sandwiches on a silver serving tray with engraved silver tongs
The next service included English sausage rolls and mince pies – OMG – to die for!!!
And, finally, we were served delights for our sweet tooth!
Carrot cake muffins, mini chocolate cake with fresh strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries, and cream puffs
I-N-C-R-E-D-I-B-L-E!!!!!
My favorite photo of the day….my gloves and the desserts with tea!
I wish I had a better photo of this…..Cora telling the story of this flag that was in Tony’s family and actually flew over Buckingham Palace!
Sadly, today was the last day that high tea will be served for this season…….but, it will return next year in the spring or early summer! I can not wait! Watch for it to come back and experience it for yourself — I’m sure I didn’t do it justice — you won’t regret it!!! I ADORED IT!!!
Beginning October 3rd, they will be serving Friday night dinners from 6:00-10:00 – call 585-283-4341 for reservations.
Click these links to discover other great things about The Pillars Estate , like that it is on the Haunted History Trail of NY, they hold an annual Titanic Ball, they put on some really fun parties and special events, and they have a gorgeous grand ballroom and grounds that provide an incredible setting for weddings and other private events. For more information about The Pillars Estates and the Friday night dinners, call Tony at 585-283-4341.
Signs of Autumn – 2014
It isn’t officially…..per the calendar…..autumn, yet! The first official day of autumn starts next week – September 22nd – but, it sure is starting to look and feel like autumn around here! Temperatures have been cooler, leaves are starting to turn, crops are changing from the summer fruits and veggies to the fall produce, and fields are showing signs of coming to the end of the late summer season. So, today I took a drive around to see what photos I could get to show the signs of autumn creeping up on us. Here is what I found…..
Apple orchards loaded with fruit
Fields full of cabbage nearing time for harvest
Corn stalks starting to brown
Some more than others
Mums in every color imaginable at Kirby’s
And pumpkins galore at Rush’s….their pumpkin fields in the background
Just a week or two ago, this stand at Rush’s was loaded with cantaloupe….
Now, fall squash varieties have replaced the juicy melons of summer
Rush’s sign says it all…..
Couldn’t pass up this gorgeous tree ablaze with fall colors in front of the Hospice residence
And, my favorite sight – a basket of Gala apples from Kirby’s on my dining room table!
For The Sake of Art…
So, today I decided to head to Rochester to attend the Artist’s Row exhibit at the Rochester Public Market. It was a great day for it — overcast and cool, but not cold or damp at all — and it turned into quite the adventure with an unexpected turn of events, but I really did enjoy the day! I went because a cherished friend from high school – Sharon Nowicki Jeter – was showing her newest artistic medium and I wanted to see it up close and personal (I’ve seen photos, but photos just don’t do things the justice that seeing it in person does)! She has always had an artistic side — acting, jewelry, drawing, metal working, polymer resins, and more — but, recently she has started to create sculptures and that is what she was showing today.
This was only the second time I’ve been to the Public Market in Rochester……and, actually, both times were to see Sharon’s work in an art show! It is really easy to get there, but I still used Gabby – my GPS – to get me there. I took 31A to 531 to 490 to…….supposedly the Inner Loop, but when I tried to veer off onto the Inner Loop, I discovered that it was closed! Uh oh! So, I kept heading toward downtown and figured there should be another entrance onto the Inner Loop, but found every time I tried to get on it, the ramp was blocked by either police cars or city maintenance vehicles! Oh, boy! Poor Gabby – she tried and tried to get me to turn onto the Inner Loop and just didn’t get it when I said, “it’s closed…..find me another way to get to the Public Market!” My first thought was that I was now going to be hopelessly lost in downtown Rochester may never find my way out……I may have turned into a ghostly skeleton driving around downtown aimlessly forever, haunting the streets of the city…..there would be legends told about sightings of me for many, many years to come! BUT……I am actually quite proud of myself – I didn’t get anxious or nervous and I found my way to the Public Market with just a little bit of extra effort – I prevailed – and I lived to tell about it!!!! 🙂 I just kept going the opposite way or just beyond the turn that Gabby was telling me to go so that I would force her to find another way to get there…..after a few turns, I found myself on South Union Street and knew I was home free – the Public Market is on North Union Street and I was headed north – eventually I HAD to come up on it…….and I did!!! YAY!!! Of course, the next obstacle was finding a place to park…..but, even that didn’t take terribly long and I lucked out with a great spot!
I wandered around a while and found Sharon’s booth. It was so great to see her!!! We were so close in school and for some time after school……then, we sort of drifted apart and then I moved to NC, so we had lost touch for a while, there. But, then I found her on Facebook and we reconnected! Now, I try to get in to see her shows when I can and when I know about them……wish I could do it more often – I really do enjoy seeing her so very much!
Before I get into some of the photos that I took today, let me brag some more on Sharon —- click here to check out her web site – she has a studio and teaches classes and everything!!! 🙂
So, on with the photos:
The next two photos are of Sharon with some of the sculptures she had on display:
I purchased this piece from Sharon — terrible photo of it, but I love it……I had to hang it somewhere to get a photo, so I hung it from my dining room chandelier and then I decided to put it out on my front porch right outside my den window so I can see it all the time……I’ll decide the best place for it after I give it some thought, but it is perfect there, for now!
This isn’t the best photo to show it, but they had a really big crowd come out to support the local artists showing their work:
There were several food trucks – including this colorful one:
I sat and had a nice burger and fries and listened to this guy sing and play guitar — he did some of Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash, and others of that same era…..very good job – I enjoyed him!!!
This band was playing on the stage – they were really good, too!
I thought the shops along side of the Public Market were interesting, as well…..
Practically everywhere I looked, there were amazing murals painted on buildings – like this one that I went around the block to come back up on so that I could get a photo of it….
Here are some other items I’ve purchased from Sharon in the past — I really enjoy having some of her work in my house! The first photo is of collaborative drawings by Sharon and her friend Trish Annise. The following three are jewelry pieces that Sharon made — including a necklace that I can’t wear anywhere without getting a boat load of compliments on it (the first of the three jewelry photos).
And…..I can’t close out this post without including a couple photos of Sharon and I when we were a couple of crazy teenagers finding joy in everything we came across!!!
Rusty Steam Shovel in LeRoy
A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about my Genesee Country Museum adventure. Included in that post was a photo of an old rusted out piece of equipment that caught my eye along the back roads leading up to the museum complex. I didn’t know what it was or why it was there, but I was intrigued enough to snap a few photos of it. Well…….I was delighted to read an article by Virginia Kropf in today’s Batavia Daily News Online about it! Reading about what it is and the story behind it makes me extremely happy that I stopped to capture it for my archives! What a find!
You can read Virginia’s article here: “Rusting steam shovel deserves better fate” – you will likely need to answer a survey question or two in order for the entire article to open up for reading (the Batavia Daily News Online edition is free, but they do require the survey questions to be answered to make each day’s articles visible for reading).
From the article (thank you so much, Virginia) I discovered that it is actually a steam shovel that has been sitting on Gulf Road across from a quarry in LeRoy for more than 50 years just rusting out! It was originally one that ran on railroad tracks, but was converted into a caterpillar at some point. The article goes on to tell about what makes this particular steam shovel unique – it still has its original steam boiler and it has been accepted for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places (a marker for it is in the works)! I am tickled pink that this historic gem was not scrapped for its metal during WWII, as the article notes, and is still around to tell a story of the quarry industry in our area! What a gem!
Here are the photos I took of this unique discovery that day:
By the way – in the article, Virginia also talks about her memories of swimming in local quarries. I, too, used to swim in the quarries here in Albion when I was a child – going to Pecks and Transit quarries was such a treat! The water in the quarries was always so cold, as I remember, and refreshing! We jumped off the rock ledges into the “bottomless” water, floated around on an old inflated tractor tire tube, and sunned ourselves on the banks to dry off before heading home. What wonderful memories the word “quarry” brings to mind…….and what an important industry quarry mining was to the history of our area! Bravo to those who are working to bring attention to the legacy of the local quarrymen!
Sunday Drive – 09-07-14
It is the little things in life that make it so special and sometimes it just takes a nice Sunday drive to make the day a slam dunk! My grandparents used to go on Sunday drives all the time – they really enjoyed just getting in the car and going for a drive! Sometimes my brother and I would get to go with them when we were kids – it created many, many fond memories of time spent with them! We’d go to the lake or just ride around the country side looking at the scenery – quite often we’d drive down Rt. 18 to pick up brown eggs from the farmer that Grandpa liked – and we’d almost always get to stop for an ice cream or maybe lunch somewhere! Then, when I got married and moved to NC, we would get in the car just about every Sunday to drive around and scout out the surrounding area – we had to learn where things were and what the area had to offer. Every Sunday, we’d take a different road and just see where it took us……and, yes, just about every time the ride would include stopping for ice cream or lunch somewhere and quite often finding something really cook to do or see along the way! So, it wasn’t surprising when I moved back home and decided to use Sunday drives as my way to reacquaint myself with my home town and surrounding areas……but, I didn’t confine myself to Sundays! hehehe Taking a drive around just to see what you can find and looking for cool stuff to look at can make for the most enjoyable day……and it only costs a little gas and maybe the price of a treat along the way!
Today, my Mom and I shared just such a day. After church, we met for breakfast – as we do most Sunday mornings. I mentioned that I thought I might take a drive to the lake to check out the Oak Orchard On The Lake community……I’ve heard a lot about it and knew it was across the river from Point Breeze, but wasn’t sure how to get there (without jumping in the river and swimming to the other shore – LOL). I was talking to someone who lives there in church this morning and she told me how to get there. So, I wanted to check it out and asked Mom if she wanted to go for a ride and find it with me! She did, so off we went!!!
I am so very glad we did…….first, it was a gorgeous day and a real joy to share it with Mom…….second, the Oak Orchard On The Lake community is incredible — a lovely setting with beautiful homes overlooking the lake with tons of trees and foliage making everything look so inviting! And, the lake was breathtaking, today – calm and a dark, vivid blue to contrast against the gorgeous sky! It was all just so perfect!!! So, here’s how the day went and a few of the photos I took along the way:
We started out by going to Medina for gas — I had 40 cents a gallon off the cost of gas accumulated on my TOPS card, so wanted to use it to fill my tank! As I was pumping my gas, I noticed this stunning golden locust tree – the colors of the leaves against the sky begged me to take a photo!
Then, we cut up Culvert Road to the Ridge and down Kenyonville Road to Rt. 18. We turned onto Archibald Road and took it to Oak Orchard On The Lake! It was like stepping into a painting of a wonderful summer scene from yesteryear……so many lovely homes and stunning views of the lake! I stopped to take a few photos of the lake…..you know I can’t resist the lake!!!
Those barely visible white dots on the horizon are a bunch of yachts and sailboats out enjoying the lake!
In the distance, you see the area extended out into the lake? That is the west side of the Oak Orchard River at Point Breeze – that is the break wall and lighthouse that I have photographed so many times from the other side…..now I have seen it from this side!!!
The following photo is a zoomed in shot so that the lighthouse and break wall are visible:
See the lighthouse just to the left of the trees at the opening of the river into the lake?
Then, we left to take a drive through Sunset Beach – just down the road a ways. My grandparents owned a cottage in Sunset Beach for many years and I spent a ton of time there as a child and teenager. We drove through the community and found a few changes, but mostly were sad that a large part of it hadn’t been kept up as it was when we were a part of the community! I also thought that it felt much smaller than it did when I was younger……of course, it wasn’t, really! I used to walk all over the little roadways and play with the other regular kids who spent their summers there – the Cottons and Taylors from Batavia and others……we covered every inch of the community on a daily basis and had bon fires at night as we played hide and seek, kick the can, and other games after dark and roasted marshmallows and made little campfire pies and smores around the fire. I also remember walking to the little common area at the ledge that overlooked the lake after dark to sit on the park benches and just listen to the water crashing up onto the shore below. Later in life – in my early 20s, I rented my grandparents cottage with a friend one summer – we had a great summer that year with friends and parties at the lake just about every weekend! I have so many incredible memories of Sunset Beach that I decided to NOT take any photos of it, today — I chose to keep my memories intact!
There is a little road that connects Sunset Beach with Lakeside Beach (not the state park, a little cottage community beside Sunset). We took that road and drove through Lakeside. We used to visit friends there. I remember one time visiting friends and me, my brother, and some other kids went down the bank to wade and throw stones in Johnson’s Creek…..when I stepped out of the creek and looked down at my legs, they were covered with blood suckers!!! EEEWWW!!! I’ll never forget that —– and I NEVER put my feet or any other body part in Johnson’s Creek again – not even when I went late night catfish fishing at the creek with my then boyfriend (later husband) and his sons!!! I snapped the next two photos along the drive in Lakeside — many of the cottages there are along the right side of the road and the lake with just a small patch of land across the street from each cottage – those cottage owners put chairs and picnic tables across the road so they can enjoy the lake view! One photo is one such sitting area and the other is a gorgeous hibiscus bush with the lake in the background.
As we went further down the road in Lakeside, we found ourselves on a VERY narrow winding road (no, scratch that and replace it with the word “PATH”) that was just barely wide enough for the car…..there was a ditch on the right side and the left side was an extremely steep drop off to the creek below – and NO shoulder or anything to keep you from sliding right off to disaster!!! I was getting sick to my stomach, so we found a somewhat safe place to get turned around and got out of there!!!
We commented on how there used to be little ice cream stands around both Sunset and Lakeside Beaches back in the day – all within a short walking distance! But, there were none to be found anywhere anymore! So, I said, “well, we can always stop in at Brown’s Berry Patch and get an ice cream”! It was settled – that would be our next stop!
We ordered a couple of cones and sat in the little dining area to enjoy our treats! Then, we headed back to Mom’s!
After I dropped Mom off at her house, I swung by the cemetery to water our crocks…..they are still blooming and looking amazing!!! One tree caught my eye near my Great Grandmother’s grave – I just loved the variation of colors and the way the sun and sky made it look – I had to capture it in a photo…….I am disappointed, though, that the photo doesn’t do it justice at all – it just looks like an ordinary tree and it looks quite extraordinary in person!!!
So…….our day is done, but we had such a great time and made a few new memories and shared a few old ones!!! Can’t beat that!!!
Sweet Escapes, Fresh Produce, and a Little Rain!
I headed out today with two specific goals in mind……get some corn for dinner and pick up my free cupcakes! I accomplished that and more……here are some of the sights I saw along the way:
First up……I went to Partyka’s farm market in Kendall to get some corn……I left a little less than an hour later with bags full of corn and tomatoes and potatoes and watermelon and a belly full from a hamburger and French fries from their grill……nope, I didn’t get an ice cream, but I did think about it – hehehe!!!!
Then, I headed back to Albion to pick up my free cupcakes! I answered a contest question on Facebook a couple weeks ago and won a dozen chocolate cupcakes from a new vendor who will be selling her bakery items in The Hazy Jade Gift Shop on Main Street! Her “Meet ‘n Greet” event was today – she was giving out free samples and meeting her new customers – and she had my chocolate cupcakes there for me to pick up! The bakery is called “S~N~L Sweet Escapes” and her cupcakes are DELICIOUS!!! The samples were chocolate mini cupcakes and strawberry champagne mini cupcakes — I didn’t try the chocolate cause I had a whole dozen of the full sized ones (so, I was nice and left the minis for other people to try), but I tried…..and thoroughly enjoyed……the strawberry champagne ones!!! YUMMY!!!!
(L-R): Lisa Stratton, owner of The Hazy Jade, and Sarah Brigham, owner of S~N~L Sweet Escapes
I took half of the cupcakes out to my Mom (who shared some of hers with my brother) and drove through Eagle Harbor on the way. Every time I drive through Eagle Harbor, I enjoy looking at the HUGE, beautiful willow tree right by the old store along the canal bank. I often say to myself that I should stop and take a photo or two of that gorgeous tree, but never do! So, today when I thought about it, I turned around and went back to do it!!! It was raining…….there was no rain in the forecast that I knew of, but a thunder boomer popped up and at the time I stopped for the photos, it was still raining lightly……but I think the drizzle and the fog and the wet surfaces gave the photos a little something-something that made them look cool! You can see the canal, the Eagle Harbor lift bridge, and the old store in the background beyond the tree! That old store was once a popular, hoppin’ place! It had groceries, a news stand, and a post office in it! We used to walk there for penny candy and comic books when I was a kid…..sadly, it has since closed down and I believe there are apartments in it, now!
So, that was my day…….I came home, took a little nap, and fixed supper…….fresh corn and tomatoes from Partyka’s, a fresh cucumber I had from Rush’s, and a chocolate cupcake from S~N~L Sweet Escapes:
I’ll leave you with a photo from yesterday…….in the spring, I planted about 8 or so sets of four seeds to grow dwarf sunflowers (they grow to about 15-18″). It didn’t look like any were going to come up, but after a LONG wait, I ended up with two of the roughly 32 or so seeds that grew and bloomed! If this photo doesn’t put a smile on your face to complete your day, nothing will!!!
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