Kim's Thoughts
Just a few thoughts I feel worthy of jotting down!
Genesee Country Museum Adventure
It was a great day for an adventure! I woke up a little earlier than normal and, as usual, checked the weather for the day – mid-70s and mostly sunny! I thought to myself, hhhmmm – maybe I’ll pick something local from my summer bucket list and be spontaneous – make an impromptu day trip! But, then I remembered that I wanted (read: needed) to get some housework done! BUMMER! So, I resigned myself to spending the day catching up on things around the house. But, the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to take off on an adventure! So, I made a mental “to do” list and promised myself that if I could get everything on the list done by mid-morning, I would treat myself to an adventure! I got right on it — fed the girls and let them outside to play while I got to work……cleaned up the kitchen (I was on a cooking kick last night, so there were LOTS of dirty dishes to do up), ran the vacuum, cleaned the bathrooms, changed the sheets on the bed, ran a couple errands, and took some stuff out to Mom’s! Done!!! So, where did I want to go? I thought about the Kazoo factory/museum in Eden, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be a nice day to do that and I didn’t want to waste a pretty day! I didn’t get an early enough start for some of the other things. So, Genesee Country Museum was the chosen destination — about a 40 minute drive away and mostly outside touring — easy 1/2 day adventure!
I was there a couple times maybe 35-40 years ago – I knew it was between Brockport and Leroy off of route 19 somewhere, but I wasn’t exactly sure where! The website said to take 19 toward Leroy and follow the green signs when you get to Mumford. To be sure I wouldn’t get lost (I get lost everywhere I go), I plugged in Gabby – my trusted GPS! I intended to pick up 19 south in Brockport, but Gabby had other plans for me. Usually, when I know basically how to get somewhere, I ignore her instructions until I’m in the general vicinity, but this time I decided to let her guide me the whole way. She really wanted me to take the scenic route!!! She directed me south through Clarendon to Byron and then zig zagged me around back country roads through Bergen and places I’m sure I’ve never been before – there were a couple points when I started to wonder if I made a mistake, but it turned out to be a really nice drive with lots of pretty scenery to look at along the way! And……she got me there – I’m sure it took longer than it would have if I had ignored her until after I got to Brockport, but that’s OK!
I arrived and went inside to get my ticket! It was GREAT! What a cool place! I’ve been to other 1800 – early 1900 villages like this before, but this one is set up really well and bigger than most I’ve seen in the past! Like most villages of this kind, all the buildings (with a couple of exceptions) were actually built during the 19th century and were moved from locations across the state to make up what a typical 19th century village would look like. Each building is set up as it was when it was in use and most have people dressed in period costumes performing the tasks associated with the building and going about the business of the residents of a village during that time in history. All the people were more than willing to explain what they were doing and give a glimpse into what it would be like to do it in the 19th century!
So, beyond the physical description in the last paragraph, what is Genesee Country Museum? Well, it is a step back in time to the 19th century. The brochure has two tag lines: “Touch, feel, smell, & taste the 19th century!” and “Spend a day, experience a century.” There are a lot of features on the grounds — the village, itself is broken up into three sections: “Pioneer Settlement (1780s – 1830s)”, “Antebellum Village (1830s – 1860s)”, and “Turn of the Century (1870s – 1920s)” and they also have the John L. Wehle Gallery, the Exhibition Barn, and the Carriage Museum. They have special exhibits and events throughout the year – I was given a “day sheet” of what was going on today – and they also have classes on various tasks from the 1800s, including cooking, gardening, crafts, and textile work. But, what really interested me was the summer camps they do for kids! Youth from 4 years old and up attend each day for a week, dress in period costumes, and live life as a pioneer, doing everything that a child living in the 19th century would do each day! I had the opportunity while I was there to watch a group of campers being taught a lesson on flower propagation in the school house, other children playing games in the meadow, and even more children dressed in civil war uniforms marching through the streets and in “battle”. It was so very cool! I wish there had been something like this when my son, Robby, was little – he would have really enjoyed it and I think it would have been a very valuable lesson for him!!!
I did not get to see everything – I thought it would be an easy 1/2 day adventure, but I discovered I was very wrong about that — you really need the whole day to do it justice and see it all! I gave up trying to squeeze it all in about 2:30 when I realized it was not going to be possible – I slowed down and took my time with what I could see and vowed to leave it on my list so that I remember to go back again to do the rest of it! I also would really enjoy doing some of the classes at some point, too! This is definitely a repeatable adventure – not something I can just say “been there, done that, cross it off the list”!!!
So, here is a sampling of the more than 50 photos I took – I used some restraint and didn’t snap a photo of everything I saw, but wish I had! hehehe
Before I get into the photos from the museum, itself, I want to include two I took on my back roads drive to get there! This thing caught my eye on one of the country roads just before turning onto the road the museum entrance was on. It is a rusted out piece of equipment that looks wild — sort of a railroad car with bulldozer belts for wheels and a back hoe scoop on the front (or is that the back?)!!! I saw it as I drove by and had to turn around and go back for a closer look and to take a few photos of it!
Just look at that pulley system!!! This was some piece of equipment in its time!
And, now on to the Genesee Country Museum:
I LOVE animals that are painted with scenes!!! This horse is no exception!
This is part of the “Horses on Parade” project
It is titled “Livingston” and the artist is Terryl Butwid
I love that he has a bluebird on his top hat!!! 🙂
Gazebo out in the middle of the yard where some of the camping children dressed in period clothing were playing old-time games! They were gone by the time I got close enough to get a photo! 😦
I love stone fences – this one was in front of Thompson’s Tavern & Store, c. 1807 from Riga in Monroe County
Boot and Shoe Maker’s Shop, c. 1820 from East Avon, Livingston County
Romulus Female Seminary, 1855 from Romulus, Seneca County – set up as a school house
The first time I visited this school house, there were visiting children being told what it would be like to attend school in the 19th century
The teacher was telling the children about one-room school houses
Showing a boy how he would have been taught to write the first letter of his name – “H” for Henry
She explained that penmanship was an important subject back then – one I am so sad to learn is no longer taught in our schools, today!
I went back later when I saw children in costume entering the schoolhouse – these are this week’s campers who were actually attending a class as part of their typical 19th century day – the teacher was giving them a lesson on flower propagation!
Some of the campers dressed as Union soldiers just before some Confederate soldiers came upon them!
And, here are the campers as Confederate soldiers – they had just finished doing battle with the Union soldiers
I believe this is the Humphrey House, 1818 from Lima in Livingston County – the lady was watching the civil war confrontation that happened in front of her home!
Drug Store, Dressmaker’s Shop, and Cooper Shop
Post Office and Tailor Shop
Village Merchantile, c. 1830 from Rush in Monroe County
This was an unfortunate sign of the times – the sign says “Quarantined: Scarlet Fever, Do Not Enter”
MacArthur House, built 1831 from York in Livingston County
Printing Office, c. 1820 from Caledonia in Livingston County
This gentleman was showing some children how to set print letter by letter
This Octagon House was in the “Turn of the Century” section – built 1827-1838 from Rochester in Monroe County
This massive Italianate House is the Hamilton House, built in 1870 from Campbell in Steuben County
On my way out, I had a late lunch at the Depot Restaurant
There was also a Civil War camp with a large civil war gas balloon called the Intrepid – I saw it from a distance, but didn’t get a chance to make it over to see it in person – hope it is still there next time I go. The brochure says they offer rides – not that I’d ever get up in one, but it would be super cool to see one up close!
After I left, I wasn’t real sure I could find my way back out, so I plugged Gabby back in and told her to “take me home”! The odd thing was that while she took me on the scenic route to get there, she wanted to put me on the thruway to go home! I wasn’t about to get on the thruway – I wanted to take route 19! But, it was really confusing right at that point – the thruway entrance, route 19, and 490 are all right there together! I got mixed up and didn’t turn onto 19 North — for some stupid reason, my directionally challenged brain thought I needed 19 South (duh, I was already south of where I needed to go), but I didn’t see a turn off for 19 South and ended up on 490 before I realized that is where I was headed and after it was too late to turn back! Luckily, Gabby recalculated and told me to get off on the exit for Bergen and I was back on track in no time! Thank you, Gabby, for always watching out for me!
As I made my way through downtown Bergen, I was stopped by a train! I sat there remembering how I used to love it when we had to stop for a train when I was a little girl – my brother and I would count the cars! Good thing I’m not still a little girl who likes to count the cars cause this was a VERY long train — all black tanker cars! I couldn’t wait for the caboose – another thing I used to really love to see when we had to stop for trains – there was always a guy on the back ready to wave back at us when we would wave frantically at him!!! 🙂 But, I was disappointed to find there wasn’t a caboose! I recently read an article that cabooses are becoming extinct and rarely seen anymore – guess it is true!!! A fond memory of mine was when a friend of Mom’s took us on a ride in the caboose he was in charge of one evening (I think I remember it was late and dark by the time we returned to where we started) – it was great fun and something I still remember to this day — I don’t remember who the friend was, but remember that ride!!!
What a boring, long train with LOTS of these black tanker cars — one after the other that went on FOREVER!!!
And instead of the highly anticipated caboose, there was just this ordinary railroad car!!! 😦
And, so, another adventure tucked away in my memory……and a start at whittling away at my summer bucket list – even though it won’t be taken off the list because I fully intend to return to see the parts I didn’t get to see today and maybe take in a class or two or three! It was a lovely day —- so glad I decided to get my work done early and head out and so glad I chose THIS adventure to do!!!
Old Musicals = Pure Joy!
I am a sucker for old musicals! There are way too many that are on my “most favorite” list to name…..suffice it to say, if it is a musical and stars any of the great song and dance stars, I’m in heaven! Sunday was a rainy day, so I spent a large part of it on the couch watching TV. I flipped around until I settled on Turner Classic Movies and pretty much stayed there all day. It was Walter Pigeon day, so they were showing many of his great films.
The highlight of the day was “Funny Girl” (1968), starring the incomparable Barbra Streisand as Ziegfeld Follies star Fanny Brice, Omar Sharif as the love of her life Nick Arnstein, and Walter Pigeon as Flo Ziegfeld. What an incredible film! I grew up loving Barbra Streisand and singing her songs over and over in my room in front of the mirror with a brush as a microphone! As I watched “Funny Girl”……for probably the 1000th time…….I sang every song right along with the movie – word for word! It made my day!!!
Here are some clips from Barbra Streisand’s “Funny Girl” – sorry some you have to click to view on YouTube – well worth it:
A very powerful rendition of “My Man”
My very favorite Barbra Streisand song to sing – “Second Hand Rose”
And, the GREAT “Don’t Rain On My Parade”
Then, this evening, I turned on the TV and it was still tuned to Turner Classic Movies and I was delighted to find “Summer Stock” (1950), starring the wonderful Judy Garland and the incredibly talented Gene Kelly! WOW! What a treat to watch Gene Kelly dance — he is such an amazing dancer, actor, singer! And…..what incredible talent did Judy Garland have — she could do it all, but to hear her sing just melts my heart! I could not believe how lucky I was to watch two fantastic classic musicals within two short days!
Here are clips from “Summer Stock” – again, you will need to click to view these on YouTube – it is worth it:
First up – Judy Garland in her classic tuxedo dress doing “Get Happy”
And, now – Gene Kelly in a dance solo – only Gene can turn a squeaky floor and a newspaper into a dance routine!
Watching these has really wet my appetite for classic musicals — wonder what others I can find on Amazon Prime to watch throughout the rest of the week!!!???
A Day to Remember
Saturday was an awesome day……one to remember! Yeah, I know – I say that all the time! I tend to find fun in most days and turn even the calmest of days into an adventure, a memory, a reason to smile, or any combination thereof or all three mixed in together! But, Saturday was way up there on the scale for awesome days! What was planned to be a quiet, easy day gradually filled in with things to do and ended up crammed with really special stuff! And it kept changing and getting better……right up until Saturday morning, the day kept changing! But, it was all good……and it was jam packed with friends – old and new!!! On my way home after the last of the great parts of the day, I realized that my cheeks actually hurt from smiling so much! Now, that HAS to be the best testament to the day there could possibly be!
I started the day by dropping off a pan of baked beans I made for a memorial service at our church. I made them the night before using good ole Grandma Brown Baked Beans as my base and doctoring them up with ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, dried mustard, bacon, and onions. I was a little nervous about them because I tried a small spoonful when they came out of the oven to make sure they weren’t a disaster and was concerned that I might have been a little too heavy handed with the Worcestershire sauce – they had a little bit of a bite to them – they were GOOD, but they definitely had a bit of a bite to them! But, reports later said that they were very good and went over well at the luncheon after the service. So, that was good!
Then, my friend Al and his sons were going to be playing their music at the Cobble-Ridge Co-op. Al is the one who I sang “In My Life” with at the Memorial Tree Dedication for the reunion and again in our church. Mom was not able to attend either performance and really wanted to hear me sing. So, I met her there and we sang it for her! That was nice and so very special!
The bulk of the day was spent with a new friend! Let me tell you the story……. There are a lot of blogs out there! A while back, I wrote “Where Have All The Bloggers Gone?” and mentioned that I would love to find more Albion/Western NY bloggers. A guy named “Eric” left a comment with a link to a blog that has a post every day with photos of interesting things and places around Western NY! I started reading “Tom The Backroads Traveller” every morning and really enjoyed it. I made a comment here and there and he started reading my blog and leaving comments here and there and we emailed a few times with tips on cool things to do around the area. Almost exactly a year later (I posted my bloggers piece on July 31, 2013), he was intrigued by my post about the benches in our downtown area and said that he needed to make a trip to Albion! Of course, I told him that if he did come to town, to let me know and we’d connect at some point. At first, I figured we would finally meet each other after all this time of commenting back and forth and maybe I’d point out a few things he should be sure to see while he was here and then go our separate ways. But, the more I thought about it, the more things I wanted to point out to him — the list was getting pretty long! So, I decided that the best way to do that – if he was interested – was to take him around and show him personally! I still didn’t think it would take very long, but thought that what made the most sense was for me to drive and let him “gawk” and go to the main points, stop if he saw something he wanted to photograph, and then let him go back for a closer look at things in between another time. But, it ended up being quite an adventure……I had a blast and I think he did, too……and I made a new friend!!!
We met up at the Cobble-Ridge Co-op just after I finished singing so he got to meet my Mom…….several hours later, we had traveled around much of Orleans County, seen lots of sights, and taken lots of photos, but still only put a dent in the list I had thought wouldn’t take us very long!!! hahaha We ended the day with him saying he would definitely have to come back another time to check out more of our lovely area! We never made it to the main area downtown or the lighthouse at Point Breeze or the Cobblestone Museum Complex (except to drive by and point it out) or the mud truck event we saw signs for or a few other places I had on my list…….I don’t know what I was thinking – no way we could have EVER done it all PLUS the impromptu stops that I knew would catch our eye along the way!!! But, there is no way it would have made it any more special to do it all instead of what we were able to do!!!
Our adventure started at Miller’s Amish store in Ridgeway in response to a question he had! We picked up some sandwiches to be eaten later while we were there. We, then, went to take some photos of the cemetery that is beside the store. As we drove down the Ridge back towards Albion, I made a side trip to the culvert that goes under the canal – I knew that would be a place he’d want to photograph! On the way, we stopped at someone’s house so he could take some shots of some interesting things they had in their yard and talk to the owner. The next main stop was in Knowlesville for some of the interesting buildings, a beautiful home in the “painted lady” style, and barns along that stretch of road that I thought he’d be interested in — and he was!!! We stopped in Eagle Harbor because the bridge was up and we took some photos of the boats – yes, there was a bonus of TWO boats – cruising up the canal. We sat there on the picnic bench and at our sandwiches and talked. Let’s see…….after that, I think we went by the schools and then Mt. Albion Cemetery – I took him up to where the Soldiers and Sailors Monument is and by my head stone and finally at the chapel and Ingersoll fountain. Then, I always wanted to pop in at the Tanner’s Cemetery across the street from Mt. Albion, but was concerned about doing it alone, so we went in there and took some photos. There are a couple houses in town that are the style I have seen him post about – the Barlow house on Clinton St and the old Merrill Grinnell Funeral Home across from the current Merrill Grinnell Funeral Home (the former Sanford Church house), so we swung by there. We also made stops at some of the churches around the courthouse square and other points around town that caught our eye. All along the route, we made side stops and took drive by photos whenever he or I saw something interesting! We covered a lot of ground and I educated him on the history of whatever I knew the history of! 🙂 And, we talked and talked! By the time we stopped in front of the Presbyterian Church to take in some of the benches and other downtown attractions, he was tired and I didn’t argue! hehehe We decided to end it there and let him head out on his own and plan a return visit at some time in the future, so I took him back to his car – after making two more quick stops along the way! 🙂
We were having such a great time, the time just flew by — we didn’t realize it had gotten so late in the day! At one point, Mom called and asked if I was OK – I said, yes, I’m having a blast, why? She said, “well, you left early this morning and got in your car with a strange man you didn’t even know and I haven’t heard from you in hours!” I cracked up!!! Guess I’m just too friendly for my own good, sometimes! Tom agreed with her and said that HE knew he was a nice guy, but I didn’t know that!!! Hahahaha! I guess I should have thought about that, but all was fine and it was a great day!!!
After I left Tom off at his car, I went on to my next destination! A dear old friend (yeah, boyfriend from high school) was in town and we made plans for me to come by his Mom’s to say hi and meet his wife. We had a lovely visit and I really enjoyed meeting his wife! It was the perfect end to an adventurous day! I loved sitting out on their back deck and chatting.
I came home and made myself an incredible sandwich — I’d go so far as to say the PERFECT sandwich — ham, lettuce, fresh cucumber slices, onion, and miracle whip on two of the freshest, most delicious slices of pumpernickel bread I’ve had in a LONG time! And……finally, the excitement of the day wound down and I realized just how tired and sore I was…….I crashed!!! And that was that!!!
Here are just a few of the photos I took during my cross county drive with Tom The Backroads Traveller:
The cemetery next to Miller’s Amish store in Ridgeway:
The culvert under the canal on Culvert Road – from both directions:
The canal bridge and boats at Eagle Harbor:
The old train station and mill on West Academy Street near the corner of Washington Street- the mill used to be a Purina Dog Food factory when I was little, but it was also a mill and a warehouse at various times over the years – incredible beauty can be found even in the roughest of scenes:
Mt. Albion Cemetery:
This is my favorite photo of the day — I love how the sunlight streaks across the building!
Tanner Cemetery – across from Mt. Albion:
There you have it…….I didn’t take a ton of photos – a few more than what I posted here, mainly because we went places that I have a lot of photos of already. But, Tom took LOTS – I think he said somewhere around 350 photos!!! I look forward to seeing them pop up in some of his posts where they might fit in to a particular theme or maybe even one post dedicated to his Albion adventure!
Yes, it was an awesome day……one to remember……one to write about…….one to try to beat with many other adventures yet to come!!!
August…..Seriously???
Today is August 1st! Really! More than half of 2014 – and, more importantly, more than 1/2 the summer – is gone……in the blink of an eye! Remember that bucket list I wrote about in April (click here to refresh your memory), well, I not only haven’t done ANY of them, I’ve added to the list and haven’t done any of the additions, yet, either!
Where has the time gone? I hate that every time I think of time slipping through my fingers I also think of that old saying – “the older you get, the faster time seems to fly by” – not fair!!! Now that I’m retired and should have more time to do the things I’d love to do, time just isn’t on my side….in fact, time is trying its darnedest to defeat me at every turn!
Suddenly, it is August!
To be fair, I knew that May and June would be pretty busy and I likely wouldn’t be able to do much – especially mid-end of June. We had our 40th class reunion on July 12th and I lead the planning team that worked on this reunion for the past year or so. It was fabulous and well worth the time – a true labor of love for me that resulted in an emotionally charged weekend of events that I’ll never forget! The reconnections with dear old friends and the kindling of friendships alone were worth it. But……it still meant that some of May, most of June, and the beginning of July were blocked out so that I wasn’t able to get to my ever growing bucket list. And, of course, LIFE got in the way a few times!
But, the spring and first part of the summer weren’t totally lost to adventures! I did make a trip back to my “other home town”, Sanford, NC – that was very nice and I loved seeing everyone! I also made it to Olcott Beach, finally, for the first time of the season just yesterday. I sang in public for the very first time in my life (other than as a part of the choir in church) – in fact, it was at one of the reunion weekend events – I sang The Beatles’ song In My Life at the Memorial Tree Dedication with another friend and then we sang it, again, for our church this past Sunday morning! I also had several really amazing day adventures with my Mom and friends! I do like those spontaneous little adventures that just pop up and make incredible memories!!! The bucket list is great to have and work towards completing, but actually these types of adventures and memories generally top them any day of the week and twice on Sunday’s!!!
So, what does that mean for me and my bucket list? Well, I still have August and September to knock some of them off the list. October will be perfect for some things, as well. And…….there is always next year! 🙂 What doesn’t get done just rolls over and added to for the next season! And, who says some things can’t be done in the winter months?
As for this summer/fall……I’m thinking these are my priorities – of course, priorities change as opportunities arise, but as of today as I sit here thinking about it, this is my hit list:
- Genesee Country Museum – a nice weather day in my near future will knock this one off the list!
- Corning Glass Museum – a friend and I are thinking of picking a date in Sept/Oct for this over night trip!
- Niagara/Orleans Wine Trail – maybe I’ll find one of those bus tours for this one – limits time to just wander at my own pace, but ensures I’ll get it all in!
- Lighthouse trail – I need to find a map of all the lighthouses on Lake Ontario and visit them all!
- Canada – I’d like to cross over into Canada at the Lewiston Bridge and drive along that scenic road that goes by the Botanical Gardens and other attractions on the way to Niagara Falls!
- Miscellaneous Stuff – I still want to try to do the Kazoo Factory/Museum and the Carousel Museum and a few other local little day or half day adventures – the kind that you just get up in the morning and see it is a nice day with nothing on the calendar, so you just take off and do something!
Oh, I’ll get to it all – may not be this year and the list may never totally go away if I keep adding to it – but, I will continue to knock the adventures off the list and enjoy life as I whittle away at it! But, as for today – the first day of August – and probably much of the weekend, I plan to stay close to home! The lawn needs to be mowed after all this rain we’ve had (if the back yard dries up enough to get the mower out of the shed), I really need to catch up on some housework, and I need to make a pan of baked beans for a Memorial Service for a former teacher and fellow church member on Saturday. I also just might take Mom to the Cobble-Ridge Co-op where my friend is singing so that she might get to see us sing our song – one more time! And – another possible treat – fellow blogger, Tom of The Backroads Traveller blog – is planning a road trip to Albion on Saturday, so we might find a way to connect and meet up at some point on Saturday! At any rate, no big adventures until at least next week!
And so it goes…….looks like I’d better set some plans (flexible ones) to get some of this stuff done or I’ll be writing another post around November saying how time slipped away, yet again!!!
Benches – Let’s stroll and sit a spell!!!
Albion is working hard to attract people to our lovely, historic downtown area. Shop owners have been painting and sprucing up their buildings, new shops are coming in to the empty store fronts (click here for more info on this), and there has been several additions to the streetscape that adds artistic beauty while inviting walkers and bicyclists to enjoy downtown. I’m talking about the recently installed benches and bike racks along Main Street and Bank Street. The benches are beautifully adorned with murals painted by local artists and placed so that visitors may stroll through downtown, enjoy the shops, and rest awhile to make it easier for them to spend more time downtown. The bike racks commemorate the Erie Canal Corridor and allow bikers to secure their bikes while they either stop to shop or rest on one of the lovely benches. (Click here and here for the Orleans Hub articles with more information on the bench and bike rack project, as well as other projects)
I have enjoyed looking at the benches since the first ones were installed in early June – just in time for the Strawberry Festival. But, have not taken the time to stroll around town and look at each one close up until today! This morning was a lovely, sunny, cool morning – a perfect day for a stroll downtown. So, I parked in front of the Presbyterian Church on Main Street and started my bench viewing adventure!
Come along with me as I take you on a downtown stroll to visit each and every one of the new benches and bike racks:
First stop —- the coolest of the bike racks and the beginning of our stroll. I parked there in front of the historic Presbyterian Church located on the northeast corner of Main and State Streets. The first of the benches is located here beside the bike rack designed to look like a bicycle with a “Gateway to the Erie Canal” logo. The bench has a cobblestone theme, which has a significant historic value for our area. In the 1800’s one of the most popular construction materials was cobblestone – perfectly shaped, smooth stones formed by glaciers and found in abundance throughout the area. Childs NY, located on the historic Ridge Road just a few short miles north of Albion, is home to the oldest cobblestone church in North America, built in 1934, and the Cobblestone Society Museum. Other points of interest here at this stop are two hitching posts, a carriage step, and a story board to tell the history of hitching posts and carriage steps in our area.
Now, let’s stroll north along the east side of Main Street and make a stop at the next bench, which is located in front of the Main Street Store. This bench commemorates Charles W. Howard and his world famous Santa Claus School. The Charles Howard Santa Claus School was located in Albion on the Phipps Road. Charles Howard opened the school in 1937 and ran it until his retirement in 1965 – teaching thousands of men to be Santa Claus for big department stores and other purposes around the world. He was also the official Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Santa for 17 years and consulted on the movie “A Miracle on 34th Street”. He WAS Santa Claus and he lived right here in our town! (Click here for more on Charles Howard and his Santa Claus School and park).
We’re continuing north on Main Street to the corner of Main and Bank Streets, where we will make a left turn onto Bank. The next bench we come to is on the southeast corner of Main and Bank Streets facing Bank. The theme of this bench is Grace Bedell, a young girl who spent most of her childhood in Albion. When Grace was 11 years old, she wrote a letter to Abraham Lincoln, who was running for President at the time, to tell him that he would look much better with a beard and that it would help get him elected. Mr. Lincoln took Grace’s advice and the rest is history!!! (click here for the Orleans Hub article on this bench and Grace’s story)
Let’s cross Bank Street – watch out for traffic, now! Directly across the street we find our next bench, located on the northeast corner of Main and Bank Streets facing Bank. This one is called “Albion has heart! And, deep roots.” and focuses on the abundance of fruit orchards around the area. (click here for the Orleans Hub article about this bench)
Let’s get back on Main Street to find the last stops on this side of the street. We head north to the canal and find another bike rack – this one is an arch with a tug boat logo representing the tugs that service the canal – located at Waterman Park on Main Street between Bank Street and the canal. (There is another just like this one located on Bank Street in front of the Village Hall that I didn’t walk down to photograph, but wanted to mention it is there.) Also located in Waterman Park is a mural painted by a local artist in honor of our sandstone quarrymen heritage – another major construction material used throughout the area in the 1800- early 1900’s. (The mural photo was taken a few months ago during the winter, hence the snow along the edges – it was a nice, cool day, today, but not THAT cool!)
After we leave Waterman Park and continue just a few steps north toward the canal, we find the next bench. This bench is located in front of Krantz Furniture Store and highlights the fishing attractions found throughout Orleans County. Lake Ontario, Lake Alice, the Oak Orchard River, and other waterways found across this part of Western NY are world renown for salmon and trout fishing – fishing is a major tourist attraction for our area.
Now, we’ll cross Main Street and head south on the other side of the street. Again, watch the traffic – we don’t want our visitors to be injured!!! The first bench on the west side of Main Street is found in front of Morrison Realty just a few steps south of the canal. This is one of my favorite benches — I love them ALL and each one has its own unique appeal and are VERY well done, but I am partial to the two canal themed ones (we haven’t come to the second canal themed one, yet) and the one above located in front of Krantz Furniture Store! This one pictures a tug boat on the Erie Canal. Tugs replaced ox and horses to pull barges that carried goods from the Hudson River to the Great Lakes. Tugs and barges are still in use on the canal today, although the canal is mainly used for recreational purposes rather than the highly used commercial purposes from the early days of the canal’s history.
Continuing south on Main Street, the next bench is located in front of the Five Star Bank building on the northwest corner of Main Street and Bank Street. This one pictures a fisherman on Lake Ontario with a fresh catch of what looks like one of our prized salmon!!!
After we cross Bank Street, we continue south on Main to our next stop. This is the second of the two canal themed benches and the one that I think is my top favorite – although, it just barely edges out my other two top faves!!! This one is a rural canal scene with one of the many canal bridges that can be found all over the area in the distance – you can’t hardly go anywhere without having to cross at least one canal bridge! Ironically, my favorite bench is found in front of my favorite downtown shop – The Hazy Jade Gift Shop! I would have taken you for a peek inside the store and had hoped to see if owner Lisa would take our photo with this bench, but sadly it was closed, today – next time I take you on a downtown stroll, we will be sure to do this!
The last, but definitely not least on the stroll is this bike rack and bench located in front of Haines’ Albion Agencies Insurance office. Here we have another bike rack strategically located near a bench so that a tired biker can secure his bike, rest on the bench to enjoy the gorgeous day, or stop in for a bite to eat at the newly opened Mexican Restaurant – El Gallo – that is located almost directly across the street from this location. This bench has a fishing theme, as well — the guy in this scene looks like he might be fishing for trout – maybe in the Oak Orchard River??? I don’t know – I don’t fish, but that is what I’m going to imagine he is doing and where he’s doing it – sounds good to me! Also seen in these photos is the brick boarder along the sidewalk that distinguishes this section of Main Street and the historic sandstone walkway from the main sidewalk up to the Haines building – lovely!!!
Well, that ends our stroll. I’m heading back across the street to my car, so we’ll say goodbye here. I hope you enjoyed the walk, our lovely downtown area, and all the beautiful new features along the way. Come visit us in person sometime……we’d love to have you and I’m sure you’ll fall in love with downtown as much as I have! Have a great rest of your day!
Photos…..Just Because!
I have some photos I took over the past week that I feel like sharing…..just because!!! You know I like to take photos…..well, I’ve been busy in that respect recently! First, I had lunch with friends at the Black North Inn to celebrate the birthday for one of the friends – of course, I can’t go to Point Breeze or anywhere near the lake without taking photos! Then, I went to the Orleans County Fair a couple times this week and snapped a few random photos. I also wandered around town to take some photos for a project, but the sky was cloudy – and not in a way that added a nice special effect to the photos – so I’m not sure whether they will be used for the project or not. I also threw in a couple random ones I took for no real reason! Anyway…..I took them, so I’ll share them…..just because!!! 🙂
Just a couple random photos – 07/24/14
Photo of the sky over my back yard at ~ 8:00 am on July 24th
My dog, Megan, in her official role as “Neighborhood Watch Master”
Point Breeze Photos – 07/24/14
My friends and me at Point Breeze — I’m in the middle!
Fair Photos – 07/24/14
Around Town Photos – 07/26/14
That’s all for now……..
Wordless Wednesday: Point Breeze – July 16, 2014
Sunset at Point Breeze, NY
July 16, 2014
Two military planes flying overhead
Movie Review – Jersey Boys
So, you know I had to run out to see Jersey Boys as soon after its release as I could, right? Well, it was released on June 20th, but with so much going on, I didn’t get time and opportunity to see it until the 27th! I saw the stage show at Shea’s in Buffalo in May of last year with a friend and LOVED IT! As soon as we started hearing that they made it into a movie, Cathy and I agreed we HAD to go see it! But, we were both concerned that we might be disappointed……after all, the stage show was so fabulous and emotional and energizing and alive…….how could a movie leave you with that same feeling???!!! But, there was no way we weren’t going to go see it – even if only to confirm that the stage show still ruled the universe! So, we did…….and we were NOT disappointed!!!
Yes, the stage show does still rule the universe – I still like it best of the two versions – and Cathy agrees with me! But, the movie held its own and was very good! I thought it had a very different “feel” to it – no comparison to the feeling I got sitting fourth row center in a live show, feeling free to sing along and dance in my seat just like at a concert! That didn’t make the movie inferior, just different – it just isn’t the same in a movie theater with the characters on the big screen, just like it wouldn’t be the same watching the movie on a TV instead of in a theater. Just different!
CLICK HERE for my review of Jersey Boys stage show
What the movie had going for it was the freedom of adding little details that they really couldn’t pull off on stage and playing up the story more (although, the stage show did a great job of infusing dialogue to tell the story). The downfall of playing up the story and adding details was that I thought the movie tended to drag on in a couple of spots – the 134 minutes run time seemed a little long because of that – not bad, just felt like I was thinking it was time to move on in a few spots. They carried on an important aspect that I really enjoyed from the stage show – each character had spots throughout where they stepped out of a scene to talk directly to the camera to tell their side of the story. That gave me the feeling that they were standing in front of me explaining their lives to me on a personal level – I liked that! They also kept the grand finale scene where all the characters came out to perform “December 1963, Oh What A Night” together – in the stage show they were all together on stage and in the movie they all danced down a street in Jersey at night with the street lights all lit – it made for a really amazing ending to the movie!
I somehow forgot that I would need a box of tissues……I was caught off guard at the stage show and didn’t have any tissues and REALLY needed them for the sad scenes and all the emotion the songs and just being there generated inside me! Luckily, this time I had napkins for my popcorn, which I had crumbled up and tossed in the bag when the popcorn was gone – I dug them out and used them when the emotions started to flow…….I got tears AND chills in the scene where they first perform “Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You” with the full horn section – WOW!!!
The cast was amazing! I love Christopher Walken in anything he does – what an incredible actor he is – and he was perfect as mob boss Gyp DeCarlo. John Lloyd Young portrayed Frankie Valli, reprising his Tony Award winning performance from the Broadway stage show for which he won Best Actor in a Musical in 2006. Young sounded and acted so much like the real Frankie Valli – he did a really good job! Vincent Piazza not only portrayed Tommy DeVito to perfection, he was the poster boy for all Italian Jersey boys – you could just see the “I’m trouble” warning stamped all over his face! 🙂 Rounding out the stellar Four Seasons members were Michael Lomenda as Nick Massi and Erich Bergen as Bob Gaudio. Other noteworthy cast members were Mike Doyle as music producer Bob Crewe and Renee Marino as Frankie’s first wife, the spicy Mary Delgado.
The only big negative I think I have is the make up job on the guys when they gathered for the 1990 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony! They were obviously supposed to be made up to look older, but I think they should have found a better make up artist – in my never to be humble opinion! It was so phony looking – it was bad!
So, no I wasn’t disappointed and yes I enjoyed it!!! I highly recommend it! If you’ve never seen the stage show, you won’t have anything to compare it to and you’ll enjoy it with a fresh set of eyes — but, definitely go see the stage show sometime when you have a chance (after you see the movie) to see why it is a much better experience! If you HAVE seen the stage show, don’t worry about being disappointed…..but, go without the expectation of that same feeling you got when you saw the stage show and you’ll enjoy it for different reasons!
OK, so my rating for this movie: A- I stopped myself from giving it a solid A or A+ only because there were a few short spots where I thought it was dragging a bit AND because I just can’t help comparing it to the stage show, which really isn’t fair, but it’s the truth!
The Official Movie Trailer:
Evening’s End…..At The Point
It was a beautiful Memorial Day and I ended it in peaceful reflection……just as it should be……at one of my most favorite places on Earth – Point Breeze! It was the perfect ending to a lovely day. Well, “perfect” is actually a slight exaggeration – it was just the tiniest sliver shy of perfect, but it was amazing! Read on to find out why it was such a wonderful evening and why I stop ever so short of calling it “perfect“.
On Sunday night, I was sitting in my den at the computer and looked out at the most incredible red glow over the tree tops to the north. I was suddenly kicking myself for not putting two and two together to know it would be an incredible night to be at the lake for the sunset! It was a beautiful day with a clear, cloudless sky and the forecast was predicting an even more beautiful day on Monday – the ideal ingredients for a “red sky at night, sailor’s delight” sunset over the lake! For a split second, I thought of getting in my car and heading down to see it, but it was already 8:30-ish and, even though it is only about a 15 minute drive to Point Breeze, I knew it would be pretty much over by the time I got there! I was so disappointed that I was missing it, but enjoyed what I did get to see over the tree tops from my den window!
Then, came Monday – Memorial Day – it was a great day! The weather was perfect – sunny, warm, breezy – just a great day to be outside! I promised myself I was going to end the day at Point Breeze – even though I was fairly certain the sunset wouldn’t be as impressive as I’m sure it was on Sunday night. The sky was clouding up and the weather man said Tuesday would bring us scattered thunderstorms. So, I didn’t have a lot of hope for a “red sky at night, sailor’s delight” kind of sunset, but went anyway…….and I was so very glad I did! It may not have been the spectacular light show that I envision the previous night had, but it was beautiful in its own way……and the peaceful experience made my first sunset visit to the Point for the season very special. Can’t wait for many more evenings to come!
I got to The Point about 7:30. It was still in the 70s with a wonderful breeze blowing through my hair. The river and the lake were calm – just a slight ripple – and very calming to watch. I sat on the bench overlooking Oak Orchard River as it flows into Lake Ontario. I hoped to watch some boaters coming in from a day on the lake, but there weren’t any to watch – must be they all got tired and hungry and came in earlier in the evening. There were only a few people out fishing and walking, so it was calm and quiet as I sat there enjoying the breeze and waiting for the sun to set. After a while, more people started to come by to walk around the lighthouse and out onto the break wall that lines the mouth of the river as it extends out into the lake. I watched a man teaching his lady friend how to fish – he would cast the line out for her and then let her hold the pole and talk to her about how to reel the line in and how to tell if she caught something – they seemed to be having a fun time together. There was a couple who looked to be in their 50s walking hand in hand around the lighthouse and along the shore – then, they headed out for a walk along the break wall one on each side of the chain that runs down the center, still holding hands that they had to raise up to clear the chain – I smiled and thought how cute they were. There were others strolling around chatting while enjoying the evening. Then, there was a teenaged girl who obviously didn’t want to be there with her parents – instead of walking with them and enjoying the view, she sat on the bench beside me on her cell phone…..what a shame!!!
I sat there just watching the water ripple, watching the people, and taking some photos of the sun reflecting on the river and the clouds as they began to close in and form. Then, about 8:15, I walked out onto the break wall and stood there as the sun hid itself behind the clouds and came closer and closer to the horizon. I watched a large school of small fish – maybe 4-6 inches long swimming and playing and dancing around in the water – some would even leap up out of the water to show off to their friends. I stood there taking photos of the sky and watching the fish play for quite a while before I decided to stroll back to the benches just after 8:30 or so.
When I got back to the benches, there were two gentlemen sitting there – each on their own bench, but at the side closest to each other. I stood on the corner of the overlook stand where the man was teaching his lady friend how to fish earlier – I wasn’t ready to leave this peaceful adventure just yet. I stood there listening to the two gentlemen talk about their time in Vietnam – two veterans who were in the thick of things in the 60s in different battles at different times who ran into each other there at The Point for a chat – they didn’t come together and it was unclear from their conversation whether or not they actually knew each other before meeting there on those benches. After comparing their stories, they moved their conversation on to classic cars, car shows they attend, and their health concerns. A classic sports car pulled up with an older couple and asked the gentlemen about the Haines family place – they wondered if it was a residence, which got one of the gentlemen up and engaged in a conversation with them – first to tell them all about the history and current status of the Haines place and then both gentlemen continued their conversation about classic cars with their new-found friends. I should have felt guilty about eavesdropping on the two gentlemen, but I was enjoying their conversation too much! The fact that they were talking about their experiences in Vietnam and then moved right on with other interests they shared made for a very poignant end to my Memorial Day evening……a day to remember those who serve our country…..and a reminder that life does go on! I quietly left with my photos and my memories of the evening to head back home.
Here are a few of the almost 100 photos I took between about 7:30 and 8:45 or so…….just a little over an hour packed full of awesomeness!!! No boats to watch and no spectacularly colorful sunset, but an awesome evening, just the same!!!
Movie Review – Philomena
I watched a movie on Pay-Per-View yesterday that really touched me. I hadn’t heard much about it, except that Dame Judy Dench was nominated for an Oscar for her lead role. I knew a few people who had seen it and said it was very good, but no real hype over it. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but the synopsis intrigued me, so I watched it and liked it very much.
It is based on the true story of Philomena Lee as told by journalist Martin Sixsmith. Philomena is an elderly Irish lady who had a baby out of wedlock when she was a teenager. Given the times when this occurred and her Irish-Catholic upbringing, her family sent her away to a convent to have the baby. To repay the nuns for the care she and her baby received, they required the young women who were sent there to stay for a number of years to work. They worked long, hard days and were only allowed to see their children for one hour per day. The children resided in the orphanage and were adopted out without any notice to the young mothers. When Philomena’s son, Anthony, was taken away at about the age or 2 or 3, she was devastated. She never forgot the day she watched from an upstairs window as the car with his new parents drove away with Anthony in the rear window. She wasn’t given a chance to say good bye and only knew he was being taken because one of the other young girls saw the nuns take him from the orphanage. Over the years, she tried to find him many times, but the nuns told her they didn’t have any way of knowing where he was and reminded her of a contract she signed under duress that stipulated she was never to try to contact her child. She went through her life thinking she was being punished for her sins, but never forgot her little boy.
In comes Martin Sixsmith – a down on his luck journalist who was recently fired from his job. Philomena’s daughter connected with him at a party and asked him to write about her mother’s story. Although he was initially reluctant to lower his standards and do a “human interest” piece, he did agree to meet with her and do her story. After receiving no help from the nuns…..they said all the records were lost years prior in a fire, but he discovered the “fire” was a deliberate bon fire meant to destroy all the records from the old convent/orphanage…….he decided to help Philomena find her long lost son. They develop a bond and travel to America in search of Anthony. Their emotional journey resulted in Sixsmith’s book, “The Lost Child of Philomena Lee”.
Dame Judy Dench portrays Philomena brilliantly. It is easy to see into Philomena’s soul through Judy Dench’s performance – her torment, her joys, her faith, and her child-like, yet very wise, character. Steve Coogan wrote the screenplay that was adapted from the book and starred as Martin Sixsmith. Coogan shows how Sixsmith was compelled to help Philomena, even through his frustrations with her faith and naïve look at life. The two actors played well off each other and had a relaxed comfort with each other that demonstrated the bond, friendship, and mutual respect that Martin and Philomena shared in real life. They make you fall in love with them and believe them.
This is an emotional film. It is heart wrenching to watch Philomena lose her child as a young girl and then watch her journey as she searches for him. It is also an inspiring story of relentless dedication and profound love. I’m very glad I decided to watch it. I rate this movie a solid A- (only because it was a bit slow, otherwise I’d rate it an A+).
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