Kim's Thoughts
Just a few thoughts I feel worthy of jotting down!
April Daily Photos – Week Three
And, I bring you April’s Daily Photos from Week Three…….reminder, the April photo topic is Month of Gratitude!
SHARING THE COUCH, BLANKETS, AND POPCORN ON A CHILLY EVENING
FIRST GOLDFINCH SIGHTING
I MISS MY CHURCH FAMILY
HEADING DOWNSTAIRS TO START THE DAY
FOOL ON THE HILL
“Day after day, alone on a hill. The man with the foolish grin is keeping perfectly still.”
SPRING = BUDS AND BIRDS
MORNING GLOW ON THE TREE TOPS
The world continues to be paused……while our numbers in NYS are beginning to decline slightly, we are still not out of the woods…….our lives still include social distancing, masks, gathering restrictions, business closures, etc…….we will get through this…….we will come to a point where we will look back and wonder how we did it and kept our sanity……..keep the faith! 🙂
04-20-20 Monday Drive – Falls of Orleans
Alas, Sunday brought massive rain, so it was not the most desirable of days to go for a nice long Sunday Drive! So, I put off my plan for this week’s drive to Monday……and, it turned out to be the PERFECT day for it!!! Sunshine…..blue skies…..white clouds……pleasant temperature……calm breeze!!! Perfect!!!
My plan for this week was to make stops at all the waterfalls within Orleans County that I knew of…..with one exception in the original plan! But…..I added it in to the final plan after I saw a friend post photos of it and discovered it wasn’t as difficult to get to as I had been lead to believe (more on that later). While I was out on my drive, I had a chance to do drive by / roadside visits with a friend, a cousin, my brother, and a couple neighbors! It was such a lovely day, everyone was out where we could visit for a few minutes outside at a safe distance……it was so nice to see them all!
So……here is the resulting photographic proof of my waterfall adventure through Holley, Clarendon, Shelby, Medina, and Lyndonville…..all in Orleans County! And some other photos of things I thought worthy of capturing at each stop.
HOLLEY FALLS
My favorite Orleans County waterfall! I love to go here to take photos and just sit on a warm sunny day and listen to the water flowing – so peaceful and relaxing!
I used this as today’s daily photo, so you’ll see it, again……
When I got out of the car, I looked up on the top of a ridge – way up high – and saw this lone bench!
Immediately, the Beatles were in my head singing “Fool on the Hill”!!! 🙂
I know – there is no man there, but that’s what came to mind, so that’s that!!!
CLARENDON FALLS
Near Holley is Clarendon and they have a nice waterfall, too……however, in dryer weather, it tends to be dried up and not have any water flowing over it. This time of year, it is usually pretty sure to have a nice water flow and with yesterday’s heavy rain, it guaranteed it for me!
SHELBY FALLS
On a winding side street near Forrestel Farms in Shelby just south of Medina, there is a creek that flows rapidly under a bridge in the road and cascades over some small drops. This one, too, depends on rainy weather to be super free flowing – there is always water in the creek, but it doesn’t flow as rapidly and doesn’t cascade as nicely in dryer weather.
MEDINA FALLS
This is the one that was added on a tip from a friend. I have known there was a powerful waterfall in Medina somewhere near downtown for several years, but never went looking for it, before. I was under the impression it was hard to get to safely……now, I’ve been known to do some pretty stupid things to get a photo or see something I want to see, but the description I had of what it took to get to this waterfall was more than I was willing to risk! But, my friends posted photos and said they saw it on a leisurely walk along the canal in Medina…….so, I asked about it……they said it was very easy to find and see up close! Hhhmmm……I searched for what gave me the impression it could be dangerous and realized it was talking about getting down to the waterfall……not just getting to view it! OK…..so, I have now been to the Medina Falls and will definitely go, again!!!
I understand this is the most powerful waterfall in Orleans County……it is fed by Oak Orchard Creek and runs along side of the Erie Canal in Medina – the paved tow path walkway to view the falls has the Oak Orchard Creek and falls on one side and the canal on the other. Once the canal is filled for the season, this will make for a nice walk along two major bodies of water for our county! I took the most photos here of all my stops, today, because it is the first time I’ve been here!
The wall of the tow path that separates the creek and the canal
Horan Road bridge – just this side of the bridge is the closest place to park to get to the falls
View of Medina’s canal basin and downtown area from the falls
GLENWOOD LAKE
Actually, there is no waterfall, here, but my friends who enlightened me about Medina Falls also suggested I turn into Boxwood Cemetery in Medina and drive to the back of it to see Glenwood Lake. This is also a spot I have known about for several years, but never took the time to go see it…..not for any particular reason, just never have! So, I decided to add it to today’s stops and I’m really glad I did! It is a really pretty little lake and a fantastic day to enjoy it for the first time!
I thought this was a duck out on the lake……
When I zoomed in, I found out it was NOT a duck……
I took the photo, anyway…….
A shot I could not resist…….
LYNDONVILLE FALLS
This is actually a dam on Johnson Creek that results in a very pretty ~9 foot waterfall right on Main St in Lyndonville – so not technically a waterfall, but close enough, right???!!! When we were kids, Mom had dear friends who owned a restaurant on Main St in Lyndonville just down a block from this waterfall. We used to walk over to the park and look at the falls with their kids while Mom visited with her friends after dinner. It was a nice treat! Fond memories flood back whenever I pass through this area!
DOUBLE DIPS!!!
And, yes — I stopped at Double Dips while in Medina and treated myself to a small choc/vanilla swirl cup!!! And it was awesome!!!
That’s all for today……full day with lots of cool things to see and do while practicing my social distancing and getting out of the house for a bit! Hoping for more spring weather to come soon and more wonderful local adventures to enjoy and share!
Until then……stay safe and healthy!!! We’re not out of the woods, yet – keep vigilant!!!
And, thank you to Leslie and Joel for helping me find Medina Falls and Glenwood Lake!
April Daily Photos – Week Two
Week Two for April…….Day 3,731 of the 2020 Covid-19 self isolation…….OK, so it’s not really all that bad, but it sure seems like we’ve been staying distant forEVER!!! I’m a social person and a hugger……this is not the way I like to spend my days! But, there is no use getting upset or angry or frustrated……it is what it is…….best to just go with the flow and know that it will be all over before we know it! So, I stay home most of the time, take nice long drives to get out of the house, and if I need to go to the store or grab some take out to support our local businesses, then I keep my distance from people, wear my mask, use wipes and hand sanitizer, and wash my hands…….just do the best I can to ensure I stay healthy and don’t adversely effect others. And, I do it with a smile on my face (yeah, I know – no one can see the smile through the mask – use your imagination) and accept that this is what we need to do to get on with whatever our new normal will be as soon as possible! But…….this no adventures in the foreseeable future is really getting to me……I want to start planning things, darn it!!! LOL For now, my long drives and coming up with a photo to meet my challenge each day is my adventure……and, it does get exciting! 🙂
April Monthly Topic: Month of Gratitude
MORNING VISITORS
JOHN 3:16
GOOD FRIDAY
DRIVE BY LOVE FROM FAMILY
HAPPY EASTER
PERFECTLY AIR FRIED CHICKEN FOR DINNER
SPRING BLOSSOMS
KIBBLE SERVED WITH TASTY BITS FOR DINNER
Stay safe and healthy…….and find those little adventures where you can……life is what you make it……make it good!!! 🙂
April 12th Sunday Drive – Searching for Birds
Easter Sunday was different this year…..to say the least! No family dinner, no church gathering, no community egg hunts……but, I did go out for a Sunday Drive! I needed gas, so I decided to go to the Rez and then drive through the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge and stop at the various marsh overlooks to see if I could capture some nice bird photos! As it turned out, everything was pretty quiet in the bird world – probably because I went out late in the afternoon – morning is generally better for catching the birds being active…….or, maybe they were self quarantining, too??? LOL At any rate, the trip wasn’t a total loss…..first, I did get my gas (although, they aren’t doing full service at the Rez right now, so I had to pump my own) and it was a lovely drive on a beautiful spring day, but also because I did manage to get a few interesting shots!
Here’s what I got:
I came across a field of seagulls by the Orleans County Fairgrounds:
On my way home, I decided to check out Point Breeze……I was sure to find some geese or ducks or swans there……but, all I found was the trees loaded down with what I believe must be geese – they were a bit far away to tell for sure even with the zoom lens, so could be turkey buzzards, but I really think they are geese!
Along the road going to one of the marsh overlooks, I stopped to get a photo of a couple bird houses and got a real treat! As soon as I pulled over and snapped the first photo, the residents of one of the houses came out to wish me a Happy Easter! I don’t believe I’ve ever seen this particular bird before, but they are now my favorite bird —- the beautiful and strikingly colorful WOOD SWALLOWS!!!
PEEK-A-BOO!!!
There were several more swarming around, too, but I didn’t get a good group photo!
And….my favorite shots of the day…..I captured a hawk! I love it when I can get a hawk! I saw it just before I got to the Rez – it was in a tree beside the road. I slowly pulled over and got the tree shot. Then, I tried to pull up a bit closer to see if I could get a profile shot and ended up spooking him……but, I got a great shot of him speeding off!
So, that was my Easter Sunday……that and I watched the YouTube message from our pastor and had left over kielbasa and peirogies from the night before and watched a couple Hallmark movies……not the most “social” of Easters, but I did rejoice in the resurrection and all the beauty and majesty of God’s creatures and love! Guess you can’t ask for more than that in this strange world we find ourselves in of late!
April Daily Photos – Week One
April didn’t have a list to follow – the month long topic is “Month of Gratitude”. The idea was that with most of the world staying at home and practicing Social Distancing, it would be difficult for most to be creative with a new photo on a specific topic each day, so just photograph things you’re thankful for every day. I thought this might be just as difficult…….I readily admit I am grateful for a lot in my life – I am truly blessed – but, how many different daily photos can I come up with in my immediate surroundings to show that? Well, so far, it hasn’t been as difficult as I thought.
So, here are the things I found to reflect the Month of Gratitude in my little world….remembering that family, friends, home, safety, and health are “givens” and not to be downplayed by some of the trivial or humorous things I chose to photograph!
SUNSHINE AND BLUE SKIES
MEGAN AND ME
FRIENDS AND PIZZA
ENDLESS SUPPLY OF BOOKS AT MY FINGERTIPS
HOMEMADE NO-SEW MASKS
DAFFODILS AND PEONIES
Evidence that the world continues to revolve around us with promises of better days ahead!
BEAUTIFUL SPRING DAY
RETIREMENT
Do to retirement, I am spared the stress of lost work or being an essential worker potentially in harm’s way!
My thoughts and prayers to those who are!
Let’s see how long I can keep this momentum going……. 🙂
Stay safe and healthy!!!
April 5th Sunday Drive – The Signs of Our Times
I had to make a grocery run, so I took advantage of being out and spent some time driving around town photographing the “Signs of Our Times”……
First……Preparing to go to the grocery store…….
I made this no-sew mask from an old pair of LulaRoe Leggings! Here’s the video I used to make them:
Now……the Signs of Our Times:
Of course, the tanning salon part is now closed, as well…..
Says it all…….
Old Fashioned Sunday Drives
I come from a family of “Sunday Drivers”! You know……people who get in their cars on a Sunday afternoon to just drive around looking at the world around them with no particular destination or goal in mind. My grandmother was the Queen of Sunday Drives – she LOVED them! She didn’t drive, herself – never got her license – but, she would grab her coat and purse and tell my grandfather she was ready to go and he’d warm up the car and take her. When my brother and I were little, we’d get to go with them from time to time. Every Sunday, they’d get in the car and use it as an opportunity to drive to the lake, see the birds, check out the farmer’s crops around the country side, stop at the farm they always got their fresh brown eggs from for the week, stop for an ice cream or milkshake, and sometimes visit family or friends. Like I said, Grandma didn’t drive and she was also totally deaf in one ear and 3/4 deaf in the other, so her world was very small……this allowed her to get out and increase the size of her world, even if just for an afternoon.
My mom used to say she didn’t understand the appeal of getting in the car and going “nowhere”, but in fact, she was quite the Sunday Driver, herself. When we were little, she was a single mother of two and money was tight. She would sometimes entertain us by taking us on a ride….we’d go to Reid’s for hot dogs or go to the pond that had swans that we could feed or go to the lake to skip stones or stop at farmers stands along the ridge and most of the time our rides included an ice cream!
When I was married and we moved to Sanford, NC, my husband, son, and I would get in the car on the weekends and drive around our new town to explore and learn where everything was and what the town had to offer. We’d venture out of town in different directions to discover neighboring towns and make note of things to do and places to go. The drives almost always included ice cream (see a pattern, here?).
Then, when I retired and moved back home to Albion, I often took off in my car to explore, reacquaint myself with my home town and other old stomping grounds, and to rediscover old favorite places and see what was new and different. When I started getting into photography, I’d drive around looking for cool things to photograph to practice with my new camera. And, Sundays became a special time with my mom….she’d meet me after church, we’d go out for lunch, and then we’d just drive around and she would tell me stories and remind me of where things used to be…..and, yes, we usually stopped for an ice cream!
Once I retired and had more flexibility and time on my hands, I re-dubbed “Sunday Drives” as “Any Day Drives”! Cause you can take a Sunday Drive any day you are able and have the desire to get out and explore your world! Since the Covid-19 virus has changed our lives and taught us about “social distancing” and “isolation”, I’ve used my “Any Day Drives” as a means of getting out of the house for a while and see the world beyond what I can see through my windows and from my yard……all from the safety of my car! I like to go to Point Breeze and sit in the car and watch the geese or just drive around making random turns on back country roads to see what I can find interesting to look at and maybe photograph. It helps me to think I’m actually going somewhere – even though I’m not, really – and keeps me from going stir-crazy. I try to do that once or twice a week and it has done wonders for my sanity! LOL
One day earlier this week, I did just that….I think it was Monday…..but, I’m not sure about that cause I really have no idea what day it is until I turn on the TV at night and see what is on to watch – at that time, I think “Oh, it must be Tuesday cause NCIS is on” or “I must be Thursday if I’m watching Grey’s”! 🙂 On this particular day…..whatever day it was earlier this week……I was thinking about the shoe trees down by the lake in Yates. I don’t know what made me think of them, but I thought, gee, I haven’t been by there in a long time. So, I headed that way! I drove down Kenyonville Rd, which turns into Harris Rd, till it dead ends on Lakeshore Rd. Then, I drove west on Lakeshore Rd till I got to where the shoe trees are on an island in the intersection. Here are the photos I took on my big outing to the shoe trees and the critters I saw along the way:
So, that was this week’s “Any Day Drive”…….maybe I’ll go somewhere else this coming week and share what I see on that drive with you! 🙂
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