Kim's Thoughts
Just a few thoughts I feel worthy of jotting down!
Garden Tour Adventure
This past Saturday, the Cobblestone Society hosted a local Garden Tour. My dear friend, Sue Starkweather Miller led the tour that took a group of about 25 garden lovers on a spectacular adventure!
We gathered at the Cobblestone Church on Ridge Road and boarded a bus for the day.
Goody Bags and Door Prizes….we were also treated to freshly baked scones that were simply heavenly!
SARA’S
Our first stop was Sara’s Garden Market in Brockport. Sara’s has some incredible plants and garden supplies for sale and offered us a discount on anything we purchased while we were there. But, the main attraction was the stunning gardens and stone walls beyond the market.
Alma and Jeanette Riley Gardens – Private Residence
Two weeks in a row I was treated to the splendor of the Riley home! The first time was a Garden Party (scroll down to find the blog post about it) hosted by the Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners and I was in such awe I completely forgot to take more than a handful of photos….and none of the most amazing parts! I didn’t make that mistake, again! Also – the difference this time was that it was a guided tour by Jeanette Riley, who explained the meaning of all the different colors, items, themes, and focal areas, as well as what some of the less common plants and trees are and where she got them. Her gardens are a true family affair and everything in them ties somehow to the family and what is close to their hearts. I especially love the use of mirrors in the gardens — just amazing!
Jeanette Riley – she lives here with her mother, Alma. Jeanette’s brothers and sisters all help with the gardens, but it is Alma’s vision and touch that make them so unique!
The first of several mirrors throughout the property…..each one different and uniquely special
Jeanette explained that there is a seating area in each section of the gardens specifically so that they are never too far from a spot to sit and rest while working in the gardens, as well as being able to enjoy each section in comfort! Each seating area is a different color and theme tied to a specific meaning for the family!
The bird houses on this archway signifies the family – Jeanette is one of 10 children – there are 10 smaller houses with a large house on each end representing the mother and father.
This little house is built around a tree!
The gardens come alive with light at night with lanterns and lighting throughout the property
This seating area is pink in reference to the breast cancer that has plagued their family
The largest of the mirrors…..note the fairies sitting on the top ledge
This is the back side of that mirror…..nothing goes un-adorned in some way
Right behind this hill is the Erie Canal —- walkers along the tow path get to enjoy the gardens on their stroll
When not in use, even their boots and gloves are garden art!!!
Cobblestone Church
Our next stop was back at the Cobblestone Church where former Gaines Town Historian and current Reference Librarian at the Hoag Library in Albion, Dee Robinson, gave a talk on the “Language of Flowers”. Every flower has a meaning and in the olden days, people used flowers as a secret language to convey messages to those they delivered flowers to…..even the way in which flowers were arranged and handed to another person sent a specific message!
The organ loft and balcony seats in the oldest Cobblestone Church in North America – the only National Historic Landmark in Orleans County!
Dee Robinson (L) and Sue Starkweather Miller (R)
In the Ward House next door to the Cobblestone Church – also Cobblestone and originally built as the church parsonage – there is an excellent example of a Hair Wreath known as Victorian Mourning Art! People in Victorian times collected the hair of their loved ones and used it to make decorative remembrances of them by wrapping the hair around wire and weaving it into flowers and other such decorations (often home decorations, but also jewelry and other more personal items) – this one is especially ornate and is open at the top, signifying it was made in remembrance of a deceased loved one (the opening in the wreath was symbolic of a way to allow the spirit to rise to Heaven).
Vintage Apple Garden
After our time at the Cobblestone Church and the Ward House, we made our way to the Vintage Apple Garden – a market place for garden plants and decor located on Route 98 north of the Ridge just before it is joined by route 18 on the way to Point Breeze. They have started serving lunch and ice cream at the market, so that was our lunch stop! They also decorated their greenhouses to make them more inviting and picturesque! It was a nice stop!
We had a few choices for lunch – I had the chicken salad on a croissant with pasta salad and lemon aid – VERY GOOD!!!
Raven Ridge Gardens of Shirley Bright-Neeper – Private Residence
Our next stop was Raven Ridge – home of Master Gardener, Shirley Bright-Neeper and her husband. It stated to rain a little while we were there, but it didn’t stop us from thoroughly enjoying the Neeper’s amazing gardens! I believe they said they have been working on these gardens for 40 years – the property behind their house was originally a corn field….now, it is like wandering through a little slice of Heaven!
The Neeper’s showing photos of how the gardens look in other seasons……they are ever changing throughout the year because of what happens to be blooming at the time you view them, so they like to show what you’re missing from other seasons of the year!
Mr. Neeper commented on how these are the perfect dogs to have in a garden — they never bark and don’t leave little surprises behind in the walkways! 😀
If you don’t look closely, you’ll miss some great little detail — like this praying mantis sticking up out of the bushes
This is a beating heart sculpture made by a metal sculptor from Rochester — it slowly spins with the breeze! Lovely!
Shirley explaining about the flowers in this section of her property
Shirley said she likes to think of this as her “Chihuly Knockoff” piece! 🙂
This area has several dinosaur sculptures…..hard to see in this photo, but this is a pterodactyl
Closer shot of it
This dinosaur is surrounded by baby dinosaurs and a dinosaur egg off behind it!
One of the babies and the egg is just to the left of center by his tail
This is a wind harp — I have never seen one before — the wind flows through the strings and makes the most amazing music!!! I’m obsessed with it — I’m going to have to find one for my yard!
Leonard Oakes Winery
After leaving Raven Ridge, we stopped in at Leonard Oakes Winery at Lyn-Oaken Farms on the Ridge just north of Medina for a wine tasting and shopping.
There were two other stops…….Miller’s Amish Store and Watt’s Farm Market, that I didn’t get photos of. We ended the day back at the Cobblestone Church to draw for the door prizes…..I didn’t win anything, but I was still a major winner just by having experienced this incredible adventure!!!
Photos of the Day – July 23rd and 24th
Here are my Photos of the Day for July 23-24, 2017:
JULY 23
# 204 Photo Prompt – Childhood:
“This used to be an ice skating rink with a hot chocolate shack and lights for night skating!”
#childhood
Things change over the years…..
OOTD:
It was a “Carly” day!
JULY 24
# 205 Photo Prompt – Looking Up:
“Clouds and Flags”
#lookingup
I popped in at the fair this morning to see if my entry in the Flower Show won a ribbon….it didn’t, but I scored really high and “almost” made it, so I’m not discouraged and will definitely work to try again next year! But…..while I was there, I did manage to get this shot for today’s photo prompt! 😀
# 205 Caught By My Lens:
My hot pink phlox are amazing this year! They are in the front island garden and really stand out!
OOTD:
And….speaking of hot pink…..today I wore this LLR fuchsia Perfect T and Leggings with black, teal, and fuchsia swirls!
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July 2017s Photo Prompts:
Photos of the Day – July 22nd
Here are my Photos of the Day for July 22, 2017:
# 203 Photo Prompt – Composition:
“Frog Heaven”
#composition
This was taken at Sara’s Garden Market in Brockport during a Garden Tour presented by the Cobblestone Society Museum
# 203 Caught By My Lens:
A couple runners up (or should I say tied….it was a hard decision) for the daily photo prompt – “composition”:
Taken at the Cobblestone Church in Childs, NY on the Ridge
Taken in one of the greenhouses at the Vintage Apple Garden in Carlton, NY on Rt 98
And…….This Just In:
I decided to enter this creation from my patio into the Orleans County 4H Fair Flower Show……hope it wins a ribbon! 🙂
OOTD:
All ready for the Garden Tour……LLR Perfect T, Leggings, and the perfect hat!!!
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July 2017s Photo Prompts:
Photos of the Day – July 20th and 21st
My Photos of the Day for July 20-21, 2017:
JULY 20
# 201 Photo Prompt – I Have Too Many:
“Zinnias”
#ihavetoomany #inonepot
Never had much luck growing plants from seeds. So, I tossed the whole package of zinnia seeds in this pot hoping for a few to be successful! Looks like every seed actually sprouted!
# 201 Caught By My Lens:
“Accent Table on Patio”
A full shot of the stunning table that was made by a friend and local artist! LOVE IT!!!
And, More…..Plus OOTD:
I love it when old friends who now live out of state come home to visit and we get to spend some time together!
This is my friend, Debbie…..up from Florida for a visit……we ran into each other at the Village House!
This is also my OOTD – LLR Classic T with a pair of jeans!
JULY 21
# 202 Photo Prompt – Cross:
“Simply Stated”
#cross
Photo taken in Mt. Albion Cemetery, Rt 31 in Albion
“Majestically Stated”
#cross
Photo taken at St. Joseph Cemetery, Route 31 in Albion
OOTD:
LLR Classic T (charcoal) with a pair of capris
The Classic T is a perfect choice to throw on for housework, errands, workouts, etc….so comfortable and casual!
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July 2017s Photo Prompts:
Photos of the Day – July 19th
Here are my Photos of the Day for July 19, 2017:
# 200 Photo Prompt – See Through:
(first….can you believe today is the 200th day of the year, already???)
Yes You Can….
#seethrough
# 200 Caught By My Lens:
Braided Garlic
I attended a garlic braiding class with some friends, this evening, using Spanish Garlic! It isn’t as easy as it sounds…..but it was a ton of fun and look what I have to show for it…..a beautifully braided bunch of garlic handy for cooking throughout the fall and winter! 🙂
My friends, Karie, Jan, and I with our finished braids
And, the whole class….Jenna, our instructor for this class at Navarra’s Farm Market and Greenhouses is the one on the far right beside me!
Before…..
During…….
After!!!
OOTD:
I started out with shorts and a T-shirt to do some yard work……
Then changed into a LulaRoe Perfect T and a pair of blue jeans for lunch and errands! 🙂
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July 2017s Photo Prompts:
Photos of the Day – July 16th, 17th, and 18th
Here are my Photos of the Day for July 16-18, 2017:
JULY 16
# 197 Photo Prompt – This Could Be An Album Cover:
“Psychedelic Roads”
#thiscouldbeanalbumcover
OOTD:
Lula Roe Irma top with solid black Leggings
#lularoe #irma #leggings
JULY 17
# 198 Photo Prompt – On The Wall:
“The Beatles”
#onthewall
I got to the end of the day and realized I hadn’t done the Photo of the Day, so I turned to the right of where I was sitting in my den and snapped this…..last minute save! hahaha
OOTD:
LulaRoe Black Classic T and Leggings
#lularoe #classict #leggings
JULY 18
# 199 Photo Prompt – Petals:
“Hydrangea Tree Starting to Turn Pink”
#petals
“Rose of Sharon Starting to Blossom”
#petals
OOTD:
Lula Roe Mustard Classic T and Leggings
#lularoe #classict #leggings
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July 2017s Photo Prompts:
Visit to the Land Of Oz – June 2017
Each year on the first weekend in June, the Village of Chittenango, NY celebrates their connection to the stories of L. Frank Baum – author of the Wizard of Oz books. You see, Mr. Baum was born in the tiny village of Chittenango. Any time during the year, you can visit Chittenango and immediately see how they embrace their famous ancestor…..the yellow brick sidewalks, the signage, the All Things Oz Museum, and other themed focal points. But, during the first weekend in June each year, they totally transform the the village into the Emerald City with a huge and super fun festival they call “Oz-Stravaganza”! They have the usual festival attractions – food, music, vendors, crafts, a parade, etc. But, what makes their festival unique is the focus on the Wizard of Oz. Everywhere you look, you see people dressed as the Oz characters and Oz comes alive! I especially enjoyed seeing the Oz Costume Contest with people from the tiniest of tots in strollers to seniors in their golden years all dressed as every Oz character imaginable!
I tried to go last year, but I discovered it and tried to find a room way too late. So, this year, I contacted the only B&B in town in January and lucked out with one of their three rooms! If you want to attend in the future……the only place to stay right in town is the Bird Brook B&B – otherwise, you can stay in nearby Cazenovia (about 10 miles south with several nice places to stay) or Syracuse (not too far).
Here are some photos from my adventure:
ON THE WAY:
I am not one to take the thruway unless I have no choice or I’m in a massive hurry. I like to take the more scenic routes and make impromptu stops along the way at things that catch my eye. This trip was no different! I took Route 104 to 481 and down. On my way, I passed a sign for Sodus Point……I’ve been wanting to visit the Sodus Point Lighthouse – one of my bucket list items is to visit all the lighthouses along Lake Ontario – at least on the American side – maybe I’ll add some on the Canadian side, too…..so I took a detour to the lake to check it out.
I pulled over to take a photo of this sign……made me wonder if I made a wrong turn or went too far:
When I got closer to Chittenango, I stopped in at the Wild Animal Park……photos of that stop are in the next blog post – scroll down after this post to see it!
BIRD BROOK B&B:
The Bird Brook B&B is a really sweet inn. The hosts are wonderful, friendly, and very helpful. The home, itself, is just lovely and the breakfasts are amazing! They have three rooms – the Cardinal Room is downstairs and has a private entrance and bath (I was lucky enough to get that room) and the two upstairs rooms share a bath (I didn’t see them, but I am sure they are just as nice). The common areas are comfortable and inviting and the yard is full of flowers, a brook, seating areas, and a picnic table.
The inn was full that weekend – here I am with the rest of the guests having breakfast
A robin and her babies in a next on the porch
This is Newman – one of the hosts! 🙂
CHITTENANGO:
I ate at Delphia’s a couple times while I was in town…..very good!
How can you pass up a restaurant that serves both food AND friends!
Overlook the fact that it was trash day……the point of this pic is that these vintage army vehicles were parked in someone’s driveway! How cool is that??? 🙂
The sidewalk near the festival park was stenciled with the major historical events associated with Chittenango…..this was really cool!
SULLIVAN FREE LIBRARY:
The library in town was amazing!!! Very Oz-themed and child focused! And, they have a zillion vintage cookie jars on display!
The building used to be a bank and they turned the old vault into a play room!
DOROTHY AND FRIENDS:
Like I said earlier……everywhere I looked, there were Oz characters…..young and old…..but, the kids were the cutest!!!
Me with a Flying Monkey!
Steampunk Dorothys
Me with the whole gang
One of the authors in town for a book signing and the parade writes comic books based on a wild west Oz – this is his Dorothy!
This little Cowardly Lion was the BEST!!! I was so happy his Mom allowed me to get his photo!
These actors (all the main characters were represented – see the photo above with me and the whole gang) were amazing! They stayed in character all day and were wonderful with the children and photo requests!!!
Here they are checking out a child who was dressed as the house that landed on the witch!!!
THE FESTIVAL AND PARADE:
A few photos that make this festival and parade unique:
The Wicked Witch of the West collided with a fire truck!!!
A local retirement home participated in the parade – all dressed as flying monkeys!!!
Anyone who dressed in character were welcome to walk in the parade
Jane Lahr – daughter of Bert Lahr was Grand Marshal
Here I am pictured with Jane Lahr
LOTS of Oz themed items available for sale
And, of course, there was tons of festival food, rides. vendors, and music…..
ALL THINGS OZ AND OTHER OZ THEMES AROUND TOWN:
There is an All Things Oz Museum with a huge variety of Wizard of Oz memorabilia and a great little gift shop!
These, unfortunately, are replicas – the originals are in a Smithsonian in DC
These were the ACTUAL costumes worn by these particular munchkins and next are photos of them wearing their outfits
Exact replica in the size Judy Garland wore during the filming
Just outside the village is the Yellow Brick Road Casino
And, another Oz themed gift shop:
And, lots of other Oz themed sites around town:
Of course, there were beautiful poppies all over town!!!
And, I spent an hour or so painting these ceramic pieces for my garden in a little ceramic shop
OTHER ATTRACTIONS NEARBY:
I took one day and went to Chittenango Falls, Cazenovia, and an amazing Erie Canal Museum:
The falls is VERY tall — looking down to a bridge at the bottom from the spot where the first falls photo was taken
Chittenango Landing was known for building and repairing canal boats. Volunteers have worked to reconstruct the dry docks and other buildings that were once an important canal resource from remains that were discovered and unearthed. It was fascinating to tour!
This gentleman just finished a demonstration for some touring school children – I stood and talked to him about the canal for quite a long time! He was amazing!
The dry docks
ON THE WAY HOME:
I took scenic Route 20 back home…..my plan was to stop to see the Harriett Tubman House and revisit Seneca Falls to see some things I missed the last time I went through there. But, it was Sunday and raining, so didn’t get to see much…..it was still a great drive, though – love traveling on Route 20!
There was a stretch of road along Rt 20 where I noticed about 6 or 8 of these huge nests – I’m assuming eagle nests – on top of the power towers – every one had one for quite a ways!
It is closed on Sundays….boo hoo!
The bridge in Seneca Falls that is said to have been the inspiration for the bridge in the movie “It’s A Wonderful Life” – complete with the Christmas bells hanging on the sides
Just a cool looking historic building in Seneca Falls
A marshmallow farm….hehehe
And, a great barn somewhere along the way – think it was in Geneva!
It was a grand adventure, in deed!!!
Believe it or not, I am all caught up on the Adventure posts I got so behind on!!! Now…..hopefully, I can keep them up in a more timely manner! 🙂 Time will tell!
Wild Animal Park Adventure – June 2017
The first weekend in June I ventured out on an adventure to the Land of Oz…..Chittenango, NY…..for their annual Oz-Stravaganza festival weekend! Before the trip, I researched what other cool things might be in the area that I could see while I was there. I found this animal park and you know I love me some critters, so I put it on the list and stopped on my way in to town. I was definitely NOT disappointed…..WOW…..what a fantastic place this is!!! LOVED IT!!! Could have spent tons more time there and will probably find a good excuse to go back again and again!
Here is the web site (click here) to check them out. The park is called Wild Animal Park and it is located just outside the village of Chittenango – very easy to find. They have lots of animals in very well kept and spacious habitat enclosures. Some you can get up close and personal with and feed them and some – the more dangerous ones – are more securely enclosed for your safety. They also have a bounce house area for kids, snack huts, and a picnic area over looking a beautiful lake. It is one of the better animal parks I’ve ever been to. Just fantastic!
Here are some of the photos I took during my visit:
I spent a LOT of time with this sweetheart!!! A baby camel…..and she was the sweetest, most lovable baby EVER!!!
This black goat was a bully – he would crowd his way in to steal the food out of people’s hands that were trying to feed other animals…..but, my sweet baby camel wasn’t going to take it…..she bit onto the side of his neck and pushed him out of the way! hahaha Atta-girl!!!
Another favorite feature for me was the giraffes. They had a platform so you could get up eye-to-eye with the giraffes and feed them. They were amazing creatures! They really loved the attention, being petted, and – of course – the carrots!!! And, I loved them!!!
There was another platform where you could get up close with the camels, too. The baby camel in the other enclosure was super sweet, but so were these adult camels……so gentle and really loved the attention!
The ostriches fascinated me, too!
Just a split second after I took this close up of this ostrich, he reached out and grabbed my watch! It startled the crap out of me! But, made me laugh so hard, too!
Take the drive to check out this park……it’s worth it……it is only about 2.5 hours from Albion (give or take, depending on which route you take and traffic).
I Went To A Garden Party
The Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners hosted a Garden Party featuring the beautiful gardens at the Riley home in Albion, today. To say their gardens are spectacular is a total understatement! It was the perfect day for a stroll through these amazing gardens. They also had light refreshments by Zambistro’s restaurant, wine tastings by Leonard Oakes Winery, and lectures by the Master Gardeners. I went with one friend and ran into at least a dozen others – some I haven’t seen in forever…..including one of the sons and daughters from the Riley family, who I graduated high school with! I spent a couple hours there just strolling, gazing, chatting, nibbling, sipping, and thoroughly enjoying the afternoon! It was all just so lovely!
The Riley residence is tucked away on a dead end street on the edge of the Village bordering the canal. You’d never know it was there if you didn’t have a reason to wander back there. But…..once you do come upon it, you find a hidden treasure to be cherished and appreciated and taken in leisurely and with your eyes wide open. I’m sure we missed something wonderful as we meandered our way through a maze of paths, gates, archways, sculptures, lanterns, bird houses, flowers, trees, and several uniquely themed seating areas. They have found some of the most amazing and unusual items to incorporate into their gardens to make them interesting and different than anything I’ve seen in gardens anywhere! What a treat!
Since words can not possibly describe the beauty, here are a few photos that also don’t do it justice, but come closer to any words I can offer! I actually didn’t take many photos because I was too busy looking at everything! 🙂
Also…..here is an article that appeared on the Orleans Hub a few days ago about the Garden Party: CLICK HERE
Behind this seating area is a very large full length antique looking mirror!!! One of several mirrors used in the gardens – some large like this one, some somewhat smaller, some oval face-type mirrors. I thought I got a couple closer photos of some of the mirrors, but this is the only one I have…..I found it so clever to use mirrors in the gardens – they made the areas they were in look bigger AND provided a fascinating focal point! I loved it – I think the use of mirrors was my favorite part of the gardens! I may have to find a way to use some mirrors in my gardens!
This photo also shows just one of at least a dozen small seating areas throughout the gardens – some covered, some not – all cozy and inviting – all different color schemes and themes!
Another item that was used throughout the gardens was stained glass windows – like the heart shaped one above the seat in this photo – hard to see – hate it didn’t come out better! There were many stained glass windows around to provide interesting focal points!
I’ll actually have another chance to get some photos of these gardens next Saturday – I’m taking a Garden Tour sponsored by the Cobblestone Museum, which will include several stops at various gardens, garden shops, wineries, and historic points of interest…….the Riley family gardens is on that tour, as well! So, maybe I can focus on getting better photos and see the things I’m sure I missed today!
Photos of the Day – July 15th
Here are my Photos of the Day for July 15, 2017:
# 196 Photo Prompt – Paper:
“What’s Inside?”
#paper #wrapping #surprise
# 196 Caught By My Lens:
It’s the finished heart angel I painted in ceramics….picked it up, today!
Bonus:
Dinner……Grilled chicken with Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce, grilled corn on the cob, tomatoes and cucumbers, and a corn bread muffin!
YUMMY
OOTD:
Today, I went to a LulaRoe home pop-up party and a Garden Party sponsored by the Cooperative Extension…..so, I thought it would be appropriate to wear this summery, flowery “Carly” with an earthy colored “Joy” over it…..but couldn’t decide if I wanted to wear the Joy or not……in the end, the Joy won and it went on my adventures with me! 🙂
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July 2017s Photo Prompts:
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