Unadilla Ramblings

Occupy Utica

2012-01-11T10:16:00.000-08:00

Occupy Wall Street. Occupy Utica. The 99%. What's it all about? I suppose that's a matter of opinion, depending on who you ask. I sat in on some of the Occupy Utica GA's (General Assemblies), but I never set up a tent and spent the night in Utica's Liberty Bell Park, like the real-deal, fulltime occupiers did, so I can't speak for them. Actually, even if I had camped out in the park I couldn't speak for them, since the whole idea of Occupy seems to be a consensus of opinion thing, and one person's opinion isn't a consensus. But for me the idea is pretty simple. What do we want? A government that's on our side. That's it. It's not really big government versus small government, although that's how the politicos like to frame the dialogue. What we always have is big government, but it's not on the side of We the People, is it? Of course it isn't. It's on the side of the war profiteers and the big banks.

Someone told me about a local radio host complaining about the Utica occupiers, saying they should just go out and get themselves jobs. First, that's simply a callous thing to say, as if there were a lot of jobs out there. Second, as an observation, I'd like to say that as far as I can tell --- as someone who spent time in Liberty Bell Park talking to the occupiers and who also spent time talking to them at their meetings at The Other Side, next to a local coffee shop called Domenico's, on Genesee St in Utica --- most of them do have jobs. So they're not doing this just for themselves, they're also trying to help others.

But they're not camping at Liberty Bell Park anymore. They weren't forced out by the police or anything like that. It just got cold. So what are they doing now? The Readers' Digest condensed answer, as far as I can tell, is they're trying to do the best they can to make Utica a place that's friendlier toward We the People, the 99%.

They have a Facebook page. If you check it out you'll get a lot more info. Google Occupy Utica Facebook and you'll find it.

By the way, their Facebook page reads like a very well-written laundry list of just about everything that's wrong with America.

Notes on the photos: Liberty Bell Park in Utica on 9/29/11, the day Occupy Utica started. One photo is of the occupiers and their tents in an alley near the park. It looked to me like there were 15 or so people who were actually camping there at that time. There were a lot more who came down to join them during the day, though. About 300 or so were there on 9/29/11, as far as I could tell. Many were carrying signs. Others were chanting "They got bailed out, we got sold out."

More Thoughts on Hydrofracking

2011-12-17T13:36:00.000-08:00

On Nov 28 I attended a presentation given at Clinton High School by Dr. Anthony Ingraffea, the Dwight C Baum Professor of Engineering and the Weiss Presidential Teaching Fellow at Cornell University. Dr Ingraffea is also an expert on the unconventional extraction of shale-gas. His presentation was sponsored by Hydro Relief Web and lots of people attended.

Prior to the presentation tabling was done by the Hydro Relief Web people. This means that they set up long cafeteria tables with information printouts about the dangers of hydrofracking put on them for people to take home. The above photograph was one of those printouts. I have no idea who took the photo or which website it came from. But I thought it was compelling, and highly doubt if the person who took the photo and put it on the web would object to it getting more exposure.

Take a look at it. Just think. The people who put that sign up on their property were desperate. Their land and water was trashed and their local government wouldn't or couldn't help them, so they had to resort to asking God for help, with a sort of Christian version of a Buddhist prayer wheel, reading their prayer to the heavens, over and over again. So, if hydrofracking gets into NY State, is this what upstate New Yorkers are going to have to resort to? Is our clean water going to be exchanged for profit, with our only hope going to be that God will fix what our government let the hydrofracking industry ruin? I hope not.

Thoughts on Hydrofracking

2011-12-17T12:25:00.000-08:00

Hydrofracking is a big topic in Central New York. A big bone of convention. But it shouldn't be. It should be a no-brainer. Why? Because it pollutes the water. Simple. The natural gas industry was given an exemption from the Clean Drinking Water Act. You can look this up if you want. It's easy to find. An exemption. Get it? That means that the industry isn't legally required to adhere to a law that was designed to protect the consumer (consumer = We the People) from having their water being contaminated by industry. Pretty simple, actually. Don't need to go much further than that. Exemption. Exemption. Exemption. If hydrofracking were safe, if hydrofracking wasn't a threat to clean drinking water, the industry wouldn't need an exemption. So, since the industry does need an exemption, hydrofracking isn't safe and is a threat to clean drinking water. It's not complicated.

But the "fracking" industry tries to complicate it all up with smoke and mirrors. Why? So they can make money for themselves, not for We the People.

As an almost aside, Norway's Statoil owns 32.5% of the rights to the Marcellus Shale (and Norway isn't the only foreign country that has money invested in the Marcellus). But the really important thing is that there's not going to be lots of jobs for New Yorkers. That's not what it's all about. It's about corporate profits. And a lot of those corporate profits aren't even American corporate profits.

By the way, there's a ban on hydrofracking in France. Why France? Well, this is just a guess, but what's the first thing that comes to mind when you think about France? Wine, probably. Maybe they don't want to risk ruining their centuries-old reputation as the most famous wine-producing region on the planet for the sake of some natural gas. Maybe.

And think about this: Working on a rig is specialized work. Hydrofrackers aren't going to hire lots of out-of-work cashiers and school teachers to work the rigs, they're going to bring their own workers with them, migrating oil riggers from Texas and Oklahoma and Lousiana. And it's only going to be for a limited time, anyway. As soon as the shale is bled dry the frackers will move on, taking their riggers (and jobs) with them, leaving behind a shattered landscape and a contaminated water table.

The only reason why polluting upstate NY water is even an issue at all is because the economy is bad. If, back in the '70's or '80's, someone had tried to run this by the people they would have been told to take a long walk off a short pier. But now they've got people thinking about how it might be worthwhile to pollute upstate NY water for the sake of some jobs.

Exemption, exemption, exemption. Clean Drinking Water Act. Think about it.

And think about this. There are some local politicians who seem to be on the anti-fracking side. Anthony Brindisi comes to mind. Thank you, sir.

Notes on the image: It's a painting (the original, which is 2'x3', isn't for sale), an artist's impression of what it might look in upstate NY if hydrofracking isn't kept out of the state: Ponds holding the chemically contaminated backwash from the millions of gallons of water used each time a well is "fracked," hundreds of trucks on the (deteriorated) roads, smoke and smog and noise, and methane escaping into the air, adding to climate change. See the little blue things in the yards of the houses? Those represent what are known as "water buffaloes." They are full of water because many people who lived in fracked towns can't drink their own water, or take a bath in it or wash clothes or dishes with it, so they have to have it trucked in. There are towns in Pennsylvania that are full of these things. You can look this up too, if you want.

Stand to Protect Medicare (Social Security)

2011-07-26T17:51:00.000-07:00

We've got to fix the deficit, say our politicians. Well, of course we do. But how are they proposing to do it? Are they talking about making the wealthiest corporations, like Bank of America or GE, pay their fair share of taxes? Nope. Not that. Are they talking about ending the wars (how many are we in now, anyway? 3? 4? 5?) Nope. Not that. Are they talking about cutting the military, which is where at least half of every tax-payer dollar goes? Nope. Not that.

So what in the heck are our politicos talking about doing to fix the deficit? Cutting Medicare! Yeah, really. Hard to believe, isn't it? They've also been talking about cutting Medicaid and Social Security, too. It boggles the mind.

Franklin Square at the intersection of Genesee St and Oriskany Blvd in Utica. 5 PM. Stand to protect Social Security. Protest. Let them know how we feel. Let them know we didn't elect anyone to take away Social Security (or Medicare). No way.

Be there or be square.

P.S. Medicare and Social Security have nothing to do with the deficit, anyway. It's all a big blackmail scheme: You try to make us pay our fair share of taxes and watch what happens to you!

The Coolest House in Oneida County

2011-07-26T16:26:00.000-07:00

. . . is located at 2872 Austin Road in Clinton.

What's so cool about it? It's made out of straw bales and is completely off the grid and it costs about $500 a year for all its utility costs, including heat and electric. And that's pretty cool.

The owner of the house, Mary Ellen Blakey, gave a tour of her house on 7/25. A lot of people were there. The tour was set up with the help of Green Local 175, an organization that is trying to promote green economic development within a 175 mile radius of Utica. Check this out: Green Local.

In the course of the tour Ms. Blakey told us that the bales are straw bales, not hay bales, and that the difference between the two is that straw bales contain the wheat or oat stems only and hay bales contain the grain that's fed to livestock. She also said the bales have an R-value of about 50. And the house doesn't have a basement, but an insulated concrete slab that keeps the first layer of bales about 18 inches off the ground. And that just about the most important thing about building a straw bale house is that you can't let the bales get wet. And that she didn't build an underground or earthen berm house because of how damp it was in upstate NY. And that the bales are covered with a coat of plaster made from sand, clay and lime. And the plasterers were from VT. And the roof was put on by Mennonites.

She took us inside the house. We didn't go upstairs (it's a one-and-a-half-story house) because the upstairs wasn't quite finished yet, but we did get to look at the bottom floor, which was one big room, with the kitchen flowing into the dining room and the dining room flowing into the living room and so on. Except for the bathroom, which was separate. It was very rustic. Big wooden beams. No refrigerator. An icebox instead. Wood stove. Solar oven. A battery closet for storing electricity collected from the solar panels, which are not on the roof of the house. Huge, argon-filled Marvin windows lined one side of the house. The house's windows cost about $12,000. Outside dimensions of the house were under a thousand square feet. Not a big house and not a house that everyone could build, but just about as low in the carbon footprint area as you can get. And the scenery was beautiful and so was Ms. Blakey's garden.

The off-the-grid part was really cool, but the coolest thing about this house to me was the fact that none of its heat or electricity were from coal-powered plants, which spew enormous amounts of fossil fuel emissions into the air, contributing to climate change. It would be nice if every house in America could be off the grid, but since that isn't possible, it would also be nice if we could get more electric from clean sources like solar and wind. Wind? Wind turbines? Buy electricity from electric companies that's produced by wind farms, or maybe even solar farms? Why not? Then people who can't afford their own solar panels or windmills or who live in apartments can use electric that's from renewable sources.

La Galerie Rouge and Solar Panels

2011-07-17T11:09:00.000-07:00

La Galerie Rouge, a framing shop and art gallery at 8240 Seneca Turnpike in Clinton NY, opened its doors for a tour on July 11, with the focus of the tour being its newly installed solar panels, which supply the business with 100% of its electric. There are 22 solar panels, which, according to the owners, Rick and Joanne Bianco, cost $28,000.

The solar panels were installed by Central New York Solar, which is owned by Justin Williams, who was there for the tour. State and Federal tax credits are available (up to 30% for Federal and 25% for State). But check out their website for more info:CNY Solar..

Also there for the tour was Green Local 175, which promotes green events and businesses within a 175 mile radius of Utica. To get involved contact Richard Morris at 724-6364. Or check out their website: Green Local.

Below are some photos of the building, the solar panels and some scenes inside the place:

Solar panels and a "no hydrofrack" sign go together well. Concern for the environment, the air and the water. Good things.

The tour was very interesting. According to the owners of La Galerie Rouge, Rick and Joanne Bianco, the solar panels will pay for themselves within 6 years. In the summer they produce more electricity than they need and store it for the winter months, when, as every upstate New Yorker knows, the weather isn't all that sunny.

For more information about the gallery itself, check this out: The Red Art Gallery.

And don't miss the upcoming tour of the Straw Bale Energy Efficient House, located at 2972 Austin Road, Clinton, NY, given by the house's owner and designer, Mary Ellen Blakey. It only costs $500 a year to heat, which is pretty amazing for upstate NY.

Caravan to Restore the American Promise

2011-07-16T11:08:00.000-07:00

At 258 Genesee St, in front of Rep. Hanna's Utica office, in Utica NY, at 7 PM on July 20, will be a gathering to protest the attempts by our politicians to balance the country's budget by taking money away from Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.

That was, I think, the most surreal sentence I've ever written in my life. It's hard to believe that such a protest is necessary. Balance the budget by attacking the poor and the elderly? It seems unreal, surreal, especially considering that there are so many other ways our elected leaders could balance the budget, like making sure the wealthiest corporations actually pay their taxes and by ending all the overseas wars and . . .

Surreal.

But that's what's happening. Our elected leaders are trying to balance the budget on the backs of the poor and elderly.

This protest will be a stop on the Caravan to Restore the American Promise. Other stops include Albany, Syracuse and Buffalo. More information can be found at CNY Citizen Action.

I wonder if our elected leaders will ever pay any attention to what We the People actually want?

To find out what Bernie Sanders - the Independent (and neither a Democrat nor a Republican) Senator from Vermont, and one of the few American leaders who is paying attention - has to say, check this out:Bernie Sanders.

Old Path Farm

2011-07-14T15:17:00.000-07:00

On Grange Hill Road in Sauquoit is an organic vegetable farm called Old Path Farm. The farm also produces, besides organic vegetables, free range, farm fresh eggs. There will be a tour of the farm on July 18 at 7 PM, a tour that might include, as well as information about producing organic vegetables and free range eggs without the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, information about hydrofracking, which the people who run the farm, Nancy Grove, Pete Bianco and Nancy Morelli, aren't too fond of, as you can see by the paired "Burma Shave Sign" photos below (if you're young, you may not get this reference).

Below is an assortment of photos of what you might see on Old Path Farm, from the building where the farm's customers pick up their vegetables to the official farm sign to fields of vegetables to a farm greenhouse.

Considering that fracking fluids, containing all sorts of toxic chemicals, have shown up in water supplies 25 miles from the nearest fracking well, it's pretty obvious why organic vegetable farmers aren't too keen on fracking. But, even if you're not an organic vegetable farmer, you still have to drink water. Everyone does. And use it to wash your dishes and your clothes and to take a bath in.

More Hydrofracking

2011-07-14T15:05:00.000-07:00

This article is simply a listing of various meetings and events in the Central NY area where people can go to learn more about how to get involved with stopping hydrofracking in upstate NY:

Town of Paris: July 17. Town Hall on Sulphur Springs Rd. 7 PM.
Town of Sangerfield: July 21. International Meeting, Waterville High School. 7 PM.

Uptown Theatre: July 22. Film "Water Isn't Water Anymore." 7 PM.
Kirkland Anti-Fracking Group Meeting. July 19. Stone Church. Clinton. 7 PM.

A few sources for printed material or yard signs: La Galerie Rouge, Cafe Domenico, Sweet Old Memories, Tom's Natural Foods.

The website Hydro Relief Web

And a one-day, down-and-back tour of Gasland (hydrofracked areas of PA) is being organized for July 16, starting at 8 AM from New Hartford Shopping Center, in front of the Old Wicker Mill. The person to call is Mary Chapin: 737-0504.

Itinerary:

1) Drive down.
2) 45 minute presentation at Towanda Library.
3) Lunch
4) Scared Landscape, Water Buffalos and Blow Out
5) Drive back.

Addendum: The Gasland Tour has returned. I received a few emails from a couple of participants. They were pretty scary. Photos and a video were taken, although I haven't seen them yet. Future tours may be organized.

More Hydrofracking and a New Hartford Town Meeting

2011-06-16T17:55:00.001-07:00

7:00 PM on Wednesday, June 15. Town meeting on hydrofracking at Butler Hall in New Hartford. Local activists outside the hall, complete with anti-hydrofracking signs, prior to the meeting.

Inside the hall, a discussion on hydrofracking. 50 to 100 people were there, besides the town board and town attorney, Herb Cully. We were asked if any of us were in favor of hydrofracking. No one said "yes." We were told that the board had unanimously decided in favor of a six-month moratorium on hydrofracking locally, and that the moratorium could be extended another six months if needed. Those are good things.

A number of people talked about the various thoughts they had on hydrofracking, including Bonnie Reynolds, from Spring Farm Cares, an animal shelter on Route 12. She pointed out that hydrofracking crosses borders, which means basically that when water is poisoned with all the unknown chemicals that are used in hydrofracking, the water doesn't politely stay in one place, it spreads throughout a watershed, from one piece of property to another.

What about hydrofracking? Is it a good thing or a bad thing? Basically, it's a Halliburton thing, and what does that tell you? In 1972, during Nixon's reign, the Clean Drinking Water Act was passed. During the Bush/Cheney reign, the Energy Policy Act of 2005 was passed. Among other things, this Act exempted the oil and gas industries from having to adhere to the Clean Drinking Water Act of 1972. This exemption is known as the "Halliburton Loophole." So it's very difficult for anyone to track down exactly what chemicals are used in the hydrofracking process. Which makes it very difficult to prove that contaminated water was contaminated by hydrofracking.

Okay, so what is hydrofracking? It's drilling through layers of oil-bearing shale and then pumping in up to 7 million gallons of water, laced with who-the-heck-knows what chemicals, with the ultimate goal being to extract natural gas. Personally, I'd rather not have my water full of unknown chemicals. Natural gas itself isn't the problem. It burns clean, much cleaner that oil, and about 80% of the natural gas wells in the country aren't hydrofracked wells. instead, they're traditional wells drilled directly into a field or pocket of gas, without requiring millions of gallons of water or huge amounts of unknown chemicals to extract the gas. But hydrofracking is growing rapidly and it's just not safe. Unless you think large amounts of unknown chemicals in your drinking water is safe. I don't.

Good for you, New Hartford. Let's keep hydrofracking out of NY State.

CNY Veterans Outreach Center Benefit Jamboree

2011-06-04T12:21:00.001-07:00

On June 18 and 19, Sweet Old Memories, a diner on Route 5 in Vernon, NY, will be having an outdoor jamboree to benefit the CNY Veterans Outreach Center, located in Utica. There will be 15 or maybe even more musical acts, ranging from blues to bluegrass to country to oldies rock to gospel and maybe even a barbershop quartet or two. And there will also be amusement rides provided by Blue Diamond, located in Yorkville. On the 18th the festivities will be from 9 AM to whenever. On the 19th they will be from 10 AM to whenever.

There will also be a 50/50 raffle, to benefit CNY veterans.

The 157th NY Volunteers, a Civil War re-enactment regiment from Cortland and Madison Counties, will also be there.

Admission will be nonperishable food items. Or paper towels or soap or anything nonperishable that could be used by the veterans the CNY Veterans Outreach Center are trying to help.

If you're a musician and would like to help, please call Jack (the diner owner) at 315-829-2663. If you would like to donate anything for a raffle, please do the same.

There will be a fine art raffle, also. So, if you're a local artist and would like to donate a painting to help the CNY Veterans Outreach Center, call Jack. He's also looking for face painters and clowns. If you want to help in any way, call Jack. 315-829-2663.

Gasland the Movie

2011-05-13T18:12:00.001-07:00

(Click on the image to enlarge it. Then do it again.)

Uptown Theatre. 2014 Genesee St. Utica NY.
Friday, May 20, 2011. 7 PM. $6.00.

Tap water on fire.

More to come:

Fracking. Hydrofracking. Hydraulic fracturing. What is it? And is it good or bad? The phrase "hydraulic fracturing" is what the natural gas industry calls a specific method for extracting natural gas. The full name is "high-volume slickwater hydraulic fracturing." High-volume is right! It takes about 5 million gallons of water for every "frack job." And that water is laced with chemicals. I can't tell you exactly what those chemicals are, though, since they're a closely guarded secret. Halliburton (remember them?) owns much of the technology. Anyway, the local fracking controversy is about whether or not it's okay to use fracking to extract natural gas that's floating around between layers of shale in the Marcellus and Utica Shales, which run through Pennsylvania and up into NY, as far north as Utica and Syracuse, and even into the Lake Ontario Floodplain and Tug Hill Plateau.

Whether it's good or bad would depend on your point of view, I suppose. The gas industry says it's good. More than $2 million has been spent on lobbying to get politicians to think that way.

But New York State has declared a moratorium on hydrofracking until July 1, so if hydrofracking's good, it's not no-brainer good. But what's the problem? The problem is the contamination of local water supplies. Fresh water is taken from local water sources, like the Susquehanna River, which runs through upstate NY. Between 1 and 7 million gallons of water are used every time a "frack job" is performed. But what is a "frack job?" It's slant-drilling into layers of shale and then pumping in millions of gallons of water and chemicals to force out the natural gas. But some people say this pollutes the water supply in the areas where this is done, with methane from the natural gas and chemicals from the frack job getting into the water. Has this ever happened?

Watch the movie and decide for yourself. After all, it's an excellent movie, nominated for an Academy Award, and can do a much better job explaining this than I can.

Addendum: The Social Action Committee of the Unitarian Universalist Church at 10 Higby Road in Utica (near the Genesee St end of Higby) is sponsoring another showing of Gasland on Wednesday, June 1, at 7 PM. Barbara Freeman, teacher and longtime environmental activist will be introducing the film. It's free.

And it will also be shown at 6:30 PM at the municipal building in Trenton, NY, on June 9.

There will be a discussion about hydrofracking at Butler Hall on Genesee St in New Hartford at 7:00 PM on Wednesday, June 15.

Utica Marsh Clean-up

2009-04-28T11:54:00.000-07:00

Within the city limits of Utica, NY, down at the end of Barnes Ave, where it runs into the Barge Canal, is a 213-acre marsh known as the Utica Marsh. It’s a wildlife management area, full of various species of wildlife. Just drive slowly and carefully on Barnes Ave on your way to the marsh because it’s not in the best of shape. Barnes Ave, not the marsh. There are two parking areas, a big one adjoining the Barge Canal and a smaller one to the right, just before you get to the canal. If you park in the smaller parking area and follow the gravel path that heads east from there, the marsh will be on your right. Ahead of you, if you walk far enough (1/4 mile or so) is an observation tower, which you can climb to get a great view of the marsh. Several trails radiate out to the south from the main path in case you want to go further into the marsh.

Every year a substantial number of people gather at the marsh for the purpose of cleaning it up. The most recent clean-up was April 26, 2009. Last Sunday. It’s an annual Earth Day thing. Who’s involved? The DEC, the Marsh Council and the community. I went down there and helped out this year. I’d never done this before, but I’m glad I finally got around to it. Well over a hundred people were there. It’s a good thing, too, because there was plenty of trash to be picked up, ranging from cans and bottles to plastic bags to paper and styrofoam cups to tin foil to a automobile steering wheel to a decomposing dog in a garbage bag to a whole lot of car tires, most with rims. One of the tires even had a car axle attached to it. No kidding! Note the photo of a pile of car tires (one complete with axle). That pile is just the tip of the iceberg, though. People were driving back and forth with trucks, picking up load after load of tires, along with other types of assorted trash.

Was it all worth it? Sure it was. The marsh is beautiful place and it’d be a shame to leave it full of all that trash. It’s a great place to watch birds, too, and watching birds isn’t nearly as much fun when the scenery is all cluttered up with trash. Those car tires in particular don’t add anything positive to the experience.

Just for heck of it, I thought I’d bang down a list of some of the birds I’ve seen at the marsh, personally, over the years, just to give people who’ve never been there an idea as to what’s there: Canada geese, mallard ducks, black ducks, wood ducks, green-winged teals, blue-winged teals, pintails, great blue herons, green herons, eastern bitterns, sora rails, American egrets, northern swans (whistling swans if you’ve got an old field guide), cardinals, robins, red-winged blackbirds, grackles, yellow warblers, yellow-rumped warblers (myrtle warblers if you’ve got an old field guide), northern water thrushes, swamp sparrows, song sparrows, yellowthroats, red-tailed hawks, turkey vultures and etc. I can’t remember all the birds I’ve seen there, but the place is a great place to watch birds, if you’re into that sort of thing. Especially in the spring and fall, when the waterfowl is using the place as a stop-off point during migration. During the clean-up I got lucky and added a new bird to my life list, a worm-eating warbler, and that was pretty cool.

Anyway, if you live in the Utica area and like wetlands and bird watching you might want to take a drive to the Utica Marsh, if you haven’t done so already. And if you like the place, maybe next year you might want to pitch in and help out with the clean-up. It’s something almost anyone who’s reasonably healthy can do to help out on Earth Day, right in their own backyard.

Notes on the photos: The first photo is of a big pile of automobile tires (note the axle), taken the day of the cleanup. The second photo is of the marsh itself, looking southeast from the trail that leads to the observation tower, taken the day after the cleanup. The third photo is of a pair of Canada geese that were hanging around on that same trail, also taken the day after the cleanup.

No Power Lines

2008-10-04T12:54:00.000-07:00

These photos were taken in the course of a seven-mile or so walk through the small towns of Sauquoit and Clayville, in upstate NY. During the walk, besides the "No Power Lines" lawn signs, I saw a few signs plugging Barack Obama. John McCain, too. But I didn't see any that read "Go, Power Lines!" or "Yes to the Power Lines!" or anything like that.

Coming from different walks of life, with different political beliefs and ideologies, the people in this area seem to have one thing in common: they don't want New York Regional Interconnect to run power lines through their neighborhoods.

And why would they? Why would anyone want something constructed in their town, against their will, that will increase their electric bills, decrease the value of their property, perhaps force them to sell their business, and maybe even be a health hazard? I can't think of a single reason why, off the top of my head. I live in this area and I certainly don't want to see the things go through. I doubt if anyone else who lives around here does, either.

Okay, so what is this all about, anyway? New York Regional Interconnect, a U.S. corporation, wants to run a high-voltage power line along the New York Susquehanna and Western railroad tracks from Marcy, in the upstate region, to Orange County, in the downstate region, with the reason being given that of balancing NY's electrical grid. I suspect that there are other ways to balance New York's grid than this, although I'm not sure, but one thing I am sure of is that building the power lines will benefit New York Regional Connect financially. It will also benefit the several Canadian companies who own NYRI. Personally, I don't see this so much as an upstate vs downstate thing, but more as a big business vs the little people thing.

As a sort of an aside, New York became one of 16 states, after the 1996 deregulation of energy markets, to create laws allowing electric utilities to be managed and owned by private industry without any real state regulation. Consumers tend to pay more for their electricity in those 16 states than in others. And it looks like its happening again: big business being allowed to run roughshod over we, the people, with government doing very little to help us out.

Building these power lines will probably take about 5 years, causing enormous disruption to the small upstate towns the lines will go through. The towers are huge and unsightly. Upstate property values near the power lines will drop by as much as 50%. Once built, the lines will emit a constant 40 or so decibels of sound. Their is some evidence that electromagnetic fields emitted from the power lines may cause childhood leukemia and damage pacemakers. And what happens if one of the huge towers, some of which will be taller than the Empire State Building, were to be hit by a train? Fall because of a storm? That's 800,000 volts of electricity flying around loose. Sounds dangerous to me. And are we supposed to be worried about terrorism or not? If we are, aren't huge power lines way out in the upstate boondocks going to be a target for terrorists who want to disrupt electricity in, say, New York City?

For a website that has a lot more information, go here: http://www.stopnyri.com/

Or http://www.stopthepowerlines.com/

Both sites have information that will help people who live along the proposed power line routes fight back. So, you might want to check 'em out if you live in Marcy or Utica or New Hartford or Chadwicks or Sauquoit or Clayville or Sangerfield or Sherburne or Brookfield or . . .

* * *

And if anyone in the Utica, New Hartford, Chadwicks, Sauquoit or Clayville areas has an interesting story to tell about how they feel their home or business will be adversely affected by the impending power lines, send me an email or give me a call at 315-737-8488. You can tell your story here, if you want. There's a meeting about this coming up on October 22 in Utica, at Mohawk Valley Community College, at 1:00 PM and 6:00 PM for the information forums and 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM for the public statement hearings. Maybe if enough real people speak out this thing can be stopped.

Sweet Old Memories: The Crystal Mine

2008-09-26T18:09:00.000-07:00

A few years ago Jack Maine's granddaughter found some pretty stones in the gravel behind his diner, Sweet Old Memories. The pretty stones turned out to be calcite crystals, lots of them. In fact, there were so many crystals that Jack Maine was later told by geologists that his diner was sitting on one of the biggest calcite crystal deposits in the state.

So, after eating lunch or dinner at Sweet Old Memories, you can buy yourself some calcite crystals to take home with you. In the future, when Jack has everything ready, you'll be able to go out behind the diner and dig your own calcite crystals. Right now he's working on getting the necessary funding to promote the Sweet Old Memories' crystal mine, with the idea being to set it up so that kids will have fun being amateur geologists.

Okay, so what is a calcite crystal, anyway? Well, it's a crystal made of calcite, naturally. Calcite itself is often the main constituent of the shells of marine organisms, such as plankton, oysters and echinoderms. It's also found in sedimentary rocks, like limestone, which is made from the shells of dead marine organisms. Stalactites and stalagmites in caves also contain calcite.

Calcite crystals are either colorless or white, although impurities can result in colored calcite crystals: gray, red, yellow, green and etc.

Calcite seas were formed when the calcium carbonate in ocean waters was low-magnesium calcite, instead of the high-magnesium calcite found today. That would be back in the Jurassic Period, which was before T-Rex's time.

Put all this together and you basically get evidence that the land around Vernon used to be at the bottom of the ocean, somewhere in the neighborhood of 200 million years ago.

For any further info about calcite crystals, you'll have to consult a geologist, of which I'm not one. Sorry about that.

But I've seen some of the crystals, and they're sure interesting. And another potential Herkimer Diamond Mine in Central New York is a good thing. Maybe with the right funding and support the crystal mine behind Sweet Old Memories could be turned into an educational center of sorts, a place for local schools to bus kids to for field trips.

Sweet Old Memories: The Diner

2008-09-26T17:42:00.000-07:00

About five miles east of the village of Vernon is Sweet Old Memories, a '50's-style diner owned and operated by the Jack Maine family. Decorated with '50's memorabilia and serving classic diner fare, Sweet Old Memories is a relaxing and comfortable place to eat. And both the Turning Stone Casino and the Atunyote Golf Course, where PGA tournaments have been held (there's one going on right now), are in the vicinity.

And the food's pretty darned good. The house specialties are chicken and biscuits. Sausage and biscuits, too. Oh, and take a look at the second photo from the top. It's a photo of a man who was voted "Chef of the Year" in 2008, in Las Vegas, Nevada. No, he doesn't cook at Sweet Old Memories, but he did eat there, leaving the signed photo behind. In case you can't read the handwriting on the photo, it reads, "Jack Maine - Sweet Old Memories - Thanks for the great food - Rich Baumes." The great food that Mr. Baumes had at Sweet Old Memories was one of their omelets.

Sweet Old Memories also has a Friday night fish fry. It's a beer batter fish fry, and the beer in the beer batter, Saranac Pale Ale, is brewed by a local regional brewery, Matt Brewing Company. I've had the fish fry recently, with home fries and cole slaw on the side (see the photo up top). The tartar sauce was home made. The beverage was birch beer. The meal was good. The fish fry was $8.75. I can't remember what the birch beer cost.

Diner hours are Tuesday thru Friday, 11 AM to 8 PM, Saturday from 8 AM to 8 PM, and Sunday from 8 AM to 2 PM.

Next summer there will be an ice cream stand.

And there's something new in the works: a calcite crystal mine out back. You know, something along the lines of the Herkimer Diamond Mines.

Here's their phone#: 315-829-2663.

Berry Hill Book Shop

2008-09-06T17:54:00.000-07:00

A few miles south of Clinton, NY, on 12B (or north of Oriskany Falls on the same road), is just about the biggest and best used book store in New York State: Berry Hill Book Shop.

Sure, if you know exactly what you're looking for, you can hit the net and find a specific book in a few minutes, without leaving your house. But what if you just want to browse, looking for a book you maybe didn't even know existed? What if you just want the feeling of being in a three-story barn full of 60,000 old books? For that the internet just won't do. But Berry Hill will. And don't forget to say "Hi" to Buster, the official book store cat, who hangs out at the front desk with the lady who runs the place.

Be careful you don't drive right by it, though. It's out in the sticks and it's easy to miss the sign by the driveway. If you do that, you might end up in Oriskany Falls and have to turn around again. Heading south from Clinton on 12B, if you see Burnham Road on your left, you went past the book store. Heading north from Oriskany Falls on 12B, if you see Burnham Road on your right, the bookstore is just ahead.

The prices are great, the people who run the place are friendly, and the scenery is beautiful. The book store is surrounded by woods and wildlife. The last time I was there I saw a doe and her fawn, on book store property. That was cool.

It's a unique place, and if you're a book nut you'll love it.

On the Road to Fort Drum

2008-05-14T11:44:00.000-07:00

I had the privilege last Sunday of taking part in one leg of the New York State Marches for Peace, a peace march to Fort Drum, the purpose of which is to raise public awareness of and solidarity toward ending the Iraq War and bringing the troops safely home. The march was sponsored, among others, by NY State Direct Action for Peace, Different Drummer Café, Syracuse Peace Council, Saratoga Peace Alliance, North Country Veterans for Peace and, significantly, Iraq Veterans Against the War. Yes, that's right: this peace march, far from being a protest against the troops, was undertaken with the approval and cooperation of an organization consisting of actual Iraq War veterans, men who know far more than any civilian possibly could just how wrong the Iraq War is. For a complete list of sponsors, go here: Peace March.

For a list of reasons why the troops themselves are against the war, go here: IVAW.

* * *

The following is a description of what the Cleveland to Central Square leg of the march was like:

Starting at the Vanderkamp Center — a Christian Retreat Center located in a heavily wooded area on Martin Rd, two miles from Route 49, in the town of Cleveland, which is located on the north shore of Oneida Lake — we began walking at around 9:00 A.M. There were eight of us, our leader Jim Fulmer, myself, my sister Gail, and four other walkers and one support driver. None of us were under 40 years old. We were all carrying Peace and Bring the Troops Home signs, indicating to anyone we met on our way what we were doing. It was a sunny day and the walk down Martin Road was a beautiful one. We were surrounded by a mixed deciduous and evergreen forest, and bird song. I remember hearing a yellowthroat (a type of warbler), several robins, a black-throated green warbler and numerous ovenbirds (another type of warbler). One of us, a fireman, carried a large garbage bag, which he was using to pick up empty beer and soda cans he found alongside the road. At the bottom of Martin Road was a small pond. A pair of Canada geese were there, along with their goslings.

We reached Route 49 and began heading west toward our goal for the day: the town of Central Square, 15 miles away. A car drove by and someone yelled out, "Go home!" A few minutes later several people who were standing in front of a local business waved at us and cheered us on. One woman yelled out, "Thank you!" That was nice. Encouraging, too.

As we walked down Route 49, with Oneida Lake on our left, the responses from passing motorists were for the most part very positive. People would honk their horns at us and wave at us. Some would flash us the peace sign. This seemed to be an indication to me that we weren’t alone in our desire to end the Iraq War and bring the troops home.

A few miles later we stopped at the home of one of the walkers, a woman who is a nurse, for a bathroom and water break. She discontinued walking here as she was going to get ready to be part of our welcoming committee at the end point, a church in Central Square called the First Universalist Society of Central Square.

The support driver would drive ahead a ways and wait for us so we could, if we wanted to, take off our jackets and/or our packs and leave them in the car. I took advantage of this and left my jacket as the day was warming up rapidly. At some point the man who had been picking up beer and soda cans left his bag of cans in the car as it was full. Then he found another, smaller, garbage bag and continued picking up cans.

Motorists would honk and wave at us throughout the day. We received far more positive than negative responses, which was, as I said before, encouraging. The only really negative response was in the town of Constantia. We were standing in front of a restaurant, trying to decide whether or not we wanted to stop for lunch there, when the owner of the restaurant appeared out of nowhere and began yelling at and threatening us. He told us to get away from his restaurant or he would call the police. I’m not going to mention the name of his restaurant because I don’t want to harm someone’s business just because he doesn’t understand that our walk was undertaken with the cooperation of Iraq War veterans, and wasn’t for the purpose of disrespecting the troops. I’m also not going to repeat his exact words, because they weren’t peaceful and were also somewhat off-color, and I’m trying to write an article that anyone can read. We tried to talk to him about what we were doing but he wouldn’t have any of it. Finally one of us told him that we had been planning on eating lunch in his restaurant and he told us, vehemently, to eat and then get out of there. Needless to say, we went somewhere else to eat. Some of us picked up sandwiches in a deli in a local grocery store. My sister and I went to another restaurant farther down the road, called Joa’s, and split a submarine sandwich. The people there were nice and so was the sub. Maybe they didn't realize we were in the peace march, I don't know for sure. All I do know for sure is that they were nice to us and we enjoyed our lunch, and I'll eat there again, the next time I'm in the area.

After about eight or nine miles my sister began to get tired and decided to stop walking. I was getting tired, too, and was having a problem with my left foot, so I stopped walking as well. The support driver, after taking my sister and me to our cars, had to leave, so my sister took over as support driver, using her car. I then drove to Central Square and parked my car. After a few minutes, though, I decided to head back on foot and meet the other walkers so I could finish the walk.

When we got to the First Universalist Society of Central Square at around 5:00 o’clock we were greeted by the nurse who had let us use her house for a bathroom and water break, and by two other women. We were fed a very nice potluck dinner, along with some Fair Trade coffee, and had an enjoyable time discussing the tenets of the church with the women. There were a couple of guest speakers there, as well. One was a Native American Indian named John who talked about putting on a sweat lodge, which is an Indian purifying ritual. There was another speaker, a man named Wally, but I had to leave before he began speaking, so unfortunately I can’t relate from firsthand experience what he had to say. We also met a woman who was a Reverend of the church. She used a walker, and told us she had multiple sclerosis, but she was a very positive and inspiring person, and it was a pleasure talking with her. On the wall in the church was a poster with photos of famous people who were members of the Unitarian Universalist Church, with names such as Henry David Thoreau, Albert Schweitzer and Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. I found this fascinating because up to this point I hardly knew anything about this church. I still don’t know that much about it, but what I do know is that love and peace seem to be what it revolves around.

All-in-all this was a very positive experience for me, and a very educational one, and I’m glad I took part in it. One thing that struck me as ironic, though, was that there weren’t any young people taking part in this walk, since they’re the ones who are the most capable, physically, of doing something like this. But maybe next time there will be some young people taking part. I like to think so, anyway. Well, to be honest, what I’d really like to think is that there won’t be a need for a next time. Being surrounded by peaceful people makes it very clear, at least it did to me, that war is not the answer.

Hearts Hill Farm: Part Two

2008-02-06T19:43:00.000-08:00

In 2004 the State of New York built a road, Route 840, that cut through Hearts Hill Farm, reducing its acreage from 40 to 27, with seven of the 27 acres being cut off from the main farm and landlocked without access. At about the same time that the road was being built, land just uphill from Hearts Hill Farm was purchased, with the idea being to put in a gas station. In the process of preparing the land for commercial use, more than 200,000 cubic yards of dirt and shale was bulldozed to a point uphill from and adjacent to the farm, creating an earthen cliff reaching in some places to a height of 25 feet. You can see this earthen cliff in the lower photo. The Roberts' have had a storm water run-off problem because of this mound of dirt for more than 3 years, a problem which has periodically flooded their garlic fields.

But this water run-off problem will be compounded when (and if) the gas station itself is built. There is no town sewer in this area, so the gas station wants to put in a septic system. It doesn't take a lot of imagination to figure out why this might be a problem for an organic vegetable farm, but this problem is compounded by the fact that this area is a wetland, with a stream running through it that's a tributary of Oriskany Creek, a well-known local trout stream. You can see this stream in the upper photo, which is full of mud from the previously mentioned 200,000-cubic-yard pile of dirt.

Add to this the fact that the Roberts' main source of water is from a shallow aquifer, only about three feet beneath the surface of the ground. The people who are trying to put in the gas station have put in two retention ponds, complete with pipes that direct water onto the Robert's property. Right now this water is simply muddy run-off water, but what if the gas station's tanks should leak? You can see, in the middle photo, the Roberts' pond, which is very near their organic vegetable gardens. Notice that it is full of muddy run-off water. If the gas station is built it may become full of muddy run-off water and gas and salt and oil. Of course the DEA will make sure the gas station owners will put in safety features to prevent the leakage of gas and oil, but how much confidence can the Roberts' have that this will be done properly when something as relatively simple as controlling a water run-off problem caused by a big pile of dirt hasn't been solved in the last several years?

All of this may just kill the Roberts' business, which is a one-of-a-kind one: the only certified organic vegetable farm in Oneida County. I'm not sure how many gas stations there are in Oneida County, but I'm willing to bet that there are far more than just one. Is it really necessary to build a gas station at this exact spot? And, if it is, how long is it going to take for something to be done about the water run-off problem caused by the mound of dirt and shale that borders the Roberts' property? Four years? Five years? Six years? Seven years? Forever?

And even if no salt or oil or gas gets into the muddy water that keeps on running off the mound of dirt into the Roberts' fields, they don't grow rice, which is just about the only thing you can grow in water-logged soil.

I've spoken to Michelle Roberts about this situation, and she has told me that she and her husband, Kent, are going to do their best to continue providing their customers with high-quality organic herbs and vegetables, but shouldn't they have some help? After all, they didn't build that 25'-foot-high wall of dirt that's threatening to turn their farm into a rice paddy, so why should they have to spend their time and money to correct the water run-off problem that's caused by it?

An article about the problems the Roberts' face was previously published in the November 27, 2007 edition of the Utica Observer-Dispatch, which can be found here:Heartshillfarm.

Michelle Roberts has informed me that she and her husband would appreciate any help you can give them, and would especially appreciate letters to the Utica Observer Dispatch, and also to the town council of Whitestown. She has also told me that Senator Griffo's office has expressed an interest in helping them, and thinks letters to his office might help, as well. For further information about Hearts Hill Farm and what you can do to help, please contact the Roberts' at 315-736-5714.

For further information go here: Whitestown.

Hearts Hill Farm: Part One

2008-02-06T18:46:00.001-08:00

On Clark Mills Road, in Whitesboro, in Oneida County, NY, is an organic vegetable farm called Hearts Hill Farm. It is the only certified organic vegetable farm in the county. It is owned and operated by Kent and Michelle Roberts, and has been in their family for more than 60 years. They grow and sell a wide variety of organic herbs and vegetables: corn, pumpkins, asparagus, rhubarb, dill, echinacea, radishes, carrots, garlic, shallots, onions, potatoes, tomatoes, basil, parsley, dill, thyme, cucumbers, zucchini, yellow squash, winter squash and summer squash.

The top photo shows some of the organic sunflowers grown on the farm.

The next photo down shows a field of tomatoes.

The photo below that shows dill and echinacea, which is also known as purple coneflower. Dill is used not only as a cooking herb, but is also good for soothing upset stomachs. Echinacea can be purchased in health food stores, usually in tablet form, as a general immune system booster. At Hearts Hill Farm, however, you can buy the real deal, grown organically, which is something you just can't purchase anywhere else in Oneida County.

The bottom photo shows the Roberts' farm stand, with sunflowers, pumpkins and corn arrayed near it.

To successfully run an organic vegetable farm it's fairly obvious that you need both good soil and a good supply of clean water. You don't exactly have to be a rocket scientist to figure that out. But unless something is done to help the Roberts' out, in the near future they may lose both the good soil and clean water that they need to run their farm. This means, obviously, that they will stand a good chance of going out of business. And that's a shame, because organic vegetable farms aren't found on every street corner, unlike, for example, gas stations.

To find out why the Roberts' may soon be losing the good quality soil and water that they need to operate Hearts Hill Farm, the only certified organic vegetable farm in Oneida County, and also how you can help, please read part two.

Lost Pond

2008-02-03T10:06:00.001-08:00

About a hundred yards or so off a dirt road in the Charles T Baker State Forest in Brookfield, NY, is Lost Pond. Funny, but even though the pond is so close to a road and there's a trail leading to it, it's not all that easy to find. Maybe that's why it's called Lost Pond. Although it's not visible in the photograph, there's a picnic table here, making this a nice place to enjoy a picnic lunch in the summer. There's a wide variety of bird species here, as well, so it's a good place for birders.

When I took this photo I heard, coming from somewhere out in the reeds, the gunk-a-lunk, gunk-a-lunk of an eastern bittern, which is a type of heron. I never did see it, but it was nice to know it was there. A wide variety of animal tracks can be seen along the muddy shore of the pond, too, from deer to fox to coyote to raccoon to etc.

Woodland Pond

2008-01-29T20:20:00.001-08:00

About a mile or a mile-and-a-half from the Cherry Ridge Campsite in Brookfield NY is Woodland Pond. The trail that leads to it is part of the 130 or so miles of trails and dirt roads that lace the Charles T Baker State Forest in Brookfield, which are used by horseback riders, as well as hikers.

The lower photo is of the forest, looking across the pond from the lean-to that has been built on the shores of the pond. The upper photo is of the lean-to itself, with a horse tied to a tree next to it. This isn't the only lean-to in the forest, so it's easy to camp out in the middle of it without requiring a tent.

The forest surrounding the pond is full of wildlife, from deer to coyotes to bobcats to etc. Many species of birds are found here, as well, including a large population of wild turkeys.

Cherry Ridge Campsite

2008-01-27T12:49:00.000-08:00

Cherry Ridge Campsite is located in the middle of the 10,000 acre Charles T Baker State Forest in Brookfield NY. A long dirt road leads to it. It consists of a circular dirt drive with about a dozen campsites, complete with fire pits and picnic tables (and one outhouse). There is no charge to camp here and the place is usually unoccupied, so you can usually have it to yourself. It's quiet and peaceful, except for the birds in the spring, which are pretty darned noisy. For birders, here's a partial list of some of the birds I've either heard or seen in the vicinity of this campsite: cooper's hawks, great horned owls, ovenbirds (there's a lot of these here), hermit thrushes, red-eyed vireos and black-throated green warblers. There are many more species than that here, but those are the ones that come to mind. Oh, and the name "Cherry Ridge" isn't a misnomer. There are quite a few very large wild cherry trees here.

This campsite isn't on the water, though, so you need to bring your own water with you, and if you want to be on the water you'll have to hike into Woodland Pond, which is about a mile or so further back in the woods. It's an easy hike, though, only slightly hilly and suitable for anyone who's in reasonably good health, and the pond is beautiful, so it's worth the walk. Here's a painting of the pond: Woodland Pond.

An historical novel (it might even be a nonfiction autobiography) has been written about this area, titled The Eternal Hills, by Donna Spooner Tanney. It's a sort of deep woods companion piece to Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House on the Prairie. A couple of minutes on Google and you should be able to find a copy, if you're interested in this type of book.

Heart Lake and Mount Jo

2008-01-27T00:34:00.001-08:00

Drive a few miles southeast from Lake Placid in New York's Adirondack Mountains on Route 73 and then turn right on Heart Lake Road. Head down that road for about six miles or so and you'll come to Adirondac Loj, which is on the shore of Heart Lake and is the major starting point for hikers who want to bag one or more of the Adirondack High Peaks. But take your time with the drive down Heart Lake Road, because it's a gorgeous one.

The trailhead to Mount Jo begins about a quarter mile from the Loj parking lot and is easy to find. Just ask anyone at the Loj for directions. Mount Jo isn't one of the High Peaks, being only 2,877 feet about sea level (the High Peaks are all above 4,000) and it's a short hike, maybe a mile or so to the top. But it's pretty steep, at least I thought it was, much steeper than the trail leading to Rondaxe near Old Forge. The view is spectacular for such a short hike, though, and well worth the steepness of the climb, on a clear day giving the hiker a view of Heart Lake, Marcy, Wallface, Colden, Macintyre and Indian Pass.

If you've made arrangements ahead of time, you can stay at the Loj or rent one of the cabins there. The lake is beautiful and early mornings there are full of bird song, from ravens to hermit thrushes to white-throated sparrows to etc. It's just as much fun to sit on the dock in the morning and look at the lake and listen to the birds as it is to hike up Mount Jo, especially if you're no longer young and athletic. For more information about the Loj, go here:Adirondack Loj.

The upper photo is Heart Lake from the dock on the lake, very close to the Loj, and the lower one is Heart Lake from Mount Jo.

For history buffs, there's an interesting story about the origin of the names Mount Jo and Heart Lake:

A man named Henry Van Hoevenburg came to the Adirondacks in 1877 because he thought the mountain air would be good for his health. While there he met a young woman named Josephine Schofield from Brooklyn, NY. They fell in love there and decided they would live there and build a tourist lodge on the lake, which was named Clear Pond at the time. They proclaimed the area to be "the finest square mile in which to enjoy getting closest to nature." However, Josphine's parents weren't too happy about this and took their daughter back to Brooklyn. Henry stayed and built the lodge in honor of his lost love, on Clear Pond. He then changed the name of the pond/lake (it looks more like a lake than a pond, to me) to Heart Lake and named the mountain that rose from its shores Mount Jo. Tragically, Josephine later died when she supposedly leaped over Niagara Falls. This story is related in a book titled The Finest Square Mile, written by Sandra Weber, which you can find on Amazon.

Rondaxe Mountain

2008-01-23T12:26:00.001-08:00

About four miles northeast of Old Forge, on Route 28, in the Adirondack Mountains of New York State, is a relatively small mountain called Rondaxe (some call it Bald Mountain). Take a left off 28 onto Rondaxe Road and go another quarter mile or so to a small parking lot on the left. From there a hiking trail leads to the top of Rondaxe, where there is a fire tower. The hike is fairly easy and short (about a mile) and for such an easy one affords remarkable views, which is a good thing for me since I’m not so young as I used to be and difficult hikes are, well, difficult for me.

The bottom photo was taken about half-way up and shows Fourth Lake, which is one of the Fulton Chain Lakes, a chain of interconnected lakes which extend north from Old Forge 15 miles or so. The top photo was taken from the top of the fire tower, looking in the opposite direction (southwest).

Old Forge is a popular tourist attraction in the Adirondacks, with boating and fishing on the lakes and with good restaurants in the village, and is well worth a visit. And if you have any kids they’ll love the opportunity to climb up Rondaxe and look at the views from the cliffs and the fire tower. It might be a good idea to pack a lunch, too. And it’s really not all that hard of a hike.

Charles T. Baker State Forest: Elmer's Place

2008-01-23T09:26:00.001-08:00

Located in the middle of the 10,000-acre Charles T. Baker State Forest is an old cabin known as "Elmer's Place," built 30 or 40 years ago. It was made by hand and was hand-chinked with mud and moss.

I visited the place, out of curiosity, a few years ago. One of the things I found most interesting was a calendar with a photo of the Alaskan wilderness, as if someone fantasized about going there, as if this cabin wasn't in a wild enough area already. You can see the calendar on the wall at the left side of the upper photograph. Underneath the cabin, when I visited it, was living a woodchuck, so in a way the place was still inhabited.

The Charles T. Baker State Forest is located in Brookfield, NY, about 10 miles south of Route 20, and about a dozen miles from the Unadilla River. It is laced with 130 miles of trails, suitable for both walkers and horseback riders, and contains a number of lean-tos and two camping areas. Despite this, the place is relatively unknown and is lightly used.

A Walk Along a Railroad Bed in August

2008-01-20T10:19:00.000-08:00

Less than a mile from the Unadilla is an abandoned railroad bed, ties and rails removed. All that’s left is a cinder and gravel track. Travels through farm country parallel to the Unadilla.

Decided to take the mutt for a walk along this track after canoeing.

Rain stopped. Nice day. Track’s easy to walk on. Why not?

Track runs through a maze of tangled vegetation. Good cross-section of typical upstate NY farm country plants, both native and non-native.

Occasionally there’s a break in the wall of vegetation so you can see what lies beyond. On the north side of the track there’s an open field with Mount Markham in the distance (it’s a big hill, really, and not a mountain).

On the south side there’s a cattail marsh.

You can eat cattails. In the spring the shoots are tender and make nice additions to a salad. Just have to peel off the outer layers to get to the edible part. Too tough in the fall, though.

Walking along the track you can see Queen Anne’s lace, a non-native species that crossed the Atlantic with the early pioneers.

And milkweed, another edible plant.

And chicory, too. The dried roots are sometimes used as a coffee substitute.

Black chokecherry.

Red chokecherry.

Great mullein.

Burdock. You can eat the inner stalks of these, too.

Elderberry. Pie, jam and wine.

Wild grapes. Not sweet like domestic grapes, but add enough sugar to them and you can make jelly or wine out of them.

Goldenrod. Bumble bee pollinating. Funny, but I walked a couple of miles along this flower-lined track in high summer and saw three bumble bees and one honey bee. I should have seen dozens of each, with all the flowers around. Where did they all go? I don't know, but something's wrong.

Unadilla Trip: August

2008-01-20T09:31:00.000-08:00

August 23, 2007

Sunday. About 11:30. Cool day for August. Misty day. Drizzly day. Buggy day. Insect repellant day. Unadilla day.

Woods along Camp Road haven’t changed within my memory.

Purple loosestrife, a non-native species, has taken over where Camp Road dead-ends at the river, though. Pretty, but invasive.

The tires I saw in the water on Earth Day are gone. River has receded, taking them with it. Or maybe they’re simply buried underneath the shrubbery. Have to rent a truck next year.

Upstream. Tod is happy, sniffing at the scenery. He’s so calm in the canoe I can hardly believe it. He’s only been canoeing three times in his life and he’s already a sort of dog Buddha on the water. Now if I could only teach him how to paddle, I could kick back and let him do all the work. Don’t think that’s going to happen, though. No opposable thumbs. Him, not me.

Water lilies.

Mist is still in the air. See it against the trees. Wonder if it’ll stop raining.

Quiet. Not many birds singing this late in the year. See plenty of wood ducks, though. All over the river. Maybe the world’s most beautiful duck. Great blue herons, too. Lots of kingfishers, rattling as they fly upstream, away from the canoe.

Tall ferns along the river, combined with the misty atmosphere, give the scenery an almost tropical look.

An old wooden chair, way out here, is evidence that someone else besides me likes this river, too. Looks like the chair is a favorite place to sit and fish and watch the river flow. Why not? Looks good to me.

The chair is near the old cabin, which is barely visible in the trees. An overgrown farm road leads to just behind the cabin, but I won’t go there today.

Thought I’d make it to the water meadows today, but it doesn’t look like I’m going to. Big old maple has fallen across the river, blocking the way. I could carry the canoe around, but I don’t feel like it, especially not with Tod in the canoe. Maybe I’ll make another trip with a chain saw and cut a way through. Not today, though.

The river is still just about as beautiful as it was when I was a kid. I wonder how much longer it will remain that way. Sometimes I wonder if it will still be beautiful in another 40 years, or are the politicos and the military-industrial complex and the oil boys going to mess it up for all of us, everywhere? Or are we going to all wake up and smell the coffee and put an end to the Warfare State? I’m betting on the latter. We’re just not dumb enough to sit by and watch them take everything away from us. Are we?

Time to head back. The rain has stopped. A touch of rust is in the leaves. Autumn is coming.

Unadilla Trip: Earth Day

2008-01-20T09:10:00.000-08:00

Earth Day. April 22, 2007.

A good day to take the canoe, an old cedar-and-canvas Old Town, down to the Unadilla.

Pack a sandwich and a bottle of green iced tea, grab the camera and whistle up the mutt. Named him Tod because it’s an archaic British word that means "fox" and he looks a lot like an oversized, overweight fox. Load the canoe on the racks and head out. It’s only 12 miles away.

The drive is beautiful, especially the long dirt road leading to the river. Camp Road. Two camps, one with a sign in the yard that says "Redneck Blvd." Used to have a Confederate flag years ago. Maybe they still do, although I don’t notice it.

The water’s as high as I’ve ever seen it, and I’ve been canoeing on this river since I was eight. Floating car tires. Times like this I wish I had a pickup truck. Could have loaded one up with the tires and recycled them. Expensive.

Paddle upstream, solo, kneeling. Mutt’s sitting in front of me, looking around. His first time in a canoe. He’s doing good, just sitting there quietly and enjoying the scenery, or maybe I should say "sniffery," since he spends most of his time sticking his nose in the air and enjoying the smells, instead of actually looking at things. Dogs live in a different world.

Paddle past the "Redneck Blvd" camp. Nice-looking place. Great location. Wonder what the people who live there are really like. Do they still think George Bush has their best interests at heart? Did they ever think that? Are they really rednecks, whatever the heck rednecks actually are? They’ve got one thing in common with me, regardless of our respective political beliefs, whatever they are, and that’s a shared fondness for the Unadilla River and the land around it.

That’s cool with me.

Sunny day. River is beautiful. Reflections. To look at an art print of a painting of the river (late spring or early summer), go here: watercolor.

Take a break. Stretch my legs. Let Tod run around. Find goose tracks.

Smell of skunk cabbage fills the air.

Paddle upstream as far as the water meadows. Couple miles, maybe three. Open area. Floods every spring. Very high. Not even a river now. More like a 40-acre marsh dotted with little islands. Paddle over what used to be pasture, with very little idea where the river is. Paddle past a big black willow tree, and a goose flies in front of me, honking like mad. Flies to an island and sits there, honking away. I paddle toward the island. The goose flies to another island, joined by another goose. Both are honking. I decide to quit following them around and take a break on the first island and eat lunch.

Think about the geese. What were they doing? Why the honkathon? Paddle back toward the big willow tree where the first goose first flew past me. Tree has several trunks, branching out from very low to the ground, like black willows often do. I look in the crotch of the tree, where the trunks radiate from.

The nest. Four eggs.

Geese were misdirecting me, leading me away from their eggs, not realizing I had no intention of eating them.

Time to head downstream. Leave the geese in peace.

Beautiful day.