A delightful local resource wherever you happen to live is always the public library. I made a trip to Frank J. Basloe Library just the other day.
Basloe is located at 245 N. Main St., Herkimer, NY, with a public parking lot on Prospect Street, the next street over, parallel. A nice little park leads along the side of the building to the library entrance. There are often people sitting on the park benches enjoying the setting, or waiting for the library to open at 10 am. Sometimes a hot dog vendor parks on Main Street, so you can feed your hunger as well as your thirst for knowledge.
I had been online earlier that day trying to reserve Devil in a Blue Dress, by Walter Mosley. We had just watched the movie for the umpteenth time (great soundtrack). I have never read the book, although I read another one about the main character, Easy Rawlins, later in the series. I was unable to complete my reservation, though, because the computer told me my card needed renewing.
I prefer going to the library anyways. I’m not so adept at these online things. It works for me if I know what I want or at least have an author in mind. I like to wander through the actual books, where I usually find something I didn’t know I wanted. This time I found Roads to Saratoga by Gil Herkimer, the continuing saga about the settlement and defense of New York’s Mohawk Valley during the 1700s. Right up my alley! It is actually the second book in an historical trilogy, but I sometimes do things out of order.
While I wandered through biography and history, Steven wandered through the DVDs but did not find anything to tempt him. When Steven used to work in Massena, NY, he would walk to the library on his lunch and read newspapers. We also used Basloe for its computers before we had our own.
Basloe is open Mon.-Tues.-Wed. 10 am to 7 pm, Thurs.-Fri. 10 am to 5 pm, Sat. 10 am to 2 pm, closed Saturdays during July and August. You can call them at 315-866-1733 or log onto http://www.midyork.org/Herkimer.
I must add a note regarding a blog post earlier this week. I mentioned a drainage ditch in Herkimer that was transformed into a pleasant path. I read in the Telegram not two days later: it was not a drainage ditch, it was a hydraulic canal. That’s what I get for just running and writing and not doing any research. I’ll have to look up more about the hydraulic canal and get back to you.
Mohawk Valley Girl 