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Here is another anticipatory post, and it continues yesterday’s Halloween theme.

You know that in general I like to have first hand experience of the things I blog about. This being a personal blog, I think it makes it more, you know, personal. However, I’ve been reading a book about some places I would like to check out, and I can’t resist sharing a little of what I’ve read. For one thing, it may be a while before I can actually go to the places, and it is Halloween month NOW.

The book is Leatherstocking Ghosts: Haunted places in Central New York by Lynda Lee Macken (Black Cat Press, 2005). I’m not exactly clear on what area constitutes Leatherstocking Country. I know when driving on the Thruway certain exits purport to be Central Leatherstocking Region. If you’ve read any of my blogs about driving out of the area, you know I’m not sure where the Mohawk Valley begins and ends either. I’m still looking for a map that shows these things. But not very hard, because, really, who cares? I blog about the stuff I can get to. That’s all.

The book covers haunted sites in Cooperstown, Fly Creek, German Flatts, Herkimer, Little Falls, Rome and Utica. These are just areas I’ve been to recently. There are twelve chapters for Cooperstown, which is a little further away but still a fairly easy drive. I think I need to make a list and start checking places out.

The German Flatts site is the Herkimer Church Fort, whose yard I was in during Living History Weekend recently. The church itself was not opened when I was there. I walked through the graveyard, but did not encounter anything supernatural. It was broad daylight, and I am not sensitive to these things. I’ll have to go back sometime when an evening event is taking place there.

The Herkimer County Courthouse is another site which I have passed on numerous occasions. It is located on the historic four corners, which I have mentioned in previous posts. The other corners hold Herkimer Reformed Church, the 1834 Jail, and the Historic Society. I have not heard anything about the church and the Historic Society, but the jail is mentioned in another book, Ghostly Tales from America’s Jails edited by Joan Upton Hall (Atriad Press, 2007).

I’ve been to Rome’s Fort Stanwix many times and never seen a ghost. Darn! Apparently somebody has, though. The other places Macken covers are places I have yet to visit. But I might be going there soon. Stay tuned for future posts. Right now I must stop blogging and search for something good to do to blog about tomorrow!

I’ve written two posts about driving out of the Mohawk Valley, and they’re fun to write. As we drove out Friday to visit family in Vermont, I searched for new and different things to note.

One different thing was a fast stop at Vintage Spirits, because I wanted a bottle of white wine. They were having a wine tasting, but I did not have time to stay and sip. Too bad, because that obviously would have made a much better blog post.

“Oh, you got the email,” Bronson said when he saw me. He started to tell me about the full bodied reds, my favorite — oh I wanted to stay and taste! I interrupted him: “Yes. I can’t stay and taste. I just want to taste one thing.” I pointed to the white version of Menage a Trois. I love blends, and the red Menage a Trois is one of my favorites, for the taste and for the name. Bronson poured me some. I liked it.

“It’s lively.” That was the first word that came to mind. I really had no time to stop and savor. “I have to go. My husband is waiting; we’re headed to Vermont.” Several people wished me a good trip. I hurried down the wine aisle and grabbed a bottle.

So we got on the road a mere twelve minutes later than anticipated. It was not only the liquor store stop; I had as usual the One More Thing Disease as we left the house.

The fall colors were at the beginning stages. We saw patches of color here and there, as well as one or two individual trees that were breathtaking. We enjoyed the usual small town sights as we drove. We do not travel the Thruway when we go to Vermont. The back roads are not really further, and they are so much more picturesque. If we had not gotten stuck behind that idiot with the dealer plates going 45 mph for miles and miles, we would have made very good time. Perhaps it is unfair to call him (or her) an idiot. He (or she) may have had a very good reason for driving so slowly.

I felt sad when the sun went down, although I did enjoy the pink clouds at twilight. Once it was dark I liked going through towns and looking for houses with lights on. I got in the habit of doing that while riding the Greyhound Bus between Rome and Potsdam. I always felt less lonely when people had lights on. Of course, I did not need to feel lonely with my husband and dog in the car, but I still like to see the lights.

The last portion of our drive was not very enjoyable, for me at least. The roads were dark and twisty. Steven felt fairly confident maneuvering down them, as this was his old stomping ground (there’s a funny expression; I have to ask, did he actually stomp there in years past?) (He says, “On occasion”).

At last we arrived at our destination. Not too exciting a drive, not too exciting a post. We do what we can.

Almost every time Steven and I go to Ilion for any reason, we notice this place called Froggy’s. It catches Steven’s eye in particular, because he collects frogs, and this place usually has a cool looking stuffed one out in front. Tuesday we finally decided to check it out.

When we pulled into the small parking lot, we noted there was space available at the picnic tables under the pavilion. It was a sunny evening. Personally, I could have used a little more shade, but that’s just me.

We walked up to the window and looked at the menu. They offered hamburgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, soup, salad and more. It took a few minutes for the lady to take our order, which she apologized for.

“Gives you more time to look at the menu,” she suggested.

“We’re in no hurry,” I assured her. It really wasn’t too long of a wait. We both ordered cheeseburgers, mine deluxe, Steven’s deluxe with bacon, and chocolate shakes. We shared an order of fries. We sat down at a picnic table and waited for them to call our name.

Froggy’s is on a busy corner. There was lots to look at, but I had to accustom myself to the sounds of loud trucks. Such are the problems of dining al fresco: you might get bugs, you might have trucks. Tuesday there were no bugs, at least. In fact, the whole area was nicely clean, which is not always the case with these take out places.

The food was delicious. The shake was thick and chocolatey. The burger was a little messy, as is often the case when you get mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato and onion on a burger. Oh, and I added ketchup. Napkins were readily available. We enjoyed our meal very much.

Froggy’s is located on Clark Street in Ilion, next to Heads R Turning Salon and Spa. For more information call 894-2234.

As I wracked my brains for blog post ideas, I realized a few things.

One is that I don’t know exactly what the expression rack one’s brains means, where it came from or even how it’s spelled. Is it rack one’s brains, as in put the brain on a rack and stretch, torturing it till ideas come out? Or is it wrack? The only time I racall hearing wrack used in a sentence is in the last act of MacBeth. MacBeth knows his comeuppance has come and decides to go down fighting. “Blow wind! Come wrack! At least we’ll die with harness on our back!” I may be remembering it wrong. Tenth grade English was a long time ago.

The other thing I realized is that this blog blank (see, I don’t get Writer’s Block, I get Writer’s Blank, but that’s a whole other subject) may continue as long as I keep getting overtime. Less time and energy for Mohawk Valley fun. Good for the bank account, bad for the blog.

A few ideas did occur to me, but once I had flown off on the rack/wrack tangent, I felt a little silly going into them. What would the headline read? A little Mohawk Valley after some really silly musings? But never mind that, what about rack and wrack?

I looked in the dictionary. It’s rack one’s brains, as in “to strain to the utmost” (The American Heritage Dictionary, third edition, Houghton-Mifflin Co., NY, 1992). Wrack means wreckage, violent destruction, or to cause these things (ibid). Well my brain is in a shambles after all that (and especially after trying to remember how to do proper footnotes; I bet I got them wrong).

So the brilliant or otherwise ideas I came up with will do for tomorrow or the next day. I haven’t written about the Mohawk Valley, but I’ve managed to amuse myself, so at least somebody is happy.

I have been threatening to run the D.A.R.E 5K in Herkimer on August 20. To that end, I was trying to run up to Herkimer County Community College (HCCC) the front way every week. That is, I was trying to get to it every week. every time I try it I do actually make it up the hill, however slowly.

My problem in consistency. I’ve blogged about getting up to run at 4 am. That was starting to work for me. The I got offered overtime at work, so I had to start getting up at four to make it to work at five. there is not point in thinking I am going to get up at three to run.

So Saturday, having missed five days in a row, I suited up and off I went. Slowly. I did not do any hills. I stopped and petted three dogs. I did not run as far as I had run the previous weekend. when I was done I felt terrific. Go figure.

I though I’d try it again on Sunday. Then I would not feel so bad if I missed Monday, which was likely to happen. This time I ran up the hill by Valley Health. It is neither so steep nor so long as the way up to HCCC, but it’s a start. I ran on. I found a penny, which I may have mentioned is the way angels encourage us. I don’t know if it still counts if I purposely ran through the little parking lot where I often find pennies, but I did not stop to ponder the philosophical point. I even sprinted a little at the end of the run. No dogs to pet, but my own dog supplied that loss when I got home. Two good runs. I may be on my way.

It then occurred to me that I really don’t know much about the D.A.R.E 5K other than the date, approximately where it starts (it is spray painted on the road outside the 1834 Jail), and that it includes the hill up to HCCC. Imagine my delight when I picked up Monday’s Telegram and saw an article on that very subject. The Junior Fun Run starts at 8:30 am with the 5K beginning at 9:15 am. Pre-registration is $20 for adults, $10 for the junior run. After Aug. 15 the fees are $25 and $15. For information or to pre-register call Elwood at the Herkimer Police Station, 315-866-4330, or email dareherkimer@yahoo.com. To read the whole article go to http://www.herkimertelegram.com.

Saturday we put Tabby on the leash and walked down the street to Meyer’s Park here in Herkimer to the Elks Club Car Show.

Steven had been to the show last year, but I had to work, so I was very happy to go to a car show. My only regret was that my Dad couldn’t make it, as he and Mom had a wedding to attend. As we approached the park we did not see cars parked right away, as Steven did last year. A couple of the Elks we talked to said participants had arrived later this year, and many had decided not to come due to the predicted rain storms. It was merely cloudy when we first arrived, so we walked around enjoying the cars that were there.

A wide variety of years was represented. My favorites are from the ’60s and ’70s. I particularly admired a long white Cadillac. Tabby, of course, wanted to greet every person she saw. She’s not much interested in classic cars.

We purchased a couple of hamburgers and a bottle of water and enjoyed the music provided by Sal Stokes the Singing DJ. That is how his sign identified him, although he did not sing while we were there. He played a nice mix, like the cars representing a variety of years. The lady who sold us 50/50 raffle tickets told us this was the eighth annual show and that it would benefit Cerebral Palsy.

For a while we sat on a bench and just watched people walk by. We were waiting for the 50/50 drawing. I went to use the porta-potty, thus giving Tabby a chance to get all excited when I returned. It is so flattering to have a dog.

It started to rain, but the 50/50 drawing was imminent, so we stood under a tree with high hopes. Alas, luck was not with us. On the other hand, luck was with us, because we had a really good time, and we made it home before the rain started coming down in earnest.

I saw a sign on the back of a truck saying the show is always the first Saturday in August. For more information call 866-5245. For more information about Sal Stokes the Singing DJ call 894-8728. For more information about Mohawk Valley Girl, stay tuned to this blog for future posts.