Tag Archives: Canal Place

I Get a Little Culture at MVCA

I got some culture Saturday when I attended an art opening at Mohawk Valley Center for the Arts’ (MVCA) new location at 410 Canal Place in Little Falls, NY.  It is just across the street from their old location, a nice bright space with views of the canal out the windows. I enjoyed looking at the art of Justin Como as well as checking out the new space.

Love the real hardwood floors!

It was difficult to get a wide view with bright sunshine pouring in the windows, but how can I complain about sunshine?  Not with some of the weather we’ve been having!

It’s so different!

This was my favorite piece.  It’s called “Participating in Reality.”

This one is sweet too!

This one is, “I’m Too Sad to Tell You.”  After I had looked at all the pieces in the exhibit, I checked out the gift shop and chatted up a few fellow art lovers.  I think I have been recruited to volunteer for MVCA.  I don’t see why not if I can get my life a little better organized.

MVCA is open from noon to four p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday.  I encourage you to stop by when you’re near Canal Place.  You can get a little culture and pick up some cool items at the gift shop.  The phone number is 315-823-0808.

 

I Guess I Was a Non-Sequitur

I meant to make my Thursday blog post on Thursday.  In fact, I went out in hopes of finding something to blog about.  It did not work out so well.  You see, I had this weird headache and I could not seem to quite do anything.  Don’t tell my mother; I don’t want her to worry.  Oh dear, she might read this post.  Never mind; I’ll think of something good to tell her.

Anyways, the headache was as much light-headedness as pain, and it kind of came and went, so during one of the times it went, I ventured out of the house.  I had an idea to check out a new store in Ilion, BB Music Center at 141 Central Ave., then have lunch at the new Jessie’s Grill at 200 Otsego St. (that cool wedge-shaped building). Unfortunately I found out Jessie’s was not to open till later, so I decided to go to Little Falls.

I hadn’t been here in a while.

I had not realized how cold it was till I walked from my car to the Little falls Antique Center at Canal Place. It was nice to look at all the beautiful wares again. Ooh I was loving the vintage jazz they were playing!  But these were not the Christmas presents I was thinking of purchasing for my loved ones.  Still, I know some of my siblings would love to accompany me there for another shopping trip one day.  I thought it might be a good idea to have lunch before going on.  For one reason, my headache was starting to come back.

Unfortunately I could not make up my mind to go into any of the eateries at Canal Place.  Perhaps I could find something on Main Street that would work.  Accordingly, I drove there and parked.  Ooh, there was Chickweed Boutique.  I love that place.  But… food.  I locked my car and started down the street.  I had parked close to one end of Main so I had a good ways to walk, and a few good eating places to walk by and choose from.

The wind had died down a little, so with my shawl, hat and gloves, I was not too cold at all.  It felt good to walk.  I walked by several places and ended up turning right and continuing to walk up a hill.  My headache was feeling much better.  There are not enough hills to walk up in Herkimer.  I was enjoying this.  I walked up the hill till there was no outlet then turned around and walked back to Main Street.

I decided to walk back up to my car and go home.  I had not consulted my watch when I parked, but I thought I had been walking for at least 20 minutes.  As I turned up Main Street, I wondered what if I ran into somebody I knew and they asked what I was doing.  I would have to say something like, “Well I don’t really know,” or, “It’s kind of hard to explain.”  I am a little sorry I did not run into anybody.

The beauty part was I noticed CVS Pharmacy before I got to my car and remembered I needed some supplements I have been taking for my migraines.  Alas that I forgot I also meant to purchase some hair gel.  I did amuse myself at CVS.  While waiting at the Pharmacy to pay for the B2 (I do not know why that should be a controlled substance) I saw myself on a television overhead, and it kept saying “recording.”  It made me nervous, but I reminded myself I was not buying poison.  It took a few minutes as the clerk needed to look up the price, so I thought to turn the image of me to good use by adjusting my headband.  When the clerk returned to complete the transaction, I told her the recording could be my alibi if I was accused of murder.  Do you suppose I watch too much Dateline?

I was a little annoyed with myself for not paying for the magnesium (oh dear is it a HIPAA violation that I told you both supplements I am on?) at the same time as the riboflavin (that’s another word for B2) when I couldn’t find anything else to buy (remember, I forgot about needing the hair gel).  Then I had a pleasant conversation with a man waiting to pay and with the clerk, so I felt happy about that.

Holy crap, I have blathered on for over 750 words about what was, so I thought, a rather uneventful interlude. If anybody has read till the end, thank you!  I hope you had a lovely Thursday and have a wonderful Friday.

 

Rehearsal with Pizza? Yes, Please!

A few of us LiFTers met at Benton’s Landing in Little Falls to rehearse bits and pieces of Love’s Labour’s Lost.  Regular readers may remember that this is Little Falls Theatre Company and  that we are presenting the Shakespeare play as part of Little Falls Canal Celebration next weekend.

We got a few scenes done a few times when thunder started to rumble.  We moved inside to Mangia Macrina’s Wood-fired Pizza to run lines.

I’ve enjoyed their yumminess before.

By this time there were fewer of us, but we went over a few problem spots while enjoying pizza and drinks.  I did not have any pizza but sipped some Pinot Noir.  Others had Margherita pizza with basil.  I think it is delightful that Mangia’s now offers beer and wine.

Actors at work.

After rehearsing we sat and chatted for a while, making for a perfectly enjoyable evening.

A good prop for a warm night.

You can catch Love’s Labour’s Lost at Benton’s Landing in Little Falls Saturday and Sunday August 13 and 14 at 1 p.m.  You can enjoy Mangia Macrina’s Pizza at Canal Place in Little Falls Wednesday and Thursday from 12 to 7 p.m.,  Friday and Saturday from 12 to 8 p.m., Sunday 12 to 5 p.m.

 

Lots of Local on Shop Small Saturday

We have been having an utterly delightful time on Shop Small Saturday, obviously a day tailor-made for Mohawk Valley Girl, a lover of all things local. However, it is the bra off, sweats on, wine drinking portion of the day (full disclosure: I may have been sipping a little wine before it was the official time of day to do so). I will attempt to make some semblance of a Scattered Saturday post.

It’s so pretty!

We drove to Little Falls, NY, parking on Main Street. Our first stop was Joyful Vintage Designs, which boasts many items repurposed in imaginative ways. We also stopped ar Paca Gardens, where we made several purchases, although I foolishly did not take any pictures.

We drove to Canal Place, where we visited Fall Hill Bead and Gems, the Mustard Seed, and Mohawk Valley Center for the Arts. We also grabbed a bite to eat at the Cafe at Stone Mill.

The Mustard seed is part of Chicks Aong the Mohawk.

Next we stopped at Iron Rock Brewing Company, where we drank a glass of wine.

Actually a picture from an earlier visit.

Returning to Herkimer, we visited Mohawk Valley Community Market, again neglecting to take pictures. Then we went across the street to The End Zone.

Us and the bartender

We are now home, watching a Christmas movie at Steve’s request, although I am still longing for Halloween. Then again, as that great philosopher Mick Jagged once observed, you can’t always get what you want. It was a perfectly enjoyable Saturday. I can only hope Sunday is as good.

A Little More Little Falls

I am going to attempt a Wordless Wednesday Post, utilizing some recent photos I took but did not use. After all, waste not, want not. I do not expect to be particularly successful, because one thing I rarely am is wordless. No matter. I just want to make a blog post.

It’s nice to plug a local business.

I took this last Saturday at Ironrock Brewing Company in Little Falls, NY.

Cheers!

Yes, I usually do take a picture of my friend Kim on our outings, which often involve wine.

Ironrock is located near the canal, so Kim and I walked across the road to admire the water.

You can see the antique shops.
I don’t know what this building used to be.
Is this a retaining wall?

We did have a fun time in Little Falls last weekend. As for this blog post, I guess it was not wordless, but perhaps it was not a waste.

Where Is Nosferatu?

I felt so happy when I realized I could make a Mid-Week Monsters Post today.  I am feeling so tired, and not for any good reason, but I do so love to be a daily blogger.  I also love monsters.

“Aaaaah! A monstrous mid-week!”

I open with my favorite,  Nosferatu.  I love this shot of him, because I think it looks like Canal Place in Little Falls.  Perhaps in reality it does not, but how awesome would that be if Count Orlock joined LiFT, Little Falls Theatre Company?

Are we monsters? Or do we just play them on stage?

Here is a shot of the building I think Nosferatu is standing in front of.   It was taken at a rehearsal for The Tempest three years ago (yikes!  Has it really been that long?).  I’m the one in the middle, with the big hat.  I can’t remember who took the picture.

Hmmm, no. These windows are different.

This is not a monster, but I think it is quite possibly haunted.  It is the Lorraine Billings School in Herkimer, NY, a sadly derelict building.  I noticed it while searching my Media Library for more monsters.  I wondered if the windows were similar to those in picture number one.

“Hey, wasn’t this post supposed to be about me?”

Back to Nosferatu, and I do not believe I have any other pictures of such an arch.  Perhaps that could be a mission for me on a future walk:  to find a similar local setting for a future Monster Blog Post.  In the meantime,  I am over 250 words.  I call that OK, and I hope my readers were reasonably entertained.

 

 

Post Performance Post

Wouldn’t it be cool if our set  looked like this?

Last Saturday, I meant to act and type (as opposed to drinking and typing), but that did not work out (don’t judge me).  This Saturday, I just got back home from, you guessed it, acting, and here I sit typing (and drinking as well, once again, don’t judge). Therefore I continue my theme of All Tempest All The Time with a few words and pictures.

We had our first of two performances at Sterzinar Park, Canal Place, Little Falls.  We were part of the Little Falls Canal Days Celebration.  Chicks Along the Canal were in the park with all kinds of vendors, craftspeople and artists.  I did not get a chance to walk around the booths, but it seemed there was a lot of good stuff.  Surprisingly, the weather cooperated.  There was a little rain before we started.  Then it seemed there might be a downpour during the last scene.  The wind blew some set pieces around.  However, we dealt with all problems and got through the whole play.

I think the audience was very pleased.  At least, they kept clapping through the entire curtain call, which I think goes on for kind of a long time (then again, once I’ve said all my lines I confess I’m a little anxious to get on to wine time).  Alas that I have no picture of today’s performance.  However, a trip to LiFT Theatre Company’s Facebook page showed me several good ones from last Saturday’s performance in Caroga Lake (full disclosure:  this might be from our dress rehearsal the night before that performance, but I think it will work just as well).

I’m the one in the orange tights.

Naturally I had to include a picture with me in it.  This is what I refer to as my big scene, because I have a few sizable speeches (not as long as some actors have, but they gave me a little trouble learning).  It is also the scene where I get made fun of, but you’ll have that when you play a garrulous old man.

I’m wondering if the teeth glow in the dark.

This is a shot taken when we were still searching for costumes.  I get to wear one of these masks in one scene.  I must confess I’m not too nuts about it, because it squishes my nose down and it is difficult to see through the eye-holes, even when I wear contact lenses.  Still, it is fun to be a wolf.

We have another performance at Sterzinar Park tomorrow at 3 p.m. Then we are at the Utica Zoo next Saturday and at the Herkimer Elks Lodge Sept. 1.  For more information, visit the LiFT Facebook page.

 

 

Area Art

The Mohawk Valley Center for the Arts’ Regional Art Show offers many of my favorite things: art, a local venue, area artists. The fact that they usually have pretty tasty refreshments at the opening was just an added bonus.

The center is located at 401 Canal Place in Little Falls, NY. My friend Phyllis and I arrived shortly after two last Saturday. I signed in and picked up a list of the works on display.

The only problem with exhibit openings is that they are usually so well attended that it is difficult to really look at and appreciate the art. However, this is offset by the chance to talk to fellow art lovers. As I like to say, you can’t have everything.

The exhibit features a variety of styles from realistic to abstract. A lot of the paintings depict scenes from the area. I am particularly fond of pictures of old barns, but I admired many of the works.

I saw some chairs on the back porch, so Phyllis and I went out and sat for a few minutes. We talked about pictures we have on our walls at home. I said some of the pictures in the show would benefit from a larger space than is available at my house. Ah well, if I ever win the lottery, perhaps I could purchase a mansion with a gallery and see if I really have any artistic taste.

We said hello to a few people we knew and browsed around the Selective Eye shop. I hope to return to the exhibit and spend more time looking at the pieces. Perhaps I could write another blog post about it. It’s too bad I don’t have the equipment and expertise to add pictures. As I said, you can’t have everything.

For more information on the Mohawk Valley Center for the Arts you can visit their website at mohwakvalleyarts.org.