Tag Archives: Halloween decorations

Into the Gloom

Well, I wrote that title and have been sitting here, not looking at it but resting my head in my hands. I’ve heard that everyone who suffers from allergies is REALLY SUFFERING this year. No doubt some people are suffering more than me. No doubt most people do not want to hear about my suffering.

In fact, that title was not meant to refer to my health problems or the resulting less than sunny mood. It was a straightforward observation of the weather.

Steven and I took our schnoodle Tabby for a walk after dinner tonight. Cold fall weather has come to the Mohawk Valley, so I dressed accordingly. I put on a hooded pullover sweatshirt, put the hood up, and added a warm jacket with a print involving skeletons. If I would have put on gloves, my life would have been perfect.

I know what you’re thinking: It’s OCTOBER, for heavens’ sake! What are you going to do when the snow flies and it’s below zero? Well, I’ll be acclimated by then, of course. Anyways, I was perfectly comfortable today except for my hands, and hands are often problematic.

Getting back to the walk, it was well before sundown but cloud cover darkened things considerably. It rained a little earlier but had stopped. It looked like it might storm, but we thought we might have time for a couple of blocks.

We encountered two of Tabby’s canine friends, Chico and Bear, with their person. We stopped and chatted and sniffed, according to species. I petted Chico, and Steven petted Bear.

We admired several houses’ Halloween decoration. The gloom made the lights stand out nicely. I thought a couple strings of lights looked more like Christmas lights, but I don’t have a problem with that. After all, reduce, reuse, recycle.

“If we lived in that apartment with the bay window,” I said, pointing to one of the large mansions now split into apartments, “we would put a display in the window.”

Steven agreed.

“Look, the house is for sale. We could buy it and put a display in the bay window.” Pause. “If we had lots and lots of money.”

As we walked down German Street towards our street, we saw a man running towards us with a dog on a leash. Tabby doesn’t like to run with me. We got out of the way, but said hello as they went by. Tabby expressed an interest in following the dog, but we talked her out of it.

It didn’t rain while we were out, so that was good. It was a pleasant if uneventful walk. Reading over the above paragraphs, I deem this a pleasant if unexciting blog post. Maybe a step above Wuss-out Wednesday.

Fun at the Mill

I thought I would write a little bit more about Sunday’s visit to the Fly Creek Cider Mill.

It is always an enjoyable drive from Herkimer to Fly Creek, over mountains with great scenic views. I looked at farmland, lakes and more. Luckily, Steven was driving.

We went into the main building while we waited for my sister and two nieces to arrive. I thought it couldn’t hurt to get a head start on some sampling. That is one thing I love about Fly Creek Cider Mill, lots of free samples. They have dips, sauces, spreads and more. My favorite this past Sunday was a spinach and artichoke dip, which they had heated up. We bought a jar of that.

We also tried a few of the wines. Hard cider was also available for sample, but I didn’t want to be greedy. The Mill is part of the Cooperstown Beverage Trail, which a lady gave us a booklet about. Could be a future blog post (or posts).

After the others had arrived, we had some more samples and wandered upstairs to look at the many gifts and decorations available. I almost feel it is too early to think about Christmas decorations, but, oh, I love all the Santas! Of course, it is never the wrong time for Halloween, as far as I’m concerned, so I thoroughly enjoyed looking at those things.

When we had browsed and tasted our fill, we made our purchases and went outside to see the animals. There are chickens, ducks and geese, walking around a fenced in area or swimming in what I think is Fly Creek. We fed them some corn, available in gumball-type dispensing machines for twenty-five cents. Note to self: bring more quarters next time.

Steven and I try to get to the Mill at least once every year. I hope to go again in a couple of months, when the drive down will be enhanced by the changing leaves.

Fly Creek Cider Mill is located at 288 Goose St., Fly Creek, NY 13337, phone number 607-547-9692. Their website is www.flycreekcidermill.com. You can also Like them on Facebook.

Well, We Enjoyed It

I had intended to come home from work and run, thus providing myself with a blog post and some exercise. Well, apparently today at work I lifted with my back not my legs and something hurts. I’m thinking rest and ibuprofen will put things to rights but did not feel up to anything faster than a walk. Fortunately, I had a dog who was anxious for such a thing and a husband who did not mind accompanying us.

I put on a long sleeved shirt under my sweatshirt and a knitted toque (once again, rhymes with spook) on my head, left on my BDU pants from work but switched out my steel-toed work shoes for sneakers. I like to take a walk in the evening dressed like a crazy old lady. My only regret was that the temperature made the toque better than the actual crazy old lady hat.

It was chilly, a grey, gloomy evening. Just what I like. As we walked, I wondered if I shouldn’t have put on my insulated sweatshirt instead. Steven had sensibly worn a coat. Oh well, too much trouble to turn back. I would suck it up.

Tabby surprised me by walking all the way down Bellinger Street to Meyers Park rather than turning left on Church Street and making for Herkimer’s Historic Four Corners. After she did her business opposite the park, I turned us into the park, so I could throw out the poo in one of the handily located trash cans.

One of the houses opposite the park still had pumpkins on the porch, one with a face carved in it. It looked in pretty good shape. Sometimes the jack-o-lanterns get really scary looking after Halloween when icky black stuff starts to grow inside them. Another house had extensive cobwebs on the porch as well as some pumpkin decorations hanging up and colored ghosts on sticks in the yard. I do like to extend the Halloween season (as evidenced by my desire to keep watching cheesy horror movies).

After the park I suggested we walk up Prospect Street. Steven remarked on garbage scattered on a lawn. He said our street looked like that and he wondered if it was some ill-mannered drunk.

“Oh, no, it was a wind storm,” I told him. “I lay there in bed listening to it. It sounded like a freight train (excuse the cliche) in the distance, then when it got closer I could hear the trash cans blowing around.”

Apparently Steven slept through it.

When we got to Church Street, Tabby tried to pull us to her favorite Four Corners, but I said no. We continued up Prospect Street to German, then back home.

It was, as you may have guessed, a rather uneventful walk. We enjoyed it a great deal as Steven and I spent the whole time chatting. I do like to talk to my husband. I’d like to say we were plotting Mohawk Valley adventures for future, better blog posts, but I can’t lie. However, I will do my best to entertain more betterly next time (“more betterly” is the technical term).

First November Run

I worked till 11 this morning, and while I was at work, I had a vision of a certain residential area I sometimes run in. I could see that it was a grey day outside. I thought about running under the grey sky, possibly on wet roads and sidewalks, looking around at houses. However, I told a co-worker, “I’m just as likely to make myself an egg sandwich and take a nap.”

When I left work, it was cold. Cold! Who said it could be cold? It’s still autumn, isn’t it? Since when does November have to be so cold? And that shows you what a difference a day makes, because Friday when I stepped outside and it was cold, I said, “Ah! That cold air is reviving me!” I had been literally falling asleep over my book during the 2 o’clock break, and it’s not a dull book.

So I got home feeling I had every reason to talk myself out of it. Then I thought, I want to take a shower anyways. Why not take a short run first? I’d either be sweaty and really need a shower or I’d be cold and a hot shower would feel twice as good.

My temperature doo-dah (that’s the technical term) said it was 42. Normally over 40 degrees I wear shorts and a t-shirt, but I thought since this would be the first cold run of the season, long legs and sleeves was the way to go. I had a pair of silky long johns I had worn under a skirt last night (so much more comfortable than pantyhose). I dug out a long sleeved ARMY t-shirt. I found a knitted toque (rhymes with spook). I was off.

Were you hoping that this was a fun run? That I reached the “I can rock this” stage and stayed there? That I got a huge endorphin rush? Yeah, well, that would have been nice. Right away I wished I had worn a sweatshirt as well as my long sleeved t-shirt. I told myself to keep running, I’d warm up.

Traffic was not at all bad. I crossed German Street very easily and headed toward the hill at Valley Health, which I have had it in mind to run for a few days now. As it felt surprisingly difficult to run, I considered running into the unknown park instead. A couple of small hills, that was more my speed. But that was not where I had pictured myself running while at work. I ran by the unknown park entrance, reminding myself that I do know the name of the park now but thinking, “Really, if they want me to call it Brookfield Park, they ought to put a sign at the gates.”

It seemed to take a long time to get to the hill by Valley Health. I did not feel that I was warming up. I was very aware of my hips. They felt huge. Here was the hill. Oh dear. I reminded myself of the trick an army friend of mine learned from our drill sergeant, who would know, “Just look at your feet and shuffle up that hill.” I made it. That didn’t seem to take too long, so I felt encouraged.

I saw a group of healthcare workers (they were wearing scrubs; I can’t tell nurses from aides from attendants etc.). They were talking loudly and laughing, so that was nice. I don’t think they were laughing at me, but of course you never know.

I continued my run, looking around at Halloween decorations that were still up. Some I had noticed before were gone already, but many people had at least left their mums and pumpkins out. Fall decor, I thought, can legitimately be left up from September 1 to December 1. Halloween stuff is really best in October. That said, Steve’s and my decorations are still up, and I enjoyed looking at other people’s as well. I do love Halloween.

I thought about the egg sandwich I had mentioned at work and it started to sound pretty good. I knew I had whole wheat English muffins as well as some cheese. Mmmmm… I remembered I had pepperoni as well. Even better. Then I remembered my enormous hips and rethought my menu choices.

As I got closer to home I thought I would prefer to run an extra minute over sprinting at the end. You see, I like to stop at the top of the minute and be exact when I put the time in my running journal. Sometimes I go a few seconds over, if for example I have stopped to pet a dog. That was not the case today. Two houses from my house I picked up the pace anyways. An extra minute is a long time at the shape I’m in right now (round and puffy).

It was really not a bad run at all. As always I felt good that I had run, and I made plans to run more often during the coming week. I enjoyed my egg sandwich, and I left off the pepperoni. Those hips are going bye-bye! Eventually.

Mohawk Valley Morning

Saturday Steven did not have to go to work till two, so we had a Mohawk Valley Morning. And I don’t need anybody to be a wise-ass and tell me that since we live in the Mohawk Valley, every morning is a Mohawk Valley morning. I already know that.

We started out by walking with our schnoodle, Tabby, to First Source Federal Credit Union in Herkimer, NY. We had to deposit a check into our mad money account. This gave me an opportunity to imitate Carolyn Jones in House of Wax: “I don’t need any mad money (tee-hee-hee); I never get mad!”

We walked home by way of Margaret Street, so I could show Steven some Halloween decorations I had noticed earlier in the week. I just love when people get into the season. I admired pots of mums on many front steps. We envied some hanging ghouls, a vampire with Elvis sideburns and several gravestones. We don’t have any gravestones, or any mums for that matter. Come to think of it, our vampire doesn’t have sideburns. Improvements to consider for next year.

After we got Tabby back home we headed for the H.A.L.O. Trash to Treasure Sale at the Mohawk American Legion. As usual I said I wanted to sit on the legion’s front porch some nice day. They have a couple of wooden glider swings I like.

H.A.L.O., I’ve mentioned before, is the Helping Animals Live Organization, a no cage, no kill cat rescue. It’s run by some pretty nice people, and we support them whenever possible. We went to their Trash to Treasure Sale last year (I believe I wrote a blog post about it) and were happy to have a chance to go to this year’s.

The sale was huge with many nice things, some possibly antiques (I’m not that knowledgeable, but they looked pretty good to me). I found a purse that might work for my character in Dirty Work at the Crossroads (next May at Ilion Little Theatre — preview of coming attractions). I also picked up a Green Mountain Coffee thermal mug. It’s always good to have a few extra thermal mugs around, in case somebody visits from a distance and you want to send them on their way with a cup of hot coffee.

After shopping we were feeling a little peckish so stopped for breakfast at Mohawk Diner. While there we asked where Mohawk Fire Station was. As soon as the waitress told us, I said, “Oh yeah, I’ve driven by there a bunch of times. Silly me.”

The Fire Station was holding a Chinese Auction. We love those. This was a good one, 100 tickets for $5. I had a ten so bought us each an envelope.

“After all, it’s for the fire department,” I told Steven when he suggested that 100 tickets for both of us might have been sufficient.

We took our time walking around and deciding what to try for. Did we win? Could be. Then again, we MAY have won something that MIGHT be a Christmas present for someone. I’ll never tell.

Off the Lame Cuff

So Wednesday I never wrote my blog post till after 6:30 at night and I sat at the computer and wrote it off the cuff, and I got eight likes. Can I get away with it again today? I sure hope so.

In my defense (guess I can’t get away with using that in the headline twice, can I?), it is Lame Post Friday. And I was still studying my lines from the play. I came up with some half-baked philosophy while I was at work. If only I could remember any of it.

Here is a random observation: I saw a little dog pee on one of those blow-up Halloween decorations. It was a great big old spider with four giant purple and black legs creating an arch with its body. The arch was right over the people’s front walk, but they had caution tape around it so apparently nobody was supposed to walk underneath the arch. As Steven and I drove by it tonight, their cute little dog walked right up to and lifted his leg.

“That’s the funniest thing I’ve seen in several weeks,” I said.

Actually, I made myself laugh at work today. Bill was looking for Ed, but I had not seen him.

“He did not share with me his plans,” I said, because, you know, that’s how I talk sometimes.

Then Ed came back and asked where Bill was.

“He’s looking for you,” I said. “And I said, ‘How the hell do I know where Ed is? He goes where he wants to go! He don’t tell me nuthin’!'”

“Well, where’s Jeff?” Jeff is the boss.

“How the hell do I know where Jeff is? He goes where he wants to go! He don’t tell me nuthin’!”

“Where’s Hal?” He only asked because he knew where this was going.

After I wrote the preceding, I went back and changed all the names, to protect the innocent. In fact, my name is now Evelyn (cue the jokes on whether or not I’m innocent).

I note with some satisfaction that I am over 300 words. A lame post? Assuredly, but it is Friday after all. Amusing? Well, it amused me, so at least one of us is happy. Hope to see you Saturday.

Back at it Despite the Back

Over two weeks ago I had some problem with my back (you may have read about it in my blog), so I have not been running since October 3. That is just not fun for me, so I was determined to begin yet again today (October 23 — eek! 20 days! Say it ain’t so!).

My back has actually been feeling much better with very little effort on my part. Then I noticed my weight was starting to creep up, and that can exacerbate back pain (oh, I love that word exacerbate). Of course I knew my first step had to be to stop eating like a huge honkin’ hogger (my favorite way to eat), but I also knew that running would help.

It was raining as I left work, but I did not let that deter me. For one thing, it was a mere sprinkle, not a deluge. The temperature was just about where I like it, somewhere in the 50s. Of course all my running clothes were clean, so it was no problem getting into gear and getting going.

So far so good. I turned right onto German Street. Steven, Tabby and I had gone left the last walk we took, so I thought I would look for different Halloween decorations. I knew I would have to cross Main Street, but I hoped for the best.

Right away I saw two college-age-looking girls on the sidewalk ahead of me. Oh dear, I would have to say “Pardon me” and go around them. Well, so what, I told myself, the worst thing that could happen is you’ll run through some wet grass. There is no reason to think those girls will not be perfectly polite. Anyways, at the rate I run, I knew it would be at least a couple of blocks before I caught up with them.

It took less time than I thought, so maybe I’m not such a plodder after all. I said, “Pardon me,” as planned. One girl was on a cell phone, but the other girl smiled at me.

“I need to do that,” she said.

“It’s been two weeks since I’ve done it,” I told her as I ran on. You see, I had not at that point checked previous blog posts for dates so did not realize the 20 day thing.

I saw plenty of ghosts, scarecrows, skeletons and pumpkins. Many porches sported cobwebs, both clumpy and nicely spread out. One house in particular had an elaborate graveyard in the front lawn. I made a note of that one for when Steven and Tabby and I take another walk. I also saw the cutest little pumpkin lights in an enclosed porch. Got to get me a string of those.

Soon I realized it had stopped raining. Bonus! I never reached the “I Can Rock This” stage. I alternately plodded and shuffled, but it didn’t feel too bad. Eventually my back started to hurt a little. I promised myself I would do stretches later, per the papers my friend at work gave me.

As I was running I composed a blow-by-blow in my head, very little of which I have used here. Then again, I don’t think every running post has to run up to 1000 words.

I was listening to WVHC, 91.5 fm, Herkimer County Community College’s radio station, as I drove home from work. The student on the air said, “Happy Tuesday. Not that anybody has any reason to be happy on a Tuesday.” I may be misquoting. Well, I do so have a reason to be happy. I started running again. Happy Tuesday to the rest of you, too.

Post about a Plod

Getting back into running is not easy, even after a short lay off. Come to think of it, it’s not always easy to keep going even when you’ve been at it a while, hence my frequent lay offs. But I thought if I put my spotty record and crappy runs out there, it might inspire others. You know, in a bad example kind of way.

I think I’ve spoken before about how no life is wasted because it can stand as a bad example. I don’t expound too much on the bad example I’ve set, because, quite frankly, it would depress me too much. But I don’t mind talking about what a lousy runner I am. Go figure.

So Saturday I ran for the first time in 13 days. Then I did not run for the next three days. I had my reasons. They are dull. Wednesday I made up my mind that if it was not pouring rain I would run.

“Guess I’m not mowing the lawn today,” a guy at work said.

“Is it raining?” I asked. I confess, I kind of had my hopes up.

“No, but the grass is soaked.”

As I left work, it seemed pretty good running weather. Cloudy, not too hot, and it had stopped raining long enough that there were not too many puddles. I went home, got into gear and got out the door before I could change my mind.

Almost as soon as I started running, I found that it was not so comfortable after all. High humidity. Oh dear. It was not too warm — the clouds helped with that — but the air was heavy. And let’s face it, I was heavy (I think I still am, but let’s stick with Wednesday). This was going to be a plodding run. I plodded.

One good thing about re-starting running is that a short run is still an accomplishment. Another is that I don’t feel obligated to run hills. I was soon pondering how short a run I could do and still call it a run.

I saw a patch of bright color on a tree. That encouraged me. I do love the fall colors. I looked around for other sights to distract myself from my troubles. Maybe some Halloween decorations.

I saw a couple of gravestones in one lawn, one with skeleton parts sticking out of the dirt in front of it. Various ghosts and skeletons hung from different porches. I was pleased to notice some cobwebs that look the way mine usually end up: clumpy. Really, the clumps did not look bad. I felt quite encouraged to dig out my own cobwebs and get to work (um, I haven’t yet, but give me time).

I won’t lie to you: it was a crappy run. I plodded the whole way at an embarrassingly slow pace. I mean, it was a plod. It was not even a shuffle. I plodded for the same amount of time I shuffled on Saturday. Even my cool down walk with Tabby felt a little ploddy.

I could go on about how crappy the run was, but I can see some readers (you know who you are) tuning up their miniature violins. Hey, I was just about to get to the looking on the bright side part! The bright side is that I did it. I ran before my three day lay off became a four day lay off. And I got a blog post out of it. Hope to see you on Lame Post Friday.