Tag Archives: herkimer ny

Two Walks and a Library Visit

Posted on March 28, 2024 by mohawkvalleygirl
Two Walks and a Library Visit

I did not make a blog post early this morning, because I went for a walk.  I brought my phone with me, in case I saw anything I could take a picture of, but, alas, no photo ops.  It was the first time I had walked since Saturday, though (today being Wednesday, although I wonder if this should count as my Tired Tuesday post), so I was glad I made a bit of an effort.  I took another walk this evening (afternoon?  Kind of a grey area) (the sky was grey, too).  This was a walk with a purpose, as I went to Basloe Library to print out my work-in-progress murder mystery, Deadly Night Life.

One of my favorite places.

As I walked down my street, I saw a male and female cardinal.  Steve and I had seen a cardinal couple a few times while sitting on our front porch.  I wondered if it was the same couple.  Steve always loved cardinals.  Whenever I would see one when I was out running, and I often did, I would tell him, and we would speculate about which departed loved one had paid us a visit.  Now I wonder if Steve is the one sending the cardinals to say hello.  It is a comforting thought, anyways.  Alas, I did not think to pull out my phone and get a picture.

The picture of the Basloe sign, by the way, is from my Media Library.  I do like to have some sort of illustration.  It was a pleasant visit to the library.  The kind ladies there helped me get my script printed out.  We chatted about the need to see physical pages for some editing chores.  I did not take the time to look for a book, unfortunately.  Then again, now I have a reason to return to the library soon.

 

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Oh, All Right, I Shoveled!

Posted on March 24, 2024 by mohawkvalleygirl

I decided, as I hefted another shovelful of snow onto the growing bank, that when my co-workers taunted me for saying I would not shovel again, I would say in a nonchalant tone of voice, “I was just talking smack as usual.”  They don’t believe me when I say I am going to knock them down and step on their heads; why should they believe I was not going to shovel?

Full disclosure:  I did consider hunkering down in my house and ignoring the white stuff. However, I thought it would be a good idea to at least clear a path for the mailman.  Then I thought I could use said path to take a walk later.  Additionally, I felt it would be a good idea to clear the sidewalk in front of my house as the village requires homeowners to do. At least it would be exercise, I told myself.

First “before” shot.

My next-door neighbor had cleared a path from his half of the double garage up my driveway (the driveway belongs to my house, but he has right of way to use it to get to his half of the garage.  It’s weird).  There has clearly been deeper snow to shovel in Herkimer, NY.  However, I feel we have a right to feel just a little ill-used shoveling in the last week of March.  Oh, don’t lecture me on winter/spring in Central New York; I’ve heard it all my life and read it on Facebook recently (you know who you are).

Hard to tell the depth without the snowblower path.

So I grabbed my shovel off the front porch and went to work.  I tried to lift with my legs not my back and not try to go too fast.  I also tried not to think of all the people I had heard of who dropped dead of heart attacks as a result of shoveling snow.  For heavens’ sake, I am only 60, not severely overweight and try to exercise on a regular basis.  This would be fine.

And it was.  I got the path to the road and the front walk clear.  OK, it was a narrow path. A person could fit along it.  Then I thought there was an off-chance my friend Kim would be able to get out of her driveway and come over.  She would need a place to park.  So I started to clear the driveway behind my snow-covered car.  I was managing it, but then a miracle happened.  A sweet, wonderful neighbor asked if I wanted her to snowblow.  Did I!  I explained how all I wanted was a place for my friend to pull in, and she went to work.  I kept shoveling, feeling I should take responsibility for my own snow, and the work was soon done.

“After” picture.

My neighbor went on to widen the sidewalk path a little.  I got her in one of my “after” shots so asked if I could use it in a blog post.  I further asked the next door neighbor if it was OK that he was in a couple of the pictures.  They were very gracious about it.

Sweet, wonderful neighbor!

The entire process had only taken about 20 minutes, so I felt I had gotten some exercise.  Nevertheless, I did take a walk later.  It was still snowing, alas!  I’m not sure yet if I need to shovel again.  Will I clear off my car and go to the grocery store?  Or will I walk and leave car-clearing chores for tomorrow morning?  A little uncertainty adds interest to my day.

 

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Nice Walk, But Little Spring in my Step

Posted on March 20, 2024 by mohawkvalleygirl

Monstrous Monday post on Tuesday, Tired Tuesday post on Wednesday, I’ve done it before and I will no doubt do it again.  I took a walk yesterday after work, thinking to do a Pedestrian Post with Pictures.  I took two but passed a few places I have pics of in my Media Library.  Let us see what I can come up with.

It was cold.  With Mother Nature’s macabre sense of humor, she gave us spring-like weather last week and winter weather on the first day of spring.  I dressed accordingly, wearing a lovely red cape/coat I picked up at a rummage sale but have rarely worn.  Searching for a hat worthy of it, I found one that had been crocheted for me by my dear friend Heather (I had sent her baby afghans for her beautiful newly-adopted twins) (oh, I also sent her a scarf I knitted; maybe the hat was in thanks for that) (and here I am bragging about stuff I send other people. What an ego!  What have I done for anyone lately?) (that last was a rhetoric question).

Where was I?  Ah yes, taking a walk.

Two venerable buildings.

I walked from my house to German Street, eventually turning down Main Street, where I passed my beloved Herkimer Historic Four Corners.  I continued down Main past the former Christ Episcopal Church, which I used to attend.  It is no longer a church, and the For Sale sign is gone.  I wonder what the future will bring for that lovely building.  The other building in the in the picture is the Herkimer County Courthouse.

There was a bank on the side of the road I was on.  I noted a Do Not Enter sign on the drive-thru. Regular readers know that I just love to enter when they say not to.  No cars were currently using the drive-thru, so I walked through it the wrong way.  I took a picture to commemorate the event.

I maintain my rebel cred.

The wind picked up as I continued my walk, so I cut things short.  I went through the park by Basloe Library (must make a trip there in the near future), went by a No Not Enter sign onto Bellinger Avenue and thence home.

I KNOW they mean cars, not old ladies walking; let me enjoy my little rebellions!

I took a selfie when I got home, thinking to post it on Facebook, so Heather would know I am still wearing her lovely hat.  I take terrible selfies.  They remind me that I am not nearly as cute as I like to think I am.  Then again, we are none of us the best judges of our own looks.  And I tell myself, “For heavens’ sake, how cute does a sixty-year-old lady have to be?”

Don’t look at me; look at the hat!

My walk ended up being 20 minutes, just under one mile.  I was and am glad I took a walk.  Exercise is a potent anti-depressant, and I need all the help I can get!

 

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Blame it on the Rain

Posted on March 7, 2024 by mohawkvalleygirl

Sporadic posting.  It’s a thing now, at least with me.  As a matter of fact, I would not be posting right now, except that it is raining, and I do not want to walk in the rain.  I have walked a mile (but not in somebody else’s shoes) Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of this week before breakfast (today being Thursday, despite what my WordPress timestamp may say).  I believe it has made a positive difference in my mental if not physical health, although I am sure it has not hurt me physically, either.  So my usual morning blogging time has at least been positively spent.

In the meantime, I allow precious time to escape when I would like to be writing. Whatever happened to me writing after work?  For that matter, whatever happened to me writing on breaks at work?  These days I obsessively work on pencil puzzles such as crosswords and cryptograms.  I struggle to finish a letter to a friend, and I totally owe my last two sisters in law letters

So here I am in the middle of a blog post about not making blog posts, and about not writing in general.  A fellow writer once pointed out that writing about not writing is still writing.  Truman Capote once pointed out, that’s not writing, that’s typing, not about me, of course, but I think it may apply here.  Then again, ten finger typing is fun (I am on my Chromebook, in case you were wondering).

Me, pondering my fate.

I threw in a picture to pep things up.  This is from a visit to the Arc Park in Herkimer, NY, with my sister Cheryl and her grandkids, Sheppy and Evie.  I wrote an article about it for Mohawk Valley Living magazine.  Evie made the cover.  I need to work on my article for next month.

The thing about writing, as with many things in life, is you just have to do it.  I observe this and have mentioned it about my MVL articles:  I can’t write the article, I can’t write the article, I can’t write the article, I sit down and I write the article.  I just have to figure out how to get to the last clause sooner.  Likewise with my blog posts.  Thank you for tuning in while I blather on for,wow, over 350 words.  Let’s hear it for the rain!

 

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Monday? Tuesday? Anyways, Here Are Some Monsters

Posted on February 27, 2024 by mohawkvalleygirl

Since I feel I am making a late post for the day before when I make a blog post early in the morning, I will feel free to make a Monstrous Monday Post on Tuesday (today).  I am on my Chromebook, enjoying the ten-finger typing but concerned about my difficulties navigating my Media Library and (so far) inability to download pictures from elsewhere on the internet.  I know, first world problems.  Then again, any blogging problems are bound to be of the first world variety.  Let me stop complaining and get on with the post.

This is one of my all time favorite memes.

Now I am a little non-sequitur-ish or is it time-warpy?  I am pretending it is still Monday yet had to share a Tuesday meme.  I loves me some Bela and Boris.  That is Lugosi and Karloff, for the sadly uninitiated (at least, I am sad for you if you do not know them; it may cause you little or no distress).

I don’t know him, but he looks fun.

I have no idea where I got this delightful picture, but I wish my front lawn looked as good.  Maybe I can work on that.

“Just a little off the top. And put some product on it, would you?”

I appreciate a well turned out wolfman, don’t you?  I recently got a haircut at the Hot Spot Salon and Spa in Herkimer, NY, but I did not start out that hairy.  I was shaggy enough that I wanted a cut, though, and I was very happy with the results.  So I have now given a brief shout-out to a local business.  I guess I can multi-task in a blog post.

That puts me over 250 words, so I say Score!  As I am unable to multi-task outside the blog post, I will stop blogging and fix my breakfast and lunch.  Once again, I thank you for tuning in.

 

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Fun Saturday, Late Post

Posted on February 26, 2024 by mohawkvalleygirl

How about a fast Scattered Saturday Post before I go back to enjoying my Saturday.  I feel it is important to enjoy my Saturday and, indeed, to enjoy all my days.  As they say, life is short.  I feel it is longer than they say, yet I agree that we must enjoy now, because more than that is not promised.  Come to think of that, nothing is promised.  Where was I going with this?  Enough with the half-baked philosophy, on with the post.

I did not take any pictures as I enjoyed my day, and I am not sure if I have anything appropriate in my Media Library.  Do I have the dedication to look?  We shall see.

My friend Kim picked me up this afternoon for some thrift-storing and other activities. First we stopped at the Post Office, where I dropped off my weekly postcards that I send to various recipients.

I still don’t know whose car that is.

After the post office, we went to the thrift store at the Methodist Church across the street.  I do not know if I have any pictures of that.  However, I definitely have a picture of Salvatore’s, where we adjourned for lunch after buying just a few really cool things.

Yum!

I guess there was not a whole lot of scatter to my Saturday, yet I had a fun time with my friend Kim.  Back home I watched movies and crocheted, pausing to begin this blog post.  I was unable to finish it, however, and am not trying to do so early Monday morning.  Will I enjoy my Monday, as advised to do in the first paragraph of the post?  An little uncertainty adds interest to my day.

 

 

 

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I Ask Myself…

Posted on February 23, 2024 by mohawkvalleygirl

Every other day blogger?  I guess that is what I am for now.  And here I am Friday morning, ten finger typing on my Chromebook, which I still cannot navigate handily but is becoming more familiar. I sip Irish Breakfast Tea and ponder my day.  Will I do anything blogworthy?  Perhaps.  I had a rather blogworthy Wednesday, but did I write about it?  Um, no. Once again I ask, what the hell, me?

I like old buildings against a grey sky.

I throw in a random picture to pep things up.h  I am going to call this my Lame Post Friday post, so the pressure is off.  This was taken during a walk on Main Street in Herkimer, NY, the former Christ Episcopal Church and Herkimer County Courthouse.  The latter is part of Herkimer’s Historic Four Corners, which regular readers know I love to walk or run by.  I walked by them the other day but did not make a Pedestrian Post mentioning it.  See, I have all kinds of things I could write blog posts about, I just don’t.  What’s that all about?

Do Not Enter my brain; it could get scary.

Another landmark I passed on Wednesday’s walk.  I do love to defy a Do Not Enter sign.  Oh, don’t worry; I never do it in my car.  Sheesh!

Will I see any of these any time soon?

I close with a bit of hope for spring.  I’m afraid my crocuses will have a hard time showing up this year, because dead leaves from last fall lie thickly on my lawn.  Once again I neglected to put down more crocus bulbs, as I have intended to do every year since I moved in (2005).  That is, I put some down in 2005 but have never done so again.  I am not even going to ask myself why not.

However, this bit of nonsense is now over 300 words, so I say, good enough for Lame Post Friday. I adjourn for another cup of tea.

 

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Still Working on that Daily Thing

Posted on February 19, 2024 by mohawkvalleygirl

Is it time to admit I am no longer a daily blogger?  Say it ain’t so!!! (My Chromebook does not seem to have a caps lock, and it is too much trouble to hold down the button) (I get lazier by the day).  Where was I?  Ah yes, early Monday morning, ten-finger typing (got the Chromebook back on; did I mention I was having trouble with that), and not having much to say.

My crooked path, as a writer and in life.

When in doubt, throw in a picture.  Snow has returned to Herkimer, NY, but I have not gone for a walk so do not know if this wavy path is back.  Foolish of me not to walk.  It can benefit one’s physical and mental health, but one must be regular about these things.

I have not been having many Mohawk Valley Adventures lately.  I drove into Rome on Saturday to visit my parents, but Route 49 is not a big thrill.  A convenience, yes, but nothing to blog about.  After I returned to Herkimer, I got together with my friend Kim, but we merely ran a couple of errands then stopped at Asteroga Ale House for a little food and drink.  I suppose I could have written about that interlude, but I neglected to take any pictures.  I am kind of addicted to pictures since I added them to the blog in 2016.

I just can’t get enough skeletons.

This is one of the first pictures I shared in October 2016, when I first figured out how to do so.

OK, last week’s storm was not that bad.

It was not until the following January that I learned how to download pictures from the internet (usually Facebook) for blogging purposes.  My husband Steve (miss him so much) found this gem.

Ooh, look, I am over 300 words.  That works for a placeholder post, I think.  Once again, thank you for tuning in.

 

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Which Childhood Was That?

Posted on February 13, 2024 by mohawkvalleygirl

This is swell.  My Chromebook for some mysterious reason will not turn on (YES, it is charged! Sheesh!)  and my laptop, perhaps because I have been neglecting it and it feels hurt, has become as slow as dial-up!  I was going to say the slowest device on the planet but decided to date myself with a reference to dial-up.  Is that even a thing any more? Shows how much I pay attention. Never mind all that.  On with the post!

Saturday was an unseasonably warm day in the Mohawk Valley, and when my sister Cheryl invited me to the playground with her and her grandchildren, Sheppie and Evie, I said, Yes, please!  They picked me up and we drove the short distance from my house to the Arc Park on German Street in Herkimer, NY.  It is a wonderful playground with all kinds of fun things to climb on, slide down, walk over, and ride.  I especially like the rubberized ground.  I can fall down (which I did, but only once) without breaking a hip, something of a consideration at my age.

Wheeee!

I did not utilize this fun thing.  For one reason, I am too tall.  Yes, I could have bent my knees up, but to grip the bar with my weight hanging off my hands… I passed.  Sheppie enjoyed it, though.

Right up to the top!

I climbed on this with Evie.  When I told her I could not climb as high as she could, she kindly suggested I get down.  At one point a little boy I did not know made it to the top but did not think he could make it down.  I encouraged him to take it one step at a time.  I don’t know if I was especially helpful to him, but he did make it to the ground.  Cheryl asked Evie what she could see from the top, and Evie answered, “Everything!”

Photo op.

Cheryl asked Evie and Sheppie to pose at the top, with this delightful result.

I did get a little dizzy.  Yes, I mean more-so than usual.  Sheesh!

I participated as much as possible for one of my years and weight.  I especially enjoyed sliding down the twisty slides, but nobody got a picture.  I pushed Evie and another child on the merry-go-round for a while, saying I would get dizzy if I rode it.  Nevertheless, Evie wanted me to sit down so she could push me.  I did not know Cheryl intended to photograph the event!

Old Aunt Cindy was tired by the end.

Cheryl had a good laugh at me “reliving my childhood,” as she put it.   I guess at my age, one can be excused for having a second childhood.  However, I think the number might be a little higher for me.  But I had fun.

 

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It Is Not a Headache to Find Mohawk Valley Adventures

Posted on February 10, 2024 by mohawkvalleygirl

Thursday turned into a real Blogger’s Sick Day as I left work with a dreadful migraine.  And then I had to deal with some stuff I did not want to deal with, with a headache or at all.  Oh dear, that sounded mysterious since I do not intend to explain.  Regular readers know I consider explanations tiresome.  Never mind. Suffice it to say (I love that expression, “suffice it to say”), I dealt with stuff, competently or otherwise, continued to deal with stuff Friday afternoon, and it is now Saturday morning when I hope to make my Lame Post Friday Post.

Full disclosure:  I have another headache.  However, it is not a migraine, and I have reasonable hopes it will go away, if not with coffee, perhaps with food and an OTC pain reliever.  Enough about me; on with the post.  Which may also be about me, but you will have that with a personal blog.

I don’t usually whine when I wine.

This is a shot from a wine tasting at Valley Wine and Liquor in Herkimer, NY.  It was Bully Hill, a New York State wine, obviously something near and dear to my heart.  There is a tasting today of Menage a Trois wines, another favorite.  I thought a picture of local interest and a preview of coming attractions would be a nice change form my beloved monster pictures.

Fun bartender at a fun bar.

Here is Tino, one of my favorite bartenders at the End Zone Pub, also in Herkimer.  I was there last night (not long enough to be the source of this morning’s headache, I don’t think, unless my capacity has gone WAY down in just the last few months) (SAY IT AIN’T SO!!!).  It is easy walking distance from my house, which is nice.  It also tends to get a nice clientele.  I had a great conversation with some folks I just met.  So there is another shout-out to a local business.

They were nice!

Speaking of nice people I just met, this picture was right there when I returned to my Media Library.  This was a couple who sat next to me at the bar on a busy night at Fratello’s Pizzeria in Frankfort.  The husband said, “We’ll be your new acquaintances.”  We had a lovely visit.  I gave the wife a piece of my garlic bread with mozzarella.  The husband gave me one of his bucket of beers.  We enjoyed the music of Tom Maneen.

Well, this has turned out to be not such a lame post after all.  I wonder if I ought to bill it as a Scattered Saturday instead.  In any case, over 400 words and three pictures, I call it a post.  Thank you for tuning in.

 

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