Tag Archives: Ilion Days

The DooDah Did Me In!

Posted on July 19, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

I have been lounged on my couch doing not much of anything today and remembered I did not make a blog post yet.  I went to the DooDah Parade in Ilion, NY and had a fine time.  Alas, I lack stamina and resiliency, but let us not dwell on my petty problems, let us talk about the parade.  For anybody just tuning in, it is one of the grand events of a week of Ilion Days Festivities.

Yay! Ilion Little Theatre!

As I walked around talking to people and taking pictures, I was delighted to see some of my friends from Ilion Little Theatre.  I think I mentioned in a previous post that the club had not participated in recent years, so I was happy to see them back.  They even invited me to ride on the float with them.  In fact, I had a few offers.

I loved it!

I foolishly did not make a note of whose this float was, but I complimented the man driving the pick-up truck towing it.  I told him about the yard in Potsdam that has a large number of toilets planted with real flowers.  I saw it once in person, but unfortunately only in passing.  Perhaps a road trip up North is indicated.

He was a friendly guy!

You can’t really see his cape in this picture.  He told me he was a combination of Superman and Wonder Woman.  It just goes to show you, anything goes at the DooDah Parade!

I’m afraid I spent too much time walking up and down, chatting and having a good time.  My back, knee, and hip are not thanking me for it today.  I wonder if I should change the name of my blog to Mohawk Valley Old Lady.  Hmmm… doesn’t have a ring to it.

 

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Do I DooDah?

Posted on July 17, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

That title occurred to me as I sat here on my Chromebook contemplating my day and wondering if I would get anything of substance done (spoiler alert: I probably won’t).  One problem is I have to recruit my energies for the DooDah Parade, a highlight of Ilion Days this evening.  I must cover it for the Daily Sentinel.  At least, I never heard back from my editor that she wanted me to cover it, but I covered it last year, so I thought I would submit something.  At least it will make a good blog post and be something for me to do on a Friday other than watch Dateline or Columbo and wish it was not too hot to knit.

I personally am on the Boomer cusp.

This is a picture from last year.  I walked all around the floats and marchers as they waited for the parade to start, chatting up lots of people and looking for Joe White, who is the main mover and shaker behind the parade.  I never found him, but one of the American Legions let me ride along on their float.  It was great fun.

I am back left, with my arm raised, looking a little like the Statue of Liberty.

This is from 2019, when Ilion Little Theatre used to participate in the DooDah.  They had a circus theme that year.  I just draped a few of my lighter shawls around me and put on my tiara, which long-time readers know I wear at any excuse.  I don’t remember what I purported to be, but I feel I looked fabulous.  This year the theme is, not surprisingly, Happy Birthday, America.  I feel I should dress appropriately, although I must remember the weather will be warm, not to say hot.

I keep saying I’m going to join them.

I thought I’d close with another shot from last year.  These are the Happy Hags, a delightful dance troupe that makes many local appearances.  I think they are wonderful.  If my arthritis or whatever it is permits, I may yet join them.  They are very nice.

So I guess I have talked myself into going to the DooDah Parade.  I must figure out what to wear (my Uncle Sam or George Washington costume?), where to park (I know a good spot close to the end but not too far to walk to the beginning), where to go afterwards (there is a good band playing at Ilion Elks Lodge) (preview of coming attractions) etc.  I said in my email to my editor that she might prefer to send a more talented photographer, so I see someone else there from the Sentinel, that will be fine.  I will use my photos for the blog.  As always, I hope you will stay tuned.

 

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Not Typical on Tired Tuesday

Posted on July 14, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

I am having a rather rough time these days.  I put my crutches aside on Saturday.  It went fairly well, but I clearly need my appointments with orthopedics next week and month.  And a few other appointments as well, but I must not go on about my physical ailments.  It is so tiresome, although I understand it can be typical of women my age.  Oh, how I hate to be typical!

I prefer to be colorful.

I quickly throw in an unexpected photograph.  Who could be uncheered by a drag queen?  Not me, I feel better already. I really do not have much to blog about currently.  Last night I covered the Ilion Village Board meeting.  While there, a trustee asked me was I going to cover the DooDah Parade on Friday.  I emailed my editor at the Daily Sentinel and asked if she wanted me to.  I did last year.

A shot from last year’s DooDah Parade.

I hitched a ride on a float of one of the American Legions.  This is a picture I took from it as the parade started.  It was a lot of fun.

And who doesn’t love a classic car?

Last year’s parade was notable because the Grand Marshal was an exchange student who returned for the 50th Class Reunion.  I got a picture of him in the fancy car loaned for the occasion.  I do not even know what this year’s DooDah theme is.  Ilion Days had completely dropped off my radar, due to my health problems (oh dear, I mustn’t get back on those again!).

At any rate, I am over 250 words. I can bill this as a Tired Tuesday post and drive on.  We shall see what the rest of the week will bring!

 

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Not Just Monsters: Parades and Players!

Posted on July 1, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

Well, I did a few posts on Mohawk Valley Adventures, and now I am back to doing a Tired Tuesday post.  In my defense, do I really need to defend myself?  I am just keeping my spirits up as best as I can while attempting to be at least marginally entertaining in my daily blog.  Let us see what I can come up with for today.

“Now this won’t hurt a bit. Of course I am a colossal liar.”

I don’t know who the two women are, but the man is a young Christopher Lee in Horror Hotel, also known as City of the Dead. Both titles are misnomers, though, because it involves an inn in a village, but it is a pretty entertaining creepy movie.  I have not seen a creepy movie in a while.  I unhooked my DVD player in hopes of getting it worked on, but the place in town that works on these things seems to be out of business, alas.

Any excuse to wear my tiara!

I did not want to make this post all about monsters, so I throw in this from a few years ago.  I am all set to participate in the DooDah Parade with Ilion Little Theatre (ILT),  part of the Ilion Days festivities.  ILT has not participated these last few years, which I find sad, but groups need people to take charge and get these things organized.  My friend Kim was a mover and shaker in days past, but she, alas, moved away. I myself am not much of a mover or shaker currently.  Perhaps that will change, but not in time for this year’s DooDah Parade, I’m afraid.

Another tiara shot!

And speaking of things I’m not up to this year, here is a shot from Four Old Broads on the High Seas, the show I was in with Players of Utica last year.  Will I ever be on the stage again?  One can hope!  In the meantime, at least I made another blog post.  As always, I thank you for tuning in.

 

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I Did the DooDah

Posted on July 22, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

I had a real Mohawk Valley Adventure Friday when I attended the Ilion DooDah Parade.  The Parade is a major event of Ilion Days, which ran from July 12 through 20 this year.  I was there to cover the event for Sentinel Media (regular readers may remember that is my part-time writing gig), but I ended up riding on a float, so I participated as well.  I took a number of good pictures, so I may have more than one DooDah post.

Cool car, nice fellow!

This was the Grand Marshall of the parade, Yasushi Takase. He was an American Field Service (AFS) exchange student his senior year in Ilion in 1975, and returned for the 50th reunion.   I got his picture after the parade, so it was good I rode on a float till the end.

The view from the front.

You can’t read it very well, but it is the post number from the Herkimer American Legion. I boldly asked if I could ride with them, and they graciously allowed me.

Other Legions were represented as well.

It was the Ilion Legion, however, who gave me a bottle of water, which I sorely needed by then. I had been walking up and down in the hot sun, taking pictures, and talking to people who were lining up for the parade.

I didn’t think the Baby Boomers had ever left.

I wondered if I should have asked to ride with this group, since I am technically a boomer.  Really the tail-end of boomerdom.  I guess I fit in better with the Legion, being as I am a Veteran.

The most colorful group!

What I really should be is a Happy Hagg! I once asked if I could join them, and they were very welcoming.  I just need to learn the dance, figure out a costume, and go to some of their practices.

Look how cute they are!

This was our view off the back of the Legion float (it was a trailer with chairs on it, really).  I’d like to have one of those sunflower hats.

I am afraid this has not been a very coherent account of my evening at the parade.  Full disclosure:  I am back from rehearsal for the play I am in (you may have read some of my blog posts about it) and I am very tired.  However, I am approaching 400 words.  I say OK.  Happy Monday, everyone!

 

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Happy Lame Weekend!

Posted on July 19, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

I was just about to do something useful when I remembered, I never made my Lame Post Friday blog post!  OK, I probably wasn’t really about to do anything particularly useful.  Who is the arbiter of what is useful anyways?  Not me! (Ooh, I just flashed on when I was a kid, and you all yelled, “Not It!” then argued about who actually said it last and had to be It) (And how about, “Last one there’s a rotten egg, first one has to eat it!”)

So much for my parenthetical stroll down Memory Lane.  Save it for Throwback Thursday, me!  Quick, throw in a picture, because I obviously do not have much of substance to say.

See me in the back, looking like the Statue of Liberty? That was not my intention.

Here is a picture from July 2019, when I participated in the DooDah Parade in Ilion, NY with Ilion Little Theatre (ILT).  ILT did not participate in this year’s DooDah Parade, which was last night, but I was there covering the event for Sentinel Media. That is one reason I did not make my blog post yesterday.  I may make a whole blog post about that (Preview of Coming Attractions), but right now my phone is across the room charging, so I can’t transfer pictures to WordPress (First World Problems).

Who me? Drink wine?

This is a completely unrelated picture.  I include it  because it’s Saturday.  I may, in fact, have a glass of wine.  I hope you will feel free to indulge in whatever you may like and have a wonderful weekend.

 

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I Doodah Didn’t Make a Post

Posted on July 23, 2022 by mohawkvalleygirl

Oh DEAR!  Look how late I am making my Lame Post Friday post!   How did it get to be ten o’clock on a Saturday!  I know, the usual way.

In my defense, last night I participated in the Doodah Parade, part of the Ilion Days festivities.  I rode on the float for Ilion Little Theatre.  It was a fun time, but hot and tiring.  Just imagine if I would have walked!

I couldn’t decide which photo to use so include both.  These are this year’s participants of YAW, Young Actors Workshop.  For more information on that, you can go to It’s Facebook page or website, http://www.ilionlittletheatre.org.

I did not take a picture of me in my silly outfit.  Everybody else was in Western wear, because the theme of the parade was Doodah Rides Again.  I do not own anything appropriate except for a pair of cowboy boots my sister Vicki gave me.  It was so hot, I considered wearing the boots and nothing else, but, you know, sunburn.  Then my friend Kim (who originally wanted to go as Lady Godiva) pointed out that witches ride brooms.  I threw together an outfit that did not include black. I really should have taken a picture.

So we’ll call this a Post About Why I Didn’t Make a Post Yesterday, and I will attempt to make my Saturday post while it is still Saturday.  But no promises.

 

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Another Theatre Throwback

Posted on July 24, 2020 by mohawkvalleygirl

I meant to go to a Mohawk Valley business today for my blog post, but it did not work out.  I am having some serious problems with energy and motivation these days.  Yes, yes, I know:  motivation follows action.  If I do something, anything, I will find my motivation.  The fact is, I had a very enjoyable day reading a book then watching true crime shows on television.  Judge me if you are so inclined.

However, blog posts must be written, at least my blog posts by me, according to my rules for me.  Maybe I could do another Throwback Thursday Post. Or perhaps some Mid-week Monsters.  I’ll look in my Media Library and see what moves me.

Here’s a fun bunch!

Here are some members of Ilion Little Theatre, about to participate in the Doodah Parade last July.  Alas, there were no Ilion Days this year, but let us not dwell on sad things.

I cast a spell on you!

As long as I am remembering the Doodah, here I am, about to participate in the 2018 parade.

A dramatic moment.

I do not seem to have any pictures from the 2017 Doodah Parade,  but here is a picture from July 2017 of The Tempest, presented by LiFT,  Little Falls Theatre Company.  Oh, it has been too long since LiFT has done Shakespeare!  A group of us was trying to revive things in 2020, but it was not to be.

I miss my theatre friends.  Perhaps one day soon we can get dramatic again.  In the meantime,  I see I am over 250 words. I call that respectable, and I’ll see what I can do about having some New Mohawk Valley adventures soon.

 

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Dressing Up For Throw Back Thursday

Posted on August 30, 2019 by mohawkvalleygirl

How about a Throw Back Thursday post?  For one reason, I am once again brain dead.  Full disclosure: I had a moment earlier when I considered waiting till tomorrow morning to make today’s post.  However, as I wait for my husband to NICELY fix dinner (he is such a keeper!), I thought, I can do this.

I would look so good in that dress.

I went to the first month I used pictures in this blog and picked this one.  It was a costume display outside of Boscov’s at Sangertown Mall in New Hartford, NY.  We don’t get out that way very often, but this was definitely worth the trip.

We were ACTING!

Since it is currently August, I went to August 2017 and found this wonderful cast photo from Shakespeare’s The Tempest, as performed by LiFT, the Little Falls Theatre Company.  I’m the one in the purple cape and yellow tights. I just love a colorful costume.

This was a post-parade pic.

Going to August 2018, I found this gem, actually taken in July 2018.  It is a member of LiFT  who participated in the Canal Days Parade in Little Falls, NY. She was also in  The Tempest,  a truly delightful young actress.

A more recent picture.

This last photo only throws back to July 2019.  I was looking for something with more costumes, and came across some shots of Ilion Little Theatre at the Doodah Parade,  which was part of the Ilion Days festivities.

I hope you have enjoyed my stroll (or was it more of a hop scotch?) down Memory Lane.  I personally am looking forward to my next opportunity to put on a costume.  I hope somebody will take a  picture that I can include in a blog post.

 

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Doing the Doodah

Posted on July 21, 2019 by mohawkvalleygirl

We do the Doodah!

I open with a picture, because this post is going to be heavy on the illustrations,  light on words.  I am one tired blogger, but I hate to miss a day, so here we are on Slacker Saturday.  At least I didn’t slack out of being in the parade.  I did, however, slack to the extent of riding on the float instead of walking behind it.

For those of you just tuning in, the occasion was the Doodah Parade, part of the Ilion Days festivities.  I participated, as I have for the past three years, with Ilion Little Theatre.

Here’s a colorful pair.

I took all my pictures before the parade, as we milled around waiting to get started.  It was very warm and humid, but at least it had stopped raining.

My friend, Kim, looking gorgeous as usual.

Ilion Days’ theme this year was Clowning Around Ilion, so we had a circus-themed float.  However, we were invited to dress any way we liked.

We had a variety of get-ups.

I see now  I did not get as many pictures or as good pictures as I should have.  However, you’ll have that, especially when you’re dealing with me.

A lot of the kids had red noses.

A candid shot.

And another group shot.

I took this group shot, then the guy who drove the truck said I should be in the picture,  so he took the picture at the beginning of the post.

Ooh, look at this, I am over 200 words.  Maybe I’m not such a slacker after all.  Oh, I probably am.

 

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