Tag Archives: Mohawk Valley adventures

Is It Saturday Already?

The late posts continue with a Late Lame Post Friday post.  At least I have coffee, if not much brain power or motivation.

Like I’ll ever be this skinny!

I did have a couple of Mohawk Valley adventures yesterday and remembered to take pictures.  Unfortunately the pictures are in my phone, which is across the room being charged.  I may bestir myself to get more coffee, but otherwise I am staying comfortably lounged on the couch.

My allergies are becoming quite tiresome lately.  I thought the frosts we had would help, but I reckoned without my indoor allergies.  I posted on Facebook that I am allergic to cleaning.  Some might argue that it is all the dust, but I stand by my statement.  Regular readers may recall that my house is in a terrible mess and has been for some years.  I continue to make progress in bits and pieces.  I even clear away some of the dust I stir up.

Joan Crawford and Bette Davis, there could be no possible objection.

I was searching my Media Library for a picture of my messy house but got tired of it so decided to share an old favorite.  It is a publicity shot for Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte, which was to have been a kind of a follow-up to Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?  Unfortunately, Crawford dropped out (long story, but pretty interesting).  Olivia de Havilland stepped in, and the resulting movie is one of my favorites.  Unpopular opinion: I’ve  never been a fan of Baby Jane.

Well now I’ve rattled on for over 250 words.  I call that respectable.  I hope you all had a lovely Friday, and I hope your Saturday is equally as swell.

 

Memories of Coffee and Steve

I guess I am back to late blog posts as I site here early Friday morning to make a Throwback Thursday post.  I am up early, having gotten up just prior to five o’clock.  I like to be up early; I just don’t like to get up early.  Right now I am not even sure I like to be up early, but at least I have got coffee.  Thank God for coffee!

No fan needed today, though.

Ah, I knew I had a picture of the mug I am currently using.  I wonder if I can get to Dyn’s Cider Mill before they close for the season.  Perhaps a drive there today would be in order (preview of coming attractions?)

I rarely look this perky and cute, no matter the time of day.

I noticed this picture before I found the Dyn’s mug and thought, why not do a coffee mug throwback?  My late, dearly missed husband Steve and I collected many mugs in our years together.  I keep thinking I need to get rid of a few, but getting rid of things is not my strong suit.  Additionally, I use all my coffee mugs.  Many people have one favorite they use all the time, but Steven and I liked to use them all in turn, often depending on season or mood.

A favorite line from a favorite movie.

This was a present from Steve.  He always got me the best presents.  Well now I am throwing back to the great romance of my life.  Perhaps I should close with a picture of Steve.  If I had one of him with a coffee mug, how nice that would be!

 

Steven with wine is almost as good.

Looking through my Media Library for pictures has reminded me about a lot of good memories I have made on Mohawk Valley adventures.  I should do more Throwback Thursday posts.  And have more Mohawk Valley adventures.  But first, more coffee.

 

Ten Finger Typing Again!

My Chromebook is charged again.  Phew!  I confess I am in a very wimpy state these days.  The slightest setback slays me.  However, I move forward as best as I can, sometimes one sloggy step at a time.  The Chromebook thinks “sloggy” is not a word, but I find it apt.

Previous loves.

I thought this illustration was appropriate to my title.  I do not really have much to say other than, Yay!  I got my Chromebook back!  I had thought yesterday to make a Running Commentary Post. I ran for 30 minutes, covering about two miles.  That was my longest run since this last time I re-started running.  I may actually be ready for the Reindeer Run 5K in Little Falls, NY in December (preview of coming attractions).  I have no hopes of the Turkey Trot but no real desire to do it anyways.  I will be with family on Thanksgiving.

Coffee makes everything better!

Yes, I am still using Halloween mugs.  I find it difficult to let go of spooky season (oh, let’s be honest:  I never let go of spooky season!  I’ll probably watch a vampire movie later!).  However, as I am fond of pointing out, we can only move forward (even if it is one sloggy step at a time).  I intend to try for more Mohawk Valley Adventures in the coming days.  Maybe I’ll start this morning with breakfast out.  I realized early on in the blogging game:  it is always a good excuse to do something fun!

 

Am I Becoming Tiresome?

I sit here trying to make my Tired Tuesday blog post a day late (what else is new?) and I ain’t got much.  I guess I need to get out more. I got out of Herkimer, NY yesterday (where I live) and went as far as Utica.  I wished once again that I knew how to parallel park.  Fortunately, I do not wish that very often.  Then I found a parking lot with plenty of space only a short walk from my destination.  I don’t know why I share all this, except it is pretty much the only thing I did all day.

Today I hope to have a couple of Mohawk Valley Adventures, although it is not on my To Do List.  “Tuesday’s blog post” is on my To Do List, by the way.

Look at them all!

I threw in a picture, because I thought I was being boring.  This is Pumpkin Junction in Sauquoit, one of my favorite fall destinations.  I should go there soon and pick up more fall decor.  I could get a pumpkin, which I can later smash and leave in the yard for critters’ enjoyment.  That way I do not have to find a place to put Yet More Stuff in my house.

I am afraid I must admit (then again, being afraid is seasonal, is it not?)  that my depression is kicking my butt these days.  I know one cure, or at least help, is exercise.  I went running yesterday and mean to do that or at least walk today.  Another help is to Just Do Anything.  Seriously, I read it somewhere:  doing almost anything might relieve depression.  It might not, of course, but at least I will have gotten something done.

Lately when I have a conversation with someone, at some point I stop and say, “Talk about myself, talk about myself, talk about myself,” because that is what I seem to be doing.  And here I am doing the same thing in my blog.  Then again, it is a personal blog.  Does that make it OK?  Discuss amongst yourselves.

 

Evie at the Zoo

I neglected to make a post about a recent visit to the Utica Zoo with some members of my family.  My sister Cheryl called and invited me to join them in celebrating my great-niece Evie’s birthday.  I was delighted to join them.  Unfortunately, most of the pictures I took of the animals did not come out very well.

I guess even the camel is a bit in shadow.

We had a nice time walking around the zoo.  I especially enjoy the paths up through greenery and around exhibits.

You can almost see some members of our group way up ahead.

We enjoyed things such as stumps you can stand on.

Evie strikes an intimidating pose.

Before I snapped the picture, Evie put her hands over her head and said in a deep voice, “I am the Dread Pirate Roberts!” Anybody who does not get that reference, I urge you to watch the movie The Princess Bride.

I walked around the post and took another shot, not back-lit.

Alas that I did not get any pictures of Sheppy, my great-nephew. Full disclosure:  I did get a picture of him and a few others impersonating owls on some posts provided for that purpose. My niece Kimi said I was not allowed to use that picture in the blog.  I wonder if she would have preferred I did not even mention it. If so, I hope she will forgive me.

I highly recommend the Utica Zoo as a nice place to spend a few hours, even if you do not have a dramatic great-niece to walk around with.

 

Slacker, then Shout-out

It’s that awkward moment when you realize this is your best chance to get your Saturday post on Saturday, yet you can think of nothing to write about nor have you any of your adventure books handy.  Adventure Books (yes, I like it better when I capitalize both.  I believe I have never used the phrase in the blog) are the cute little blank books I buy when I see them cheap.  I sometimes start to use them for a specific purpose, which usually peters out, and often end up carrying one or another with me when I go adventuring.  I realize I should use one, fill it, then move on to the next, but anybody who expects such organizational miracles from me is doomed to disappointment.

At wine tastings, the pourers are often surprised and delighted when I start taking tasting notes.  Taking random notes is also comforting when I am out alone or bored waiting someplace.  I try never to leave without a notebook or at least an adventure book.

OK, so I guess this post started as a Slacker Saturday then went to babbling on about my writing habits.  I’d better throw in a picture to make things look good.

A fun memory!

Here is an adventure I definitely took notes about:  a ride on Richfield Springs Scenic Railway.  This, of course, is my late lovely husband Steve.  So now I have also given a shout-out to an area attraction.  I wonder if I can link to their website so readers can check them out.

Looks like it worked!

 

 

Good Wine, Late Post

This post is in my drafts twice.  Twice I started to write it then stopped, because I could not find the wine tasting notes I took while I sipped.  This morning (early Wednesday to make Tuesday’s post), I said, oh, just go ahead and write the post.  Before I typed that last sentence, I thought hmmm… and looked into the notebook at my side (I actually got up early to write something entirely different, which I did, using other notes in that notebook) (I add in the interests of accuracy). Guess what I found!

I just found out today was Red Wine Day, so I poured myself a glass (I wrote in the earlier draft;  it is not Red Wine Day and I am certainly not drinking wine at 4:34 in the morning).  What a perfect time to talk about my visit to the Wine Tasting Room at Raindrops on Roses Bed and Breakfast in Herkimer, NY (really, it is often a good time to talk about wine and delightful B&Bs).

I toasted the day.

Instead of tasting, I opted for a flight, which was four glasses, each more than a taste but less than a full glass.  I could have just gotten a glass of one wine, or even a whole bottle.  A whole bottle seemed a bit much.  I was walking not driving, but still.

OK, that was all I had in the draft.  Now, from the tasting notes…

Picture of the garden at Raindrops on Roses to depict passage of time while I get more coffee.

I found a shady spot in the garden in back of the house and commenced sipping and note taking, two of my favorite activities.  The breeze was delightful and the surroundings beautiful.  The Prospect Falls Gewurztraminer (I am better at pronouncing it than spelling it) was nice, with what I call a New Yorky taste, which is a quality I treasure in a wine. I felt like I could taste the skin of the grape, in a good way.  I pronounced it a fun wine.

Next I had the Montezuma Dry Riesling.  Very tasty, and dry enough for my tastes.  Prospect Falls Merlot was next, followed by the Roaring Falls Red of the same winery.  Alas, I did not enjoy the reds as much as the whites.  I am sure it was just me or the day, because I know I have purchased bottles of these same wines and enjoyed them very much.

It is a beautiful setting.

It was a lovely interlude on a Saturday afternoon.  Alas that it will soon be too cold to sit in the garden at Raindrops on Roses.  Still, I might get there for another glass or flight before the snow falls.  I will try to make the blog post about it sooner after the fact.

 

 

Sunday Blog Posts Are Not an Adventure; They’re Murder!

Sorry, sports fans, but all I can manage today is a Wrist to Forehead Sunday post.  I don’t know why I call my readers “sports fans” when this is not a sports blog, although I think my readers are good sports about my missing posts and doing foolish posts instead of writing about Mohawk Valley Adventures, as promised.  At least, maybe I didn’t promise exactly;  I try not to make promises.  Anyways, tonight I feel ready to swoon, dramatically posed with the back of one wrist to my forehead, onto a handily placed chaise lounge (I add the description for the benefit of anybody just tuning in).

Preview of Coming Attractions, maybe.

Here is a picture I took last Thursday of my great niece and nephew, Evie and Sheppy at the ARC Park in Herkimer, NY.  Their grandmother, my sister Cheryl, invited me to join them.  We had a lovely time, and I took a number of pictures for blogging purposes. They were very nice about posing.

Right now I am, big surprise (to regular readers), watching Columbo.  However, I had an interesting reason (or do I flatter myself?) for picking this episode.  I saw the actress who plays the murderess last night and today as I was watching the movie Mr. Brooks (I started it last night but was too tired to finish it).  Alas that I do not know the actress’ name.  Do you suppose I could find it online?  Regular readers know I am no hand at that.

Random picture to denote passage of time while I look.

Lindsay Crouse!  When I saw her in Mr. Brooks, playing Demi Moore’s boss, it took me a minute to recognize her, because she had a different hairdo and was playing quite a different character.  She was a very sexy murderess in Columbo.  For anybody not familiar with Columbo, I did not need to add a Spoiler Alert before telling you who the murderer was.  That was the plot of almost every Columbo:  you see the murder committed and wonder how Lt. Columbo is going to figure it out and prove it.  If you are not familiar with Columbo, I highly recommend it.

I do have a happy Sunday with Columbo.

Incidentally, Mr. Brooks is also a movie where you do not have to guess who the murderer is.  I love the movie, but I fear it is not for all tastes.  Having said all that, I see I am over 400 words.  That’s a lot of words for somebody who didn’t think she could make a blog post at all.  Once again, I have to ask, what the hell, me?

 

One More Lame…

Here I sat thinking, oh, it will be all right if I make my Lame Post Friday post early Saturday morning; I have done it before.  Then I decided to make my post tonight.  Full disclosure:  I have had a couple of glasses of wine.  I like wine, especially on a Friday.  I like Friday.

Who me? Howl?

Here’s a funny thing:  in other posts I have looked for a particular picture in my Media Library in vain, sometimes spending a foolish amount of time looking.  Today, this illustration was in the very first place I looked, if you can believe such a thing (and why would I lie?) (when I do lie, I call it fiction).

I am not up to any Mohawk Valley adventures tonight.  I did think about going out to dinner, but once the bra was off, I was not inclined to put it back on (kindly do not say TMI, as if most of us women do not wear bras!).  So I have remained comfortably ensconced in my living room, looking at the computer then looking at Columbo and crocheting.  Yes, Columbo is usually for Sundays, but I was in the middle of an episode, so I finished that one, then there were two more on that DVD… you know how it is, and if you do not, well, just take my word for it.

My wife says…

I thought I would put a different caption from “One more thing…”  I think it would be a good idea if I started watching different DVDs so I could talk about other things than Columbo in my blog posts.  I know, more Mohawk Valley adventures would be a good idea too.  However, I can make no promises for tomorrow.  Perhaps I could reach back and make one of those posts I should have made a couple weeks ago.  But here I am blogging about what I could be blogging about.  Is that like a snake eating its own tail?  Discuss amongst yourselves.

 

A Few Vampires Never Hurt

Once again, I eschew writing about Mohawk Valley adventures for a Monstrous Monday post.  Full disclosure:  It has not been a particularly monstrous day.  For one reason I took off work for a couple of VA appointments.  I will not elaborate on that, because, you know, HIPAA (if I have that acronym right).

The Shadow of the Vampire?

Why not start right out with my favorite, Nosferatu (1922), that silent horror masterpiece.  I love the use of shadows.

For many the quintessential vampire.

Here is a busier illustration, the 1931 Tod Browning produced film.  My late, dearly missed husband,  Steve, was not especially enamored of this movie, but he occasionally consented to watch it with me.

Another favorite of many.

One might argue that Christopher Lee revitalized the role in the Hammer Films Dracula movies. I am not sure which film this picture is from, but I enjoy watching all of them.  Christopher Lee did not confine himself to Dracula, of course.  He memorably portrayed Frankenstein’s monster and other horror parts, both villainous and heroic.

Very atmospheric. I loved it.

To include one more vampire and get to at least 200 words, I share the poster of Dracula’s Daughter, a worthy addition to the pantheon.  Is pantheon the word I want?  Perhaps I should look it up.

Random vampire picture while I grab my dictionary.

Hmmm… doesn’t seem quite right by the definition, but it is used this way in the example.  On that note of grammar, I see I am over 200 words, so I sign off.  I hope you enjoyed another vampire post.  I will try not to let Tired Tuesday get the best of me.