Tag Archives: snow

Not a Useful Blog Post

Posted on February 22, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

It has long been a contention of mine that there is no point in trying to get anything done on a Sunday.  My brain and body rebel against all useful activity and most not so useful activity that still requires effort.  One thing that requires very little effort is a Wrist to Forehead Sunday blog post.  So here I am.

The crooked path I follow towards my ill-defined goals.

I throw in a picture to pep things up.  There are actually very few paths through the snow just now.  I tend to walk in the road, especially if I am not wearing boots.  What I would really like to find is a pair of fake leather high top sneakers.  I wore a pair of those through two Potsdam winters and my feet were dry and comfy!  One sole finally parted with the upper when I was pushing it off using the other foot.  These were the days before I had multiple pairs of footwear, so it was a little bit of a problem.  But I digress.

Did somebody say footwear?

Looking for another picture, I came across this one of Melfe’s Shoes at their old location in Ilion, NY.  That is my late, dearly missed husband Steve.  I insisted he get a really good pair of shoes to help his aching feet.  I myself purchased several pairs of running shoes and one pair of nurse’s shoes there.  Additionally, I got a free pair (or two) of safety-toe work shoes every January when I worked at Remington Arms.  It was a perk of employment. I still have the free t-shirts they give out in January.

What a scattered post.  Kind of stream of consciousness.  I see I am approaching 300 words.  I do like to keep these silly posts short.  I hope you are all having a delightful Sunday.

Melfe’s Shoes is now located at 101 W. Main St., Mohawk, NY, phone number 315-894-4049.

 

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I Can’t Give You Anything But Lame

Posted on February 21, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

I am not only having a Lame Post Friday blog post, my entire Friday is lame.  However, it did not start out that way.  It started out with a not too bad run, and I had thought to make a Friday Running Commentary.

The weather people forecast all kinds of bad stuff for today, but it did not seem to have started yet, so I got on my running stuff and got going. I was a little nervous, because the roads looked wet and the temperature was not very much above freezing, according to my thermostat, which often gives a higher temperature than what is actually out there.  But I had not run since Monday.  I may still register for the Boilermaker 15K.  And I am not losing any weight!

Right away I felt some cold raindrops on my face.  Oh swell.  Was it freezing rain, the beginning of the wintry mix we had been promised?  Never mind.  I was out there, I would give it a shot.  I kept to the roads, which had been sanded.  As long as I felt something crunching under my sneakers, I felt all right.  When I turned onto German Street and moved to the side of the road due to traffic, I felt one foot slide.  Oh dear!  But my old lady shuffling pace saved me. I stuck to the side streets after that.

Picture taken during my cool-down walk.

Early on in my run, I felt a kind of time warp as I saw somebody’s Christmas tree at the curb. It didn’t look dried out or anything!  Had these people kept watering it throughout January and most of February?  Sometimes after a run I feel like collapsing on the curb and waiting for somebody to haul me away, but that was not the case today.  The run felt pretty good, and I felt pretty good.

The better day to run would have been yesterday, when the roads were bare.  However, I went over to my sister Cheryl’s, and played in the snow with her two grandkids.  She and her son-in-law were chipping ice out of the gutter.  The snow was the crunchy kind, crusted on top, soft underneath.  It is an effort to walk around in such snow but so fun to make the crunch.  The kids got the idea to make a snow fort using some of the ice-ish layer, you know, the part you crunch through.  I helped them carry chunks of ice.  It must have been good exercise, because I got quite out of breath.

It is hard to see the edifice, because of white on white.

I also helped find a couple of the sticks we decorated it with.  Anyways, running on the sanded ice, crunching though the icy snow, I had two days of exercise.  Will I manage to leave the house tomorrow?  It will depend on what Mother Nature piles on us overnight!

 

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Once Again, I Run Again!

Posted on February 16, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

It has been almost two months since I ran.  I blame the weather but confess there have been a few days I could have gotten out there and did not.  Today, after hearing the WKTV News people talk about how they were not going to wear jackets today, I said, hey!  Let’s do it!  Accordingly, I put on running gear and set off.

And right away, it was great!  I felt terrific!  The only problem was, I forgot to stick a tissue or two up my sleeve.  Well, I can’t remember everything.  I am out of the habit of running, after all.  I stuck to un-busy streets, because I could not stay close to the curb.  Or at least, where I think the curb is, because it is covered with snow banks.  The sides of the road had frozen-over puddles, slush, and other obstacles.  However, most roads had plenty of bare pavement for me to enjoy.

Must include a picture, after all.

I just searched my Media Library for a picture of something I ran by that included snow.  There is actually a bit more snow in Meyer’s Park now, but you get the idea. I petted one dog.  At first I saw a pedestrian on the sidewalk, then a leash and a tail sticking up.

“A nice dog!” I said, assuming that it was (I always assume dogs to be nice until proven otherwise).  “If I come up on the sidewalk, can I pet that dog?”

Permission received, I went and petted the dog, which looked like a scotch terrier, but I did not ask.  It was a very sweet dog.  I love dogs.

I had thought to run for 20 minutes.  That is usually what I ask of myself when I have not been running for a while.  I actually made it 21 minutes, because when I got home I was so close to 1.5 miles, I kept running till I got it.  Yay, me!  I think if I continue running, I can be in sufficiently good shape to do the Boilermaker 15K in July, as I have been threatening to do.  I wonder if registration is still open.

 

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Take This Job and Shovel It!

Posted on February 12, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

I fight the lawn all summer and the snow all winter.  I often say I prefer the winter, because it MIGHT snow in the winter while the grass will DEFINITELY grow in the summer.  Of course Mother Nature has to prove me wrong.  There has been no maybe about snow this year; it snowed.  While a neighbor has been very kind about snow-blowing my front walk and driveway on occasion, I feel I should take responsibility for my own home.

White on white hurts my eyes. Just to whine a little more, what a kvetch I am!

I remembered to take a couple of “before” pictures before I shoveled and pushed the snow this morning.  We had not gotten all that much, but I thought it was well to stay caught up.  Additionally, I need the exercise.  I was delighted to find that the snow was the white, fluffy kind (see, I don’t just complain!).  I started my car and brushed it off, then took on the driveway from the road on in.

The problem is there is not much space to put the snow I move out of the driveway.  I try to pile it on the growing banks but cannot keep some of it from running down into the road or sidewalk.  At least the banks are not over my head, and so I count my blessings.  I backed the car out and parked it in the street and tried to clean out where it was.  Full disclosure:  as winter wears on, I park my car closer and closer to the sidewalk.

After.

You can see my car across the street.  It is the one with the wipers up in the air.  I also tried to clean a space for my trash and recyclable container.  They are actually supposed to be kept out back, out of sight, but I was unable to clear a path that far.  At least I got them out of the mailman’s way, and where I hopefully will not hit them with my car.

One does what one can.

I did the usual shovel-width across the front.  I wondered how much I was really accomplishing, as the snow continued to fall.  Then again, it is easier to clean off a smaller amount twice than a huge amount once.

Looks like a Christmas card!

I took a shot to show the snow coming down like a sonofabitch.  I like to describe things as “like a sonofabitch.”  It actually tapered off as the morning wore on, so perhaps I will not have to bear winter’s brunt again tomorrow.

 

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Can I Manage a Monday Post?

Posted on February 10, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

If I want to continue (return to?) being a daily blogger, I must admit that some posts will be less worthy than others.  I have fewer Mohawk Valley Adventures these days, despite having more time on my hands.  Yet I want to post something, anything.  Quick, throw in a picture to pep things up.

“A little busy here.”

I might as well make it a Monstrous Monday post. Regular readers will recognize this as my favorite guy, Nosferatu, of the eponymous 1922 silent film.  He is scary, yes.

And it is winter.

This is a picture from some years back, but just to show you I am also dealing with quite a bit of snow.  I have help from a nice neighbor on my driveway.  I confess to ignoring my back deck at the current time.  This particular year we cleared all the stuff off the deck, which is obviously a wise thing to do.  This year, I was not so wise, nor so ambitious.

Resting peacefully?

Here is a picture that combines Monstrous Monday with Winter Woes:  a skull on my deck last winter.  It is part of one of those skeletons you can make look like it is coming out of the ground.  I have a picture of it doing that, but I am too lazy to search my Media Library for it now.

Another skull angle.

Here instead is another picture of my snow skull.  I see I am over 200 words, so I say it is OK.  I thank you for tuning in, and once again, I will try for a better blog post tomorrow.

 

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After the Snow, Adventures?

Posted on January 27, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

I had meant to make a post yesterday (Monday) about my adventures in snow shoveling (yes, I did try to PUSH the snow when possible, don’t judge me), but I neglected to take before or after pictures, and then, well, time got away from me.  I managed to NOT give myself a heart attack.  Note to self:  do not watch Reels on Facebook that explain with illustrations just how easy it is for a woman of my age to do that.

Where was I?  Ah yes, on Tuesday morning, hoping to make some semblance of a blog post.  Quick, throw in a picture to pep things up.

Random snow shot from a couple of years ago.

Most things have been shut down around here since Sunday.  I think they are back open today, so it would be a good idea if I got out and gave a local business some, you know, business.  I can’t keep the local economy going all by myself, but I can spend a few dollars here and there and give some local places a shout out.

Maybe I could buy myself a Valentine.

This is a decoration from Home Town Diner on Main Street in Mohawk, NY.  I’ve already eaten breakfast, but I will be hungry for lunch before I know it.  I could also stop by To Niche Their Own in Herkimer.  I don’t think I have ever taken decent pictures there nor given them a proper shout-out, but I did purchase some excellent Christmas presents there last month.

Will I make it to Little Falls?

And there is my new favorite bookstore, Athenix Books and Brews.  There are a number of good places in Little Falls: Venture Fourth, Chickweed Boutique, the Mustard Seed… I’m sure to leave somebody out.  Oh dear.

So now I have cheered myself up to the tune of 300 words of blog post and plans.  I hope everybody has their parking lot plowed out by now!

 

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Still Feeling Monstrous.

Posted on January 19, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

I am still feeling pretty monstrous (I use the adjective purely to fit in with Monstrous Monday) yet feel I must begin to creep back into the land of the living.  I did not post for the last two days, because I felt it was too many posts about how rotten I felt.  Today I will try for a transitionary post (what? transitionary isn’t a word?  Where’s my dictionary?) (Yes! transitionary IS SO a word!  what the hell, Chromebook? Why are you underlining it?).

Oh dear.

The fact is I am sitting here with a vague headache and not many thoughts in my head.  Yesterday I thought as how I had done nothing but lie around for four days I ought to try to exert myself a little.  Accordingly, I stood up at the sink for a while and did some dishes.  Not all of the dishes, but you can’t have everything.  Later on, I  mustered up enough oomph to go out and shovel the driveway.  There was not a lot of snow, and I did a lousy job, but I felt I had accomplished something.

Not much snow, not much driveway.

This is a picture from a whole different year, but I wanted to add an illustration.

Today my main concern is to make it to the Herkimer Town Board meeting, which I must cover for Sentinel Media.  I do not know what else I ought to demand of myself.  Like I said, creep slowly back to the land of the living.

Creeping back to life among the living?

I thought I’d throw in one monster.  I was looking for The Blob, which I certainly feel like, but I find The Tingler will have to do.

 

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Running into 2026!

Posted on January 2, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

This morning I ran for the first time since the Reindeer Run 5K in Little Falls, NY on Dec. 13.  People like to say, “Sometimes you just have to force yourself.”  Well, I did not force myself.  I decided to run today, and I did.  And it was great! It was quite cold, and the roads were far from bare, but I felt damn good and ran for over a mile and a half.

The sky was not that blue, for one thing.

I cannot find a winter picture of Herkimer’s Historical Four Corners in my Media Library, but that is the first place I ran.  I wanted to do a Running Commentary Post so purposefully ran by places I knew I had pictures of.  Just imagine a lot of snow.  I ran in the road for the most part, sticking to new fallen snow when possible, because snow gives you a little traction.  I did not trust the slush but did not run into any problems.

Right away I was amazed at how good the run felt, and how my body did not seem to have any problems with it.  It wasn’t even too difficult breathing in the cold.  At first there was little breeze, which was great.  Later when the wind picked up, I said, “Rats!”  But I kept going.

I do not do everything I am told to do.

I went by a couple of Do Not Enter signs, entering of course.  I KNOW they are talking about vehicular traffic not crazy old ladies.  Just let me enjoy my rebel cred.

I’ll go here later to celebrate the new year a little more.

After one Do Not Enter sign, I ran by the Elks Lodge.  Joining the Elks was one of the highlights of my 2025.  Lots of nice people there, and they do a lot of good for the community.

I kept it up for almost 26 minutes, 1.71 miles.  I was just happy my first mile was under 16 minutes.  Real runners know that is a very slow mile, but I do not apologize.  I was out there improving myself.  Never mind how much room there is for improvement!

 

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Lame it Snow!

Posted on November 29, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

Sorry, sports fans, but this will be a Lame Post Friday post.  Winter has once again reached the Mohawk Valley, and I have not ventured out on any adventures.  I did leave the house, to help clear the driveway and  unbury a few vehicles (what, autocorrect, “unbury” is not a word?  And apparently neither is “autocorrect.” I can’t worry about these things now).

Stock photo, is that what they call it?

This is actually a picture from March 2017, but I thought I would like to share some snow pictures.  I really had not planned to go anyplace much today anyways.  I have never been one for Black Friday shopping.  I will be a little disappointed if I miss Shop Small Saturday, but I suppose I can shop small for the rest of December, so that will be OK.

At least it’s pretty!

 

I was disappointed not to go running this morning.  In the early morning hours I dreamed it was raining (I did hear it rain earlier in the night) and I was running in the rain.  I do not usually run in the rain, but with the Reindeer Run 5K approaching (I officially registered this morning!), I thought it would be a good idea.  When I woke up, I told myself to see if it was, indeed raining.  Imagine my surprise to see the world covered in snow.  And it was still snowing.  That was when my head informed me that I am still not over the illness that has been plaguing me.

The three words that best describe me are as follows, and I quote…

I was looking for another snow picture, but I like this one better.  I went out twice to help with shoveling, thus getting a little fresh air (Times Square!) and exercise.  Now I have completed a blog post of some 300 words.  I say score and once again I thank you for tuning in.

 

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I’m 61 and I Still Run

Posted on November 13, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

I thought of that rhyme as I walked my cool-down walk after today’s run.  I’ve been 61 for over 11 months, and this is the first time I thought of it.  What the hell, me?  However, waste not, want not: I’m still 61 and I can use it for a headline for a Running Commentary post.

I did not run for the last two days, so I really felt obligated.  In my defense, yesterday it was snowing and I just couldn’t trust the roads.  I walked later in the afternoon and couldn’t trust all the sidewalks, but it is less of a problem for walking.  I did not trust the sidewalks today but stuck to the roads for the most part.  In general I prefer to stay on the sidewalks.  I like to give myself every advantage of not getting run over by a car.

I often run by the Court House.

Full disclosure:  This picture is from February 2021, but it shows a landmark I ran by and it shows snow.  Regular readers may recognize this as part of Herkimer’s Historic Four Corners, a favorite place for me to walk or run by.  I was on the second half of my run by this time.  I was using the Map My Run app on my phone, making a lot of turns in hopes of mapping out an interesting shape, and saw that I was just over a mile.  Go, me!

I was holding the phone in my hand, because I could not find the strap I hold it on my arm with and was too impatient to look for it.  It made it not so easy to blow my nose as I ran, but you can’t have everything.

Also not taken today.

I could not find the picture I wanted to share but came across this one.  I was wearing that headband today.  I purchased it in Niagara Falls while on my honeymoon with my beloved dearly missed husband Steve in 1990.  My hair is not that long, but it’s growing.

My run was not too bad.  I went almost two and a half miles in 33 minutes, which while slow is faster than my recent runs.  I did not pet any dogs, although I saw a couple nice ones.  I did get to pet one of my favorite doggy friends, Pugsley the morkie on my cool-down walk (it was right after I thought of today’s headline).  I may be ready for the Reindeer Run 5K in Little Falls this December.  I hope they have one.

 

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