Life in the Bristolwood

Being the mom of two energetic young people,  I am sometimes asked to do things beyond my limits. Beyond my abilities. Just for the sake of saying that I did not turn my kids down, I press on. Such was the case on the last day of our visit at the campground.

We were staying at a state campground called  Whetstone Gulf State Park.  How the term “gulf” got put into the name is beyond me, as I thought one had to have a great body of water in order to have a proper gulf.  Perhaps a better name would be Whetstone Gorge State Park.  The gorge I am referring to is deep and…well,  I would definitely use the word “treacherous”.   The park offers trails that run along the gorge, full of signs warning about the cliffs.  There are two trails, one north and one south. 

Ben took the south trail the day before we left the campground.  Mark wanted to take me up onto some roads that were open to ATV riding,  and Ben assured us he would meet us at the end of one of the trails.  He had been up with Mark previously, so he knew where the trail ended.  Mark handed him his cell phone and Ben was off.  After waiting what seemed like an eternity for Ben to emerge,  we called Mark’s cell and Ben answered, sounding rather breathless.  He told Mark about all the “danger” signs posted along the trail and how there are no fences to hold people back from the sheer cliffs.  You cannot imagine the relief as Ben finally made his way out of the woods!

Okay, so back to the last day we were at the park.  Ben wanted Michelle and I to hike the trail, as he saw a sign that showed another path to a lookout.  I never checked the map, but somehow got hoodwinked into this hike to see a lookout that Ben had mistakenly thought was a fire tower.  And so, we began our ascent.

We walked up. And up. And up.  Oh, my aching calf muscles just thinking about this (painful) hike.  The signs not only warned about the cliffs, but also admonished hikers to be aware of the many pine roots on top of the ground that could easily trip an unsuspecting hiker and hurl them over the cliff.  Oh, and rocks. Beware loose rocks. Not only could they send one over the cliffs, but they might fall from above and land on top of you, sending you over the cliffs!   Did I seriously need this walk?

Yes, this sign was located in a good ways, and I was shaking not from fear, but because it seemed like we had been climbing upward far too long!

It really doesn’t appear that steep, does it?  Believe me, it *was*! 

Another poor quality photo of Ben….sitting right on the edge of the trail…More shaking and trembling!

We kept walking and walking until we finally came to this sign!

No outlet?  Did we really want to see this “tower”, anyway?  Seriously, I was having a little trouble breathing, so I wondered about going back. The kids encouraged me to stick it out, so I did.  I suppose they thought they would miss out if I left, because they would feel obligated to walk back down with me!

The trail leading down to the lookout tower made me suspicious.  What kind of “tower” is built below the highest point?  I remember going up and looking out of fire towers when I was a kid….they were always constructed at the highest point,  not below! Note the trail….all the wonderful pine tree roots!

Michelle decided to strike a pose while I stopped for a second to catch my breath!

With all of the forestation, it is impossible to view the cliffs leading down to the gorge.  Instead, one can see far out into the distance whenever there was a break in the trees!

The trail leading to the lookout was pretty as one could peek through the trees every so often and see farms and land below in the distance!

We finally reached the lookout and Ben was a little disappointed.  He and Michelle did indeed look out, though….

As the kids sat observing,  I decided to begin walking back to the main trail.  I knew the kids would be moving a great deal faster than I, so I jumped on the headstart!

Up, up, up, yet again.  But, there was satisfaction in knowing that the walk back was going to be downhill! It felt good to be heading back down, as the day was heating up.

Along the way, we saw some spider webs that were so eye-catching as they glistened in the sun.

We made it back down to the beginning of the trail.  As we walked away,  I turned around and saw this!

Goodness, seein a BEAR would have been the icing on the proverbial cake!  Also, there were signs warning that hikers were not to begin any of the trails after 3pm.  As you could see in some of the photos,  it gets dark in the woods….getting lost in dusk could be rather scary!

After we left the trail for our little explore, the kids teased to go over to the swimming area at the park.   It was just a short walk.  The beach was closed…I guess this was a “pinch” in the governor’s spending cuts for the state.  We walkeed about and I took photos.

The rest of this day, I was certain I would never be able to walk again,  but as it worked out, my legs weren’t the least bit sore.  I guess all the walking Mark and I had done earlier this yea paid off well for me!

This park is on my list of highly recommended!  It is so beautiful!  It is limited as far as electric hookups go,  but tenters would find this a real gem! It is located near Lowville and not too far from the Adirondack Mountains.  (which can be seen in the distance from roads in Lowville)

Seeing all these photos  made me long to return…We had last visited this area and park four years ago….I sincerely hope it will not be that long again!

So what, exactly, have bovines to do with our little journey?

Well, as I read information handed out throughout Lewis County,  I discovered that the county produces over 500 MILLION gallons of milk each year.  Whoa, Bessie….that’s a whole lotta mik!

The state park where we stayed was located near a small town called Lowville. (Not pronounced low as in “that is a low note”, but rhyming with “now”. )  Lowville (aren’t you glad you are pronouncing that properly now?)  is home of a Kraft Foods cheese processing plant.  There is also a small cheese shop located near the Kraft factory. I’m not sure who the owner of this ginormous cow is, but…..

I do think she represents a large population of some very important inhabitants! I wonder if she removes those shades in the winter?  Maybe not, as this region gets some rather remarkably heavy amounts of snow which can definitely cause blinding reflections!

And, speaking of all things bovine…..these cattle are *not* dairy cows, but some rather nice looking Black Angus!

Whether the farm is lucrative or not is not our concern, but this farmer makes it a practice to give thanks in all things!

We saw one dairy farm that was so large, there must have been nearly 1,000 head of milkers! There were rows and rows of low barns filled with black and white cows.  Of course, every time we drove past the barns,  Angus would rise up on his hind legs and look out the window to see what the smell was about!

One of the major reasons we like to travel to the Tug Hill Plateau/Adirondack area is because Mark is a great ATV enthusiast. Mark owned motorcycles most of his life-dirt bikes for riding through the woods and on terrain not accessible by other vehicles. It was only a matter of time after we moved to the Bristolwood that he “invested” in an ATV.  He tried his best to convince me that the vehicle would gather firewood, pull down trees that were hung up and even snowplow….After one little ride through the woods on that first ATV, I must admit,  I was “hooked”!

Tug Hill Plateau is known for its wild winters, but it also allows some generous rides using roads on ATV’s.  While Buffalo is the brunt of many a joke about snow,  it receives about 120 inches of snow a year.  The Tug Hill Plateau averages 320 inches! (This is totally based on information given to me by a bar and grill owner who hosts all manner of ATV/snowmobile events.)  Snow might begin in November and linger on through April.

So….Mark, the kids, and I decided to take a road that was accessible to ATV’s.  Oh, the joy of it! No cell reception….remote road.  What a recipe for fun!

And we never would have seen such beauty as above had we not wandered along…

Near the end of our ride (unbeknownst to any of us since GPS was now non-functioning!)  I  got out and ran ahead. It was such fun as I could take pictures and stretch my legs a bit.  The kids were giggling like crazy, riding in the back with the two Scotties.  When a paved road running perpendicular to this one appeared,  my heart sank like a lead brick.  I love adventures and this one was swiftly coming to a close!

After our train ride in the morning,  Michelle thought it might be fun to go for a ride on a tour boat.  We bought our tickets and were on board mid-afternoon.  The boat was going to take us on the Fulton Chain of Lakes. This is actually more of a river system….

In reading through literature regarding this “chain”,  it is stated that the dam at Old Forge holds back 6.8 billion gallons of water.  Wow. That sounds like an incredible amount, doesn’t it?

I am going to just show some random photos taken along the way.  We were the first people to enter the boat, as Mark needed to get on board first with the wheelchair.  He asked if we could sit at the front of the boat, ouside…egads!!!  Not only was there a chill in the air, but it was a damp, drizzly day as well!  We were drenched within the first few minutes and, well, we still enjoyed the tour, although the sun decided to poke through as we were finishing our tour!

Haha! These are not what you expected, right?  Well, yes, there were gorgeous homes situated along the water the entire trip.  There were also islands scattered throughout…some were New York State campgrounds, accessible only by water. It was very beautiful overall, but I just don’t want to show all the fancy homes.

I love the Adirondacks.  The scent of pines and the views seen there will linger on for a very long time….

Ben decided to go above on the upper deck.  He called down to us from above…..one of my very favorite photos!

On the way back from 4th Lake,  I stayed on the upper deck, hoping for some good photos.  I was so surprised to see a bird that looked ducklike, but larger.  I had no idea what I was looking at until the man next to me told me it was a Loon!

I am so disappointed by the lighting. As I said, the day was so miserable….if only a streak of  sun would have illuminated my subject!

Speaking of ducks….Mark was worried they were going to be run over by the boat!  Those silly birds would wait until the last moment to scramble out of the way!  I have no idea what type of ducks we saw, but they certainly aren’t any I’ve seen in our neck of the woods.

Well, once again, the lighting was terrible, but you get the idea!  Of course, the next day was cool, but bright and sunny! 

Ah well, we had an awesome time riding on the tour boat and we got to see so many things we would never have seen otherwise!  Mark loves water and boats, so this was a real treat for him.

Preface:  It actually took me about 4 hours (no, I didn’t work continuously, all at once on it!) to get all of the photos up on the previous post!  Our connectivity is spotty at best, here in the campground!

So….if you read my blog on a regular basis, you probably know that I sometimes refer to deer in the yard as “lawn ornaments”.  At times, they appear that way as they seem so comfortable grazing and making themselves at home in close proximity of the house. That’s in the Bristolwood.

But.

Take a look at this!

Mark spotted (haha, pun intended!)  this duo resting peaceably in front of a nice house.  In looking a bit more closely, it seems the little one on the right was actually nibbling at the decorative evergreen conveniently situated next to it!

We went a short distance and saw a pretty doe. It would seem she is getting educated!

Of course, there was the one deer who did not want to be photographed! Ever see a deer blow raspberries?

Yes, that is pretty redical, then!  After this disrespectful show, she went to work doing her lawn mowing….A car with an out of state plate on it came up and did something I had never seen before! An arm came out the window and the deer walked right up and ate out of the hand.  The car was behind us and I missed it, but Mark said it seemed so strange.  One thing that really made me wonder, though….with all this interraction going on between the humans and deer…I wonder if Lyme Disease is present in this area?

Mark always enjoys looking for little outings while we are off on our excursions.  We found what sounded like a fun little trip-a short, little-more-than-an-hour train ride from Thendara Station!  Thendara Station is located in the Adirondacks, just a stone’s throw from Old Forge.

Shortly after the train began to move along, we met up with some interesting characters.  A woman known as Poker Alice introduced herself and began to humor riders with her stories.   She was from the “west” and dressed as a “cowgirl”.  As she walked along the aisle, she kept stopping to inquire “where is the rest of your hat?” to men wearing baseball caps. (as opposed to her cowboy style hat) She just could not understand what happened to the brim of the hats…mor why they were turned “down”.  This got lots of giggles. 

After meeting Poker Alice, we met another western woman named Miss Sally. 

Poker Alice returned a little later, telling us she had an intuition that something was up…..she had heard there were train robbers around the area and, well….she had a “feeling”.  And, after traveling only a short distance,  Poker Alice’s intuition was 100% correct!  Not only were gunshots heard outside the train, but the train stopped and…..

Ayup, the robbers were amongst us! (Don’t worry….they weren’t the sharpest pencils in the drawer!)

Well, these train robbers seemed of little consequence **until** this fellow began to try to romance our Michelle!!!!

AND,

the scoundrel assures her with a wink, he will be back for her!  Argh!

Finally, Poker Alice uses some persuasion to get these seedy characters away from our car.

But trouble was still brewing outside the train….

While the robbers inside the train were annoying riders in another car, Poker Alice handed out government money, thinking these robbers would be content with that money and wouldn’t require anyone’s hard-earned cash!

A little later, we met yet another woman,  Miss Annie Oakley!

The ladies assured us we were all in good hands!

We meet yet another young lady named Miss Felicity…..who is a mail order bride.  And, just look who ordered her!

Oh my!  Later, Miss Sally reveals the truth to Miss Felicity….

A short time later, the robbers return with a most unlikely bandit…..

Okay,  I have set the scene for our ride and now,  I will just let my photos tell the story.  Enjoy!

(ummm, excuse the horse….)

You can only imagine how LOUD this shootout was!

Before Michelle’s suitor got into the gunfight, he had given her a spent 45 caliber bullet….

 What a fun way to spend a drizzly wet day this was! The actors were great, engaging the train passengers along the way, and this was just pure fun!

We are currently camping amongst a forest of beautiful pine trees! It is so serene….so beautiful…and the scent of the pines is refreshing!

It would be nice if the internet offered “smellavision”, but I think pine trees can be found in nearly every area of the world…

Everyone got up early this morning and we headed out the door, as we had an adventure planned. Mark was in the truck….Michelle got in. I was locking the camper door when something caught my eye!

As you can see, these birds were not the least bit intimidated nor frightened by my presence!  What a radical difference from our wild turkeys in the Bristolwood!

with a minor temporary upset. (Which I shall address later!)

We all got up up and began to prepare for another adventure yesterday morning.  We decided another jaunt toward the Adirondacks would be fun as it has been four years since last we were  there.

Since we were heading east, we would stop at the college so the kids could pick up their textbooks at the bookstore.  After that, well, how could we pass by Geneva without stopping at Belhurst Castle once again?

We were blessed with some blue skies instead of gray, rainy ones!

Mark reserved our seating in the conservatory this time…

It is so hard to imagine a family was so wealthy as to build such an elaborate place as Belhurst! Everything is so beautiful!

The food was once again memorable! The soup above was Creamy Garden Vegetable with Roasted Garlic and Chablis.  It was so tasty….I need to find a similar recipe!

Our view from the table was as wonderful as the food!

You might notice the cloudy window-a testament to our rather wet and dreary weather of late!

As we made our way back to the truck and camper,  I caught sight of this amazing fireplace….

The intricately carved wood and mosaic surely did catch my eye!  This is in the entrance hall where the lunch buffet, served 11am to 2pm is served each day, is located.  I happened to note the fireplace as I was getting my food.

We wandered back to the truck and camper.  I was going to snap a photo of them but Michelle was in the way!  When I asked her to move, she struck a pose and waited!  Ugh…

As we made our way toward our destination, I felt uncomfortable.  Not given to over-eating, I felt as though I had eaten an entire cow!  My stomach grew more and more uncomfortable as we progressed. I never even feel uncomfortable after meals at Thanksgiving or Christmas…..this was so unusual!

We finally reached Lewis County…our destination!  This is the land of a huge windfarm!  From information I received,  I found Lewis County’s windfarm is comprised of 195 generators!  It is called the largest windfarm in the US east of the Mississippi.

This generator was situated just so that it looked like we were going to drive right into it!

We arrived at the state park where we are staying at about 6pm. We set up the camper, then Mark and the kids took off to shop for a little while. I decided to stay behind to clean up the camper a little, but as I moved about, my stomach grew even more painful!  Yes, I was almost to the point that I was nervous I might have to go to the hospital, I was in so much pain.

Realizing cleaning was not totally necessary,  I thought perhaps I should lie down on the bed for awhile.  Trying to find a comfortable position was futile. I finally stretched out and just tried to relax.  After about an hour, I finally felt the pain beginning to subside!  Hurrah!  I was so thirsty, my mouth felt as though it was turning inside out, but I decided I would rather go to bed thirsty than to risk making my stomach ache all over again!

The good news is that when I awakened this morning,  I was fine.  My stomach was still a bit “funny”, but I was okay.

We are camping at a park located not too far from the Adirondacks.  I love this region because it is so wooded and somewhat rustic. 

More adventures to follow!

you might be wondering where I have been these last few days….

It has been FAR too hectic here.  Seems like one thing after the other!  I began painting the porch but we have been having some major rain here that, well, would literally wash the paint right off! I think we have had about three inches of rain in the past two days. That is a lot of rain!

Mark also thought it might be nice to take another camping journey before the kids start school, so that has been in the offing as well. 

Add to that the million little things that are done in a day and life has been full to overflowing. 

I would show you a picture of the “fancy” part of the porch railing I painted, but my camera is packed away. I am currently lying on my bed…sans my pillow. That too, is packed.  It seems many of the daily necessitites have been whisked away and I am too tired to trudge down to get them.  Poor, poor, pitiful me! 

Stay tuned…I shall return!  Just not so sure when. Or where!

Oh my, what a birthday! My mom called early this morning to see if we might be coming to visit them today. I wasn’t sure, but after talking to Mark, we decided that would be fun.  We left home this morning and were on our way.

When we arrived at my parents’ home, we sat and talked in the back yard for a long time.  It is always so fun to walk around the yard as there is always something in bloom. We had fun talking until it was time to head to the Rod and Gun Club for dinner.  Yay! My birthday was on a Friday this year, so that meant we could enjoy a fish fry!

As always, dinner at the Rod and Gun Club was outstanding! We have never been disappointed by their food or service! After dinner, my brother, Randy, rode home with Mark and the kids. I went with my parents. We stopped at Coldstone Creamery where my parents told me to pick out an ice cream cake!  I picked a Cookie Dough Delirium Cake. 

 Mom, Dad, and I went home and we waited for over an hour before Mark, Randy, and the kids finally got home.  Randy had bought a small screenroom so I thought we should eat outside in the screenroom. After dinner,  Mark  and the kids had me open gifts they bought me at the dollar store. By this time, things were getting pretty silly! Mark told me about a gift he wanted to get me but he wants me to pick out what I want.

As we sat at the table,  I removed my temporary tooth because, well, the thing just outright drives me buggy! This sent my mother into waves of laughter, which in turn made me nearly crack, laughing hysterically.  Everyone else thought my mom and I were crazy, but oh, what fun we had laughing! After the ice cream, I began to feel chilly, so I thought maybe the tissue paper from my gift bag might insulate me, taking away the chill…..

Michelle really got into the action, stuffing tissue paper inside my sleeves and fashioning  a hood for me! The bright yellow thing in my hand is a duck keyring.  It has a push button on it that when activated, makes the little duck cast a bright light and it “quaxks”! It is so cute.

We didn’t leave until after 10pm.  I am bloging remotely, via the wee netbook. What a long and terrific day!