Life in the Bristolwood

Believe it or not, I am still looking through the SD cards from our trip to Lewis County.  I seems like every time I think I have gleaned them and cleaned them up, I find yet another photo I missed previously!

Such was the case of a night shot taken in Watertown the night we were returning from our afternoon in Alexandria Bay. We stopped in a parking lot while Mark worked on routing our way back to the campground.  The moon was so cool, shining up in the sky.  I just had to try to snap a good shot from the truck window!  Of course,  I had no tripod, monopod, or other pod!  Only my hands to hold the camera! 

This is one of those photos that needs to be enlarged to fully see all that is going on! Enjoy!

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!

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?

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!

I definitely need to upload all the photos from my Nikon and be done with them!

In the meantime,  I will offer some photos from our time spent at Darien Lake State Park.  We have been staying at this park for Kingdom Bound for four years.  We were so surprised this year when we arrived.  While New Yorkers have been threatened with park closures due to financial woes,  this park has gotten quite the makeover!  There are nice paved roads leading to the campground and everything just looks so great!  The swimming area at the park was closed last year,but  this year the beach was alive with sun-worshippers!

The first night camping,  Michelle called for me to come have a look at Murphy.  My goodness, the laddie was having a wee nightcap!  As you can see,  poor little pitiful Murphy was not the least bit humored!

My Nikon camera sat idle in the camper most of the time we were at Kingdom Bound, as I just didn’t want to risk breaking anything while traipsing about. With the heat in “broil” mode,  some days I felt it was a great effort just to make myself move,  let alone carry the camera bag!  I did take a few walks with the Nikon and it got used then.

The day we returned, (last Friday) the kids went to a party at Penn Yan.  Mark and I drove around Keuka Lake a bit.  Keuka is one of the Finger Lakes and there are some beautiful views to be seen!  We parked the truck near the lake for awhile and it was so beautiful the way the sun’s rays filtered through the clouds,  creating golden tones of shimmering reflections on the lake below!

A few years ago, I bought some Calendula seeds to plant around the house in my gardens.  The sad fact is, the emerging little plants looked so “weedlike” ,  I yanked them all out!  Well, my parents brought all sorts of seeds last fall for me to plant.   I threw many Calendula seeds on top of the cedar mulch in front of the house, and sure enough, the plants grew!

How could anyone ever feel downhearted with those gorgeoussunny little faces staring up?

I think that does it with the photos I’ve been “hoarding”!

This morning, we got up and began packing the truck and camper to leave our little “home” for the past few days.  The kids and I scurried about, as the skies grew more and more threatening as time passed.

Everything secured, we pulled out just as the monsoons rain arrived.  This wasn’t a gentle little spritz, either, but a downpour!  I had a feeling the rain we would get would come in torrents, as the heat we experienced came with intense humidity.  How long could the atmosphere hold all that moisture without spilling over?

The rain continued as we arrived at the arena to watch the Sabres Development Camp.  I sat in the rather chilly rink in my rain-doused skirt and sweatshirt, shivering!  The event for the day was a game and it was fabulous to observe. Mark noted several players he is thinking we will be seeing on the team and for the third year in a row, we were totally awed by Nathan Gerbe.  What he lacks in height, he makes up for in skill and speed!  We are sure he must have turbo-chargers in his skates!

We left the rink and began to head for home, stopping to get food and gas.  The kids were so happy to be going home and I really didn’t mind so much, either, as the temperature was at least 25 or 30 degrees cooler than the previous three days! 

We are home and I am so exhausted. Mark (finally) admitted once we were home that the hot weather really seemed to take a toll on all of us!  Hmmmm……

We aren’t in Kansas but it feels like we are in the desert! Mark said on the news last night,  they told us we are experiencing a “heat wave”.  Gee, do you suppose we could have surmised that on our own?  The thermometer in the truck has been reading anywhere in the 90′s to 108 degrees.  That is *hot*.  Too hot. Even my summer-loving friends have been crying uncle in this little “spell”.

I won’t even begin to tell what has happened to my usual demeanor.  Okay, so if you truly must know, think “dragon lady”……fire-breathing and all! Yes. I.am.miserable.

Well, the great news (that goes above and beyond just plain old “good”) is that we have been living in our little camper the past few days.  The reason that is good is because the little camper is air conditioned! 

It is that time of the year when we make the annual journey toward Buffalo for Sabres Development Camp.  We get to see all the young Sabres prospects working on the ice.  Even more, this year, we get to enjoy the fantastic cool temperature inside the ice rink!  Believe me, it is fantastic!

If there is any downside to the camp, it is that the workout on ice is only an hour and a half or two.  Now, if we could sit and watch these fellows play for maybe four or five hours….

Yesterday, we took Ben and Michelle to the Fort Niagara State Park where they went swimming in an awesome pool.  There is also a pool dedicated to waterslides, so they could have even more fun in the sun and  it is a short distance from the campground where we are staying. While the kids enjoyed their time splashing in the pool,  Mark and I went for a ride. 

We wound up in Youngstown, which is just “down the street” from the fort.  I took a few photos there, but they look a bit junky as it is so hazy, everything looks blurry and out of focus!

The yachts above are located at the Youngstown Yacht Club, which is located right next to one of the sweetest public launches I’ve seen.

This is a beautiful little park. Amazing and beautiful!

That land on the other side of the water (only a few hundred yards) is Canada! Mark has come to the conclusion that perhaps we need to get the enhance drivers’ licenses so we can travel across the bridges.  We kind of miss going on over to Canada!

Here are just three shots from the Sabres camp. 

And in closing, here is a shot of Sabretooth, the Buffalo Sabres Mascot.  Sabretooth was kind enough to pose just for me!

I hope the weather isn’t so incredibly hot where you are!  And, if it is, please stay cool! I will!

Oh, and as far as Dorothy is concerned, home is NOT where I want to be right now.  The air conditioned trailer is so pleasant.  we get the added bonus of lake breezes, too, as the campground is on the shores of Lake Ontario.

Wow….I cannot believe this week is coming to a close! It seems like we were just camping and having fun yesterday!

And that reminds me that I had just a few more photos to show from that adventure.

On Monday morning, we got up early and headed for Bradford, Pennsylvania.  Bradford is only a few miles from the park where we were staying and Mark and Randy wanted to visit the Zippo Lighter and Case Knife Museum.  Bradford is the home of both Zippo Lighters and Case Knives….Zippo acquired the Case company, so both companies are housed in one museum.  There is also a gift shop located there.

When we arrived at the museum,  one of the first things we saw was a 1947 Chrysler that was used to advertise the “windproof Zippo lighter”.  This isn’t the original auto,  but a replica of the one that was driven all over the United States to advertise the lighters.

With the great hazzards of smoking being made so public, I suppose the Zippo facility is seeing fewer visitors.  Then again, maybe not.  The company offers many special lighters that are treasures amongst collectors.  Because of the proximity to the Seneca Nation where Native Americans can sell cigarettes without all the taxes, perhaps smokers are drawn to the museum.

The museum contains many interesting documents and such…there are letters from veterans who lost their lighters during the wars,  letters from people who mangled their lighters in accidents such as hitting one with the lawn mower or running one through an ice crushing machine.  There are also hundreds if not thousands of lighters displayed. One of the first displays is a huge American flag formed from hundreds of lighters.

The Case Knives were also interesting. There are so many varieties and colors.  I was amazed at the extensive uses for all the different knives.  As with the lighters,  there were many collectibles displayed throughout the museum.

We also visited a few stores in Bradford and just enjoyed the day.  It was very hot, but we had fun just taking our time looking about.

Of course, I loved the Welsome to Pennsylvania signs and the informative sign located nearby….

Yes sir, if I could have my “druthers”, I would be living in Pennsylvania.  I love that state. No particular reason. No, there are many particular reasons!  As I looked at that last sign,  I couldn’t help but think of my mother’s ancestor who surveyed for William Penn.  How exciting is that?

As I thought about the above, my Great Aunt Vera came to my mind.  Vera was my special aunt. She had a terrible humped back and stood not much more than four feet tall.  I suppose such a defect would be diagnosed and corrected nowdays, but being tiny to begin with made my great aunt even more special!  Vera had worked as a courtroom stenographer for many years and never married.  She lived in the house that her father built for the family.  She also had a cabin in the woods…at SB Elliot State Park.  That cabin is where I learned a great love for the woods. Memories are so rampant and plentiful. All pleasant and all happy!

Okay, so back to reality!  We came home on Monday and Tuesday was spent just relaxing after all the busyness associated with returning home from camping.  Wednesday was *the* day….Mark had an appointment with the dentist and so did I.

Mark was the more fortunate of the two of us; he was going for a cleaning whereas I was going to have my tooth pulled!

The dentist was gracious, giving me novacaine in every strategic area he could.  He worked on my tooth for quite a while.  As suspected, the root ofthe tooth was cracked and that is why the area above the tooth never seemed to get over being infected. A great deal of exertion was necessary to get the root out, but my dentist is fantastic.  I was actually laughing during the process!

After the root was removed, the dentist filled the hole left behind with a special mix of sterilized bone fragments and material to encourage bone growth.  This process felt like he was jamming the mix into my head, but thankfully, he worked quickly!  The next step was what bothered me the most….stitching the mess up! Something about the thread brushing my nose and face just really unnerved me.  Once again, the dentist worked with speed and confidence that made it seem more bearable!

As I left the office, I was given an instruction sheet on how to care for my wound.  I now left with a sweet little plastic partial that made it impossible to tell I had anything done!

The plastic tooth is the third from the left on top….if you look closely, you can see black stitches! My little partial and I will be together for the next 4 to 6 months, depending on how rapidly I heal.  Modern dentistry is amazing.  As I left, the girls told me to take some ibuprophen as soon as I got home.

 I took the medicine and as the novacaine wore off, I thought I could feel pain. Mark wanted to go to Canandaigua after the appointment and after giving it some thought,  I decided to go, thinking diversion would distract me from the pain. The good news is, there was no pain. None.

As I was feeding bottles and cans into the loud recycle machine at Wegmans,  there was some shaking caused by a 5.5 earthquake located in Canada!  I never felt a thing, but I was busy moving around, grabbing items to feed into the machine.  I know many people nearby did indeed feel the earth move.

I spent today just lying low. I was told to take it easy the first 24 hours to help the healing process.  I did manage to eat some chicken salad on a snadwich thin….I cut it into tiny pieces and used my molars on the left side to eat.  After a while, I did wander down to the grocery store and bought some vanilla ice cream. That was much easier to eat!

Phew. What a week, indeed!

Somehow yesterday turned into today! I had planned to retire early tonight, but, it just didn’t happen.

As I was writing the last entry,  my brain felt like mush, trying to remember little things and all.  I talked about Mom, Mark, and the kids playing Apples to Apples.  Well, I forgot one player!

As Michelle sat playing the game, she picked up little Fritz and began using the most comical voices to speak for Fritz! It was so cute and in all honesty, I rather think the little fellow was eating it up and enjoying the game!

Here is a photo of the gang playing the game.  Mark is on the end looking like a displaced biker with the dew rag, but he was actually using the covering to deter bugs.

What an amazing and fun afternoon this was!

We left our house last Friday, midday.  We made plans to visit with my parents  at the rod and gun club they belong to after we unhitched our camper at Allegany State Park.  We scurried and hurried and were able to meet my parents for a tasty fish fry.

After we finished eating, we went shopping for a bit and then went to my parents’ home.  It is always a treat to visit their house because there are always beautiful flowers everywhere!  I love looking at all the blooms.  I used the cell’s camera to capture some of the beautiful flowers….

I love this photo of the Mock Orange flower.  The flowers are so white and beautifully formed!

Of course, little Fritz found Michelle most accommodating when he wanted to snuggle up with her!

My mom disappeared for a little while and returned with a gorgeous wood carving Randy made. It was so petty!

We went back to our campsite and fell into bed with plans to leave again early in the morning.  Mark had plans to go shopping in Erie, PA.  We stopped long enough to pick Randy up and we were off and on our way! Our Saturday shopping excursion turned into a sauna!  The heat and humidity were so high that day, we took turns waiting in the truck with Angus and Murphy.  They were entertained by styrofoam cups from McDonald’s, and were, in turn, very entertaining!

Angus perforated one cup, trying to get to the bottom of things for a drink of water!

Eww….look at all the hair on the side of the cup!  Yuck! Murphy took his water more gracefully,  making me tilt the cup so he could drink.

We managed to stay hydrated and fit.  After our shopping spree, we called home and Mom said to come on home and she would make dinner!  We had steaks on the grill along with a stir fry and salad.  We ate outside and the food was delicious!

We left to go back to the campsite when we asked if Randy wanted to come along.  Ben has a big tent which easily houses a few campers so Randy came along.  Ben had brought some electronics and he and Randy played games until late! 

Sunday was Father’s Day here in the US, so we planned to grill a meal at the camp.  Mark made some chicken that was tasty and delicious.  My parents visited with us and we thoroughly enjoyed our surroundings!  There were very few campers near us, giving us the feeling of owning the whole woods!  Our lot was very deep with a beautiful little creek behind it.

Take note of that sweet little stream for later….

Mom, Mark, and the kids all played a game of Apples to Apples and laughed and giggled, having a good time.  When it was time to go back home,  my parents were a bit reluctant….it was such a pleasant day!  Randy stayed on and on Monday, we took another little excursion.  I will post about that later.

After Mom and Dad left the campground,  we built a nice little fire and I sat outside by myself, enjoying the quiet.  I think everyone loves just sitting around a campfire and this one felt so warm and cozy, I didn’t want to leave!  I sat, watching the flames moving about and daydreamed about the woods.

I turned around, looking at the camper with its lights on inside. Even it seemed to emit a cozy glow.

Ah, life was good.  It was as I was turning back to the fire that I noticed something moving across the property.  Oh my!  A fat little raccoon was making its way along….I called out to it to “scram!”  and wondered what I might do if the little nocturnal marauder might make its way towards me!

I slowly got up from my chair,  easing my way back to the camper.  Mark asked who I was talking to and when I told him there was a coon outside, he thought I had really lost it.  You were talking to the coon instead of scrambling inside?

Well, thought I, raccoons are known for washing their food before eating!  Perhaps it was *I* who was the intruder, after all. That little coon is a permanent resident, while I was there only temporarily….invading his space and his creek!  It matters not…all ended well!