Having noted the winter conditions at Lewis County, we were advised that winter weekends can be horrific, as people travel from far and wide to the Tug Hill Plateau with their snowmobiles in tow.  We were told if we ever think about snowmobiling there,  it is best done during the week after all the “city hillbillies” have returned home.

The photos I took might not all be at Lewis County, as we did some traveling elsewhere during our visit. These are some of my favorites and believe me, they probably will make no sense at all!

An odd assortment of photos, I know, but some that I rather liked. Funny thing is, while looking over my photos, I found a series of a day trip we took I had forgotten about!  More on that tomorrow!

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!

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.

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!

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!

The kids said they didn’t need to go with us, but how could we leave them out?  Mark called and made reservations.

Not having any idea what to expect when we arrived, we were glad to see formal dress was not required.  We made our way inside….

I love this huge arched window looking out toward West Lake Road.  Even though the parking lot is located not far away, the view remains scenic!

A menu greeted us….I thought it was so nice that one could see the entire menu before being seated. Mark then told me this was the fare of the day for the buffet!

Because the Finger Lakes of New York State are famous for grapes, there are many wineries and micro-wineries located along all of the lakes.  And, of course,  many of the items listed on the buffet were prepared with wine.

If you enlarge the architect’s drawing below of the main floor, you can see how everything is laid out. We were first seated in the reception room, but when we saw the veranda with all of its windows overlooking Seneca Lake,  we asked if we might move out there.  Our waitress lead Mark to the room while I gathered up my camera bag and purse.  It looked like a no-go as there was a step between the entrance hall and the veranda.  Mark was about to turn around when another waitress suggested using the ramp they use for their ice cart.  Someone brought it right over and Mark was able to wheel down the small ramp to the veranda!  This place earned a *huge* plus for their accommodating nature! 

Before I left the table at the reception room,  I had to take a photo of the ornate carving in the wood!  Isn’t this beautiful?

Because we arrived early at the castle,  the tables were still not totally occupied and I was able to get a shot of the veranda….

There was a couple seated across from our table when we were seated.  By the time we left, the entire area was packed.

While we were leaving,  Mark told me to look over to our left at the conservatory. Wow! It was so pretty. I was trying to move along quickly-I was told I could photograph freely, but I kept getting in the way of waters and waitresses and customers! Oops!

This article from The New York Times, dated December, 1985, hangs on one of the walls.

If you read that article, you would note that the writer suggested the food was less than great, but that was, well, back *then*!   Now?  Well, let me ust say we ate ourselves silly!  While we typically like “homestyle” cooking,  the food at the castle was amazing!  Mark commented on the “many layers” of flavor and I think that would best describe the food.  We left very filled, very happy, and feeling quite smug.  The price for the luncheon buffet is a mere $9.99 per person.  This is an unbelieveable value!

As we left, the waitress called out she hopes to see us again.  I assured her she will!  I never dreamed that such an “upscale” place would serve such “bargain” lunches!  (I am drooling all over again, reminiscing about the delightful open-face prime rib sandwich and the three onion sirloin with chianti and toasted orzo soup! Oh, those were so tasty. But so was the braised summer squash with tomatoes.  As were the blue cheese red skinned mashed potatoes! The salad bar was so fresh, I wondered if there was a garden on the premises!  Oh my, I am hungry once again….

Along the way out, we passed through the gift shop.  Since we don’t serve wine, we didn’t look much, but I did notice some nice-looking cheeses. Hmm.

Outside the gift shop, Mr. Man O’ Luxury, AKA “Ben”, enjoyed sipping some tea…

Seneca Lake and the Belhurst Castle grounds….

Ben grabbed my camera and took a photo of Mark and me. Then he began to take MORE photos as he rolled on the ground, imitating the paparazzi!  I nearly fell on my face laughing until I realized he was rolling on the ground with my NIKON!!!!

At the edge of lawn is a deep drop off and below lies railroad tracks!  Just a short few steps from the tracks is Seneca Lake!  Belhurst has a dock located there so folks can also reach them by boat!

And, before leaving the grounds, I just had to photograph a bit of thistle to add some “Scotch” to our adventure!

Mark and I have decided….we WILL be going back her again. And again!

Yesterday,  Mark drove his mom to a doctor appointment. When this was done,  I asked Mark if I might be able to visit with Eunice.  We drove over to the Ronald McDonald House where Eunice is staying. I found her there and she invited me into her room to visit.

Through a miscommunication, Mark thought I was going to call when I was done visiting, whereas I had asked that he call me after about an hour and I would leave.  As it was, Mark was awaiting my call!  So, in the end, Eunice and I visited for about two and a half hours!

Mark finally did call and when several family members arrived,  I took my leave!  I had to wait a few minutes for Mark and the kids to come pick me up, so I walked around the Ronald McDonald House grounds a little.  This house is for parents and family to stay when a child is in the hospital.  Most of the children are in pretty serious condition and so the house offers a pretty setting, even though it is located in the city.

What a great alternative this house offers to parents.  It is much nicer than staying in an expensive hotel room and people may interract if they would like.  The house offers refrigerator space,  pantry space,  a cooking and baking area, and also a nice library.   Eunice told me they also offer dinners (food donated by local grocers and warehouse club) that are cooked by various churches and other organizations.  What a comfort to suffering families!

I ask that if you are inclined, please lift Eunice, Noah, Chris, and little Susanna up in your prayers!  Susanna happened to have surgery yesterday and although Eunice was told everything went well,  I know this is so stressful for the family.

On our way home, we saw some incredibly beautiful skies!

T’was a bit of a struggle photographing the sky through the rear window of the truck traveling about sixty miles per hour….using the camera on my cell phone!  Ah well, you get the idea!

The Fiddler’s Fair usually falls within a few days of my birthday, (the third weekend in August) but this year, it was held the second weekend of August.  Carly and I enjoyed this fair so much that even though the memories of Philip have faded,  we do thank him for introducing us to this rich and amazing festival!

This year, Carly asked if we would like to meet at the fair, since she and Erin would be attending.  She had planned to meet up with one of her friends there as well. As it worked out,  we spent a very pleasant day just wandering about, taking in many lovely scenes while listening to pleasant strains!

I didn’t carry the Nikon camera around with me, simply because the weather was miserable at the beinning of our day.  The rain would drizzle down awhile, then stop.  This forced us to carry umbrellas and with everything else, I just wanted to skip as much “stuff” as possible!  After the weather decided to clear and be nice,  the humidity increased to the point where I just wanted to scream!  It was like living inside a terrarium….

I will just take you on a little tour of the grounds.  Enjoy!

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 is a (very, very rowdy!!!!) group by the name of Skillet.  The kids were all so excited about hearing this group  the elderly; well….not so much!  Can you say LOUD?  Well, perhaps it didn’t help we were sitting far too close to twelve speakers. Prepare for the following photos, including pyrotechnics!

I gotta hand it to Panasonic. That little point and shoot captured movement incredibly well!  I was amazed at the results.  Believe me when I say this group is very high energy. They are described as “hard rock”,  “industrial rock”, and “symphonic rock”.

Yes, violin and cello as I have never heard it before, including elevated!

The last song…..

And the encore.

Wow. This concert certainly made me feel alive!

Before the Skillet show, we did see a (much, much milder) group from Canada called Down Here.  It was so hot, I only got a photo of the lead singer, not wanting to even leave my seat!

We also saw and loved (as always) from New Zealand, Phil Joel.  Phil told the audience that for the last year and a half,  he had been working on a “special project”; and, in June this year, he became an American citizen.

We also enjoyed Reggie Dabbs. What a powerful speaker Reggie is, indeed! He was accompanied by a group of young actors and actresses from Oklahoma. Their presentation was so intense, I didn’t take any photos at all.

All in all, a rather remarkable Tuesday!  Tonight is Toby Mac on the big stage.  Toby always packs the house and give a very high energy performance.  This is the day when the kids get all melancholy and recall all the events they have taken in.  This is the last day of Kingdom Bound…..