Life in the Bristolwood

I am still trying to recouperate from our little vacation.  We weren’t gone that long, but it was a bit of a touch and go trip home on Sunday. 

We had a wheel bearing go on the front right wheel on Saturday. Mark thought about going to a Chevy garage that was open until 6pm on Saturday, but decided he would like to try to do the job himself.  Ben was willing to help out and Mark thought it would be doable.

We hitched up on Sunday morning and went to the Sabres Development Camp. We really enjoyed watching the young prospects drill and then scrimmage on Saturday and Sunday.  We have been attending these camps for a few years now and have seen several players become Buffalo Sabres. 

After the camp, we began our very slow way home.  We would drive about 30 miles or so, then stop to allow the wheel to cool off.  It took hours to get home, but we were so thankful to arrive safely. 

Yesterday, the temperatures soared into the 90′s, making me totally miserable. Mark’s mother had a doctor’s appointment in Rochester at 9:30am, so Mark and I were off early in the morning, once again praying the wheel wouldn’t let loose. We took my mother-in-law to her appointment, then picked up the parts and tools we needed to fix the wheel bearing.  Thankfully, our faithful truck brought us safely home once again.

At this point, I must add that the Explorer is at the Ford garage, getting nearly $1500. in repairs.  I am of the mindset that we should put it up for sale right away and get something with good gas efficiency.  We will see.  The Explorer is a 2002 model and although it has low milage, it is getting old.  We will be doing some driving when Michelle begins RIT, so it would be good to have a sipping versus guzzling vehicle.

Today was another blazing hot day, although tonight, it is beginning to cool to the point that it is getting comfortable. Mark and Ben began working on the hub today, but parts seem quite fused together.  Mark cannot work for long periods of time, so they worked for just a few hours and quit.  Mark is searching for info on how to remove the hub and I just pray he finds a good answer.  With all this vehicle mess,  it would be quite pricey to have two vehicles getting repaired!

Well, enough of that.  I am not going to stress over things that I cannot control!

So, let me tell you about Lewiston!

As we were leaving our campground on Sunday, we realized we were really early, so Mark took the Lewiston exit.  I was happy to poke around, as the last time we were there, it was raining. A lot! 

Lewiston is referred to as “Historic Lewiston”.  It is a beautiful little community with beautiful little shops lining the main street.  Flowers adorn the lamp posts and there is a sense of a very old community. The buildings have a look of antiquity and were it not an early Sunday morning,  I would have gladly slipped inside the shops to have a look….they are quite inviting! Why I didn’t take a photo is beyond me, except for the fact that we were pulling the trailer behind us and together, the truck and trailer are about 50 feet long…makes for some interesting parking!

Mark drove around and stopped in a large parking area….right near one of my favorite statues…the Freedom Crossing Memorial. I blogged about this previously.

Just beyond this memorial was a set of stairs.  Well, curiosity got the better of me, and I hopped off in that direction.  I went down….and down….and down some more!  When I arrived at the bottom,  I was on a driveway/walkway just above the level of the lower Niagara River.  Oh, this was beautiful!

I walked along, meeting up with the Harbor Manager (I know that is the wrong name…I just cannot remember what the title was that was embroidered on his shirt.) What drew me was this…

This is The Black Pearl and cruises are available! I would love to go there and spend the day….the price of a one hour cruise is $35 per person…three hours is $75 per person.  The boat has diesel engines to get it moving up and down the river, but I was told that once it hits the lake,  it becomes full sails, a beautiful replica of a 1600′s ship. Wow, the directions my mind could go with that!!!

I spent considerable time looking around and talking to the Harbor man and another man.  They told me the fishing for Muskies is excellent there.  They said folks who fish there never divulge how big their fish caught were nor where they were fishing.  Hmm….They also said hardly anyone fishes there as they just don’t even know about this.

I suddenly became aware that I had many, many stairs to climb to get back to my family who might just be wondering where I was!  There was no way I was going to race up those stairs and I did notice a little addition off to one side with a bench…I thought perhaps they kindly put it there for folks who felt like they were going to drop from all that stair-climbing!

Since the family didn’t seem to be paying any attention to my winded self, I walked on over to see a restaurant that overlooks the water below.  It is an interesting shape and I just wanted a closer look.

As I snapped a photo of the restaurant menu, (wow! Who ever would have mounted their menu on a story board in front!!! What an awesome idea!) the man who founded the restaurant came over and talked my ear off!

I learned the history of the restaurant as well as how it came into being!  The restaurant was actually a coal silo that held coal for the steamships that used to travel the river.  After steam engines were replaced, the silo sat vacant for years and years.  While relatives from Minnesota were visiting with the man I spoke to,  they observed the silo from the Canadian side of the river.  They commented what a perfect day it was and the man said the only way it could be better was with an ice cream.  The relative pointed to the silo and told the man he should consider turning it into an ice cream parlor. And that is the condensed version.

The silo is leased from the town of Lewiston and the man’s son now operates the business.  He added a patio and outdoor picnic tables along with flowers and pretty landscaping.  ( I was told the view here in the autumn is absolutlely breathtaking…umm….one would NOT have to sway me…I believe it!)

The ice cream parlor (proper) was moved from the silo to an 1860′s Canadian Railway caboose.  The man explained that it took years to convince the town to approve the addition of the caboose.

Oh, by the way…that white house across the river?  It was owned by Tom Selleck at one time.

Wow, I learned so much from listening to this fellow! He was like a walking encyclopedia!  Oh, and by the way…the shape of the restaurant resembles a minaret mosque…the man lived in Istanbul, Turkey, for some 15 years!

I can’t believe I remembered so much of the conversation, but I do want to visit this restaurant.  It was given a high rating by a Buffalo food critic (the fellow chuckled, saying she critiqued the atmosphere, the owner and his wife, the setting…everything, but never once mentioned the FOOD!).  It also was featured on the show Man vs Food.

When Mark looked at the pricing, he was impressed.  He said too bad we were leaving town….this would have been an awesome place to take the kids for lunch!

Okay, so that’s it for Lewiston. (I think I oughta get paid for this! Or, at least get ONE of the vehicles fixed for free!!!)

I have no idea why I am so enamored with the eagle down in Woodville.  I think about it all the time and every time I see an eagle (there is probably more than one that roosts in that tree, I would think) it is as though I have never seen one before.

Yesterday, Michelle and I went kayaking in the morning.  The sky was a tad dark…almost “colorless”,  and I hoped we could paddle awhile any rain might come. Michelle hadn’t tried out the new kayak yet, and we wanted her opinion.  My own opinion is that the new kayak is much easier to paddle. It goes through the water much smoother and faster. When Ben tried the kayak the night before,  he also was sold!

Michelle convinced me to inflate the little yellow kayak Iwould be using (believe me, it was hard going back to the inflatable!!!) before we left home.  One yellow kayak and the new one easily fit into the back of the pickup truck with only about three feet hanging over the tailgate.  We arrived at the launch and there was an eagle…sitting in the tree once again!

I was so happy to paddle over to the eagle…unfortunately,  the lighting was miserable, but I took  lots of photos anyway!

Michelle and I decided to cross the lake over to the other side where there is a lagoon.  We paddled over the mouth of the west river and to the lagoon where the water was so calm!

I asked Michelle what she thought about the new kayak and she said it was “okay”.  When I turned around to talk to her,  Michelle was off in some greenery, trying out the  new kayak’s maneuverability.  Yeah, Michelle….the new kayak is okay, indeed!  Truth be told,  although we loved the inflatables,  their bottom is much flatter than the new kayak.  When we paddled over seaweed and plants,  the yellow kayaks would balk and complain about continuing on.  The new kayak glides right along with each stroke!  One funny thing that happened was that once we were petty far out in the lake,  Michelle said the new kayak was leaking! I looked at her and asked if there was water visibly coming into the boat.  After she said “no”,  I told her that as that new kayak breaks through the water, it makes a noise like running water!  She then confirmed that was the case!

Even though she never said so, I think Michelle was impressed!

Michelle called me over to take a photo of what she called “ a natural bouquet”.  Tiny Forget-Me-Nots seemed to appear from nowhere at the base of some pretty wild irises, mixed in with greenery.  Michelle was right…it was very pretty!

We lingered on a bit, just enjoying the tranqility and nice surroundings. We finallybegan heading back, but before we left, we went over to admire the majestic eagle just one more time. 

When we got home, it was time for Mark, Ben, and I to be off and running on a myriad of errands.  We were out for much of the  day and by the time we got back home, we were all tired!

This morning, the phone rang early and Carly asked if we might want to get together. She and the girls came down and the kids played in the pool until we called them out for a late lunch. I’m not sure if we were starving, or if the food was truly that good, but everything was delicious! Carly cooked chicken on the grill to perfection!  I had made a bean salad and Carly brought down some fresh loaves of bread.  She grilled some asparagus and it was awesome, too! Everyone ate well…the kids must have been very hungry!

I was happy when lunch was done and I could bring out dessert….

I had made a pumpkin roll andit was also a hit! I was happy with how this turned out because Wegman’s sells half  logs for (I think) over $6.00.  This was so easy to make and everyone  liked  it.  Yay for quick and easy desserts!

Ain’t me! hahaha

As I was reading on Facebook this afternoon, a friend of mine posted that she was making up a batch of Buffalo Chicken Wing Soup.  My curiosity piqued!  Our family loves Buffalo Chicken Wings. We have even traveled to Buffalo to buy authentic wings.  With about 10 grams of fat per wing, however, this is not a food we would desire to frequent.

After giving up his love of spicy, hot wings, Mark and I put our heads togther and came up with Buffalo Wing style chicken breasts.  These are good and I make them with boneless skinless breasts, so they really are healthy compared to wings!

I began searching the internet for a Buffalo Chicken Wing Soup recipe and several came up.  I gleaned ingredients from a couple of the most appealing to me recipes. Here is what I came up with.

I sauteed 3/4 cup onion  and 3/4 cup celery in about a tablespoon of butter.  (as soon as the juices from the onion began to come out, I covered the mix and turned the heat to very low so they would remain hot) When I make this again, I will up this to almost double this amount.

Into the Crockpot, I placed:

5 cups milk 

1 cup water

3 cups chicken (I used the leftovers from a WaMart Rotisserie chicken)

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1 can cream of celery soup

Franks or your favorite hot sauce to taste

1 cup sour cream

The onion and celery from above. Mix together well.

Turn heat to low and allow to cook about 3 hours.

How easy is that?  The best part is that if some family members want more spicy soup, they can add more hot sauce.  And, speaking of hot sauce,  the Dollar Tree has a nice sauce that is more tasty than just plain Frank’s.  That said, I make my own hot sauce.  The recipe was given to me by a cowboy as he was breathing his last breath…

1 Tablespoon butter or margarine

8 ounces Frank’s Hot Sauce (Yes, I buy this stuff at Sam’s Club by the gallon)

2 ounces Tabasco Sauce

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

pinch of sugar

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Dash of Worchestershire Sauce

This is a (very) spicy sauce with a more flavorful “bouquet of hot” and sometimes to make it even spicier, we add a tiny bit of Habanero powder! Weehaw!

Well, that does it for the fare on our table this evening.  Oh, I did make some Magic Cookie Bars from a recipe on the side of Eagle Brand Condensed Milk.  They turned out YUMMY! I also made some rolls that will go into the oven in a few minutes and I will add a salad as well.

What better meal on a cold winter’s evening?  So glad my friend, Debbie, mentioned this!!

***Will add a photo in a bit***

My kids have been doing the most creative and awesome things lately!

Michelle asked us for a Babycakes cupcake maker for Christmas, but I just could not do it.  Instead, I looked and looked around until I found a nice Wilton cake decorating set.  I thought Michelle might get more use from the set than from the cupcake maker that makes small cupcakes.  I thought perhaps I made a mistake at first,  unsure if she was going to use it.

Michelle is cut from the same cloth as I am.  Obviously, she has trouble getting projects started, or maybe just getting motivated, when there are people around.  So…yesterday, while we were getting new tires installed,  Michelle decided to get creative!

She did much of the decorating today, but as I opened the refrigerator last night, I was greeted by pink roses and a bag of green frosting!

There were little flowers on a tray on the counter!

As if this was not enough, our little baker went to town and made this today, as well. (She said it is a kinda Alice in Wonderland  theme!)

Michelle says that fondant on the cake must be kneaded, then stretched to fit over the cake.  I think she has done a pretty great job for her first two cakes!

Ben has been spending some time in the garage under Mark’s guidance, building a new bed for his room.  Since his room is very tiny by today’s standards,  he must really economize in his room.  The funny part of all this is that when friends come over for a party, they always seem to congregate in Ben’s tiny room.  So, we came up with a fairly slick arrangement!

Ben wavered some between wanting a loft bed and not.  As he worked on planning his room, he soon realized a loft bed would give him some more bang for his buck.  Mark and Ben went to work on building a solid bed that would hold the weight, but not overwhelm the room.

We all helped get the bed up into position so it could be mounted to the walls. Since Mark built the house, he was confident using the studs in the walls for mounting the frame of the bed.  The bed will be taken down and painted soon, but  Mark wanted Ben to give the new bed a whirl tonight.  Also, Mark is going to build a small headboard with shelves and a door for little things he would like to keep up there with him, like his Ipod and speakers for it.

Mark bought the futon under the bed so friends can sit on it to watch videos and such.  Ben is still trying to figure out what color he wants to paint the bad. He originally thought black, but is wondering if a charcoal gray might be better. He wants burgundy highlights, such as the sheets, curtains, and pillows.  I cannot wait until his room is complete. He has been waiting for this project for a long time.

After getting Ben’s bed up late this afternoon, I needed to take a package down to be picked up by UPS.  I thought since I was out, I would try out Mark’s new tires on the truck by going for a little ride.  The sky was glorious with clouds, but patches of blue and sunshine sparkling through.

Canandaigua Lake is just so beautiful, no matter what the season! I decided to take a jaunt to Woodville, so I turned down a little side road.  I have shown this barn before, but I really like the green wreaths and the sled added for Christmas.  It is so pretty!

I stopped briefly at the boat launch and marvelled at the beauty…yet again!  I would love to spend a day down here, as a  fellow from the marina just a stone’s throw away told me that the eagles come down and feed on the ice from time to time.  He said it is an awesome sight.  I have not seen the eagles since fall, but they do overwinter here.

I knew I could spend hours in Woodville, but needed to get back home.  I smiled as I passed by the garden in the side yard.  Everything is pretty buried under a mantle of white!

I looked back as I walked up the ramp behind the house…

The Jotul stove in the garage has a catalytic converter, which means it is smokeless, but some smoke does appear when it is reloaded.  I admired those blushing clouds above.  The moon was out too, playing peekaboo, hiding behind the clouds, then reappearing!

What a nice day this was.  Both of my creative kids are quite well-pleased.  Ah, the sense of satisfaction!

Well, it was *kinda* quiet!

Actually, the noise was from the Canada Geese!…okay, I’ll explain!

The kids were happy to get home on Thursday evening from our little vacation, as they were attending a New Year’s Eve party with their friends over in Middlesex.  They met at the church and hung out there, watching videos and playing games.

Mark and I dropped the kids off and then headed on up to Canandaigua. We weren’t really sure what we wanted to do, but we thought about eating out.  Mark mentioned a fish fry since it was Friday night.  We thought about one place a neighbor had highly recommended….after attempting their number several times and getting a message the number is no longer in service, we gave up.

Mark pulled out his computer and looked at a site that gives information about “the best fish fries in the Finger Lakes”. Well, one of the other businesses listed is being sold becaused it was closed down for tax evasion.  (I later looked online and I think the business mentioned above was also closed because of tax evasion. Gads, not so good for a city as small as Canandaigua!)

Mark found another business mentioned a few miles north of Canandaigua.  I told him I would be up for a little ride.  In looking online for information, a news story came up that the owner of that establishment was charged with theft. The business is no longer in business!

Back online again, Mark found a small bar listed, so he called and ordered two takeout fish fries. They were ready in about half an hour and I hopped inside to pick them up.  The decor inside was not exactly great….it was rather austere, but at least it was still in business!

Mark and I went down by the lake and parked the truck.  The little Scottie boys were with us and I was happy eating in the cozy atmosphere of our truck.  The weather was crazy warm…a sweater would have sufficed for being outside!  Mark rolled the window down for a few minutes and all we heard was loud honking from the lake.  Mark turned on the headlights momentarily, and the “reflective” white rumps on the geese gave them away!

The fish fries were good.  That was a big plus!

Here is a photo of our view….

If you click to enlarge this, you can (barely) make out the American flag flying in the center of the photo.

It was so pleasant just eating and relaxing in the confines of the truck.  The lapping water, squawking geese, and lack of time restraints made this time so precious!  This doesn’t happen often and I treasure moments like this when there are no demands and no contention, just peacefullness!

We left our pleasant surroundings around 10:45 to pick Michelle up at the church.  Ben spent the night, along with several other young men…I think they were up all night; we picked Ben up on New Year’s Day and he was pretty sleepy, indeed!

How’s that for a title?  Let me tell you, that is precisely how life feels right now.  Every day, it seems there is some new plot/ploy/scheme in which I am conned into playing!  Well, it isn’t that bad, really, as it sure beats sitting around like a couch tater!

Yesterday afternoon, I got to meet in person a blog friend who lives not too far from my home!  We got together at one of her favorite places to eat, called Simply Crepes. 

 I was about ten minutes late for our one o’clock meet, but let me tell you, Jeanne and I chatted away like we’ve known each other for ages!  We giggled and laughed and ate the most incredibly delicious crepes!

Jeanne selected a tasty-looking Thai Beef Crepe….

While I opted for (yeah, Mrs. Spicy….that’s me!) a Buffalo chicken crepe.  It was fabulous! Mmmm!

I love the decor in this store. I am always trying to do the umexpected when it comes to decor.  For me to walk into a room full of furniture in which everything matches perfectly,  I feel like I am in a showroom.  I *like* mismatched pieces and feel much more at home with styles and designs that might just contradict one another.  (I am sure there must be a test somewhere that would analyze such characteristics!)  When I looked up and saw crossbraces supporting the floor above the ceiling with chandeliers hanging below,  I really, really liked this place!

A cozy mantel, complete with  fireplace just added so much to the atmosphere!

I love the red and gold Christmas theme placed on the mantle as well!

Our waitress was a delight. She was amazed Jeanne and I were meeting for the first time and she laughed and had fun right along with us! Now, where might the photo of Jeanne and me be? Oops! For that, you need to take a peek at Jeanne’s blog ! Yes, although I had my Nikon with me, Jeanne was more forward thinking in having our very accommodating waitress snap a shot of the two of us!

This meeting was such a treat!  Jeanne was the same in person as she is in her blog….a personable, caring, sharing person!  And the best part?  Well…this just might become a tradition!

No, I have been here. I have just been overwhelmed by day to day life in general.  As I watched the days passing by one after another,  I decided I would wait until December first to begin posting once again.

In all honesty, life has been so full of this, that, and the other thing, I just thought a break would be beneficial to my overly-stimulated brain cells!  I keep bumping into myself coming and going and I was feeling a bit “fragile” to be perfectly frank.  Life has been one activity followed by another…most not lending themselves to my photography addiction and that made me feel so distraught! 

Soo….where do I begin?

Well, a couple of weeks ago, Ben and I began working on painting his bedroom.  Poor Ben. He had been given a small room and it was painted a (very!) pale pink color on the walls.  I loved that pink, as it really didn’t appear to be pink. When Ben was about ten, he decided pink was not his choice of color.  Taking matters into his own hands (quite literally, indeed!) he worked frantically, using an office stapler to mount newspapers and old maps to cover what he insisted was a hideous color.

Ben learned how to not only spackle, but also repair walls with some major flaws in them! He worked for a long time, removing those small staples and filling in the holes.  He had also made some larger holes in the walls so he learned how to repair those as well. 

After visiting the home centers a few times and bringing home scads of color chips to mull over, Ben decided on a color called “Fretwire”.  *as in the wire used to form the frets on a guitar*  I thought the color might also be called buckskin, as it reminds me of that color. (really dating myself here…remember when there *weren’t* zillions of colors available?)

Here is a photo of the freshly painted room.

This photo seems a little light to me, but you can see it looks very nice with the moulding and floor. Too bad. Well, about the floor, anyway, as Ben wants to put down some carpeting.  Argh. Oh, hey, Ben’s ceiling isn’t boring white, either!  The color is Swiss Coffee.  Doesn’t that sound like something one would want to awaken to?

Mark and Ben have some plans for building a bed and finishing the room.  I will show photos as the room progresses.

This is the time of the year when we begin to think about decorating.  One of the projects we undertake is a Christmas wreath on Mark’s dad’s grave.  Al really loved Christmas, so this is really special. This year, I asked Mark if we might try doing the wreath ourselves.  We usually go to a business across the road from the cemetery, but I thought we might try our hand at this.  As it worked out, we bought a gorgeous wreath from Wegman’s.  The only thing I had put on at this point was the bow. (and yes, most always a lovely plaid!)

Michelle saw me decorating the wreath and thought she might like to give this a try, so I stepped aside. This is what she wound up creating.

I was thrilled with the end result, as was Mark.  The most surprising outcome of our do it yourself effort is that it cost about one-half of the price we typically spent.  And, it had a lot more decorations!

Thanksgiving was the 25th of November this year.  Carly had asked if we wanted to join her and her family at her in-laws’ home this year. Wow, Carly offered to make the entire feast (with lots of helo from her three kids) and I wasn’t about to let an offer like that go! 

Madeline and Cy are the most awesome hosts and we spent the hours talking and laughing, sharing stories and just having so much fun!  Carly and the kids were bustling about in the kitchen when we arrived and it was awesome watching them work!

So, here are some photos of the most awesome feast!

That turkey could not have been any more perfectly browned! It looked like something from a magazine!!! (Carly used some recipes she had found in magazines to prepare this amazingly executed fare.)

Carly spent so much time creating this fit-for-a-king meal.  The bread used in making the stuffing was made by Carly! Carly’s Sarah has an allergy to soy and soy-based products, so Carly is careful about making food without those culprits.  It is tough sometimes, but she has been doing it long enough that it isn’t so taxing anymore.

Oh my, those devilled eggs were good! Carly made the mayonnaise used in making them as well since most mayonnaise contains some soy or soy products. The stuffing to the left of the eggs was awesome with cranberries and pecans included! On the very left of the photo is the delicious cranberry sauce she made.

By the way, isn’t that table elegant?  Madeline had created a most beautiful atmosphere in which to enjoy the meal! I loved the colors….everything really was picture-perfect!

The one dish I loved that I probably overate on was Brussel Sprouts and grapes.  I thought the combination really different, but it was lip-smacking good!

Oh, the rolls behind the Brussel Sprouts and Grapes were my (humble) contribution.  Carly had initially asked me to make an apple pie, but later asked if I could bring rolls instead. I love making rolls, so I was happy to do so.

Mmmm….there was rice with cranberries as well. There were amazing bite-sized biscuits with Chai and cranberries and simply amazing mashed potatoes with celery root.

The flowers on the table just added to this special meal!  Everything was fantastic!  I enjoyed this day so much. It was obvious that Carly and the kids had put a lot into this special holiday. Carly also made the most scrumptious pumpkin pie!

After a most filling meal, the women retreated to the kitchen to put away leftovers.  The kids went to the family room to enjoy some Wii games and Mark and Ben visited with Cy for quite some time. Cy had set up his bass guitar, thinking Ben might like to give it a try.  Ben thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity and was impressed by some things Cy showed him and Mark.

It seemed like the time flew by…as always, times flies when the occasion is enjoyable!

Thanks again, Madeline, Cy, Carly, and all who contributed to make this day one of the most memorable ones we have enjoyed!  I am just sorry this is so late!

Mark mentioned once that he and the kids had wanted to take me to Belhurst Castle for lunch on Mother’s Day, but they forgot to call in the reservation on time.  Well, having a memory like an “elephant”,  (an inherited trait, as I also always claimed the same thing about my own mom!)  when Mark asked what I would like to do on our anniversary, I said I wanted to go to the castle for their lunch buffet!  We were celebrating anniversary number twenty.

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!

Okay, after the last post, I promise this one will be short! 

Mark and I were clueless about what folks do when their kids are busy!  (Okay, so that is a slight exaggeration, as we had an agenda that included running to Henrietta for a quick trip to Sam’s Club.)  Mark decided to take the long way from Victor, which meant going through the picture-perfect town of Pittsford.

As Mark drove along the road,  a thought suddenly popped into my head!  I remembered Carly telling me about a charming restaurant she frequents with her mother-in-law and her kids that sits right on the Erie Canal.  As I explained to Mark, he listened and made the appropriate turns that lead to the unique “village” of shops located there.  Mark became a little frustrated, however, trying to figure out where one parks a pickup truck in a tight area.  Also, it seemed a bit of a challenge to spot handicapped parking.

After circling around a bit,  we finally found a place that wasn’t designated for a specific business and we were off and on our way to the restaurant.  (Now, I must explain that not wanting to feel like a total tourist on vacation,  I lovingly secured my Nikon camera in its bag and tucked it under the seat. This was a little unsettling, but I have been encouraging myself to learn to take “better than good” photos with my cell phone. ) Thus, my purse, containing my cell phone wnt with us to the restaurant.

We were seated on the lower level of the restaurant,  sitting only a few feet from the Erie Canal!  It was so beautiful and I can’t imagine how the scenery could have been any more pleasing! The next two photos are of Aladdin’s Natural Eatery at Schoen Place.

Mark and I ordered and while awaiting our food to arrive, I asked Mark if it would be rude for me to walk around for just a little bit.  Mark told me to go ahead, so I walked just a few yards along the canal.  This was so beautiful and I felt like I could have walked for miles! Of course, the abundant plantings hanging from the street lamps just added to the nearly magical atmosphere!

There are cute little packet boats leaving at designated times, taking tourists on a trip along the canal.

Feeling so pleased with our little find,  I retreated back to the table with Mark.  Shortly after arriving at the table,  our food was served.  As Mark and I sat eating our big and delicious Greek salads and appetizer plate,  the little boat Sam Patch made its way past us.  Delightful. 

Mark and I were totally pleased with our experiece at this restaurant.  The food was plentiful, delicious, and the price was astronomical!  I don’t know when Mark and I have enjoyed ourselves in a very long time!

After our meal, Mark and I went to the small kiosk where tickets are sold for the Sam Patch. We discovered that although that particular boat doesn’t have access for a wheelchair,  there is another boat near Rochester that does.  The name of the boat is the Mary Jemison.  Perhaps that name rings a bell, as that is the name of the “white woman of the Genesee” whom I mentioned when we last visited Letchworth State Park. 

I think I am feeling yet another adventure coming on in the not too distant future!

I will be the first to admit it.  I am *horrible* at uploading my photos off the cameras. There are two good reasons, though.

The first reason is that the computer that stores the photographs is located in our office.  The problem there is that Mark is often working at the desk when I have the opportunity to work on uploading the photos.  It is pretty hard to find space to work around Mark while he is at the desk, so I kind of give up and forget about the whole process.  Of course,  the only time I ever think about the SD card is while Mark is sitting at the desk.

The second reason why my camera has nearly 1,000 images on the SD card at any given time is because I am lazy.  There, I said it!  Mark has suggested I sit down and find a good photo storage system,  but that requires work.  And, then there is the process of going through all the photos and classifying them.  Oh dear….do you think I could be allergic to such labor?

Okay, so you get the idea….I am just plain out procrastinating!  But, lucky you, Dear Reader!  I have been looking through my card and thought I would put out a little spread for you!

Spread?  Oh YES!  Mmmmm…..blame Carly, but she has gotten me on a Spring Roll kick that I cannot seem to kick!  Carly makes her Spring Rolls meatless, but I discovered that by adding some meat, these things are a whole meal! Here is a good idea of what components I use…..

Excuse the soiled tablecloth.  No matter how hard I try, that tablecloth is perpetually dirty.  I had just put it on the table after removing it from the dryer.  It was clean when I placed it on the table,  but within minutes….may be even seconds, it was soiled!

So….in the wrapper, we have Spring Roll wraps. Cheap, cheap, cheap these wraps are! AND, they require NO cooking. Yay!

In the large pasta bowl (Yes, that is a pasta bowl. I have no oriental dishes!) is Savoy Cabbage,  Snow Peas and Carrots, thinly sliced chicken that I stir-fry in a little Teryaki Sauce and garlic, and lastly, rice noodles which also require no cooking!  I very lightly steam the veggies, placing them in a colander inside a dutch oven.  I steam them about 2 minutes just so they retain their “crunch”, but don’t have such a “raw” flavor.

The tiny cup contains Duck Sauce.  Carly served Plum Sauce with her Spring Rolls,  but I really like Duck Sauce even better.  I use very little, but I like the sweet flavor.  Lastly, there are green onions which I do not steam. 

Spring Roll wrappers come in a package of 36.  A serving is 6 of the wrappers for 200 calories.  Amazing.  They look like plastic discs when removed from their package and the most amazing thing is that after dipping them into a bowl of warm water for about 15 seconds, they become very flexible!

I place the softened wrapper on my plate and load it with all the goodies!

Then it’s time to roll!

The wrappers become somewhat sticky….to themselves, making it a breeze to gently roll them up!  Two sides are folded toward the center, then we begin to roll.

And, the finished product.

Oops. I had to reroll this particular roll becuase in my effort to photograph my food, I forgot to dd the chicken!  That’s okay….I unrolled it, added the chicken, then rolled it back up.  It was delicious!

These Spring Rolls are fabulous to serve when it is too hot to cook.  They require little work and I just place the elements all out on the table.  Everyone enjoys dipping the wrapper into the water and adding whatever goodies they desire.  It really is fun.

I always think I am soooo hungry, I could eat a dozen of these Spring Rolls.  Try as I might,  I have found I can only eat two, max. 

And, speaking of food,  Michelle attended her friend’s graduation party on Saturday afternoon.  The location was out in the country and we wound up parking next to a wheat field!

Lastly,  I was on the telephone with my dentist’s wife on Saturday when a butterfly landed on my tiny Hydrangea Bush. I wonder if she heard the shutter moving as I tried my darndest to capture the little bugger!  I didn’t mean to be rude, but we don’t often see butteflies in the woods!  I did plant some Daisies that are supposed to attract them though.

That is called a Northern Pearly Eye Butterfly.  Even though a brown butterfly isn’t the most awesome-sounding species, it was quite pretty perched on the bright green leaves of the Hydrangea!

Okay, so that does it.  A diverse post tonight.  Tomorrow (or maybe the next day) I will get those photos removed from the card!  Perhaps.