Life in the Bristolwood

Yeah, today was a notable day for some goofy photos!

I will leave you with a couple good ones I took yesterday.

Angus, feeling a bit benevolent, allowed his photo to be taken with Murphy. Of course,  Angus is front and center….

During the winter months is fresh snow that has been untouched.  I love it when the sun hits it just so and makes it sparkle like a field of diamonds!

We have had some pretty wild winds here and there and the snow is now nicely “burnished” with a crusty topping!  This afternoon when I took the Scotties outside,  Angus picked up the scent of a squirrel as he walked along the driveway.  Since the Scots are on sixteen foot long flex-leads,  they can romp out fairly far.

Angus suddenly decided to hop over the snow mounded up on the side of the driveway and sniff his way to the rodent. Over he went, only to find that the weight of his body made the crusty snow on top cave and give way to the soft snow underneath.  I cannot decide if he was embarrassed at his antics or if he truly did not care,  but on he scurried, sinking all the way up to his little Scottie shoulders! What a sight!

All the while, Murphy was….well, being Murphy.  He was not the least bit aware of Angus’s behavior.  But then, suddenly he caught the scent and off he went!  As if the proverbial lightbulb went off,  Murphy realized he didn’t like the crusty snow jutting into his body, so he made a mad dash back towards the driveway,  crashing his long face as he plummeted downward! Just like a little child, he looked up at me as if to say Save me!

Ah, the life of two Scots….

I often wonder if they are as fond of the winter months as I am!

My parents called yesterday and wanted to know if we might like to meet at Sprague’s today.  (Sprague’s just happens to be one of the best restaurants here on Planet Earth!)

We had been wanting to get together for Ben’s birthday for some time, but since my parents  live in the snowbelt…

The weather today could not have been any more spectacular if we had special-ordered it!  It was an amazing day filled with plenty of sunshine and blue skies!

We met at the restaurant and enjoyed good conversation and a good meal, as always!  Afterward, my mom, Ben, my brother Randy, and I all went for a little walk.  We were curious if the sugaring production had begun, but not yet.  The lines are all up and ready to go, though!

We walked back to the car and saw the most amazing thing!  There was a man walking a West Highland Terrier and a big Scottie!  I nearly jumped out of my skin!  I began talking to the man  and he was very friendly, as all Scottie owners are when it comes to their four-legged companions! Why I didn’t get photos, I don’t know.  I was too taken by the dogs, I guess!

The man talked at length about where they got their Scottie.  She is a big girl, weighing in at about 37 pounds.  The lady they got her from is from Scotland and she breeds them.  Of course, Angus and Murphy were in the truck and they got so excited seeing the girls! What a treat!

The man’s wife came out a little later and we chatted with them both for probably a good half hour! We found out that they had driven further than we from Waverly, New York.  They said they enjoy just taking “their kids” for a ride!  We just looked at each other and laughed, because Mark and I thought we were the only ones that ever do that!!!

I did take a few photos, but they were poor….taking photos from the back seat of a vehicle moving 55 miles per hour is a recipe for disaster!

What a(nother) fun day!

We were off to an early start today.  It is Ben’s birthday, but we had lots of running around to accomplish.

While Mark headed off with Michelle  to drop her off, Ben and I headed to Kost Tire where I was to get new tires, an inspection,  an oil change, and an alignment on the Explorer.  I had forgotten to mention that Mark got the window all fixed this past weekend.  He had to replace a part called the regulator.   When I saw the door hanging open and parts sitting all over the garage,  my heart nearly sank, but I have seen Mark take things apart before and I knew all would end well! And so it did!

Before leaving the house, I wanted to get a photo of the little congregation of Goldfinches outside the bedroom window….

That photo is a funky color and that is okay because I took it well before the day had broken this morning and there was a fine snow falling.

After dropping the Explorer off for its work,  Ben and I climbed into the truck and we began making our way to Mark’s mom’s house.  We made a few stops along the way.  An interesting thing happened along the way, though….the blower fan on the truck quit working! Meaning, we spent the rest of the time in the truck freezing!  Although the temperature outside was right at the freezing mark,  it got so cold in the truck!  Time for another repair job!

We made it to “Grandma Cookie’s” house.  Yes, that is what Mark calls his mom and in so doing,  he nearly causes Angus to go ballistic!  Angus adores Grandma Cookie, after all!

While we chatted with Mark’s mom,  Ben tried to teach Murphy how to exercise on the treadmill….

Yup, as long as I held a carrot treat in front of Murphy’s nose, he would stride along on the treadmill for several steps! It was pretty funny!

Now, Scotties are known for their Braveheart disposition.  I would say on a scale of 1-10, my boys rate about 1.5 in the Braveheart category!  Particularly Angus who hightails it whenever he hears any device that makes a vibrating noise! Thus, the treadmill caused him to panic, so he jumped up on Grandma Cookie’s chair and watched a Western on television instead!

And just for Angus’s good name, he did dutifully bark those wild horses when they got out of control and began running!

Here is a natural ice sculpture outside my mother-in-law’s house…

We visited for a few hours, then it was time to go.  Back we went into the cold pickup truck.  We went to Henrietta, where Ben and Mark went into the Guitar Center to look at “stuff”.  Mark ordered Ben a bass guitar for his birthday but it will arrive tomorrow.  Bummer for Ben, but he was okay with it.  Ben has been having so much fun learning guitar and he wanted to learn bass as well so Mark figured we should let him learn as long as he is so willing.

We left and went back to Canandaigua so I could pick up the Explorer.  Mark dropped me off and he and Ben picked Michelle up at school.  I had a few minutes before meeting them at a restaurant for dinner, so I took the Explorer for a spin up the road.  Oh my! I had been driving on “slicks” so long,  I forgot that tires actually “bite” the snow!

We met up for dinner, then came home.  The fire in the woodstove had gone out and I quickly rebuilt a fire!  Now, I am finally warm for the first time today! Ah, it does feel good.  No more freezing toes!

I think Ben enjoyed his birthday and although the day was long, we had fun too!

Happy Birthday, Ben!

This evening as Michelle and I sat talking at the table, Murphy hopped up on one of the chairs and propped his head on the table.  As we talked back and forth, Murphy would tilt his head…the result was hysterical!

It is late and I apologize for not posting an entry earlier….it was a busy day and we were out a bit.  Anyway, here is one more Murphy photo..sorry.  As I looked through my Murphy photos taken yesterday, I wasn’t sure how I missed this one.  Anyway, this depicts just the carefree little fellow he really is!

One day while shopping at Sam’s Club,  I saw a beautiful sheepskin that caught my eye.  The tag stated that the skin originated with sheep from Australia or New Zealand.  When I saw the price was about 1/3 the price it had previously been, I bought one!  They are supposed to be sheepskin rugs, but I would never put anything light colored on my floors!  No, no, no!

Thus,the  lovely sheepskin hangs on the back of a navy blue sofa in the bedroom.  As I was working in the room, I noticed Murphy was lying on the sofa.   I decided to pull the sheepskin off the back of the sofa and have Murphy sit on it.  Angus is the most terrific little “ham” when it comes to photographing him, but Murphy just doesn’t “get it”!

I tried to get the little laddie to sit nicely so I could get a lovely photo of him. Nope.  I worked with the pup for a long time and it became obvious he was not going to cooperate with me.  So…I decided to just let the little fellow do his own thing and I would follow.

After working for quite a while, Murphy just had enough!  I am not sure whether he was trying to hide from the camera or if he suddenly realized the skin was an animal skin, but….

he burrowed his face deeply under the sheepskin!

 When I went downtown Jamestown to have a look at the city “proper”, Michelle rode along with me.  We had brought the Scotties along with us and they stayed in the truck while we visited.  Michelle thought she would ride in the back seat with the “boys” so they could have a little company!  They are such good travelers!

I decided to take Michelle on a little tour of my world from when I was a child.  We drove down Spring Sreet, which is where my parents moved when I was only three months old. 

We lived at the bottom of this hill, on the next block.  As I drove down the street,  I looked and looked…a bit puzzled. 807 Spring Street seems to have disappeared!  Yes, our apartment was no longer there, but had turned into a parking lot for S.G. Love School, across the street!  The big green house on the corner next to ours was also taken.  I remember the names of the people who lived there….Mabel and Earnest S.  Mr. S. was a grouch, extraordinaire, and Mrs. S. insisted upon calling me “Katherine”.  My parents and family all called me “Katie”.

When we lived on Spring Street, we were within walking distance of downtown.  We walked a great deal and I remember loving it so much!  As we walked up the hill, I remember “the house on the corner”; the corner of Spring and Fifth Streets, to be exact.  I thought it was the most beautiful house I had ever seen and aspired to buy it someday when “I was rich”!

We circled back around and I parked the truck right in the center of town.  Michelle and the boys waited patiently as I walked the streets of the city.  Even though Jamestown is considered a city, it is fairly compact.  I love all the hills though!

I walked up to Fourth Street and took photos of some of the buildings  I remembered from the past. When we lived on Spring Street,  Nicky and Albert Erickson lived in the apartment upstairs.  Albert was a lineman for the Jamestown Telephone Corporation.  This is one building that never changed much, although it now sports the name Windstream.

I spent many happy hours at the YMCA, learning (or not) how to swim!

To the west of the “Y” is St. Luke’s Episcopalian Church.  This church looks the same as always! The church has a set of Westminster chimes that play every quarter hour, then strike the time on the hour.  I have wondered about the true color of the church….many years ago, the Jamestown Public Library had a similar appearance to this church.  After a sandblasting, it “suddenly” turned gray with a pinkish color trim! Who knows?  Perhaps the church really is this color!

On the next corner to the west of the church is the YWCA, where I took sewing classes and learned the fine art of sewing! This building looks the same as always!

Across the street from the church, there is a row of beautiful Victorian houses that look the same as always.  I think they are actually offices with apartments upstairs, perhaps.

I walked south down Main Street and was surprised to see Benson’s Ladies Apparel. That store has been around for ages and ages.

As has Lander’s Men’s Store, also on Main Street.

I stopped near the corner of Main and Second Streets and took a picture looking down towards Brooklyn Square.  I am not even sure if the area is called that anymore.  There used to be a large green area at the bottom of the hill where a huge Christmas tree was lit every year.  That custom has long since been aborted!

One of my fond memories of Brooklyn Square was of the store, Noah’s Ark.  I am not even certain what was sold there, as my attention was on the Chadakoin River which literally ran under the store!  Noah’s Ark and probably all of the stores that were in that area are now long gone!

I was surprised to see that Lisciandro’s Restaurant still remains!  Many kids used to stop by there on their way home from high school.

On the southeastern corner of Main and Second Streets is a huge office building.  This building looks the same as I remember, but I noticed Chautauqua Music Store is no longer located there. Upon searching Google, I found they moved from that location, but are still in business.  This was a huge music store, located right at the main entrance.

Looking eastward down Second Street, the light colored building at the end is Jamestown High School, where I attended grades 10-12. 

Turning 180 degrees for an about-face,  the large light colored building is the home of The Post Journal, Jamestown’s daily newspaper.  This location was a Sears Roebuck Store when I was a little girl!  I remember shopping there with my parents.

In the foreground of the next photo, The Post Journal,  with the huge Jamestown Furniture Exposition Building a short distance away.  Jamestown was a premiere furniture manufacturing center in the early 1900’s.  Many companies remained through the years, but slowly died out.  Every year, city furniture manufacturers displayed their goods at the exposition where buyers from all over would choose what to carry in their lines.

I headed back north toward Third Street.  I smiled as I saw this sign in the window…..

Jamestown is known for a large Swedish population.  Growing up, I was always surround by Carlsons, Andersons, Swansons and Johnsons!  In school, the Lucia Queen celebration was explained year after year. Jamestown even has a Swedish sister city, although the name evades me.

If Jamestown’s Main Street didn’t run north and south,  I think busy Third Street would be named Main Street!  This is Third Street, looking west.

And east…..

I walked around Third Street just a bit. The big building below was a Lerner’s Store (clothing) years ago.  It then became a downtown mall, and is now called Willow Bay Commerce Center.  In looking online, I was impressed at the current offering. There is a banquet hall for weddings and receptions and such, as well as office spaces available for really incredible prices!

The next block to the west is where the Lucy Museum and gift shop are located. (shown in the previous post) I remember seeing Jamestown looking like a ghost town, but was happy to see that most of the buildings have businesses now. 

The next photo is the Hotel Jamestown.   I believe it is now senior housing,  but am not sure.  It really is a very beautiful building.

Right next to the Hotel Jamestown, westward, is the building shown previously that was Bigelow’s Department Store.  Around the corner, to the north, on Washington Street is further evidence of Jamestown’s Swedish population, in the form of The Vikings Lodge.  Nicky and Albert took me there as a child several times.

I will never forget the corner of Washington and Fourth Streets, where my life was nearly taken at a very young age.  Carly and I were walking across the street, chatting away. She was a youngster of about five or six and I was looking down at her as we talked.  Suddenly, she forcibly jerked her hand from mine and ran back to the curb.  This happened so quickly, I turned to look back….only to look up and see a pickup truck stopped within an arm’s length of me!  A foolish man apparently was daydreaming as he motored along, passing right through the red light.  Instead of stopping to make sure everything was okay, he took off, leaving me feeling quite weakened and frightened!

Across the street from the Bigelow’s building is this building, which was the former Woolworth’s Store when I was growing up.

The daylight was drawing to a close, and I needed to hustle back to my parents’ home.  I drove down Third Street, making just a few short stops.  Perhaps one of Jamestown’s big businesses that has breathed life back into the downtown area is the Jamestown Savings Bank Ice Arena.  Boy, when I was a kid, my parents drove way across town to take me skating outdoors at Allen Park!  Of course, with many years having wimpy winters,  I guess outdoor rinks have some problems keeping operations going!

As we drove further west,  I stopped to snap a photo of  Jamestown’s electric plant.  The plant is located on the Chadakoin River, and was coal operated.  I haven’t looked recently, but believe it still is run on coal.  Jamestown residents were fortunate for many years, paying a fraction of what other statewide consumers paid for electricity. Only in recent years have rates gone up to more competitive amounts.

And just before the Third Street Bridge,  I was totally shocked to see that Pace’s Pizzeria was still in business. This was a little shop we frequented many, many years ago while attending Lincoln Junior High School.

 The school is located across the bridge not too far away.  I didn’t photograph the school, which is now an elementary school.  An interesting thing happened at this school while I was in attendance.

 I belonged to the band, playing clarinet.  One evening, we were to have a concert.  After school that day, and before the program was to begin,  the ceiling of the auditorium where we were to perform let loose and fell to the floor.  Talk about Divine Intervention…

By the time we were ready to leave for home, it was dark outside and my parents lit their beautiful outdoor lights.  Everything was so beautiful with the heaping  sparkling mantle of snow!

My family has traditionally taken down Christmas decorations around New Year’s and this year, they left everything up so we could see and enjoy them.  Thanks so much, Mom and Dad!  And thank you for the wonderful day!

I realize that reconnecting with my past isn’t necessarily what I want to do, but seeing the town firsthand was a fascinating experience for me.  Even though so much has changed with the times, so much has remained the same!

But not like you would think!

The kids wanted to go shopping today, so after helping Mark in the garage this morning, we got some blankets, activities, and the Scotties, and headed northward to Victor. The kids agreed to meet some of their friends,  so they told us to pick them up in about four hours. 

Mark drove around the parking lot looking for the “perfect” spot….The winds howled today and our moerate temperatures dropped to nearly startlingly cold.  We won’t discuss wind chill because I am sure it was mighty cold out there!  Mark wondered how we would survive in the truck,  but I told him not to fear. After all, we packed some blankets! He did find the perfect spot, too.  In a parking lot that isn’t really used much, there was a mountain of snow at the edge of a steep grade.  With the pile in front of us and the hill protecting us on two sides, we were parked in a small cove!

Mark sat in the front seat with Angus and I hopped into the back to keep Murphy company.  I had brought along my little netbook and some knitting, so I was all set to get comfortable!  The Scotties each had his own little bed so we were all getting settled in quite comfortably, thank you!

Of course, Angus had to check out the scenery before he could relax…

The snow fell continuously the entire time we were waiting, but the winds quickly dispersed it before it could light! At times, the snow was literally coming down horizontally…

And we remained safe, warm and dry in our cozy space.

I got out the netbook and played awhile, visiting Scotland….(hi Bill!)

And Syracuse….(hi Terri!)

And I visited some more blogs. 

Mark put a movie on his laptop and we watched that.   We really do live at an incredible time, technologically.

The time seemed to fly by as we enjoyed our little living room on wheels.  Soon, I could see the security lights shining in through the ice-frosted windows.

I did go into BJ’s for a little while to pick up a few items and I also got Mark a Subway sub for dinner.  How thoughtful of Subway to make it so convenient to grab something to eat!

The clock soon said seven and we were off to the mall to pick up the shoppers.

The drive home was hairy at times with blowing, drifting snow all over the road.  As Mark put the truck into four-wheel drive,  Michelle and I marvelled at the sound of snow crunching under the tires as we made our way home.  We have not heard that sound in a long time!

 All in all,  I think Mark and the Scotties would agree….what a lovely little diversion this was!