it was closed. I lucked out this time. It is on Route 20, south of Syracuse, but I cannot recall which towns on Route 20 are nearby. I was hoping to make it there in time to say goodbye to my Dad, who was at deaths door. By the time I got there, he had rallied and proven the doctors wrong! I should have blogged every day, but I didn't, and I can't remember everything now. The week was punctuated by long visits with Dad, accompanying him to physical and occupational therapies, time with my siblings, a bit of geocaching and taking my shoes to the shoe repair shop.
Sunday night, my sister and I had supper at Denny's because she was in the mood for
baked fish. Monday morning, all four of us "kids" met with the doctor, who agreed that Dad was beyond the scare of the past few days when he stated "two weeks to two months".
On Monday or Tuesday, my Aunt Hiroko brought subs to the nursing home at lunch time, and Gail, Peggy and I had lunch together in "the great room". Later on in the week, she brought chicken and biscuits. It was delicious! One night, Mike's girlfriend Janie prepared pulled pork sandwiches and we went to Mikes place for supper. I met Janie's boys, ages five and ten, Dylan and Dominick.
One day, Peggy and I took Dad's car to the place where he purchased it a year ago, in order to have it inspected. While there, I saw a car I liked: a Chrysler Pacifica wagon. I am going to see if I can find one in Oneonta.
One night I had supper at LaPorts (fish fry) with my brother, his daughters and their boyfriends, his girlfriend and her two sons. On my last night in Lockport, my sister and I had supper at Molinaro's, which also has a great bakery.
One of the highlights of my time in Lockport was conducting business at MACALUSO'S SHOE REPAIR.
Vincent Macaluso has been repairing shoes for a very long time, he started helping his Dad when he was eight years old. He is at least seventy two now.
His shop burned two years ago and he relocated and purchased equipment to replace what was destroyed. I had developed a painful bunion a few days before going to Lockport and he fixed three pairs of sneakers so that they fit me better.
I found a few geocaches (and looked for a couple that I did not find) and hid one at the location of what used to the the POOR HOUSE. I had lunch at Reid's one day.
I said my goodbye's to Dad Friday night and headed home early Saturday morning. My first stop was in Amherst to find a geocache at the Amherst Museum.........quick and easy. Then I hopped on the thruway and took it to exit 34. I found myself in the Village of Canastota. It looks more like a small city, but wikipedia says it is a village (Town of Eaton). I saw signs for CANAL TOWN MUSEUM and decided to check it out. Before I got there, I saw this huge building that looks kind of like a cross between a church and a miniature castle,
and this mom and pop type store. 
The museum was small, and packed with information and memorabilia that have to do with the canal.
I have the feeling I could have spent a lot more time exploring Canastota, but I had a destination...........the small hamlet of Pratts Hollow (the geographical center of New York State).
I got directions in Canastota to Morrisville, the nearest city to
and I headed on my way. On the way, I came across the hamlet of Peterboro and I had to stop to take pictures. Here are a couple of things I saw there:
This old storefront still has the shelving and counters, etc. While I was peeking in the windows, two Amish boys rode by on their bikes. 
This was a "land office" for a prominent abolitionist.I made it to Morrisville and went into a pizzeria to ask directions to Pratts Hollow and then I headed on my way. It is the cutest little hamlet. The church has a sign saying it is the geographical center of New York State.
Pratts Hollow is the cutest little hamlet. I was taking pictures of a couple of very old, empty buildings when two elderly men in a huge truck pulled up and suggested I take a picture of a huge weeping willow tree. This was my opportunity to ask a couple of questions and I did. They identified the former general store and the hotel. Here is the hotel: 
I think the name of it may have been something like COONSROD..........?There is a small farmstand in front of a house just down the road from the intersection and I purchased a couple of items.
I went back to Morrisville and took a couple of pictures. As many times as I have driven through Morrisville, I never before noticed the old engine house and the huge building on a corner which appears to have been a hotel in days past. I continued on Route 20. I stopped in Bouckville and went into the Route 20 Diner and had a brownie sunday.
It is a cute little place with lots of Pepsi Memorabilia. In Bouckville, I also noticed a very small museum. The door was unlocked, but the door was "sticking" and I did not want to risk damaging the doorframe by pushing it hard. Next door to that there is an old mill building:
I continued on my way, getting closer to home. I passed through Leonardsville at exactly 3:30, and I was wondering what was going on at the church since there were a lot of cars out in front. It turned out they were having a pork dinner.
I stopped and purchased two dinners to take home.
I decided to check out two small hamlets I have been wondering about: Unadilla Forks and West Edmeston. I was particularly intrigued with West Edmeston when I saw this sign:
However, it was getting late and I did not feel I had time to continue driving and looking for Amish farms. I will do that another time.
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