May 31st, Geocaching and More

Luckless and I went out to the  New Lisbon  area geocaching this afternoon.  We found three puzzle caches and one called Reflection Pool, all hidden by the same person.  Between doing numbers 2 and 3, we were lucky enough to drive by FOOLISH FARMS where they serve soft ice cream.

I was hoping that it was air conditioned inside since it was so darn hot out today, but it wasn't.  It was comfortable though, and Leslie and I each had ice cream.

After we found the third in the series cache on Gross Road, Leslie noticed an abandoned building in the woods.  We decided to take a look.  Its possible that this building was originally a one room school house, but I am not sure how to find out more about it.

I walked into the house after Leslie dropped me off and went immediately into the shower to cool off.

ALB and two Geocaches!

Christa and I left this morning around 10:30 for Albany so I could drop her off at the Albany International Airport for her flight to Portland.  Along the way we stopped at DUNKIN DONUTS in Cobleskill.  It was getting close to lunch time so we each got a sandwich.

Just before getting to the airport we stopped at an observation spot and walked around a bit.  I think this is an area where people  walk their dogs and sometimes go to watch the planes fly in and out.

I dropped Christa off at the UNITED area around 12:40.  Her flight was scheduled for 2:25.  So she had a bit of time to kill.

Before leaving Albany, I stopped to find a geocache hidden by El Fartero.  It was one of those "skirtlifting" ones named JUST GOT HOME AND NEED GROCERIES.  Then I hit the road and got on the thruway and then on I-88.  I got off of 88 above Cobleskill to go to a McDonalds since I was getting sleepy and I needed a caffeinated drink.   The McDonalds was on Route 7 and I decided to stay on that road and go to Richmondville to try to find a geocache that Leslie and I looked for over a year ago.  I found JIMMY CRACK CORN fairly easily.  Then I completed my drive to Oneonta by getting back on 88.  One more stop in Oneonta at WalGreens for milk and then on to home.  Not long after that Christa posted on facebook that she was happy to find a smoking lounge and a Dunkin Donuts within feet of her terminal at
the Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C..
Boy did she luck out!!! She LOVES Dunkin Donuts iced coffee, and there are not any Dunkin' Donuts in Portland.

Memorial Day Weekend 2013

Christa and I set out at nine a.m. on Sunday May 26th. Our destination was Lockport, New York where we would spend the night, in order to attend my brothers wedding at Golden Hill State Park.  We stopped at at DUNKIN DONUTS in Cazenovia.  I stopped to take a picture of this "field of flags" just west of Waterloo.

We had lunch at Tom Wahl's in Avon (I had a Wahlburger and an orange float and Christa had a bacon cheeseburger)

 and we arrived at three p.m.    I called my sister to let her know we made it there safely and then I took a much needed nap.  Peggy picked Christa and I up a little before six p.m. and we headed to Golden Beach State Park.  We thought we would be early arrivals, but it seemed like everyone else was already there.  I took this picture of seagulls at the end of the pier.

Food was served (cold cuts, rolls, some vegetables, chips and soda) and then the bridal party (Mike, Janie and their kids) went to the top of the lighthouse where Peggy performed the ceremony.  Here is a picture of the wedding party at the top of the lighthouse.   Those of us down below could not hear the ceremony.  As soon as they were finished and headed down, we all went over to the door of the lighthouse to greet the "brand new Mr. and Mrs. Mike Niethe".

Here is a picture of Christa with my

sister, Peggy.

Cake was served and then Mike built a bonfire.  I was glad to get out of my dressy clothes and shoes and into jeans and sneakers.  We all sat around the fire for maybe a half hour and then people started to leave.  It was pretty chilly!

Monday morning, Christa and I met Peggy at LaPort's and we had a great breakfast.  This is called the 1, 2, 3 because it has one egg, two strips of bacon and three pancakes.  Christa gave me a few of her homefries.Even the oatmeal was delicious!

and then we went to Pegs house and we took my rolltop desk out of the back of my Pacifica and got it onto the back porch.  I had a look at the work being done on the new bathroom (its great!).  Then we went to Glenwood Cemetery to see Dad's grave (Christa had not seen it before) and then to Cold Springs Cemetery so Christa could see the grave markers for her maternal great grandparents. This is Christa and Peggy looking for my grandparents Niethe's grave marker in Glenwood Cemetery.  Christa found it!

 Then to Memorial Park to see the bricks with Dad's name and the one for his father.  Then we went to Lake Effect Ice Cream at their new location.

  Back to Peg's house where I changed into shorts, and then Christa and I headed for home.  The last thing I did before leaving Lockport was to replace my geocache THE POOR HOUSE.  Finders had reported it being in very poor condition.  Now there is a brand new geocache there (one that I won at the last event I attended).

I drove about 100 miles on the thruway and then got onto Route 20.  Since we had ice cream around lunch time, we did not stop for lunch, but ended up at ROMA'S in Morris, New York for supper around six p.m. Christa and I shared an antipasto salad, a garlic cheese pizza and an order of garlic knots (we brought a lot of each item home with us).  We arrived home around seven p.m.  I was so tired!!!!!

Out and About with Carol Friday May 24, 2012

I had hoped to go geocaching today, but I woke up to very chilly damp weather and decided not to.   A little while later on,

Carol called me and asked me if I was busy and I said I wasn't.  She suggsted a drive out to the FrogPond and I agreed.  She picked me up around 9:30 and we headed out.  First stop was in Oneonta so she could do some banking.
     Then we headed outo Bainbridge on Route 7.  The FrogPond was very busy today.  Carol bought some vegetable plants and I bought parsnips, beets, strawberries and maybe one other item.  After that, we went to PINE RIDGE GROCERY.  I wanted to get some of their honey meat sticks, but they did not have any today.  I bought a few other items. 
     We decided to go to the Chinese buffet in Sidney for lunch.  It was a great lunch.  I like everything there except for their fried rice, which is too bland and plain.  The apple pie was really good with ice cream.
    Then I went to Price Chopper to try to find the honey teriyaki sauce that my sister and I found earlier this year when we wanted to make teriyaki broccoli..........however they did not carry it.  I bought a weed trimmer at K-Mart and then we headed towards home.
     I suggested to Carol that we might be able to find the lettuce plants she wants at SOUTHWIND FARMS, so we decided to try to find it.  We ended up driving all around on back roads in the area of the Town of Otego and we eventually found it.  I bought a dozen eggs, and we looked at mama and baby goats and the owner agreed to order some BOARS HEAD liverwurst for Carol.  When we got back to my house, Carol cut some lilacs off of my purple lilac bush.    It was a long and tiring day and I was glad to get home since it was so damp and cold outside.  

Out and About in Oneonta with Christa

Christa arrived last night around ten or ten thirty p.m.

Today we headed into Oneonta around noon to have lunch at BROOKS HOUSE OF BBQ.  Brooks was very crowded, I think this was because some restaurants on Main Street were closed due to power outages from last nights storm.  Service was a bit slow, but the food was perfect, like it always is!  We both had half chicken dinners and brought some of it home.   Then we checked out the gift shop in back, and Christa bought some pens to use at work.

We went to the library and Christa was able to use one of their computers to register for an obstacle course she and some others from her job are going to participate in early next month.  She showed me video of some of the obstacles along the course.  We chose several DVDS and I got a couple of books.

We stopped at the corner deli where Cody Gibson works and met the owner and looked around. They have quite a selection of beer!

Then we went to Neahwa Park and walked around the lake twice.  Then we went to the "Vintage Store" on Main Street.  We saw a Minnie Mouse figurine, and I purchased it for a friend who collects everything Minnie Mouse.  On the way back home we stopped at Dunkin Donuts and Christa got some iced coffee, which she said was "heaven".  They do not have Dunkin Donuts in Portland, Oregon.

PLAINS/MAPLEGROVE and SOUTHWIND FARMS ADVENTURE

After running errands this morning, I met up with Connie at the PLAINS where we had lunch.  It was a very nice lunch.  I can't remember the name of the sandwich I had, but it was mozzerella cheese and sliced tomato on ciabatta bread.  It was very good!

After lunch, we walked on the trails behind the Plains.  We became concerned when we ran into an elderly woman who seemed a bit confused.  While we were debating whether or not we should do something to help out, she found her way to the beginning of the trail and was on her way out to the parking area.

We ran into a man who was picking some sort of plant, the word "garlic" was in the name of it.  He said that it tends to overtake other plants.

While walking, I told Connie about SOUTHWIND FARMS.  She seemed interested so I offered to take her up there, but she was too tired.  So, I went by myself and bought some cabbage, asparasus and Palatine Cheese.  On the way back, I stopped for a few minutes to explore an area which may have been a small village or hamlet at one time:  MAPLE GROVE.  There is a building that looks like it may have been the post office and across the street a small church.

Celebration for Charlotte!

Tonight I attended the CELEBRATION FOR CHARLOTTE at the Elm Park Methodist Church.

Charlotte's parents got her involved with collecting donation items to help the needy when she was a little girl (I think around age 7).  She ran with it and started her own foundation, which grew and grew and flourished and has raised thousands of dollars worth of items which she gave to various agencies who serve the needy.
(including two programs that I work for THE FAMILY SERVICE ASSOCIATION and THE VIOLENCE INTERVENTION PROGRAM of OFO.

She is finishing up high school and plans to go to Mount Holyoke College in the fall.  Two area families are taking over her foundation. One of the families was at the celebration tonight.

They offered a huge spread of food......cold cuts, vegetables, fruit, rolls, chips and dips as well as a really good cake.  

Several people from the agencies that Charlotte has helped gave short speeches about how much Charlotte has helped.  Here is Charlotte talking with an elderly lady.

It was a nice gathering!

OPERA Morning !

Penny and Linda came over and we watched the l980's VHS movie of the opera La Traviata.  It is excellent and I enjoyed every minute of it.  Penny brought me a bouquet of miniature daffodils in a mason jar!  What a treat!

Linda and I had tentatively planned to go to SOUTHWIND FARMS this afternoon, but it was just too chilly and damp outside........we actually saw a few snow flurries today!

Saturday May 11th SOUTHWIND FARMS

A few days ago, I heard about SOUTHWIND FARMS in Otego.  Today I went with Wendy Hopper and my daughter, Carrie.

There is a lot to see!  This was my favorite!  Painted gourds made into hummingbird feeders.  

 We met a three day old baby goat........as yet not named, but her first name WILL start with a V, like her mother.  We suggested Victoria and Valery!

There are all sorts of animals to see, but I did not actually see the petting zoo area.

I think the owners live in this absolutely gorgeous mini-mansion right across the road from the business.  

We spent most of our time in the small shop, which offers a lot of interesting items.  I purchased a tomato, some onions, some asparagus and some homemade berry cobbler.  They offer homemade soups including borscht, but the knishes were all gone.........darn!   

They offer a lot of plants and since it is the day before Mothers Day, they were doing very good business. 

Its not like the FROGPOND where they offer all sorts of fresh fruits and vegetables, but I am sure I will return often.  

Flash Mob Adventure

Today was a glorious spring day.  I met up with Leslie at nine a.m.  and we drove to Cooperstown for the FLASH MOB event at LakeView Park.  I think we were the first ones there, and I suggested we look for the new geocache hidden by Mr.Science.  By the time we got over to the location of it, someone else was already looking.  Then GPSBarb came and she found it.  Eventually, I found it, too.

The event was small, but there were prizes and I won a fully stocked geocache. Leslie won some waterproof paper to use in geocaches!  Here is the group pic:  

After the event,  Leslie and I set out for a day of geocaching.  The first one we found was NIMROD's ARE US.  The best thing that happened today was that while we were looking for Uncle Sam Passed One in the old Presbyterian Cemetery in Fly Creek, a woman came over to see if we were interested in anything specific in the cemetery.  She came from the Fly Creek Historical Society across the road.  She and others were getting ready for a pancake breakfast tomorrow.  She said we could go into the museum, so we did. The museum is in the old Fly Creek Grange Hall.  It was very interesting especially the stage upstairs, which is used by the Glimmerglass Opera for several weeks in the summer.

Altogether we got TWELVE smilies today....one for the event and eleven for actual finds.  We didn't have a single DID NOT FIND today, which is probably the first time that ever happened!!!

The final cache is hidden at this roadside icon on Route 28 south of Cooperstown.  Once we got back to Oneonta, I dropped Leslie off at Price Chopper so she could make a purchase and I went over to  Arby's and got a much needed cold drink.

It was a GREAT day!!!!

Worcester Adventure

Judy called me yesterday asked me if I mght be able to take her to a rummage sale at a church in Worcester.  She has gone to it for many years and has always found lots of stuff.  I was so tired last night that I had already made plans to stay home today, but when I got up today, I felt energetic and I wanted to take advantage of the gorgeous day.

I picked her up and we went to the rummage sale.  I found a couple of items and she bought several bags of stuff, not only for herself,some for other people.  Then we had lunch at Ardy's.  She had mac and cheese and I had a Reuben.  It was the sloppiest Reuben I ever had, but it was very good.

After that, we went to the STOREHOUSE, where Judy bought more clothing, and I found four paperback books.

When we got back to her trailer, Judy asked me to fill up her birdfeeder so I did that and then I headed for
home. I am pretty tired.

DRAGON SCAPE Adventure

My co-workers (Mary, Geneen, Eileen) and I met up all of our interns at FSA early this afternoon and then we headed to DRAGONSCAPE LASER TAG and ARCADE.    The purpose of the get together was to thank the interns for the many hours they contributed to all of our projects at work.

The first thing we all wanted to do was play LASER TAG.  We broke down into two teams, red and green we played two rounds of LASER TAG.  It was fun.  Then some of the group raced remote control cars in a track shaped like a maze.

Then we had all of the arcade games at our disposal, and also the pool table.

After a couple of hours there, we went to  GOLDEN GUERNSEY for ice  cream.  We were able to sit outside because it was such a gorgeous day.

After I dropped Mary off at work, I went to Neahwa and walked for about a half hour.