****

Today is Garbage Day.
It's 59 degrees and overcast at 6:00 a.m.

The YNN Weather Forecast:

"Turning Warmer, and a Bit Humid; Much Needed Rain Ahead

"Even though there are dry conditions now, isolated showers and storms to form during the afternoon, and early evening. It will be a warm and humid day with highs close to 80.

This will become a trend through the middle of the week as a boundary drapes itself over the region. Temperatures through Wednesday will be above average, with a decent amount of humidity expected Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

A strong cold front will track through the region Thursday night, bringing in cooler, drier air for Friday and the Memorial Day weekend."

******************************************

Beverly P. Harris Hamm

1925 - 2013

******************************************

Janet L. Orendorff

1964 - 2013

******************************************

IN THE MAIL

From Gail Prentice, this photograph of her niece, Stephanie Bancroft, who received her Master's Degree in English as a Second Language at LeMoyne College on Friday night, May 17th. 

********

From an anonymous cellphone:

Lynn and Dottie Pesto celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary at a party on Saturday, May 18, at the home of Nancy and Dennis Salm. 

******************************************

Seen on Facebook

Bob VanDenbergh, a veteran and well-known runner who lives in Forge Hollow, is undertaking a very unusual - and admirable - fundraising project.

On his Facebook page he writes: 

"Beginning on Memorial Day I will be tracking the mileage for all of my runs for one full year. 

I am seeking sponsors who will pledge a minimum of .01 for each mile I run during that year. Right after Memorial Day 2014 I will send all the money collected to the Wounded Warrior Project HQ in Washington, D.C.

I plan to run a minimum of 1,000 miles and at that distance each .01 per mile pledged will provide $10.00 for the Wounded Warrior Project.

Please pledge today by email: bobvan67@gmail.com

Include your name and contact information as well as the amount pledged per mile.

Our veterans stood up for us. Now it's time to stand up for them.

Thank you.  Bob VanDenbergh

Follow Bob's run on his Facebook page, HERE.

*************

Sunday Shots

Dan Maine's Woodshop out on Madison Street is all decked out for Spring.

A ride along East Main Street on Sunday morning where cars belonging to parishioners of the Waterville Baptist Church and SouthGate Ministries line the curbs.

Flags fly from Telephone poles and the first of the park benches is in place next to Monument Park .....

..............  and the Garden Club "tubs" are out, a few already filled with bright coral petunias.

The "left-overs" from the Waterville Garden Club's Plant Sale, last Saturday, are available at bargain prices in Mrs. Sexton's Putnam Street driveway.

Out in the countryside, corn and oats have sprouted and fields of winter wheat (or rye?) are lush.

Many acres of land out in Hanover look as if they have once again been planted to "no till" Soy.

The Sangerfield River, above,  and Big Creek are both low. Whatever rain falls will no doubt be welcomed by farmers.

********

I took a ride over to the west end of Water Street to see how the hop yard that was planted last year at the Forward Farm was doing:  many of the vines gave gotten off to a good start and are four or five feet tall.

I didn't see the same sight at the Mosher Farm's six-acre hopyard on Route 46, but the arrangement of strings and trellises was worth the trip.

**************

EVENTS

WCS SPORTS 

*****

Don't Forget!!

ALSO ON THE BALLOT

THE WATERVILLE PUBLIC LIBRARY BUDGET

Please Vote "Yes!"

"More than a building or a collection of books, the Waterville Public Library is a thriving public resource - a place to seek out information and take advantage of special programs for children and adults. It is a place to meet with friends and to showcase community talents.
The Waterville Public Library is an essential element of the quality of life in our community and is a gateway to the world beyond.

"Since the Library was founded in 1874 (later chartered by the Board of Regents as a free public library in 1939), inhabitants of the region that is now bounded by the Waterville Central School District have recognized the need for preservation of knowledge and ideas, and free access to information for all. That mission continues today in the Library's state-of-the-art facility, opened in 2006, where you will find warm and inviting surroundings that provide traditional and all the latest services to support the reading, viewing, listening and information seeking needs and interests of all our patrons, young and old.

"In collaboration with the Mid York Library System including the 42 sister libraries within MYLS, we strive to stay up to date with rapidly emerging technologies and thereby operate a library without walls 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

"If you love your library -- all the resources and activities it offers -- give WPL a vote of confidence and support tomorrow! And, keep in mind that all the exciting capital projects that are under way are made possible through grants and major gifts from individuals and foundations --- that means that NO local tax money is being used, whatsoever!"

***********

Have a great day, everyone!

The next blog post will be Wednesday morning.

It's Garbage Day

43 degrees and clear at 6:15 a.m.

The WKTV Weather Forecast: "Thursday will be windy and warm with plenty of sunshine.  Highs will be in the low and mid 70s.

No major storm systems are expected to impact us through the rest of the week and into the weekend, which means it will be quiet with temperatures forecast to top out in the upper 60s and low 70s."

**********************

TODAY'S EVENTS

WCS Sports

**************************************

AT THE LIBRARY

Today at 6pm

"Monster Shoot"

ages 5 - 10

We’ll make monsters, set them up and shoot them down with water guns! Then take them home (with 

your new water guns)!

Sign Up   amanda@watervillepl.org

**************************************

Yesterday

Lilacs. I wish I could "blog" the scent!

Yesterday was a great day to be outdoors, and golfers were working on their swings at Green Acres in Sangerfield.

Nearby, construction is in progress on Easy Street ........

............. and air conditioners were being installed at Michael's Fine Food & Spirits.

Clinging to rocky nooks next to Route 315 in Forge Hollow, Wild Columbine makes tiny dots of color.......

............ and there are patches of tiny white Wild Strawberry Blossoms along side roads.

Clumps of tall grasses remind me what fun it is: 

TO MAKE A GRASS BLADE WHISTLE

described and drawn by Darrel Blain of Henrietta, Texas.

"Let’s suppose you need to make a loud noise to frighten off a large wild animal (assuming you’ve encountered a large wild animal that can actually be frightened), or suppose you become lost or injured while hiking and need to signal your whereabouts, or let’s suppose you are eight years old hanging out with your cousins in a small town in Texas with not much to do, trying to make as much noise as possible.

In that case you can make a really loud whistle from a grass blade. Strictly speaking it’s not a whistle but a single reed instrument. A whistle has a fixed surface; a reed instrument has a moving surface vibrating against a fixed surface.

Whatever, it still is ear-splittingly loud.

Here’s how to do it.

Find yourself a grass blade, or leaf, or something similar, longer than your thumb. Not a wimpy grass blade from a suburban lawn, but a native grass or weed that’s tough, with about a finger’s width to it.

Hold it between thumb and forefinger so the grass more or less drapes along the length of your thumb.

After holding it between thumb and forefinger with one hand, so the grass more or less drapes along the length of your thumb, catch the bottom end of the blade with your middle finger.

Pull the grass blade tight along the side of your thumb with this finger, while bringing your other thumb up to replace your forefinger.

After pulling the grass blade tight along the side of your thumb with your middle finger, bring your thumbs parallel to form an opening with the grass blade centered in it.

Keep holding the grass blade taut with your middle finger, at the base of your thumb, so that the grass blade is stretched tight across the opening.

When you blow between your thumbs, the reed (the grass blade) will vibrate against the sides of your thumbs, much the same way a reed works in a harmonica.

This reed-whistle will be piercingly loud and strident, sort of like a one-note saxophone gone bad, a very desirable quality if you’re eight."

********************************************

FOR YOUR CALENDAR

***************************************

TUESDAY,  MAY 21

WCS BUDGET VOTE

***************************************

**********************************

FOR THE RECORD



Have a Great Weekend Everyone!

It's Recyclables Day

42 degrees with patchy clouds at 6:30

The WKTV Weather Forecast: "A warm front will bring clouds and a few rain showers to Central New York today.  Sprinkles are possible this morning, but the most widespread shower activity looks to take place in the afternoon.  High temperatures in the mid to upper 60s.  Breezy, with an east wind between 10-20mph throughout the day.

Decreasing clouds tonight with lows in the 40s.

Much warmer weather to finish out the week.  Highs in the 70s with partly sunny skies for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

***************************

Emily P. Alexander

1924 - 2013

***************************

Yesterday

Graupel, again, up in Hanover.

Temperatures dipped close to thirty degrees on Monday night and although some folks lost newly planted annuals, none of the blossoms on flowering trees or shrubs seem to have been harmed.

Probably no one who helped plant this Flowing Crab Tree in the alcove at Grace Church, thirty or more years ago, had any idea it would grow to be this large.

One of the most showy Crabapple trees, right now, is this - next to the Swanberg Home.

In no danger of being frost-bitten, these doorway decorations at

the Baumgarten residence on Madison Street .......

........and at Jim and Nancy Morgan's on Stafford Avenue.

The Rose-breasted Grosbeaks and Baltimore Orioles have returned to Whiskey Hollow.

Indigo Buntings should be here, too, and perhaps they are.  They are much smaller than the grosbeaks and orioles, and I always feel fortunate to catch just one glimpse of that bright blue in a honeysuckle bush near the creek.

*********

TODAY

WCS SPORTS

*******

AT THE LIBRARY

Movie matinée at 1:00

*******

LEGO Mania at 2:00

**************************************** 

Waterville Historical Society annual meeting, 7 p.m. 

A brief "State of the Society" annual report and election of officers for 2013-2014. 

The program will be about "powder horns". Town of Western Historical Society member, Gary Eisenbeck, will share his collection of horns and discuss the history of this critical necessity of 19th century America. these powder horns were the companion to every musket in early American and were carried by hunters, soldiers and explorers. They were as simple as a canvas bag to highly decorated and inscribed horns or other materials. 

Refreshments will follow the meeting and program. 

All are welcome.

***********

IN THE MAIL

Jeff Reynolds forwarded to me this photograph of the "Sombrero Galaxy"  that had been taken at the observatory by one of the MVAS members on Monday evening using the new, recently-installed telescope.  

There was a technical description attached in which the photographer wrote: "Just wanted to touch base with everyone regarding the status of the new scope/mount. I purchased a new power adapter for the Losmandy mount which is specifically designed for the mount. I directly purchased it from Losmandy.

Online it was rated 13.8V 4.4A output. When I opened the package it looked at the specs on the back of the power supply it read 15V 4.4A. Well this was a pleasant surprise:) This mount CAN run up to 18v. The 12v adapter was not adequate to slew the scope. It constantly stalled. No matter what we did as far a gear spacing or balancing, it did stall!  Not to mention that this was Jeff's power adapter and we accidently used it.
I went down to the observatory and hooked up the heavy gauge, grounded power cord and fired up the Losmandy mount. Well it now performs flawlessly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It slewed powerfully around the sky. The stalling was indeed the result of the lack of sufficient power.
The clouds slowly rolled in as one would expect in central NY:( but I did manage to take some quick one minute exposures of the Sombrero Galaxy @ ISO 6400. NO FILTERS were used in the images (4 decent ones) Any exposures longer than one minute tended to slightly trail. The seeing was poor!"

And Jeff added:

"Wow!  Bottom line is that we have two magnificent telescopes up and running. " 

 ***************************

More when it happens!

It's Garbage Day.

37.8 degrees and overcast at 6:30 a.m.

The YNN Weather Forecast: 

"Chilly and Breezy, Turning Warmer Mid-Week

Today will be another windy, cool day around the region. Wind chills will be in the 30s and 40s throughout the day.

Tonight will be precipitation free, but with a clearing skies, and lighter winds, frost will once again be possible.

We'll see dry weather, and slightly warmer temperatures on Tuesday. Highs in the upper 50s and 60s.

Warmer air builds in with a warm front Wednesday, but showers will also be possible. A cool front will track through the region Thursday bringing an additional threat for showers.

***************************************

IN THE NEWS

"Waterville Posts Top Score......"

The Little Falls Times

**********************

Yesterday

Someone - but I don't know who - is doing a great deal of work stabilizing old gravestones in the Hanover Cemetery.

Nor do I know why these Canada Geese, residents of the amply large and very sightly pond behind the Moon residence on Madison Street, would decide to take a Sunday afternoon stroll to the muddy, weedy swale next to the road!

Late afternoon hail storm on the southern end of Bailey Lake Road. This was not on the calendar for Mother's Day.

*********************************

"Eye Candy"  - of one sort!

Apple Blossoms

Flowering Crab

Flowering Quince

Wild Geranium /  Cranesbill.

Virginia Bluebells

**************************

SCHEDULED EVENTS

WCS SPORTS

*********

BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING

Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.

*****************************

TUESDAY

At the Library

Knit2gether at 7:00 p.m.

*********

ANNOUNCEMENT

  All veterans interested in attending 

please contact the MPS office by Friday, May 18^th 

at 841-3700.

************

ROTARY CLUB AUCTION

If you want to donate items,

Please call Scott Freeman at  841-4175 to arrange for pick-up.

*******************************

IN THE MAIL

- from Dave Sullivan

"On Earth Day 2013 a group of volunteers from Rome and Cazenovia College helped clean trash and brush from around the O&W TRain Depot in Deansboro.

"As a part of the Keep Mohawk Valley Beautiful regional project, a grant for the repair and restoration of “The Depot”,  Deansboro’s historic train station, is in its early stages. We are unsure if this will materialize. 

“The Depot” is probably the oldest surviving station in Oneida County, and is listed on the National Historic Register.

"Its last rail owner was the O & W, which hauled freight and some passengers between Utica and Binghamton. In the 1950’s rail services went out.  Until the Brothertown (Association) bought it, The Depot had been converted to a hardware store. Now it is owned by the Brothertown Association, a 501©(3) charity, its restoration process continues with the help of the whole community.

"An early grant from Albany probably saved The Depot from collapse: a new roof has prevented further deterioration.

Re-awakened interest in Albany in stimulating upstate’s economy, our region identified The Depot as a candidate for funding. Brothertown is working with a regional coordinator to bring some of that “stimulus” to Marshall and the focus fell on The Depot.

On Sunday April 21 the volunteers came and helped and accomplished  way more than expected. The goal was to restore the south end of The Depot where the major support beam had been cracked and rotted. Twenty-four feet long and more than 10 by 10, the crew worked under the coordination and direction of Association President, Maury Sturdevant to lift the building and to build supporting pylons before the new beam could be put in place. Member Steve Aldrich obtained and provided the 20 ton bottle jacks to do the lift, and Ed Bishopp, local businessman, donated the beam—itself an historic piece: it bears the marks of the axes and adzes that cut and shaped it.

With the help of the volunteer crew, The Depots east side was completely cleared of rotted construction debris, accumulated road trash and debris, years of saplings, brush and weedy growth.

A “bonus” in the days efforts came under the leadership of Dave Sullivan, a local businessman. The warehouse structure that serviced The Depot had been vandalized and the top of an historic hop stove stolen. Dave’s crew completely cleared the warehouse and its grounds of more than twenty years wild growth, brush, saplings and small trees that were felled and awaiting green waste removal. “Treasures” of road trash tossed by road users are gone and the foundation areas next to The Depot look ready to provide the base for a new and more secure location for that warehouse.

Funding for the next stage—moving the warehouse and installing power and water to the buildings is in grant application process. Some $10,000.00 is needed to complete it, and Brothertown is anxiously awaiting approval for funding, or any part of it, from Albany.

The Train Depot is looking for any Railroad related memorabilia. The names of the donors will be placed with the display of pictures. Items also of interest would be any history with regards to the canal and train depot.

The Depot is the trail head to the towpath walking trail. If you haven’t walked this you don’t know what you are missing. 
The long term plan for The Depot is 1^st to preserve structure for future generations to enjoy. The trail currently runs to Van Hyning Rd and past. Future plans are to extend it to Clinton.

The Brothertown Association owns The Depot. We are a 501 (c) (3)  charity. All donations are tax deductable. The estimated cost is over $100,000.00. Any and all donations would be appreciated. Please send any donations to Ed Bishopp at 2805 Rt 12B Deansboro, NY 13328

We are also looking for new members willing to work and contribute to restore the historic structure in a reasonable time frame. This is an urgent project worth the community's effort. Membership dues are as follows:

Passenger membership: $25.00

Conductor membership: $50.00

Fireman membership: $100.00

Engineer membership: $200.00

Thank you very much.  (Signed, Dave Sullivan and Betty Hughes)

*************

I'm sure you've noticed that this is a two-day blog post. Unless someone or something gets my attention, I'll be immersed in either history, closet- and studio-cleaning or artist stuff.

N.B. In just a few weeks "At Home in the Huddle" will mark the end of it's seventh year - or "a week of years."  Traditionally, at that point, academicians are granted a year off (with pay) to take a sabbatical leave. I'm certainly not an academician, but I am seriously considering giving myself a three-month "sabbatical" during June, July and August.   So many places to go, people to see and projects - both new and old - to either start or finish! 

In academia, there is always a replacement ready to step in - in this case it would be a substitute "blogger."   It could be an individual or even a team effort.  If any of you find the notion of "blogging" intriguing or can suggest a means by which the six- or seven-hundred daily blog readers can be satisfied, please let me know. 

Enjoy the Springtime!