I loved our trip

Here is the lovely view from little whiteface last week.

Stag Brook Falls at the bottom of Whiteface Mountain.

Martha and I at the top of Mount Jo.

At a coffee shop in Lake Placid that overlooks Mirror Lake.

Don't Jump!

This picture was taken this past summer just outside of Lowville, NY on a trail that lead to Gleason's Falls.

I've been trying to come up with something interesting to say...I have to admit that I have sort of lost interest in blogging. I just can't seem to generate motivation to do it. I still like reading blogs...but I'm not sure I'm doing my own for much longer.

Panther Pond

Went hiking just over a week ago to Panther Pond in Adirondack Park just outside of Lowville. We were on our way to pick up our son from camp. It is a beautiful and absolutely peaceful place. Wish I was there now.
My job search has not been very successful thus far. It's a tough job market out there for librarians. There have been job cuts and many librarians looking for work. I have had two interviews out of the 14 job applications I have sent out since June. I did not get either job. I'm trying to keep my chin up and ears open for more leads.

Grime's Glen...twice

Yesterday I went to Grimes Glen for the first time with Rachel and her boys. Allen came along and brought his friend, Sam. It was such a beautiful place and I enjoyed it so much that I decided to go back again today with Alicia and her friend Elise. Of course Sherman came along both days. He loved it, but is exhausted now! I can't believe that I've lived near this beautiful place for 18 years now and never went to it!
Yesterday I took photos and Rachel sent me even more. Today I didn't take any because I had left the camera home. I am sad that I didn't get any pictures of the girls. They had so much fun and I missed so many great photo opportunities!

Here are pictures from yesterday. Grime's Glen is my new favorite place to go!

A day out

Went to Corbett's Glen yesterday with Martha and some of our kids.
Corbett's Glen is a little nature oasis in the middle of the busy suburbs of Rochester. It is a pretty little place that seems like a secret to me.
After having a picnic lunch, Martha showed me where the dog park is in Ellison Park.
It was great to be at a place where I could let my dog off of the leash, see him romp freely in the water without having to look over my shoulder for whoever might come along and scold me for taking him off of his line. There were about 5 other dogs there besides him. I will definitely take him back there!

Photos are thanks to Martha!

Hiking in Lowville area

On our way up to pick Allen up from Beaver camp, Jamie and I went hiking. My only regret is that we didn't bring Sherman along. He would have loved it. However, it is a tradition that we stop at Cracker Barrel for a bite to eat on the way home and figured having the dog along wouldn't work well. Here is Jamie looking over the edge of a rock cliff. You can't tell from the photo, but it was about 30 feet up. There was a nice waterfall at the end of the hike.

Robert Treman State Park-part 2

On the way down the gorge, we took the higher trail. What you see in the photo is the gorge trail that we hiked up. It is way way down there! I have a pretty good zoom lens on my camera so you really can't tell by the photo how far down it is.Here are Allen and Alicia reading....this sign.
I thought I saw a little orange plastic dinosaur on trail that a kid dropped...but discovered that it was a living creature. A newt. We saw 6 newts in all, a couple of snakes and a few chipmunks.
Allen holding a newt just to show you the size of it.
Looking down on the swimming hole. I remember coming to this swimming hole when I was a little girl. I was very impressed that my big brother, Dan could dive in. Somewhere, I know my mom has a picture of him diving in. I wish I had it. But I do have this one!This was taken at the swimming hole at Robert Treman State Park in the summer of 1970. I am the little girl in the blue. Martha is next to me and Mom is holding Rachel. That's Dan behind us.And here I am just 40 years later! Still wearing blue!
At the end of our hike, we had a picnic "lunch." I put quotes around it because by then it was 3:30 and we were starving! At that point I stopped taking pictures. I guess I was too hungry.

Robert Treman State Park

On Wednesday of this past week, Jamie took the day off from work. I suggested that we go to Letchworth State Park, but Jamie decided that we should take the kids to a park that they had never been to before. We decided on Robert Treman State Park. I hadn't been there since I was about 12 or 13.
We hiked the beautiful gorge and enjoyed the outdoors.
About half way up the gorge, we could hear the rumbling of thunder and it seemed to be drawing closer along with darkening skies.

When we got to the top of the gorge, we went in the old mill just in time to be sheltered from a torrential downpour. It rained for quite a while. I amused myself by taking pictures of the old gears, signs and other relics.It was a wonderful day! I'll post more about our hike down another day.

Early Morning Hike

I got up at 5:00 this morning to go with Jamie to Mendon Ponds Park. Jamie was meeting a friend to do some running. Sherman and I took a hike on some of the trails. It was beautiful, but unfortunately I was distracted by a couple of things. One: about 10 deer flies took to buzzing around my head and driving me crazy. When I finally decided to ignore them as best I could since I could not get rid of them, one bit me and another dive bombed inside of my ear. Two: the bathrooms were all locked. Enough said about that one.

Sherman didn't seem to be bothered by the deer flies at all and the locked bathroom didn't stop him at all. He took a dip into Devil's Bathtub when I wasn't paying attention, and was quite scummy! I took him over to the Hundred Acre Pond where it looked clear to encourage him to swim and get cleaned off. We surprised one deer who was coming through the thicket from the water's edge. She didn't see us until she was literally about 5 feet away from us. Luckily, I had presence of mind to grab Sherman's collar to keep him from chasing her. He didn't bark or anything.

After I finally found one horrible bathroom that was accidentally left open, we went back to the van to wait for Jamie. The flies weren't as bad there. I had left my book at home so I had nothing to read, but discovered a word search book that was left in the van by one of the kids. I'm not a big word search person, but it helped pass the time. After Jamie got back from his run, we drove to the village of Mendon and went to Sacred Grounds Coffee House.

I regretted that I forgot my camera. I had intended to bring it, but left in on my kitchen table. I am chalking this up to me not being much of a morning person. It takes me awhile to wake up and be able to think, plan and remember very well.

S'mores and Sparklers

After we hiked the gorge on Friday, we went over to Jamie's sister's house, had dinner with them and then did a bon fire in their fire pit.

Kevin had some sparklers for the kids. Audra and Allen had fun with them. Alicia thought they were too risky...and refused to take part.

Of course where there is a fire going, there is an abundance of marshmellows, chocolate and graham crackers. Yum!

Amish Tourists

So you think the life of the Amish is all work and no play, huh? Nope. Sometimes they tour waterfalls.

Just before this pic was taken, a group of Amish teens came down with all the typical energy of kids that age...way ahead of the old folks! LOL!

Watkins Glen

We went to Watkins Glen State Park on Friday. Just an incredibly beautiful place! Our Lord is the most amazing sculptor. I would highly suggest that anyone visiting NY state go to see this incredible natural wonder!

The hike up the gorge trail is not for the weary as there are many steps to climb. It is well worth it. There were quite a few tourists on the trail. I think I heard about four different languages being spoken.

This is Rainbow Falls. At just the right time of day, when you are hiking down the trail, you can see a perfect rainbow. I saw it on the way down. I had handed the camera to my husband (who was hiking slower a ways up). I trusted that he would certainly get a photo as he passed it. He didn't. (I really have forgiven him of the oversight)

There is just no way to capture the beauty of this place on film. You just have to go there. I hope to go again this fall when the colors of the foliage are amazing. You may join me if you promise not to mind stopping at antique stores on the way down.

Here is a photo taken while standing undernieth Rainbow Falls while looking up.

Are you ready for a trip to NY state yet? It is much more than that big city everyone hears about.