Can You Say "Boonies?"

Day 3: Thursday, August 21

So, where will we go today? GT wants to see the Adirondacks and I have a book of places to hike so we find a couple of possibilities that are close enough to do in a day. We choose #19, Gleasmans Falls, southeast of Lowville and close to the village of Glenfield. The directions are very explicit so even though the trail is remote, we feel confident that we will find it with no troubles.

Okay, we had trouble. The "explicit directions" did not jibe with the actual surroundings. We went mostly on instinct, ending up on a dirt road that was rutted and rocky. 3-1/2 miles later we came to a trailhead - still no marking so we weren't sure we were in the right place. GT, being a veteran hiker, felt sure we were on track so we took off down the trail. It wasn't until about 1/2 mile later that we came to the sign-in board (there is a book where you enter your name, addy, phone, etc. and a place to check out when you come back) and saw that others had been here to see the falls.

It was an interesting trek. First a marshy area, then woods. The trail was pretty easy and we figured we could complete the three miles in a couple of hours. Two hours later we heard water. Eureka! It's the falls! Within a few minutes we came to a small footbridge deep in the woods with a couple of "fall-ish" places. Could this be it? If so, it was a huge disappointment.

Taking a minute to rest, have some nourishment, and consult the book, we discovered that we were at Second Creek and had about 1/2 mile more to go. That last 1/2 mile was steep and rocky but boy was it worth the trek! These falls are breathtaking! Other than one place below the falls where we could get out on the rocks at rivers' edge it was difficult to see the entire falls. But they are beautiful indeed, even more so because of their remoteness. Being there we knew that we were only two of a relative few who had experienced these waterfalls.

On the way home we spotted this red-tailed hawk high in a tree across the meadow. I was lucky to get a clear photo before he flew off. It was a long a tiring day - 6 miles of hiking and about 175 miles of driving...I think I need a rest!

Cruisin' the Eastern Shore

Day 2: Wednesday, August 20

Destination: Lake Ontario. Interstate 81 to Mexico then Route 3 along the eastern lakeshore. There are so many wildlife management areas along the shore but most are not "visitor friendly" - no place to stop or hike. We did find a few paths to wander inclucing Colwell Pond, Deer Creek Marsh, Sandy Island Beach's South Pond, Black Pond, and finally El Dorado Beach Preserve. Lots of gulls and buzzards - we even managed to sneak up on three turkey vultures noshing on fish (see the photo of one of them below). After a long day of traipsing through the marshes we drove out to Rte 81 in Adams and headed for home. A light dinner on the patio.....a glass or two of wine....end of a great day.

The Brit Comes to Yankeeland

(Although Graham has come and gone, the next few posts will recap our adventures.)

Day 1: Tuesday, August 19

Graham (my Brit pal and hereafter referred to as "GT") arrived yesterday at about 6:30 pm. It's so great to see him again - it's been 16 months since I visited him in England. In my usual style I made tentative plans which almost immediately fell through due to my failure to book accommodations. But GT and I are nothing if not flexible - we decided to skip the B&Bs and go for day trips.

Today we stayed relatively close to home, visiting Three Rivers Wildlife Mgt. Area, Beaver Lake Nature Center, and Montezuma. GT is a lifelong birder (a "twitcher" in Britspeak) and leads nature walks back in UK so I know a hike anywhere we can find birds will make him happy.

I was dismayed to see the eagle's nest gone at Three Rivers. There was one of the 1st years in a tree on the island but he was the only remnant of the family that we saw. No eagles at Mud Lock either but there were two ospreys in the trees near the eagle's nest. We also saw a green heron standing next to a great blue, and several great egrets at Montezuma's Tschache Pool. All in all a great first day. Stay tuned for Wednesday's adventures.

Gut Reactions

I've been listening to NPR discuss McCain's choice for VP, Alaska Governor, Sarah Palin. When I first saw the announcement this morning I was excited. "Woo-hoo!" I thought, and reconsidered my decision not to vote Republican. That was my gut speaking - it needs a Republican fix. On reflection I realize that McCain made a very sly decision in choosing a female running mate. Given his past remarks towards his wife I can't imagine he is much of a feminist. Given his position on other things I can't imagine he'd welcome female input. His VP choice is another calculated move meant to sway voters.

I wonder how many on-the-fence Republicans whose guts resemble mine will rejoice at this move and go over to the dark side. I wonder how many disappointed Hillary supporters will follow. I wonder how many conservative traditional males will see a black candidate on one side and a woman on the other and not vote at all. I wonder if the minute Hillary was NOT chosen as Obama's running mate McCain (or his people) jumped for joy and rang up Palin.

I am still excited. One way or another we will break a centuries-old tradition in November. Be it an African-American president or a female vice president we will have crossed an important line. The difference is that, if elected, Obama will actually have a chance to do something.

Looney's tune

Max saw his first loon yesterday near Piseco Lake. It looked like a duck at first...until it dove and I realized it had to be a loon. The photo here isn't great because the loon was too far away, but he did favor us with a song just to let us know he was legit. Later we saw a loon chick on another mountain lake. His parents were nowhere to be found, but I'm guessing they were hidden in the reeds, watching junior learn to dive.


The trip was great...the Adirondacks are a treat any day, even with the obligatory rain (it never lasts long, but you can guarantee you will get at least a few sprinkles every time you visit). I love the smell of the air, the wildlife, the gorgeous colors. Oh...we saw a young buck in velvet and several wild turkeys including a family. Unfortunately Susannah was too slow to get pictures. Unless I can con the wildlife into waiting while I focus and frame, I'm going to have to get faster and more organized.

Nothing real special in the photo department but I'll post a few here anyway.