Category: Finger Lakes Region of New York State

Late Autumn Ithaca 1

Dredging the past

MichaelStephenWills

This Sunday past I parked the car downtown (free parking Sundays) and walked the walk, carrying the Sony Alpha 700 with the variable 18-200 lens. Today is a contemplation of beginnings. Here is a mural dedicated to the founding of the Cornell Library Association, titled “Ezra Cornell”, completed 2016 by Nestor Madalengoita.

It was the 1779 Sullivan – Clinton Revolutionary War expedition against British Loyalists and allies, the Iroquois confederation, that opened up Central New York to settlement, making possible the 1,400 Dewitt acres that is now the City of Ithaca, named, strangely, after an Aegean island with Hector Street, our road to downtown, recalling the foremost defender of Troy.

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Copyright 2020 Michael Stephen Wills All Rights Reserved

Santa Elf Spotted…..

….on paddle board.

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She was captured via IPhone coming…..

….and going on the Cayuga Inlet off Cass Park, Ithaca, New York, on a December afternoon.

Copyright 2020 Michael Stephen Wills All Rights Reserved

Thayer Preserve, Lick Brook

Former farm land

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Sandbank Road climbs from the valley of Ithaca city to the rural peneplain on the way to Buttermilk Falls, we passed the sign for this preserve many times, today we explored this place, new to us. The trail descends to Lick Creek canyon.

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We stopped to enjoy the open space of a powerline clear cut where the trail intersects the creek bed. Here we turned, following the water.

Off trail to the creek bed.

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The path beckons

just around the corner

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What is there, just beyond?

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Click Me for another Malloryville post, “Formed By Water.”

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Chief Logan

Spring Fed Pond

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Reputedly, the life of a famous Native American orator, had its beginning on a spring fed pond we know today as Jennings Pond.

We briefly visited Jennings Pond in yesterday’s post, that day I also captured the 1932 New York State Department of Education historical sign with attribution of Chief Logan’s birth to this place and some of his most famous and notable words, “I appeal to white men to say, ‘If hungry Chief Logan gave no meat. If cold and naked, he clothed me not.”

Heading photograph: Purple Asters found along Jennings Pond by Michael Stephen Wills

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"Summer Dream, Buttermilk Falls"

Jennings Pond

Buttermilk Falls Source

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Tom Knight, “has been delighting children and their grown-ups with his original, interactive, musical puppet show since 1988,” in 2018 Pam, myself and the grandchildren were lucky enough to catch his act at Cornell University Johnson Museum. His CD, “Purple Pumpkin Pie” is in the car and, pre-Covid, I’d play it in the car while riding with the grandchildren.

“Jennings Pond,” a song on that CD, mentions a local town, Danby. Until last week I did not think twice about it. Driving into Ithaca, heading north on Route 13, there’s a compelling view down a valley. I’ve taken exploratory drives down there on the West Danby-Spencer road, seeing what there is to see. A week ago last Sunday, turning left at West Danby, up the hill forming the east valley wall, on Station Road, then Bald Hill Road, passing by the Finger Lakes Trail through Danby State Forest, on the right I spied a compelling open area, a pond, and this sign….

I proceeded onto a footbridge over the pond outlet, the source for Buttermilk Creek,…….

…and continued to a footpath, southeast and away from the pond. Toward the Finger Lakes Trail? I left this adventure for another day.

Copyright 2020 Michael Stephen Wills All Rights Reserved

A Day at Iron Kettle Farm

We miss you, Mom.

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One Saturday of October 2012 we enjoyed this last outing with my mother Catherine Ann Wills.  She passed away June 2013 at the age of 90 years.  We miss you, Mom.

A display of large pumpkins near the entrance to the Iron Kettle Farm.

Grand Entrance Display

Enter…if you dare….Corn Mazes are popular tourist attractions and are not simply corn fields. The plantings must be made later, planted thinner and fertilized less than those used for crops.

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These small, inedible squash, once dried and hollowed out, become gourds. The plant is in the Cucurbitaceae family of the genus Lagenaria. The squash on this table are too small for anything but displays and decorations, such as centerpieces. Great fun and make and enjoy.

Ornamental Squash / Gourds

These ornamental squash, also know as cucurbita are not are large enough for use as food. When dried, will last a long time.

Ornamental Squash / Gourds

Take your pick of pumpkins….

Take your pick

…the pumpkins are sorted by size and price.

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The pumpkins are sorted....
We chose small to medium sized pumpkins.

Our choice.....
Thankfully, the trees kept to their usual habits and did not talk to us today.

Thankfully, the trees....
My dear wife, Pam, was in her element.  She loves gardening.

Pam, in her element
We left the wheelchair at home and Mom enjoyed exploring the exhibits, watching people and the exercise.

Mom was up and about this day...

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Celestial Geese with two haiku by Issa

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Celestial Geese

None of Them Come Down

To My Pine

~Kobayashi Issa

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The Bright Moon

In Raindrops from the Eves

The Geese Depart

~Kobayashi Issa

 

Other postings this evening. Click the link to go there.

“Harvest Views”

“Antique Silo Apple Harvest”

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Salt Road

Summer View with Clouds

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Travel to Fillmore Glen from our former home included a climb to an overlook of the Fall Creek valley, seen here on a summer afternoon in four parts.

Three exposures using a 50 mm Canon lens on a Kodak dslr. A tripod allowed me good orientation and, later, to use the Photoshop photoMerge feature to combine exposures into a panorama. At that time, I was limited to the 50 mm lens.

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Cow Sheds (waterfall)

A Waterfall with this unusual name.

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The gorge takes a turn here to face the west, where I caught the late afternoon sun lowering in these three shots in close sequence.

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