Friday

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39.4 degrees and sunny!

From WKTV: "Good morning! Our warm, quiet, sunny weather pattern will continue into the weekend, with 80s in the forecast for today and tomorrow. Even Sunday, we feel optimistic about the rain holding off until after dark. Get out and enjoy spring this weekend!
As we go into Sunday, a storm system in the upper atmosphere will bowling ball across the Ohio Valley and toward New York. It now looks to pass close enough to at least deliver us some extra clouds and a few showers, but not until Sunday night. The atmosphere will become a bit more moist, and any sunshine on Monday could touch off a thunderstorm. We don't foresee a washout right now, but there will likely be some showers around."

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Daffodils are blooming. These are on Berrill Avenue.

Business was booming at "Roc's," yesterday.......


.... and the tables are out at "Stinkers," on Main Street.

The sidewalk showroom in front of Morgan's Hardware is a delight! (I took a picture, but it didn't turn out as well as it should, so you'll have to go and see for yourselves!) And while you're admiring the chairs and whirlygigs and lawn utensils, step inside and check out the prices in the "Spring Flier!" You'll be amazed!!

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There will be much more raking done, over the weekend, but this is
NOT the way to get the DPW's attention!

The magic words are: "Dumpable containers."

In yesterday's mail there was a letter from Shirley (Eisenhut) Bynum Smith whose subject line was "Thanks be to God." She wrote: (in re: the Class photograph) "I identified all correctly except for Barbara Martin but obviously didn't e-mail you to let you know. Upon reading Lois' note, I thought I must have been wrong about Pat Rowe, but I was right about that......... I was so upset by reading 'Anna Hayes is dead' that I spent a good deal of time trying to find an obituary on the internet, with no luck, and that gave me hope. I looked up Donna (Ingersoll) Morelle's phone number and was going to call her today. I woke up during the night and early this morning thinking of Anna and hoping the news was not true. Now, this morning's blog has lifted my spirits immeasurably, not to mention those of Anna and her friends and classmates who read the blog."

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Another blog reader wrote to thank me for identifying the little yellow flowers of "Colt's Foot."
Because she's a nurse, she - and others, as well - may be interested to know that this plant is more than just a pretty bit of color!

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I stopped at the Library and took a nice long look at the Hallway Gallery Exhibit of Kyle Nasypany's work.

Not surprisingly, he'll be attending Pratt Art Institute at Munson-Williams-Proctor, in Utica.

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Another photographer who has a "good eye" is Library Director Jeff Reynolds. He sent me these three pictures that he'd taken on his commute between Waterville and Cooperstown.

Thanks, Jeff!

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Keeping you up-to-date ----

and the operative word certainly is "up!"

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Have a Great Weekend, Everyone!

Thursday

It's Garbage Day!

37.4 degrees

From WKTV: Highs of 70-75 are expected, with 60s in the Adirondacks. A weak cool front will try and push through on Friday, but it will be moisture starved, so while a sprinkle is possible north of Utica, things should continue mainly sunny and dry. Highs will once again be in the 70s. On Saturday, we'll see continued sunshine along with what will likely be the warmest day of this stretch, as highs head for the mid or upper 70s, with an isolated 80 degree reading not out of the question.

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N.B. (Note Bene!)

Dolores McManus Wines writes to say :

Classmates are shocked. Anna Hayes is shocked. She is NOT deceased. She is very much alive, and happy to be among us.

Left back row in picture is Pat (Rowe) Stone. Class of "56".

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Tiny Coltsfoot blossoms are sprinkled along gravelly roadsides.

Municipal Hall wins prize for first Dandelions!

Canada Geese appear to be setting up house on most of the ponds around here.

Yes: they DO mate for life.

Canada Geese: Things to Know

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Petunias, Forget-me-nots, Hens & Chicks, Seeds and Spring ...........

......... they're all at Alcott's!

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There was a nice note in my mailbox, yesterday, from Amy Fromm, Richard Hilsinger's grandaughter, who wrote:
"I just want to thank you and Jr. Bartlett for including my grandfather in April 15th's newsletter. We will miss him dearly! He was the most wonderful man and inspired everyone who knew him."

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I had an E-mail inquiry about the history of this handsome building, on Sanger Hill Road.
I believe that it was built around the time of the Civil War by one of the several Terry families, wealthy hop growers and dealers. It later became known as "Senator Coggeshall's home," the senator having married a Terry daughter named Lillie Alene. The late Hilda Ridings Barton was born there and for several years it was home to the Reilly family. It is now owned by the Gordons.

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I've had an E-mail from Margaret Bornick. (She and her husband, Ron, were the ones who started the choral groute "Tapestry," over twenty years ago.)  She writes:

"One of the newer Tapestry singers had an itch to start a women's choral ensemble so I've been going to Hamilton every week to rehearse. It's an interesting experience and a really neat sound.

This is our official debut performance. There will be quite a different variety of music including a set of Balkin folk songs (and I thought French was bad!) and a 'vocal orchestra' piece that was developed by women in a WWII concentration camp."

That sounds like fun!

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I keep checking Mark's blog: nothing yet!

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Have a Great Day, Everyone!

Wednesday

April 16, 2007

(Click on the image, please.)

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This morning, however, it's 26 degrees; lawns are bare
and snow shovels have been put away!

The Window is open at Roc's ........

Marilyn's been decorating .........

....... Dan's Workshop out on Madison Street.

Blue Scilla (Scilla Siberica) or Siberian Squill is starting to bloom ........

making puddles or streams of blue in sunny lawns and flowerbeds like this - at the Samboras' on White Street.

Chives! Fresh chives!

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WKTV predicts that: "On Wednesday, we see warmer air begin to flood into CNY. Temperatures will be about 10 degrees or so milder than Tuesday. Highs should top off in the 60s, but mid to upper 50s in the Adirondacks.
Nice weather lingers into Thursday as we exceed 70 degrees. Highs of 70-75 are expected, with 60s in the Adirondacks. A weak cool front will try and push through on Friday, but it will be moisture starved, so while a sprinkle is possible north of Utica, things should continue mainly sunny and dry. Highs will once again be in the 70s."

Great Blue Heron
(photo from Google)

I've seen four blue heron in the past few days - or perhaps I've seen the same heron four times - but, at any rate, they're back - cruising Big Creek and probably building nests.

Look for their twiggy "houses" high atop hardwoods on hills. There used to be a huge "heronry" out near Brookfield; a few nests behind the Merriman Farm on Sanger Hill and a great number over near Peterboro.

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In yesterday's mail was a letter from Lisa Rider Pardee, who grew up here in Waterville:
"Love the old photos!! Rod Rider is with an i not y :) He and Ted Wilson were good friends, Ted would come visit when ever he came to town to see his family - they lived up the street on Babbott Ave. I think it was in the house next to Ackers (on the left)."

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Jr. Bartlett wrote with a small correction:
"I goofed on my article for Richard Hilsinger - they lived on Berrill Ave. not Buell. I missed by one street over. Sorry...Junie . Berrill is the street that goes up by the Waterville cemetery and actually Y's off from Rte. 315. Rte 315 is Buell have right??" (Right!)

From Rick Reed:

"Thank you for your posting about my grandfather, Richard Hilsinger. He was a great man who will be missed. It meant a lot to see his WW2 pictures and read the email you attached. I will pass your posting on to my family."

- and from John Peterson:

"I am so very thankful for the work you do on this but especially of today's as the nice tribute to Dick Hilsinger hits me close to home. The whole Hilsinger family was close to our family, thru Dad as a teacher and the Episcopal church. Both Dick & his brother were long time amateur radio operators, inspired by Dad and his radio club at school. I have been in close constant contact with Dick on radio and computer for many years and believe me the airways will be alive with talk of his loss. I have met several people thru Dick & his radio pals who will always be part of my radio life as well as just regular friends. He was special to me and will be missed alot."

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Speaking of "Pete" Peterson .........

He - and his wife, Dot - were wonderful friends to Dick and me. I know that John's seen this photograph that my husband took of Pete c. 1972, but others might like seeing it, too.

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Have a good day, everyone!

AND

- to Mark Masca -

HANG IN THERE!!!!

Tuesday

It's APRIL 15th

(For more fun, click the image, please!)

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It's 24.4 degrees and clear.

LOOK WHAT'S COMING!

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Spring Cleaning!

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Clarification and Identifications

Lynn (Tuttle) Mattson and Audrey Wines checked in right away, "That's not the Calss of '52!" And they were right. Here's what Lois Newsom wrote:

"Actually, most of the people in that pic were from the class of 1955 -- and 2 or 3 of them were from the class of 1956. Left to right: Judy Callanen, Barbara Martin, ?, Linda Callanen, Rod Ryder in back, me in front kneeling, then ?, Anna Hayes, Ted Wilson, Skip. Rod Ryder and Anna Hayes are dead."

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Richard Hilsinger

Also in yesterday's mail was this - from Jr. Bartlett:

"Heard today that Richard Hilsinger has passed away in Rochester. I knew him and his family that lived on Buell ave in waterville across from the cemetary. I'm sure many of your readers knew him as well. He was a top turret gunner and flight engineer aboard the B-17 "Fuddy Duddy" and had 33 bombing missions over Germany during WW2. He is sadly missed and that leaves only two members of his crew still alive. May God Bless him his wife Rae and family."

B-17 the Fuddy Duddy

Dick Hilsinger in the front row on the far right.

Jr. added: "Here is one of the E-Mails Dick sent me that I would like to share with you and will never forget on one of his missions."


"Believe me," he wrote, "there is a story behind every one of the 33 missions I flew with my crew but there were some that were more outstanding for one reason or another. The third mission when our waist gunner got hit was when reality really set in. It was then we realized that this was not only exciting but dangerous as hell. I believe our target that day was Munich, a heavily defended target. Andy was hit by a piece of flak that hit him in the upper forehead below his flak helmet and then went down between the knuckles of two fingers on his right hand which we didn't know about for some time because of the heavy gloves he had on. The radio operator and left waist gunner took turns sitting with Andy between their legs applying a pressure bandage to Andy's forehead to slow the bleeding. All this was at about 40 below zero so it was not easy. They had to keep Andy's oxygen mask from freezing up among other things. We had one engine shot out and could not keep up with the formation which made us an easy target for fighters. At one point we were only 15 miles from the Swiss border and asked permission to land there to save Andy's life. The permission was denied because the life of one man was not as important as bringing back 10 men and a beat up airplane. We struggled all the way back to England at times flying all alone. We barely made it back to our base. Now after all that, we had to do this 30 more times and two days later we went back to Munich.

Your mother wrote to all of us and we looked forward to hearing from her. I carried a small pocket size bible with a metal cover in my left jacket pocket that your mother gave me to keep me safe. I brought that home with me but over the years somehow it has gotten lost.

Long story, hope it isn't boring. Dick"

(Thank you, Jr. And Thank YOU, Richard Hilsinger.)

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Have a great day, everyone.

Go for a walk!