Friday - with Award Winners add-on

It's 53 degrees and drippy.

If it's still rainy this evening, the Lindsey Family's performance will take place at SouthGate Ministries at 6:30 p.m.
The event is free and open to the public.




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(8:45 A.M. "add-on" thanks to Mary Campbell!)

Here are the
2008 WCS Scholarship Award Winners
as announced at a
Recognition Dinner on Wednesday evening!

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Brouillette Road.

Yesterday was another of those steely-gray days, making the yellow "brush strokes" of mustard stand out even more.

Lewis Road.

Mallow - in shades of pink to white - is blooming on gravelly roadsides.


"Bishop's Leaf" or "Goutweed" really has a pretty blossom, but it's not a gardener's friend and takes over any space it can. Above - Janet Gibbons and Rick Garrett weed the planter in the Foodking parkinglot.



There are no weeds in "Father Tom's Garden" at the St. Bernard's rectory!

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Something to do tomorrow.

The Chenango Music Fest is taking place this weekend in Hamilton.

"Tapestry" will also present a formal concert of early sacred music at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Utica on Monday, July 7th at 6:00 P.M.

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Yesterday afternoon:

Scroll down or click HERE.

Have a good weekend, everyone!

Hummingbirds are Here!

Yesterday was Day #15 of the Hummingbird Watch.
Something was definitely different. The mother Hummingbird seemed to be very agitated - unable to settle herself as comfortably on the tiny nest as she had for the last two weeks.

Sandy Nagy and I took turns peering through binoculars and finally I saw the mother bird leave the nest and come back with a "tidbit." She perched on the edge of the nest, eyeing something inside.....

Time to call Jody Hildreth!

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He arrived at around 3:30.....

.... and spent the next two hours either crouched, motionless, in the underbrush or perched, still as a statue, atop a twelve-foot stepladder.

Jody's website, KidWings, is referred to by schools everywhere and receives about a thousand hits a day!

I am extremely grateful to him for his generosity in sharing these photographs with me and giving me permission to publish them here.

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(Click photographs to enlarge.)

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To be Continued.

Thursday

It's Garbage Day!

49 degrees; no precipitation.

From WKTV: "On Thursday, we'll see a similar day to what we saw on Tuesday...clouds, some sun and temperatures about 10 degrees below normal. The majority of the day should stay dry, but we will keep a chance of showers virtually at anytime. Thursday night will see another disturbance kick through, which could get some help from Lake Ontario in kicking off a few thunderstorms. This would clear out Friday morning, leading to partly sunny skies on Friday afternoon, with temperatures in the upper 60s."

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Yesterday wasn't the best for outdoor activities, but there were half-a-dozen bright displays at the Farmer's Market in the Park. Above, Edith and John Reile not only tempted our "sweet tooth," but also offered fresh, home-grown lettuce and hand-made baskets!

(I have not tasted them, but I understand from those who have that Edith's cream-cheesy pie crusts set a whole new standard for "deliciosity!" I CAN vouch for the tastiness of her molasses/raisin cookies!)

At another table, a large variety of plants; another vendor displayed arrangements of silk flowers and aroma alone drew hungry shoppers to two young men and their barbeque "pit."

"Long View Farms" from Deansboro was there, as always, with a large selection of fresh fruits and vegetables.

It appeared that the only things that were NOT to be found by this little shopper
were new front teeth!

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If you slow down on Tower Street and look very closely, you can see that the new Black Walnut Trees - row after row of two-foot tall twigs - have all leafed out!

This photograph of the Townhouses on Madison Street will also give you an idea of yesterday's weather! It was DARK!

But BRIGHT, at the new Merri-Rose Flower Shop!

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Just a little over three weeks ago - on Sunday, May 25th - Jim and Sylvia Crandall's 33-year-old son, Jamie, was sound asleep in his home in Marietta, Ohio, when he was struck in the face by a man whom he had fired a day or two earlier. The man didn't use a baseball bat or anything like that: just his fist, but he struck with such ferocity that Jamie's face was turned to pulp, and bones - including an eye socket - shattered.

Help arrived in less than thirty minutes and, in little more time than that, the assailant - who had told any number of people of his hatred of Jamie and of his plans - was apprehended.

Jamie was moved from Marietta to a huge hospital in Columbus where his mother met him and where reconstructive surgery was performed. Sylvia told me yesterday that although he still has a long way to go, Jamie is back at work and - best news - he WILL have the sight of the injured eye!

And yes - he'll be able to go to the trial!

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Hummingbird Status: sitting!

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There are lots of posters around the village advertising "Utica Monday Night" in Waterville!

On Monday evening at 6:30, Kelly Falk will present a program on (who else?) "The Loomis Gang" at the Historical Society on White Street.

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Posters are also up promoting a June 28 Poker Run sponsored by the Legion Riders in support of the Cpl. John P. Sigsbee Memorial Fund. (I'll post details when I have them.)

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Starting Monday: Wimbledon!!!

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Have a great day, everyone!

Wednesday

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FARMER'S MARKET in the PARK

1:00 - 6:00

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It's Recyclables Day

50 degrees and rainy.

• Today: Mostly cloudy with rain showers likely. Quite chilly. High near 60.
• Tonight: Mostly cloudy with a chance of showers. Low in the upper 40s.
• Thursday: Mostly cloudy with occasional rain showers. High: 65, Low: 50

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It was, to many of us, a dark and chilly day, yesterday - the temperature never got above 65! - but the lady with the green thumb on Babbot Avenue S. was ecstatic: "It's better for the flowers!" she said, and she knows!

Mr. Stanbro had the street sweeper out vacuuming drains and I noticed that
other members of the DPW had mown the Park in readiness for today's Farmer's Market.

The entire village really looks very spiffy, and if one travels side streets and takes time to look, there are "treasures" to be seen, everywhere.

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Now blooming:

Japanese Lilacs - almost too sweet.

There aren't as many of these in Waterville as there are in Clinton, and in Chittenango, where the results of their recent "Highway Reconstruction Project" are very evident, Japanese Lilacs are the new "street trees."


Bramble rose.

(Is it true that these very prickly plants were given out by the government to be used by farmers in place of barbed wire during the Second World War?)



Catalpa Trees

This one is on Route 315 a bit south of California Road.



There's an "ocean" of grain next to Dugway Road, near Clinton.

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I have a History Mystery that someone may be able to help with: a blog-reader has asked for the early 20th century location of the Benedict (or Munger) Farm. A 1934 article in The Waterville Times reads, "The (Benedict) homestead was located where the house of Mrs. R. J. Roberts now stands and extended east to the farm where William Lally resides."

(This was somewhere along Upper White Street - but "where?")

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FOR THE RECORD



Two years ago!


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Hummingbird Status: Still Sitting!

Jody Hildreth thinks that, considering the weather, it's just as well that the "chicks" haven't hatched. Once that happens, the mother must keep them warm AND search for food for them: a critical division of her time. (No: "dad" does not participate!)

Celtics 131 - Lakers 92.

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Have a great day!

Tuesday

GREEN WASTE PICKUP

It's 51.4 degrees; no precipitation.

The WKTV forecast: "A strong storm system in the upper atmosphere is going to develop and park itself over us from Tuesday into the end of the week. We may see some sunshine in the morning before a cold pool of air aloft moves in, allowing clouds to build up. This will allow scattered showers and maybe a few rumbles of thunder to develop. While severe weather is unlikely this week, small hail is possible in any storms during the afternoon. Cooler and unsettled weather will continue into the middle part of the weekend before temperatures moderate into the weekend."


Neither of yesterday's potentially severe thunder storms developed in this area as had been forecast, 'though this one - moving eastward through Sangerfield along Route 20 - looked quite fierce.

It rained very hard and some small hail fell for about five minutes - and that was it.

In Cooperstown, however, the Hall of Fame Game was cancelled.

Hummingbird status: still sitting!

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A blog-reader has telephoned to say that the WCS Marching Band took first place at the Dolgeville Violet Festival Parade on Saturday. I have heard that that the band will be marching in Utica on the Fourth of July.

Thank You, again!

to the

Deansboro-Waterville Lions Club

for another generous donation to

The Memorial Bandstand Fund.

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Becky Maggio sent me these two posters of recent activities at the Legion. Just "click" to enlarge.


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The Waterville Rotary Club held it's June 12th meeting at the reconstructed Fort Stanwix, near Rome, New York. The site of a treaty with the Iroquois in November 1768, this fort played a major role in the drama leading up to the British defeat at Saratoga. An American stand here in August 1777 prevented Gen. Barry St. Leger from coming to Burgoyne's aid. Rotarians and guests enjoyed a private, guided tour by club member Deb Conway, Fort Stanwix Superintendent. The tour included the new Visitor’s Center, the fort and some “behind the scenes” areas. Dinner followed at The Franklin Hotel.

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The D.O.T.'s sign in Sangerfield was blinking, today, alternating between this message and a warning to "Expect Delays."

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Watercress is blooming in ditches next to Loomis Road. If you like the snappy taste of horseradish, you'll like 'cress. Rinse well and use only the smaller, topmost leaves. Here's a link to some recipes! It's not just for tiny "tea sandwiches," but if you'd like to make those, chop a cup or more of leaves very fine and stir into a well-blended half-and-half mixture of softened butter and cream cheese. Chill. Spread on very thin white bread. Trim crusts. Enjoy!

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I had a nice E-note from former resident and down-the-street neighbor, Ron Curtis, who asked if Waterville had a "Webcam." No - we haven't. That was mentioned several times during the Highway Reconstruction Project, but ............. Perhaps another blog-reader knows how to set up webcams and find out what would be necessary? (That would be neat, wouldn't it!)

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Have a good day, everyone!