Wednesday

It's the Day Before Christmas

25.2 degrees and snowing.

By the amount of traffic on Route 315, I'd guess that it's also blowing, "up in the world."

WKTV predicts that: "Travel across Upstate New York and into Pennsylvania will be a bit tricky through about 9 AM. As the rain moves in through NY, travel will rapidly improve by early afternoon and getting to and from events or parties Christmas Eve should be relatively trouble free. Winds will become quite gusty after dark. Also, rain may be heavy at times for a couple hours after dark as well, but ice and snow should not be an issue.
Rain may end as a little snow, especially north and west after Midnight. For Christmas Day, that system will pull away, leaving brisk, cooler conditions in the region. A few snow showers are possible, but travel problems won't be an issue. Highs will be in the mid 30s. Friday will be a day of transition, with increasing clouds through the day.

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I'm late posting, this morning, because:

I had heaps of personal Email, and;

I've been searching (in my computer) for files of Christmas Card images that I posted two years ago and that more than a few blog-readers asked me to post again.

I made my first "home made" Christmas card in 1970 - a very limited edition of linoleum block prints - mostly for the members of the Centennial Committee. The next year, the design was more fun, real copying machines were coming into use and we sent three or four dozen "originals." Every year, the list has grown.

I've missed only one year: I don't remember when that was, but I know that I got alot of complaints because I sent everyone a "store bought" greeting!

I havn't really kept a collection, so to speak, and I probably don't even remember half of them. These, however, live in my computer.

In Winter Woods
Watercolor & colored pencil

Christmas Hops
Dry-brush Watercolor

Christmas on Main Street

2001, after 9-11
Watercolor and colored pencil

Welcome

(I'd discovered digital photography and Photoshop!)

Einstein on Miracles.

"There are only two ways to live your life.
One is as though everything is a miracle;
The other is as though nothing is a miracle."

Christmas Cupboard
Oil on canvas; 30" x 40"

Last year.

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A few months ago I decided that I’d do a “Christmas Letter” this year because, after a couple of really tough years, I wanted to thank my family and super friends for putting Sunshine back in my life! But then I thought - “why not do a picture letter, instead?” And so ----


- with special thanks to Allison and Rick and Iain and the Beldans; to Dale, Mabel and Lois and everyone who helped to make the Ground-breaking for the Memorial Bandstand happen; to the hummingbird and wren families who spent their summer with me and photographer Jody Hildreth who shared his talents with so many and to all of you who have “hit” the blog nearly 137,000 times in the past eleven months and you who share your smiles and Email cheer with me each day .............

Thank You!

and I know what next year's card will be:



THE MEMORIAL BANDSTAND!

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HAPPY HOLIDAYS, EVERYONE!

Tuesday

It's 14.7 degrees and overcast.

According to WKTV: "Sun and clouds will be with us Tuesday, but clouds will thicken up later in the afternoon. Temperatures should be a touch more tolerable, and in the upper teens to mid 20s. Those new clouds are in response to a storm system approaching from the south and west. That will spread snow into the region after Midnight Tuesday night.
Christmas Eve Weather
Snow will continue for a bit before changing over to sleet and freezing rain in the Mohawk Valley and south by 2-3 AM. By 5 AM, snow will have changed to sleet and freezing rain everywhere except the Adirondacks. By 10 AM, everyone south of the Thruway will have changed over to plain rain, with temperatures warming about freezing. By Noon, everyone except maybe the Adirondacks will have changed over to plain rain, and even the Adirondacks will change in the afternoon. Rain will continue into Christmas Eve night, but travel problems will be very minimal. Snow amounts will average 1-3" in most spots, with perhaps up to 5-6" in the Adirondacks. Ice accumulation will be under a quarter inch in all areas.
For Christmas Day, that system will pull away, leaving brisk, cooler conditions in the region. A few snow showers are possible, but travel problems won't be an issue. Highs will be in the mid 30s. Friday will be a day of transition, with just a slight chance of some rain showers, light snow or light freezing rain Friday evening."

GREAT NEWS!

I received a short - but oh, so sweet - Email from Paul Staskowski, yesterday afternoon, that read:

"Lynne just posted – Dave’s been released and they’ll all be home for Christmas!!!!!

(And what a wonderful present that will be!)

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The Brothertown Music Boosters

"Everything Disney Basket" raffle
was won by six-year-old

KYLE YADDOW
of Madison

who, according to Kim Kampf - Boosters member and owner of the "Totally-U Salon" -

was delighted with his win and generously "offered to let his sister have any girlish

things in the basket that he didn't want!"

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The "snow birds" like these wintery pictures of Main Street!

But they probably don't miss the sort of cold that we had, yesterday! Customers in the CVS parkinglot fought a wind so strong that it seemed to be coming directly from The North Pole!

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Snowbanks had grown by several feet, over night .......

........ and the DPW spent much of the day cleaning out sidewalks, clearing around fire hydrants .........

............... and dumping snow from the W. Main Street roadside over the railing into Big Creek!


Snow devils whirled in a field next to Sally Road.



This snowmobile trail, leading towards "Mayer's Woods" from Osborn Avenue, was well-traveled ..............

............. but this scene, next to the Fire Department Parkinglot, was lacking something:

there were no little boys playing "King of the Mountain!"

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Christmas Doorway on Elmwood.

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Christmas Lights and bells .............

........... high in the tower of the Masonic Temple on Sanger Avenue.



Nancy Ayala, above, who was introduced to the authentic 1889 nine-bell Meneely "chime" two years ago, has faithfully climbed to the ancient console, below the bells, on Sundays and other special occasions.

Unless the wind is blowing so hard as to disperse the sound imediately, she plans on playing Christmas music this evening - Tuesday - at around 5:00 P.M.

Wednesday evening at the same time.

and on Christmas Morning around 9:30 or 10:00.


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Not every day is super-cold, and just as soon as it warms up the roads will be serving us a very salty sand stew!

Keep someone's car happy

and you'll be happy, too!


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Have a Great Day, everyone!

Monday

It's Garbage Day!

8.8 degrees with faint moonlight.

WKTV predicts that: "Cold air will slowly retreat Tuesday, with temperatures warming into the mid 20s. Only the outside threat of snow showers remains, mainly north.

The next storm is likely not going to look anything at all like the last two. It will arrive Tuesday night into Wednesday. It may start out as a brief period of snow and sleet, but quickly change over to plain rain. Temperatures will likely climb well above freezing, melting some of our snowpack. With the deep snowpack across the region, the current thinking is that this storm will only chew away a fraction of the snow out there. Snow showers are expected on Christmas Day.
Another storm may impact us Friday-Saturday, again with a mix."

YESTERDAY

Plenty of Foodking customers paused at the The Brothertown Music Boosters Bake Sale tables, picking out goodies to take home with them or buying raffle tickets for the Everything Disney Basket. The drawing was to take place around noon: perhaps someone will let me know who the winner was!

We had had another few inches of snow, on Saturday night, and it certainly felt like Winter. There was just a tiny patch of open water on the Grant Hill Pond attracting a conglomeration of Canada Geese and ducks.

At the Park, one of the very few remaining Christmas trees was being taken to a new home......

......... and, near Deansboro, the Frost family's front yard is completely filled with Christmas!

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This group of photographs, taken on the First Day of Winter, is presented especially for the amusement of our "snow birds!"

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Snowblowers make cleanup easy ............

........... but even this snow shoveler - in front of his new home on Sangerhill Road - was grinning, despite the daunting length of his driveway ............

............ and, on Madison Street, Joe Nolan actually looked as if he were having fun!

At Nice 'n Easy, in Sangerfield, some snomobilers were headed North ...........

............. and others just pulled in off local trails to gas up, delighting in the double treat of new snow and ............

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Whatever you do,

Drive Safely,

Shovel sensibly,

Stay Warm

and Have a Great Day!


In his 1856 Journal, Henry David Thoreau wrote, "How full of the creative genius is the air in which these are generated! I should hardly admire more if real stars fell and lodged on my coat."

If you have a bit of extra time,
click HERE
to see many more beautiful photographs
and learn all about SNOW!