Browsing Bouckville

Surrounded by low hills, fields of corn and occasional pastures of cattle,
the Main Field sits empty, grids laid out
waiting for its 1,000 vendors to arrive.
The huge tents in the center of the field may be the food tents:
"first things first!"

Backstage, in the enormous parking lot, the story's the same:
no action, but aisles are marked and - in the far distance - a row of
"porta-potties" is in place.

In some fields next to the highway monster tents are being assembled by
six- and eight-man crews, and signs read:
"Spaces for Rent."

But in many front yards right along the sides of Route 20, the hurry and bustle is on and the vendors race to unpack campers, vans and trailers even as the first collectors slow down and browse from car windows.

There's something for everyone!



From postcards and sheet music to vintage jewelry and carved indians and Granny's rocker and Grandpa's Flexible Flyer ---



and, in most cases, "everyone" will have found "something" to take home.






Madison-Bouckville Information

A Shiney Sunday Morning

It looks as if it's going to be a bright and dazzling day, and The Weather Channel agrees.



Baseball fans will be torn: to play outdoors or watch the play inside!

The Yankees take on the Angels in the Bronx at 1:05 and Baltimore meets Boston again, today, at the Fenway at 2:05.

This blog was never intended to be my personal "soap box," but please bear with me for a minute or two.

My grandmother’s favorite grace, which she insisted be said before all meals, with everyone holding hands around the table, was: “For these and all His mercies, God’s Holy name be praised.” My first recollection of learning these words well enough to please her and join the ritual chorus - sometime during the Second World War, when we ate alot of oatmeal sweetened with Karo syrup - brings back the clear sense that, at that stage in my life, the best “mercies” were mashed potato, chicken with gravy and cranberry sauce. It certainly never occurred to me, then, that “mercies” could include the kindnesses and generosity of everyday people!

Early this morning, those words were brought back to me. “This is Mercy Flight. Our ETA is four minutes.”

"Mercy Flight's" spotlight shone across the village as the helicoptor rose from the high school grounds and turned toward Syracuse.

It had begun some time after two o’clock when the siren rang. Scanners throughout the community were clicked on and, for more than two hours, listeners followed the actions of first our own Waterville Volunteer Ambulance Corps as members rushed to the scene of a motor vehicle accident. Then the “mutual aid” of Oriskany Falls Volunteer Ambulance personnel, who brought the “jaws of life” to the site; a NYSEG crew, hurrying to deal with power lines, and - at around 4:30 - the sound of helicopter rotors as Mercy Flight circled to land at the High School in what must have been a carefully pre-planned rescue maneuver.

We don’t need to know how the accident happened or who the injured was to count the many “mercies” that saved a life, last night, and that are there for all of us to count - and count on.

You can read about Mercy Flight on the internet and find an address to write to, but I couldn’t find any web address or link to WAVAC (the Waterville Volunteer Ambulance Corps) or the Oriskany Falls Ambulance or the Waterville Fire Department. If I had, I’d have sent a quick E-mails to say: “Thanks for being there for all of us!”

Email the Writer

Saturday afternoon

What a great Day! Sunny, warm - perfect for any and all outdoor passtimes - or, for those who stayed inside to watch baseball, it was not bad either:






We're watching the sky, hoping that it stays clear for the earlier part of the evening as darkness falls so that we can sit outdoors and watch the Perseids!

We know where we're going tomorrow! It may be five days 'til the Bouckville Antique Show officially opens, but tents are going up, browsers gather and temptation calls!

Bbbbbrrrrrrrr!

It's a shivery Saturday morning! Not quite 44 degrees at 6 o'clock this morning. But Weather Underground gives us a mostly sunny Smiley-face and forecasts a great day!



Friends camping on Adirondack Lakes will want something warmer to wear than shorts and T-shirts when they take their coffee out to the shore to watch for loons in the morning mist!

And, by 8:00, physical therapist Tim Francisco, his brother and a friend will have set out from the ADK parkinglot east of Lake Placid and be on the trail leading to Algonquin and, hopefully, making the ascent to the 5,114' summit - second highest of the Adirondack Mountains - before it gets too warm. Their day's hike will also bag Iroquois and Wright peaks - a good little day-scoot, for sure!

Algonquin as seen from Iroquois

Baseball fans feel the temperature rising: with the Redsox taking the first game in their series with Baltimore 9-2 and the Yankees dropping their opener against the Angels 4 - 7, all eyes and ears will be on the Fenway on Friday afternoon when the five game series between the home team and the NYY starts at 1:05 p.m. Of course, alot can happen between now and then!



To be continued.

Friday afternoon Wrap-up

I don't think it rained at all, today; I never saw a rainbow, but here on Tower Street I found a veritable Pot o' Gold!

It was unusually quiet all along Main Street and Sanger Avenue.

The brick pavers and sidewalk along the North side of West Main Street were being swept and scrubbed --- perhaps in preparation for the application, next week, of the mysterious "sealer" that everyone says will make the red bricks look browner.







On Sanger Avenue, a TIOGA crew was working to smooth driveways from the sidewalk onto private property by carving out four inches or more of existing surface and filling in with gravel, soil, boards or hot mix.

I had a chance to talk with TIOGA's Jack Bennett, this morning, and he gave me a rough schedule of what's going to happen, when: watch next for more topsoil and either "Hydroseed" application or sod (I think everyone hoped that they'd seen the last of the Hydroseed operation!) and for the "milling" of Route 12 pavement. Final surface paving may not take place until after Labor Day and only when that's finished will the new traffic signals be activated.



At the Library, Paul, Travis and Amanda had just about finished organizing all of the book sale contributions into categories: alot of categories; alot of books!

BOOK SALE starts Monday morning at 10:00!

As always, watercolorist W. Ralph Murray has donated a painting to be raffled off as a benefit to the Library. It's one of his peaceful Winter scenes; quite large and beautifully framed. I was unable to take a photograph that didn't show some reflections, but I hope that this picture will give you an idea of just how lovely the work is.
Raffle tickets: $1.00 each or 3 for $2.00.



We'll take the day off, tomorrow - unless something really newsworthy happens - but will be back with a late-Sunday afternoon report on our weekly "Ride in the Country."

(Click to enlarge Photographs. E-mail: Homeinthehuddle@AOL.com)

Friday!

49.3 degrees and Brrrrisk! (especially on the feet, if you're used to going out for the newspaper barefoot!) but sunny! Weather Underground's figures for today:




WKTV News Channel 2's forecast. " .... on Friday, highs will struggle to get to 70. In fact, most locations will remain in the mid 60s on Friday afternoon. It will be slightly breezy as well. Sun and some clouds will be the rule.

On Friday night, skies clear out and temperatures will tumble. Lows on Friday night will be into the 40s, perhaps close to record territory. The record low is 46, and we're forecasting 45, so it will be close. Outlying areas will fall into the low 40, with a few locations possibly as cool as the upper 30s! Chilly for August!

It gets better from here though. Saturday and Sunday will be gorgeous. Wall to wall sunshine and highs in the low 70s Saturday and mid, perhaps upper 70s on Sunday! A perfect weekend to get outside!"



Both the Yankees and the Sox lost; standings stay the same.





Perfect weather, now that it's a little cooler, for an afternoon or evening at Glimmerglass Opera. Or ride down to Sherburne, to see the Sherburne Music Theater Society's performances of "The Wizard of Oz," at 8:00, tonight and tomorrow at the Sherburne-Earlville High School.






Before we head uptown to see where the "action" is, here's the answer to Mrs. Desany's long-distance question: "What and where is 'Stinkers'?"



And a thought from yesterday morning:

I spotted several stalks of "Great Blue Lobelia" (Lobelia siphilitica) blooming in a soggy ditch next to the road from Oriskany Falls to Solsville.

Not as flashy, tall or rare as the Cardinal Flower,(Lobelia cardinalis) it's still eye-catching!



(Click to enlarge Snapz and Photographs. E-mail: Homeinthehuddle@AOL.com)

Thusday wrap-up

Beside the excitement over the lamp post on East Main Street, word that new plantings are in place at the Library has drawn people to that corner of the village, as well.



There is a great deal of new shrubbery, including hydrangeas and - I'm told - Rose of Sharon, as well as Gloriosa Daisies and Daylilies with many more varieties to come.

Quite early, today - before the business of the Lamp Post came up - I drove through Bouckville. "How different," I thought, "it will be a week from now!" I could easily maintain the 40MPH speed limit, this morning: next week traffic will move at a snail's pace! Just a few vendors have arrived and set up shop (or camp) on the edges of fields and the main display area is marked with stakes as far as you can see. It will be spectacular - as always!

Congratulations to Registered Nurse Lynne Gaiser!

and

Happy Birthday to Jennifer Sexton!

Street Lamp's Up!!

(Click to enlarge Photographs.)

The sample Victorian Street Lamp is up! (and it didn't take motorists but a minute or two to see what was going on and come to a not-quite-screeching slow-down!)

This post is the shorter of the two heights on order -- 10' -- and is the size that will be installed in the Park and along Sanger Avenue.
Throughout the business district, the poles will be 12' tall and have "banner arms."

The lamp unit itself is three-and-a-half feet tall.

The color of our lamp posts will be a pleasantly antique shade called "Verde Green."

Thursday morning

55.4 degrees; blue sky with puffy clouds, but Weather Underground predicts a chance of a thunderstorm and 33% chance of precipitation.



In MLB Standings, the gap widens!



Off to take an early ride uptown to take a picture of the "new" New York Pizzeria!
This photo was taken on July 5th.

and then on July 17th,

and these two - Today!

Thank You, Frankie and Rosa!

Wednesday Sweep

They're here!

The TRAFFIC SIGNALS at the junction of Routes 12 and 315 have been hung!
I couldn't find out when they are due to be activated but it will no doubt happen when no one's watching!

Cindy's CORN STAND is open!!

Elsewhere:

1. It looks as if every single driveway on the Western side of Sanger Avenue has been poured.
2. The entire length of sidewalk has been poured except for the last segment which will meet Park Place.
3. Sidewalk forms are in place in front of Stewart's and along the East side of the Swanberg Home on Stafford Avenue.
4. At least three imperfect blocks of sidewalk pavement on the South side of East Main Street are being removed and replaced.
5. Today was Mr. Dan Kentile's last day on the job. I shook hands with him, wished him well and asked who I should pick on from now on: he said "Bob!"
   

On tomorrow's schedule: "Jimmy D. and the Big Pickle" from 7:00 - 10:00 at "Michael's."

No college text books or National Geographics, please! But the Library will accept all other donations for the ANNUAL BOOK SALE which begins on Monday!

Wednesday morning ride-around

Mexcon's moving right along, this morning. They were pouring a driveway at #188 Sanger Avenue; several more had the grids in place, and it appeared that the sidewalk reached nearly to the corner of Park Place.




While Mr. Woodman's Park Place driveway was being prepped for paving, work resumed on the steps in front of the Woodman-Getman Law Offices,







and both of the tall black towers that will support the Traffic Signal are being wired.




The Rose of Sharon and Gloriosa Daisies in the side garden at St. Bernard's Catholic Church were bright, in the sunshine,














and Hop Vine in the back yard, there, is going to be filled with fine blossoms in a few weeks!


Throughout the village and down Route 12 to Sangerfield runners and walkers were out enjoying the almost-chilly morning.
If there was ever any question about the reason for a sidewalk all the way to Sangerfield, all anyone has to do is watch for a few minutes: someone will come smiling by!