Poolville

It would be safe to say that I've never in my life seen the rain fall so fast and hard as it did last night. I'm also lucky to live on high ground. My heart goes out to those not so lucky. Mother Nature sure isn't painting a pretty picture these days around the world. I would think because of all the abuse she takes...

The Bipolar Hotel AKA The Colgate Inn

Back in the 80's, after my Pennsylvania Paco stint...which is another story...I moved back to Sherburne, rented the apartment over the Big M and got a few bar tending jobs. I worked at the Sherburne Inn, under the ownership of Harry Young and after a few month's of dealing with his nonsense, I landed a job at the Colgate Inn, in Hamilton. I started out working day shifts behind the horseshoe bar and under the flying wings of a bronze Phoenix that hung behind it. I believe my old friend, Bob Benton made off with that bird when the horseshoe bar was removed for a larger, marble bar that was installed.
Being single and with no children at the time, I remember sitting after my shifts to relax and partake in a few cocktails and mostly, to watch the night shift girl, who was a Colgate student at that time, tend bar. Back in the eighties when the drinking age was 18, the little horseshoe bar in the back, right hand side of the Inn, was quite busy. This very intelligent and lovely blond college student by the name of Di, could pop out drinks like nobodies' business. She was amazingly fast at pulling the appropriate glass for highballs, sours, martinis etc., She could uncork a bottle of wine while shaking up a sour at the same time, while garnishing a row of drinks. She was a maniac behind that bar! I was mesmerized by her art in the measurement of alcohol and wines and it was there that I learned how to be a mixologist and not just a pretty girl behind a bar, pouring drafts.
Di are I are friends to this day. She still lives in Hamilton, teaching up on the hill at Colgate in the Geology department. She rocked as a bar tender, then turned to the love of rocks!
This was 30 or more years ago! Back then, I remember thinking, as the carpenters were gutting the upstairs bar room, "Why don't they put the bar back where it was originally, when the Inn was first built"? Which was in the front corner of the building, on the intersection of Madison and Payne. Many people have pondered this for years and finally, after the last four months of renovations, the bar is back where it should be...
The whole Inn is nearly completed and looks AMAZING. I walked thru the back door and just stood there, as I didn't know where I was! Where the kitchen once was is a warm, wood paneled dining room. The whole left side of the Inn that runs along Madison Street is now linked together for dining. The kitchen is now tucked into the heart of the building, where the lobby hallway once ran. And where the dark bar once was is now a side entry way into the building. The biggest surprise that actually drew tears to my eyes last night as my husband and I descended down the new, freshly stained steps into the bar, that was once called The Old Maroon, was the original stone work covered over for probably 70 years with carpeting. Overhead, the out dated, drop ceiling was taken down and arched ribbed beams were put in, which reminded me of the hull of a large, sea faring ship...upside down. I had written a song years ago about the current state of the building at that time and named the song The Bipolar Hotel. The song pretty much speaks for itself.
I'm simply thrilled that the ole gal has her party dress on and is back in her glory, being the shining gem of Hamilton.
There is still much landscaping to do and the wine library on the way into the upstairs bar has yet to be completed . In the air is a great feeling of happiness from the employees enjoying their new work place and a wonderful feeling of accomplishment from the many carpenters' still hard at work putting on their finishing touches of wainscoting and paint.
The Colgate Inn is back! I look forward to many more visits to this old friend and hopefully, I will be entertaining there this summer! Happily the Bipolar Hotel has finally been diagnosed and will continue to thrive as the heartbeat of this fine town I am so lucky to call home!

Auroras 23rd Birthday

Paco Taco's and Tequila would of been proud. I cooked up a mexican feast yesterday for Aurora's birthday that was spot on!
Burrito's stuffed with slow cooked chicken thighs, breasts, yellow rice and colby jack cheese, with a sofrito cheese sauce over top,
refried beans with onion and chili's, mexican risotto with scallion, red pepper and cheddar. And blender's full of strawberry margaritas. Oma made brownie sundays and a great time was had by all!
The day started out with the season's first paddle down the Nine Mile Swamp which was greatly needed. The swamp is up a good three feet. The party tree near the end of the paddle (about an hour out) was underwater. We were kayaking the banks in some places. The beaver's have been busy with many sapling chewed down and beaver lodge's built up. We startled up several pair of Canadian geese and saw a brown mink. Yesterday was an awesome spring day!

Winter White Out.mp4

Peace Signs Cherry Blossoms And A Hawk In The Capitol

We stopped in Arlington on the way home from Cocoa to visit with Bill's daughter Kelly and her fine family. Once we got through the white knuckle traffic jams and into the heart of Arlington and all it's suburbs, I relaxed and very much enjoyed the lifestyle there. Everything is close, compact and landscaped. The eateries vastly diverse. Museums and Galleries every where. Soaking up the sun in back of Kelly's adorable red brick home on a small yard, fence enclosed with gorgeous and gigantic old pin oaks, budded but not bloomed overhead, we decided to make the 10 minute trek in to the capitol so see the cherry blossoms. I gladly took the back seat with my camera to let Kelly take the wheel and for Bill and her to chat on the way in. Lou went once again under the seat. His seating choice through out the whole trip. Under the seat.
The capitol was buzzing away with tourists, school groups, paddle boaters and spy like business men milling around in the new spring sun. It seemed everyone was oblivious to the fact that the whole government was about to shut down not being able to pass the budget. Both Kelly and Steve work for the EPA and Kelly was worried about not getting her last pay check. Steve had gone to work that morning and reported that a cooper hawk had some how flown into the Congress Library. Strange sign of the time.
So here are a few shots... I Just love Kelly's peace sign shirt. We should all sport a peace sign shirt when we visit the capitol.

Writer's Jubilee

Every spring, the Morrisville Elementary School hosts a Writer's Jubilee and offers creative writing workshops for parents and children through out the school. I've participated in this now for the last three or four years with a sketch to music workshop. Here are a few drawings from John, his sister Grace and Taylor. They were sketched to my songs, "Up The River Cold" my song about Noah John Rondeau and "Hey Momma Loomis" my song about the Loomis Gang.

Sun Rising Over The Banana River

A lovely sight that need no words. These shots were taken from bed in my Glass enclosed Florida Camp Ground.

Extreme Weather And A Great Blue Herring In A Great Blue Pool

It seems I can't escape the severe weather where ever I go! It's the end of March and Central New York is hunkering in for another Nor-Eastern and here I sit in a Florida spanish stucco, under turbulent rolling thunderheads with tornado warnings gliding by in the bottom half of the tv news screen. The night before, the southern wind blew so hard it tipped over 40 planes at a nearby airport, ripped off many roofs and caused over 150 automobile accidents. Bill and I use his father's sun porch as our guest room when ever we come. I wouldn't trade this room in for nothing. It's my Florida camp ground enclosed in glass, overlooking the peaceful, therapeutic Banana River. I camp there with my trusty electric inflatable mattress. There's a small table and chairs for my laptop overlooking the Banana and the shimmering, swimming pool. Exotic to me birds singing in the swaying palms overhead and a landscaper man dead heading below. Even my Taylor guitar has a look of contentment! I'm reading the classic, Jane Eyre on the ole ipad. Happy hour starts at five, I'm panko breading some tilopia for dinner. Freshly wrapped sushi for hors-de-voirs... Oh God this all just makes me so freaking happy! I did talk with me mumsie this morning and it turns out the Nor-Eastern was only a dusting. This also makes me happy as I couldn't wish another foot load of snow on anybody after this cruel winter. I also think some of the CNY weather men need to go back to weather man school. Their hype gets to be a little much.
The first night in Cocoa the storm blew in, I was close to packing up heading for the couch in the living room. Sleeping out in a closed in glass porch during a tornado warning wouldn't be the smartest thing I've ever done. Luckily, the only thing that blew away on the condo was a screen which is in the very window at my head where I sleep. I'm glad it's gone and my Banana river view is clear and unhindered! This March's Florida storm is now on its way somewhere over the Atlantic and gratefully nothing like previous devastating storms of the past. Which brings to mind the bitch Katrina. Bill and I know all about that, escaping her by a mere day on our New Orleans adventure those years ago. Another story I can't go into as after two days of on vacation gray, this morning's sky is blue and the Banana River sparkles by, gifting me with curling dolphins, snorting manatee's and soaring jurassic park like prehistoric birds, quite humbling my little scrapper of a dog if I may add. It's a beautiful day! Time to leash him up and get out in it!

The Spirit House

Above photo is by Roger DeMuth ~ Eight Photos stitched together.
For years. I have been attracted to this lovely old gem in Georgetown NY. I discovered it in my early 20's on my way to play at the Georgetown Inn. This was before the house was considered a historic land mark. I didn't know anything of early architect's back then, but knew standing before this house one summer day that it was special.
Now, the house stands gutted and is for sale. A fellow by the name of Madis Senner is working non-stop to put together a society to preserve the Spirit House and already has a gotten great press and a good following of local historians and other people drawn to its wedding cake magic allure.
Here is a link to the blog of the tour Bill and I took last Saturday.
http://spirithousesocietypictures.blogspot.com/
www.spirithousesociety.org