Late Summer Meadow Walk

I had a Friday off and took my lunch up to a favorite Happy Heart spot.  It could have been a sunnier day but the color that was out there was still amazing.  It is a steep climb up to this plateau and then there are benches and picnic tables to have a meal at.   I did both some reading and some knitting while hanging out there.

Weekend Best Shots . . .

This was a beautiful fall weather weekend . . . warm sunny days with beautiful cerulean skies.  The Trees here in Western NY are just starting to change colors in some of the hills and valleys.   We did a lot of around the house work most of the weekend.  The boys participated in Xylems I Solved Water Program and won first place for Water Quality which came with a 1000K prize for the Robotic team.  I  made a road trip to nearby Fingerlakes town for a Grape Sundae and Crumb Top Grape pie as requested by the family.  Some Spring Bulb planting and moving perennials around- adding a few things by our new Pond but mostly planting that will wait for the spring time.  Spinach salad, Kale chips, Roasted veggies, fresh green salad and a few last fresh green beans.  So much yumminess this time of year.  Today is another drop dead gorgeous day but most of my work is inside- having a hard time with that.

Fall Fun . . .

Grape Sundae - Heavenly

Ghost Pumpkins and regular Pumpkins

Turban Squash- Natures bounty

Beautiful Gourds!

Looking North up Canandaigua Lake

 

Falls and Gorges - Ithaca, NY

Micro Ecosystems all along the rock/slate walls in the gorges

Green and Wet and dripping

Pretty View- a couple was married on the Bridge while we were in this section.

Robert Tremain St. Park - above are all there as well.

Repairing wall on lower part of Gorge- Robert Tremain St. Park

Lots' of Green!

Buttermilk Falls St. Park

Buttermilk Falls St. Park

               So about 10 days ago, my 2 oldest and I ventured out for the Family Reunion - this is my husbands side of the family but he is never home to attend.   ( Proud of my older kids for attending - not high on their list and few peers there but oh so important) It is usually held in  around either Watkins Glen, NY- south end of Seneca Lake or Ithaca NY - south end of Cayuga Lake  We were at a new State park this year and it was in the Upper part- 3miles up! In and around the Fingerlakes are many Gorge Parks carved out by Glaciers years ago. They make wonderful places to hike on a  hot summers day.  Many of these parks also have natural swimming holes that are wonderful as well- water is clear cold and refreshing.  I think the whole Fingerlakes area is a Hidden Gem. 
               It was a very rainy day and actually ended with a Tornado warning and one that touched down about 25 miles away.  It has been an active weather summer for sure.
        We enjoyed the fellowship of family, good food a Chinese Auction and a short hike in the Gorge. We stopped at Buttermilk Falls  State Park on the way home and then at Purity Ice Cream.  I had yummy Chocolate Dipped Strawberry Ice Cream, my daughter had Goose Tracks and my son a Soy Mint Chocolate Chip  ( Lactose free) This place makes the best Ice Cream, one of our favorites is Mocha Chip, buy a quart and eat it in the parking lot good!!!

   Summer . . . Family . . . .Road-trips.....Picnics . . . .Ice Cream . . . .Rainstorms . . .Summer

Owls we have seen . . . . this winter and spring . . .

Saw-Whet Owls about 8 inches - quite small

Short eared Owl

Short Ear Owl Flying

Snowy Owl on Fence

Long Ear owl- blends in very well

Another Snowy Owl

It has been a great year to see Snowy Owls in this area and much of the North East.  We have also been lucky to see a few others. Although we have a nice camera lens - we still cannot get all that close to the Snowy's.  I find it amazing how well the long ear Owl blends in with the tree.  The Saw Whet is the cutest.  My daughter is involved in banding the Saw Whets as they move through with migration.  it has been a fun Owl year!!

Frozen Fingerlakes . . .

This Aerial View is awesome.
This does not happen every year but the un-relenting cold, below 0 temperatures have frozen Lakes that do not usually freeze over.  2 small Finger-lakes on the west end are only 30 feet deep for comparison.  It was a -8 start today but did warm up to 21 degrees- a 30 degree climb. 39 for tomorrow- coat-less!!

The 2 that are not Frozen are Seneca which is 617 feet deep and Cayuga 433  Top of Photo is Lake Ontario which is 821 feet deep
 

Snow Rollers

      I apologize for the poor quality photos.  These occurred on 1/27-28 2014 and at first I thought that it was globs of snow from branches on the trees or on the wires.  As I traveled around i saw more of them but they were not every where. Near where I lived had them but like 5 miles north - there were none.  The weather world calls them Snow Rollers.  Honestly I got up to go to work and the ground looked like we had been transported to some outer-space land.  It was the weirdest thing to look at.  In the early hours of the morning we had, had very gusty strong winds which I guess coupled with new sow on top of icy snow gave us these mysterious Snow Rollers.   We did no get to taking pictures until the next day and then it was late in the day so that is why the quality is so poor. My first snow rollers in living in the Northeast for 50 years.

 These are stock photos from Goggle that are a bit brighter and more clear.

Apple Farm 2011

 Golden Delicious

 Empire

 Ida Red

Apple picking is one of those seasonal family traditions that we have. We have picked Apples before the kids were born and 1-5 times a season every year since.  One of the highlights is the Tractor ride to the trees and cider doughnuts rank right up there as well. The only bad part are the bees/wasps, we do not like those.  This year we did all go . . . but one who is wearing braces and 15 was not into it as they do not eat them - even peeled and cut up . . . . must be the age . . . and then my senior in HS looks at many things as "her last" but I don't think so, we will be picking apples when she comes home from college or maybe there will be an apple farm near her college.  Yoda the youngest had the goal of finding a completely red apple all the way around and by gosh we did!! There is just something magical about all the bright red or green apples on the trees.  A rainy day today time for applesauce and crisp or pie.  My kids like fresh apples but not cooked or baked??? They are truly missing in my opinion.

Its Pumpkin time!!!

There is nothing quite so telling of this time of year as a big orange Pumpkin.  We made a stop on our fall pilgrimage of sorts to buy family pumpkins.  So many choices and it was a gorgeous fall day, warm sunny and brilliant blue skies.  After this stop was Cider, cheese and apples!! Loved some of the colors of Indian Corn this year.