This is it .................

The last day of 2009.

It's Garbage Day.
Overcast and 23.5 degrees F. / -4.7 C.

The moon was bright last night! Unfortunately, we probably won't be able to see it tonight because of clouds, but if we could, we'd be looking at a "Blue Moon!" - the first "blue moon" to shine on a New Year's Eve in nearly 20 years.


The WKTV forecast, however, is for snow: "A chilly but quiet start to the day with a few light snow showers. Snow showers will continue for the morning and become more steady during the afternoon, especially for Utica and points south. Snow will be relatively light, so little accumulation throughout the day with highs in the low 30's.

Light snow will continue, off and on, throughout our Thursday. High in the low 30's.
Steady snow winds down tonight to a few flurries as the low pressure system stays to our south and out of the region. Temperatures will hold steady in the mid to upper 20s.

A storm will intensify in the Atlantic Ocean on New Year's Day. Though we aren't expected to take the brunt of the storm, it will be close enough to give us a few snow showers on New Year's Day as a cold front passes through, bringing in colder air. With the large storm system intensifying off the Coast of Maine and cold air in place, winds will shift, creating lake effect snow into the weekend.

LOOKING AHEAD

**************************

A year ago, this field next to Osborn Avenue was bare. There's a little bit of snow, now, but it's still rough sledding, I'm afraid!

In Bob Buschor's corn field, next to Route 315, there were dozens and dozens of wild turkeys, but they didn't stay around to have their pictures taken.

It still surprises me to see them take to the air and land, gracefully, in trees!

Best sighting of the day were these two strange birds: first, Jody Hildreth, l., flagged me down on Shanley Road and as we were talking along came another birder-friend, Gene Huggins, who grew up in Waterville, but who lives in Tully, now. What are the chances of the three of us running into each other like that?

My photo? Two strange birds grinning, of course, at an odd old duck!

**********

When Jody left, he headed for Turkey Falls.




"The Greeter!"



The Falls, in black & white.

***************************************

Spotted in the Park, a few days ago: new railings on the Bandstand that were installed the day before Christmas by metalworker Mr. August Raulli of Raulli’s Iron Works, Inc.

***********************

It's a Tradition, and it starts Tomorrow!

************


FOR THE RECORD


JUST ONE MORE THING:

Auld Lang Syne - the history.

Sing along, if you feel like it!

Auld Lang Syne

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne?

For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll tak a cup of kindness yet,
For auld lang syne!

And there's a hand my trusty fiere,
And gie's a hand o thine,
And we'll tak a right guid-willie waught,
For auld lang syne

For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll tak a cup of kindness yet,
For auld lang syne!

See you next year!

Where did the year go?

It's Recyclables Day

We're having a Heat Wave!

15 degrees F. / -9.4 C.

"Partly sunny Wednesday. High 25. Some light snow is expected for New Year's Eve. High in the low 30's. Midnight temperatures in the upper 20's.
A storm will intensify in the Atlantic Ocean on New Years Day. This storm will be close enough to give us snow on New Years Day and beyond. This may be a long duration event. We'll keep you posted.

***************************

OF INTEREST: On WKTV - Will Gov. Paterson Slow Down Natural Gas Drilling? (in Marcellus Shale.)

IN THE MAIL

OF INTEREST TO BIRDERS

"Rusty" wrote to suggest (in re: yesterday's photo of the red squirrel inside a squirrel-proof bird feeder) that I wrap chicken wire 'round the entire device leaving holes large enough for birds but too small for the thief. He also said that crushed red pepper mixed in with bird seed discouraged squirrels from stealing: I'll try that right away! (Thanks, Rusty!)

*****************

Jody Hildreth has sent me his "Christmas Bird Count List!"

He wrote, "I counted the Sauquoit area and had a great day. I actually started at 4:30 am with some owling, and the results were good. Had an Eastern Screech-Owl at my first location, then a Northern Saw-whet Owl at my second stop. This wound up to be the first time ever this species has been found on this areas Christmas Bird Count. Then it was 2 hours of nothing - but that is usually what happens when owling!
Anyways, here are the total results for the whole count. It is centered at
the Jay-K in New Hartford and is a 15 mile diameter (if my memory serves me
right)."

Great Blue Heron 1
Canada Goose 1767
Snow Goose count week
American Black Duck 73
Mallard 520
RING-NECKED DUCK 2
HOODED MERGANSER 3
Common Merganser 3
duck species 7
Sharp-shinned Hawk 2
Cooper's Hawk 2
accipiter species 2
Red-tailed Hawk 93
ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK 6
buteo species 4
American Kestrel count week
MERLIN 1
PEREGRINE FALCON 2
Ruffed Grouse 5
Wild Turkey 265
Ring-billed Gull 21
Herring Gull 2
gull species 13
Rock Pigeon 1069
Mourning Dove 613
EASTERN SCREECH OWL 2
BARRED OWL 1
NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL 1
Belted Kingfisher 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 34
YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER 3
Downy Woodpecker 99
Hairy Woodpecker 39
NORTHERN FLICKER count week
Pileated Woodpecker 9
NORTHERN SHRIKE 1
Blue Jay 177
American Crow 3528
HORNED LARK 62
Black-capped Chickadee 479
Tufted Titmouse 91
Red-breasted Nuthatch 16
White-breasted Nuthatch 60
Brown Creeper 4
Golden-crowned Kinglet 2
Eastern Bluebird 23
HERMIT THRUSH count week
American Robin 28
European Starling 1657
Cedar Waxwing 10
American Tree Sparrow 184
FOX SPARROW 3
Song Sparrow count week
White-throated Sparrow 31
Dark-eyed Junco 195
SNOW BUNTING 195
Northern Cardinal 151
BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD 11
Purple Finch 2
House Finch 69
American Goldfinch 117
House Sparrow 250

Thanks loads, Jody!

"My" pair of Red-bellied Woodpeckers is back and ONE Carolina Wren!

*********************

From Sue Price via Missy Brouillette:

THE GARDEN CLUB

CHRISTMAS DECORATING CONTEST WINNERS!

"The Waterville Garden Club would like to thank all of those who decorated to celebrate this years holiday season. The four judges from out of town were so pleased to see the many beautiful decorations that a new category was developed to represent more winners. Keep in mind the best of the best category is a separation of those who have won over the last two years. Thanks for keeping the village looking festive."

Best of the Best Overall Category:

1^st Place:

Mr. and Mrs. Dave Fancett

307 Tower St.

2^nd place:

Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Coiro

466 White St.

3^rd Place:

Mr. and Mrs. John Pumilia

44 Tower St.

Best of the Best Honorable Mention:

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Baumgarten

Mr. and Mrs. Don Neff

Mr. and Mrs. Dave Upcraft

Mr. and Mrs. Roger Nichols

*****************************************

Best of the Best Doorway Contest:

1^st Place:

Mr. and Mrs. Salata

203 Osborne Ave

2^nd Place:

Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Maine

McCabe Rd

3^rd Place:

Mr. and Mrs. Snow

208 Osborne Ave

Honorable Mention Best of the Best Doorway:

Ms. Karen Kalies

*******************************************

Overall Category:

1^st Place:

Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Abby

Canning Factory Rd.

2^nd Place:

Ms. Bonnie and Joanna Bechy

160 Babbott Ave

3^rd Place:

Mrs. Muthig and Family

115 Babbott Ave

Honorable Mention:

Mr. and Mrs. Jamie Bechy

***********************************************

Doorway Category:

1^st Place:

Mrs. Ann Manion

1515 Hanover Rd.

2^nd Place:

Mr. and Mrs. Fred Ashforth

125 E. Bacon St.

3^rd Place:

Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Lince

213 Main St.

Honorable Mention:

Mr. and Mrs. Fred McLean

********************************************

Businesses:

1^st Place:

Daniel Maine and Associates

Madison St.

2^nd Place:

The Village Dinner

Main St.

3^rd Place:

Mark Barnes, Attorney

Main St

*******************************************

Santa’s Playland Category:

1^st place:

Mr. and Mrs. Rob Verdon

359 Putnam St.

2^nd place:

Mr. and Mrs. Kunze

1640 Lewis Rd

3^rd Place:

Mr. and Mrs. John Ford

Ford Rd.

Honorable mention:

Mr. and Mrs. Rick Peglow

*********************************************

From Rob Verdon, whose Lighting Display on Putnam Street catches the EAR as well as the eye ......

"I have been averaging about 5 cars an hour. However, no one really knows it is to music playing outside and to 88.7 FM. I need to make up a sign, but the last night is January 3rd so you must check it out!"

(Tom Eisenhut told me that he and his family stopped, turned the car radio to 88.7 and watched/listened to the display and were amazed!)

*************

A nice letter from Susan Lees Ryerson of Amarillo, Texas, who learned about the blog last summer and has been a frequent visitor ever since.

And this, from Louisa Brutman: "I was ordering a Christmas arrangement for my Aunt Bertha Rowley over at Merry Rose Flowers, and I got to talking with the lady about spending summers with my aunt. The lady told me about your site. My mom, dad and brother, Granpa Ambrose Beha and his wife, Emma are all buried in Waterville. I'm 63 and I vividly remember our adventures. What a joy to find you. Happy New Year."

Writer's note: If you want to get in touch with any of the new blog-readers who write to me, I'll gladly forward your mail to them if you send it to me! Lots of old friendships have been rekindled, that way!)

**********************

She Did It!

"Victoria's Ride is Done!"

(Go to that site and click on "photos" - I didn't dare reproduce one, here, because of her copyright.)


It was warmer in Santa Monica than here!





LOOKING BACK



A YEAR AGO TODAY



!

I'll take a picture of that view this afternoon. I think it looks quite different, now!

FOR THE RECORD

I AM still writing Christmas Cards!

After all, Christmas really lasts until Epiphany - January 6 - so I've still got time!


Have a Great Day, everyone!

Now it's REALLY COLD!

It's just 8 degrees F. / -13 C.

with lots of wind blowing a small amount of new snow.

Be wary of the Wind Chill!

Click the image for more amazing photographs from SnoCrystals.com!

(The annual visit to my favorite "snow appreciation site!")

*****************

WKTV's forecast: "Snows will wind down gradually on Tuesday but windy and bitterly cold conditions will continue along with some localized blowing snow. Highs tomorrow near 10. Wind chills minus 5 to minus 15.

Winds should diminish on Tuesday Night with partially clearing skies. Low zero. Partly sunny Wednesday. High 20-25."

Yesterday's forecast called for everything from 2 to 4 to (overheard at Fallon's) 15 inches of snow.

Paul Holic and Kevin Kelley were two of many who decided to make room for it.

**************************

This was the scene at the corner of Main Street and Route 315 early Sunday morning: the DOT - with Mayor Younes on the sidelines - were looking for a broken water main! More DOT personnel were at the point of Monument Park checking a line there, but as of yesterday afternoon the only sign I saw of digging was in the O'Briens' front yard on E. Bacon Street. Whether or not the incidents are related, I have no idea, but the only good thing to be said about any of it is that it happened before this morning's "cold snap!"


*************************

Yesterday afternoon's Country Views:

Sally Road, above ..........

........... and Lewis Road west of Route 12.

******************

IN THE NEWS

One of the twenty windmills at the Fenner Wind Farm fell down, over the weekend.
"Safety Oversight Lacking," from the Observer-Dispatch.

Erin Hamlin

I think that by now we all know who Erin Hamlin is and what she does*, but now she's earned another claim to fame: "Hamlin Among Top Female Athletes."

* Click here to learn about the luge!


****************

My "feathered friends?"

I keep filling bird feeders, but between the red squirrel and ......

......... greedy gray squirrels, it's almost a losing battle.

Does anyone have any suggestions?
Something that I can sprinkle around that squirrels don't like?

FOR THE RECORD

Yesterday afternoon I received a very nice letter from a Mr. John Ogden who had grown up in Waterville and is a blog-follower. He'd noticed, suddenly, that he was "hit" number 200,001, and was enjoying that bit of unusual excitement. Then, this morning, I found an E-note from Rob Verdon on Putnam Street saying that he was the 200,000th viewer, around 3;30 yesterday afternoon. He included this screen snap which, I imagine, I should print and frame.

It never occurred to me that I should have "door prizes" on hand for just such blog viewers: Oh dear! Maybe I can think of something!

Two-hundred-thousand sounds like such a huge number! But -- does anyone have any idea how that compares to other "small town" based blogs?

Whatever - my thanks, again, to all of you who got in on the race. It makes a very memorable Christmas present for me!

Have a Great Day, everyone!

Quick post:

GOOD MORNING!

My Christmastime travels and festivities continue, but I should be back in Waterville, in harness - so to speak - and blogging, again, on Tuesday.

******

KWANZAA began yesterday.

Click the image for the history of the celebration.


*********

It's a balmy 34 degrees F. / 1.27 degrees C.

The rain has ended and a lot of the snow is gone!

From WKTV:

"Quieter weather moves in on Sunday as precipitation moves to the North and East of the region with temperatures in the mid to upper 30s. The storm system across that brought snow across the Midwest this week will push into the Northeast Sunday night into Monday. It will bring widespread snow across the region after sunset Sunday into early Monday. Another round of snow will fall Monday afternoon as an arctic front moves in. Behind the front, temperatures are going to struggle to get out of the teens on Tuesday."

BRrrrrrr!

******************

ONE ANNOUNCEMENT:



The monthly TAIZÉ SERVICE

will take place at Grace Episcopal Church

on Monday evening at 7:00


**************



(Click!)
*******

Please Save some time on

JANUARY 10th t

o attend a

BENEFIT

for

LINDA MURPHY!

(Details will follow!)


***************************************



Enjoy your Vacation!

It's ALMOST Christmas!

NORAD is already tracking Santa. He's been to Russia and is now - 6:30 a.m. - leaving the Marshall Islands to go to Fiji.

Just to make sure that Waterville is ready, all of our rooftops have a few new inches of snow that began falling yesterday afternoon.

Although it was pretty ...............

............... it was also messy.


Out on Route 20, flashing lights: never a good sign.



The CVS parking lot was filled with shoppers who were probably hoping that their lists were getting shorter!



Jeannie heads home from Foodking ..........



........... and an industrious fellow shovels the sidewalk in front of the New York Pizzeria.


**************

THIS MORNING

It's Garbage Day.

19 degrees F. / -7.2 C.

WKTV's forecast is reassuring: "If you are traveling across the northeast on Christmas Eve, the weather is expected to be nice and quiet. High pressure will bring sunshine and warmer temperatures to Central New York, with highs in the low 30s.

A storm system will develop and move into Central New York by Christmas Night and the morning of the 26th. Most of Christmas Day should feature generally quiet weather under considerable cloudiness. Precipitation is expected to initially start out as a mix of snow and ice after dark on Christmas Night, followed by a changeover to freezing rain and rain through Saturday morning. Cooler weather with snow showers heading into early next week."

***********

Surely Nancy will be playing the bells in the tower of the Masonic Temple sometime this evening or tomorrow: if you're driving through the village, listen for them!


************************



I couldn't decide which image to use for my own Christmas card, this year, so I used both - Main Street AND the Bandstand which, 'tho it's not totally complete, still looks wonderful!

Both images really are filled with cheer, and send my best wishes to all of you
for a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!



***************


This blog post carries with it not only many Christmas Greetings but also this message to the many young men and women who are serving our Country in faraway lands.

Thank You, and God Bless You.


*****

About an inch of new snow.

Recyclables Day

13.5 degrees F. / -10.3 C.

O.K. I'm back!
After a very late start having simply overslept!

From WKTV: "Light snow continues for parts of the area this morning. Lake effect bands are making their way into the Mohawk Valley, with a light accumulation of fluffy snow on the roadways. Give yourself a few extra minutes to reach your destination today.

A weak upper level disturbance will give most of us a round of snow showers for today, with some lake enhancement in areas from Utica to the south and west. Snow will fall lightly through most of the day. Here is a look at the snowfall forecast:


If you are traveling across the northeast on Christmas Eve, the weather is expected to be nice and quiet. High pressure will bring sunshine and warmer temperatures to Central New York, with highs in the low 30s.

A storm system will develop and move into Central New York by Christmas Night and the morning of the 26th. Most of Christmas Day should feature generally quiet weather under considerable cloudiness. Precipitation is expected to initially start out as a mix of snow and ice after dark on Christmas Night, followed by a changeover to freezing rain and rain through Saturday morning. Cooler weather with snow showers heading into early next week.

O Tannenbaum

IN THE MAIL

A nice note from Gil Condon (who really likes the blog!) adding that "This fall Les and I got to Newgrange and the Boyne Valley, Ireland. Amazing history lessons, how we / ancestors survived 5000 yrs ago. We stayed in the old village of Trim located on the Boyne River. 1 day turned into 3. Been there 5 times but I never knew that Ireland was that pre-historic...... or caveman-ish..and how we made it back then in "Certain Valleys." Almost a hint of the Global Warning threat!"

*********

A letter from a gal named Pamme Swan who is a new bartender at "Michael's" and is also a Folk Singer with six CDs. "My latest CD, "Songs From Mountains East And West".... have many story songs about local CNY history, such as the Loomis Gang, Chester Gillette and Grace Brown (The American Tragedy) and songs written about several infamous characters from the Adirondack Mountains.
I'm trying to find out who is in charge of hiring music for the lovely new bandstand in Waterville this summer.
I would love to perform on it!!!
Any information would be great!
Thank you"

You can check out her website and songs by clicking HERE.

********


I was surprised that I only received ONE E-note about the New York Times article
which had suggested that ALL New Yorkers are "sad sacks!" Jane Schwartz wrote:

"We disagree..., we're happy!"


(Thank You!)

Any others??


******************************

There are so many things about living in "Upstate" New York that my friends and relatives "Downstate or in more congested areas of Massachusetts or Connecticut will never understand: I'm happy here because - for instance - there are people like Jack Prior who I can 'phone at 9:00 in the morning, wailing, "Help! My stove's dead!" and have him reassure me that he'll save the day (and the cookies) within an hour or two!

(Actually, that's where most of my day went, although I did get some more Christmas cards written! Perhaps today I'll bake!

Yay!)

**************


Are you following SU Basketball?

"Orange Improve to 12-0 with Win Over Oakland."

*********

Have a Great Day, Everyone!

I just checked: 4,363 hits to go.