Just overcast and chilly.

It's 13.6 degrees F. / -10.2 C.

WKTV has good news for Santa!

"Good morning Central New York! It's chilly out there this morning, with temperatures in the single digits. Bundle up as you head out to work or the bus stop this morning.
Sunshine is expected to continue today as cold air filters in from the north. High temperatures today are expected to be in the low 20s, but with the wind it will feel more like teens.
A weak upper level disturbance will give most of us a round of snow showers for tonight, with perhaps a coating to an inch of accumulation. Overnight lows in the lower teens.
Snow showers Wednesday, with little daytime accumulation. Temperatures stay chilly, with highs in the low to mid 20s.

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 on Christmas. The timing of this storm looks to be late in the day, likely near or after dark. Precipitation is expected to initially start out as a mix of snow and ice, followed by a changeover to freezing rain and rain overnight. If you are traveling late in the day on Christmas or the day after, check back with us for the latest details on the forecast.

Rain will change over to snow on Saturday, followed by cooler temperatures. Some snow showers as we head into the weekend.

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

Betty L. Stephenson

1935 - 2009


*****

IN THE NEWS

Dateline: Waterville. Woman Asking for Donations is Arrested for Fraud.

I enjoyed this article, which appeared in yesterday's New York Times:
"New York Ranks in Last Place in Happiness Rating."
(You have to read to the very end!)

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



Contrary to the above article, Waterville is looking like a very happy place! Christmas trees have even appeared on balconies: this is at the Burback residence on Stafford Avenue and there's one on the second floor balcony at the Mowreys', just about across the street, on the bend. (I couldn't get traffic to stop so that I could take a decent photograph!)

I've learned that the best way to photograph lights is to use an ASA setting of 400; turn off the flash and use a delayed shot with the camera either on a tripod or braced on the car windowsill with the engine turned OFF.



The Robert Harding residence on Tower Street.



Next to the Post Office, this Italianate "Villa Style" residence, built by Julius Candee around 1850, has what is described as an "icicle cornice." And now it has "icicle" lights, too!



Just a spotlight makes this Osborn Avenue doorway decoration of fruits and greenery perfect!



This enclosed and lighted nativity scene is next to the First Baptist Church on East Main Street.

FOR THE RECORD

THE BLOG READERS HAVE SPOKEN!

We ARE going to hit the 200,000 hit mark by the end of the year!

Usually, "At Home in the Huddle" receives anywhere from 500 to 700 hits a day.

On Sunday: 1,046
Monday: 1,694

5562 to go! (and ten days to do it in.)

This is turning out to be a really special Christmas present for me, and also assures you that I'll keep blogging my way through 2010. Thank you!

Have a great day, everyone!

A quiet few days ahead ............

......starting with today - the Solstice: the shortest day of the year, celebrated by various civilizations in varying ways throughout history.

But in Waterville this is probably the day when the lists of "Things to Do before Christmas" are the longest!

(This will be a short blog post so that I can assemble yet more cards and packages to take to the Post Office first thing this morning!)

It's Garbage Day

18.5 degrees F. / -7.5 C.

The WKTV forecast: "A gorgeous but cold start to Monday with mostly sunny skies. Temperatures will start off near 10 degrees with a wind chill near 0. Bundle up as you head to work or school.

Even with mostly sunny skies on Monday, temperatures will only climb into the mid 20s. Quiet weather continues into the middle of the week, with partly sunny skies and temperatures slowly climbing into the low 30s on Thursday. All eyes are on a large storm system that will arrive just in time for Christmas. There are still a lot of questions on what type of precipitation we will see but as of the latest data, it looks like light snow to rain late Thursday night into Christmas. Rain continues for Christmas with a cold front bringing snow back into the picture by Saturday."

Click to enlarge.

After a few gray days, the sky filled with "mackerel" clouds, yesterday afternoon ............

"Mackerel in the sky, three days dry"



........and by four o'clock the sun shone brightly on the hills east of the village.



I found a young fellow hard at work hauling chunks of rock-hard snow to part of the island in front of Memorial Park School where he was building an old-fashioned "fort." When I asked him if an attack was imminent he gestured to a similar stronghold, a stone's throw away, but offered the information that the artillery would be soccer balls -----
"They hurt less than ice!"

**********

IN THE PARK

It looked to me as if there were only fifteen or so Christmas Trees left for sale.

ON SANGER AVENUE

The Sanger Avenue Carolers made their annual rounds, last evening, ending up in the Park where they stood in the Bandstand and "sang their hearts out!"

IN CALIFORNIA

Vicki Merriman's reached the Pacific: "Victoria's Ride"
is done!

(Click on Photos, in the right hand column of her blog, for some great views!)


LOOKING BACK


Just a year ago on the first day of Winter!



LOOKING AHEAD

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

George D. Brackett, Jr.

1924 - 2009

Also noted in this morning's Observer-Dispatch, the death of Betty L. VanDeusen Stephenson of Deansboro.

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

FOR THE RECORD

If you didn't have a chance to read Saturday's blog post, you might find articles about promised aid for Dairy Farmers very interesting.

Scroll down.

You'll also find out why the blog's "hit meter" suddenly went wild!

Click to enlarge.

It's not me! My computer is configured to NOT register a hit when I check the status --- so it must be someone else.

What can I say, but "Thank You!"

******

On another personal note:

I'd like to issue a

PROCLAMATION

that the coveted delights known heretofore as "Mary Conger's Sugar Cookies" shall henceforth be known only as "The Lois Battles Christmas Crisps" and that she alone be given credit for their famously thin and perfectly browned sugary perfection and for the receipt of which her friends are most sincerely and humbly grateful!

Thank you, Lois!


Have a Good Day, Everyone!

Of Special Interest

"NY Dairy Farmers to get Aid from USDA"

"Dairy Money on the Way."

"Schumer Announces Funding for Dairy Farmers."

USDA MEDIA RELEASE 12/17/2009

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

Today is Hedy Eisenhut's

95th BIRTHDAY!

Here's a picture that her daughter, Shirley Bynum Smith, sent to me. It was taken in July with two of her Hedy's granddaughters and three great granddaughters. "From left to right, surrounding Grossmutti (Grandmother in Swiss-German is what my children & grandchildren call her) are Hannah Moseley (age 6), Jill Moseley, Kimberly Fisher, Lauren Fisher (9) and Rachel Fisher (5)."

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

It's all of 8.8 degrees F. this morning!

Temperatures around Waterville yesterday morning ranged from -1 to -5 and I was met with a frozen hot water pipe at the kitchen sink. That was easily thawed with a hair dryer, but then I discovered that I was WITHOUT INTERNET ACCESS. (Not having hot water in the kitchen sink in an inconvenience; not having the internet is a major crisis!) The difficulty wasn't anything that I had caused or could resolve, so I - along with many others - just waited out the "outage" and reverted to the old-fashioned method of communication: the telephone!

TODAY

The forecast from WKTV: "A mix of sun and clouds will give way to mostly cloudy skies during the day Saturday with a high in the mid 20's. Mostly cloudy tomorrow night with a low in the teens."

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

One thing to be said for super-cold weather: it's great for snow making!

Check HERE for conditions at upstate ski resorts!

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

Seen on Thursday afternoon, this Christmas grouping at the McLean residence on Stafford Avenue.

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

LATEST SPORTS SCORES

"Waterville 61, Sherburne 56 - from the O-D.
Robert Hughes had 23 points and five assists and Brett Baumgarten had 13 points and 10 rebounds to lead Waterville to a CSC Division II win. Jared Henderson also had five assists for the Indians. Sherburne-Earlville’s Sean Boise scored 20 points.
Sherburne 13-19-12-12 -- 56
Waterville 16-17-21 -7 – 61
Sherburne: Randy Briggs 8, Cameron Yerton 8, Doug Parks 9, Sean Boise 20, Ethan Johnson 9, Matt Piazzi 2. Totals: 20-11-56.
Waterville (1-3, 3-4): Taylor Jaquays 9, Jared Henderson 8, Donie March 4, Robert Hughes 23, Jordan Henderson 2, Jordan Orendorff 2, Brett Baumgarten 13. Totals: 26-5-61.
3-point goals: Sherburne 5 (Boise 2, Herton 2, Johnson); Waterville 4 (Hughes 4).


"Girls’ Basketball

S-E 57, Waterville 46

SHERBURNE – Sherburne-Earlville went to junior forward Bridget Irwin time and again in the fourth quarter, and Waterville was unable to stop her.

Irwin scored 15 of her career-high 26 points over the final eight minutes, and S-E (4-1) pulled away for the Center State Conference win.

“They were playing us man-to-man, and we kept feeding Bridget the ball,” said S-E coach Karen Mulligan. “She was getting good inside position and made some nice cuts to the basket. She can use either hand around the basket, and is hard to stop.”

S-E also contained Waterville’s outside shooting threats, and controlled the defensive glass in the final quarter.


Irwin added 10 rebounds, her fourth straight double-double, and four steals. Kristi Vibbard scored 10 points, and Caitlynn Adams blocked three shots.

S-E plays Cooperstown on Saturday.

Waterville: Brooke Williams, 0; Jenna Fallon, 0; Katie Buell, 4 0-0-9; Dylan Hodge, 1 0-0-3; Shevonne Fitzgerald, 0; Lindsay Wratten, 2 1-2-6; Shelby Ritzel, 0; Jessica Zogby, 3 4-5-10; Lauren Homer, 3 0-0-6; Nicole Eisenhut, 4 4-4-12. Totals: 17 9-11-46.

S-E: Briana Vibbard, 2 1-4-5; Kristi Irwin, 3 7-9-13; Shelbie Dye, 0; Caitlynn Adams, 1 1-2-3; Bridget Irwin, 12 1-1-26; Courtney Jasper, 0; Nicole Carpenter, 0; Kristi Vibbard, 3 1-4-10; Liz Farrow, 0; Samantha Hill, 0. Totals: 21 11-20-57.

Wat. 13 8 15 10–46

S-E 11 7 18 21–57

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

If you're in California, head for Santa Monica and meet Vicki at the Pier tomorrow!

"Victoria's Ride"

A feature article about Tracy Lynn Olivera on Broadway appears in the current issue of the Pennysaver.

also in the news:

The Christmas Bird Count takes place Today.

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

Have a good weekend everyone - and keep warm!

Afterthought -- a blog reader has sent me an Email that has caused me to reach for a small calculator and subtract 191,309 from 200,000. That's 8,691. It was a nice thought, but I don't think it's reasonable to expect to reach the 200,000 mark in only ten more days. I actually stopped counting after we passed the 2008 total of 163,000. Even that was unexpected! Maybe next year!

Thanks for the good thoughts, anyway!

The Coldest Morning Yet!

IT'S 7.9 DEGREES

Garbage Day

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


On this day in History: 12/17/36 @ 154 Sanger Ave.
Upstairs in front. 11AM. Dot & Pete had a BOY.


JOHN PETERSON

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

WKTV's forecast: "Good morning Central New York! Cold weather will be the story today, with some improvements in the temperature department as we head into the weekend.

Waking up to temperatures in the teens and single digits across Central New York. Bundle up as you head out to school or work this morning.

Cold weather for the remainder of today, with partly to mostly cloudy skies. Highs only in the teens, with wind chill values in the single digits most of the day. A few flurries will continue for areas south and west of Utica, but the majority of the area is expected to stay dry.

Clearing out tonight, with overnight lows between -5 to +5 across most areas.

Warming up a bit by Friday and Saturday, with highs in the low to mid 20s. The next chance of snow showers are expected on Sunday.

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

The Garden Club's Annual

CHRISTMAS LIGHTING CONTEST

will take place this evening!

(I'm glad I don't have their task!)

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


Yesterday, when it was warmer, I saw a peacock dashing through the snow next to Bogan Road.


Signs that a snowmobile had dashed across a field near Bailey Lake!



A beautiful Wintertime Collection on display on Beaver Creek Road.


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

Also "out in the country," on McCabe Road, Dan and Marilyn Maine's residence.

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

McCabe Road barns.

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

TONIGHT

WCS GIRLS' VARSITY BASKETBALL
vs. Sherburne-Earlville @ 7:45 p.m.
Sherburne-Earlville HS.

TOMORROW

WCS BOYS' VARSITY BASKETBALL
7:45 p.m. vs. Sherburne-Earlville
Waterville.

TONIGHT AT THE LIBRARY

6:00 P.M.

Free Movie

"Santa Buddies"

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

Have a Good Day, Every One!

BBBBRRRRRR!

IT'S RECYCLABLES DAY

20 degrees F. / -6.6 C.



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

ROGER NICHOLS

and

JUDY MARCEAU

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

From WKTV: "Winds will turn westerly (Wednesday) ahead of a sharper cold front. This will shift the lake effect and allow it to settle into areas north of the NYS Thruway during the afternoon. Highs tomorrow in the upper 20's.

Snowfall forecast for Wednesday:



Snows will wind down Wednesday Night. As skies clear we expect temperatures to fall back into the single digits. Partly sunny and very cold weather is on the way for Thursday with highs only in the teens."

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

In the Park, Mark and Amy Bentz picked out a Christmas tree.

Bewreathed Victorian Streetlamps light Main Street in the afternoon dusk.

On the side lawn of St. Bernard's, the creche is lighted ........

........... as are the Wise Men, some distance away.

A Nativity Scene at the Landis Farm on Shanley Road.

Decorations at the Savage residence on Hanover Road.


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

From the Observer-Dispatch:

GIRLS' VARSITY BASKETBALL
Waterville 44, Cooperstown 36
Waterville used a balanced attack with Jenna Fallon, Lindsey Wratten, Lauren Homer, and Nicole Eisenhut each scoring 8 points to defeat Cooperstown in a CSC Division II game.
Cooperstown (0-1, 1-2): Natalie Wrubleski 2, Emma Ryanmiller 10, Lauren Harris 5, Katelynn Kiuber 9, Molly Pearlman 7, Stephanie Hascup 3, Totals: 15 – 6 - 36.
Waterville (1-1, 3-2): Jenna Fallon 8, Katie Buell 3, Siobhan Fitzgerald 2, Lindsey Wratten 8, Jessica Zogby 7, Lauren Homer 8, Nicole Eisenhut 8, Totals: 14 – 12 - 44.
Cooperstown 8 6 7 15 -36
Waterville 7 8 12 17 -44
3-point field goals: Waterville 4 ( Eisenhut 2, Fallon, Wratten). JV: Waterville 38 - 27.

BOYS' VARSITY BASKETBALL
Sauquoit Valley 59, Waterville 56
Waterville’s rally from an 11-point third-quarter deficit fell one point short. Ryan Critelli scored 14 points and had 10 rebounds and Steve Szatko added 12 points for Sauquoit Valley. Brett Baumgarten led Waterville with 13 and Taylor Jaquays added 12.
Waterville 15-8-11-22 — 56
Sauquoit 15-19-13-12 — 59
Waterville (0-3, 3-3): Jared Henderson 11, Jordan Henderson 2, Brett Baumgarten 13, Donnie March 4, Robert Hughs 9, Jordan Orendorff 5, Taylor Jaquays 12. Totals: 21-11-56
Sauquoit (2-1, 2-3): Jason Bentley 9, Mason Olmstead 8, Ryan Critelli 14, Tyler Harris 2, Aaron Lopiccolo 7, Steve Szatko 12, David Evans 7. Totals: 26-6-59

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

SICK OF SHOPPING?

Think "Gift Cards & Certificates"

At Stewart's

Gift cards for everything from Hot fudge Sundaes to Gasoline

At Totally-U

Cuts, curls, color, artificial nails, manicures, pedicures and now soothing hot wax wraps for tired hands! 841-8230.

More "feel good" experiences at
White Whispers Day Spa II 841-4200


*******

YUM!

New York Pizzeria 841-8898

La Petite Maison 841-8030
Michael's Fine Food & Spirits 841-3077
Order Party Platters from Foodking 841-4718
Sweets and Delicacies by Pammycakes 841-4673


***********

A WHOLE YEAR
of Information:

The Waterville Times
Subscriptions: 841-4105

Phone for Floral Deliveries

Merri-Rose 841-8109
Alcotts Greenhouses 841-8285

*****

Car Wash Greetings
841-4151


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

I'm sure that I must have missed some: let me know and I'll post them right away!


*********

FOR THE RECORD

Have a great day: keep warm!

Melty! Smells like Spring!

KEVIN BANCROFT

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

It's 37.8 degrees F. / 3.2 degrees C.

From WKTV: "A cold front will cross the area on Tuesday with a light mixture of precipitation followed by some very chilly air.
Waking up to rain showers and mild temperatures. Temperatures are well above freezing in just about all places in Central New York. Some wet roadways, but looking good for the morning commute.
Once the morning rain showers pass, generally quiet weather for the Mohawk Valley south for the late morning and early afternoon. Another round of precipitation, this time some snow showers, will arrive later this afternoon.
On the backside of this storm, temperatures will turn much much cooler. Lake effect snow will develop tonight for areas south and west of Utica. Areas in Madison County could pick up a light accumulation by tomorrow morning. Otherwise, partly cloudy skies with overnight lows in the teens.
Much colder heading into the rest of the week. Lake effect snow showers for areas from the Thruway south tomorrow, with highs only in the low 20s. Temperatures will stay chilly on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, with highs in the upper teens and low 20s. Overnight lows will fall into the single digits to below zero.

Some snow showers are possible late in the weekend.

After the recent storm that kept dumping snow on the Tug Hill Plateau, I expected to see far fewer numbers on the Barnes Corners snow stake!

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

Not only is there a dearth of news for this morning's post, but also a paucity of photographs due to the sudden and inexplicable "death" of my camera, late yesterday afternoon. (I DID give it new batteries: still nothing!)

I have spares, but I suppose I should be thinking about what to get next. My favorites are Olympus Camedias 2040zoom. If you have suggestions, please send them along!

*********

The front door of Roger and Terry Tanner's home in Pleasant Valley.

(Terry: can you tell me when it was built?
Perhaps by the same man who built the Pleasant Valley Grange Hall?)

And here's the answer!

"Our house was built in 1820 with field stone cut from the O’Falls Quarry and moved by oxen. The Grange Hall was built shortly after and was our farm’s ‘tenant house’. It was sold by my dad, Howard Richmond, to the Grange for $300 during the depression. "

(Thanks loads, Terry!)



On Stafford Avenue.

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

IN THE MAIL

A quick, one-liner from Gil condon: "The Eagle at the pond in Old Forge and Coldy decorating the tree are outstanding."

********

From Diane Bancroft: "The Waterville Boys Varsity Bowling team is undefeated. Today’s match is @ Sherburne-Earlville. Come support the team at Hi-Skor Lanes! The team has no seniors and is quite impressive! The team members are Scott Bancroft (11), Logan Belfield (9), Ryan Jones (10), Joey Kohlbrenner (11), and Brad Gagliardo (11).

Thursday, the team will be having a Mark-a-thon as a benefit for the family of 13 year old Brandi Wood, of Paris Station, who passed away from Cystic Fibrosis. The boys match will be played at the Oriskany Falls Bowling Center. Donations may be fixed dollar amounts or pledged per mark for whichever bowler you’d like to sponsor. All donations will be sent to Brandi’s family to offset hospital bills and funeral costs. Please support this worthy cause!

**********

AT THE LIBRARY

Free Movie at 6:00!


"Rudolph, the Red Nosed Reindeer"

and on Thursday, "Santa Buddies."

**********

For the record: I did go to Hamilton to check out the new "Fashion Kraze" store. The big poster says "Opening Soon" - no specific date - and, in small type, "formerly the Bestbuy Clothing Department."

***

Today I plan on going "shopping" right here in Waterville to see just how many establishments offer "Gift Certificates."

A Great Shopping Solution!


Have a good day, everyone!

Balmy; cloudy; no Geminids! 8:14 Add-on.......

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

It's Garbage Day!

33.8 degrees F. / .99 C. and drippy.

From WKTV's meteorologist: "Good morning Central New York! We'll get a much needed break from the wintry mess we saw yesterday. Some tricky travel in spots this morning, with temperatures near freezing this morning some black ice is possible. The good news is that this doesn't last for long. Temperatures will stay above freezing for the majority of today, allowing for a bit of melting on the driveways and outlying roadways still filled with slush. The next storm system, which arrives tomorrow, will bring some of the coldest air of the early winter season to Central New York.

A break in the weather today as a very weak area of high pressure dissipates to the south. Expect plenty of clouds this morning, with patchy fog. Some of the secondary roadways are still a bit slushy and icy here this morning, so you may want to give yourself a few extra minutes to get to work. Here's a look at your bus stop forecast:

For the remainder of the day, generally cloudy skies with highs near 40 degrees here in the Mohawk Valley. Our next storm will fast approach the area, and will be here tonight. Expect cloudy skies this evening, followed by a mix of rain and snow towards daybreak. We don't expect the same icy conditions like we saw yesterday, as any rain that falls early should change directly over to snow towards daybreak. Overnight lows in the low 30s.

Tuesday's storm will give us snow showers tomorrow morning, with a mixed bag by tomorrow afternoon. Precipitation will be much lighter than yesterday's storm, so road conditions won't be nearly as bad as Sunday. Still, a few slick spots are possible.

On the backside of this storm, temperatures will turn much much cooler. High temperatures Wednesday through Friday will only be in the upper teens and low 20s during the day, with overnight lows in the single digits to below zero. A bit of a breeze will develop too, bringing wind chills well below zero at times.

Some lake effect is also possible on Wednesday, especially west of Utica."

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

"Raising the Bar..." a nice feature story about "our" Richard S. Woodman in this morning;s O-D.

*********

BASKETBALL SCORES

Waterville 54, Hamilton 26
Robert Hughes scored a game-high 25 points (including five 3-pointers in the second half), and pulled down six rebounds and had four steals as Waterville eased to a CSC crossover win. Taylor Jaquays helped out with 11 points for the Indians.
Waterville 6 9 19 19 — 54
Hamilton 7 0 7 12 — 26
Waterville (0-2, 2-3): Mike Purcell 2, Taylor Jaquays 11, Jared Henderson 5, Pat Zennon 2, Robert Hughes 25, Dan Kemp 2, Jordan Orendorff 6, Brett Baumgarten 1. Totals: 23-2-54.
Hamilton: Cameron Fisher 2, Dan Meeks 2, Ken Quackenbush 2, Keith Upton 12, Coley Graham 5, Phil Douchinsky 1, Tom Hilgenberg 2. Totals: 10-5-26.
3-point goals: Waterville 6 (Hughes 5, Henderson); Hamilton 1 (Graham).


Canastota 41, Waterville 38
Alicia Hibbard and Shea Foster each scored 14 points as Canastota erased an eight-point deficit in the fourth quarter to defeat Waterville in a CSC-II matchup. Lindsey Wratten scored a career-high 18 points to lead Waterville.
Waterville 9 11 12 6 — 38
Canastota 5 12 7 17 — 41
Waterville (0-1, 2-2): Brooke Williams 2, Jenna Fallon 3, Katie Buell 2, Lindsey Wratten 18, Shelby Ritzel 3, Jessica Zogby 3, Lauren Homer 7. Totals: 15-2-38.
Canastota (1-0, 3-0): Alexis Havens 5, Lindsay McGinley 6, Alicia Hibbard 14, Shea Foster 14, Ally Bernier 2. Totals: 16-7-41.
3-point goals: Waterville 6 (Wratten 4, Fallon, Ritzel); Canastota 2 (Foster, Havens).
JV: Waterville 34-19.


WCS Girls' Varsity Basketball meets Cooperstown tomorrow (12/15) night at 7:30 in Waterville.

WCS Boys' Varsity Basketball meets Sauquoit at SV School at 7:30 tomorrow (12/15)

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

Over the weekend, I received an E-letter from Sherry Wright, in N. Brookfield, telling me about a website called Victoria's Ride that chronicles a bicycle trip that "our" Vikki Merriman is currently on from Boston Harbor to Santa Monica Pier, in California!

"She is keeping an incredible blog of her daily adventures which are considerable. Last I looked she had arrived in Yuma, New Mexico, after the day before she experienced her first flying experience at the controls in a small plane with a man she met along the way. I think she hopes to be in Santa Monica by Christmas. Vikki is also good friends with my daughter Lisa and was in her wedding in 2005. Lisa who lives in Santa Monica, CA., hopes to see her when she arrives.

Vikki went on from Waterville to graduate from Harvard in '98 Magna Cum Laude and has her own business in Boston. Check out her blog. Its very well written and most entertaining. Vikki's family still lives in Waterville."

(I did! for about two hours! Vikki's photographs are wonderful and, then, there's the MAP! Thanks, Sherry!)

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

The next three photographs, taken at The Pond in Old Forge, were sent to me by Ron Bornick, of Clinton. The first two are just really nice shots of a bald eagle. The third surprised me! I can't tell if the goose was just landing? and/or got away, or...?

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

And here are two delightful pictures that Suzy Quayle sent to me of her grandson, Colden - or "Coldy" - putting his mother's childhood angel at the top of the Christmas tree!

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

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

FOR THE RECORD

The supply of Christmas Trees at the Mason's Sale in the Park

- which started out at 225 -

is dwindling, fast!

Don't delay much longer!


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

ADD-ON

I'll check this out later today, but I've had several Emails telling me that "Fashion Kraze" will be opening in the former Hallecks (earlier AMES) store in Hamilton, next to McDonald's, on Wednesday.

The ladies will like that!

*******

Have a great day, everyone!