Monarch

It's the height of summer, and what a summer it is .. !
The weather has been 'unusually warm' pretty much all the time we've been here so far (what else is new), which, by the way, is already for 2 months!
That also means that we're exactly halfway our stay here in the north. Another 2 months and we'll be leaving again, can you believe it?

                                               

                         Southern Dogface (serious, that's it's name)

Not only is it very warm, but also very dry, the grasses look dead and brown, the trees are shedding loads of yellow leaves and the wildflowers are struggling.

Still, if you slow down (and smell the roses, ha), you'll find quite a few that are bravely hanging in there:

On one of my morning hikes I had the distinct feeling of being watched, to the point that I felt a little creepy ...
Until suddenly I heard a weird scream/wheeze and loud snort, and something large crashed through the forest. Away from me, at least, but jeez, it gave me a heart-attack!

            

It turned out to be a deer, doesn't she look just like the doe I took some pictures of previously .. but than, they look a lot the same of course ..

She definitely was upset though, and stopped after a short run to stare at me from behind the trees, she even stomped her leg a couple of times and grunted/snorted at me .. to warn me off? 

Since time goes by so quickly, we're making sure we'll see everything here that we want to see, before we leave, so we did some more sight-seeing this week. 

(better do it while the weather is good, although we'll keep some for the Fall, in the hope we'll see some fall-colors).

We went to Lockport, to see some of the the locks in the Erie Canal.

We started at the Erie Canal Discovery Center. Inside a c.1843 “canal stone” building, next to the historic “Flight of Five” and Locks 34 & 35, this is a great place to learn about the creation of the canal and locks in the 19th Century.
Interactive displays let you try your hand at moving a boat through locks, hear from people who worked on the canal and built Lockport, and test your knowledge of the canal.

Afterward it was a short walk, just across the street, to the Erie Canal and the locks. 

The Erie Canal is part of the east–west, cross-state route of the New York State Canal System (formerly known as the New York State Barge Canal). Originally, it ran 363 miles (584 km) from where Albany meets the Hudson River to where Buffalo meets Lake Erie.
Since its grand opening in 1825, the canal has been enlarged three times to accommodate larger boats and more traffic.
The canal has 34 numbered locks and it has an elevation difference of about 565 feet (172 m). It opened on October 26, 1825.

It was built to create a navigable water route from New York City and the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes.
Canal boats up to 3.5 feet (1.1 m) in draft were pulled by horses and mules walking on the towpath.
It turned out to be faster than carts pulled by draft animals and cut transport costs by about 95%

As a solution to the 60-foot drop of the Niagara Escarpment that would prevent packet boats from completing their journey to Buffalo, Locks 69 and 70 were build with their massive wooden manually-operated gates and balance beams, and completed in 1849.

The Northern ones are now restored and, without gates, used as a cascade for excess water.

                     

They are located next to the double 24 ¹⁄₂-foot-high (7.5 m), 40-foot-wide (12 m) modern locks 34 and 35, which enable today's canal traffic to climb the 49-foot Niagara Escarpment and
replaced the original southern "Flight of Five" lock structure.

 

We spent some time watching to see several boats, a kayak and even some ducks being 'locked through'.

                                       

 
The day was turning out to be another very hot one, and when we discovered a sign with 'Flight of Five Winery' on the other side of the canal, we quickly crossed over, using the locks, and sat down for a 'wine-tasting' in the blessedly air-conditioned taste room.

We sampled 5 dry wines, from white to red, accompanied by some 'Champagne'-cheese and some crackers (to cleanse the palate, you know).
The wines were great and we slowly started to feel 'human' again. Slightly buzzed humans, but nevertheless ..

         
Bottoms up!

Back at the campground we participated in a Chicken BBQ on Saturday evening.
Every 2 weeks the campground brings on a special dinner, catered, except for the deserts that are made by the guests, and since we're employees, it's free for us! We like those perks!



As usual, everybody showed up in their golf carts, heaven forbid you have to actually walk somewhere!

This huge pile of blackened, greasy looking chicken halves didn't look too appetizing, but turned out to be 'finger-licking' good (once you discarded most of the skin).
Accompanied by roasted potatoes, stuffing 'balls', macaroni salad and baked beans it certainly was 'good eating'!

We'd both surveyed the desert table beforehand, to know how much room to leave, (James, of course, ate apple-pie even before starting his meal) and made sure we went back there early enough to get the good stuff!
Of course I OD'd, and afterward I was so uncomfortable, it took me hours to feel  a little better ... 

I'll never learn .. !

 

Here we are, in August already, and another week gone ... !

Our week was uneventful, James working, me, not so much, I caught up on them and now have to wait until they've caulked before I can do more.

I'm not complaining ... 

The weather is a little better, not so hot anymore, but sunny, and this Sunday we left early to drive up to Lake Ontario, and follow the 'Lake Ontario State Parkway' to the east, to Rochester.

 

It's a pretty lake-side area, with lots of small bays and wetlands that branch out from Lake Ontario ..

These beautiful estuaries and swamps are apparently a 'kayak-er's delight', and on a day like this I totally can believe it, peddling peacefully through the reeds and waterlilies ..

We drove into a few of the tiny little 'towns' along the shore-line, where most of the houses are lined up alongside the lake-roads, and have gorgeous views:

We had coffee along the way and reached Rochester in about 1 1/2 hours. Being a Sunday morning, there was no traffic to speak off, and we sailed smoothly through downtown, and straight to the George Eastman Museum.

The George Eastman Museum is located on the estate of George Eastman, the pioneer of popular photography and motion picture film and the founder of Kodak.
It is the world's oldest museum dedicated to photography and one of the world's oldest film archives, and is attached to a gorgeous mansion owned by George Eastman. 
. 
On Sundays there are various tours available and we were just in time to join a guide for a tour of the gardens.



It was an informative tour, with a lot of information not only about the gardens but also about the various buildings, barns and the 500-seat Dryden Theatre, which shows select movies on specific dates.



Although not extensive, the gardens are well maintained.
Most of the gardens are planted with white flowering bushes and plants, due to the fact that there are many weddings that are using this place for their venue.

 

We had some (excellent) lunch at the cafeteria after which we went for the tour of the mansion where we learned about the life and many interests of George Eastman, and the history of the Eastman Kodak company.





His life was a curious one - accomplished, very well connected with other talents of his day, a man of grace and talent (and money).

After the tour we went through the additional exhibits that display historical cameras and other memorabilia.

We were disappointed to learn that, although the museum houses entire archives, corporate and individual collections, and the estates of leading photographers, as well as 28,000 of motion pictures and massive holdings of cinematic ephemera, non of these are for public viewing.

We'd expected to see a lot more on the history of photography and film ..

At last we walked into the art gallery that shows photographic 'fine art' and usually shows work of one or two artist especially.




At this moment an exhibition of the work of David Levinthal took up most of one side of the gallery, and the other side showed Gail Albert Halaban’s 'Out My Window'.
We didn't like Levinthal at all, but Halaban's collection of images taken through and into windows of neighbors in buildings in New York City and other big cities around the world, was really fun to see.

 

All in all, we had a very enjoyable and relaxed day!
For Monday, we'd booked a (god-awfully-early) tee-time of 7.10 am at the Buffalo Tournament Golf Club, a golf course we recently discovered, only 10 minute away from us.

         

It had a 'summer-deal' of a seasonal membership for $200, which than gives you (unlimited) 18 holes for $15, including a cart.

Not bad, and a lot closer than Attica, so James went for it, and has played several times already.

I didn't sign up for the deal, but I just golf 9 holes, which costs me $18. Like I said, not bad ..

It's a nice, PGA approved course, not too difficult, but still challenging and nicely maintained.

Afterward we had coffee in a newly opened Donuts place in Williamsville, (where we do our weekly groceries at Walmart) named: Peace, Love and Little Donuts:

Talking about a 'funky' place! Your donuts are made to order and have fun names like 'Heath,Wind and Fire', 'Snick Jagger', 'Shaka Pecan', 'Elvis' and 'Almond Brothers' ..

They're a little smaller than normal, and more expensive, but they're warm and sweet and really good!

'Peace man'!

For some reason James looks like 'the 70's have been good to him' in this picture. I wonder what else they put in those donuts?

James spend the afternoon changing the oil of the truck. A job that he would rather 'outsource', and have done by one of the 'quick' lube and change' places, but unfortunately the truck is often too big for most of those, we don't fit on their 'pits' or even in their buildings.

    

His boss, Tony, the owner of the campground, had no problems with him doing the job right at our site, so that was easy.

Well, easy ... it's not easy to get to, and you get very dirty!

 Need a manicure, dear?

And that sums up another week. About 10 more to go here in New York, but who's counting?

Wow, it's already the end of July, and yes, it's still true, time flies when you're having fun!

We've had a rather quiet week and not too exiting weekend either, but that's fine, it's nice to have some lazy summer days too ..

It's been a little cooler, around 80F, and today it's only 72 so far. Nice!

I've gone for a couple of morning walks again now it's not so hot anymore, and came across this beautiful doe one day.

I was across the pond, but by using the extensive zoom on my camera, I could get some nice shots. Isn't she pretty?

 

I've now discovered a way to make a full loop around the lakes, so I can approach the beaver lodge from the other side, where there are less weeds to block my view.

Which is where I saw this ... 

Whaaa!

Is it a huge frog .. a giant fish .. an enormous pond-monster .. no .. it's the beaver! 

Busy, busy, busy, building something (?) and coming up from the pond covered in weeds and algae .. so funny!

 

James is still working hard, although now he's also taking the Thursday mornings off to play golf. 

He says he's having fun, the work is very variegated which he likes, and the owner is a very nice guy.

His daughter, the manager,  .. hmmm .. not so much, we've dubbed her 'the bitch' so you can draw you're own conclusions from that .. But we don't have much to do with her, so we're OK.

 In the 'ice'-room

 Finding parts in the chaotic attic is frustrating sometimes ..

Since they don't have many other 'workers' to help, other than some 'seasonals' that help out as a barter for their rent, I've been recruited to work a few hours a day too.

So far it has mainly been some cleaning and painting, about 2-3 hours a day (paid), and I'm fine with that.

As is the (catholic) tradition in upstate New York, this campground also has a 'Friday Night Fish Fry'. Battered cod, coleslaw, a macaroni salad and french fries, which we ate on the cafe's patio next to the lake. 
Simple but excellent, we will probably do this again!


Merl' is hanging in there. He seems to do a little better, eats better, even comes in by himself to ask for some, but still eats less than he used to. 
He's lost a pound so far, but has kept that up for 3 weeks now. His sugars are fine, he's down on his Insulin (0.5 instead of 1.0), but that's probably because he eats less.

 
Merl's lunch buffet: grilled chicken-breast, turkey baby-food and (canned) turkey-pate with Parmesan

Still, there are days that he acts 'off' again and doesn't want to eat much.

Oh well, we'll keep at it, enticing him to eat, (it turns out he loves turkey baby-food by the way) and hope for the best.

He's such a precious boy ...