Veteran's Day...

Back in 1918, in the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, an armistice was declared, ending WWI. President Woodrow Wilson immediately named the day Armistice Day. As history moved on and WWI was not the war to end all wars,... veterans returned from WWII, then Korea and VietNam and sadly on and on.... It is now a national holiday. I believe it is the only holiday that is never moved from its original date of 11/11.

This year I chose a Korean War Memorial photo to honor our Korean War veterans. I was in grade school at the time of the Korean "police action"... My cousin Tommy went to fight. I remember crying with worry.

Looking back I have known many other veterans,... John, Steve and Ivan who served in WWII, David and many others who served in VietNam. Then came the first Gulf War, my own son had just finished his years in the army, I worried that he'd be called back. He wasn't. And now this war involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan... It does not end. It is sad to say that hostilities have been present since cave man days and apparently will always be with us.

I want to say to anyone that has served,... no matter where or when...you are all my heroes/heroines... Thank You!

Crossing The Lake,...

Normally the trip to Vermont from the Adirondacks is a pleasant drive via the Crown Point Bridge. On October 16th life as we know it in the North Country changed. The Champlain Bridge between Crown Point, NY and Chimney Point, VT was closed as it was considered unsafe. I applaud those who made that decision which they knew would be unpopular, I think those decision makers were heros for protecting lives. Maybe the bridge would never have collapsed, but ... what if it did? But I know what a huge inconvenience and expense now faces so many people.

Farmers, workers, those going for doctor appointments, and tourists are faced with either a rather long detour or the expense of a ferry ticket, which for a car and driver plus one adult passenger going round trip costs $24.25. Many people are employed in one state and live in the other state. People travel to Burlington, VT for surgery, dialysis, shopping for vehicles, and many other reasons. Lake Champlain Transportation has stepped up its ferry schedules, The Ticonderoga Ferry has put up floodlights so that it can operate after dark, and a new pedestrian ferry will begin Monday between Westport, NY and Basin Harbor, VT, as shown in this article in today's Plattsburgh Press Republican. A temporary bridge is also being explored. A sincere "thank you" to those that are working hard to solve this tough problem.

Today I drove a friend to Vermont to pick up a new car. Here's what that trip looked like...

Looking up at the pilot house on LCT's "Grand Isle" ferry.

Waiting to load a car buying a ticket at the booth,...

Underway across the lake, looking at NY to the west,... the Adirondack Mountains in the distance,...


Looking down the lake toward the south,... the NY shoreline in the foreground.


This couple is vacationing from Canada. We shared a quick visit while I was snapping the photos in the rain. I hope that the rest of your trip had better weather and that you arrived home safely!

Voices,...

...For Change!



That's what the event was called. This afternoon a variety of music acts gathered at the Westport Central School to bring attention to the fact that October is National Domestic Violence Awareness month.



Performing this afternoon was a local favorite, ALKATRAZ. This band, although the oldest member is only a 10th grader in high school, already has a professional sound. I congratualte Gabe, Austin, Jack and Aaron for an outstanding performance today! Watch for them folks,... we'll be hearing a lot more from them in years to come.



Mr. David Wyant shared some soft guitar strumming and wonderful old tunes from three decades ago. His easy style was well received by the teenagers as well as the adults.

The Lacombes, husband and wife from Rouses Point, took us down memory lane with some great old tunes,... their harmony blended with the sounds of a beautiful Martin guitar.

Did you know? ...that one in three teens have been or will be involved in a violent relationship? ...that boys who witness domestic violence are twice as likely to abuse their own partners and children? ...that every day, more than three women are murdered by an intimate partner? I was very surprised by these statistics which are in a brochure handed out at the event.

There are services to assist if you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence. Don't be afraid to call them!

First Snow...

Yesterday a.m. I snapped the photo that is now what you see as my blog header. That is the first snow on Giant. Raven is in the foreground, and Giant is the rounded mountain behind Raven. It is actually far higher than the mountain in the foreground. Giant rises 4626' over the villages of Keene Valley and St.Huberts.

The valley had some early morning fog. Summer is gone, leaves are turning. Time marches on...

Fort Ticonderoga...

The United States flag flies over Fort Ticonderoga today, but it was not always so. These historical buildings must be dizzy from changing hands so often. Here just some of the names of people who have entered through the gates of Fort Ticonderoga. As I stood there on Wednesday I could almost hear the voices!


The buildings are fascinating... to think that our ancestors lived and fought and died in these yards and fields here...


A guide in Revolutionary War dress gave a demonstration of the steps of firing a muzzle loader gun. In this day of modern weapons to think of taking nearly a half a minute to load and fire a gun is amazing.



One of the Fort's cannon pointing strategically toward the narrow area of Lake Champlain.

My visit found a very small group of people on the fort's grounds as the summer tourists are gone, children back in school. It gave me time to walk through the buildings and over the grounds at my own pace, soaking up our history. Maybe it was the best time of the year to visit?

I Remember....

September 11, 2001...I remember all of the wonderful people that we lost eight years ago today,... and all of the heros that worked so hard to help.

(image courtesy of www.historyimages.com)

As You Are Now,...

There is a tiny cemetery between Elizabethtown and Mineville. It is in the woods. There has been an attempt to clear brush and mow the grass this year, but the branches and leaves are still crowding in. A lot of the graves are from more than a 100 years ago,... some more than 150 years ago.

Walk softly, as you pass by....As you are now,
So once was I....As I am now, so you must be,
Prepare for death and follow me.

Juliett lived to be seven before she died in 1842,

Amelia Ann, only 10 died in 1854,

A father, Enos Wise, who was born in 1787 seems to be comforting his son who died as a teenager. The weatherbeaten pitcher holds faded artificial flowers.

I think I would like to come to my final rest in a place like this.

I wonder what their lives were like. Their loves and their heartbreaks. Very few stones showed ages more than in their 40s. There were a couple that reached ages in their 60s and one was 77. It must have been pure luck to have lived that long a life in those days. I paid my respects and quietly walked back to my car. Sleep well, my friends.