Friday, May 23, 2008

Mohawk Valley Ghosts





Take a walk through the Cemeteries in Utica and you can see many of the final resting places of the people who built this community and the remembrances chosen to memorialize them.

In Old/New Forest you find military heros, politicians, business people who all helped to shape the Mohawk Valley in the first 100-150 years. Some of the statues are grandiose and inspiring

like the Justus Rathbone-Knights of Pythias Memorial . Others are simple and difficult to find like Mother Lavendar's site, which sits about a hundred yards or so to the left of the Rathbone statue. In Old Forest many of the ornate Victorian chairs and trappings are damaged or gone but you can still almost see the ducks and swans on the ponds as the women with hooped skirts escorted by their men strolled through the parks on Sunday after church to enjoy the scenery and reflect on the departed buried there. Back then I understand that was a common place to spend the an afternoon in the park-like beauty and serenity the cemetery offered visitors then. Walk around and feel like you've stepped back in time.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Utica Marsh Wildlife Management Area

Get up early some morning and watch the sunrise on the Utica Marsh and hopefully if your
careful and quiet you'll enjoy seeing lots of interesting (mostly ducks, birds) wildlife.
This blue heron was doing some early morning fishing as I hid nearby. To get there
turn off Oriskany Blvd onto Barnes Ave and go all the way to the end down a little hill to the right. After be sure to stop-by Holland farms to get the best jelly buns in town and a pretty good cup of coffee too. After you'll definitely have to do some more exploring to work off the calories!