If you like sun dried.....

September continues the exceedingly hot and dry summer we've experienced this year. A struggle for many of us to maintain our core temperatures and our sanity, as we plead for many cool and cleansing rains, to break the cycle and soothe the parched landscape and replenish the lakes and reservoirs.

August In The Valley....ahhh rain!

August has seen some cooler temps and significant rains which has helped ease drought concerns here. Driving around it is nice to see bright greens and colorful wild-flowers instead of the browns and yellows all too prevalent in July....God knows we get enough of that in fall and winter. No doubt in my mind there is dramatic changes going on in our climate.

Farm in Westmoreland

Sunflower Army

More Sunflowers

A Most Dry July ...

As we wrap up the end of July, I thought I would share some more recent images with some wildlife friends...

... and beautiful water. We realize the importance of water, especially when we are in the middle of a drought. Like Ben Franklin said;"When the well is dry, we learn the worth of water." We are fortunate here in the Mohawk Valley to have the Adirondack Mountain run-off via the West Canada Creek and into Hinckley Lake as our primary water source. It is great to see our water authority has kissed and made up with the Thruway Authority over water rights issues, and that Hinckley Lake water hasn't been sent over the dam this year, and put our precious water supply in jeopardy, and turned Hinckley into a mud pit, like a few years ago. Although it is most disturbing that in times of water shortages, we still think nothing of wasting millions of gallons of Hinckley water, to fill each lock, each time a pleasure craft goes through one of the canal locks.

July Images & Thoughts

....twenty-two states have lost at least 50 percent of their original wetlands, and seven states have lost more than 80 percent of their wetlands. Over the last 200 years, wetland acreage has diminished to the point where their economic and environmental benefits (i.e., ground water supply and water quality, shoreline erosion, floodwater storage, and trapping of sediments) are now seriously threatened.~Sierra Club

This pair of proud (and protective) parents were finally successful, as they hatched and have almost raised this lone handsome chick. This, after an unsuccessful attempt last year in which the devoted parents attended to a lone egg, long after the egg had died and was spoiled.

The marshes are alive with color this year. Beautiful yellow, pink and white wildflowers and cattails aplenty.

Frogs seem plentiful despite the lack of rain in the Adirondacks. Especially as coal-fire burning plants reducing emissions has improved the water quality some, although there seems to be an inordinate amount of jelly looking algae blooms and some mucky mud slime balls.

A group of mallards "dabbling"

Tiger Lilies have become abundant in the Adirondacks and this Tiger Swallow was rolling in and thoroughly enjoying her brief visit in my garden.

July Images...the heat is on!

"Summers Golden Glow" Sunset Whitestown,ny

"The Eagle" Frederick Proctor Memorial, Utica, NY The heat is (still) on here in the Mohawk Valley....some "sun-drenched" photos to maybe enjoy more in February

"Bugs World" My back yard

"AC & Cold Coffee" Not every one (understatement) finds refuge in the great outdoors in the summertime. Interestingly enough on a day when it is 90+ degrees, this is where you will find many MV residents

The Heat Is On and Little Rain In Sight...

So, what better place to "escape to" than the nearby Adirondack Mountains. In the mountains the temperature is usually 5-10 degrees cooler and often gets a little more rain. Although, this summer is seeing most of upstate NY state being fairly parched, including the Adirondacks. Hopefully, we will see some much needed rains soon. Until then, enjoy the sunny, bright and hot summer. As we upstaters love to say; "you'll be missing it come January"

"Adirondack Stream"

"Moment in Time" I took these photos "rock-hoppin" and slapping my head silly to discourage deerflies while near Irondequoit Mountain over the 4th of July.

July in the valley....hot fun & work in the summertime

End of the spring and here she comes back Hi Hi Hi Hi there Them summer days, those summer days....! ~Sly & the Family Stone That's when I had most of my fun, back high high high high there Them summer days, those summer days

On Golden Pond, Adirondack Park, NY

Red Barn Sauquoit, NY

Sunset whitestown, NY

Golden Flowers, Whitestown, NY

Flopsy the bunny, New Hartford,NY

June in the Valley...

Images; A few farms near my local vegetable farmers. I support local farmers when I can, and my family and I enjoy our weekly vegetable pick-ups at the Old Path organic farm in Sauquoit. Our weekly potpourri of fresh vegetables, offers us a challenge each week to prepare and enjoy nutritious and fresh vegetables such as kale, beets, radishes, arugula and spinach to name a few. Normally we would not purchase some of these items so it can be a challenge to find recipes that our family will enjoy.

Watching the World Go By...

In front of the Running Hall of Fame in Utica,NY

Although it's been about 20 years since Griffiss AFB closed, the runway is still used heavily by the military to train pilots to practice landing these vintage aircraft there and to help the county get a substantial increase in their "landing count"

The Hook, Line & Sinker, Just before the doors closed for the last time....

a few photos I took just before one of my favorite restaurants; "the Hook Line & Sinker" was torn down a few years ago

Thanks for the memories Dick and company! Progress...now a Dunkin stands in it's place.

May in the Mohawk Valley....has spring sprung again?

The Raven

Trillium & Shadow

Apple Orchard, New Hartford,NY

Whitestown, NY

Ft Stanwix, Rome, NY

Legion Post, New Hartford, NY

April....

Aprils freezing showers, frosts and bone chiiling winds kill March flowers...well at least the ducks (and farmers & gardeners) are somewhat happy, as the rain and snow in the last few weeks has helped to fill up the waterways and wet the soil. Hopefully there wasn't too much potential crop damage from the early blooms,followed by hard frosts we experienced in the last 30 days

"Hungry Mallard"

"Pair of Finches"

"In the Apple Orchard"

April.....

A little diversion to the high peaks region last week. There was a feeling of stark isolation and beauty at times, as you can go for miles and see very few people. This was accentuated by the dryness and browness of a parched Adirondack landscape....

Saranac Lake

Village of Lake Placid

Some of the High Peaks

Barn near Paul Smiths

Mirror Lake

April....

Field and Farm in Whitestown,NY

Daffodil in my garden

Rome, NY

March into April....

March saw some snow early in the month, followed by balmy temperatures most enjoyed that peaked in the 80's but temps that confused the heck out of many of the plants and trees. Many buds were killed by hard frosts that came later in the month. Hopefully the farmers here were not too adversely affected by the strange weather.

View in early March from Reservoir Rd in Clinton

March sunset over Benson Farms in Whitesboro

March Crocuses in my backyard