Around Utica...

Grace Church

Masonic Campus church

Genesee Street former bank Bldg

Corridor in Munson Williams Museum adjoining Fountain Elms

RR Watchtower with Utica Club Brewery in background

Hot Moon

I call it "Hot Moon" because the moon on Saturday seemed to reflect the hot humid weather we had, and will have for the next 4 or 5 days. The dog days of summer are often reflected in the evening sky as well as in the hot steamy sund drenched days and hazy skies of daylight....starting to look forward to the cool of autumn.

Utica Boilermaker 2011; A Testament to The Great Things That Can Happen In This Community!

at the start

mad dash to the finish

Competing in my 26th Utica Boilermaker with 13,000 15K runners from all over the world and the USA, was definitely an inspiring and uplifting experience. The first 2 miles though was an obstacle course as I found myself bouncing off of, and around, runners who seeded themselves in faster groupings.13,000 runners is definitely the maximum number and more thought should be given to policing the seed, and subsequently maintaining the quality and competitiveness of the race. I was seeded 4003(yellow bib) with my previous time of 1:15:51 and finished 2,256 place this year and in 2,457th place last year out of aprox 13,000 runners/11,000+ finishers. Next year if I do run the Boilermaker, I will have reseed myself to get a green bib number to avoid the increasingly large number of much slower runners who seed or get seeded inaccurately. After the "thinning out" of runners by mile 3, the race quality improves dramatically, and you enjoy having space to run and take in the thousands of spectators and entertainment venues on the course. There seemed to be more spectators this year on the course as even formerly barren stretches on Champlin Ave., were lined with hundreds of people cheering us on. The final mile was densely packed with thousands of spectators making the last leg and dash for the finish, an even more exciting and exhilirating experience. The post race party was super, with plenty of entertainment, beer, and plenty of food and drink for thirsty and hungry runners. The big disappointment was the cancellation of the long awaited military jet fly-over, substituted with a lone commercial helicopter which flew over at the appointed time of the jet fly-over. All-in-all, had another great Boilermaker experience and a great time in Utica, NY. The warm and receptive crowds, the Utica scenery and beautiful weather and the great job by the race committee proved that Utica definitely is the "City With A Warm Heart".




Me going the last mile....


My son running in the 5K


With some friends and my son

Boilermaker this weekend!

Can't believe it's Boilermaker weekend already. Seems like yesterday I was running the course last year, and then enjoying a cold beer at 9:30 in the morning. This will be my 26th Boilermaker 15K race and I am looking forward to another exciting opportunity to be a small part of the event. Even if you are not running, get up and grab a cup of coffee support and enjoy this spectacle! The fighter jet fly-over will be a part of this years event once again, as well as the assemblage of bands, thousands of spectators, and 17,000 registered 15K and 5K runners. A great testament to what can happen when we work together in the Mohawk Valley!!!



2010 Boilermaker

This Summer....

Ahhhh, what to do this summer? A few possibilities depending on where your interests lie....

Old and New Forest Cemeteries off Oneida Street in South Utica, is an interesting escape on a hot summer day. But take a walk through time under the canopy of the tall stately trees you will find cooler temps and quiet places next to ponds to reflect. The statues and memorials here are beautiful and thought provoking examples of a by-gone era of craftsmanship,wealth, strong family,locality and religious devotion.



USS Oriskany Monument. Worth a quick picture op visit is the USS Oriskany Monument in the Village green in Oriskany. Dedicated to the aircraft carrier "Oriskany" the monument features one of the ships anchors and a jet from the carrier. There is a small museum there, but was not open when we stopped.



Adirondack Park. The border of the park is less than a half-hour away. The park is the largest park system in the US and is a must see and do this summer, for anyone living or visiting this area. There is much information on things to do and see for just about everyone, so a simple google search will open up a pandora's box of opportunities to camp, swim, kayak, hike-bike-run. Also,the Adirondacks are a shoppers mecca.Places like Old Forge, Lake Placid and Lake George have an exciting array of hotels, restaurants, shopping, theme parks, micro-brews etc. All of which offer a little diversion after a day in the wilderness.

Springtime in Utica...

The Peony is the official flower of Utica, and since it's spring....well anyway...


I love the outdoors and hiking/running in some of the areas more scenic "outdoorsy" areas of the Mohawk Valley. But you have to love running-walking and taking in the many sights, sound and smells in areas around downtown Utica! The interesting people and architecture, as well as the deliciously intoxicating smells eminating from the many restaurants(Vietnamese, Italian-many, American-delis and grills, Japanese, Cambodian to name a few) in the downtown area, make it one of this runners favorite places to jog and take in the many sights, sounds and smells....Give it a go sometime, especially if you are visiting us this summer. If you're not staying at one of the hotels on Genesee Street, you can park for free on Bleecker or Court or State Streets. For a 5K-10K run, I prefer to park by Union Station, and then work my way Southeast towards Bleecker and over by Rutger Street Park (historical homes area) and follow Park Ave to Oneida Square for 5K or up to South Utica (Uptown Theatre area), and then back down Genesee Street past Munson Williams Museum, taking as many side streets as I have time and stamina for. It's certainly a different sort of run or walk then my "usual". But it's one I'm seldom disappointed in. As I often see, smell, and hear some really cool and great things you would never see out in the isolated spots I normally run or walk. Enjoy.
~Yasu

Our Legacy; The Erie Canal

I took my son to visit the Erie Canal Lock 20, and just "assumed" he had been there before. I was slightly embarassed to find out this was his first official visit to see the canal even though we lived just a couple miles away...oops. I figured his school or his mom or "somebody" had brought him down to show him the history and heritage of New York's Erie Canal. Anyway, we enjoyed a beautiful day in Lock 20 park along with joggers, bikers, picnickers,campers, fishermen and just the curious like us. Even got to see a yacht going through lock 20! You can park (just off rt49) at the park or get there by bike or hike on the canal trail system. We will either run or bike the leg from Utica to Rome this summer so watch my blog for some photos and my thoughts as I traverse the ol Erie Canal from Utica to the Copper City(Rome).

Great Way To See The Adirondacks!

All aboard right in downtown Utica and bound for the Adirondacks, riding in climate controlled coaches, or take in the fresh, clean air in their open car, through remote forests, past sparkling rivers, over bridges, tranquil ponds and streams, into the magnificent beauty of the six million acre Adirondack Park....a Great Way For Everyone To Enjoy The Beauty of The Adirondack Mountains! check it out at... www.adirondackrr.com

Tornadoes and Flooding...April goes out like a lion that "Baa's"

Although there was widespread flooding in our area and 2 official tornando touchdowns, the winds and rain have finally subsided. Hopefully now we can settle in to a gentler May, to enjoy the beautiful spring here in the Mohawk Valley!

took above photo last night at Whitestown Town Park preceding photo on Wednesday in Whitesboro

"Moonstruck" by Patrick Huther

Clouds come from time to time -
and bring to men a chance to rest
from looking at the moon.
~Basho

Beautiful moon and clouds in April over the valley!

Spring has sprung in the Mohawk Valley!

The run of warm weather and plenty of rain has catapulted the MV from the last remnants of winter, and right into late spring and summer like conditions in the last few days....even need to mow the grass already :(. Anyway, enjoy if you're a local, and for those who don't live here, I'll post spring photos from around the area.

I Love NY Barns

In the pastoral rolling hills of many Upstate New York
communties, barns have been fixtures and landmarks for as long as most can remember. Tragically, every year so many of these wonderful structures fall in or are taken down as these family farms become neglected or close, forever changing the landscape and the face of these communities. The book should be printed sometime in late summer. The book will be available for $28.95 plus shipping, and include pictures and paintings of over 60 barns plus some interesting stories, poems and writing.

Boilermaker Filling Up Fast!

If you're planning on running this years Boilermaker Road Race in Utica, you should sign up soon. It was reported that there are now over 7100 registrants with a cap of 13,000. This is well ahead of last years registrations at this point.

Amsterdam, NY

Like many upstate NY cities, Amsterdam has struggled to "find itself" in the post Erie Canal/Manufacturing era that defined much of the upstate NY area. As factories shut down, and the Erie Canal's usefulness as a commercial transportation link to the western part of ths state eroded, so has a great percentage of the states population.
Amsterdam still has a strong foundation of it's historical architecture in place, hopefully to be the cornerstone of the resurgence of this once prosperous city.

Beautiful Early Spring Day in the Valley!

Starting with the beautiful moon this morning....


....sunrise and into....


the day...and then...

Utica Retro Series Now Available....

42 x 30 " framed as set....I have other images of this series also. If interested please e-mail me @igcgraphics@verizon.net

B52 at Griffiss Business Park

Recent news events remind me that much of the recent history of the Mohawk Valley includes the 40 years or so that Griffiss and the military was a significant part of the valley. The thousands of Air Force personnel, it's aircraft, contractors, and associated businesses, were an important as well as visible part of the areas economy from WW2 until the end of the "Cold War" and until the base closed in the mid 90's. Still today, the military defines Griffiss Business Park and the city of Rome, as this is the home of the Air Force Laboratory and the military accounting offices, as well as the NEAD's (Northeast Air Defense) which includes a few thousand military personnel and civilian contractors located in the confines of the business park.

I even remember walking my dog in Roscoe Conkling Park by the "Eagle" just before the start of the first Iraq war. It was early evening when you could ominously hear the squadron of B52's "powering up" and then taking off. The B52's mysteriously circled the Mohawk Valley for quite a while, upwards of an hour or so.They most likely were awaiting their orders to go to war. I would needless to say only learn of this later when President Bush announced what the B52's were up to. Anyway, the last remnat of this legacy of the Mohawk Valley is parked at the entrance of the former base now turned business park in Rome. It is worth a look as you can park near the plane and see this piece of military and Mohawk Valley history up close.