Foundation Revisited

Back in November of 2006 I had gotten all the way around the house in my efforts to repoint the foundation and bury some insulation against it. I dug a little ways under the porch but knew I'd be rebuilding the stonewall on the other side eventually so didn't do the last few feet.

Foundation Revisited

When I decided to rebuild the eyesore under this side of the porch this week I discovered I had left the repointing of this corner for just such an occasion. It was in the forties so I think the mortar set up OK, and I had left a piece of insulation there back in 2006. Funny, I don't remember doing that.

Foundation Revisited

Here's how it looks now. I wish I'd come across the heart-shaped stone before getting started, then I could have placed it in the wall. Maybe I could dismantle and....

A Soft Hand

Here's a picture that has just been recovered. It's of my grandma's hand in mine moments after she died. That's Mary Ellen's arm on the left with the watch, and grandma died holding the yellow duck. I took the picture with a cell phone but couldn't get it until now. Check out the archives, January 2008, to see more about Mildred and her 102-year, 10-month life.

The Commute

My favorite magazine, Orion, has a story in the current issue about commuting by bike. I decided to document my commute and share it here. This is the pedestrian bridge at the bottom of our block. Not only are cars not allowed, but it eliminates about a half-mile of sharing crowded streets with car/bus commuters.

The Commute

"Our" creek, Six-Mile Creek. I like to refer to it as the best state park in our neighborhood. It is preserved as a Natural Area for three miles upstream, and you can see how close it is to downtown by the building at the top of the picture on the right.

The Commute

Here are the views of Cascadilla Creek from the Stewart Ave. bridge. Upstream is Cornell, down is Ithaca and in the distance, West Hill.

The Commute

Stewart Ave. is one of the only streets left in the city with a brick surface. They last quite awhile, but are tough (and expensive) to fix when the time comes. Most just get paved over.

The Commute

This part of the trip is beginning to change. That's the Ithaca Gun factory which is in the process of being demolished. It's a very difficult job considering all the lead pellets, the industrial chemicals in the ground, and tons of asbestos to be removed. But Ithaca had a good industry for awhile, people made money, and tens of thousands of guns are available. The lake is visible just over the top of the roof.

The Commute

This is the view of Ithaca Falls from the bridge over the creek. How sweet is it that this is my last view before reaching the (always full) parking lot or the first view as I head home? The falls are just over 100 feet high, and I've dropped, or have to climb, 259 feet in less than half a mile.