Great Show

 Ushering season is underway again.  I've done a few shows at the Hangar, none at the State yet.  Langhorn Slim played at the Hangar and I have heard a few of his songs on the radio but wasn't convinced enough to buy a ticket so signed up to usher. 

The Hangar is a theater and the audience is seated with a large area between them and the performer.  Todd Snider once filled the space with tables, but that was the only show I remember it occupied until this one.  Langhorn Slim invited people to come sit on the floor and if they were so moved, get up and dance.  They remained seated for the first song.

 This is how things were going during the second song.

He and the crowd were still at it by the end.  I'm adding this one to my looong Top 10 list of best shows.

 

Meet the New Boss

 Since we lost Nina back in the spring, Gail has had her eye out for a new housemate.  There were some tempting candidates over the summer, but we held out until after summer travels to get one.  A dog was being fostered in Snyder, Texas by Second Chance Dog Rescue, and they have a delivery bus that makes a route through the south and northeast.  They post pics of dogs to websites along the route and Gail saw Roxy.  We passed the interview and waited for about a month before she arrived by bus after a five-day trip with about 60 other dogs.

Roxy, meet Gail.  Gail, Roxy.  Next time I'll be more attentive to getting the whole slogan painted on the side of the bus of the rescue service.  We'll just say the chain is much longer now for this sweet dog.

She was a street dog in Snyder so she's quite skittish, but she's getting more comfortable every day.  She'll walk anywhere we take her and Gail says she's a good running companion.  Fingers crossed she's into skiing too.

Porchfest Returns

 You all know where Porchfest started, right?  It made its return this year and was welcomed back with good crowds, good music, and the governor.

The Fall Creek Brass Band doesn't fit on a porch, so they played on the Tioga St. bridge over Cascadilla Creek.

It's been a tradition for several years for Richie Stearns and Friends to play the first set on Kurt's Porch in Tompkins Park.  Nice bunch of friends.

Caroline Walkabout

 One of the most anticipated events of the year in Tompkins County is the Caroline Walkabout.  Hosted by Connie and Andy for nearly 30 years, I had the honor of being the only one to walk every year.  Until now.  They had to cancel on the scheduled date due to COVID and I couldn't be there for the make-up day.  Somehow they still went.

Gail was kind enough to supply me with a photo and the route tracked by her watch.  It's nice,  you should be there next year, and hopefully, I will be too.

I did get there for lunch.  I staged my own group photo with the sign and wondered if Andy, Steve and Katy took their eyes off a screen during the walk.

Alternate Walkabout

 


Since the original Caroline Walkabout was canceled, I went with Gail as far as East Hill Plaza where she was going to meet friends for coffee, and I continued on my own event.

Gail had never been through the meadow adjacent to Six Mile Creek natural area the city bought  from the Quakers when I was on the Natural Areas Commission so we took that trail.

Could be a scene right out of Caroline, but it's some neglected building belonging to Cornell on East Hill.

The East Hill Rec Way has been extended and gaps have been filled in so it now connects the entire distance between Pine Tree Rd. and Rt. 13.  A couple more gaps and a bridge over Rt. 13 and it will connect Ithaca to Dryden.

Gail says we went up these steps once, but I  don't remember.  They're nice.

I went through the Arboretum and some fall colors were emerging.  Out in Caroline it was  peak foliage.  The trip was just over 10 miles.

Back to Work

 The 22-23 school year is underway, and it got off to a rough start for us in the ENL department.  When we were down to just a few students we lost a teacher, teaching assistant and classroom.  The powers-that-be never considered we'd end up with more students, and were caught off guard when several non-English speakers arrived.  It's getting better: we got another teacher, and we may still see an additional TA.

Several of the new kids are from Ukraine.  One of them wasn't about to dignify Russia by labeling it on a map.

The Tattler, the school newspaper, did a nice job writing up a story about the current situation in ENL.  They interviewed two students, Emma and Talia, and me, and summarized the issues well.  What I liked best was that they didn't just point out all the problems and point fingers, they offered excellent solutions (one that I shared, but that's not why it's excellent). 

At the moment, the website is down so I can't link to the article.  Find a paper issue in all the regular locations around town.

Fix Ups Around Town

 A few spots around town are getting some attention.

The lock on a gate in Six Mile Creek disappeared.  I couldn't find it after a short look in the woods, but someone else found it and chose an unconventional way to shut the gate.  The chain was connected by four locks, and while I didn't have the key to three of them, I did know the combination to the other.  Guess which one is missing?  Guess who won't be opening the gate anymore?

Hey, the EPA is back at Ithaca Falls!  No detection of lead above the "safe" level, and really none detected in most of the test spots, but a flood last fall or winter undermined the barrier so it's getting it's third do-over.  I have gotten to enjoy talking with Don from the EPA and catching up on travels and other topics. We have our doubts an additional row of boulders will solve the problem.

A group from a local church teamed up with Ithaca Murals, Streets and Facilities and Sherman Williams to cover up several year's worth of graffiti on the pedestrian bridge.  I don't mind graffiti if it's creative or artistic.  Nothing on the bridge was either.

I did a pretty thorough clean-up of Six Mile Creek in August when the water level was at its lowest.  But then the students returned and tossed enough cans and cups off the Aurora St. bridge to warrant a return trip.  When I saw this dumpster in the parking area on the other side of the creek, I decided to collect more than just a couple bags of cans and cups.  The company doing the construction probably isn't happy to be paying to dispose of refuse, but I'm calling it a noise tax.

A new mural on my commute.

Fall Colors

 It has been a colorful fall in Tompkins County.

A hickory on Libe Slope.

Looking over Ithaca Falls and the Fall Creek neighborhood.

South Hill in the distance.

Libe Slope and the lake.

Two from Caroline when Gail and I went out for a walk.

The reservoir behind the 30' dam and the Six Mile Creek natural area.  It's a nice spot once it cools off enough to end the party season.

I never get tired of crossing the pedestrian bridge.

Home Building

 

Kari's little project out in Danby is coming along nicely.  I haven't been in a few weeks but I am told there are individual rooms and a deck.  Windows are coming soon.  Will it be a primary or second home?  An AirBNB?  An artist's loft?  Stay tuned.

Public Service Announcement

 This might not be the most thrilling post I've made, but it's useful.

I like  to think I clean the coils of our fridge every year, but when it started making much noise and I pulled it away from the wall and took a good look, it's clear I skipped a year.  Or two.  Some of those dog treats were probably intended for Bean (deceased 2020).  

How clean, or dirty, are your refrigerator coils?