Grassroots Videos

 

The 19th year of the GrassRoots Chamber Orchestra performs Jeb's "Mystic Water" arranged by Judy Hyman.  Later that day we had quite the gathering at the compound with a lively conversation that included Cayenna Ponchione, the orchestra conductor who now lives in England and returns for this one performance, John Gurche who was doing some of the mural for the General Store, and someone who was visiting Tompkins County where he grew up before moving to Himalayas to run an ashram.  We mostly talked about the weather.

A few seconds of percussion by Dakhabrahka.  I wasn't able to convince our Ukrainian student who is a skilled percussionist come to the show (and sit in with the band).

GrassRoots Videos

 Sunday Sunrise kickball featured the Star Spangled Banner on banjo for the seventh inning stretch. Joe picked it out of the Infield.

 Another one gets kicked out of the Infield.

GrassRoots

 GrassRoots Festival of Music and Dance 2023 is in the past, and for many it will reign as one of the best.  It was good to be back to the pre-pandemic crowds and vibe, several new food vendors provided great food and the company and music were stellar as always.  It seems like the organization even figured out all the things they need to do to appease the county health department.

 The General Store was a huge hit on the Infield, just as it will be when it gets moved to Greenstar Market.

Seemed like the whole weekend there were parents standing around outside waiting for their kids to pop up in a window or door.  One friend told me if it hadn't been there, his kids would not have lasted an hour at the festival.  But because of it, they were able to stay all day and even visit other stages.

 The pavilion will be a good place to sit in the shade or out of the rain at Greenstar too.

When plywood is so bad it gets rejected by our crew, it becomes a skate park.

Thursday afternoon?  Bubba George.

 Connie and Andy brought the Fry Bread stand out of storage and we had the best set-up ever.  It was stored in their barn for over 20 years, yet Andy and I set it up in less than an hour.  It took longer to get all the pigeon poop off it.  Not surprisingly, it was determined Alan built it as his first project when he moved to Tompkins County.

Thursday evening? Donna the Buffalo.  When the drummer put a hole in the base drum, Jeb and Tara played a duet while it got replaced.  They've anchored Donna for over 30 years.

The Fall Creek Brass Band filled the stage and rocked the Infield.

The whole Hess/Kraskow family was in attendance.  Hannah was born during GrassRoots a hundred years ago.

I didn't get the name of this band, but got what they were putting down.

Something was different in porta-john arrangements this year.  When the wagon went past the walk-through men's urinal, it was possible to wave to all the kids in the upper windows of the wagon who were looking down over the barrier outside the urinal.  I'll point that out when they arrive during set-up next year.

I've been listening to the Mavericks for over thirty years, but this was the first time I saw them.  Raul Malo did not look like I had pictured him.  He looked 30 years older than I expected.

Rising Appalachia made a return and were a treat again.  I met a family from Ithaca at the end of the set who were attending their first GrassRoots and we had a lovely chat about how the festival has changed and stayed the same over three decades.

The next day, I stopped to see how the mural that will go on the side of the General Store was progressing.  The little girl from the family at Rising Appalachia's set was helping paint.  GrassRoots magic.

We've been to 18 GrassRoots together.  Already looking forward to 19.

Sona Jobarteh played an abbreviated set due to health issues, but it was 45 minutes of pure Wow!  She plays the Kora, unheard of for a female.  That's a glass ceiling that was overdue to be shattered.

It's always good to get away from the festival for a bit.  I walked the Rim Trail at Taughannock and slept at home, both twice.  And I finally got to attend one of Marvin's guided tree walks in Smith Woods.  Go there, guide or no.

While on the Rim Trail, I met a group of guys attending a wedding at the Taughannock Inn.  They had no idea there was a music festival a couple miles away.  Looks like they convinced somebody to change the venue.

 As usual, one of the largest crowds of the weekend was for Dakhabrahka.  This was their third appearance.

Gail took up her standard spot, right in front of Marko

 2022

 Alan and I made arrangements for one of my Ukrainian students, her sister and mother to be there for Dakhabrahka.  I didn't connect with them before the set so wasn't sure where they were or if they even made it.  Somehow, as the crowd filed out at the end, Luba spotted me.  Time to go back and meet the band. 

Luba and one of the members display two different styles of traditional Ukrainian clothing.  I was decked out in some of my finest traditional GrassRoots clothing.  I shook Marko's hand and told him he makes my wife cry.  He approved.

 Richie and Rosie doing their Sunday sunset set.  I'm so happy to be a part of all this.

I spent both Saturday and Sunday nights in Mark and Luche's camper.  Pretty nice couch they have in there.  I was a little surprised Donna, or at least Jeb, wasn't still playing at 5:30 when I rode out on my bike Monday.

Family in Town

 

Sue and Brian continued their tour of Upstate.  They've been making their way east since leaving Mayville.  We made it to two state parks and Six Mile Creek in one day.

Ukrainian Update

 Nadiia, Petro and the rest of their family have safely returned to Ukraine.  Nadiia sent me a video of her first air-raid experience.  She and her friend went outside and took selfies.  No missiles struck.

 They spent two days in transit before reaching their home near Ternopil in southwest Ukraine.

Returning to normal life amid war includes volleyball with friends.

Around Town

 A few highlights and lowlights from around Ithaca this summer.

This puddle has persisted at one of the busiest pedestrian crossings in the city for almost 10 years.  I've posted pictures of it before, I'll probably post them again.

Construction in Collegetown is proceeding.  At least they have finished the utilities and put a real street back in place so it looks tidy.  Until they start another huge building and tear it all up again.

A big tree came off the gorge wall in Cascadilla the other day.  I keep telling the Powers that Be the fraternities above this should be condemned and removed before they fall into the creek too, but they say they can't even get the fraternities to stop directing all their roof drains over the edge of the gorge.  See "Vermont flooding".

 I often try to make an effort to see how the mist is dancing by the 30' Dam in Six Mile Creek.  On this still day it just hovered and was accented by morning fog all through the gorge.

GrassRoots Set-up '23

 In addition to helping assemble the Infield Stage for the GrassRoots Festival, I went up early to help Alan get the community projects started.

 Alan got a bunch of picnic tables donated by Home Depot that came in handy as work tables.

We built the base for the pavilion that will be moved to Greenstar Market.  A complicated arrangement of using a Trumansburg village backhoe to flip it over was scrapped when an Andre the Giant look-alike and his grounds crew came by and we just lifted it and turned it over.

The smaller building is going to be a kids playhouse that will also go to Greenstar.

The playhouse model.

The stage went together the way it does every year: With difficulty.  But in the end, it works and with the exception of 2021 when a severe thunderstorm damaged it a few days before the festival, it survives and is the scene for great musical events.

Hmmmm, the current radar:

 I'll keep you posted.

Family Time

 I made a trip to WNY to spend time with the siblings and their families.  Gail wasn't able to go as she has a final week at her job and then will be going to the Adirondacks to see our family from her side visiting from California.

We kicked things off at the Big Inlet Brewery in Mayville to throw John a surprise party to celebrate his 60th birthday.  He was surprised, and it was a fine collection of family and Westfield friends.

We then gathered at a house Sue found to rent for the week on Chautauqua Lake.  Dori showed her massage skills, she was good enough at it that Jim actually spent a night away from Dansville.  Dori was glowing.

A few of us went to the Institution for the Natalie Merchant concert where she played with the symphony orchestra.  As much as I prefer her songs arranged with her band, it was a treat to see her play with an orchestra she grew up listening to for a hometown crowd.

Lansing Cottage '23

Gail and I made it year three at the cottage we've been renting at the end of June in Lansing on Cayuga Lake.  We've signed on for next June already, but due to a quirk in the calendar, I may have to miss the last week of work.  I have promised a couple kids I'll be there for graduation so I may have to get up at 4 am one day and kayak to Stewart Park.

 

 Previous and future graduates. 

 

 Despite some thunderstorms and one cool, rainy day, and two smokey ones, we had a great time with plenty of visitors.

Despite not being able to get out of her current employment situation and having to work mornings, Gail got to try out skills on her new paddle board, hang out with Roxy on the dock and get in some kayaking.

M and Maureen brought funny faces.

 

Jody was one of the braver visitors and hung out on the boathouse deck.

 

Tom paddled and brought smoked salmon on a smokey day.

 

Other kids did their best not to exert themselves in the smoke.  But had fun and, as always, brought dinner.

 I climbed through the fence of the old Cornell orchard to see what was left of the apple trees I used to pick.  They have cut down almost all them as they try to sell the property and have massive piles of apple wood just waiting to be used by some BBQ joint.

This is a pile of wood that used to be pawpaw trees.

 

 

 They have left the chestnut trees standing, some are doing better than others.  I wonder if there are still records of which variety is which.

 

Plenty of banjo time.

Even after working at the orchard for over ten years, this waterfall behind it was new to me.  Don't climb the rope next to the falls.

The main exploration was the new Finger Lakes Land Trust preserve just south of the cottage, Cayuga Cliffs.  I'm not sure the waterfall in the top photo is part of the preserve, but it's off the cliff that it gets its name from so I thought it was OK to access it from the railroad.  My hope is that the preserve goes at least to the railroad, if not the waterfront.

 

My main task to try to get a discount next year was building a beach, of sorts and supporting/upgrading the railings on the stairs.  Even if the discount doesn't work out, the beach was nice to have and the railings didn't fail.
 

If you didn't make it to visit this year, try again next year.