Monthly Archives: May 2013

Freezing temperatures could again affect bears’ natural food sources

Loon

Loon

We have had some up and down weather this last week with temperatures up in the 70’s and then down to freezing over the weekend. Many areas received three to six inches of rain over the weekend and to top that off, over 30 inches of snow fell on Whiteface Mountain.

That would surely dampen your camping or hiking trip to the high peaks over Memorial Weekend. One thing for sure is that it kept down the blackflies.

I remember one late snowstorm that occurred after the leaves had come out and the Plains were open.

The roads were full of downed trees and the temperature went up like it’s going to do today (5/27).

The blackflies came out mad and hungry as we cleaned out the trees to open the road. Blackflies on snow isn’t something that happens too often, but it did that day.

I had 30 degrees on my thermometer this morning. I washed off as many of my wildflowers as I could reach with the hose before the sun came out and toasted the leaves.  Continue reading →

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Inlet’s ‘Cousins That Care’ pay it forward with KYAC donation

Chris Holt, left, Barb Uzdavinis, rear, and Thomas Levi, Mike Griffin representing KYAC, Cousins that Care founder Melanie Levi presenting the check, Cory Hansen, Brittney Levi, Laura Levi, Shelby Townsend, and Shawn Hansen. Photo by Michele deCamp

Chris Holt, left, Barb Uzdavinis, rear, and Thomas Levi, Mike Griffin representing KYAC, Cousins that Care founder Melanie Levi presenting the check, Cory Hansen, Brittney Levi, Laura Levi, Shelby Townsend, and Shawn Hansen. Photo by Michele deCamp

The Cousins that Care, seven Inlet cousins who raise money for special causes, made a $1,000 donation to the Kommunity Youth Activity Center in Old Forge on Memorial Day, Monday, May 27th.

The funds came from the Charlotte Bacon Act of Kindness Award, a “pay it forward” award the children received in February through the recently created Newtown Kindness Foundation, in recognition of their charitable contributions to the families who lost their children to the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings on December 14, 2012.

Continue reading →

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Daybreak to Twilight

Carolina Wren in hand

Carolina Wren in hand

Determined hummer hangs at feeder despite chilly temperatures We have had a few frosty mornings here at Crown Point with ice on the net bags three different mornings.

The warmer water of the lake didn’t even protect us from the cold temperatures.

The birds that were out those mornings were sitting in the sun to get warm even before they ate a few green worms.

Banding crew Wendy Burkowski, Gordon Howard, Ellie George, me, Tom Barber

Banding crew Wendy Burkowski, Gordon Howard, Ellie George, me, Tom Barber

The worms that live in the leaves of the hawthorns are one of the reasons so many birds stop at Crown Point to refuel before going further north.

One frosty morning several of the little green worms left their curled up leaves and spun a single strain web to the ground. They will live in the soil for a little while before hatching into moths.

All those frosty single webs in the morning sunrise made for a neat picture.

I don’t have the final total of birds banded during the two weeks at Crown Point but we did pass 300 over the weekend with 53 different species.

The best bird we banded—a Carolina wren—had never been recorded there before. Continue reading →

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An open letter to the Community Billy’s dinner to benefit Mary Russell fund

To the Community:

Billy’s Restaurant will host a fund raising dinner on Thursday, May 30. The proceeds of the dinner will benefit the Mary Russell Continuing Education Scholarship presented by the Covey Pashley Unit #893 of the American Legion Auxiliary.

Named for one of our deceased members, Mary Russell, our scholarship benefits a student who has plans to continue on past their first year of college. Mary believed wholeheartedly in the value of higher education; be it college, technology school, graduate school, or other training. Whenever possible, Mary encouraged any young person she knew to continue their education, and the auxiliary proudly carries on Mary’s legacy.

The auxiliary is currently accepting applications for this year’s scholarship. Any person who has completed at least one year of post-high school education and plans to continue his or her studies in the fall may apply. Those interested may contact me at (315) 369-2206 for more information. The deadline for applications is June 14, 2013.

Please plan to attend dinner at Billy’s Restaurant on May 30th and help the American Legion Auxiliary continue funding the Mary Russell Continuing Education Scholarship.  Thank you to Billy Burns and his staff for offering this fund raising opportunity.  We hope to see you there!

Judy Ehrensbeck, Old Forge

Member Covey Pashley Unit #893 American Legion Auxiliary

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Growing up Adirondack by Mitch Lee

Worming my way through a Limekiln Lake fishing excursion

worm_2013Fishing was such a big part of my daily life in the spring and summer of 1976 that it seems like I spent most of my free time looking for worms.

I suppose more time was expended with the hunt than actually wetting my line and feeding the assortment of maroon and pink wrigglers to the fish population of Limekiln Lake.

Hunting worms took cunning and a little bit of luck as my skills at the time were only slightly honed.

But my knack for the search was growing every day.

Most of my worm quests began at my regular hunting grounds. I searched around the garage, under piles of boards—any place within 200 yards of our house.

I equipped myself with a small, rusty half-moon-shaped worm container that conveniently slipped onto the belt of my pants. I wore the container like an accessory and took it with me everywhere. Continue reading →

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Water recreation enthusiasts make Paddlefest 2013 another big success

Jo Holahan and Connee Wilson of Cazenovia came to Paddlefest for classes- Paddle Like a Girl, Kayaking 101 and Easy Paddling for All Skill Levels

Jo Holahan and Connee Wilson of Cazenovia came to Paddlefest for classes- Paddle Like a Girl, Kayaking 101 and Easy Paddling for All Skill Levels

Last weekend’s Paddlefest 2013 was another resounding success with the event’s big sellers being standup paddle boards (SUPs), lightweight kayaks, rack systems for cars and super lightweight paddles, according to John Nemjo, owner of Mountainman Outdoor Supply Company.

Nemjo was pleased that his new nine foot lightweight canoe, “The Adirondack Passage”, sold very well at the show. He said it rivals Hornbeck’s “Lost Pond” boat.

“Hurricane kayaks, Warner paddles and Wilderness Systems kayaks also proved especially popular,” Nemjo said.

Luy Lindeyer and Skip Taylor pose with a line of Swift kayaks. Photos by Wende Carr

Luy Lindeyer and Skip Taylor pose with a line of Swift kayaks. Photos by Wende Carr

The manufacturer reps love coming to this show, according to Nemjo, because of the setting and the fact that it’s one of the few where folks can test paddle the boats.

“They go to a lot of shows in auditoriums in big cities, but this is where paddle sports happen,” Nemjo said. “They love coming here.”

Many of the folks who come to work at Paddlefest go out for paddles themselves in the evenings.

Customers at Paddlefest came from as far away as Maine, Canada and England. Continue reading →

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Writer David Hazard to offer June 9 workshop on successful publishing

Author and mentor/ coach David Hazard is offering two free workshops in May and June, in conjunction with View.

“My goal is to build a sustainable writing program through View,” Hazard said. “I’ll start out by covering some of the basic forms people are writing in generally… narrative writing techniques for use in fiction and nonfiction, historical narratives, memoirs, etc. We’ll also cover basic essay writing for self-help and other books. We’ll get into writing classes for playwriting, and eventually poetry.”

“We want to create a program which is accessible to the everyday writer and which brings with it high standards,” said Hazard whose resume boasts almost 35 years in publishing.

Hazard has personal aspirations to acquire a lakefront property and create a writing habitat.  He sees people coming to a bed and breakfast there, to work with him as a professional writing coach for a week or two at a time.

One such workshop is already scheduled for September 8-13, 2013 in the Adirondacks. To read more about it, and/or to register, go to www.itsyourlifebethere.com.

Hazard is currently working on a series of nature essays set in the High Peaks of the Adirondacks.  He’s also writing a book on developing one’s creative consciousness. Continue reading →

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