Happy Thursday! Happy October!
This past week in a nutshell… Average seasonal weather; warmish days, coolish nights; nothing to write home about; nice! Past-peak leaves in combination with wet and coolish weather meant quieter trails and trail heads. Leaf peepers oot and aboot, still. Well, actually we had some heavy wind and rain Wednesday - thunder, hail and sleet too – yikes!! Military planes’n’choppers make mucho war-play noise overhead. Yes, Leaves past peak but still hangin’ on and colorful. The goldenrod has faded but the Lance-leaved aster (?) stands tall, abuzz with bees and other pollinators. Mice and squirrels still’a’scamperin’. Blood Drive at the Cranberry Lake Fire Department this past Friday – also, the Clifton Community Library in Cranberry Lake is OPEN! A week-long Wanakena renter commented that there are more streetlights in Wanakena than the village of Keene Valley – it’s true, these new (last year) street lights are plentiful AND bright. Bi-weekly social-distance Drum Circle over at the Picnic Area this past Tuesday. Summer folks talking about leaving in droves. It’s hunting season WEAR ORANGE in the woods!!!!! And life jackets on the water this late in the season (it’s the law!). Bear sighting Wednesday out on the way to High Rock!!! Hail on the roof:
Upcoming… This weekend would have been the annual Wanakena Oktobeerfeast. Weather forecast is looking average-ish: 50’s by day 40’s by night, maybe some rain here and there. This weather forecast is brought to you by Wanakena’s own PATTIJACKNAN weather team – a Wanakener garage pole mounted weather station and crew. THANKS, TEAM! This weather station can be found at: https://www.wunderground.com/weather/us/ny/wanakena/KNYWANAK8
Bridgework continues! Well, we all saw the honkin’ big ol’ beams laying around over the past couple of weeks. We knew what they were for. Well, the GIGANTIC crane – looks like the same crane that pulled the temporary bridge across the mighty Oswegatch’ – didn’t have enough room to do what it had to do. SOOOOO…. You guessed it!!!! BANG THAT BOULDER!!!!! Yes, the same boulder that was a big sore spot thoughout the springtime, when the roadway was needing to be built. BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG THAT BOULDER. And where we thought the boulder was here to stay… it’s gone. (see WW# 17 where we reported BOULDER VICTORY (no longer)) Oh yeah… and… BEAMS! Hard to miss ‘em. And as they say around Wanakena: WE’LL BE DRIVING OVER THE NEW BRIDGE IN NO TIME!
Ever heard of The Wanakena Historical Association’s J. Otto Hamele Walking Tour of Wanakena History? Phew, that’s a mouthful! Well, the tour is open May-October… and if you’ve looked at your calendars… it’s October. So, you missed it. Bill G. took it down for the LONG winter season - THANKS BILL! BUT FEAR NOT!!!! Unlike News Channel 7 reported a couple weeks ago – history is NOT hard to find in Wanakena. There are still THREE gorgeous YEAR-ROUND information kiosks scattered about the village. Dare we say HUNDREDS of historical photographs and literature to quench your thirst for knowledge of Wanakena’s past.
Wilderness Rescue - Town of Clifton - St. Lawrence County: On Oct. 3 at 4:21 p.m., St. Lawrence 911 transferred a call to DEC's Ray Brook Dispatch reporting that a hiker on the Cranberry 50 had injured his back and could not walk due to the pain. Forest Rangers Baldwin and Morehouse responded by boat with members of the Cranberry Lake and Star Lake Fire Departments. Once on scene, the 62-year-old hiker from Wilton, Connecticut, was packaged into the litter, put in the boat, and driven back to shore. Once on shore, the injured hiker was turned over to the Star Lake Ambulance for transport to a local hospital. Although this ranger report is public information can be found in various places, we just so happened to catch this one on the Cranberry Lake 50 Public Facebook Group. https://www.facebook.com/groups/141543549423/ where we also found these neat areal shots of Cranberry Lake on there.
Down at The Abode! KATHIE NEVIL’S WILDFLOWER DRAWING EXHIBITION remains on view through Sunday, October 25th. You gotta see it up close!!! What’s next? Well, we’ll have to figure out a way that a couple of neighbors/friends/strangers can safely and responsibly enjoy drinking a cup of coffee here within the Abode. Right now you cant. But we want to. So, that’s the plan… we’re workin’ on it. October 28th when we re-open after being closed Mon+Tues we should re-open with a Social Distance Coffee Nook of sorts. No more than two seats, most likely. Just enough! Anyway…. We’ve still got the TWENTY FIVE YEARS Microburst Exhibition on view – too good to let go! The COVID-METER is still up, too. Probably keep those exhibits up until the 25th also. C'MON down and check em' out if you have not. 2021 Lunar Calendars are in!!! only $7! Also lots of groceries, snacks, drinks, etc... Stop in a check it out! HOT COFFEE and ICE CREAM, also. Maps, books, posters, greeting cards, and camping necessities. The list goes on! Otto's Abodega! Thanks for all your support, everyone!!!! Lots of small purchases add up. Big ones too. See ya around!
WANAKENA’S BLACKWATERS CAFÉ AND TRADING POST FALL/WINTER hours/menu/etc. announced! Breakfast at B-Dubs returns! Hours are: Tues+Wed+Thus: 8am-3pm and Fri+Sat 8am-7pm. Call to make DINE-IN RESERVATIONS! 3153094040!!!! Open for pick-up/take-out too, YA’HEARD! Picnic tables and port-o-john out front! Picnic tables out back by the river, too. Order though their take-out window or better yet do it online at their website www.blackwaterscafe.com
RANGER SCHOOL IS IN SESSION, BUT THE CAMPUS IS CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC!!! That means no hunting. Here’s a message from the Ranger School: The Ranger School's James F. Dubuar Memorial Forest will be closed to the public for an indefinite amount of time beginning Saturday, August 15, 2020. The Cranberry Lake 50 trail, which passes in front of the school, will remain open. This action is necessary to protect students and staff as they begin a new academic year in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, but it is a critical precaution as we work to ensure the health and success of the Class of 2021. Thank you for your cooperation.
LAKESIDE GENERAL STORE IN CRANBERRY LAKE IS CLOSED FOR THE LONG WINTER SEASON. Stone Manor Diner and Motel, The Clifton Community Library and Tooley Pond Duck Decoy Showroom in Cranberry Lake are open! Coffee Fever, Todd Hardware, Adirondack Pharmacy and Circle K in Star Lake are open! Mountain Gate Redemption near Benson Mines is open! The Clifton-Fine Municipal Golf Course is open seven days a week. Hillside Diner, UB’s Mercantile and Adirondack Rustics in Oswegatchie are open! WANAKENA CEMETERY ASSOCIATION announced that Cremation Remains burial has gone up from $150 to $250. Also, there is no longer a backhoe charge for cremation burial because they don’t use a backhoe for cremation burials any longer. Always beautiful photography at the Wanakena Tracks facebook page.
Both Twin Lakes and SOS in Star Lake got a fresh paint job but remain temporarily closed since March 2020. Word on the street is Twin Lakes is re-opening SOON!
Kim’s Lost Dog Report: As of today, there are NO lost dogs in Wanakena.
All for now!
Any questions, comments, concerns, trail condition inquiries, legends, jokes, animal sightings, etc… feel free to email otto@ottosabode.org or call 3158483008 or pop-in the shop! Wanakena Weekly archive here: http://www.ottosabode.org/p/wanakena-weekly.html
“October is Nature’s funeral month. Nature glories in death more than in life. The month of departure is more beautiful than the month of coming – October than May. Every green thing loves to die in bright colors” – Henry W. Beecher (1870)