Happy Thursday! Happy Thanksgiving!
This past week in a nutshell… The Ranger School students have all gone home for the LONG two-month holiday break. Will the Dubar Forest be back open to the public now that the students have left? The weather remained in the realm of COLD. A good bout of wind as well! Yes, it was mostly chilly with water surfaces freezing-up! Scott the UPS guy’s growing a beard and working Saturdays through Christmas. Kevin, one of the USPS guys, will be doing the mail on Sundays leading up until Christmas. Busy busy!!! If you want to go for a walk in the woods and not see anyone, this past weekend would have been right up your alley. That’s right! No one out-and-about and a pretty decent weekend! Chickadees at the feeder. WEAR ORANGE IN THE WOODS… Regular hunting season began Oct 24th and continues through most of December!! Still have yet to uncover what’s behind reports of freshly PAINTED trail blazes in the woods. Who paints trees in the Five Ponds Wilderness?!?! A message from The St. Lawrence County public health department: Sunday it will no longer issue potential exposure notices. Public health director Dana McGuire said residents should assume if they are out in public, "a COVID-19 exposure is likely.” YIKES!!!!
Upcoming… Weather forecast says… YUCK! Up near 50 DEGREES and rainy on Thanksgiving. Looking warm and wet through the rest of the week – maybe the sun is coming out Sunday for a little bit. Maybe some snow flurries here and there over the weekend, too. VOTE FOR THE CRANBERRY LAKE FIRE DEPARTMENT COMMISSIONER ON DECEMBER 8th!!! 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 - Also, always beautiful photography at the Wanakena Tracks facebook page.
Bridgework continues… yes, yes it does… BUT, THE FOCUS HAS SHIFTED… HOLY COW!!!! AS OF 11/25/20 THE NEW WANAKENA CAR BRIDGE IS OPEN FOR USE!!!! Yes, it’s true! And it is believed that Roy Lincourt of South Shore Road was the first person to drive their vehicle over the NEW CAR BRIDGE! It is also believed the Town of Fine snowplow was soon to follow, as Wanakena woke up to an inch or two Wednesday Morning. The bridge crew will take a Thanksgiving hiatus and return to work ready to get that temporary bridge OUT OF THERE! The big rollers that got it out there across the mighty Oswegatchie have returned to the scene and can be seen laying about ready to roll. And as they’ve been saying around Wanakena: WE’LL BE DRIVING OVER THAT NEW BRIDGE IN NO TIME!!!!!! And alas… we have! One more thing: the traffic lights are OUT. All that remains is ONE stop sign on River Street for traffic heading west from downtown towards the bridge. Watch out for speedsters!!!
STRANGE SOUNDS IN THE NORTHWESTERN ADIRONDACKS? A random google search of “northwestern Adirondacks” (the region Wanakena is located in) delivered an interesting result from an online blog called “BUSHWHACKING FOOL”. Here is a brief description of the unidentified sound: The unexplained sound is a soft modulated hum. It is a subtle sound; often it is difficult to tell whether it is a sound or just a feeling deep down in the pit of the stomach. It is sometimes muffled, as if in the background, and therefore easily overlooked. The nature of the sound is hard to describe, but it is similar to the noise made by a boat crashing through a wave or wake of another boat. Here is a link to this specific story from Adirondack Almanac ( https://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2011/12/a-mysterious-northwestern-adirondacks-noise.html ) . The article is too old to read the comments, though. And for further reading here is a link to Mr. Crane’s blog ( http://bushwhackingfool.com/ ) . Side note: we have had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Crane right here in Wanakena during one of his excursions. From him we learned he was camping at the Sand Lake Lean-To during the 1995 Microburst and had to be air-lifted out…. HOLY WOW!
Down at the Abode! WOW! Northern Vermont in Late November, Oil Paintings by Judy James, Keene Valley, NY… Friends and Neighbors, Wanakena was once again adored by a hiker- and happily, she paused here. In November we were visited by through-hiker Judy James. Who stumbled in here to Otto’s Abode for plenty of snacks, talk about Indians, the Path, and such. Soon she was back, crossing our suspension bridge with some paintings… The focus is scenes of Northern Vermont in late November. Judy feels that Wanakena people appreciate these late November colors: dusky reds; purples; spotted with melting snow over shades of brown leaves; low light on blue hills; plus, late-in-the-year river and lake scenes. Embraced within the dense air, feeling part of the environment- even the air has a texture to it. It is like through-hiking, all-around, being enveloped by nature. You are already in it. Look out from there. The “Hogback Road” painting may seem like a painting of “nothing” -- the barn is pushed over to the side and the viewer simply looks out with some periphery. It is a painting of being in the environment, late November. The outlook is from there. Enjoy this time of year. Interestingly enough that statement was actually written by Ms. James to make it sound like Otto’s Abode wrote it. That’s cool! That’s great! We love it! On view at Otto’s Abode 11/25/20 – 01/31/21
There’s LOTS MORE to look at; art, maps, historical displays, and MORE! Perhaps you’ll go home with something you did not realize you needed. Perhaps you’d find a perfect gift for someone. Perhaps you’ll go home with ingredients for a DELICIOUS dinner – or desert! You’re purchases down here at Otto’s Abode help keep us open and going all year long. Take some time out of your day, to go out of the way. Support local year-round businesses! Why wouldn’t you want to purchase healthy, organic ingredients for delicious *whatever* and at the same time support a local, year-round business that showcases an EVER-ROTATING art/history/interest exhibitions, creations by local artists and musicians , trail and local information, books, maps, DAMN FINE COFFEE and LOTS MORE! Come see why we call ourselves an ART-CENTRIC ADIRODNACK TRAVEL AGENCY AND INCONVENICNE STORE! Curbside pickup available. Whatever you want – let’s do it.
DOCK AND PUBLIC RESTROOM CLOSED FOR THE SEASON MID NOVEMBER… REASON: FREEZIN’!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes, that’s right folks you heard it here! The dock at Wanakena’s public beach has been unhooked from it’s summer resting place. Where many a family and friend basked in the sun, picnicked and swam. This summer was particularly interesting considering the fact that the local Wanakena population was downright floored at the sheer number of out-of-towners day-tripping at the Wanakena Beach. The public restroom saw RECORD NUMBER OF DEPOSITS this summer as well. Folks were out and about during the pandemic and Bo’s State Park was packed to the gills all the season though! Many a joyous experience this past warm-weather season via the Wanakena Public Dock and Wanakena Public Restroom. Cheers to many more years!!!!
WANAKENA’S BLACKWATERS CAFÉ AND TRADING POST FALL/WINTER hours/menu/etc. announced! Breakfast at B-Dubs returns! Dinner on Fri and Sat night. 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. Gifts and groceries galore via The Trading Post. THANKSGIVING MENU from facebook: Open 8am-3pm Thanksgiving Day. Pre-Order your Take-Out meal here https://black-waters-cafe-and-trading-post.square.site/. (Limited seating inside for up to 4 small tables - message for reservations, leave phone number please). Meal consists of Open-faced Hot Turkey Sandwich topped with Cranberry Apple Stuffing and Gravy. Served with Mashed Potatoes, Carrots, Roll - and optional choice of pie. (Choose your pie at pick-up time - Apple, Mincemeat, Mixed Berry)
RANGER SCHOOL!!! Today (10/25) the Ranger School Class of 2021 completed their in person learning for the fall semester. We’ll wait and see and update about campus reopening to the public. Previously: RANGER SCHOOL IS IN SESSION FOR THE 2020/21 SCHOOLYEAR, 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. Here’s a story about it all: https://www.nny360.com/news/stlawrencecounty/property-sales/article_eeec3094-901a-531a-8a18-ab1b991b3a79.html
WANAKENA HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION is hard at work actualizing the WANAKENA HISTORY CENTER. Here is a message from their website: Five equal partners (made up of groups of families and friends) are forming an LLC (Limited Liability Corporation) each pledging $25,000 for a total of $125,000 to own, renovate and restore one of the original Rich Lumber Company houses at 21 Second Street to its original facade. Their dream and intent are to provide a location for a Wanakena History Center where the WHA can continue its mission to encourage greater knowledge of the history and to display and make available for study: artifacts, relics, books, manuscripts, papers, photographs, and other records and materials relating to the history of the State of New York and particularly of Wanakena and the surrounding area.
WANAKENA CHURCH CLOSED FOR WINTER! WESTERN ADIRONDACK PRESBATYRIAN CHUCH zoom-zooms every Sunday at 10:45 using meeting #6663654813 and every morning at 9am for a Morning Prayer. 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.
CRANBERRY LAKE: Stone Manor Diner and Motel CLOSED UNTIL DECEMBER 2ND FOR VACATION, The Clifton Community Library will return to curbside service only. This is in response to the state of emergency declared in St. Lawrence County, as well as conditions in neighboring counties, due to the Covid 19 virus. Patrons may still pick up books five days per week at the library. Order online, or call or email your order in and our staff will get your books and arrange a time for pick up. Tooley Pond Duck Decoy Showroom in Cranberry Lake is open. LAKESIDE GENERAL STORE IN CRANBERRY LAKE IS CLOSED FOR THE LONG WINTER SEASON. Check out the Cranberry Lake Boat Club and The North Shore Hub online.
OUT WEST: Coffee Fever, Todd Hardware, Adirondack Pharmacy and Circle K in Star Lake are open! Mountain Gate Redemption near Benson Mines is open FOR PORCH SERVICE ONLY. Hillside Diner (CLOSED 25th, 26th and 27th!!), UB’s Mercantile (CLOSING AT 2PM THANKSGIVING – DELI CLOSED FRIDAY FOR MAINTNANCE!), Adirondack Rustics in Oswegatchie is open! 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! Harrisville Lanes and Lounge open, munchin’, rollin’ and strikin’.
Kim’s Lost Dog Report: As of today, there are NO lost dogs in Wanakena. KIM AND TOM SAY HI AND HAVE A NICE THANKSGIVING!
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
“Even if a farmer intends to loaf, he gets up in time to get an early start.” -E.W. Howe (1911)