Happy Thursday!
This past week in a nutshell… early in the week Mary had to close the Post Office for twenty minutes to go pick-up Wanakena’s mail at the Newton Falls post office! Sounds like a mix-up down in Syracuse caused it. Pre-weekend was warm in the 40s with sunshine! Spotty snow flurries flutter through the atmosphere. Wanakena’s resident feral cat – BLACKIE – was out and about; we didn’t see her, but her prints indicated she was out for a late night strut. Approaching the weekend the temporary car bridge was nearly gone! ZIP ZIP, BUZZ BUZZ! Up above a TINY sliver of a fingernail moon loomed. Wanakena’s own Wayne Allen was out and about delivering Lion’s Club Holiday Wreaths. Blackwaters Café is closed for their December break – still open for take-out on the weekend, though. Snow melted off the roofs and the river remained frozen-over; squiggly dotted-line of deer tracks across the iced-over Oswegatchie – deer tracks passing through the backyard, too. Quiet at the bird feeders. The Clifton-Fine WILD ABOUT FITNESS Hiking Club took a jaunt up the Moore Trail over the weekend. The ADK Black River Chapter was out and about, too. Sounded like a warm and pleasant day for a ramble up the rapids. Warm and rainy. WINDY, TOO! Sunday the weather started to shift as a cold front moved into the region. BRRRRR Monday with a BRIEF BLAST of snow – hard and heavy! Enough to accumulate on a birthday party hot dog! WHERE’S THE MUSTARD?!?! Beginning of this week was COLD COLD COLD with temperatures in the teens by day and down into the single digits by night. Snow moving in…. Oh yeah, and Otto’s didn’t open back-up yesterday due to COVID-19 CONTAMINATION… More on that in a bit. Here's a shot of a weird foam-nomenon when the river DID thaw for a day or two...
Upcoming… Weather forecast says… COLD weather sticks around today and tomorrow with nighttime temps in the single digits. A nice wintery weekend! Daytime temperatures around 30 and 20s by night! Should be a nice weekend to head out into the woods. Some snow moves-in Sunday, Monday, Tuesday with temperatures right around 30! HAPPY WINTER!! 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… AS OF 11/25/20 THE NEW WANAKENA CAR BRIDGE IS OPEN FOR PUBLIC USE!!!! Bridge done, but the crew was RIGHT BACK AT IT! Next step is to get that temporary bridge OUT OF THERE!!! The crew was DIGGIN’ IT OUT!!!! Scraping it right down and scoopin. it out. THE TEMP-BRIDGE DECKING IS GONE! Roller are out... most of the temporary bridge is GONE!!!! ****Here’s a link to WW # 15 where we featured the temp-bridge getting craned out and OVER the river. http://www.ottosabode.org/2020/05/wanakena-weekly-15-051420-052020.html - Spring-time flashback in Wanakena! And as they’ve been saying around Wanakena: WE’LL BE DRIVING OVER THAT NEW BRIDGE IN NO TIME!!!!! And ALAS! WE DO! Now that the bridge is WIDE OPEN, watch out for speedsters!!!
*****COVID-19 ALERT*****
OTTO’S ABODE WILL REMAIN CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. OUR STAFF HAS BEEN IN CLOSE CONTACT WITH SOMEONE WHO HAS TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19. WE WILL BE QUARANTINING! A message from The St. Lawrence County public health department: Public health director Dana McGuire said "Residents should assume if they are out in public, "a COVID-19 exposure is likely.” YIKES!!!! Numbers are going UP!!!!!!
DOWN AT THE ABODE!!!! When we return from QUARENTINE…. There’s LOTS 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! Or snack! Or coffee! Your 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 EVER-ROTATING art/history/interest exhibitions, creations by local artists and musicians , trail goods and local information, books, maps, groceries, DAMG 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. Perhaps you can purchase a gift certificate… If you don’t want to or can’t stop-in in-person to purchase a gift certificate let us know and we’ll mail one out to you! If you ARE around in-person and happen to pop-in to check-out what’s going on… cool!
ON VIEW AT OTTO’S ABODE: Northern Vermont in Late November, Oil Paintings by Judy James, Keene Valley, NY… Friends and Neighbors, Wanakena was once again adorned 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. On view at Otto’s Abode 11/25/20 – 01/31/21
WANAKENA’S BLACKWATERS CAFÉ AND TRADING POST HAS ANNOUNCED: Due to appointments and lack of business, we are starting our normal December break early. WE WILL STILL BE DOING FRI & SAT EVENING TAKE-OUT 4-7PM PICKUPS. AND WE WILL STILL MAKE TIME TO OPEN FOR YOUR SHOPPING NEEDS - WHETHER GIFTS OR GROCERIES! We will resume inside dining and normal days on JANUARY 1st!! ((Last week’s Fri special is Spaghetti with Giant Meatball & Homemade Garlic Bread - online orders here: https://black-waters-cafe-and-trading-post.square.site/))
RANGER SCHOOL!!! As of 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 while students are gone. ***STILL NO WORD!!!!**** Previously: RANGER SCHOOL IS IN SESSION FOR THE 2020/21 SCHOOL YEAR, 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 PRESBYTERIAN 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.
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!!!!
From the other end of CRANBERRY LAKE: Stone Manor Diner and Motel is OPEN! The Clifton Community Library will return to curbside service on WEDNESDAY'S 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. Order online, or call or email your order in and our staff will get your books and arrange a time for pick up. News from the Clifton Community Library: Announced via Facebook is the release of the Page Turner Publication. Visit their facebook to find a link to the PDF. There is lots of information about the goings-on at the Library. We’ve got a printed version here at Otto’s Abode, also. We also have a house-copy of the Bargain Hunter which has an ad that reads: The Clifton Community Library is currently accepting resumes and seeing qualified applicants for the position of LIBRARY DIRECTOR - applications close the 19th! 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 on Facebook.
OUT WEST: Coffee Fever, Todd Hardware, Adirondack Pharmacy and Circle K in Star Lake are open! Community Bank in Star Lake re-covid-closed-up the lobby for in-person banking; ATM or night depots ONLY! Mountain Gate Redemption near Benson Mines is open FOR PORCH SERVICE ONLY. Hillside Diner, UB’s, and Adirondack Rustics in Oswegatchie are 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’ at 50% capacity. The following is copy-pasted from the Fine Town Board Meeting hours from Wednesday 11/11/2020: Jeremy wanted the board to be aware that the Dollar General is looking into putting a store at the former Great American site. This would not be required to go to site plan review since it is not a change of use.
Kim’s Lost Dog Report: As of today, there are NO lost dogs in Wanakena.
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 Also, we probably wouldn’t turn down the opportunity to publish your submission!
"There's a time to fish - and a time to dry nets." Chinese Proverb
ONLY **7*** WANAKENA WEEKLYS LEFT UNTIL WW #52 (that would be a whole year’s worth of WANAKENA WEEKLY).