Happy Thursday!
WITHIN NUTSHELL – Got down in the teens at night over the weekend. Didn’t get much snow at all either – melted very fast, too. There had been reports of eagles at the mill pond, and there were juvenile eagled there and flying overhead around town last summer. Lots of new reports coming in about eagles at The Setback. Yes. Some freshly fallen spruce lay alongside The Big Pine. The wee-ones must have snapped during recent high-wind event. Fell in the same direction of Microburst trees. Twin Lakes Hotel is OPEN! Patchy snow in the woods. Wet spots up the truck trail. Mergansers and geese along the Oswegatchie. LOW flying helicopter around 10:30 Tuesday night. Don’t wake that baby!!!!!!! DEC says take down your bird feeders – bears are waking up! Any mice reports? *knocks on wood* The Adirondack consensus is: DON’T GO HIKING DURING MUD SEASON. But, upon further research, more specifically: avoid hiking the High Peaks; these trails are more prone to erosion. Our local, flatter, less-used trails would be a better fit! Check out the HIKING THE TRAIL TO YESTERDAY blog for LOTS of local information and inspiration. Bill has a new book… we’re hoping he brings some to us! Cranberry Lake Ice OUT on Easter, says commodore. Road to Inlet Open. Here’s a link to the most recent town board meeting minutes (03/10/21): HERE Also, in case anyone was wondering – because folks have asked: St. Lawrence County residents can smoke, vape pot anywhere tobacco is allowed, troopers say.
ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY BURN BAN – A burn ban is in effect from March 16th through May 14th in St. Lawrence County and the rest of the state according to the DEC. Open burning is prohibited in NY, with several exceptions: Campfires less tham 3 feet in height and 4 feet in length, width and diameter are allowed; small cooking fires are allowed; fires cannot be left unattended and must be filly extinguished; only charcoal, or clean, untreated or unpainted wood can be burned; Ceremonial or celebratory bonfires are allowed. In towns with a total population less than 20,000 you may burn tree limbs with attached leaves. The limbs must be less than 6 inches in diameter and 8 feet in length (also referred to as brush). However, this is NOT allowed from March 16th – May 14th due to increased risk of wildfire.
FORTHCOMING – WARMING TREND heading right though the weekend. Looks like it will hit 70 this Saturday! Sunday brings some rain and cooler temps. That’s pretty much it! It has been warm – it will get even warmer. 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
CULVERT WASHOUT – Look at this beautiful stonework laid during the Town of Fine’s replacement of the washed-out culvert …. PREVIOUSLY REPORTED: South Shore Road, Wanakena. All that melt coming town from Skate Creek into The Mill Pond gurgled on the culvert a little too much and wound up causing some damage. Late last week the damage being caused by the blocked-up and overflowing culvert prompted action. The Town of Fine was on it! Old culvert dug out – new one put in. Run water, run!
WANAKENER IN THE NEWS – Adirondack Explorer featured an article about new trout fishing regulations in NYS. In the article you can read: Rich Kovaks, a fishing guide from Wanakena, said the winter stream fishing season could attract some die-hard anglers, noting that winters are not nearly as cold or snowy as they were 40 years ago. “The real fishing enthusiast is going to take advantage of staying out on the water a little earlier or getting out a little later,” he said. https://www.adirondackexplorer.org/stories/new-trout-fishing-regulations-take-effect-today. On a side note: Poking around on the website we stumbled upon the enlightening article W.T. Eckert wrote about us last year. In the comments section we found this:
CRANBERRY LAKE ICE OUT – Announced via the Cranberry Lake Boat Club Facebook! ICE OUT is officially over! The official observer called it today at 9:16 am, Easter Sunday! The Winner is........ HELEN HERZER. Thanks to all participants. HAPPY EASTER.
DOWN AT THE ABODE – JUNK DRAWER SUBMISSION ON VIEW! C’mon down. Pop-up exhibition “BLOBS” on view by the coffee bar. Sculpture by Katie Westmoreland, Map by NYS, Photography by Michael Mandolfo. All: BLOBS. WIIIIIIIIIIDE SELECTION of packaged beer in the walk-in cooler; light stuff, dark stuff, ales, porters, stouts, ciders, seltzers, cheap stuff, expensive stuff, bottles, ambers, lagers, cans, TO GO – c’mon down! HOT coffee, coffee BEANS, ORGANIC groceries, REFRESHED HALF GALLON FLAVORS of ice cream, NEW books, NEW music, HIKING and PADDLING maps, OUTDOOR ADVENTURE supplies, EDUCATIONAL gifts and more!!!!
ON VIEW – JUNK DRAWER SUBMISSIONS – Allen Ditch – Notepad – Contents written when Doug Facey explained how to turn on and off water at home in Wanakena - kept in junk drawer ever since along with - Pinecone Drink Chip, Ring Sizer, Small Vile. Resa Eberhart – Plastic Egg Timer – The timer absorbs heat, just like the eggs do, and the redness darkens to indicate how cooked the eggs are getting. It shows you when the eggs are soft, medium, hard, and all the stages in-between. The egg timer: another way to measure time. Sometimes I like my eggs soft which takes three minutes. Sometimes I like a hard-boiled egg which takes ten minutes. What can you accomplish in three to ten minutes? Try a little self-care. STOP! Take several deep breaths, smell the flowers, look around at your surroundings, stretch, pet the dog, smile, make a call to someone you haven’t talked to in a while, think of someone special, pray. Brian Kirwin – Escargot Platter - Purchased at a rummage sale in New York City and used as a paint palate. Kitchen Utensil – Probably used for scooping food out of frying-oil. Kitchen Utensil – Serving spoon of some sort. Jean Szkotak – Photographs - Here are my random picture submissions for your display. 3 of the Prohibition era bottle opener. 1 Picture from the Labyrinth last spring. 2 “Gnome Home” pictures. Suzie Thaller – Keychain, Pinecone Drink Chip, Stone Manor Postcard, Mysterious Suction-Object - Found during some good-old spring cleaning. Susan Ziemba – Stack of Mimi’s Student Lessons – Mimi Keith did art lessons - $5 a lesson. All the kids in our house took lessons at one time or another. According to Mimi, they were all potentially great artists! “Don’t Quit!” She would say. Children’s art is so special to me. I can’t throw them away so they are kept in a drawer – Not exactly junk, but what are they? - Old Stained Bag – Just can’t bear to throw it away. Don’t want to use it. Who wants it? Blizzard of 1977. Dave was working in Rochester at Wegmans – training to open a new store in Buffalo. I was in my last semester of Alfred Tech. We were getting married in June. He left work and drank - I believe a six pack of Schlitz - on his way through the storm to come and visit me in Alfred.
ON VIEW - JUNK DRAWER - We’ll call it our JUNK DRAWER. Sometimes you need a place to put things. Uncategorical things. Things you don’t want to put in the trash. Important knickknacks you might need. They don’t really have a place, but now you know where to find them – usually. Five years ago, when Otto’s Abode first opened its doors to the public, we came into possession of some beautiful, old, glass & wood cases that had been used to display merchandise here in the store, some of which for nearly one hundred years. In a world where billion-dollar mega-media corporations hire folks like Marie Condo to tell you to get rid of everything, behold: a small “best-of” selection of GLORIOUS JUNK that has been collected and displayed in the (now) empty case behind you over the past five years.
SNOW CROQUET – As predicted, the snow was not much and not lasting. That’s OKAY! We understand snow croquet season is OVER. Games have been played and the court plays fast. This was just on the front page of BBC News: https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-england-sussex-56593488
BLACKWATERS CAFÉ AND TRADING POST – NEW ABBREVIATED APRIL HOURS ANNOUNCED! B-Dubbs will be OPEN THURS + FRI + SAT 8-7PM. Café menu, baked goods, basic groceries, gifts and artwork, unique teas and coffee alternatives down on Ranger School Road! BACON WEEK begins MAY 4th. ***Due to COVID-19 restrictions, we encourage take-out - and WILL NOT let in more than we are allowed. If the door is locked, we are at capacity. But if you’d still like a meal to go, order online and it will be prepared in the order received - or - think ahead and schedule a pickup time. Come in smaller groups. CHECK OUT THEIR TRAIL CAM: https://www.gotsnowcams.com/gotsnowcams.htm
WANAKENA HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION – The Wanakena Walking Tour is “closed” for the winter… but deep in the bowels somewhere, some folks are 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.
RANGER SCHOOL - RANGER SCHOOL IS IN SESSION FOR THE 2020/21 SCHOOLYEAR, BUT THE CAMPUS IS CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC!!! 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 CHECK OUT THEIR TRAIL CAM: https://www.esf.edu/rangerschool/webcam.htm
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.
NEW CAR BRIDGE - AS OF 11/25/20 THE NEW WANAKENA CAR BRIDGE IS OPEN FOR PUBLIC USE!!!! AS OF 12/22/20 THE TEMPORARY BRIDGE IS FULLY DISMANTLED!!! 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!!! Town of Fine Board meeting from 3/10/21 says RT 61 (Wanakena Road) will be replaced/resurfaced later this summer!
DOCK AND PUBLIC RESTROOM - CLOSED FOR THE SEASON MID NOVEMBER… REASON: FREEZIN’!
HAREWOOD: Stone Manor Diner and Motel is OPEN! Clifton Community Library OPEN Mon + Wed 10-2pm also Wed 6-7pm. Tooley Pond Duck Decoy Showroom in Cranberry Lake is OPEN (call first)!!!!!!! John Dragun NEON ARTWORK and MORE down in Windfall… OPEN! Check out the Cranberry Lake Boat Club and The North Shore Hub are up to on Facebook.
NEWTON FALLS: Recent article about NF development HERE. Robust discussion of Newton Falls on Facebook HERE
OUT WEST: Twin Lakes Hotel re-opened last week! Twin Lakes April 1st and Hillside reopens April 9th. Mountain Gate Redemption near Benson Mines is open. Coffee Fever is back open after a covid/winter hiatus. AMERICAN LEGION is OPEN! Todd Hardware, Adirondack Pharmacy, Community Bank and Circle K in Star Lake are OPEN! Alcoholics Anonymous Friday nights at 7pm in the SOS Building. UB’s, and Adirondack Rustics in Oswegatchie are OPEN! 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. HERE IS A RECENT ADIRONDACK ENTERPRISE ARTICLE ABOUT A DOLLAR GENERAL IN WILLMINGTON, NY (NEAR WHITEFACE MOUNTAIN) https://www.adirondackdailyenterprise.com/news/local-news/2021/02/plans-submitted-for-wilmington-dollar-general/ HERE’S ANOTHER STORY ABOUT ONE OPENING IN BLOOMINGDALE: https://www.adirondackdailyenterprise.com/news/local-news/2021/03/dollar-general-planned-for-bloomingdale/
KIM AND THOMS 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, cartoons, 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! This service is brought to you by the folks at Otto's Abode.
“Ignore dull days; forget the showers; keep count of only shining hours.” German Sundial Moto
LAST MINUTE ADDITION - This photo someone emailed to us is too good not to share. The message that came along with is is too good not to share also. We'll leave it anonymous unless the author says differently: I had a browser window opened to the Ranger School web cam a week ago so that I could check the amount of snow. I forgot about that window and, as it was buried under a lot of other windows I had open for work, it stayed open. Moving some browser windows around today I discovered that web cam window, which was displaying the image below. According to the time stamp this image was current on the web cam at 4:49 AM on Tuesday morning of this week. I'm sure there is a perfectly sensible explanation for this, but let that not stand in the way of creatively uninformed speculation. What is going on at the Ranger School? Any missing person reports in the area? Are we sure those "jets" flying around are from Fort Drum and not the Rigelian star system? Any one noticed trainee rangers with a few too many eyes and an extra arm or two? Could this be an experimental accelerator that lets hikers do the 50 in 30 minutes? A new delivery system that lets Amazon beam packages to remote destinations? A pint sized personal aurora -- sort of like a Pizza Hut personal pan pizza?
