Happy Thursday!
WITHINANUTSHELL – One word: WIND. Maybe another: THAW. The forest bends and breaks! Watch out for widow-makers. There was a BIG POWER OUTAGE from that wind!!!!! Yes, up Ranger School road from Blackwaters to Ranger School power was out and generators runnin'! Otto's Abode lost power for a little bit. The Oswegatchie is runnin' too via rain and melt! Crows'n'jays'n'squirrels. Wind knocked the Moore Trail sign down. Don't be fooled by this "warm spell".... look back to last years' Wankena Weekly #45 and you'll see no snow in the wood then either. Trails in the woods will be WET! Here's some photos of the NEW Glasby Bridge: DEC Announces Installation of New Glasby Creek Footbridge (govdelivery.com) Blackwaters is CLOSED for a two-week winter hiatus and will return Tuesday, January 4th! NO MORE DETOUR: The bridge in DeGrasse between Tooley Pond Rd and Lake George Road on County Rt 27 is back open per County Highway. ONLY ***6*** WANAKENA WEEKLYS LEFT UNTIL WW #104 (that would be TWO years’ worth of WANAKENA WEEKLY) Next Regular Town Board Meeting December 8th@ 6:30. Here’s a link to the most recent town board meeting minutes HERE: Town Of Fine: Meetings: December 08, 2021: Town Board Meeting [Digital Towpath]
FORECAST - Here's the forecast! Here it is! After Thursday's THAW the temperatures will DROP! Yes, it will become cold again. Some snow this weekend! Next week will feel more like winter; 20s by day single digits at night... and it will literally become Winter via the solstice on the 2st (tuesaday!) 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 HERE: Wanakena, NY 10-Day Weather Forecast | Weather Underground (wunderground.com)
DOWN AT THE ABODE - Oops! Sorry! We'll be closed Saturday and Sunday and Monday (and Tuesday)! SNOW CROQUET..... yikes, we tried to keep it going but it pretty much all melted away - THAT'S OKAY! In other news.... Why not buy someone an Otto's Abode gift certificate? Shoot us an email or give us a call and we'll get it right in the mail for you. A couple POP-UP exhibitions on the wall! C'mon down and check 'em out! SPEND SOME TIME! Some upcoming dates to keep in mind: NEW YEARS EVE FESTIVITIES at Otto's Abode - More information to come. Wednesday, 2/2/2022 is GROUNDHOGS DAY and it is also the 104th edition of WANAKENA WEEKLY (#104 = two years) therefore we are planning a party - stay tuned. ALSO PLAN ON IT: Otto's 6TH BIRTHDAY BASH Friday night of 2022 Whiteout Weekend Festivities in Wanakena; Friday night of Presidents Day Weekend. What else can we say? LOTS, but we've said enough! CLOSED ON TUESDAYS!
ON VIEW - Two POP-UP Exhibits: ONE OF A KIND QUILT made by Wanakena's own Primrose McVay and Carrol Cassidy. $5 raffle tickets to WIN IT! Drawing is Fourth of July. Also on view: WHATSYERPACKWEIGH. JUNK DRAWER also remains on view. Lots more too look at - c'mon down!
BLACKWATERS CAFÉ AND TRADING POST - CLOSED FOR TWO-WEEK HOLIDAY BREAK! Back open Tuesday, January 4thRegular hours: Tuesday and Wednesday 8am-3pm & Thursday, Friday, and Saturday 8am - 7pm. Closed Sunday and Monday. "We added a DELI to out cafe and trading post! Daily meat & cheese discounts, veggies, dairy items, bread, specialty foods and gifts, dozens of teas, fishing supplies, local artisan pieces, books. We have two air purifiers, and we have an ONLINE take-out menu if you don't want to come inside. And YES, we still serve beer and wine with your meal!!! www.blackwaterscafe.com 3153094040 - closed the last two weeks of December and the last two weeks of April." CHECK OUT THEIR TRAIL CAM HERE: gotsnowcams.com - New York - paul@NorthernChateau@.com
WANAKENA HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION – Wont see THIS on Facebook: QUILT RAFFLE down here at Otto's! Quilt by Carol Cassidy and Promrose McVay - $5 tickets - drawing on 4th of July. WHA Donation Jar down here at Otto's! The bottle and can cart is GONE for the winter. The Walking Tour around Wanakena is CLOSED for the cold-weather season! The History Center is CLOSED for the cold-weather season! WHA Picture Kiosks can still be seen around town, though. Intriguing artifact at Station #4 (photo below)
PACKBASKET ADVENTURES – Website says: "We are OPEN FOR BUSINESS and following NYS DOH Guidelines. We are accepting reservations with proof of completed vaccination protocol OR proof of negative Covid test within 3 days of planned arrival. Come have a safe and relaxing stay!"
RANGER SCHOOL - HOLIDAY BREAK! NOW or VERY SOON! One student said they were leaving Thursday night, another said Friday night. NEW Ranger School video on YouTube HERE: The Ranger School - YouTube OH NO! THEY FORGOT TO MENTION THE WALK-IN BEER COOLER DOWN AT OTTO'S! Class of 2022 is IN SESSION! Campus hiking trails remain open to the public. Stay away from the buildings, though. CHECK OUT THEIR TRAIL CAM HERE: Webcam | The Ranger School | SUNY ESF
WANAKENA PUBLIC BATHROOM AND DOCK - Public Bathroom CLOSED for the season. Public dock CLOSED for the Season. Well, not "closed", rather, moved to its winter hiatus position down-river. Reason? Freezin'.
WANAKENA CHURCH – Wanakena Church CLOSED for Fall, Winter and Spring. Service schedule September 12th - May 29, 2022: Star Lake 11:00am. ZOOM meeting # 666 365 4813.
WANAKENA CEMETERY ASSOCIATION – 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.
HAREWOOD – New article featuring the Wooden Fish Hatchery! Check it out here: Fish in a Barrel - Adirondack Explorer Clifton Community Library in Cranberry Lake is OPEN Tuesday – Friday 10:00-2:00, Saturday 10:00-1:00, Wednesday Evening 6:00-7:00, ****CLOSED ON MONDAYS****. Library Board holds public meetings the 3rd Tuesdays of each month at 6pm. Cranberry Lake Book Club first Mondays of the month in the basement. Tooley Pond Duck Decoy Showroom in Cranberry Lake is OPEN!!!!!!! John Dragun NEON ARTWORK and MORE down in Windfall… OPEN! Cranberry Lake Boat Club's NEW boating navigation Map is OUT TO THE PUBLIC! Pick up your copy at OTTO'S ABODE in WANAKENA for $11.95. Cranberry Lake North Shore Hub has a new break wall and the public docks are TAKEN OUT OF THE LAKE FOR THE SEASON - THANKS HUBBAS! They also got the old church organ put back inside. Tilly's at Stone Manor was open for Ice Cream this summer, we're not sure what's next! Do you? Doesn't seem like they are going to be open this winter BUT IT LOOKS LIKE THEY ARE GETTING THE OL' NEON SIGN FIXED-UP! Lakeside General Store CLOSED for the season Sept 30th! Oh my! What ever happened to Grass River Railway? We spoke with someone who’s workin’ on it! They're working on it.
HAREWOOD – New article featuring the Wooden Fish Hatchery! Check it out here: Fish in a Barrel - Adirondack Explorer Clifton Community Library in Cranberry Lake is OPEN Tuesday – Friday 10:00-2:00, Saturday 10:00-1:00, Wednesday Evening 6:00-7:00, ****CLOSED ON MONDAYS****. Library Board holds public meetings the 3rd Tuesdays of each month at 6pm. Cranberry Lake Book Club first Mondays of the month in the basement. Tooley Pond Duck Decoy Showroom in Cranberry Lake is OPEN!!!!!!! John Dragun NEON ARTWORK and MORE down in Windfall… OPEN! Cranberry Lake Boat Club's NEW boating navigation Map is OUT TO THE PUBLIC! Pick up your copy at OTTO'S ABODE in WANAKENA for $11.95. Cranberry Lake North Shore Hub has a new break wall and the public docks are TAKEN OUT OF THE LAKE FOR THE SEASON - THANKS HUBBAS! They also got the old church organ put back inside. Tilly's at Stone Manor was open for Ice Cream this summer, we're not sure what's next! Do you? Doesn't seem like they are going to be open this winter BUT IT LOOKS LIKE THEY ARE GETTING THE OL' NEON SIGN FIXED-UP! Lakeside General Store CLOSED for the season Sept 30th! Oh my! What ever happened to Grass River Railway? We spoke with someone who’s workin’ on it! They're working on it.
OUT WEST - Hillside Diner CLOSING for winter.... will re-open someone in March 2022. Santa at American Legion Dec 19th 1-3pm dont forget Spaghetti Dinner the 16th 4-6pm. Big news out of Star Lake; front page of Bargain Hunter two weeks in a row: In Star Lake, a radiant devotion to a cause as old church gets new life | Faith Perspectives | nny360.com Fine Fire Hall Dec 12th 2-5 Sleigh Rides with SANTA. Green Pinky Farm has Christmas Trees and Wreaths and Kissing Balls! Mountain Gate Redemption near Benson Mines is open. UB’s, and Adirondack Rustics in Oswegatchie are open! Twin Lakes Hotel, Coffee Fever, American Legion, Todd Hardware, Adirondack Pharmacy and Circle J’s in Star Lake are open! Alcoholics Anonymous Friday nights at 7pm in the SOS Building. Community Bank has different/random hours. What's The Scoop has CLOSED for the season. The old IGA is GONE; we'll miss ya! Make way for a fantastic, brand-spanking-new Dollar Store. NEW hours at the Fitness Room at CFCS: It is OPEN to community members 6pm – 8pm and 5pm - 10pm M-F and weekends 6-10am (paperwork required). GO EAGLES!
KIM AND THOMS LOST DOG REPORT - As of today, there are NO lost dogs in Wanakena.
SECOND STREET BIRD AND CRITTER BUREAU - Critter report will let you know what is in town. Slow critter week, with the exception of the gray and red squirrels and a black squirrel has arrived. Resident black cat looks fatter with a beautiful thick coat. It will be his 4th winter. No report of coyotes (coydogs) this week. Have had the female and male Cardinals at the feeders for 4 days in a row. The female likes the flat hanging feeder while the male keeps watch on the deck railing. He prefers the seeds on the deck floor. The female is pretty. But the male is outstanding. The flash of red gives an immediate announcement that he is here. They are both very skittish but managed to get a pic of the male. Bernie and Val Carr presented me with a tub of Bird Butter. I filled 3 small cups and put them in the flat feeder. The Chickadee's love it! Thanksgiving Day the birds were heavy feeding – guess they knew that snow was coming. It’s here. Nuthatches, Blue Jays and Gold Finches round out the usual. They all seem to be happy! (11/27/21) Have heard coyotes (coydogs) at night traveling through and yipping to let you know they are around. It’s a strange and weird sound especially when they are in the back yard. Only a couple of bears this summer unlike our usual several. Word is the food was plentiful this past summer in the woods. Spotted a red fox this past summer scampering out of the swamp with a duck for dinner. Have seen a couple of red/gray fox along Route 3. A few deer pass through but not anything as in the past when herds would wander through the streets of town. Our plants and flowers have been safer this year than ever. The resident feral black cat (Blackie) has made his/her home here for the past 4 years and makes the round morning and night for a bowl of crunchies. He/she (not sure - can’t get close enough to look) has been spotted by the neighbor’s bird bath. They keep it warmed this time of year and Blackie warms his feet and gets a drink perched on the edge. Doesn’t seem to bother the birds but the chipmunks are fair game. The Blue Jays, Black-capped Chickadees, Juncos, Red and White-breasted Nuthatches and Gold Finches are starting to make the rounds at the feeders. Last year we had Snow Buntings, Pine Grosbeaks, and Red-breasted Grosbeaks. We have a pair of Cardinals that wintered over last year and have seen them again this year. Anyone spotting something other than above let us know. (11/11/21)
THIS TIME LAST YEAR - SEE IT HERE: In this edition you'll see the woods were just as snowless as they are this year! LOOK! Otto's Abode: WANAKENA WEEKLY #45 - 12/10/20 - 12/16/20 (ottosabode.org)
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! Also, we probably wouldn’t turn down the opportunity to publish your submission! Write “submission” in the subject line if emailing! Wanakena Weekly archive here: http://www.ottosabode.org/p/wanakena-weekly.html Wanakena Weekly is brought to you by the folks at Otto's Abode.
"Wear your learning, like your watch, in a private pocket: and do not pull it out and strike it, mearly to show that you have one." - Earl of Chesterfield (1793)
"Wear your learning, like your watch, in a private pocket: and do not pull it out and strike it, mearly to show that you have one." - Earl of Chesterfield (1793)
ONLY ***6*** WANAKENA WEEKLYS LEFT UNTIL WW #104 (that would be TWO years’ worth of WANAKENA WEEKLY)