Happy Thursday! Happy New Year!
WITHINANUTSHELL – Happy New Year everybody! Thanks for coming to our party the other night. If you wanted to be there, but couldn't, next party is our SEVENTH BIRTHDAY BASH and ICEJAMBOREE February 17th, 18th and 19th in conjunction with Clifton-Fine Whiteout Weekend. More info to come. It's a post-holiday time up here in The Great South Woods. A good time to slow down and enjoy the peaceful quite pace of the season. Also, a great time to show your support to small, local businesses. Some folks have been able to get out in the fresh snow (when we had it) and did some snowmobiling, skiing and shoeing! For now: it's pretty warm, wet and gray out there. We're not complaining (there's more than enough of that going around) we're just stating the facts. There is enough snow in the woods to warrant snowshoes, but not enough to really need them. Good luck skiing. Cranberry lake is frozen over while The Oswegatchie above the car bridge roars. Ice thickness down near the narrows reported to be 10ish inches, which is surprising since it really hasn't been too cold. There is not any major snow predicted in the forecast, but it will get cold again, which will be good for making ice. Adolescent moose tracks and scat reported way down South Shore Road. Cute and curious ermine spotted up by the shed. Coyote ruckus reported down by Blackwaters the other morning. Young roadside birch trees perform synchronous bows under the weight of snow. The Gazebo got wrapped in plastic after a snag in the mail!!! The bamboo sculptures at the labyrinth are for aid in navigation. If the snow and wind bury the path, bamboo tells you where to turn; form follows function! Want to know what Variable Leaf Milfoil (VLM is a less-invasive variety known to be in these waters (Eurasian Milfoil would be BAD) looks like? Go check out the culvert by the Mill Pond. Someone (Piers?) cleaned it out and revealed some fresh greenery. All for now. Regular Town Board Meeting Second Wednesday, January 11th @ 6:30 Star Lake. Here’s a link to the most recent town board meeting minutes HERE: Town Of Fine: Minutes: Town Board Meetings [Digital Towpath] Today's Ice Jam Danger remains LOW (two years in a row without an ice jam). ONLY ***2*** WANAKENA WEEKLYS LEFT UNTIL WW #156 (that will be THREE years’ worth of WANAKENA WEEKLY).
FORECAST - 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! Wanakena, NY 10-Day Weather Forecast | Weather Underground (wunderground.com)
DOWN AT THE ABODE - Happy New Year everybody. Thanks for coming to our party! Clear plastic up on the Gazebo! FRESH Juniper Hill Fam produce arrives this Saturday afternoon! FLOWJAK every Sunday 3-5pm at Otto's Abode - bring songs, bring instruments, or just bring yourselves. SNOW CROQUET COURSE IS OPEN - c'mon out and play any day or night. EXHIBITION EXTENSION! The fantastically colored and patterned interstellar landscapes by Albany, NY's Matt Gwizdala will remain on-view. HANDMADE BASKETS by Wanakena's own Sue Paterson!!!!! Handmade bags by Laura Foster of Trout Lake's Hen Island! Handmade Cards by Wanakena's own Julie Fogden! CHECK EM OUT! 1919 Cranberry Lake USGS map HISTORIC REPRINT $15.... add $7 and we'll throw it in the mail for you! JUST ASK! Thanks! FRESH SUPPLY of ART SUPPLIES up on the shelf. EVERY SATURDAY MORNING SWICKAMILLO SOURDOUGH $6 loafs - here till they're gone! FRESH PRODUCE ALL THE TIME! Parsnips, rutabaga, buttercup squash, radish, kale, sweet potato, carrots, cabbage, apples, lettuce. AND MORE! C'mon!!! Get down here and eat this stuff!!! Coffee bar and stools always around for you to linger upon - come hang a while. The Clifton Community Library in Cranberry Lake has installed a fantastic Library Drop Box. Folks in town will be able to drop-off library items and also pick-up pre-ordered items! CALL UP THE LIBRARY AND GET IT DONE! Perhaps visit their website, too. We are open SIX DAYS A WEEK though the winter; closed on Wednesdays and open "late" Mondays and Tuesdays. "Your delight is out delight!"
ABODE CONTINUED - We appreciate all of our friends, neighbors, family and strangers who are able to take the time out of their day to go out of their way and support small and local businesses! Looking ahead... Mark it down: our IceJamBoree 7TH Birthday Bash during Presidents Day in conjunction with Clifton-Fine Weekend/WhiteOut Weekend. Fresh Produce ALL YEAR LONG! Fresh is best. COLD BEER SOLD HERE! Over SIXTY varieties of beer/cider/etc... in the walk-in cooler. Plenty of non-alchoholic drinks available as well. Bread, milk, eggs and many more dry, cold and frozen groceries. TAKE A PEEK. Candy, snacks, ice cream and soft drinks. Fresh ground HOT COFFEE and baked goods at the counter. Mittens and socks! Books, maps, music for your browsing pleasure. Camping/fishing/hiking knickknack patty-whacks. Howard Graham's 2022 liquid gold. Front Porch is wrapped in plastic for the winter - WEEKENA LIBRARY always OPEN on the front porch. Why be a square when you could be a deconstructed cube?
WANAKENA POST OFFICE 13695 - Open for business six days a week! Thanks, Mary for running the show! Send us a postcard: POB # 1 Wanakena, NY 13695
BLACKWATERS CAFÉ AND TRADING POST - Open 8AM - 3:30PM Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Special dinner hours Fridays until 7pm! Closed Sundays and Mondays and Tuesdays and Wednesdays. www.blackwaterscafe.com
RANGER SCHOOL - STUDENTS ON-LEAVE FOR HOLIDAY BREAK - See 'em after Martin Luther Kin Jr. Day! Class of 2023 in session! Campus hiking trails remain open to the public. Stay away from the buildings, though. Park way up in the student parking lot if you must. Alumni newsletter: FALL 2022 Newsletter.pub (nysrsaa.org). CHECK OUT THEIR TRAIL CAM. Webcam | The Ranger School | SUNY ESF
PACKBASKET ADVENTURES – Website says: "We are OPEN FOR BUSINESS - Come have a safe and relaxing stay!"
PACKBASKET ADVENTURES – Website says: "We are OPEN FOR BUSINESS - Come have a safe and relaxing stay!"
WANAKENA HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION – There are a few permanent kiosks that stay up all winter long! Worth a look! C'mon out and take a peek. History Center and The Walking Tour around Wanakena has been CLOSED-UP and TAKEN DOWN for the cold-weather months.
WANAKENA CHURCH – Closed for the season! See you in the spring. Did you know this song was performed and recorded via the Wanakena Church Organ in May 2016? Cranberry Lake | Z Plan (bandcamp.com)
WANAKENA PUBLIC BATHROOM AND DOCK - Funds for the NEW WANAKENA DOCK have been fully raised thanks to donations big and small! Get ready! Here it comes! The old dock has sold! Make way for new this spring. As of 11/16/22 the BATHROOM IS CLOSED FOR THE SEASON. Great job everyone! In case you or anyone else was wondering: Wanakena Sewar and Wanakena Water are well and in working order as well. Speaking of pickles: Wanakena Saturday Morning Pickleball has wrapped it up for the season; pickle paddles are packed-up!
WANAKENA CEMETERY ASSOCIATION – First time ever: someone had to get paid to mow the cemetery (no volunteers available). 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.
WANAKENA CEMETERY ASSOCIATION – First time ever: someone had to get paid to mow the cemetery (no volunteers available). 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.
WANAKENACCOMODATIONS - "Where do people stay?" is the question... the answer: IN A TENT. Just kidding - it's more complicated than that. But we'll start with the tent (or hammock, or under stars, etc...) Lots of primitive camping!!!!!! All free and open to the public!!!!!! State Campground when it's open. Looking for more? A roof over-head? Coyote Den Motel in Cranberry Lake. Besides that, Packbasket Adventures Lodge in Wanakena. Wanakena has a number of "vacation" rental homes available. They are all of ADKbyOWNER/AirBnB/VrBo variety -only available during warm months only, usually. It's someone else's place that YOU stay at. In other words: you can't just show up in Wanakena and expect to get a hotel roof under your head. You need to plan accordingly with your fancy pants smart phone. Do an internet search for Wanakena ADKbyOWNER/AirBnB/VrBo rentals and stuff will pop-up.
HAREWOOD – Snowmobile trails are YUCKY! FIRST STRIKE CLFD Fishing Derby on Cranberry Lake January 28th, 2023! Bridgework has FINISHED over the Oswegatchie in Cranberry Lake. Vroom vroom! Neon Sign is hanging back up at Stone Manor... it's now lit up and had said "NO VACANCY but now simply says: "NO". That's almost as funny as the fire department's sign jokes! Clifton Community Library in Cranberry Lake is OPEN six days a week (closed Mondays)! Don't forget about the Book Drop Box at Otto's Abode! Cranberry Lake Mountaineers gearing-up for another season - looking for support! They deserve it: voted BEST club in the STATE last year! Lakeside Genral Store has CLOSED for the season. The business has been sold to new owners and we should all be excited to see what happens next! NEW Motel in town! It's called Coyote Den. Right by the Oswegatchie on Rt. 3. The HUB and TILLY'S are still in early developmental stages. Five Ponds Partners kickstarted and initiated port-o-johns at some local trailheads! Tooley Pond Duck Decoy Showroom in Cranberry Lake is OPEN! John Dragun NEON ARTWORK and MORE down in Windfall! Cranberry Lake State Campground is CLOSED FOR THE SEASON. Don't forget about our other nearest-by neighbors to east: Sevey's Point and Thirsty Moose! By January 1, 2025, every operator of a motorized boat in New York State must obtain a boating safety certificate in order to legally operate their boats. There are no age exceptions to this law — and, if you're from out of state, New York will recognize your boating safety course certification.
OUT WEST - Snowmobile trails are YUCKY! Star Lake Ice Rink ("Town of Clifton") is making ice when they can! FREE COMMUNITY MEAL at St. Huberts Church Wednesdays at 5PM! Hop on shuttle #22 of the St Lawrence County Volunteer Transportation Bus if you need a lift! Have you heard about the Holy Grail Gift Shop opening up this spring in Star Lake? CCL Book drop has moved from the (CLOSED Coffee Fever) to the Star Lake Community Bank. Clifton-Fine Hometown Heros Banner initiative has been engaged... banners on rt. 3 like Harrisville, Croghan and more! More information to follow. Cranberry Lake Mountaineers gearing-up for another season - looking for support! They deserve it: voted BEST club in the STATE last year! AA every Friday night at SOS 7pm. Western Adirondack Presbyterian Church in Star Lake welcomes you! Largest Adirondack solar project to date goes before APA (adirondackexplorer.org) Coffee Fever has CLOSED. "For good." Yikes! That also means NO CCL book drop-box there - luckily there is one at Otto's Abode in Wanakena. Hillside Diner has recently closed for good, also. Wanakena's closest neighbor, Mountain Gate Redemption near Benson Mines, is open. SCOOPS Ice Cream has closed for the season. Jrecks has closed for the season. Twin Lakes Hotel, American Legion, Todd Hardware are OPEN! Dollar General and Circle J’s in Star Lake are OPEN! SOS is OPEN here and there for programing. CF Golf Course, Clifton-Fine Hospital, Community Bank, Adirondack Pharmacy, Clifton-Fine Community Center OPEN! Still further west in Oswegatchie UB’s, and Adirondack Rustics are open! Check out Green Pinky Farm near Oswegatchie! CFCSD Fitness Room: OPEN to community members (paperwork required). Also, the school is ALWAYS hiring, various positions. Lots more to discover on their facebook page. GO EAGLES! Need a good port-a-potty? Call-up the H Brothers!
KIM AND TOMS LOST DOG REPORT - As of today, there are NO lost dogs in Wanakena. Woof Woof!
HAREWOOD – Snowmobile trails are YUCKY! FIRST STRIKE CLFD Fishing Derby on Cranberry Lake January 28th, 2023! Bridgework has FINISHED over the Oswegatchie in Cranberry Lake. Vroom vroom! Neon Sign is hanging back up at Stone Manor... it's now lit up and had said "NO VACANCY but now simply says: "NO". That's almost as funny as the fire department's sign jokes! Clifton Community Library in Cranberry Lake is OPEN six days a week (closed Mondays)! Don't forget about the Book Drop Box at Otto's Abode! Cranberry Lake Mountaineers gearing-up for another season - looking for support! They deserve it: voted BEST club in the STATE last year! Lakeside Genral Store has CLOSED for the season. The business has been sold to new owners and we should all be excited to see what happens next! NEW Motel in town! It's called Coyote Den. Right by the Oswegatchie on Rt. 3. The HUB and TILLY'S are still in early developmental stages. Five Ponds Partners kickstarted and initiated port-o-johns at some local trailheads! Tooley Pond Duck Decoy Showroom in Cranberry Lake is OPEN! John Dragun NEON ARTWORK and MORE down in Windfall! Cranberry Lake State Campground is CLOSED FOR THE SEASON. Don't forget about our other nearest-by neighbors to east: Sevey's Point and Thirsty Moose! By January 1, 2025, every operator of a motorized boat in New York State must obtain a boating safety certificate in order to legally operate their boats. There are no age exceptions to this law — and, if you're from out of state, New York will recognize your boating safety course certification.
OUT WEST - Snowmobile trails are YUCKY! Star Lake Ice Rink ("Town of Clifton") is making ice when they can! FREE COMMUNITY MEAL at St. Huberts Church Wednesdays at 5PM! Hop on shuttle #22 of the St Lawrence County Volunteer Transportation Bus if you need a lift! Have you heard about the Holy Grail Gift Shop opening up this spring in Star Lake? CCL Book drop has moved from the (CLOSED Coffee Fever) to the Star Lake Community Bank. Clifton-Fine Hometown Heros Banner initiative has been engaged... banners on rt. 3 like Harrisville, Croghan and more! More information to follow. Cranberry Lake Mountaineers gearing-up for another season - looking for support! They deserve it: voted BEST club in the STATE last year! AA every Friday night at SOS 7pm. Western Adirondack Presbyterian Church in Star Lake welcomes you! Largest Adirondack solar project to date goes before APA (adirondackexplorer.org) Coffee Fever has CLOSED. "For good." Yikes! That also means NO CCL book drop-box there - luckily there is one at Otto's Abode in Wanakena. Hillside Diner has recently closed for good, also. Wanakena's closest neighbor, Mountain Gate Redemption near Benson Mines, is open. SCOOPS Ice Cream has closed for the season. Jrecks has closed for the season. Twin Lakes Hotel, American Legion, Todd Hardware are OPEN! Dollar General and Circle J’s in Star Lake are OPEN! SOS is OPEN here and there for programing. CF Golf Course, Clifton-Fine Hospital, Community Bank, Adirondack Pharmacy, Clifton-Fine Community Center OPEN! Still further west in Oswegatchie UB’s, and Adirondack Rustics are open! Check out Green Pinky Farm near Oswegatchie! CFCSD Fitness Room: OPEN to community members (paperwork required). Also, the school is ALWAYS hiring, various positions. Lots more to discover on their facebook page. GO EAGLES! Need a good port-a-potty? Call-up the H Brothers!
KIM AND TOMS LOST DOG REPORT - As of today, there are NO lost dogs in Wanakena. Woof Woof!
THIS TIME LAST YEAR HERE - Otto's Abode: WANAKENA WEEKLY #100 - 12/30/21 - 01/05/22 (ottosabode.org)
AND TWO YEARS AGO!!!!! HERE - Otto's Abode: WANAKENA WEEKLY #48 - 12/31/20 - 01/06/20 (ottosabode.org)
WHAT ELSE? - 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! How about a SUBMISSION?!! Write “submission” in the subject line if emailing. Wanakena Weekly is archived on our website. www.ottosabode.org Wanakena Weekly is brought to you by the folks at Otto's Abode.
"A journey of three thousand miles is begun with a single step." Lao Tzu (6th Century BC)
"A journey of three thousand miles is begun with a single step." Lao Tzu (6th Century BC)
ONLY ***2*** WANAKENA WEEKLYS LEFT UNTIL WW #156 (that will be THREE years’ worth of WANAKENA WEEKLY).