Mohawk Valley Living #88 March 2021 by Mohawk Valley Living

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MOHAWK VALLEY LIVING MAGAZINE

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contents 6 9 11 12 15 18 20 22 25 26 27 31 36 37 39 44 46 47

Oneida County History Center ADK Journal Local Photo Club Restaurant Guide Antiques Guide March in Nature Valley Girl Maple Syrup Season MV Crossword MV Astronomy Club On The Farm with Suzie Matt Perry’s Nature Gallery Guide MV Gardens & Recipes Tales from Shawangunk, Part 76 Advertiser Directory News & Notes Contest Answers

In Anticipation of Bluebirds

by Sharry L. Whitney

This month, Suzie Jones compares a jetliner circling the runway, waiting in line for the other planes to land after a long flight in bad weather, to how we are feeling at this point in the pandemic. We’re all tired and eager to put this “trip” behind us. Most encouraging to me has been hearing from family, friends, and neighbors who have received their first dose of the vaccine. The line is moving! We can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I remember as a child walking with my dad through an airport hangar at one of the local airports we’d visit in his Cessna 172. My ears would ring for a while after our trip. The sound would slowly fade away without my noticing when it actually stopped. How long will the memory of the pandemic ring inside us? Gary writes this month of one of the “harbingers of spring,” the Eastern Bluebird. He also shared a link for plans to build a nesting box. The seed packets I ordered just arrived in the mail. I’m planting more flowers this spring in the hope of harvesting them for bouquets to give away. Though the happy days of spring are not yet here, we find joy in planning. Though we must remain ever vigilant with our physical-distancing and mask-wearing, we are starting to dream post-pandemic, building our “nesting boxes” in anticipation. I’ve heard tale of a lady delivering tokens of hope to her neighbors. A “Bluebird of Happiness” flitting about the village of New Hartford ... circling to land. •

March 2021

PUBLISHERS Lance and Sharry Whitney EDITOR Sharry Whitney DESIGN & LAYOUT Lance David Whitney ASSISTANT EDITOR Shelley Malenowski ADVERTISING EXECUTIVE Susan Collea CONTRIBUTORS Peggy Spencer Behrendt, Carol Higgins, Suzie Jones, John Keller, Melinda Karastury, Rebecca McLain, Susan Perkins, Matt Perry, Cynthia Quackenbush, Denise Szarek, Gary VanRiper CONTACT US (315) 853-7133 30 Kellogg Street Clinton, NY 13323 www.MohawkValleyLiving.com mohawkvalleyliving@hotmail.com Mohawk Valley Living is a monthly magazine and television show that explore the area’s arts, culture, and heritage. Copyright © 2021. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the consent of Mohawk Valley Living, Inc.

watch mvl every sunday! 7:30am and 11pm on wfxv 11:30am on WUTR 20

Riggie is roaming around and hiding in the advertising areas of the magazine. Next to him you’ll find a letter. Find all the Riggies and rearrange the letters to answer this riddle. Enter by the 15th of the month to be entered in a $100 shopping spree at 1 or between 2 of our advertisers! (Excluding media and banks) One entry per household per month. Mail to: Riggie’s Riddle, 30 Kellogg St., Clinton, NY 13323 or email: mohawkvalleyliving@hotmail.com NOTE: Please enter Riggie’s Riddle and crossword puzzle in separate emails.

March in the Mohawk Valley woods Comes in like a lion with syrup, golden sweet, and out like a lamb with this wild forest treat! Hint: 2 words, 9 letters

See the answer and winner to last month’s riddle on page 47!

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the Oneida County History center

Utica’s Mary Honor

By Rebecca McLain

Oneida County History Center Executive Director Photos Courtesy of the Cornell University Law Library March is of course Women’s History Month and there are many women in local history that deserve recognition including recent Hall of Fame inductee Mary Honor Donlon Alger. This is a brief account of her many accomplishments and contributions to our community and our nation. Mary Honor was born in Utica, NY on August 25, 1893, and went on to become the first woman to do many things in the field of law. Her father was a grocer and her parents were first-generation Americans of Irish descent. Mary was the second oldest of their four girls. She attended the Utica Free Academy, graduating in 1913, and worked for a few years before attending Cornell University. Cornell was coeducational at the time Mary attended, but still very segregated with women excluded from many activities. Mary did not let this restrict her capabili-

Mary Donlon Republican Candidate Congressman-at-Large political flyer

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Mary Honor Donlon, circa 1920

Mary Honor Donlon is sworn in as a Judge, U.S. Customs Court, by Judge Elbert P. Tuttle; Attorney General Herbert Brownell Jr. at right

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ties; she served as the editor of the Cornell Law Quarterly and was the first woman editor for this journal or of any law school review in the country. She became the editor-in-chief when she was the only female on the board of editors. Aside from academic pursuits, she participated in many clubs and organizations including the women’s baseball team, the Sports and Pastimes Council, Alpha Omicron Pi sorority, the Cornell Women’s Review Board, the Judiciary Committee, the Women’s Self Government Association, the Sage House Committee, and the Mobilization Committee. Mary was elected to a senior honorary society, the Mortar Board, based on her academic excellence and graduated after four years with her law degree in 1920. Mary passed the New York State Bar in 1921 and went on to join the firm Burke and Burke. She was made a partner in 1928 and became the first woman to become a partner of a Wall Street firm. Both these achievements occurred during a time when women were often overlooked in the field of law. Mary practiced at the firm for 25 years. Mary returned to Cornell multiple times throughout her life. First, to serve as the first woman trustee of the school alongside 39 men from 1937 to 1966, and in 1944 to help establish the School of Industrial and Labor Rela-

Mary Honor Donlon at Cornell Trustee Council Weekend, October 1966

Utica Free Academy

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tions with New York State Assemblyman Irving Ives. A dormitory is named in her honor for her countless contributions to the school. Mary was very involved with state and national politics throughout her later life. She unsuccessfully ran for Congress in 1940, against four-term incumbent Caroline O’Day, but remained active in politics. She was appointed Chairwoman of the New York State Industrial Board in 1944, and the Chairwoman of the New York State Workman’s Compensation Board in 1945. She also served as delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1944 and 1948. Mary was appointed as Judge of the United States Customs Court by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1955 and served until her retirement at the age of 76. New York State Governor Thomas Dewey said that “Few women, and, indeed few men, have done as much for government as Mary Donlon.” Mary retired in 1969 and moved to Tucson, Arizona where she met her husband, Martin Joseph Alger. Alger was a widower and former vice president of the New York Central Railroad. The couple married when Mary was 78. They lived together in Tucson, spending summers in the Adirondacks, until Mary’s death on March 5, 1977. •

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Mary Honor Donlon was appointed Judge of the United States Customs Court by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1955

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adirondack journal

Winged Harbingers of Spring

March is the time to plan and place Eastern Bluebird nesting boxes as couples start scoping out possible nesting sites

Story and Photos by Gary VanRiper

If you have been feeding birds all winter, the time is drawing near when you may see additional species show up. Migrants returning to northern breeding grounds are well on their way. And while the first to arrive may not be among those who stop by for a bite to eat, several are traditionally known as the “harbingers of spring.” The Eastern Bluebird, males of the species, will be winging to northern breeding grounds by mid-March for possible sites to nest. Female bluebirds will soon follow and have the final say in the matter! The male bluebird’s breeding plumage is spectacular. The American poet and essayist Henry David Thoreau wrote a book entitled, The Bluebird Carries the Sun on His Back. And it has been said that once you do see a Bluebird, you will never call a Blue Jay “blue” anymore! It’s not too late to build and set up nesting boxes, but you do have to hurry now. You can find plans on-line at the Audubon site (https:// www.audubon.org/news/how-build-bluebird-nest-box). And while you’re there, you will find plans for Wood Duck and Screech Owl boxes as well. Perhaps less romantic, another migrant that is an early sign of spring is the Red-winged Blackbird. Males are easily identified by

Male Eastern Bluebird

Another early sign of spring is the arrival of the Red-winged Blackbird

their red shoulder patches with a bordering yellow accent. With the judicious use of calls, I have had great success photographing these birds who aggressively defend their breeding niche. There were years when I would move from a nesting box displayed in an open field to photograph bluebirds and within minutes set up my blind at a bordering marsh for shots of the glossy black Red-wings. This is also the time of year in the Adirondacks when Bald Eagles return as winter gives way to warmer weather and food and water sources open up again. These opportunists will often descend on the carcass of a dead deer, a natural feeding station, and is where I have had the best opportunity to photograph the species. If you are feeding birds in your yard, consider doing it all year round. A good friend of mine did this one year and found the number of species he was able to attract greatly expanded.

A confident Red-winged Young Justin VanRiperBlackat bird fluffs his bright shoulder Moss Lake. Our annual trip patches anda calls, became familyConk-la-ree! tradition.

I’ll close this month’s journal with the final stanza from the poem, “The Bluebirds” by Henry David Thoreau…

The bluebird had come from the distant South To his box in the poplar tree, And he opened wide his slender mouth, On purpose to sing to me. Gary VanRiper is an author, photographer, and pastor at the Camden Wesleyan Church. He has written 19 children’s books with his son, Justin. Learn more at: www.adirondackkids.com

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Bald Eagles return to the Adirondacks when food and water sources open up again.

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The Ilion Marina. It may be winter but the Ilion Marina is a beautiful site anytime of year. by Cliff Oram

A very silent Sylvan Beach Amusement Park waiting for the warm weather to come! by Gabe Oram

A winter sunrise over Cassville. by Todd Walker

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antique shopping guide Spring

Shop Hop! April 9-11 10-5

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Can you find all 12 Easter eggs on the map?

Madison Inn Antiques Turnpike Antiques Valandrea’s Venture Victorian Rose Wellington Woods Whistle Post Antiques/Creations

Prize Drawings! Refreshments!

House The Gingham Patch Canal Antiques

Valandrea’s Venture

Whistle Post Antiques Madison

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The Gallery Antiques at Pinebrick

Rose

ANTIQUE GALLERY

Bouckville, NY

Antiques & Art

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Open Wed- Fri 10-6, Sat & Sun 10-4

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Attic Addicts The Queen’s Closet

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Consignment at its Finest!

Clothing, Jewelry Household Items Furniture Winter Hours: Tues-Fri 11pm-5pm, Sat 10:30am-3pm, Closed Sun & Mon New consignment by appointment only

22 Oriskany Blvd., Yorkville (315) 736-9160 Facebook: The Queens Closet & Attic Addicts

BlackCat ANTIQUES & GIFTS

Spring

Shop Hop! April 9-11 10-5

A little bit country, a little bit primitive!

Canal House Hazel Mae’s Antiques Located in the Shoppes

Your destination for furniture, hand stenciled signs, vintage clothing, warm glow candles, silk arrangements & more!

Multi Dealer Antique Shop

Primitives • Furniture • Artwork Smalls • Antique Accessories Wed-Sat: 10-4, Sun: 11-3 • (315) 264-1755

14 East Main St. Earlville (315) 691-5721

4803 Rt. 31, Vernon

Open Tues-Fri: 9-4, Sat: 9-2, Closed Sun & Mon

Spring

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6768 Route 20, Bouckville (315) 893-7676 Open Apr-Oct: 10-5 daily; Nov-Dec: 10-4 daily January-March: Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 10-4 www.depotantiquegallery.com

Our lovely gallery offers a full range of antiques, fine furniture, and vintage collectibles!

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The Gallery Antiques at Pinebrick

Vendor Antiques, Vintage, Sales! Gifts & Furniture

Over 35 Vendors! Open 7 days a week: 10:30-5:30

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Spring

Shop Hop! April 9-11

March Madness!

Sales & Savings throughout!

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Primitives, Handmades, Candles Curtains, Home Decor, Furniture, Lighting, Textiles, Olde Century Colors Paint, & so much more!

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Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

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10-5

Main Street Gift Shoppe

Antique Center

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Foothills-

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ANTIQUE GALLERY

Multi-Dealer Shop

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MOHAWK ANTIQUES MALL

Mon, Wed-Sat: 10-5, Sun: 11:30-4:30 Closed Tuesdays

We’re Worth the Trip…

All kinds of Unique Vendors under one roof. Artisans, Crafters, Antiques to Retro including Food Items.

Vendors Wanted!

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MADISON INN ANTIQUES Spring

Shop Hop! April 9-11

10-5

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coins

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10-5

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Whistle Post Antiques

Specializing in Lionel Trains Spring Handcrafted signs & decor We Buy & Sell! Shop Hop! Custom orders available April 9-11 (315) 838-0144 (315) 893-7604 10-5

6845 St. Rt. 20 Bouckville Hours: Sat & Sun: 10-4 17

MV NATURE

NATURE in march story and photos by Matt Perry

Following a creek through a natural area is always interesting regardless of the time of year. However, doing it in March can be particularly intriguing. The creek itself becomes more vibrant in the late winter/early spring period as melting snow increases its volume and repeated freezes and thaws enhance its dynamism. As it happened, the morning in mid-March that I devoted to stream following was more winter-like than spring-like. There was some snow on the banks and ice lined the stream’s windings. The creek courses through a variety of habitat types – from forest to meadow and back to forest again. Streams are wildlife magnets and an inspection of one is bound to lead to encounters with wildlife or their sign (footprints). On the day of my journey, the most frequent animal sign I came across belonged to Mink and Raccoons. The former species has a close association with water. Mink typically go ice fishing in winter. If there is some break in the ice somewhere, a Mink can slip into the water to hunt their quarry. The prints of the Mink showed it was using a loping gate. He moved quickly over the ice for at least a hundred feet before breaking off and heading into the woods. His footprints were in tightly spaced groups of four, with hindfoot impressions coming

down nearly on top of the front foot impressions. The tracks led over the stream ice and under it, alternately. It was clear that this predator was commuting between favorite hunting or fishing locations. Otherwise, I doubt he would be moving so quickly without stopping. No doubt, any serendipitous encounters with prey en route would have been exploited when possible. The “ice galleries” I found along the creek were impressive but in the process of collapsing. I’ve always been a sucker for natural ice formations in creeks and it often takes a disproportionate amount of willpower to break myself away from them. I need to remind myself that I’m looking for wildlife and not for ice. A footbridge that I came across was a place where wildlife also chose to cross the stream, although most opted not to use the man-made bridge. The hoof prints of deer show that they universally shunned the bridge. All either jumped across or trudged through the water. Mud liberally spattered the snow on the stream bank, indicating that deer liked a fast crossing. The Mink and Raccoon prints went under the bridge while Gray Fox and Fisher preferred using the bridge itself. I followed the fox prints through patchy snow for about

Gray Fox fifty yards and found that he/she faithfully adhered to one of our nature trails. Like the Mink, its steadfast determination to get to a specific destination was laid out clearly in the tracks. There were no deviations from the course. It trotted at cruising speed and appeared not to become distracted by anything. I picked up where I left off on the creek and followed it downstream another few hundred feet. There, the young forest opened up, and further spaced, smaller trees dominated the land. The area looked like an overgrown orchard, with European Buckthorn, Apple Trees, and Hawthorn interspersed with skeletons of young American Elms and White Ash. Tracks of smaller animals like Gray Squirrels and Eastern Cottontail Rabbits were common. Here the snow had been splotched by a purple rain of berries and wild grapes – all loosed by birds and by the wind. I could hear the sharp, warning call notes of American Robins in the distance. A flock had been making its way through the grove. Having already worked this section, they had moved further into the forest in search of other food. In March, bird migration kicks into gear and their sky traffic increases exponential-

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ly. Flocks of returning geese and blackbirds are most obvious. The forest floor also begins to change as mosses and liverworts take on vibrant green hues. They enjoy their brief turn in the sun before vascular plants get their foliage and steal the show – bringing forth the first flowers of the season. Soon the bright yellow blooms of Coltsfoot will cover the stream bank in this place. Those and other perennials will be April discoveries and will be among the topics of next month’s nature article. •

Fisher tracks cross the footbridge

Eastern Cottontail Rabbit

White tailed Deer

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The Everyday Adventures of Mohawk Valley Girl

Grand Colonial

Bed AND Breakfast in Herkimer

I am planning a romantic getaway for my husband Steven and me. The fact that we will only be traveling a couple of blocks from our home is actually kind of a selling point. It is extremely unlikely we will have to cancel due to bad weather or car troubles. What I am planning is a night at the Grand Colonial Bed and Breakfast in Herkimer, NY. I checked the place out recently when they opened their small gift shop to the public right before Valentine’s Day. I thought that was some pretty clever marketing right there. It got me in the door. I brought my tablet and a notebook, knowing it would make a good blog post if nothing else. Additionally, I had not yet gotten Steven a valentine’s gift. The first thing I saw when I walked through the door was a nice dog. I love dogs! He came right up to the doggie gate to make friends. “He loves people,” said the lady who came out to greet me. It was Linda Costanza, one of the owners. The dog was named Brick, and he is very popular with all the visitors. I mentioned that I had seen on Facebook that their gift shop is open. “It isn’t usually open to the public, is it?” I asked. “Not as a rule,” Linda told me, “but it could be open up to anyone who gives us a call, wanting to shop.” Private shopping, I approved. COVID, of course, has been quite terrible for the hospitality industry. The losses continue as events such as the Cooperstown Baseball Hall of Fame inductions go virtual. Well, I hoped to help at least a little, with my gift purchase that day and our planned stay. I mentioned my intention to write a blog post and possibly an article in Mohawk Valley Living Magazine, and asked if there were any rooms I could photograph. Linda and Michael Martin, the other owner who was there at the time, were delighted to show me around the beautiful business. Michael and Linda, along with Linda’s son, Jason Costanza, have run the Grand Colonial since May 2018.

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We Are Open!

Jewett’s Cheese House

A family business since 1970 NY State aged cheddar 1-20 years old! Over 400 items of cheese & gourmet foods.

(800) 638-3836 934 Earlville Road, Earlville (between Poolville and Earlville) Open Mon-Fri: 9:30-5, Most Sundays 10:30-3, closed Sat. www.jewettscheese.com

You won’t need lunch, or possibly even dinner, after breakfast at Grand Colonial

eflections Full Moon R Well appointed spaces invite you to relax at the Grand Colonial Bed and Breakfast Art Center et 80 Main Stre 13316 Camden, NY 9 (315)820-426

Full Mo

Reflect i Full Moon Art Cen Reflections ter 80 Main

Street

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ery Art Gallsses Art Cla op Gift Sh

I was able to take pictures in the Palatine Room and the Empire Room, two of the rooms with queen-sized beds. They showed me the room with a king-sized bed, but it was being turned over so was not photo-ready. The rooms were so cozy and inviting! So comfortable! So beautiful! Out in the hall was a station where guests can get coffee, hot chocolate, hot cider, and tea at any time. That is a great feature for Steven. He can drink coffee all day and night. Breakfast is an important part of a bed and breakfast, and Michael assured me that they prepare a great one. Everything is made fresh, and the choices are many. He said that after he feeds people, they don’t want lunch and they might not even want dinner! He let me take a menu. Waffles, French toast, thick-cut bacon, skillet-fried home fries, and house-made pastries are just a few of the items that caught my eye. The maple syrup, jelly, and honey are all locally sourced, another thing Mohawk Valley Girl was happy to hear! I had to pet Brick again when we came back downstairs. Michael pointed out a painting of Brick in military uniform. He showed me the guest book, where many of their visitors mentioned how much Brick had added to their good experience there. I purchased a spiced rum-scented candle for Steven. When we return, I will probably want a Grand Colonial coffee mug to commemorate our stay. I’m thinking maybe for Steven’s birthday.

The rooms at the Grand Colonial Bed and Breakfast in Herkimer are cozy and inviting

Grand Colonial Bed and Breakfast

112 W. German St., Herkimer • 315-982-5004 • www. grand-colonial.com Cynthia M. Quackenbush, a.k.a. “Mohawk Valley Girl,” writes a daily blog about her everyday adventures in the Mohawk Valley. Follow her frugal fun at: mohawkvalleygirl.wordpress.com

Friendly Brick is popular with guests

The bed and breakfast has a small gift shop, the GC Mercantile

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Bossone’s Sausage & Meat Co.

Visit Our Showroom!

Utica’s Pork Store

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Carol Shaw waves from the new roadside store at Shaw’s Maple Products in Clinton

Mohawk Valley

Guide to Local Maple Products

2021 Maple Syrup Season One of the earliest signs of spring in the Mohawk Valley is the appearance of maple syrup buckets on, and zig-zagging blue tubes between, the sugar maples. The cooking of tree sap is a truly American tradition. Maple syrup was first introduced to Europeans by the indigenous peoples of North America. One Iroquois legend tells the tale of a hunter piercing a maple with his tomahawk. While he was away the sap dripped into a vessel that was then used to boil venison. He returned home to the sweet smell of meat cooking in syrup. Native Americans traded maple syrup with Europeans who were eager for the sweetener because sugar was expensive because it had to be imported from the West Indies. Another legend we heard on our journeys through the Mohawk Valley, albeit sad and humorous, was that of Gerrit Boon, who founded the village of Barneveld in 1793. It is told that he had been attracted to the area because of the abundance of maple trees. He mistakenly believed that maple syrup could be harvested year-round. In 1798, he returned to his home to the Netherlands a failure in the maple syrup business. Resourceful homeowners in Barneveld repurposed the old maple syrup troughs to use as gutters and can be seen on at least one historic home in Barneveld today--a remnant of the maple syrup “boon!” If you have a sugar maple or two in your backyard, give maple syrup making a try. In the least, you’ll have an appreciation for the work involved. You can get taps at Lincoln Davies, Mill Creek Maple Supply, or your local Agway.

SHAW’S

MAPLE PRODUCTS Find our syrup & products at local stores and our new store at 7945 Maxwell Rd., Clinton (visit our website for retail locations)

Visit our new store! Open Thurs & Fri: 10-4, Sat: 10-2, or call anytime! 315-725-0547 • www.shawsmapleproducts.com

Sugar-making among the Indians of the North from the Library and Archives of Canada. Credit: William De La Montagne, 1840-1922

Sugar Making in Canada. Cornelius Krieghoff, 1852

Call for pick-up

315-793-3114 8874 Tibbitts Rd., New Hartford Now offering Bourbon Barrel-aged Maple Syrup! www.facebook.com/tibbittsmaple www.tibbittsmaple.wordpress.com

Maple Weekend events may be canceled, but local sugar houses are offering curbside pickup, shopping by request, limited hours, and other creative ways to get their maple products to you!

GREAT FAMILY FUN! Discover the pure taste of maple!

Ben & Judy’s Sugarhouse

Vernon-Verona-Sherrill High School

Call ahead for curbside or inside pickup. Face masks required. Products are also available at several locations including Peter’s Cornucopia, Stoltzfus Dairy, and Twin Orchards 770 Beaver Creek Road West Edmeston (315) 899-5864

5275 State Route 31, Verona

V.V.S. FFA

The Farmers’ Museum

Sugaring Off Sundays – Canceled This Season We are looking forward to our spring reopening on April 1. Until then, please take advantage of our wide assortment of virtual programs by visiting FarmersMuseum.org/virtual 5775 State Highway 80, Cooperstown (607) 547-1450 • www.farmersmuseum.org

Maple Weekend 2021 Saturday and Sunday, March 27th & 28th “Local annual event to support the VVS FFA Program”

New Drive-thru Pancake Breakfast! 8:00AM–12:00PM To-Go Pancake & Sausage Breakfast VVS FFA Student Produced Real New York Maple Syrup Adults and Students: $5 Senior Citizens: $4 Children under 5: $2

Adults and Seniors

4 Pancakes + 4 Sausages

Children

2 Pancakes + 2 Sausages + Maple Coloring Book

Shaw’s Maple Products

Visit our new store! Open Thursday & Friday: 10-4, Saturday: 10-2, and by request. Call or text us in the sugar house and we will be happy to assist you. Also available at local farmer’s markets, and many retail locations. www.shawsmapleproducts.com 7945 Maxwell Road Clinton • (315) 725-0547 www.shawsmapleproducts.com 12

Maple Syrup and Maple products will be available! VVS School Store products also available! Entire event is all curbside pickup! You will never have to leave your car. Questions, direct to: jferreira@vvsschools.org or call 315-829-2520 23

Pure maple products. We can ship anywhere!

Tibbitts Maple

Looking For Curbside Pickup? Call 315-793-3114 to place an order Our maple sugar cookies are always a big hit! Shop pure maple products, like maple BBQ and hot sauces. 8874 Tibbitts Road, New Hartford (315) 793-3114 www.tibbittsmaple.wordpress.com

Open

Call ahead forCurbside or inside pickup. Face Masks Required.

Call (315) 899-5864 to purchase products

www.benandjudyssugarhouse.com Available at: Peter’s Cornucopia, Twin Orchards, Stoltzfus Dairy 770 Beaver Creek Rd., West Edmeston • (315) 899-5864 • Find us on Facebook!

V.V.S. FFA Maple Market

New Drive-thru Pancake Breakfast! Saturday and Sunday March 27th & 28th 8am - 12pm All types of maple products will be sold including, cotton candy, syrup, sugar, coffee, and mustard. 5275 State Route 31, Verona (315) 829-2520

mv crossword

march Crossword All answers found in the pages of this magazine! Solution will appear in next month’s issue

Across 1. Warm up with soup and a hot sandwich at this popular Clinton diner, ___ Place. See page 12. 3. The onion’s big, gentle cousin. 5. Beware the ___ of March! 6. Glunk ker-glunk, Glunk ker-glunk says the American ____. 8. Winged harbingers of spring. 11. Don’t leave it to the fates, insure with ___Cole. See page 2. 13. Need physical or occupation therapy? Visit ____! See page 7.

Down 1. Plan a romantic getaway at the Grand ___ B&B in Herkimer. See Valley Girl. 2. Looking for a good deal on great antiques? __ __ Man in Sherburne. See page 17. 4. Let’s go fly a ____! 7. The butcher and the candlestick maker’s BFF. 9. This moon of Jupiter is the most active volcanic world in the Solar System. 10. New York’s March crop. 12. Need a personal handyman? Call Ed ____. See page 38.

MVL Crossword Puzzler: March’s farm field (1 word)

Unscramble the letters in the yellow boxes then email your answer to: mohawkvalleyliving@hotmail.com by the 18th of this month. You’ll be entered to win an MVL Mug and a bag of delicious, fresh-roasted FoJo Beans coffee!

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Mohawk valley astronomical society

wild weather by carol higgins

Weather conditions in the Mohawk Valley during March can swing wildly, and the proverb “in like a lion, out like a lamb” is fitting because of a seasonal change on March 20. That’s when winter technically ends and spring begins. A search through regional records shows impressive temperature ranges and snowstorms. Record-breakers include a cold spell that dropped the temperature to -27 degrees Fahrenheit in 1950 and a toasty high of 86°F in 1945. Snowstorm Stella dumped 33 inches of snow in March 2017. But our weather is mild compared to other places in our solar system where wild weather is the norm. Let’s visit some of them. We begin at Mercury, a rocky planet with a very slow spin rate and egg-shaped orbit. It takes 1,408 hours to make one rotation. During those long days, temperatures can reach 800°F on the Sun-facing side and a chilly -290°F on the night side. However, its next-door neighbor has the record as the hottest planet. Venus is also rocky and has a very thick atmosphere comprised mostly of carbon dioxide (often called greenhouse gas) that traps heat. Its clouds release a rain of sulfuric acid, a corrosive ingredient used in automobile batteries. Temperatures reach about 900°F on the surface, hot enough to melt lead. Beyond Earth is Mars, where reddish-colored dust on its rocky surface

contributes to unique storms. Every day winds create dust devils that move the dust around, and dust storms are common. Occasionally one will grow and envelop the entire planet, a process that scientists don’t understand. In 2018, a week-long global dust storm was so intense it blocked sunlight and covered Jupiter’s volcanic moon Io. the solar panels on NASA’s OpportuniImage credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona ty rover. It prevented the batteries Hanny’s from Voorwerp. Image Credit: NASA, ESA, W. Keel, Galaxy Zoo Team charging and ended the mission. ing too. Titan has a thick atmosphere, Next is Jupiter and its most wellclouds and rain, and rivers and lakes on known feature. The Great Red Spot is a its surface. But that liquid isn’t water, it gigantic swirling storm, almost twice the is methane, ethane, and other hydrocarsize of Earth with winds over 400 mph. bons. Scientists believe there is an unOne of Jupiter’s 79 moons is quite active derground ocean of water, and Titan may too. The moon Io is the most active volsupport some form of life. canic world in the Solar System. It has If you enjoy supersonic winds, ice giover 400 volcanoes, with over 100 eruptant Neptune is the place to go. Its atmoing at the same time. They spew materisphere is mainly hydrogen, helium, and als like sulfur dioxide hundreds of miles methane, and winds reaching 1,200 mph into space and send molten rock flowing send its clouds of frozen methane zoominto lava lakes. Jupiter’s strong gravity ing across the planet. Storms also form, flexes Io’s surface, causing it to rise and and astronomers sometimes use the Hubfall up to 330 feet. If you take a look at ble Space Telescope to track them. In Jupiter and its 4 brightest moons through August 2020 one of those storms abrupta telescope, Io is one of those moons. ly changed direction and left everyone Saturn sports a weird weather system perplexed. in the atmosphere above the north pole. As we head back to Earth I am reIt is a huge hexagon almost 20,000 miles minded of the famous line in The Wizacross, with a spinning hurricane at its ard of Oz movie, “There’s no place like center and 300 mph winds. Scientists are home”. How true! having a difficult time explaining its odd Wishing you clear skies and good shape and the forces that drive it. The health! • weather on one of its moons is interest-

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On the farm with Suzie

The Waiting Is the Hardest Part by Suzie Jones

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GET 0% ON SELECT MODELS* DURING MAHINDRA’S RED TAG SALES EVENT! Suzie and Harper March 2002 Nineteen years ago, in early March, I was on an airplane circling O’Hare, waiting to land in Chicago. I had 4-month-old baby Harper in my lap, traveling home alone to see my very sick grandmother. The weather in the Midwest, much like here in Upstate New York, can be finicky. And that night, it was downright terrible. The runways were icing up; the crosswinds were not helpful. There was a backup of other incoming flights waiting their turn to land. The pilot assured us that there was no danger, we just had to circle (and circle, and circle) until it was our time. My memory of that night is pretty foggy, except for the excruciating wait. I was a new mother, traveling with a baby, conscious that every noise she made echoed throughout the cabin. Baby Harper had been a stellar traveler, sleeping nearly the entire flight from Boston. But she was beginning to stir and my biggest worry—the changing cabin pressure as we descended and its effects on her little ears—was about to be put to the test. Still…we circled. The brilliant lights of Chicago seemed so close, but then we would turn toward Lake Michigan and over its utter blackness. This was well before I ever owned a cell phone, so I had no way to communicate with my dad, who was undoubtedly waiting for me at the terminal. Concerned as I was about my baby’s comfort (and the very real possibility she would start crying and aggravating the other anxious passengers), my thoughts went to my grandmother and how very little time she had left. The event may have in actuality only lasted 20 or 30 minutes, but it felt like an eternity. Here we are in March 2021, and I again feel we are circling in an enormous holding pattern. Like so many others, my husband and I are patiently waiting and hopeful to get vaccinated soon, and are always happy to hear when friends and family have gotten theirs. Every time another plane lands, I feel we are one step closer to landing ourselves! On the farm, March is always a bit of a waiting game. We plan for spring, ordering baby chicks and preparing brooders, while farmer friends are starting seeds in their greenhouses. Some days give us brilliant hints of what is to come: Birds singing, warmer and brighter mornings, mud puddles. But then we circle back around to frigid overnight temperatures, plunging us back into the depths of winter. Hopes rise and fall with the mercury in the thermometer. Lack of control—combined with the stress of

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potentially bad outcomes—makes any waiting period all the more difficult. As spring approaches, our hay supply for the goats and sheep starts to dwindle, so we count the remaining bales and check the calendar, worrying with every cold snap that green grasses will not come in time. If grazing is delayed, we will have to buy hay and adjust any expectation of a return on our winter animal raising efforts. Dairy farmers must wait year-round for the milk check to come twice each month, not entirely sure what price they will be paid or whether it will cover their expenses. All we can do is plan and hope for the best, and be constantly reminded that patience is indeed a virtue. In September 1995, my then-fiancée Peter and I went to see Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at the Target Center in downtown Minneapolis, MN. We had the nose-bleed seats with “partially obstructed views”. Enormous speakers hung from the ceiling, just above the performance space, blocking much of our view from our seats at the tip-top of the venue. All we could see was the stage floor and its patchwork of oriental rugs; there were no megatron-type screens. Throughout the concert, we could see Tom Petty’s feet and sometimes his legs, when he would strut up to the very front of the stage. We waited the entire concert, thinking we surely would see the top half of him at some point! Sadly, we never did. I guess sometimes patience does not pay off, so be sure to pay for the unobstructed view next time—when we can all go to concerts again, that is! •

Suzie Jones and her husband, Peter, own Jones Family Farm in Herkimer. Together, with their children, they produce specialty goat cheeses and gelato. Find them at local farmers’ markets and online at www.anotherjonesfamilyfarm.com

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Mohawk Valley nature

the american bittern story & photos by matt perry

The bittern finally makes his way to the pond

Serving Lunch & Dinner Lunches Served Friday, Saturday & Sunday Happy Hour Daily 4-7, $2.50 Drafts & $2.75 Well Mixers

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I recall a few years ago, an evening in mid-June, I was leaving a beaver pond in the Adirondack Foothills and I heard the unmistakable call of an American Bittern. It’s a peculiar sound – low and rhythmic: “Glunk ker-glunk….Glunk ker-glunk.…”. To me the sound conjures up the image of liquid being poured from an oversized jug. Back in the prohibition era, someone hearing the bittern’s call might think they stumbled upon Moonshiners ridding themselves of their illicit merchandise – dumping it into the swamp. Not to worry, no one was wasting their whiskey. It was only the marsh-dwelling snake bird singing to his mate. The bittern only produces its strange call during the spring breeding season, in and around a cattail marsh – the species’ preferred habitat. There are two bittern species in North America: the raven-sized American Bittern and the Robin-sized Least Bittern. Both are residents of the Northeast and both are uncommon and elusive. Like their relatives, the herons and egrets, bitterns are long-legged, wading birds, equipped with spear-like bills. They are patient hunters – slow stalkers and quick stabbers, but unlike their more flamboyant relatives, bitterns stay almost perpetually concealed. Outside of spring and fall migration, bitterns live their lives entirely in their marsh homes where they seldom fly higher than a few feet over the reeds. While Great Blue Herons and Egrets seem to flaunt their beautiful plumage, bitterns are costumed to blend with the marsh foliage. They take mimicry with their surroundings to a new level. They don’t just look like the reeds around them, they act like them too. An anxious bittern will point its beak skyward and become one with the veil of reeds. The tawny vertical streaks on the bird’s light underside strongly resemble dried cattail leaves and its upward-pointing bill accentuates the effect. Oddly, the bird can look forward with both eyes while holding its beak in this position. If your eyes can penetrate the camouflage and see this bird, you may agree with me that the best fictional depictions of extraterrestrial beings don’t look nearly as strange. I’ve been fortunate to find a few nests of the Least Bittern locally and I’ve written about one of those breeding occurrences in a previous article. However, to date, nests of American Bitterns have eluded me. In fact, in the last decade, I have spotted only a handful of individual adults. Given how rare they are, it should come as no surprise that both bittern species are considered worthy of special protection by conservation groups and environmental agencies. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) includes the Least Bittern on its list of “Threatened” species and the American Bittern is on the agencies’ “Special Con-

American Bittern

The Least Bittern is the size of a Robin

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cern” list. The bitterns’ penchant for living in floodplains and other diminishing freshwater wetlands greatly contributes to their plight. These critically important habitats suffer disproportionately from development, abuse, and degradation. They tend to be depositories of invasive plants; species like Purple Loosestrife, Phragmites, and Japanese Knotweed routinely usurp the cattail beds so essential to marsh birds and their prey. After experiencing little success in finding American Bitterns, one reason I know they continue to inhabit the region is their occasional appearances at local wildlife rehabilitation facilities. During the summer of 2012, local Wildlife Rehabilitator, Judy Cusworth, received an odd-looking fledgling from the Verona area. At the time no one knew precisely what species it was, other than it was an un-flighted heron-type bird. It was too young to be on its own. What happened to its parents and even the exact circumstance of its capture was not known. Judy received a very hungry, gawky, bundle of bones and downy feathers. After it was determined to be healthy the “heron” was kept in a cage and given bowls of water with minnows to spear. The bird had a voracious appetite and proved a constant challenge for Judy and her partner Vinny, to provide enough minnows to satisfy the bird’s cravings. In the succeeding weeks, the bird began to attain its adult plumage and was thought to be a Green Heron. I volunteered to pick him up and take him to be released at our nature preserve. The bittern was in a pet carrier and I was pressed for time, so I confess that I didn’t look at him until we were driving in the car together. I was most surprised to find out she wasn’t a Green Heron. She was an American Bittern, and the first one I had ever seen up close. Keeping to the original plan, I took the bittern to the preserve, and with help from a volunteer, carried the bird out to the release site. After placing the carrier on a grassy hummock at the headwaters of a beaver wetland, I opened the cage door. My partner and I withdrew to a discreet distance to not discourage the bird from coming out. Unsurprisingly, she was hesitant to leave the cage. But after about twenty minutes, she carefully and slowly extended her serpentine neck out of the carrier. She then swiveled her head around like a periscope looking for enemy battleships. Even though she perceived no immediate threat, she retracted her neck and withdrew to the back of the crate. She wasn’t eager to take advantage of her freedom. She was probably wondering what was holding up her morning bowl of minnows. I decided to leave her on her own for a while and check on her in an hour. For the time being, she would be safe enough in her cage on the grassy stream bank. If she liked, she would be able to fish up some lunch from the creek. By the time I returned, she had left the carrier and was standing on a snag in tall grass. When she saw me, she attempted to deploy her

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camouflage, but it didn’t work against the curtain of green grass. Indeed, she stood out rather spectacularly. Back when Judy had her, she’d proved her ability to adeptly snap up fish from a bowl of water, so I knew she had the skills necessary to feed herself. Regardless, I wanted to see her ply her trade in the wild. After watching her creep around the habitat in slow motion for about an hour, I finally had to leave. Believing I would see her the next day, I wished her luck and went on my way. As it happened, I didn’t see her the next day, or the day after that. She was gone. Hopefully, she’d made use of her untried wings and had flown off to another more suitable wetland, one with a jungle of cattails to melt into. Certainly, I didn’t want to think that she had been taken by a predator. And then, a full two weeks after I had given up hope of seeing her again, I found her. She was on the shore of our man-made pond, prowling among cattails and irises, trying to sneak up on frogs. When she saw me, she was startled. She flapped herself airborne and on surprisingly long wings she glided north and to another pond. It was gratifying to see her thriving after all this time and expertly using those wings of hers. To my knowledge, we didn’t see her again after that. However, the following April, a migrant American Bittern visited our main beaver pond. Was it the same bird we released during the summer? There was still snow on the ground and the pond was partially iced-over. The bittern slowly circumnavigated the pond, exploring every inch of shoreline, checking for fishing opportunities. Having experienced no luck, she hopped up on top of the beaver dam and began slow-walking its span. When she reached the apex of the dam, she suddenly jabbed her beak into a crevice and plucked out a vole! It was a stark reminder that heron-types don’t live on fish and amphibians alone; as predators, they are quite opportunistic. Perhaps the American Bittern more so than other members of its tribe. These birds routinely return north ahead of most other wading fish-eaters. That means they encounter frozen water more frequently and are forced into being more resourceful hunters. This past fall, we conducted another American Bittern release at our nature preserve. Like the 2013 bird, this one came to us from Woodhaven Wildlife Center. Judy said the bird came in as an adult from an unspecified Central New York location. Before she got the bird, it had been treated by a veterinarian for an uncommon ailment that caused throat swelling. Fortunately, with treatment, he recovered. Like the last Bittern, he had an insatiable appetite. He was going through bowls of fish at a prodigious rate. Again, it was a challenge

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The bittern is brought to the release site

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for Judy and Vinny to keep him in minnows. We all had doubts about releasing this bird so late in the season. Most bitterns leave the region by the end of October. We were now ten days beyond that deadline. However, this bittern had passed its flight test and showed that it was perfectly capable of spearing fish, albeit in a little metal bowl. If the bird was healthy, able to hunt, and travel, there was no good reason to hang onto him. Besides, supplying him with minnows throughout the long winter would have been a difficult undertaking. On the 10th of November, we transported the bittern to the nature preserve. Three of us took turns lugging the carrier that held him to the main beaver pond. It wasn’t heavy, just awkward. On route, the bird gave some odd grunting calls, sounds I never associated with the species in the past. I concluded they were the grumblings of an unhappy camper. He was feisty too. At one point I put my hand too close to the cage door and he bit me through the grate! It’s a good thing I don’t taste like fish. I imagine I’d be minus a few fingers if I did. Once we reached the pond, we let the bird stay in his closed cage for about a half-hour so he could acclimate to the sights and sounds of the pond area. As it happened, there were lots of things to see and hear. About fifty Mallards and a dozen Wood Ducks were active in the pond. Goldfinches, Blue Jays, and a flock of mixed blackbirds were in the trees above. All were calling but the Mallards and jays were particularly loud. A couple of Turkey Vultures flew overhead. Both lazily circled the meadow

The Beaver Meadow

and pond, neither flapping a beat. We opened the carrier door, stood back, and waited for the snake-necked bird to disembark. After about ten minutes, the bittern ventured out. His movements were slow and deliberate; his long neck was craned out in front of him. His head was like a super sensor, twisting about, collecting readings. Finally, nearly an hour post-release, the Bittern reached the water. He waded into the northeast corner of the pond where a Beaver-made canal radiates out into the meadow. There he stabbed at the water a couple of times with his stiletto bill but did not catch anything. His next move was to walk over the dam at Sarah’s Pond and disappear into the bramble below. From there we assumed he walked to the creek or one of the lower ponds. We monitored the area for the next several days but did not see him. It was late in the season for a bittern in Central New York. Indeed, most of his species had flown south weeks earlier. We hoped that he would soon follow their lead. The nature preserve’s ponds froze over on November 17th. That afternoon I saw a juvenile Golden Eagle pass low over the meadow. Its wings beat deep into the air to get lift. Snow was falling and visibility was poor, but the large raptor pressed through the wintery haze and persisted in its southward course. That same day, just as I was leaving the beaver pond, I saw the American Bittern fly from east to west over the water. A full week after his release, the bittern was still here. He was flying and looked healthy. He hadn’t left the sanctuary yet, which was worrisome, but there was still some open water and feeding would be possible. As it turned out, we would see him many more times in the coming days. He was still able to find sustenance around the beaver pond system. A Great Blue Heron and Belted Kingfisher were also holdouts at the ponds, but soon they too would depart for better fishing opportunities elsewhere. On November 25th, I saw the bittern standing about 15 feet up the shore at the main beaver pond. He was fairly close to the site where we released him more than two weeks earlier. When I arrived, he flushed and made an excellent flight to one of the lower ponds. I wondered what he had been up to, skulking so close to our beaver blind/shelter, and then I put it together. We often put birdseed on and around the shelter’s posts.

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A Turkey Vulture circles over the meadow

The seed attracts birds and small rodents to the blind/shelter area. The bittern had been trying to catch a vole. As it happened, this would be the last sighting of him on the property. Hopefully, he successfully migrated and is now someplace more temperate – perhaps on the southeastern coast. Will he return to the preserve and the beaver ponds come this April? Probably not, but we will keep an eye out for him. Most likely he will gravitate to a more extensive cattail marsh along a river floodplain. The best place for people to see bitterns (both species) locally is the Utica Marsh. The time to go would be during May and before the cattails have grown high and thick. If you go there, keep scanning the cattail beds and you may just be able to pick out a bittern or one of the other more secretive marsh denizens. You may even hear one calling, or, if you’re very lucky, you may see one in the process of building its nest. If you do, please let me know! • Matt Perry is Conservation Director and resident naturalist at Spring Farm CARES in Clinton. He manages a 260 acre nature preserve which is open for tours by appointment. Matt is also regional editor of “The Kingbird”, which is a quarterly publication put out by the New York State Ornithological Association. Matt’s short nature videos can be viewed on the web. Look for Spring Farm CARES Nature Sanctuary on Facebook.

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March 2021

GALLERY GUIDE

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mohawk valley Gardens & recipes

Leeks

The Onion Family’s overlooked Member by Denise A. Szarek

Though many people are familiar with using onions, garlic, and even scallions and shallots in their cooking, the larger member of the allium family of vegetables, the leek, is often overlooked. Maybe it’s because of its large size or its unusable (yet compostable) green leaves that make people pass it over. But this milder-flavored cousin of the onion should be included in your cooking. Wild leeks, known as ramps, are much smaller in size but have a stronger, more intense flavor. They are available for a short period in May and are often widely sought out at local farm stands and farmers’ markets when they are in season. Though you may find leeks available year-round at the

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grocery store, they are best in the fall through early spring. Use leeks for a more subtle flavor that won’t overpower others. They also add more phytonutrients than white onions. You should store leeks whole and unwashed wrapped loosely in plastic bags so they don’t dry out. They will store fresh for 1-2 weeks, but only a couple of days once cooked. Wash whole leeks in cold water to remove dirt that may accumulate between the leaves during its growth. Cut off the bottom root end and the dark green foliage at the top. • See recipe on following page. . .

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Skillet Leek Bread By Denise A Szarek

3 T butter 8 leeks, white parts only, washed & thinly sliced 6 green onions, finely chopped 1 garlic clove, finely chopped ½ cup finely chopped red peppers ½ tsp salt ¼ tsp pepper ¾ cup milk 1 egg 2 cups buttermilk baking mix ½ cup shredded Swiss cheese

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a 9-10” oven-proof skillet melt butter over low heat; don’t let it burn. Sauté leeks, green onions, red peppers, and garlic about 3 minutes or until leeks are tender. Stir in salt and pepper. Cook about 3 minutes more until the leeks begin to brown, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat. Reserve ¼ to ½ cup of the leek mixture to garnish the finished bread. Spread the rest evenly in the pan. In a medium bowl whisk together the milk and egg. Stir in the baking mix and cheese. Pour batter over leek mixture in the skillet. Center the pan in the oven. Bake 25 minutes or until golden brown; watch closely at the end so the crust doesn’t burn. Test with a wooden toothpick in the middle of bread; if it comes out clean, the bread is done. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Gently loosen the edges of the bread, if necessary. Invert a round platter over the skillet; carefully turn the bread out onto a platter. Transfer any leeks that remain in the skillet to the top of the bread. Use reserved leek mixture to garnish the top of the bread, cut into wedges, serve warm. Enjoy!

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In 1974, Tim and Peggy Spencer Behrendt set off on an adventure. They began a new life in the woods of Cold Brook, NY, without modern conveniences like electricity or indoor plumbing. These are excerpts and reflections from Peggy’s journal chronicling their adventures and also her childhood memories growing up in Westmoreland.

It’s March now in Shawangunk and the sun comes out after many days (maybe it’s been weeks?) of cloud cover. I feel like standing taller, lifting my arms to the golden light, and breathing more deeply. All the forest creatures and even the trees must feel the same way because as the winter weight of snow slides off weary evergreen branches,

Is it spring yet?!

they, too, lift their arms, as hungry for sunlight as we are. Unlike the deciduous trees which must sprout leaves first, evergreens can immediately begin photosynthesis. The essential oils in their needles and bark act like antifreeze, so as soon as they get the least amount of sunlight, they are able and eager to make food and absorb carbon dioxide. On our walks, we pass fields of receding snow quilts, now patterned by a winter’s accumulation of seed hulls, bark bits, and springtails. A subtle tinge of rose begins to blush within the dark stems of shrubby dogwood in the hedgerows, and the tiny buds of trees high above us also swell and redden, as nutritional sap begins to rise from underground root storage. According to Peter Wohlleben in The Hidden Life of Trees, scientists from three institutions listened closely with a stethoscope against maple trees during this process and registered a “soft murmur.” I found this book fascinating, in that it offered not only recently discerned, scientifically-based information on the life of trees, but posed profound questions on which to contemplate. There is much we don’t know about what’s going on in our forest among these great beings and in the soil to which they cling. They are likely communicating with each other - perhaps through chemical transference, electrical pulses, or in-

audible sound frequencies. Decision-making processes are occurring in the woody fibers and roots of these beings as they react to stimuli; water, sun, injuries, and competition, although it is immeasurably slower than animal reactions. Is this thinking? Is this feeling? Is memory stored in the cells? Such possibilities may seem ridiculously outrageous, even threatening anthropomorphisms (projecting human qualities on other life forms,) but why not? According to reliable scientific sources, all living things are remarkably similar at the cellular and molecular levels. Those of us who feel a strong connection to animals, trees, and plants are sensing this innate kinship. As adolescents, my friend, Carol Ohmart Behan and I climbed an ancient maple tree outside her home in Stanwix and discussed this very topic. Intuitively, we both felt deeply connected to the tree we sat in and sensed sentience in its great, woody presence that was comforting. Tim and I feel likewise about every tree in our forest. To us, they are amiable companions, silent and ever-present entities sharing our life journeys in this little section of earth. Most of humanity is inextricably intertwined in the life cycle of trees because much of our homes are built of wood, and often heated by wood, coal, and oil which are ancient remains of forests and plants long past. We can gather some of the sap of maple trees without causing irreparable harm to them. Many

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Gael Audic sips birch sap

were, in fact, planted by our ancestors specifically for this crop. Our first attempt at maple sugaring was in the kitchen Peg prunes a new of the parsonage we lived in basketry willow patch when we were first married in 1974. Since it takes 40 gallons of hard maple tree sap to make 1 gallon of syrup, a lot of water must be boiled off. This vaporization created a veritable cloud in the upper half of the rooms throughout the historic building. We innocently found it quaintly interesting to walk through this fog until the wallpaper started peeling off and we saw water dripping off the wood cabinets. We had to do a lot of cleaning and mopping up, but we finally got a little syrup! It was such an event, we felt like there should have been a newspaper headline; “Tim & Peg Make a Cup of Maple Syrup!” We also attempted it on the wood stove of our forest home thinking we’d get multiple uses out of the heat while letting the steam out of the loft window. But again, the cloud appeared, and books and bedding got soaked. Yes, maple sugaring is quite an energy-consuming, labor-intensive enterprise, so when we purchase or are gifted some maple syrup (which we use on waffles cooked on our antique, cast iron waffle iron for special holidays) we well appreciate and don’t object to the cost of this exquisite nectar. Edna West Teall wrote about maple sugaring outdoors in the Adirondacks during the late 1800s. “…someone would take a noon meal to the workers. The food could be heated by the blazing fire. We might go early and bake some potatoes in the coals or boil eggs in one of the kettles right along with the sap. We also cooked doughnuts in the boiling sap. It gave them – and the eggs – a delicious maple flavor.” Once it began to thicken, the final sugaring-off was done on the kitchen stove; “…it was boiled and stirred with constant watching until it became soft sugar, full of grainy crystals you could scoop out of the containers when it cooled. This was the stage for ‘waxing.’ Take a cupful of the boiling mass, dash out to a convenient snowdrift, and spread it on. In a few minutes, it would have a caramel-like consistency that might stick your jaws together, but what a flavor; every chew suggested having still another chew.” I recall hearing that the first settlers in the village of Barneveld were intent on maple syrup production for their livelihood, to the extent that long pipes or trenches made of wood were constructed to direct the dripping sap from the trees to a central collecting container. I imagine that constructing these and laying them out at an appropriate angle could have been a great challenge! Now our participation in this marvelous commencement of spring

extends only to occasionally licking sap from the broken limb of a maple or birch tree. And it’s surprising to see above the great, lingering snow accumulations, how many winged bugs, even moths or butterflies will appear to savor this nutrient-rich ambrosia. This reminds me that as spring advances, our time of respite from annoying bugs is drawing to a close. Of course, there are lingerers through the winter. An occasional mosquito benignly floats around inside, perhaps brought in on a piece of firewood and awakened by the heat. And sometimes I shudder to contemplate how many spiders there must be lurking under our cedar shakes to make all the dusty cobwebs I have to wash off each month...but can’t allow myself to dwell on it. It’s not that I’m denying reality, just choosing to ignore it. One of the downsides of our winter camping experiences in Florida is that it thrusts us smack back into bug season. If I can get through our visit there without a fire-ant bite, I feel fortunate. There is usually a column of minuscule “sugar” ants parading on a wall in our camper that I don’t worry about too much, as long as I keep the tiny kitchen scrupulously clean of food particles and spray vinegar there daily. But sometimes, we see rather large, black ants pass through. I pick them up and throw them out the door. One year, there were more than usual of these big black ants, and we were opening our door

a lot to evict them, which then lets in mosquitoes and no-see-ums. So, we searched for cracks or holes in the old camper to close up, and even put sticky tanglefoot on the wheels Rebekah Audic near a woodshed and ground contacts. built of scrap wood and willows Still, they came. Until one day we discovered that the vent for the Little August makes fridge was unscreened. sure the willow hut is With great satisfaction, w e big enough blocked it up. “This will definitely stop the del- Withwhisk uge!” So we thought. That evening, sitting on our bed/couch, I broom, dustpan, and brushed a couple of stray ants off our blanket. pieces of paper we scooped up Then a few more appeared. Annoyed, I brushed great clumps of ants and tossed them out the them onto the floor and looked down. Then, I door. It didn’t take long, and I decided not to almost screamed in horror! The floor was com- move into the tent. The next day, we realized we pletely black with a living, squirming mass of had closed off their exit, not their entrance! We those big, black ants, and they were crawling no longer had visits from them that year. up the walls! I drew my legs in and backed up. Last year in mid-March, we were still in Florida and the Coronavirus was just becoming a “Tim! Look!” I could barely speak. crisis in our country. We felt confused about how “What?” he absently replied as he was reading. “I’m moving into the tent!” I exclaimed louder serious it was and how to react to it. It was hard to and pointed. Then he took notice. “Where did find any masks to wear. We kept debating about they come from?” he exclaimed with almost as whether to come home early or not. I comforted myself and others by playing music. I wrote in my much horror. “Let’s get them out!”

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mize the production of unbranched shoots. Consequently, I had a lot of material not good for basketry so offered it Though we miss our Florida to the neighbors. One cut them into gardens, we still have flowers Summer Dream 10” – 36” lengths in our home at Shawankgunk Sylvia plays in a and stuck them in the ground to grow living willow hut jourand create privacy n a l : barriers, basketry material, “ T h i s and a living willow play hut for their young chilmorning, I watched for dren. Another neighbor weaved them into decwhen our French Canadian neighbors, Claude orative siding on a new scrap woodshed. I was and Julie were ready to head home, not know- happy it got used and fertilized my new bed right ing if, or when they’d be back. I pulled my harp away. For further information about such uses for out and played “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” willow, lookup “Living Willow Structures” by for them as Claude pulled their camper out. Julie my old willow basketry teacher, Bonnie Gale in came over, crying, and we waved goodbye. I felt Norwich. really sad, even though we didn’t get to know As soon as possible, we examined our garden them very well. I understand how the musicians fencing and made repairs. Last year, the garden on the Titanic may have felt as they continued gate needed replacing. For construction material, to play music while it was sinking. It gave them I raided Tim’s teepee of dead tree limbs ready to comfort, and comforted others.” be cut into firewood. We sometimes have little We did return early and got right back into debates about whether a piece of wood should homesteading by pollarding (pruning) my two- be saved for rustic construction or cut up for year-old basketry willow patch. This will opti- firewood. I confess to some hoarding and have a

few secret stashes of rustic wood I’ve stolen from Tim’s woodpile. For those of us weary of winter (and the pandemic.) Tim writes: The sky darkens, snow falls again staged with ice and chilled winds. Our hearts droop: ‘No, not again, won’t it ever stop? Too long, too much – I’m tired of it all!’ How can we not waste this precious day? If we hurry through these days - more pleasant times will also fly. If we find nothing here - there will be less there. Spring will also have problems - new and demanding. Make this day, this moment count. Dream of tomorrow but remember dreaming is part of the fun of today. Complain and ventilate but balance it with the effort to create new meaning now. Slow down, do less, rest, soon we will rise from our winter fatigue and mindset. And above all accept, accept, accept… •

The Shawangunk Nature Preserve is a deep ecology, forever wild, 501©(3), learning and cultural center. Tim and Peggy still live there and can be contacted through their website.

www.shawangunknaturepreserve.com

Little Little Falls Falls

Antique Center More than 50 vendors on 2 floors!

Antiques • Art • Crafts Open 6 days a week, 10-5, Closed Tues Handicapped-accessible • 315-823-4309 Thruway Exit 29A, 25 West Mill St., Little Falls www.littlefallsantiquecenter.com

March Madness!

Sales & Savings throughout!

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Advertiser Directory please support Our sponsors, they make this magazine possible Antiques Antiques & Art Westmoreland . . . . . . . . . 15 Attic Addicts, Yorkville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Black Cat Antiques, Earlville . . . . . . . . . . . 16 The Bull Farm Antiques, Vernon . . . . . . 16 Canal House Antiques, Bouckville . . . . . . . 16 The Depot Antique Gallery, Madison . . . . 16 Foothills Mercantile, Barneveld . . . . . . . 16 Gallery Antiques at Pinebrick, Bouckville . . 16 Little Falls Antique Center, Little Falls . . . 16 Madison Inn Antiques, Madison . . . . . . 17 Mohawk Antiques Mall, Mohawk . . . . . . . 16 Mohawk Valley Cmty. Market, Herkimer . . . 17 The Online Exchange, Dolgeville . . . . . . . . . 17 The Potting Shed Antiques, Whitesboro . . . 17 See the Man Antiques & Collectibles, Sherburne . . 17 Showcase Antiques, Little Falls . . . . . . . . . 17 Victorian Rose, Bouckville . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Weeden’s Mini Mall, Camden . . . . . . . . 17 Whistle Post Antiques, Bouckville . . . . . . . 17 Antique Auctioneers Nye & Company Auctioneers . . . . . . . . . . 17 Art Galleries/Museums Fusion Art Gallery, Rome . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Art and Custom Framing Fusion Art Gallery, Rome . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Heartwood Gift Barn, Sherburne . . . . . . . . . . 29 Auto Dealerships Steet-Ponte Auto Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Automotive Repair Clinton Collision, Clinton . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Precision Unlimited, Clinton . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Bakeries and Pastry Shops Karam’s Middle East Bakery, Yorkville . . . 14 Ramon’s Bakery, Utica . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Star Bakery, Whitesboro and Utica . . . . . . 33 Bike Shops Dick’s Wheel Shop, Herkimer . . . . . . . . . . 8 Books Berry Hill Book Shop, Deansboro . . . . . . . 6 Treehouse Reading Room, New York Mills . . . 7 Cabinets and Kitchens Custom Woodcraft, Munnsville . . . . . . . . . 30

Knotty By Nature, Bridgewater . . . . . . . . . 19 Candy So Sweet Candy Cafe, Utica . . . . . . . . . . 18 Catering Club Monarch, Yorkville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 RoSo’s Cafe & Catering, Utica . . . . . . . 13 Willie’s The Original Bagel Cafe, Utica . . . . 14 CBD Products RAW ADK, Barneveld . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Utica Hemp, New Hartford, Utica . . . . . . . . 32 Cheese Grassy Cow Dairy, Remsen . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Jewett’s Cheese, Earlville . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Jones Family Farm, Herkimer . . . . . . . . . 33 Stoltzfus Family Dairy, Vernon Center . . . . 24 Clothing Paca Gardens, Little Falls . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 The Queen’s Closet, Yorkville . . . . . . . . . . 15 Consignment The Online Exchange, Dolgeville . . . . . . . . . 17 The Queen’s Closet, Yorkville . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Renewed & Rescued, Herkimer . . . . . . . . . . 17

Farm Equipment Clinton Tractor, Clinton . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Hobby Hill Farm Sales, Rome . . . . . . . . . . 29 White’s Farm Supply, Waterville/Canastota . . 48 Farm Markets Cooperstown Farmers Market . . . . . . . . . . 6 Horn’s Family Farm, Remsen . . . . . . . . . 8 Financial Services Van Meter & Van Meter, Little Falls . . . . . . 25 Flooring Mike’s Floor Store, Whitesboro . . . . . . . . . 22 Funeral Services Prince-Boyd & Hyatt, Rome . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Furniture Ironwood Furniture, Clinton . . . . . . . . . . 8 Jeff ’s Amish Furniture, Richfield Springs . . . 36 John Froass & Son, Sherrill . . . . . . . . . . 40 Furniture Makers Custom Woodcraft, Munnsville . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Garden Center and Greenhouses Szarek’s Succulent Shack, Clinton . . . . . . . 38

Contractors Ed Smith Contractor and Handyman . . . . . 38

General Contractors Ed Smith Contractor and Handyman . . . . . 38

Convenience Shops Stewart’s Shops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Gift Shops/Shopping Between Us Sisters, Munnsville . . . . . . . . . 18 Fusion Art Gallery, Rome . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Main Street Gift Shoppe, Newport . . . . . . . 16

Delis and Meats Bosonne’s Sausage, Utica . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Little Italy Imports, Utica . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Olde Kountry Market, Vernon . . . . . . . . . . 34 Pulaski Meat Market, Utica . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Diners Charlie’s Place, Clinton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Sheri’s Diner, Utica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Wendy’s Diner, Cassville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Dog Sitting Barney’s Angels, Frankfort . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Estate Sales Attic Addicts, Yorkville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 The Potting Shed Antiques, Whitesboro . . . . 17

Grocery Stores, Co-ops, and Convenience Stores Deansboro Superette, Deansboro . . . . . . . . . 26 Little Italy Imports, Utica . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Olde Kountry Market, Vernon . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Richfield Springs Community Food Cooperative . . . 8 Handyman/Repairs Ed Smith Contractor and Handyman . . . . 38 Hardware/Lumber/Farm & Home Lincoln Davies, Sauquoit . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Morgan’s Hardware, Waterville . . . . . . . . . 19 Turner Lumber, Barneveld . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Wightman Specialty Woods . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Hearth Shops and Fuel Buell Fuel Hearth & Home, Deansboro . . . . . . . . . . 42 Insurance Farm Family Insurance, Boonville . . . . Gates-Cole Insurance, New Hartford . . HBE Group, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . Turnbull Insurance, New Hartford . . .

. . . . . . . 8 . . . . . . . 2 . . . . . . 5 . . . . . . 19

Interior Design/Custom Window Treatments The Added Touch Drapery, New Hartford . . . . . . 33 Ironwork Raulli’s Iron Works, Rome . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Jewelry Alison’s Jewelry & Repair, Utica . . . . . . . . . 7 Goldmine Jewelers, New Hartford . . . . . . . . 31 Lawn Mowers, Leaf, and Snow Blowers SD Power, Clinton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Lighting Mills Electrical Supply, Rome . . . . . . . . . . 26 Liquor Stores and Wine Ilion Wine & Spirits, Ilion . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Prospect Falls Winery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Trenton Station Liquor & Wine, Barneveld . . . . 38 Maple Syrup Ben & Judy’s Sugarhouse, West Edmeston . . Shaw’s Maple Products, Clinton . . . . . . . . Tibbits Maple, New Hartford . . . . . . . . VVS FFA Maple Weekend Breakfast Drive-thru, Verona . .

. . . . . . . .

24 22 22 23

Meats (See Delis) Media 92.7 The Drive WXUR, Utica . . . . . . . . . . . 43 FOX33/WUTR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 WKAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Weekly Adirondack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Monuments & Memorials Yorkville Memorials, Yorkville . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Musical Instrument Sales, Rentals, Lessons Big Apple Music, New Hartford . . . . . . . . . 19 Natural Food Stores Cooperstown Naturals, Cooperstown . . . . . . . . 7 Peter’s Cornucopia, New Hartford . . . . . . . . 41 Non-Profits and Social Service The House of the Good Shepherd, Utica . . . . . . . . 10

Serving Rome & Utica Since 1946

WKAL

TALKRADIO 1450

Optometrists Towpath Vision Care, Little Falls . . . . . . . . . 21 Paint and Painting Supplies Urbanik’s Paint & Wallpaper Co., Utica . . . . . . . 36 Physical Therapy Inertia PT, Utica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Pizzerias DiCastro’s Brick Oven, Rome . . . . . . . . . . 13 Primo Pizzeria, Clinton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Tony’s Pizza, New Hartford . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Portable Toilets and Bathrooms Mohawk Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Primitives Between Us Sisters, Munnsville . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Main Street Gift Shoppe, Newport . . . . . . . . 16 Produce, Local Ben & Judy’s Sugarhouse, West Edmeston . . . . . . Grassy Cow Dairy, Remsen . . . . . . . . . . Jewett’s Cheese, Earlville . . . . . . . . . . . . Jones Family Farm, Herkimer . . . . . . . . Shaw’s Maple Products, Clinton . . . . . . . . . Stoltzfus Family Dairy, Vernon Center . . . . . . Tibbits Maple, New Hartford . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . .

24 27 20 33 22 24 22

Quilt and Yarn Shops/Services Tiger Lily Quilt Co, Utica . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

sponsor news

White’s Farm Supply, Inc. Honored as One of Cub Cadet’s Top Performing Dealers in America for 2020 “With more than 1,700 dealers across the country, we’re proud to recognize our top-performing dealers that go above and beyond to provide the highest-quality service and products to their communities,” said Roy Keating, vice president of America’s sales and channel development. “With all that’s happened in 2020, this achievement is especially impressive and it’s clear that White’s Farm Supply, Inc. has an unrivaled dedication and enthusiasm to customer service.” White’s Farm Supply Inc. is located at Canastota, Franklin, Lowville and Waterville and offers a complete line of high-performance Cub Cadet outdoor power equipment, genuine parts, accessories and attachments, as well as expert service and recommendations. Customers can stop in or call [Canastota at 315-6972214, Franklin at 607-829-2600, Lowville at 315-376-0300 or Waterville at 315-841-4181 to set up a time to test drive any of the new 2021 Cub Cadet products. “Thanks to the hard work of our whole team and our trusted Cub Cadet products, we’re thankful for another successful year,” Doug White, Vice President said. “Our team went above and beyond to make 2020 a successful year, and we’re looking forward to continuing that commitment in 2021.” •

Record Stores Off Center Records, Utica . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Restaurants and Cafés Ann St. Deli, Little Falls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Club Monarch, Yorkville . . . . . . . . . . . . . DiCastro’s Brick Oven, Rome . . . . . . . . . Gone Coastal, Lee Center . . . . . . . . . . . Karam’s Middle East Bakery, Yorkville . . . . Killabrew, New Hartford . . . . . . . . . . . . . Main Street Ristorante, Newport . . . . . . . . Nola’s Restaurant, Clinton . . . . . . . . . . . Ohio Tavern, Cold Brook . . . . . . . . . . . Patio Drive-In, Utica . . . . . . . . . . . . . Phoenician Restaurant, New Hartford . . . . . . RoSo’s Cafe & Catering, Utica . . . . . . . . . . Route 69 Steakhouse, Whitesboro . . . . . . . . Sammy & Annie Foods, Utica . . . . . . . . . . . Tailor and Cook, Utica . . . . . . . . . . . . Wendy’s Diner, Cassville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Willie’s The Original Bagel Cafe, Utica . . . . . . The Willows, Utica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Spring

13 10 13 13 14 13 16 12 12 13 13 13 14 14 14 12 14 14

Shop Hop! April 9-11 10-5

ANTIQUE GALLERY

6768 Route 20, Bouckville (315) 893-7676 Open Apr-Oct: 10-5 daily; Nov-Dec: 10-4 daily January-March: Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 10-4 www.depotantiquegallery.com

Berry Hill Closed in January Book Shop Over 75,000 used books!

2349 Rte 12-B, Deansboro, NY 315-821-6188 Open Tues-Sat 10-5 dls@berryhillbookshop.com

Our lovely gallery offers a full range of antiques, fine furniture, and vintage collectibles!

The News Source of Old Forge, Inlet and Surrounding Communities FREE Newspaper Available in the Greater Old Forge Area! www.weeklyadk.com

Shoes Karaz Shoes, New Hartford . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Sneaker Store, New Hartford . . . . . . . . . . 2 Signs, Handcrafted Whistle Post Creations, Bouckville . . . . . . . . . . . 17

The answer to last month’s riddle about which president stopped by Cooperstown to visit the Baseball Hall of Fame:

Barack Obama

Snowmobiles/ATVs Hobby Hill Farm, Rome . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Towing Services Clinton Collision, Clinton . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Tree Services and Tree Farms Rick Turk Tree Service, Rome . . . . . . . . . . 43 Weddings and Banquets Club Monarch, Yorkville . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Wineries Prospect Falls Winery, Prospect . . . . . . . . . 38 Yogurt Stoltzfus Family Dairy, Vernon Center . . . . . . . 24

President Barack Obama stopped to admire Jackie Robinson’s jersey during his tour of the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014. He became the first sitting US President to visit the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Official White House photo by Pete Souza

The winner is Maria Canarelli of Cassville

last month’s crossword solution

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The event will take place Saturday, May 15, 2021 The winner is Eugene Lyszczarz of Utica

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Mohawk Valley Living #88 March 2021

Articles inside

Tales from Shawangunk, Part 76

MV Astronomy Club

On The Farm with Suzie

MV Crossword

ADK Journal