I can’t claim that travel expands the mind, but I have observed that it expands the waistline and the photography portfolio.
As we headed south from Ottawa en route to Phoenix via Myrtle Beach, we passed through upstate New York. Just a few weeks ago they’d had a few feet of snow dumped on them, apparently to celebrate American Thanksgiving. It’s a local custom, I believe: as a Canadian, I don’t really feel qualified to comment on it. Now that snow was mostly gone.
But all the water in that snow had to go somewhere. Some of it sublimated, likely; some lay in the fields, clearly (but also muckily); some ran off into streams, creeks, sloughs, and ponds, certainly. I’m used to waterways being high in the spring: seeing them high-from-snow-melt in late December was a first.
Given the overcastedness of the day, you might reasonably be concerned about our morale, but fear not. There were blue skies in our future.
Eventually, there were even blue birds. Well, birds with “blue” in their names. The great blue heron is yet another bird that raises the question of what people were thinking when they named them.
Anyway, whether their names make sense or not so much, we were back in the land of big birds, “big” being defined as relatively easy to photograph even with phones. Hallelujah.
As we zoomed down the Interstate, some of us driving and some of us taking occasional photographs and noticing road signs, I was left with a few questions:
- There must be a downstate New York, so why does no one ever talk about it?
- Does the town of Marathon sponsor a marathon? If not, why not?
- What ever made bakers think that a flavour-free fritter–aka an Old Fashioned Doughnut–would even be worth the effort, much less an actual good idea?
- What the heck is the Labrador Hollow Unique Area? (OK, I got an answer to that, but it still seems like an unhelpful name for a road sign, descriptively speaking.)
Now we’re paused in Myrtle Beach for a week, celebrating Christmas, the first night of Hanukkah, and the 134th anniversary of my grandmother’s birth. (You might be more familiar with this last holiday by its astronomical name: the winter solstice.) What’s my wish for you during this period that is, sadly, nowhere near to being midway through winter for most of us? Two things:
- May you have enough blue skies to keep up your morale, and enough overcastedness to recognize and appreciate the relief when it comes.
- May the blue bird of happiness–Or the gray one, whatever, it’s a technical name not a descriptive one, all right?–visit you and yours, within range of whatever camera you have with you.
Isabel
That great blue heron photo is spectacular.
Tom
Tom – Many thanks. They’re spectacular birds. Glad I’m not a small fish . . .
Isabel – I LIKE Old Fashioned Doughnuts, perhaps because their subtle taste isn’t overpowered by sour cream, or tons of icing sugar, or chocolate, or sprinkles, or I could go on, but you get the idea. I can be subtle on occasion, in case you missed it.
Why is there no mention of downstate New York? Perhaps because nobody wants to live there. They all wish they were somewhere outside NYC where it is green.
John – 🙂 Well, it’s clear that you’re in the majority, or doughnut shops wouldn’t stock them as a standard item. So enjoy! You can have mine, with my compliments.
Your mention of blue skies reminded me of that lovely old Irving Berlin song, and especially Willie Nelson’s 1978 rendition. It (Willie’s) was released when I was into another type of music and I surprised myself by how much I liked it and the whole Stardust album.
May we all have blue skies from now on.
Marion – I remember being stunned (in a good way) by Willie’s rendition. I was not then a fan of any country music or country singer – but he his range was well beyond that. Blue skies from hereon out, it is!
If you live in New York State, as I did through my junior and senior high school years, you talk about “the Southern Tier” south of Buffalo or, to the east, The City, meaning the greater metropolitan area of New York City. The geography of the state gives it many regional names, such as the Finger Lakes region in the middle, and the mountainous regions running from Upstate New York down through the Hudson Valley through the Catskills and other parts of “the Adirondacks” not specified. Our family explored many of those scenic areas on weekend outings.
My husband rarely chooses anything but those plain Old Fashioned donuts, which are only remotely related to the quite delicious old-fashioned ones I can make at home. I don’t suppose they would still be on Timmy’s menu if there were not more people like him.
Safe travels, a blessed Christmas, and more stunning photos in 2025!
Laurna – There, now, I should have guessed that one of “you” would know the names for the various parts of NY state (but I didn’t – :-)). Thanks! I think my husband likes those doughnuts because they remind him of the ones his mother used to make at home. The same reason I like cooked red cabbage at this time of year.
Ah! Blue skies – we all want them because they make us feel so much better! Your photos give me the same feeling. Thank you.
Judith – Thank *you.* It’s funny that blue skies make us happy, but feeling blue means the opposite.
You’re on the road again, so safe trip and be like a cat — in these unsettling times — and Find the Sun, curl up for a cozy nap. See you in the Spring. 😀
Barbara – 🙂 Got it. And will do it.