Hi All!

Just a bit OT and I hope you won't mind.

I guess you could call this a follow up to my post of "Despite the Weather It's a Luxary to Live in Upstate NY" and also a response to Salads-R-Us, "Where's the Fall Foilage?"

As to the followup, "Despite the Weather It's a Luxary to Live in Upstate NY", I now have to add the word "BUT" in capital letters. This is and has to be the worst weather I've ever experienced lasting for such a long period of time in the month of October. Just as we had our over extended summer during September and the first few days of October, sadly there doesn't seem to be an end in sight of this dreary damp and dank wet weather, with maybe just a slight pause come Saturday.

And responding to "Where's the Fall Foilage?", again, and sadly because of the weather, a great deal of it, is on the ground soaking wet, at least where I live.

How come I'm such a whiz at these facts? For me it's easy. Today is my "43rd Wedding Anniversary". It's a day I'll never forget and one of the most spectacular days of my life. Have you ever played 50/50 hoping you'd win half the pot? Well on my Wedding Day I won the whole thing. 50% of it was getting married to my wife Dale and the other 50% was one of the most unbeilevable beautiful Fall Days I can ever remember.

For those who would go back that far they would remember there was such a thing as a summer as well as Winter (or Fall) tuxedo, and wedding dresses must have weighed a ton. Most reception rooms had no air conditioning (that was a luxary back then). On that day it was sweltering hot for that time of year in the high 70's, topping off easily in the 80's or 90's in the sun. As timely as it could be for Dale and I our reception was planned as an outdoor affair at her Aunt's home in Chenango Forks NY. I can't express in words what a beautiful day Dale and I had despite the Winter tux and her overly uncomfortable wedding gown. At least I was able to take off the jacket. Despite the heat the spectrum of the hilly Appalachin Mountain Chain made a perfect backdrop.

Now to make this long story shorter.

For the past 41 years Dale and I have always made a point of taking a long ride on or about Oct 13th during the week. On a couple of those occasions we did have rain but planned either on a day before or a couple days after as a rain date so we could make this trip near our new surroundings in Central New York. The spectacular color we experienced on so many of these outings always made up for if and when the rain delay happened.

Our trip always had been from Syracuse as we lived most of those years in the City. Originally we began our treks north towards Oswego and Watertown. Then on a few occasions west to the Finger Lakes. All beautiful areas but for the past more than 20 years we've opted for RT's 173 to Jamesville, 91 to Pompey, 20 to Cazenovia, on to 26 to Rome and back on RT 5. The views on 20 can be breathtaking and we felt comfortable pulling over as there seemed to be less traffic after RT81 opened. Plus we seemed less pressed with traffic behind and this trip was always on the weekdays avoiding the weekends. Each year we added or deleted for the taking of time to ride to the Town of Fenner windmills (which I wish I had in my backyard) or up and actually down-hill on RT 13 to Chittenango Falls to Sylavan beach then along the North shore of Oneida Lake, etc. I have to admit it was a cheap inexpensive way to spend an anniversary, but the rewards have always been "priceless".

I've never had the inkling to try the Adirondack's Foilage change as I know there the display is probably more spectacular (but also short lived). To be able to experience the same change in our very own backyard of CNY year after and the fact the scene never gets boring is also as amazing, (as well as longer lasting).

This is my first year of retirement. I as well as Dale were really looking forward to that ride. It probably will still happen, BUT not until next week sometime. There still is alot of green left in the larger Maple trees so there probably will still be some color if we don't have any strong winds as the leaves will begin to weaken. "BUT" amazingly the Red Maple on our front lawn is half de-leaved. This morning I had to take the dog out in the backyard on a leash to do her thing because the ground is so saturated. It was just a sprinkle but I took notice of the Maple in the backyard. The leaves are half red and half green. But get this, half are on the ground :>( So go figure.

I'll end this by ending with a Yogism, well at least "It ain't over 'til it's over." and as they so often say in sports if worse comes, "There's always next year."

And I know this one is not an original, "I can't wait to get back to gardening." or raking leaves, or mowing the lawn, or turning the compost :>(

Jim