Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Bostwick House Bed & Breakfast


Wednesday began as it seems everyday this month has with rain showers. Having prepared our baggage Tuesday evening Joan and I left Auburn shortly after noon and made our way down Rt. 34 to Ithaca. Using the GPS as our guide we made our way to Bostwick House Bed & Breakfast

On November 14, 2008, while attending the 16th Annual Public Interest Bid for Justice Auction at the Oncenter Convention Center in Syracuse, NY, Emily and Michael bid on and won a one night stay at the Bostwick House Bed & Breakfast and a bottle of Hazlitt White Stag wine. This getaway package was donated by former SPIN directors: Ryatt Maness, Jennifer Pautz, Stephen Heath, and Nora Spillane.

On Christmas Eve, knowing our fondest for bed and breakfasts, Emily and Michael gave us their purchase as a Christmas gift.

Before checking in at the B&B, we proceeded to The Commons in downtown Ithaca. Caught in a maze of one-way streets we wished that we had Michael with us to help navigate. Once finding a parking space we took our umbrellas and walked around the area. Looked into several restaurants and studied their posted menus. Bought the Ithaca Journal at a newsstand.

Arriving at the Bostwick House we were greeted by Maryrose Savino, the owner. Maryrose showed us to our room, The Library Suite. The room was as advertised a charming place with private bathroom, queen bed with designer bedding and books at your fingertips. This suite is located on the first floor of the house.

One interesting feature of the suite is an original map of Tompkins County.




Featuring:



The location of the house



The identity of the first owner



An illustration of Enfield Falls


Walked around the grounds and took some photos.


View from porch. Day still overcast.



View from backyard.



Spring house - chicken coop - chickens.



Maryrose in her studio doorway.


Sat in the living room and read the paper.


Foyer - Stairway - Looking into Living Room.


Maryrose provided a dish of blueberries that she just picked and two tall glasses of lemonade.


Living Room



Living Room Mantle



Living Room Mantle with Glass Collection


The sun peeked through so Joan went out on the porch to read.





On Maryrose’s recommendation we decided to dine at ZaZa’s Cucina at 622 Cascadilla Street. The atmosphere was unique, evidently the structure was once a video store. The waitstaff was alert and responsive. After sampling the crusty rolls served with olive oil, Joan had eggplant parm and I had chicken parm. Both were came with fresh asparagus and my entree included garlic roasted potatoes. While the portions were not large the sauce was excellent.

Returning to our lodging, we spent the evening finishing our novels and retired early.

Rising for the scheduled 7:45 AM breakfast, we introduced ourselves to the other guests, Larry, a Sci-Fi writer, and his son, Gerard and Alexis and her daughter, Rebecca. Larry wrote the script for one of the Planet of the Apes films. Gerard, a high school junior, was having his third interview for admission to Cornell. Alicia, also junior, was checking out Ithaca College.

Maryrose served orange juice, a blueberry yogurt, a French toast dish with blueberries, ready-to-serve sausage, and coffee for breakfast. Rebecca was soy tolerant, so Maryrose made her an omelet with tomato and artichoke on the side.


Dining Room


Since their appointments were for 8:30 AM the foursome left right after eating breakfast.

After breakfast, Joan and I sat on the porch. Joan read and I observed a titmouse sitting on a power line as well as a woodpecker in a front yard tree. The chickens were active in their cage.


Porch



Titmouse on Wire



Porch Flower Garden



Maryrose's Studio



Chicken Coop


Leaving around 11 AM we stopped at the bottom of Bostwick Road to photograph a gnarly tree. This tree was outside the white picket fence of a home for the elderly.









We then drove on to Watkins Glen. Passing through Burdett, NY we noticed an attractive little cafe. If it had been later we probably would have had lunch there.

At Watkins Glen we parked behind the Harbor Hotel and walked out on the pier. This was truly one of the best days for the summer.


Mandatory Pier Shot



Family Fishing



Summer School Students - Kayaking Class



Trumpet Vine



Watkins Glen Yatch Club


Continuing driving north we passed several wineries. In Geneva, we had lunch at the Ponderosa. The eatery helped us recall the many times we frequented this franchise while traveling to Akron.

After visiting Sauder's to stock up on birdseed and buy fresh peaches we drove into the driveway around 3 PM.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

No, No Nanette


Becca Kloha is carried along
by (from left) Warren Curtis, Ralph Meitzler
and Blakely Slaybaugh in "No, No, Nanette."
Photo courtesy of Merry-Go-Round Theatre


Last evening Joan and I attended the Merry-Go-Round production of No, No, Nanette. The company did a splendid job. The singing was superb and the dance routines made your feet tap. The crowd was extremely attentive especially the youngsters in the audience.

Joan Vadeboncoeur of The Post-Standard gave the play a good review, as did Tony Curulla a Post-Standard Contributing Writer.

Two fact of interest were featured in the program handout.

One, originally No, No, Nanette was a non-musical play titled My Lady Friend which opened on Broadway in December of 1919. The show was financed by producer Harry Frazee who owned the Boston Red Sox. In order to make the funds needed for the play, Frazee traded baseball legend Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees. This resulted in a superstition called the "Curse of the Bambino," which many fans believed kept the Red Sox from winning the World series from 1918 to 2004.

Second, the song "Tea for Two," written by Irving Caesar, begins with the lyrics "picture you/upon my knee/just tea for two/and two for tea" which were originally just "dummy lyrics" put in place to figure out the rhyme and rhythm of the song. But the producer loved these lyrics just the way they were and kept them.

The Broadway revival of No, No, Nanette opened in 1971. It lasted longer in its revival than the original production. It ran for 861 performances and won several Tony and Drama Awards.

So glad Ed Sayles included this production in the 2009 Summer series. The enthusiasm of the troop made for enjoyable theater.

Sunday, July 26, 2009

The Finger Lakes Antique Car Show



The Finger Lakes Antique Car Show at Emerson Park was held today along the shores of Owasco Lake.

Among the rows of cars, were a maroon 1929 square-top Chevrolet, a Ford, a Chevrolet Camaro, and a 1967 Mercedes-Benz.



Could this be the Studebaker that Granny used
to knock down the garage at "77"?




Got to love the lightning bolt.




Didn't John Lennon have one of these?




Snapped this couple driving through the park.




This is Bill Edward's Chevy.

Didn't Uncle George and Aunt Florence
rent a camp near his family years ago?


First you see Jack.




Then you don't.






Self-Portrait






Didn't Gram's landlord own one of these?




Didn't Jack Lemmon drive this car?




Or was this the Studebaker Granny drove?




Where do these people purchase their car wax?








This rod was from Union Springs. Cool flames.

Skaneateles Antique and Classic Boat Show



The 31st annual Antique and Classic Boat show took port at the foot of Skaneateles Lake right in the heart of the village. Held the last weekend in July this show draws thousands to the village on the lake. M&T Bank is the major sponsor for the show.





Boats were docked at the village pier and along the shore of Clift Park.



Tom Haefelyn, of Homer, talking with his friend who is in the 30-foot Hacker, which is a reproduction that Tom built from blueprints in 2000.



Many came to just sit and look out on the lake.





Most of the boats were wooden vessels constructed from the 1920s to the 1950s.



Many boats were mahogany runabouts manufactured by Chris Craft, Hacker and Garwood during the early 20th century.



Dora Doll

Historic Restored Launch


Other boats in the show included sailboats, canoes, rowing craft and race boats. Many have been restored to their original condition.



Old Town Canoe




Adirondack Guide Boat




A Fleet Wing built by Karelsen in 1971.


Wendy Valint from Buffalo brought two classic row boats to the show. One dating back to the late 1800s while the other was built in 1939.



Wendy Valint's Boppy

Judged Best Small Craft Restored


Some boaters trailered their boats to the show in style.







Several people brought their dogs to the show.



Kosta




Maxwell




Max


The mandatory photos taken from Clift Park of Skaneateles Lake.