Found Abandoned

One of the advantages of being a studio photographer is that you get a range of jobs. This may or not be good in terms of working, for example, This time of year is school photo time and this week I was given several of these school jobs. The down side is that you may be required to travel and have to carry a portable studio along with you; the upside is it helps the expense sheet…. This past week I have been working down state, south of Kingston, New York State, in the Catskill Mountains some 100 miles from home so with a 5am start and getting home at 6pm, it has not left me much time to sit down and write for my blog. Mother nature wasn't kind to me making sure sunrise came after I arrived at the school and ensuring rain was falling on my return journeys, making photographing the mountains almost impossible.

On Friday I was traveling home on a back road when I noticed some abandoned rail cars at the side of the road. With my love of things abandoned, I pulled over in a convenient space at the roadside and took some photos. With the pouring rain and me huddled under a very large umbrella camera round my neck, some passing motorists looked at me as though I had just escaped from the local asylum. A marker tells the public that this was once part of the O&W Railroad.

The Ontario and Western Railway, was a regional railroad with origins in 1868, the last passenger train departed Kingston for Oneonta in 1954, the company then lasted until 1957 when it was ordered liquidated. The O&W holds the distinction of being the first major U.S. railroad to be abandoned in its entirety. The railroad began life as the New York and Oswego Midland Railroad in 1868. Its mainline ran from Weehawken, New Jersey to Oswego, New York, a port city on Lake Ontario. It had branch lines to Scranton, Pennsylvania; Kingston, Port Jervis, Monticello, Delhi, Utica, and Rome in New York. The part south of Cornwall, New York was operated over the New York Central Railroad's West Shore Railroad via trackage rights.

It was obvious that the rail cars had been there for some time… and even more amazing was that they were on both sides of the busy Rt 209 and the rails were still across the road. The Catskills Mountain Railroad now appear to own these abandoned cars…In 2008, CMR volunteers rebuilt and reopened the first sections of track in downtown Kingston and introduced the Kingston City Shuttle. With the goal of crossing the Esopus River and climbing Mount Hurley to reach the Ashokan reservoir, volunteers rebuilt almost two miles of track through the historic city of Kingston. The section by route 209 was left as was and today is the start of a public/county rail history trail.







Having taken the rail cars, I noticed the Esopus Creek was next to me. Even two weeks after Hurricane Irene, the creek was still many times its normal width, normally the creek is clear water maybe 20 feet wide, a pretty looking watercourse, today it was still over 100 feet wide and a muddy brown colour. Looking at the fields along the creek, one could see the damage to farmland that Irene caused. There were acres and acres of what three weeks ago before the storms had been corn almost ready for harvest and which were now little more than stalks in a muddy landscape.

Saratoga Fair Celtic Festival

One thing about living in this part of New York State is the large number of folk festivals that are held this time of year…. I say folk but really they are Celtic festivals. This weekend was the Irish 2000 Festival at the Saratoga Fair Ground in Ballston Spa, New York. This year there were over 20 groups to watch from traditional to contemporary styles.

Most of the folk groups who play at these festivals are very good musicians and it is difficult to fault their playing but even after six years of attending these festivals I still sit in wonder at what they play. At many of these festivals, Celtic means Irish but there always seems confusion on what is Irish, Scottish and even English. To digress a little, Celtic music is that of the Celtic Nation, to most Europeans, the Celtic Nation consists of six areas, Brittany (north west France), Cornwall (south west England), Wales, Scotland, the Isle of Man and of course Ireland. The music from these areas is plentiful and varied but is similar in the underlying style.

Back to Saratoga, the highlights for me this year were two groups, Leahy and Girsa. Leahy hail from Ontario, Canada and play a mixture of Irish and traditional music from Cape Breton in Nova Scotia. The music from Cape Breton is a mixture of the first settlers, the French, hence the name Breton, a reference to Brittany and the later Scottish. The French established the first permanent settlements of present day Englishtown in 1629 and St. Peter's 1630 on what they called Ile Royale. Later in 1775 the Scottish community led by Michael Mór MacDonald of South Uist settled on Cape Breton Island and named the community Judique, still maintaining a French naming.

Leahy are an 8 piece group consisting of brothers and sisters all who are multi talented and play several instruments as well as all being excellent step dancers. Their hour and a half performance had the audience riveted, not only the music but also the way it was played. The lead fiddle player Donnell playing not only the normal bowed style but also pizzicato and a form of fiddle claw hammer at speeds that were incredible.  New audiences have learned that this family of instrumentalists, singers, and dancers brings a rare level of originality and musicianship to the stage. This originality includes music that Leahy writes, arranges, and produces. Known for their unique blend of musical styles and genres, their repertoire is more distinct than ever.

Leahy

The second group that caught my ear was Girsa… Girsa is an all-female traditional Irish band that hails from Pearl River, NY.  Their name means "young girls" in Gaelic.  The girls grew up in the Irish tradition, dancing and playing music for as long as they can remember.  After playing with each other for years, the girls formed a band and have not looked back since. They gave a totally professional performance and I for one will be looking for their next gig.

Girsa

 The one thing that no Celtic festival can do without is genuine Celtic food… like Nachos, Pizza and of course corned beef and cabbage….. in actual fact, the Irish who came to America brought Boiled Bacon and Cabbage. 

   

Anyone who has watched the movie Titanic will have heard Jack and others mention bacon and cabbage. In the U.S. and Canada, consumption of corned beef is often associated with Saint Patrick's Day. Corned beef is not considered an Irish national dish, and the connection with Saint Patrick's Day specifically originates as part of Irish-American culture, and is often part of the celebrations in North America. In Ireland, the closest traditional dish is

 

bacon and cabbage (more akin to Canadian style bacon or ham). Corned beef and cabbage became popular in the U.S. after Irish immigrants in the northeast used corned beef instead of pork in the dish. This substitution was likely due to the low cost of corned beef in the U.S. Corned beef was used as a substitute for bacon by Irish American immigrants in the late 19th century. 

Leahy

Girsa

Mount Greylock

After weeks of almost unbearable high temperatures up in the high 80s F (low 30s C) and humidity you could cut with a knife, the temperature finally dropped to a more pleasant 65F (18C) combined with a day off work, it gave me the chance to get out in the hills again. Having quickly looked at the map and following a guide on local walks from the Sunday paper, I decided to head off to Mount Greylock. At  3,491 feet (1064m), Mount Greylock is the highest point in Massachusetts, rising above the surrounding Berkshire landscape giving dramatic views of the country 60-90 miles distant. Heading down Interstate I90 and on to the Mass Pike, I soon arrived at Lee and made my way through Pittsfield and Lanesborough to arrive at the Greylock Visitor Centre. The information board told me that the summit was some 8 miles (12km) away along well-made and defined trails. Following the markers I set off along the trail, which wandered its way though woodland, which at times became very dense. 

 Even with the lower temperature the trees kept the humidity on the high side and despite the gentle rise of the trail it soon became hard work, each yard feeling like two. After some 3 hours of walking I came across a small lake with a disused hut on its banks, after making sure that the swarms of no sees and mosquitoes were not there, I decided it was an ideal spot for lunch. Feeling refreshed I set off on the last leg of the climb, the tress giving way to more open areas until you reach the summit which is devoid of all trees. 

Near the summit

From the Visitors Centre, a paved road snakes it’s way up to the summit for those who don’t feel that exercise is something they should be doing. The large parking lot at the summit bears witness to that and was full of SUV’s, many bearing bumper stickers announcing to the world that they had undertaken such treks as conquering Mount Washington in New Hampshire (which also has a road all the way to the top) and now they could add the ‘I made the Summit of Mount Greylock’ (on sale in the shop for $1.50) to it. A short walk from the parking area is Bascom Lodge with its café and bunkhouse. 

Bascom Lodge

Bascom Lodge was built in the 1930’s by the Civilian Conservation Corps to provide accommodations for hikers, vacationers, and nature enthusiasts. The bunkhouse is one of many found along the Appalachian Trail or simply the AT, which runs between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine, a length of approximately 2,181 miles (3510 km). A board inside the lodge proudly told me that I was 590 miles (950km) from the end in Maine and 1,550 miles (2500km) from the start in Georgia. Refreshed by a cold drink, I wandered over to the monument placed on the summit.  

 The Massachusetts Veterans War Memorial Tower was built in 1932 as a tribute to courage, endurance, loyalty and self-sacrifice, shown, by the state’s men and women in uniform. To amuse those whose day trip involves the total effort of walking round the summit path before having a sandwich and coffee then heading home having seen the wonder of the mountain called Greylock, there are several engraved stones beside the path, dedicated to Henry David Thoreau; (July 12, 1817 – May 6, 1862) an American author, poet, and abolitionist.

 
The walk back down seemed harder than the climb up, the rocks which acted as well placed steps on the climb up now became mini cliffs ready to trap the unwary walker in twisting an ankle or two. Back at the Visitor Centre I removed my boots and as I got back in my car, looked up at the summit and took comfort in the fact that I had conquered on foot a mighty 8 miles of the AT… perhaps next time I can find another walk that will add a few more miles and reduce the remaining 2,173 miles I still need to do to complete the AT !

http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/mtGreylock/index.htm

The Devil wears a Tux

As I had a long journey this morning to get to my photo shoot. I climbed out of my nice warm bed at just before 5am. As always, first thing is to hit the coffee pot and get a breath of fresh air, with a fresh cup in hand I opened the back door and was about to step out on to the porch when I was greeted by the metal trash bins out in the back being knocked over. Creeping out to the porch, I instantly, realised who the intruder was, that smell is unmistakable, not as bad as I had been led to believe before moving over here, but bad enough. There was the culprit resplendently dressed in his black and white tuxedo, our friend the local skunk. Despite the smell, skunks are clean animals and groom themselves well, this male about 2 feet long without his tail, had vivid bright white stripes set against the jet black body fur. 

Skunks will eat whatever comes along so the trash is an ideal opportunity for them to scavenge.  Although they have excellent senses of smell and hearing they have poor vision, so it's possible to sit down with the camera and take photographs without fear of the critter running off having seen me. Today I didn't have time to grab my camera but I have several shots of him in the garden on his previous visits.

w

 Even the famous Charles Darwin made comment in his book the Voyage of the Beagle –

“We saw also a couple of Zorrillos, or skunks—odious animals, which are far from uncommon. In general appearance the Zorrillo resembles a polecat, but it is rather larger, and much thicker in proportion. Conscious of its power, it roams by day about the open plain, and fears neither dog nor man. If a dog is urged to the attack, its courage is instantly checked by a few drops of the fetid oil, which brings on violent sickness and running at the nose. Whatever is once polluted by it, is for ever useless. Azara says the smell can be perceived at a league distant; more than once, when entering the harbour of Monte Video, the wind being off shore, we have perceived the odour on board the Beagle. Certain it is, that every animal most willingly makes room for the Zorrillo.”

After about half an hour the skunk realised that attempting to get in to the metal bins was useless and having eaten all the wind fallen sycamore seeds lying around, flicked his tail and disappeared up the garden and under the fence…. Until the next time !

HURDY-GURDY – a Winter Project

Anyone who knows the northeast USA will tell you how brutal the winters can be, with temperatures frequently dropping down to 0F (-17C) for two or three months and usually accompanied with anything up to three feet (one metre) of snow. Once winter starts to set in, it is impossible to go out walking, even a gentle stroll round the local park requires clothing reminiscent of Artic explorers, so I retreat to the attic and my workshop.

Last years guitar

This time of the year is the time to think of what project I will tackle over those winter months, last year I made a classical guitar. It was the first musical instrument I have made, a change from CD racks, bird houses and bedroom furniture. I have to admit that I did cheat a little when building it, my carving skills are not the best in the world so I ended up buying a ready made neck blank that just needed finishing before fitting the fret board and frets and attaching to the body. While thinking about what do this year, my love of Brittany in northwest France and my interest in folk music, gave me the inspiration, I finally decided that this years project would be a hurdy gurdy.

As this project gets under way, fuller updates with photos and information will be posted on my web site.

Barrel organ player at Albany, New York Tulip Festival

The instrument should not be mixed up with what a lot of people call a hurdy gurdy. Developed in the 13th century the hurdy gurdy spread from Spain to France and eastern Europe, It did make its way across the English Channel but was never a really popular instrument in England, Today it is still played at dances along with melodic instruments, in the Breton (Brittany) region of France and the Szentes and Csongrád regions of Hungary. The man you see sometimes at fairs and Renaissance events often with a monkey holding a cup to collect offerings from the public is usually called a hurdy gurdy man but in fact the instrument he plays is actually a small barrel organ. The hurdy gurdy is a full instrument and can play any tune while the barrel organ uses a drum with the notes on it, so can only play one tune repeatedly without changing the drum.

The drum with the notes in the barrel organ

On the hurdy gurdy, turning a handle rotates a wooden wheel, which touches the strings and makes the sound, a similar principle to the bow moving over violin strings. A box on top of the instrument houses a set of tangents or stops, fixed on sliding bars or keys, when a key is depressed, the tangent stops the string at a particular note, just like fingers on a guitar neck.

Working parts of a hurdy gurdy

  

Up to four chanterelles or melody strings are encased in the box containing the keys and run over the wheel, additionally, up to four drone strings run outside the box; these drone strings can usually be silenced by being moved away from the wheel. One drone, the trompette, has a trembling or buzzing bridge, which rattles against the belly causing a buzzing sound. These extra drone strings give the sound that is characteristic of the hurdy gurdy. The body shape has many forms, from a guitar like body to a lute shaped body. The French hurdy gurdy or vielle, which I am going to start on, has the lute shaped body.

The major problem was finding the plans to work from, I had some rough ideas on sizes but nothing that I could sit down with and build a full instrument. Scouring the internet, I found several sites where I could buy plans, but not wanting to spend $50 or so on plans unless I absolutely had to, I kept looking just in case before having to part with my money. After much searching I found plans for a lute bodied hurdy gurdy on a site run by Graeme McCormack so now its time to settle down and study them.

A typical flat bottom hurdy gurdy

For the plans -
Graeme McCormack's hurdy gurdy plans

Fort George, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada

When one mentions the year 1812, the thoughts of what happened in that year depend on which side of the Atlantic you live. Most people in Europe think immediately about the Festival Overture in E flat major, Op. 49, more commonly known as the 1812 Overture written by Russian composer Tchaikovsky in 1880 to commemorate Russia's defence of Moscow against Napoleon's advancing Grande Armée at the Battle of Borodino in 1812. On the American side people think of 1812 as a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including a desire for expansion into the Northwest Territory and against trade restrictions imposed by virtue of Britain's war with France. In the U.S., battles such as the Battle of New Orleans and the earlier successful defence of Baltimore (which inspired the lyrics of the U.S. national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner") produced a sense of euphoria over a "second war of independence" against Britain. Canada also emerged from the war with a heightened sense of national feeling and solidarity, having repelled multiple American invasions. Canadians used battles such as the Battle of Queenston Heights as such examples. While the war is scarcely remembered in Britain today, as it was seen as a sideshow to the war against Napoleon, it welcomed an era of peaceful relations and trade with the United States

One of the largest battles in the war, was that of Lundy’s Lane in Niagara Falls, it took place on 25 July 1814. It was one of the bloodiest battles of the war and one of the deadliest battles ever fought on Canadian soil. Today a Red Lobster Restaurant and a Subway sandwich shop mark the site of the battle.

The main buildings within the fort walls

 One legacy of the war is the large number of Forts that dot the banks of the Niagara River, Fort Niagara, Fort Erie and Fort George. The Fort George National Historic Site is a historic military structure at Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, which was the scene of several battles during the War of 1812. The fort consists of earthworks and palisades, along with internal structures, including an officer's quarters, blockhouses to accommodate other ranks and their families, and a stone powder magazine, which is the only original building on the site. Opposite Fort George, across the Niagara River, stands Fort Niagara in New York, which can be clearly seen from Fort George's ramparts. Fort George was built by the British Army 1802 and became the headquarters for the British Army and the local militia. U.S. forces captured Fort George in May 1813 at the Battle of Fort George. The British Army recaptured the fort in December. Fort George was restored as a "Make Work Project", guided by plans from the Royal Canadian Engineers, during the Great Depression of the 1930s

the British Red Coat uniforms of the 41st - the white and yellow are those of musicians

 Today, the site is a National Historic Site of Canada, maintained by Parks Canada. The fort is open to visitors from April to October. The staff maintains the image of the fort as it was during the early 19th century, with period costumes, exhibits, and displays of that time. They have volunteer staff who train in the infantry tactics and firing drills of the 41st regiment, as well as the 41st Fife and Drum Corps, who give demonstrations on how the fife and drums were played.

This day, there were several talks on the war and how people lived both in the fort and in the surrounding areas as well as live displays of musket firing and troop tactics in using the famous English Brown Bess musket, all undertaken by staff dressed in period military and civilian costume.

 Having spent some 5 hours at the fort, I can say that it is well worth the $12can entrance charge, The only complaint that I have, is that there is no where to purchase food or drink other than a single soda/water vending machine. There are picnic tables available outside the fort (you can leave and go back in) if you bring your own food and assuming you know that fact in the first place. Food is available in Niagara –on – the – Lake a few minutes drive away, but as we found on this day, it was solid with cars and people, the only available parking was on the streets where parking restrictions were common and these streets were about a half mile from the town itself, so eating there was not really an option. 

Fort George web site

Another summer closes

In America, Labor Day marks the end of another summer season, and time to visit our Canadian cousins.  Niagara Falls is about a 5 hours drive so with an early start it's easy to be there for lunch. After checking in to the hotel, it was time to tidy up after 5 hours in the car and admire the view of the falls from the hotel room. As always, the larger Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side was enveloped in a cloud of mist making it difficult to see and even more difficult to photograph. The view of the American Falls was stunning and I once again felt sorry for the Americans. While the falls are on their side, they cannot see the full beauty as you can from the Canadian side.

 After a quick wash and brush up we hit the road to do some shopping. For some reason that is beyond me, the brands that I know and love from England are rare in the US and can only be obtained from specialist shops. So visiting the Canadian supermarkets which seem to stock them everywhere gives me a chance to stock up on amongst others Heinz Baked Beans, (most American beans are laced with things like maple syrup, bacon and brown sugar while English beans are beans in a plain tomato sauce), Bisto Gravy, HP Sauce (a type of steak sauce), Birds Custard and several brands of cordial, a substance many Americans view with almost satanical eyes. Cordial for those who don’t know is a sort of fruit juice concentrate, one pours about one inch into a glass and tops up with water and is available in flavours such as Lemon Barley and Blackcurrant (sold as Ribena). It is also the time to stock up an English chocolate, Bounty, Mars (called three musketeers in the US), Crunchie and wine gums not forgetting the Cadbury’s Flake – I have yet to meet an American who doesn't fall in love with a flake and wish that they were available in the US.

 Having stocked up it was time to eat. We went to our favourite Italian Restaurant Mama Mia’s at the junction of Clifton Hill and Victoria Avenue, they've been serving Italian cuisine since 1958, and are the proud winners of two “Best Italian Restaurant” awards. We have been to the restaurant several times and had good meals. This time, I opted for the spaghetti and meatballs only to be corrected that it was a single meatball.  It arrived – fresh made pasta and homemade tomato sauce with the one meatball. Huge was not the word to describe it, looking for all intents and purpose as if it was ready to be used in some baseball game or cricket match. Despite its size it was well cooked and moist to the centre, the pasta sauce was good but to be honest did lack a little seasoning.  I left the restaurant feeling full but not over full.  On a previous visit to this restaurant I had a chicken cream pesto dish, which I now cook at home on a regular basis, the recipe is given below. 

After dinner we walked down to the falls and settled down in the garden of a bar overlooking the falls. It would be difficult to say I enjoyed the beer there…. It tasted fine, as good as any draft beer I have had before, but the price of $7.50can a pint was a little off putting, even a bottle of Bud removed $5can from your wallet! The rest of the evening was spent watching a free concert just across the road, a Niagara based group called Split Agent. They played middle of the road rock mainly from the 70s and were in fact pretty good.

Fireworks over the American Falls

 After a two-hour concert we sat back and watched the firework show. Niagara Parks put on the concerts and fireworks every Friday during summer as a free thank you to those who visit.  With it now being dark, I walked down to the falls and spent some time photographing the American and Horseshoe Falls, now lit up by the powerful spotlights. Having set up the camera on the tripod, I suddenly became a magnet for couples and families wanting a photograph of them all together with the backdrop of the illuminated falls. From some odd comments I heard, it appears the camera on a tripod sets you apart from the tourist snapshoter and catapults you into the realm of the hardened 'pro'. After getting the shots I wanted, I made my way back to the hotel, finding Clifton Hill wall to wall people and cars. Despite being 11 pm, it was busier than we had seen it on a Saturday afternoon. All the attractions were still open and packing the crowds and places like the Fudge Factory were heaving with lines out of the door. For me after the drive and the late night, all I wanted was to get some sleep.

 Chicken Cream Pesto Pasta

• 1lb       Penne or Rotini pasta
• 1lb       cooked and sliced chicken breast 
• 1          small onion finely sliced
• 3          cloves crushed garlic (or to taste)
• 1pt       heavy (double) cream

 Cook the pasta al dente and set aside. Sauté the onion and garlic until soft but still has a little firmness and set aside.  In a large skillet or frying pan warm up the cream but do not bring to the boil. Add pesto and tomato paste to your taste, usually about 3 good teaspoons of pesto and 2 teaspoons of tomato. Once the mixture is to your taste, quickly bring to the boil and remove from the heat. In a large bowl mix the pasta, onion and chicken, pour the cream mixture over the pasta mix and stir well. If necessary, the mixture can be returned to the skillet to quickly re-heat before serving.