June 28, 2011

Talcott Falls.

So I’m back home from my day of exploring and I am feeling quite relaxed. Three days left in the work week and I am ready to go. w00t!

I meandered my way all over Central New York and up into the North Country today. Actually, I went out of my way to grab a photo of something that I have always wanted to capture in a picture.

Between Kellogg Hill and Watertown Center on Route 11 there is a sign proclaiming “Talcott Falls”. You have to look really quick to see it and there’s no convenient place to park to explore. There’s no park land surrounding these falls, it’s just the falls. As a kid we’d always jump to the proper side of the car to catch a quick glimpse and we were always excited to see how much water was coming over the falls.  Sometimes it would be an impressive display, other times it would be a trickle.

Today I parked along the edge of the road and walked down to where I could actually see the falls for more than a split second. And, it looks a little bit like this:

Talcott Falls

As you can see, Talcott Falls is never going to beat Niagara Falls in a competition of “who’s is bigger?”, but I felt that kid like excitement again when I walked down to where I could actually see these falls up close and personal.  I’m happy that I was able to grab a couple of photos.

After the falls it was time to head home so I got back in time for supper.  I took the opportunity to drive on one of my favorite roads in the state, NY Route 177, which goes from Adams Center to near Lowville. With the exception of Barnes Corners (blink and you’ll miss it, but listen to snowfall reports in the winter and you’ll hear it mentioned), Route 177 goes through nothing but farmland along the ridge of the Tug Hill Plateau. I find the wide open spaces to be quite comforting.

I’ve done this before, but I took a pic or two of the green energy being generated atop the Tug Hill. These guys make up the Maple Ridge Wind Farm.

IMG 2973

There was a thunderstorm at my back when I took this photo. That kept the rest of the drive quite interesting.

 

Exploring.

Today is my weekend and I am using the occasion to do something I haven’t done in a very long time: go for a road trip. I’m exploring the roads of Upstate New York in the Acura, letting the summer wind blow through my, er, beard as I stick to the back roads the best I can. So far I have been within a stones throw of three revolutionary war era forts, two nuclear power plants and an international border. ‘Tis a pity I didn’t being my passport along. I’ll have to stay in the states.

Just as I find my zen when I’m riding my bike, I find a zen, albeit a different flavor of it, when I’m riding the back roads in my car on a beautiful day. It doesn’t always have to be sunny, in fact, sometimes I thunderstorm or a twister can keep it interesting, but today’s mix of sun and clouds with the feeling of a storm coming on later today is keeping it right where I want it to be. This exercise is giving me the opportunity to purge my head of extraneous thoughts and get my mind where I need to be to kick some ass at my job for the rest of the week, plus fully comprehend the joy of last week’s passage of the marriage equality bill. Earl and I are actually talking about our honeymoon and coming up with a timetable for our celebration of marriage.

I’ve filled up on some Panera food, at a very nice version of the popular chain, I must add, so it’s time to get back on the road. I’m one of those annoying people that checks in on Foursquare, so if you go to the Foursuare site you can figure out where I’m going and where I’ve been. I think I’m iMachias on there.

Happy motoring!

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