A shot of the Supermoon over Henderson Harbor, New York from around 5am this morning.
I took a few quick shots of the Supermoon this morning around 5am and thought I would share them. How did it look where you are?
The Supermoon in Upstate New York
The SuperMoon Sets Over Henderson Harbor, Upstate New York
Sixberry Lake Panorama
Open google maps, find a nearby lake and type the closest road into the GPS. That pretty much sums up the last 48 hours…minus a couple of naps and a few hours of editing. We spent an incredibly low key weekend wandering about in search of places we had only ever heard about, but never had a chance to visit. These spots were some of the more quiet local secrets that just happen to be right in our backyard. For two days we drove around finding lakes we had never seen, listening to The Tragically Hip and hopping out on the side of the road to take photos of the scenery. From the Wetland Preserve at Black Pond (also known as El Dorado Beach) to a picturesque lake you would swear was in the heart of the Adirondacks (actually only about 15 minutes from the St. Lawrence River), we caught the lake fever hard…and we don’t care who knows it! Check out the highlights:
Black Pond Wetland
Boardwalk at Black Pond Wetlands
Black Pond Wetlands near Henderson, New York
El Dorado Beach near Henderson, New York
Black Pond Wetland Panorama, near Henderson, New York
Big Stoney Creek - This shot reminds me of the movie poster for Big Fish
Big Stoney Creek
Black & White Pony near Henderson, New York
Another Sunset in Sackets Harbor
Henderson Harbor at sunset
Old Barn in Theresa, New York
Shoreline of Sixberry Lake near Theresa, New York
Leaves budding at Sixberry Lake near Theresa, New York
Red Lake near Theresa, New York
Pine Trees at Sixberry Lake near Theresa, New York
Power Plant in Theresa, New York
Black Pond, Sixberry Lake, Henderson Harbor, Big Stoney Creek, Sackets Harbor, Red Lake, Moon Lake, Lake of the Woods
Here’s a link to the Black Pond Wetland/Wildlife Preserve: • Black Pond / El Dorado Beach. The other lakes can all be found on google maps!
After spending an entire lifetime in and around boats, when the weather begins to change I will inevitably start dreaming about boating. This year I had my first boating dream in the middle of March and almost tossed the boat in the water during the spring heat wave, but heard the word snow in the forecast and chickened out. So after what had seemed like the longest wait ever, yesterday afternoon Scott, Mr. Jackson and I headed down to spend a very lovely evening in Sandy Pond. We weren’t out long, maybe an hour, but the water was like glass and we were almost the only ones on it. We stopped over to a very sandy beach on the shore of Lake Ontario and walked the length of it as the sun sank in the sky and we dreamed about all of the fun we will have in the months ahead. We even caught a fleeting glimpse of Mike Williams (it could have been!) in the sky as we headed back toward the boat. I also made a very short video of the boat ride…If only every night could be so delightful…sigh*
Zebra Muscles in Lake Ontario
Sandy Pond in Upstate New York
A very sandy beach on Lake Ontario in Upstate New York.
Bird Prints
A very round...almost perfectly round stone.
More low flying planes! Mike Williams, you sure get around!
Facebook Cover Photo Example
I am LOVING the new Facebook timeline layout with it’s vast spaces for photos, and graphics! As a graphic designer, I get really jazzed about things like that. To help celebrate this shift to a more attractive user experience and our relatively new I Love Upstate NY Facebook Fan page, Scott and I thought it would be great fun to offer a few cover photos to those of you who love Upstate New York as much as we do. I may have gotten a little carried away… So without further ado, please enjoy the following free Upstate New York Facebook cover photos on us…
To make these your Facebook cover photo simply:
1.) Click on the image you want to use as your cover photo
2.) Right Click and save the image or just drag the image to your desktop – (all of the images are the correct dimensions)
3.) Upload the image to your Facebook page
4.) Set the image as your cover photo…ENJOY!
Oh yeah…and come on over and LIKE our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/iloveupstateny) so we have more reasons to make stuff and give it away!
Ives Hill Country Club Watertown - Facebook Cover Photo
Talcott Falls Watertown - Facebook Cover Photo
Sunset Kayak Lake Ontario - Facebook Cover Photo
Sunrise On Mirror Lake Adirondack - Facebook Cover Photo
Stars On Sandy Pond - Facebook Cover Photo
Speculator Adirondack - Facebook Cover Photo
Sandy Creek Sunset - Facebook Cover Photo
Foggy Sackets Harbor - Facebook Cover Photo
Rock Island Lighthouse Thousand Islands - Facebook Cover Photo
Ogdensburg Thousand Islands - Facebook Cover Photo
Krudco Rochester - Facebook Cover Photo
HDR Ice Sackets Harbor - Facebook Cover Photo
Flower Memorial Library Ceiling Watertown - Facebook Cover Photo
Flower Memorial Library Watertown - Facebook Cover Photo
Brownville - Facebook Cover Photo
Bolt Castle At Dawn Thousand Islands - Facebook Cover Photo
Beaver River Fest Adirondack - Facebook Cover Photo
Antique Boat Museum Thousand Islands - Facebook Cover Photo
Alex Bay At Dawn Thousand Islands - Facebook Cover Photo
Half Pint Pub on the corner of Park and Oxford in Rochester, New York.
After we left Village Gate Square, we took the opportunity to wet our beaks at what may be the cutest little bar in the city. Half Pint is located on the corner of Park Ave and Oxford which is one of the nicest neighborhoods in the area. The bar’s clever name refers to it’s small stature, but what the pub lacks in size, it makes up for in décor, atmosphere and beverage selection. We bellied up to the long wooden bar and ordered a couple of Angry Orchard Hard Cider’s that the bar had on tap and took in all the beautiful details inside the small building. Bold black chandlers that exude a warm glow set the mood in the space which is accented with rich tones of mahogany and leather. There was plenty of seating at the bar and the small tables around the main room and 90′s alternative music played at a very conversation friendly volume. All in all our stop at Half Pint was one of the highlights of our trip to Rochester and we would both recommend stopping in for a drink if you are in the area.
On Tap
Inside Half Pint
Light Fixtures
What may be the teeny tiniest little house is now a trendy, yet quaint neighborhood bar...in one of the nicest neighborhoods in the area.
Imagine a mall unlike any you have ever seen. A mall more like an art gallery than a galleria. A place where you can go to appreciate sculpture, paintings and design as you shop in funky little stores and eat in quaint restaurants. Fiction? Not quite…
Village Gate Square in Rochester, New York
Village Gate Square in Rochester boasts all of these things and more. An art community more than a mall really, Village Gate plays host to small specialty shops (jewelry, antique, book and collectable stores), art galleries, designers, professional artists, marketing firms, computer companies, restaurants and bars and even loft space. Every inch of the converted warehouse space is filled with color and imagination. You could lose yourself for an entire afternoon just wandering around the atrium.
Village Gate Square is part of Rochester’s Neighborhood Of The Arts (NOTA) program and is located within a very short walking distance of other art community staples of the area like The Memorial Art Gallery, The George Eastman House and the International Museum of Photography. The center has been one of my favorite places to visit ever since the first time my mom brought me there as a little kid, and continues to be a place that Scott and I visit regularly when we return home. We put it at the top of our list of cool places in Upstate to spend an afternoon. For more information, visit Village Gate’s site: http://www.villagegatesquare.com/VillageGateABOUT.htm
Even in the parking lot you can tell that Village Gate Mall is unlike any other. These murals cover an entire side of the building and greet you as you walk in from the parking lot.
The gate at Village Gate is like no other. The organic lines make it look as if it were plucked from the ground and dipped in molten iron.
Sculpture in the courtyard.
Spring brings the courtyard to life as trees blossom and sculptures line the path to one of the mall entrances.
A large sculpture of a head sits under the blossoming trees in the courtyard at Village Gate Mall in Rochester, New York.
Waiter
The atrium at Village Gate Mall in Rochester, NY.
The atrium at Village Gate Mall in Rochester, NY.
A large sculpture in the atrium.
Funky creatures made from found objects hang down from the ceiling into the atrium and create a magical and eclectic space.
Colorful light posts create a playful atmosphere as you reach the landing on the second floor of the atrium.
Light Post II
Funky light fixtures adorn the walls as you reach the stairs that bring you to the second floor of the atrium.
An colorful fountain in the atrium.
Clouds painted on panels to look like skylights across from real skylights.
Spiral Stairs
Paintings hang from the ceiling on the second floor of the atrium
A glorious loft / office space on the second floor of Village Gate Mall.
Outside of the comic store you will find tables "for gaming only"...all others will have to roll the 20 sided die of fate.
Village Gate Square
Working up a post on our trip to Rochester yesterday. In the meantime, head over to our Facebook page and look through some of the great shots we got while we were out and about! https://www.facebook.com/iloveupstateny
Check out the entire album on Facebook.
RoCo 6x6 - 2010
Imagine thousands of identically sized canvases filled with anything but identical artwork. That’s exactly what you will get at the Rochester Contemporary Art Center’s 2012 6×6 art exhibition. 6×6 refers to the size of every piece of art in the show which is open to anyone…anywhere. The show is free to enter up to 10 pieces per artist and all entries are accepted and exhibited. Entries vary from traditional paintings and sketches to stained glass and sculpture and push the boundaries of creativity. Back in 2010 I entered two pieces in the show and then headed to Rochester on opening night with some great old friends from our hometown. I had no clue what I was walking into. We arrived at RoCo and were met with waves of artwork covering every space. I was astonished at the sheer volume of artwork that flooded in from around the world to play a part in the event. Each piece was tacked up on the wall in a perfect grid that made my OCD beam with pride. Our little group must have spent two hours walking around the space just taking in all the different colors, shapes, styles and disciplines represented on every blank space RoCo had to offer. It was incredible and so inspiring to see all of those different pieces that were created to fulfill the same requirements. I found participating in the RoCo 6×6 exhibition extremely rewarding and plan on participating again this year in the 5th 6×6 to date.
RoCo’s 2012 – 6×6 art exhibition runs from June 2 – July 15th, with all entries due postmarked by May 5. For more information on RoCo’s 6×6 you can visit their site here: Rochester Contemporary Art Center’s 6×6 – 2012, or check out their Facebook page for updates on the far off places and famous faces that are sending in entries for the show.
Thousands of tiny masterpieces cover the Rochester Contemporary Gallery
These are some of my 6x6 favorites from 2010
6x6 Clocks
Since being freshly pressed earlier in the month, I Love Upstate New York has roughly 15o followers from all over the world. You have taken the time to comment or hit the like button on several posts and for that, we just want to say: THANK YOU! A new Facebook page for I Love Upstate New York has been launched and by heading over and just hitting the like button, you can download 10 different desktop wallpaper images (all previously featured here on our blog) that will fit all of your gizmos and gadgets! The I Love Upstate New York Facebook page will be a place were you can get quick updates, check out photo albums of the area, share your stories and favorite places and frequently find cool free stuff…what’s not to love?
Thanks again for all of your warm words and support as we adventure our way around Upstate! Love, Scottie, Andrea & Mr. Jackson!
Free Desktop Wallpaper! Just for LIKING us, because we LIKE you too!
One of many glorious sunsets from over the past two weeks.
I have torn myself away from my computer for the last couple of weeks to soak up as much of the unseasonably, amazing weather as possible before a last cruel snowstorm hits (oh please, no!). Normally in the 30′s and 40′s, temperatures skyrocketed into the mid 50′s, 60′s and even 70′s, brilliantly sunny and calm. People were out in shorts, flip-flops and tanks! Boats were launched and dogs were walked…it seems all of Upstate was experiencing an acute case of Spring Fever…and I had it…bad.
Every night after work (and even some days on the way to work) I was out with my camera (and iPhone) shooting flowers blooming, fog settling and some of the most fantastic sunsets I have ever been fortunate enough to witness. I thought I would share some of my favorite shots from the last couple of amazing weeks with all of my new followers and old friends. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed taking them. As for my fever, it has cooled with the weather this weekend as we settle back into the cool gloom we call March in Upstate New York.
Flowers are blooming!
I love the colors in the background of this photo!
Sunrise over Watertown
Sunrise Field
The air was so warm compared to the lake, fog settled over the harbor.
The sunlight did magical things when it bounced off of the fog in the late afternoon...
Another glorious evening
I loved the way the evening sunlight was hitting this white flower.
One of many glorious sunsets from over the past two weeks.
Ducks all in a row
The sunsets for the last two weeks have been magnificent!
Harbor Sunset II
Mike Williams, is that you?!
Shoreline Sunset
Shoreline Sunset II
Warm starry nights in Sandy Pond
Colorful quilts all hang in a row in The War Of 1812 Quilt Show in Sackets Harbor
The war of 1812 is a little bit of history that is very important to the small town of Sackets Harbor, NY. Every year they hold a reenactment of one of the battles right on their very own battlefield rife with costumes, camping and cannon fire (you can see some images of last year’s reenactment in my post Flashback To 1812). They even have a local brewery whose most popular beer is 1812 lager. This year, to celebrate the bicentennial, Sackets Harbor hosted a 2 day quilt show featuring pieces created for the 1812 Quilt Challenge. Over 100 quilts were displayed throughout 3 buildings around town that also featured vendors and demonstrations. For more information on the show and the rules of the contest visit the official webpage: http://www.seawaytrail.com/quilting/1812quiltchallenge/…There is also a great blog dedicated to the show where you can see more images of the quilts: http://www.1812quiltchallenge.blogspot.com/
The Seaway Trail Discovery Center in Sackets Harbor
My mom's entry for the 1812 Quilt Show was magnificent! In my opinion, it was the best in the show! Great work, Mom! You're so talented!
Colorful skeins of homespun yarn.
Visitor Center in Sackets Harbor
I really loved this quilt. It's thick black lines gave it the look of a stained-glass window. My favorite quilts in the show were all very bold and graphic.
Stars & Bocks
Quilts with ships!
Having lived in Pultneyville for a good portion of my life, I was squealing with delight to see the small hamlet near Rochester represented in my new hometown.
Quilting demonstration
Last night we took advantage of the warm weather and went back to the dog park in Henderson Harbor for a quick sunset walk. It was delightful!
What a wild week it has been. Trying to regroup after the excitement of being Freshly Pressed and making a ton of new cyber friendies! I’m so excited to answer all of your comments and visit your blogs, but until then I’m going to kick back, listen to Don McLean’s, Vincent (so depressing, but so pretty) and enjoy the Sackets harbor sunset…
Mr. Jackson at the Robert G. Wehle State Park in Henderson, New York.
On an uncharacteristically warm Sunday in March, we decided to take a trip to a local State Park to let our dog, Mr. Jackson, stretch out his legs. What we found was not only a very beautiful and unique place to hike, bike and camp, but also the “dog-friendliest” park we had ever visited. Mr. Jackson began foaming at the mouth with excitement as he ran, sniffed, peed and frolicked on the thawing shores of Lake Ontario. The park’s namesake was an avid dog lover, breeder and artist who dedicated his life to sculpture, conservation and English Pointers. Boasting over 14 miles of trails on over 1,000 acres of land, the Robert G. Wehle State Park is the perfect place to spend a sunny day or rent a cabin for a week long vacation.For more information on the park, visit their website: http://nysparks.com/parks/137/details.aspx
Scott shows Mr. Jackson dog sculptures in the visitor center at the Robert G. Wehle State Park
Visitor Center
Dog Sculptures by Robert G. Wehle
Moderately creepy shack.
Scampering across a bridge in the distance.
Frozen Cliff Face at Robert G. Wehle State Park in Henderson, New York.
Ice
Frozen Ground next to cascading runoff.
Trails at the very dog friendly Robert G. Wehle State Park.
A very frozen Snakefoot Trail, begins to thaw out as temperatures reach into the low 50s in early March.
Rental Cabin
This ice coated tree looks like it has been "Seussed"
Seuss Tree II
Seuss Tree III
As the afternoon wears on, the ice begins to thaw.
Icy trunk.
Frozen shrubs overlooking Lake Ontario
Frozen sticks on Snakefoot trail in March at Robert G. Wehle State Park.
Icy cliff faces drop down to the cold blue waters of Lake Ontario.
More natural ice sculptures on the shores of Lake Ontario, however this time they are at least 50 feet above the shore. Imagine the wind and waves that it took to create that...
A spotter box on the shore of Lake Ontario.
Signs of life.
Tranquility
Lake Ontario has become increasingly more clear in the last 10 years.
