Fort Ticonderoga

Cheryl and Bennett joined us on a trip back to the 1700s.   Fort Ticonderoga was designed by Michel Cartier de Lotbiniere.  The walls are angled so that cannons can reach attacking forces no matter what direction their approach.

Over a two-hundred-year period the fort was involved in wars between the British, the French, the Canadians, the Colonies and the United States. 

A team of soldiers presented The Cannon Firing Demonstration.  The leader gave a detailed explanation of the making of the ammunition and the careful procedure used to fire it.  He then commanded each man in the specific steps to take to prepare and fire the cannons.  It was loud.  Cannons in these days took about five minutes to reload and fire again.  It was best to get it right the first time since the risk of injury was great.

Among the famous people who were at the fort were George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Philip Schuyler and Benedict Arnold.

After the fort ceased to be used its walls were destroyed and used by locals for their own buildings.  It was rebuilt to its original specifications by the Pell familyy and became a local attraction.

Lowering the flag.was well presented.

Cheryl and Bennett found their way through a corn maze which Jerry and Anna Lee decided not to try.

We drove up to Mount Defiance for an excellent view of the area and of how the fort was well situated at a choke point on  Lake Champlain which was the main north-south route for supplies and transit.  Soldiers could be moved up and down the lake with ease until the fort was built.

Gone Fishin’

ADK has an annual fishing derby and Jerry was eager to fish with his grandson. 
They were successful.

Jerry caught two fish, one was a rainbow trout, the biggest in the pond.  Bennett caught three brook trout.  The fish made for a delicious dinner.

After a tasty lunch in the park café, we toured more of the exhibits.  This is the view from the cafe.

 The Boats and Boating building explained the history of the boating industry to this area of many, many lakes and rivers.  Guide boats were originated here and became a speciality of the area.

The logging exhibit presented the hardships involved in this industry so vital to the development of the Adirondacks.  Limbs and lives were lost getting lumber downstream to satisfy the demand for homes and furnishing.  The men played hard and lived rough.

There was a taxidermy exhibit of animals displayed for serious and frivolous reasons.  The serious displays have made us more aware of nature.  The frivolous ones showed feathers on hats, paws made into ashtrays and charming floral/bird decorations.  We found this exhibit generally disturbing but here is a photo of the most disturbing item of all.   It is a snuff box used by the British military.

At Cheryl’s suggestion we saw a movie and listened to a panel talk about taxidermy. The movie showed the collection of Walter Potter, the brother of Beatrice Potter.  He used taxidermy to create fanciful scenes such as Rabbits' Village School.

The speakers, a collector, a museum director, a photographer and a taxidermist explained that they use only animals found dead.  They explained both the artistic and educational displays of these animals.  We left feeling much less discomfort at seeing such displays. The profession is in revival with many women now in the field.

These are from the collector. 

 

The Wild Center

We took a drive through the yellows, oranges and reds of the fall leaves.  Our destination was the Wild Center in Tupper Lake. 

The Wild Center is focused on natural history and local wildlife.       

Along our winding walk through the I-Forest to the entrance we heard the enchanting sounds of I Walk Toward Myself by Peter Wyer.

Our lesson in otter life certainly made us appreciate this clever water mammal.  This one, named Squirt,  is 18-years-old, a long life made possible by being rescued and brought to the Center. 

The treat of a ball filled with fish offers him a bit of a challenge.

Another demonstration showed the cleverness of these skunks who only come out if it is worth their while.

The Center has a strong Native American connection with members of the Mohawk tribe contributing their knowledge and art to the exhibits.

This NOAA Planet Globe, basically science on a sphere, shows airplane traffic, bird migration, weather patterns, global warming and more for studying both the history and current effects of man upon nature.    This particular view is of aircraft currently in the air.

The most prominent feature of the Center is the Wild Walk, a dirt and metal ramp trail through the area and to the river.  Along the way is an area for bird feeding.  A fence protects the birds from predators.

Further up is a bird nest providing a bird’s eye view of the area.  The nest is the size of an actual bald eagle nest found in the area. 

A giant spider and his web are ready to trap careless walkers.

We only ventured a short distance on the metal suspension bridge.

Back at the main building we enjoyed a movie combining nature and music.

This chair is made of one tree trunk.

Then is was back to Saranac Lake for swimming lessons.

Seeking Fall Color

Monday was Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.  Jerry and Anna Lee went to services at the Lake Placid Synagogue where we were graciously made welcome.   The congregation is small, split between locals and Florida snowbirds.  It is unaffiliated.  The Rabbi and Cantor are quite good and the sermon was very timely.  Virtually everyone had a special part in the services. 

The next day Cheryl joined us to sitesee in this beautiful area.  We looked for the fall colors we know abound but the main color we saw was grey due to low cloud cover.

We drove the winding road to the top of Whiteface Mountain. 

 Seeking a great panorama, we walked  through a dark tunnel and rode the twenty-seven-story elevator to the top. 

With the exception of a few teasing peeks at the mountains beyond, this is what we saw.

Returning to town, we found these delightful critters

and accompanying scupture.

 We stopped near High Falls Gorge where we did find a beautiful area.

The Play’s the Thing

We started the morning with a stop at the Troy Farmers’ Market.  This market fills several blocks and has a wonderful array of stalls.  We enjoyed a breakfast treat of delicious crepes.

Jeff took us to see Sponge Bob the Musical.  Bennett and Cheryl had seen it before but we had not.  The costumes, especially Squidward, were excellent.  The music was fun and we all enjoyed ourselves.

Saying goodby to Jeff, the rest of us drove north to Saranac Lake.

Sunday we went to the Adirondack Experience where Cheryl works.  The grounds were filled with great activities to celebrate the Fall Fest.  Bennett started out painting his pumpkin.

He helped his mother make a yarn spider and a paper pumpkin.

He met a school friend and they enjoyed pressing cider

and washing clothes (the mothers hoped this skill would carry over to home).

The horses drawing the carriage are retired from an Amish farm.

Anna Lee cheated for a high score on a disk game.

Dave and Bennett did the pumpkin bowl knocking down butternut squash.

They were able to take a few steps on stilts.

We plan more exploration of the beautiful colors all around this area.