It's a cold Black Friday 2013

Today is Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. It is a cold one here in northern NY. The temperature in Chaumont was a mere 8 degrees. That's chilly baby. I am working later today for The Post-Standard and syracuse.com. I will be covering events in Armory Square in Syracuse. I snapped a photo from the downstairs bathroom this morning. The dark mass on the left is an out of focus Maple tree. The wall at the right is the back shed that is need of painting. The morning Sun illuminates a section of the backyard fence. There is also some frost formations on the storm window.

A frosty window here in Chaumont on this Black Friday morning. View of the backyard from the downstairs bathroom. 

If I had shot this photo with the Nikon D300 or D7000 I could have used a small apertutre and increased the depth of field so that the frost pattern on the storm window would be sharp.

Tom and Jerry time at The Crystal Restaurant in Watertown, N.Y.

View of my neighbors house as seen from my front porch through the snow covered Lilac bushes. This is what we woke up to this morning. It certainly sets a festive tone for Thanksgiving and approaching Christmas.

One sure sign of the holiday season is when the Crystal Restaurant in Watertown, NY, starts serving Tom and Jerry's. It's a great, tasty holiday drink. People stop in just to have a couple at the bar. Today I went there with my Celebrity Brother and brother R the Builder. As you can see by the photos there was some snow today. It mostly came last night. It is the heavy, wet, slushy type of snow.

Tom & Jerry drinks served up at the Crystal Restauran in Watertown, NY. photo by Gary Walts

The  Crystal Restaurant sign, downtown Watertown. The restaurant is a landmark in the city and has changed little for many years. 

Go here for a Tom & Jerry recipe
Go here to learn more about this Christmas Cocktail

Snowy Winter weather coming

A dusting of snow on the welcome mat outside our back door in Chaumont, NY.        iPhone photo by Gary Walts

There's supposed to be some foul Winter weather arriving here in northern NY. So far in the village of Chaumont we have had little snow. The recent night time temps have been 10 or 12 degrees. We had a wee bit of snow last night, just enough to put a dusting on the welcome mat outside our back door.

View from my kitchen window

View from my kitchen window this morning. The van is my 2005 Dodge Caravan that I just got back from the body shop w few days ago. 

I snapped this view of the side yard  from a kitchen window this morning. It was a mere 11 degrees. The Better Half and I went to the Duckstop Diner here in Chaumont for breakfast. She had an omelet and home fries. I had two eggs, home fries and ham. We each had coffee too. It was delicious. The staff there are very friendly. The bill came to $21.44
I am not feeling terribly ambitious today. I will bring some firewood in. One of my vans has a flat tire. Why it went flat I have no idea. I should tend to that today. I also have a new storm window that I need to install at our Franklin St. house. It is for the lower bathroom. I really should get that chore done today too.

I Make Pickled Eggs

Fresh eggs from step daughter B's chickens. Some of the eggs in the photo have a bluish tinge, that is from the light and the iPhone camera. They are actually all of a brown hue.

Pickled eggs ready for the fridge. Can't wait to try them in a few days.

I made some pickled eggs this morning before going off to do guitar lessons. My step daughter B, The Pharmacist, got some chickens earlier this year and they have recently begun laying eggs. So I got a couple dozen from her, nice and fresh. I boiled the eggs for 11 minutes. Shelled them and placed them in jars, packing them alternately with sliced onions and slices of a large Jalapeno pepper. The brine is 1 & 1/2 cups of water, 3 cups of vinegar, 4 teaspoons of salt, 3 teaspoons of dried Dill, 3 teaspoons of whole Mustard seed, about 6 garlic cloves cut in half, 1 tablespoon of crushed red pepper, all placed in a pot and boiled for a few minutes. I then ladled it into the two jars of eggs. I will let them stay in the refrigerator for 3 days before I try them. A week or so will probably make them even better.

Leatherstocking Cluster Fall Dog Show

Leatherstocking Cluster Fall Dog Show      gary walts photo

This week end featured the Leatherstocking Cluster Fall Dog Show at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse. I went there Friday and made pictures for The Post-Standard and syracuse.com I present a couple of those photos here with a link to the photo gallery at syracuse.com.

click here for Photos from Leatherstocking Cluster Fall Dog Show

Leatherstocking Cluster Fall Dog Show      gary walts photo

The Asasination of Jesse James and other things

I am finishing up the day at 11:15 pm watching the move The Asasination of Jesse James by The Coward Robert Ford. I am watching it on the Sundance channel. It is an excellent movie, very moody, beautiful cinematography, great cting by Brad Pit as Jesse James. Earlier today it was sunny and about 60 degrees. Fantastic weather. I had guitar lessons at Musicology in Watertown. The young violinist in the family also comes in for a music lesson. He is progessing right along. Developing quite good sight reading skill. Mostly today we concentrated on rhythm using a metronome and working on a section of a piece for his music class at school. After his lesson he stepped outside the store and try busking for tips, played for about an hour.

60 degrees in northern NY today was perfect for The Violinist to perform outside Musicology in Watertown.

11-12-13 Wedding

It has been chilly here in northern NY lately. Yesterday it was 20 degrees when I got up. This morning was warmer, 38 degrees.
Tuesday evening I went to Auburn, NY to cover a story about a couple who got married that day. It was Nov. 12, 2013, or, 11-12-13.

You can read the story at syracuse.com  Couple gets married on 11-12-13 in Auburn, NY.

Rapper Macklemore and Ryan Lewis at the Carrier Dome

Last night I went to the Carrier Dome in Syracuse and photographed Macklemore and Ryand Lewis conceret.

You can see more of my photos and read a review of the show at:
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis

Daylight savings time and I can't sleep

It is 2:45am and I just got out of bed because I cannot sleep. Actually we turn the clocks back tonight so it is 1:45, so that offers a little solace. I went toned at 10:20 and finished reading The Brothers Karamazov. I began reading that book back in April. Anyhow, I awoke at 1:00 which is not uncommon. I usually get back to sleep pretty easily. But there are a couple of things weighing on my mind that involve people close to me and I am not at liberty to discuss them yet. So I worry a bit for them and wonder how I can help and so on. These are two different people in unrelated events. Then of course, I think about my own life and decide I better get up and make some notes to myself. It is first of the month so I have to schedule some online bill payments. I must order heating oil for our Clay St. Rental house. And there is a tax bill on that Clay St house that us due on the 5th. I just snapped a photo of the weather station we have in our kitchen. 30 degrees outdoors, 61 inside. Looks like Sun tomorrow which will be nice because I have yard work to do. I think I will go back toned now for my second sleep. Good night.