Lake Effect Snow November 2022 photos

Lake effect snow at our house in Chaumont, NY, November 2022.

I snapped these photos Friday morning (November  18, 2022). We woke up to a blanket of lake effect snow. At our house in Chaumont, NY we had about 8 inches. Temperature hovered around 30-31 degrees. The snow was heavy and wet. I spent q couple of hours shoveling the driveway, steps etc. I found it very pleasant being in the fresh air and the mild temperature. I pace myself and get some good exercise. It sure beats going to the gym, which I NEVER do.

Lake effect snow at our house in Chaumont, NY, November 2022.

Lake effect snow at our house in Chaumont, NY, November 2022.

Lake effect snow at our house in Chaumont, NY, November 2022.

Lake effect snow at our house in Chaumont, NY, November 2022.

Lake effect snow at our house in Chaumont, NY, November 2022.

Lake effect snow at our house in Chaumont, NY, November 2022.

My neighbor helping clear snow from our driveway, Chaumont, NY, November 2022.

Halloween 2022 at Our House in Chaumont, NY

Me with a Saranac Pumpkin Ale awaiting the witching hour in Chaumont, NY.

Yesterday was Halloween. It was a warm day, temps around 57-60 degrees, overcast. The afternoon started some light rain. By 4:30 the rain stopped. First trick or treaters arrived at 5:00, 2 pre-school kids accompanied by their mother. The rain started up at 8:00 and the last of our 124 trick or treaters arrived. The Better Half's daughter H & her husband D and their two sones J & N came over. We had some excellentfood. A roast corn dip, a buffalo chcken dip, croghan bologna, oilive bread, and apizza from Valee Peetza. For beer we had the usual Labatt Blue and Saranac Pumpkin Ale. The Better Half was still suffering from a diverticulitis attack. Overall it was a very nice evening, accentd by about perfect weather.

Halloween at our house on Washington St., Chaumont, NY

Street Music, LL Bean Pop Up Shop, Downtown Watertown (Photos)

Me playing outside Holy Smokes Barbecue, Watertown, NY 

The weather here in the North Country was spectacular for this late in October. Sunny, breezy, 70 degrees. I had a small outdoor guitar gig in downtown Watertown today. The LL Bean company opened a pop up shop for the weekend. Other downtown merchants set up outdoor booths and there was live street music. I played a one hour set outside the Holy Smokes Barbecue.  I love the reflection in the window behind me in the above photo. 

Outdoor shopping at LL Bean popup shop, Watertown, NY

It was great weather and a festive atmosphere Saturday, Oct 22, in Watertown, NY

It was great weather and a festive atmosphere Saturday, Oct 22, in Watertown, NY

It was great weather and a festive atmosphere Saturday, Oct 22, in Watertown, NY

It was great weather and a festive atmosphere Saturday, Oct 22, in Watertown, NY

It was great weather and a festive atmosphere Saturday, Oct 22, in Watertown, NY

The LL Bean boot truck in Watertown, NY Saturday, Oct 22, 2022

Macro Photos: Rain Drops Leaf

Rain drops on a leaf, Chaumont, NY Sonny a6000 Camera, Minolta 50mm f2.8 lens.

It rained overnight here in Chaumont, NY leaving some nice raindrops on the leaves in our yard. I can't help myself but to try photographing them. I used a Sony a6000 camera with a Minolta 50mm f2.8 lens. Hand held. The photo presented heroes number 52 out of 68 total.

The sun is out today. A guy from Bartlett's heating, Adams, is in the basement cleaning & tuning our oil burning furnace. 

Later I'm going to Fibinacci Art Gallery in Watertown for an event from 5-7:00

Our furnace cleaning and tune up came tp $206. 28

Bill for oil furnace cleaning and tune up. 

Painting Porch Floor & Price of Gas

 

Gas price at Valero in Watertown on Monday, October 10, 2022

The price of gas on Monday, October 10th at the Valero station on Arsenal St, Watertown, was $3.29 a gallon for the 87 octane. The other fuels were, obviously, more expensive. This Valero station, by the way, is the lowest price for gas in this region. In our village of Chaumont it is $3.85 / gallon. Ridiculous.

Price of home heating oil that we ordered the same day was $4.29 a gallon. These prices are outrageous. 

Otherwise it was another beautiful fall day here with sun and high temp of 67 in Chaumont. I spent about three hours sanding and painting half of the front porch floor of our Clay St. apartment house. Wise to do it while the apartment is vacant. I am hoping for one more nice day or too sometime soon so I can paint the other half. When I got back home to Chaumont I mowed the lawn. This evening we watched Survivor on CBS.

Porch floor at apartment #1, Clay St. after sanding & cleaning it prior to painting.

The porch floor after one coat of Valspar paint. I'm hoping for another nice day to apply a 2nd coat before the snow flies. 

Flowers Doing Well, No Frost Here Yet

  

Flowers purchased back in the Spring are still doing nicely here in October. I snapped this shot this morning.

All of the flowers and plants we bought in Spring are still doing well in October. Very often by now we have had a frost that kills them off. It was a lovely day here in Northern NY, sunny and some gentle wind. I spent the bulk of my day at our Clay St. apartment house in Watertown. Cleaning a vacant unit. It will be ready for rent soon. About all I have left to do is replace the bedroom carpet. I have thoroughly cleaned the kitchen, appliances, and bathroom. I have been there a total of three days, about 5 hours each. 

Halloween Decorations 2022

 

Jack o lantern string lights adorn the front porch of our hame in Chaumont, NY 

Yesterday we put up some Halloween decorations at our home in Chaumont, NY, mostly on the front porch. It was a really nice day for it, over 60 degrees, sunny. 

Window covering, Halloween 2022, Chaumont, NY

Fall themed scarecrow art was created by The Better Half. 

Halloween string lights on our front porch, 2022

Halloween string lights on our front porch, 2022

Halloween string lights on our front porch, 2022

Backyard Wildlife - A Chickadee on My Hand

Lately I have been trying to coax chickadees to take sunflower seed from my hand. I patiently stand by the bird feeder, seed in hand, and wait. Today I finally got a usable photograph of one of the birds. Other attempts resulted in blurry or out of focus images. I also have had a Nuthatch and a Goldfinch land on my hand and take seed. While this goes on a Cardinal, Blue Jay, and some sort of woodpecker have been watching the chickadees while perched 5 or 6 feet away. It will be interesting to see if they become bold enough to land on my hand. 

A Chickadee picking sunflower seeds from my hand.  photo copyright Gary Walts 2022

On anther note, the weather was very pleasant today, breezy, sunny, temperature in low 60's. I have been painting a section of the house exterior today. Great working weather. There is a frost warning for tonight.

Adventures With A Purpose search for Guy Pyke, missing since 1999

Cold case research diving team Adventures With A Purpose were in Watertown area searching for my father's cousin  Guy Pyke who vanished in April 1999.  photo by Gary Walts

Today cold case research diving team Adventures With A Purpose were in Watertown area working on the disappearance of Guy Pyke who vanished in April 1999. He was my father's cousin from Onondaga County, last seen visiting my mother in Calcium. They are searching a pond near Fort Drum this afternoon. The pond is one of about 9 bodies of water they have mapped out for sonar search.

Cold case research diving team Adventures With A Purpose were in Watertown area searching for my father's cousin  Guy Pyke who vanished in April 1999.  photo by Gary Walts

Cold case research diving team Adventures With A Purpose were in Watertown area searching for my father's cousin  Guy Pyke who vanished in April 1999.  photo by Gary Walts

Cold case research diving team Adventures With A Purpose were in Watertown area searching for my father's cousin  Guy Pyke who vanished in April 1999.  photo by Gary Walts

Photos of Northern Flicker woodpeckers, Chaumont, NY

 

Northern Flicker woodpecker in my backyard, Chaumont, NY.

I present here today a couple photos of Northern Flicker woodpeckers that have been in our yard in Chaumont, NY. I really don't recall seeing these birds here before. I have learned they are quite common here in  the North Country. A friend who lives in Chippewa Bay on the St. Lawrence River says they are plentiful there. I shot the photos with a Minolta 500mm f8 lens, hand held, with a Sony a6600 camera. It was raining here today when I snapped these photos.  Camera settings were iso 2000, 1/200th sec shutter speed. All of the photos exhibit some motion blur and the focus is on the birds body rather than it's head. I also had to crop the photos quite a bit to zoom in on the birds. Today was the 3rd time that I had a camera close to try and photograph them. The seem to be skittish and fly off as soon as they sense my presence. 

Northern Flicker woodpecker in my backyard, Chaumont, NY.

Jack-o'-lantern Mushroom Photo Omphalotus illudens

 

Jack-o-lantern mushrooms, so called because of their color. Growing under an oak tree in my yard, Chaumont, NY. 

Saturday September 10, 2022

Pulling into the driveway of our home in Chaumont, NY and I noticed the brilliant orange mushrooms growing under an oak tree. They caught my eye, so I photographed them. Because of their orange color they are called Jack-o-lantern mushrooms. 

A quick google search came up with this:

"The Jack-o'-lantern mushroom should not be eaten because it is poisonous to humans. It contains toxic chemicals that can cause severe stomach upset accompanied by vomiting, diarrhea and headache."

The Latin name for this mushroom is Omphalotus illudens 

I took this photo with a Sony a6600 camera and a Minolta 200mm f2.8 AF lens.

Photo of Raindrops On Leaf August 24, 2022

Raindrops on Leaf, Chaumont, NY. Copyright Gary Walts August 24, 2022. Sony a6600 camera, Minolta 50mm f2.8macro lens.

I snapped this photo of raindrops on a leaf on August 24, 2022. It was in the driveway of our home in Chumont, NY. I used a sony a6600 camera with a Minolta 50mm, f2.8 macro lens. I see these raindrops and leaves constantly this time of year. I am always drawn to photographing them, but am never really pleased with the results. I want more detail, and I want it sharper. Macro phoography requires good equipment and patience to set it up. Focus and depth of field are the challenges. A tool I do nt own that is very helpful is a focusing rail. The camera attaches to the rail, the rail is mounted on a tripod. Now the camera & lens can be moved incrementally to assist in fine focusing. 

The picture presented here was hand held.