Friday, March 23, 2012

Our own Nichols Pond Park - a place of controversy

Well yesterday I decided I could no longer stand being stuck working on the many projects that I ..of course... should be doing around the house and museum...but it was so lovely....and so HOT!..I decided to go for a drive and ended up at Nichols Pond.

I have been to Nichols Pond many times and usually drag some person who has never been there with me. This time it was with Barb Keough who has taken to calling herself "Backstreet Barb" because of the many little side trips I drag her on.

So off with Barb in tow I went with sandwiches and cameras to do a video on Nichols Pond Park.  The park located in Fenner is one of Madison County's only parks and has many historical markers and signs with information on the site.  This information however, does not come with out controversy.

Early historians took trips to the site, which many including noted Historians Mrs. Hammond, and Mr. Houghton.... thought was the site of an early battle with Champlain and 300 Huron Warriors who attacked the Oneida Village in 1615.  Other historians and archaeologists said no because there was no metal found at the site.  Still others think it is one of the earliest Iroquoian village sites.  This history battle has raged for years..so actually it is a battle site one way or the other...I myself could care less one way or another....

What stands out is its antiquity, its quiet solitude, its ancient grain pits and springs....it is Madison County's best link to its former inhabitants.....and its past!

Barb was impressed ....and many were out walking on this fabulous day...a day that had the sun so high that things looked surreal and painted rather than natural....so I came home ...revved up the computer...drag out one of my computerized pieces of music....and made the video below called A Watercolor Album of Nichols Pond...visit the place and decide for yourself if it is the site of a battle......

Monday, March 19, 2012

The luck of the Irish unfortunately did not shine for me..

Things are always considered lucky or unlucky, some people are said to have all the luck.. while others are considered luckless...

For SU fans it was a lucky day for the Orange, for those who like to attend the St. Patrick's Day Parade it was a lucky green day with no snow... but here on the Back Street it was horrible.  My computer crashed..the one I do my videos on...the back up computer would not work properly and seems to have taken a dirt nap also...and so I have reverted to my Apple...which I guess you might say it is a lucky thing I have it.

The poor Irish have been cursed with all sorts of bad luck from wars to starvation.  The fact is the phrase "the luck of the Irish" is really "irony".

As far as local history goes, the Irish came to build the Chenango Canal in Madison County..a job that cost many of them their lives.  Those that did not die from illness were subjected to terrible conditions.  Hamilton was noted for a section of town that held Irish and other immigrant workers, a place of drunkenness and fighting of men that missed their homeland and loved ones..men who came here for a better life.

One of the most interesting tidbits on the Irish came from old records about the Madison County Poorhouse.  It was noted that many of the wives and children of the workers who died building the canal were put up there, and that "there were so many with Huntington's Disease"  that it would have made a great study.

The Irish also came to run the different mills along the Eatonbrook ..including the fulling and woolen mills.  Many lived in West Eaton and at one time there was a Catholic Church most likely because of them.

As for me..well I must have a bit of the Irish in me somewhere for my friends say that "if it weren't for bad luck I'd have no luck at all!"


That's not really correct though...I have lots of friends and... so I am lucky in a way...and we got together in Eaton for a little St. Pat's Day party...and..since my day went to the dogs, the way it ended was fitting....well view the video...

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Cookies and a three legged dog named Oreo make my weekend!

This weekend proved to be fun but no matter where I turned it seemed I ran across Oreos of all varieties.  The news touted that it was exactly one hundred years since the introduction of the Nabisco Oreo cookie.  This cookie though has only changed in appearance a bit, but has remained as America's favorite cookie.

Being a history buff it was fun to listen to the different news takes on the cookie - from its design to its forerunner, the Hydrox cookie.  Stories of its commercials and it changing to at one time having a lemon filling - was a wonderful diversion from the news of Limbugh, Santorum, Syrian War and horrible tornados. Even though I cannot eat chocolate today... I would almost have reached out for a glass of milk, which I am also allergic to, and chowed down a few.

Skype provided a visit with my niece in Georgia in the afternoon, and lo and behold I was back with Oreo, this time the Oreo in question was black and white, but this one had three legs.  My niece has fallen in love with a part pit-bull mutt dog with three legs called ...Oreo.  She was distraught over having to find her a new home because of complications in her life, and was desperate for help ...listing the dog on Craig's list etc.....

Since I like animals and have had similar dilemmas myself, I went to bed feeling a bit down....but true to an internet junkie's dreams I got up and Googled "Three Legged Dog Rescue"...and yes there were a number of sites...tons of people have three legged dogs.  One site was founded in one community after a crazed person maimed a bunch of dogs and people banded together to find them homes! I told her to list...but then decided to bringing the dog's plight home and blog about it.

So far however, poor Oreo and my poor niece are left clinging to one another in hopes of finding a person who will take pity on them and adopt her.  I have even worked on a scheme to get the dog north if we have to.

SOOOOO.......if you can help and would like more information.....email me at backstreetmary@yahoo.com and I will get you in touch with her...I have also put her picture on my cat Rascal's Facebook Page.


Help! Reward will be a huge gift box of Oreo cookies!