LOL, I can't take credit for moving this one up - wolfsong328 did it, and I enjoyed reading it for the first time. Unusual town names are nothing new in Upstate NY, either. There are so many unusual names/pronunciations that one radio station here made up their own spoof song, based on Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start The Fire," called "We Didn't Say Your Town Right." Nunda = Nun-DAY Avon = A-vahn (hard A, as in "flat") Endicott = EN-dee-cot (I still can't say it that way, and I've lived near there for 12 years. . . .)Cuylerville = KYE-ler-vill Geneseo = jenn-eh-SEE-oh Apalachin = A-puh-LAY-kin Owego = oh-WE-go Chemung = sheh-MUNG Olean = OH-lee-ann Newark Valley = NERK Valley (to locals) Skaneateles = "Skinny Atlas" to people who live there, "scan-ee-AT-ll-us" to others Then there's Painted Post, Horseheads, Sanitaria Springs, Big Flats, and any number of wonderful Native American-derived names. Nothing suggestive (although I wonder if the kids in Vestal get teased about "vestal virgins"). Laurel

Hi All! The seemingly narrow path we took from Hooti's Jan 8th post of "The First Signs of Spring" (at Walmart) have finally widened. From our counting Week's and Day's 'til Spring it's now just Hours and Minutes away. It is the prelude to awakening and the eventual peeping of life and of what's to come from the soil we all love upon Spring's arrival. Let's hope that we continue to have nice weather in CNY as the snow is melting away and that by April 1st, which is ONLY 11 DAYS AWAY, our blanket of snow will be gone from our Garden's and Yards. Then, like Hooti, when we drive to Wally Worlds Garden Store (or our local Nurseries) we will only see the snow banks that are left in the parking lots. For us it will be the final closure to the Winter of 2004-05. Have a great Spring Season. Jim

I took my first winter trip to the Catskills today hoping to see some eagles.I checked a couple of places I've seen them before. NOTHING. I drove route 10 from Deposit up several miles along the reservoir NOTHING. As I was driving back something caught my attention on the dam. I turned around and went back to check it out. On the dam there is a service road. Along the road are concrete post. To my surprise there were 10 eagles sitting on these post. 5 mature and 5 immature. That change my record of ten different eagles in a week to ten in a day . The trip was a last minute thought. I didn't have my cameras with me

We're between counties, since we're getting ready to move. Camden County--mostly known for crime, since the county seat is the #1 most violent city in the country. But also known as being the childhood home of Kelly Rippa; some of the best school systems in the country (outside of the city, of course). Nice aquarium. Lots of shopping. One town there is called "Haddonfield"--and was the inspiration for the town in the Halloween movies--the author went to school with DH, and there is even a character in one of her movies with HIS NAME! Cumberland county--since we're new here, I only know a few. It's home to the city where Dr. Welch invented grape juice. The Cohanzick (Sp?) Zoo. Glass making used to be one of the main industries. Wheaten Village is a glass museum. DD found a place in the county where she and a friend were enjoying the scenary, taking photos, and when they looked at their pictures, there women screaming standing behind them--women WHO WERE NOT THERE when they took the pictures.