Jellystone Camping Part I

Friday it did nothing but rain all day, and it was soooo cold. I complained but continued to get things packed up and ready for the weekend. After my shopping was finalized I suggested to my hubby that we consider upgrading to a cabin if they had one. Yep they do...only $500- more for the weekend, after we were so glad we did. So cabin set, car packed we were off.
North Java NY home to pretty much nothing else but Jellystone Campground is about 2 and 1/2 hours from our home, an 30-40 minute drive south of Buffalo and 45 minutes south west of Rochester. There might have been something else in the area, but all we saw as cows and fields. We arrived about 4pm and were ready for the long weekend.

 The entrance to Jellystone Campground. North Java NY.

 Here is our cabin for the long weekend. I spent the cold weekend grateful that we were not in tents on this trip. Despite the additional cost, it was so worth it. If we were in a tent we all would have been unhappy and the weekend would have been a totally different experience.

 The inside were it was nice and warm. I think the warmest it got all weekend was in the 60's and at night it was well into the 30's. There was even a frost warning. We were snug as a bug in a rug in our 78 degree cabin all weekend. Only thing was the heater would kick on about every 6minutes and it was LOUD! I'm not sure what that was all about...and it was right next to my head all night. Oh well, warmth or noise. I figured out how to sleep through the noise. I might have been less then happy about the cold. The cabin had all of the needs of a home, bathroom, kitchen, living room, two bedrooms and tv, plus a screened in porch, and the boys loved the loft, that they immediately took over and step up for their own. The cabin reports it sleeps 8, but with the boys in the loft (on air mattress) we could have easily slept 12. We had a few guests over the weekend that needed a warm bed for the night.

 In hindsight if I had planned for a cabin I would have packed differently. I'm sure we wouldn't have needed as much stuff, and I might have brought different items. We survived despite it all. Stupid of course I forgot my nice warm jacket, and spent most of the weekend in two sweatshirts.

Just look at the sunshine! Terribly deceitful, the sun was nice, but the wind was awful. Just take a look at how hard those flags are flying. The park itself is very nice, I think we all would have enjoyed and taken advantage of the camping amenities more if we didn't spend most of our time inside. The pool and waterpark for example, were totally off my list of things to enjoy at all this weekend.

Once we were established in our cabin, we were happy to see that our camping friends Mary and Brian were right down the way, but no Tami and Rich and I had no cell service. (Our cabin was actually right across the way from our original camp site, so everyone was just as close as we had planned).  I finally called her and found they would not be arriving until Saturday.

We spent most of the first evening getting settled, had a nice dinner and enjoyed the park. The boys went scouting  for things to do, and we stayed in to keep warm, hoping that Saturday would be a much warmer day.

 The pond, which although there was a beach and boating as well as fishing, we did not engage in any of those activities. For future reference and warmer days, bring fishing poles and make an effort to spend some time at the beach and take a boat out.

 The waterpark. The picture was taken after it had closed for the day, not that anyone was enjoying the water when it was opened.

 Mark testing the "heated" pool. Apparently not TOO cold. Still empty.

 Another view of the pond.

 The boys in the loft with Mary's son Alex.

 here is a picture of the beach area... notice it is vacant.

this is about as close to Yogi my boys got all weekend. They are simply just much to mature to pose with the real guy and only allowed this picture to shut me up.

Day one was really more about setting up shop, making claim in our new weekend home, and relaxing. I enjoyed my new Game of Thrones book (Book II) and the kids enjoyed the loft and playing games. Tomorrow's adventures are much more exciting.

 

Flash Back Friday: Natural Stone Bridge and Caverns 2009

My girlfriend Carol and her two boys are the exact same age as my younger two and they have made great playmates. The summer of 2009, we invited them to join us on a trip to Lake George. Our family had discount tickets to Great Escape so we maxed those out and also hit up the Village of Lake George and needed something different to do. My mother in law had the local area coupon book and we found this little gem nestled in the woods of the Adirondacks. The Natural Stone Bridge and Caves. The seven of us packed up and traveled about 45 minutes into the woods to find this place, but it was certainly worth the trip. The stone bridge although one of featured attractions was not our family favorite, we much more enjoyed the hiking trails and deep caverns. The boys especially were loving this adventure. Gavin slaying the giant.

 They all obtained walking sticks and began descending down  the trail. The scenery was beautiful!

Mark and me in one of the caves.

Going down into one of the many caverns. The boys really had fun with all the climbing. Ben found a  chunk of rock. There had to be something special about this, but I cannot remember what it was.

 

There was also a dino and fossil dig as well as several of these characters throughout the park. Here's an old miner in his little cabin in the woods.

We all had a great time enjoying this natural beauty of hikes and exploration into caves. The boys also enjoyed the gift and mine shop that was filled with rocks and other goodies. We purchased them both one of those smashing rocks. Geodes they are called. When you break them they are filled with crystals. The boys took turns breaking their rocks to see if they obtained a few crystals. I think they both walked away with some beauties. It was a fun adventure and much enjoyed. Now, speaking of adventure, we are preparing for our camping trip and have things scattered about the house. Why is it when you have weeks to prepare, you are still NEVER ready and I almost always forget something. Maybe we just take or have to much stuff. Till I return on Monday enjoy the Memorial Day weekend.

T.G.I.F on a Tuesday afternoon.

Since my mother was unable to join us for our Mother's day brunch, I informed her that I was taking her to lunch. We met at Destiny Mall and after some discussion decided on T.G.I F. Fridays! She was surprised to see we had an additional guest with us. My youngest had gone to the nurse at school and was "too ill" to stay at school, so on my way to the mall I picked him up. I think it was just gas as he reported his stomach was hurting him. A meal of chicken nuggets can cure that...and of course it did. No need to argue with the school nurse however..she is a stickler about "sick" children and they MUST go home. My son learned this a few years ago, and it has cursed us since. Any ass ache and she will be on the phone insisting someone come and get him, and she is pretty insistent. I told her yesterday morning that I was quite positive his aliment was "I do not want to do my chorus concertitis" and she informed me, he had already done one this morning and had been with her for quite some time. It was only 10:15, I had just dropped him off at 9am. He must have had one quick concert or her definition of a long time is pretty damn short. Anyways, I don't bother and fight this anymore, and I was not going to allow his "sickness" to prevent my date with my Mom! Truly sick or not, he was going to lunch with me.
Off to T.G.I.F's and some chit chat.

 Great Picture of my Mom and my son! He looks just fine to me!

 Yes! Chicken will cure any sickness!

 Yum!

 And here is my meal.....I really broke out of my burger box and added bacon this time!

  After lunch we did a little mall walking. Gavin needed a gift for a b-day party on Thursday evening, and I had a $10- gift certificate for Victoria Secret. I got myself some new undies!!!! I would have never purchased a pair of $10- undies for myself if they were not on sale, and I didn't have a discount. I got five pair (marked at $9.99 per pair on sale for 5/$26.99..really!!!!) for $16.99. I still feel like I could have been just as satisfied with a package of hanes from K-mart marked at $9.00 total. Well we all deserve a little splurge now and then don't we? We said goodbye to my mom who was in pursuit of a pepper grinder and hit up Hot Topic finding the perfect gift for his friends. "Dr. Who", wasn't he that weird guy from that  British channel when I was a kid? Apparently he has re-surfaced or perhaps a new Dr. Who has emerged, I don't know, but this friend enjoys the show. I was surprised to find anything regarding the show at all. T-Shirt and some items purchased, we were finally done. I totally spent more money then I had planned. Bringing my son with me always makes the bucks fly. I was convinced to buy my daughter an Adventure Tyme T-shirt after my son's convincing that she would like it and the store special was buy 1 get 1 1/2 off.  $48.00 later and I had already purchased a gift certificate for $25- that I cannot return, plus he convinced me he needed some poster we found at five below! So about $100- later not including lunch we were finally done and homeward bound. The spending did not end there, later we made a 8pm dash to AC Moore to get items to complete his school Robot project. Of course I made him do one order to use 2 of my 40% off one item coupons. I still feel financially raped! Fortunately my Husband went out later and purchased an air mattress, batteries and a standing fan(it was incredibly hot this past evening) as we had gone through the camping supplies and noted that the one air mattress was DEAD, and we had NO batteries for the flashlights. I did have one great deal from Amazon arrive and I expect the second item which was even a better deal to arrive today. I got my Second book of The Game of Thrones.  $19.00 retail. I paid $5.- with shipping. The fourth book I only paid .94 cents. Yeah me!!!

We have been preparing for our first official family vacation of the spring/summer and will be leaving Friday to head to Jellystone and Niagara Falls. I can't wait to get away for a few days. Thinking I might prepare my Flashback Friday today as I am sure Friday I will be a Crazy lady getting things finalized for our trip.

The Walmart experience.

Yesterday after my volunteer job, I took a trip to Walmart. My son needed some dress pants for his chorus concert tonight, and I figured it was right down the road, and I can get my pictures developed at 13 cents a pic. Walmart; where you can buy your groceries, get your retail shopping done, change your ties, buy a tree for your garden, do your banking, get your glasses, have a mani-peti while you eat a big mac, and be greeted by a man in a wheelchair who has the biggest crooked smile on his face. Oh yeah and get a sticker!!!! You simply cannot beat this one stop shop! I am not anti-walmart, my mother is, she saw the movie that exposed Walmart and how it treats foreign workers, as well as workers in the US. I also saw the movie, and quite honestly I have selectively forgotten any horrors she has held true to her heart. I also saw the McDonalds movie...and had a much more reactive response and didn't eat Mickey D's for about two months. It didn't last, I just cannot pass up a $1.00 cheese burger with French fries stuck in the middle of it. (That's how I get my McDonalds cheeseburgers). When it comes to Walmart,  I say, a penny saved is still a penny saved and apparently millions of people agree. For 1pm on a Monday afternoon, I was certainly NOT alone on my quest to find great deals, but when is Walmart empty? I headed to the self developing photo section and began my selections first. I have over a thousand pictures on my camera and figured it was about time I get them off there. I only decided on 70 to keep at this point. Having to wait about an hour for the pictures to be ready...I had to find something to do, so with plans ONLY to develop a few pictures and get some dress pants, I was bound to pick up a few more things.
I am pretty funny about my shopping. Most times, I have an objective, a well developed list and a slew of coupons to match. Let loose in this Walmart, coupon free and an hour to spare was nothing short of a store clerk disaster. (Funny I even ran into a friend of mine, who asked WHERE my coupons were?). Why am I a store clerk disaster....well I have a tendency to pick and carry. I do this at the Thrifty Store too. What is a pick and carry? I will look at items, judge their price, and if I feel it is a fair deal and I might need it, I place it into my cart. As I continue my shopping, I will retrieve the item from my cart, look it over and ask myself..."Do I really want this? Do  I really need this?" Usually one NO answer if enough for me to return the item to the shelve, this is where the nightmare for store clerks comes in, I am awful as I will usually put the item right there on whatever shelf is adjacent to me. I learned a long time ago, returning to the area where such item was obtained in the first place will usually result in yet another purchase as I will find it in a different color, or a bigger size or the same item in a bulk or whatever, and I end up again placing such item in the cart only to review it over again just before check out. I have even gone so far as to have an entire cart full only to leave everything minus one item at the door. I know I am awful, and ice cream sandwiches stored in the jeans department is not appropriate.
 Pictures in development, I headed to my second, which was actually my first objective finding dress pants. I found it incredibly difficult to locate the dress clothing section and initially I was in the men's department struggling to figure it all out, I eventually landed in the boys and had to sort through 90 pairs of pants in no particular order or color to find the correct size. I only located one in his size and it was the wrong color, not to be discouraged I threw the pair into my cart, which at this point in time, was free of anything except my gigantic purse (coupon free however), and continued to scan the area until I found yet another section of dress pant, much more organized this time. Found color and size...now I have two pairs in the cart. Do I get both? What if they don't fit, what if he only will wear the black pair...the pick and carry debate continues and psycho women (me) has such debate out loud. Thankfully no one is around to interject and convince me to get both pair, I drape the tan pants over some rack and head for another area of the store. I look at my photo return slip, curse out-loud and decide to head to the grocery section. I had already decided to do all of my trip grocery purchases on Friday morning as there is a sale and I have my coupons ready for Price Chopper...why am I even heading in this direction? Walmart has a knack and this I am sure is their sales pitch. Located on every corner every aisle is a big display of some stupid item with the FALLING prices logo. I am drawn to the prepackaged cereals; bowl included and in our favorite Kellogg's flavors JUST $1- per package. Thinking these would be great for our camping trip I select four and move towards the bulk chips when I spy licorice for $1.88 and look right there a steal of a deal on chocolate chip granola bars. Cart is getting fuller now. I find myself in the bulk chip area and pull both frito's and cheese doodles in the PARTY size off the shelf, and notice an entire Family side Fruit Loop box is only $3.60. I stop analyze my four 2oz packages of bowl included cereals and zip all four are now sitting next to the Family sizes. Which I know I have at home and even if I didn't I have a coupon for. Pass it up, and decide I do need prepackaged lunch meat. Don't have my coupons and I know I saw it cheaper somewhere I do not even pick up a single package and head towards the dairy, milk...can wait, what about eggs, we need eggs, I grab a 24 monster pack and slide this into my cart. (WHO EATS 24 eggs?) these get left somewhere near the plastic stackable containers that I find on sale for $3- each. These get slid into the cart. I also find a cool pink drinking cup with a rubber straw in it. No price anywhere but is in the slot marked $2.98, decided I need it, into the cart it goes. View my photo return slip again....still lots of time, well I haven't eaten lunch and I have to pee! Cart gets strategically placed inside those invisible line that could be considered theft. I head to bathroom and all four stalls are occupied....go figure! I stand outside now doing the peepee dance, and cannot understand how all four of these people are taking so stinking long. Finally relieved I head to the McDonalds and review the dollar menu.....NO DOLLAR menu!!!!! What, apparently they do not offer this, nor do they offer the current promos $4- Big Mac meal! So I stop being so cheep and offer up the additional $2- for the meal. I decide that I will need about $2- in napkins, salt packets, and soda refills for my suffering I added in a few pepper packages for good measure and considered asking for ketchup packages, but didn't act on it. Photos should be done I head to the counter present my slip and notice this very cute, pink camera case with the $29- price tag. I hold it, turn it, adore it, actually put my camera in it, take out the strap feel the inside of it....I WANT this bag. Haven't had my pick and carry opportunity as I am standing at the check out! I place it to the side and decide that based on my total I will then make a decision to buy it or not. Scan, scan, scan, opps....my cup has no price tag on it. The clerk asks me, "do you happen to recall the price on this?" Really? Today only there are FREE!!! What do you think I'd say. Of course I don't know and I blurt out that it was located with the $2.98 cups, (Of course it looks nothing like those cups). She decides that my price is incorrect and waddles off to inspect the pricing. More like $9.98!!! No thank you, but thanks for taking the time to find it. Scan, scan, scan....$67.00!!!! YIKES!!! I only wanted dress pants and photos!!! I cough up the cash, hold the beautiful camera bag and again slide my camera into it to make sure it fits. No I cant buy this. I place it down next to the unpicked cup with the adorable pink rubber straw, and head for the door thanking the clerk in my most sweet voice.
WOW!!!! I should never be allowed to enter a Walmart again. I left more items around the store and make this one poor clerk obtain and now have to replace a cup as well as a camera bag, that by the way the strap had fallen out of and I still went home spending nearly $70- . I almost always say to the clerk when the total come up...Oh My what did I buy? They almost always have to begin reviewing the receipt explaining what items were properly rung up or have some amazing "a-duh" explanation like these little items sure add up, don't they? They sure do. SO to my Walmart experience, I cannot make claim on what people I saw, because I was just not paying attention. I have to watch the video to see what I might have missed!

Time with Friends.

Sunday I had OPEN SCRAP at my house. I do this about 1x a month or so, where I have my friends over and we just play with our scrapping stuff or hang out and talk. I got some work done and caught up with all my girls. No trips were taken, but a GREAT day just the same. I am learning more and more about how appreciative I am of my girlfriends.

 Cricket.

 Mindy.

 Tami.

 

Carol.

 

We had a full day of just enjoying each others stories. Nothing special, just time! I am so grateful to have such wonderful people in my life. 



The Earth and a Waterfall and (May2013 Folksmarch)

Yesterday we took a trip to Ithaca to visit the Museum of the Earth. It was community day, so the admission fee was...wait for it....FREE!!!! This hidden museum just outside of Ithaca, NY has everything about the Earth, and on this adventure they had several demonstrators to present to the crowd.

I anticipated a crowd due to the community day promo, but there wasn't really to many people there so we didn't have to stagger around with a ton of people. The museum was really much more then I had expected too. The boys examined how fossils are found in the deep earth and how scientist examine the samples through microscopes. There was a demonstration on how soil is obtained in the ocean and how each level of particle settlement helps to describe what may have been happening during that part of history. It was actually really neat.

 Upon entering there was the skeletal remains of a whale hanging. He was pretty cool. We got to see what his "tooth" looked like too. I thought it was a piece of bamboo, until Ben pointed out the hairs along the sides.

 This is the wall of sediments. It is pretty cool too. Each panel level represents a time line of the rock and the fossils/animal remains from each era. Taking slices of the earth has helped scientist better understand the way the earth was billions of years ago based only on the soil and rocks embedded in the earth.

 Ben shifting through sand to find microscopic fossils. (His were actually pictures of microscopic particles.) Can you tell he is less then enthused with me here.

 Gavin viewing what these particles actually really look like under a microscope. These tiny particles are viewed to further help understand what the earth was like during this time period.

 Here is Gavin holding up a slab of hardened LAVA, the way the women picked the slab up with one hand I thought it must only weigh 10 pounds, when she handed the slap to me, I was surprised at how heavy it was. Ben has just finished studying this stuff, so he was the star of these demonstrations. I embarrassed him by informing the demonstrators that he had just been inducted into the National Honor Society. When he was quizzed about fault lines and volcano's this kid didn't miss a beat. I think the presented was tickled! I told Ben later that he possibly made that guys day. "Justin" (Should have got a picture of him) was CLEARLY into his work. This guy was beaming with passion and excitement about his work and presentation. Ben was really awesome about it too, he told me he thought it was really neat that the guy really enjoyed his job and how great is that. Gavin is also studying the earth, so he had some answers too. Here the boys are doing a demonstration on how the gasses in the earth function to cause a volcanic eruption. Gavin went first, he was so funny and nervous, he dropped in the ant-acid covered the top and bolted!

 There she blows. His top flew. If you look close at the picture you can actually see the smoke from the bottle.

 Ben was less fearful and more meticulous. Putting the top on, he only stepped away rather then bolting.

 I missed a picture of it actually popping off!

 Apparently it is not just soil and rock that scientists study to examine the earth, but also ICE. Here is Gavin cranking up some Ice samples, to view.

 This Mastodon was my favorite in the museum. He or she was so amazing. We marveled at his size and discussed the difference between this guy and a woolly mammoth. I don't think we ever got a definitive answer, but this guys bones were so stinking cool regardless. Check out his head those teeth and those long Tusks.

 No guessing on who's fossilized head this is. It's T-Rex!!

 These little guys were just so cute I had to get a picture. Ben was quite sure that these were not those evil little guys from the movie Jurassic Park.

 Hands on activities. These are replica's of dino bones. The boys had fun putting these horns on their heads.

 An extreme fossil find.

 This guy had to be one of the most bizarre things any of us had ever seen. Tell me this does not look like a fish swam up a turtles butt. We marveled at this strange looking guy for quite a bit of time. He dose not appear to have a face or a head poking out like a turtle would. I am still not convinced that this guy was ever really an animal that swam in our seas millions of years ago.

 This is the guy we all think about when we think about the evolution of fish to mammal. Water to land animals that once only swan and had gills to emerging from the sea to walk to earth and breath the air.

Gavin petting the Dino Status out front of the museum. The boys both smashed pennies as souvenirs and we headed out towards our next day's adventure. Overall the museum was pretty neat if you really are into that stuff. The boys as usual were rather rushed so, even if I had been interested in reading each informative blurb,  I couldn't have. It was definitely interesting and educational. A class trip would surely benefit from this museum. For myself there were a lot of rocks, and a lot of fossils. I think both Gavin and even Ben would agree, you really have to have an interest in this stuff to fully appreciate the museum. I loved the Mastodon he was really cool, and little kids might enjoy the limited but neat dinosaur displays. I would guess it would be a select few, (people like Justin our demonstrator) that would really appreciate this type of museum. Was it a disappointment? Absolutely not, in fact it had more then I had anticipated it having. I just know that I would have walked away irritated at the $8- admission fee had I paid to get in, but like I said, we still had an enjoyable time, and we all learned (even our brain of the trip Ben) a little something, and stepped outside of our box to explore an area of science that is actually really neat. Here are the boys being silly! I took the picture at the bottom of the hill, they were trying to give the effect of falling.

 

 

 On to part two of our Ithaca adventures. I had made a picnic lunch before we left and decided to use our PARKPASS and visit one of the many in the area State Parks. Gavin was shall we say; NOT INPRESSED and wanted to go home. He made claim that the only way he wanted to stop at Buttermilk falls was if there was really butter falling down those rocks.
Of course there is no butter at all, but we (Ben and I) convinced him he needed to check it out just the same. We had some lunch and then the boys played on the playground. This playground was a bit of a challenge for both of the boys, so they really had to work hard climbing, hanging and crawling.

Ben climbing on the top, and Gavin crawling through the circles.

Taking a spin!

Pump, Pump, Pump!!!

Crawl.

Now a look at the beautiful falls.

The boys were more interested in walking across the missing bridge. It was sure slippery and COLD. I even took off my shoes and socks to do a little wading. My time in the water didn't last to long, but the boys ventured from the middle (slowly and a little apprehensive) to deep into the creek crossing back and forth.

Look mom, we made it to the middle.

I watched from the side and took pictures of the falls from different angles.

Taking the wading to a different level. At first they tried placing rocks to cross over on, then they just stepped right in.

I have no idea what kid of flowers these were, but they were all over the rock walls surrounding the trail.

Step here, then there, you can do it.

Having made it....Gavin looks across and call to me....MOM!! Come help. Like I can really help you.

Look way up at the top and there is Ben walking out on top of the falls.

 

A little information about the creek. I am not sure why it was named Buttermilk Falls, I am sure there is an explanation, but there was none presented. I told the boys of when I was there age and went camping here with my mother and one of my friends Erin. We had a great time. My camping adventures were nothing like what these guys experience. There was NO electricity EVER, and I was never stuck sitting in the tent watching tv or playing games. We were off hiking or making Gnome houses who were expecting their fairy friends to visit. I too was once a BIG water wader and always loved to swim. Anyways, times do change. After all this fun, we called it a day and headed back to Liverpool for an evening of relaxation.

PS: I went to the monthly Folksmarch solo! I brought the dog, and I was less then good about making the 5k expected. I signed in, got my pin, signed up for the walk a mile Monday got information about the DC trip took a little stroll down the hill, then headed back to my car. I just couldn't enjoy the walk without my gal pals. Do I feel guilty...yes! But look what I got to do instead!

I really did wish my friends were with me, it would have been a nostalgic walk in my old stomping grounds. The route went right into areas that I used to walk with my girlfriend Lynne when we were kids to get the University area. I could have looked to see if the frosting we put in the statue butt crack was still there from 30 + years ago...LOL! I did get a picture of the Thornden pool, which Lynne and I walked to nearly everyday during the summer to swim in. We were like addicted. I cannot imagine walking that journey just to go swimming today. We were seriously dedicated to our walks. Now I just have to walk out my back door, well it's not looking swimmable currently, but hopefully soon enough.  Next time I guess.