We respect the police and their dog partners

Perfect behavior. We’re going to the police dog show at 1:15, reported terrific daughter Elisabeth, she and fantastic fiance George Three having arrived at the New York State Fair earlier than my dear wife Karen and I and armed with a good plan. Great police work. We got their first and nabbed two of the…

Buttering up the state fair visitors

I’ll toast the butter sculpture. Every year, Central New Yorkers and visitors from around the state crowd into the Dairy Building to gawk at the latest version of the butter sculpture. The artist creates an interesting scene. My stomach churns thinking about buttery this and that.

Sands of time at the New York State Fair

Center of Progress mainstay. Another summer in Central New York, another visit to the New York State Fair for my dear wife Karen and I. First stop, a walk through the Center of Progress to view some familiar sights. The sand sculpture takes the center post again. What will be this year’s theme … Food…

Joining the kid for a Farmers Market stroll

Fruits, veggies and more. The downtown Syracuse Farmers Market has been calling our name all summer, what with terrific daughter Elisabeth taking a job just blocks away from Clinton Square. Our schedules finally meshed. I found a great parking spot and the meter machine accepted my card. Easy. The booths offered fresh stuff. I was…

A short stop?

Welcome, infrequent flyers. As my dear wife Karen and I were accomplishing work around the front yard, activity across the way caught my eye. Long-necked visitors had taken up on the front lawn of the town offices. My neighbor was in his driveway as well, looking them over. We agreed it was the first time…

Appreciating the big moon

Staying power The big moon has been catching the eyes of my dear wife Karen and I for days now. Evenings and mornings. I remembered to bring out my iPhone while it was at its fullest. Beautiful, yes, when we woke up early Thursday. Goodnight, moon. Gorgeous, still, before we retired at the end of…

Bounty appreciated

So many tomatoes. Come on over and get some tomatoes, texted terrific daughter Elisabeth. We’ve got so many, she exclaimed, attaching the above photo as proof. Happy pickers. She and George Three were still gathering when I arrived just moments later. Oh, so lovely. The container I brought home for my dear wife Karen and…

Smile at the party

And then there was the time … Tater and Linda hosted a fantastic shindig when KP came to town from Atlanta. Great food, wonderful big daily reunions, stirring conversation. KP snapped a wonderful photo of my dear wife Karen while I was in the midst of a wickedly competitive cornhole match in the yard with…

Bake and I, through KP’s lens

Since the ‘80s … KP sent Bake and I a photo he took of us on the track in Saratoga. We look like we’ve been hanging out with each other for a good, long time. Yes, I’ve known these two since I started working at the Syracuse daily in August, 1983. Using all my fingers…

Signs of figs!

Keep on sprouting, please and thank you. A wonderful August development has popped up with our backyard fig tree. My dear wife Karen and I have noted the arrival of possible figs. Could be fruit in our future. This would be a first from the tree gifted us as a baby twig from our friend…