suns along the Mohawk

Stockade riverfront seen from Western Gateway Bridge

David Giacalone — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:03:09 +0000

- “my neighborhood” – the rear of Washington Ave. and Cucumber Alley (Nov. 15, 2009) -

As noted in our posting Wednesday, titled “paying attention to the Western Gateway Bridge,” I took photos from that Bridge for the very first time last Sunday (November 15, 2009). WGB spans the Mohawk River just west of the Stockade, connecting Schenectady and Scotia, along New York Route 5. The pictures in this post show portions of the Stockade riverbank, including “my block” at the rear of Cucumber Alley and the first block of Washington Ave. [Click on a photo to enlarge and scroll over it for a description.]

Here’s a wide view of the Stockade from the Western Gateway Bridge, with Isle of the Cayugas on the left and Gateway Landing on the right:

And, this is a portion of Riverside Park, from Governor’s Lane eastward toward the Pump House:

. . . & the east end of the Park. . .

The two houses on Cucumber Alley share this photo with the spire of the First Reform Church:

Finally, this is the riverbank that borders my backyard, behind 10 and 16 Washington Avenue (from which many a sunset photo has been taken):

. . and the riverside getaway of our good neighbors Bob and Sylvie Briber, 1 Cucumber Alley, which I have dubbed “Casa Cayugas” . .

… which was still hidden behind foliage on Oct. 27, 2009 . .

paying attention to the Western Gateway Bridge

David Giacalone — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:23:24 +0000

- two segments of Western Gateway Bridge behind Isle of the Cayugas –

If done correctly, my two main hobbies — taking photos around the Stockade and writing haiku poetry — require keen observation and should, at a minimum, sharpen that skill over the years. As often happens, however, life keeps me humble and demonstrated again last week that I need to pay better attention to my surroundings. The object of this lesson was the Western Gateway Bridge, which spans [1875 feet] the Mohawk River on NY Route 5, from State St. in Schenectady to Mohawk Avenue in Scotia. [You can find information on the bridge's history in the Postscript located at the foot of this posting.]

Here’s the sight that undermined my confidence:

- midsection of WGB, seen through the Isle of the Cayugas (Nov. 15, 2009) –

For the twenty years since I moved to Schenectady and its Stockade district, my view of the Western Gateway Bridge ["WGB"] has been from the east, in Riverside Park or my backyard on Washington Avenue in the Stockade. For that entire time, I have seen only two segments of WGB from the Stockade — one on either side of the Isle of the Cayugas, which is situated under the Bridge. The trees of the forested island block the view of the middle section of the bridge from the East. For example, see the sunset photo at the top of this posting, which was taken only 6 weeks ago, on October 3, 2009. In early November, however, I looked at WGB from near the kiddie playground of Riverside Park, and for the very first time also saw a middle section of the bridge.

- three segments of Western Gateway Bridge (November 15, 2009) -

When I first spied that middle section, I was in Riverside Park with Sylvie Briber (and her dog Lollipop). Sylvie, the long-time editor of the Stockade Spy, has frequented the Park for years. Neither she nor I could remember ever seeing/noticing that third section of the Western Gateway Bridge before that evening. However, when I breathlessly told another friend who lives along the Park about our amazing “discovery,” she insisted it’s been visible other years after the leaves fall, and that we simply have not been looking from the right angle or perspective — or not paying enough attention while enjoying sunsets beyond the Bridge.

Last Sunday, after a couple of weeks of uncertainty, I remembered to check my own photo library (which only dates back to the Spring of 2008) to see if that middle section has in fact been visible before this autumn. Indeed, it was — at least last winter – as can be seen, if you look closely at these two photos (click to enlarge):

…

- middle section of WGB seen after Dec. ‘08 ice storm [L] and March ‘09 ice jam –

Here are two more photos of the mid-bridge segment, the first from the street near 16 Washington Avenue, and the second from the backyard of 10-16 Washington Ave.:

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Please let me know in a Comment whether you’ve previously seen the elusive middle section of the Western Gateway Bridge from the Stockade side of the bridge. If so, did it happen last winter or in prior years? If this is a recent phenomenon, do you know what changes on the Isle of the Cayugas allow this third view of the Bridge?

In addition to snapping this photo of our neighborhood’s infamous black cat last Sunday (November 15, 2009), my quest to learn more about the third section of WGB had one excellent side-effect: It got me to take my first photos ever from the Western Gateway Bridge. Here are two views of the Stockade seen through that opening on the Isle of the Cayugas (as always, click on a photo to enlarge it, scroll over it for a description):

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In addition, you can see some striking views of the Stockade riverfront, taken from the middle section of the Western Gateway Bridge, by going to our next posting “Stockade riverfront seen from the Western Gateway Bridge.”

follow-up (9 AM, Nov. 20, 2009): Loraine, our highly observant Commentor-friend, suggests that the mid-section of WGB is now visible because “the 6 to 8 feet tall grasses are dying and matted down giving the view of the middle section of the WGB. If you look at the Isle from the bridge, you won’t see trees in the middle, but just the matted down tall grasses.” She has a point: Here’s a mid-Isle view from mid-Brige:

“

. .

My eyes (and, right now I only have use of one eye, so my vision is hampered) must be playing tricks on me, however, as there sure does look like trees at the far eastern tip of the Isle in the photo take October 3, 2009:

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Perhaps that greenery is mostly high grass, as Loraine suggests, with a few short trees. See this photo of that end of the Isle taken from the Bridge on Nov. 15, 2009:

. . .

This still leaves me with the question: Has the middle of Isle of the Cayugas been clearcut of its trees within the past couple of years, or has it been this way for many years?

P.S. Background on the Western Gateway Bridge: According to “Bridging the Mohawk”, by John Gara and John Garver of the Union College Geology Department:

“1926 marked the condemnation of the Burr Bridge to Glenville as the $2.5 million Western Gateway Bridge was dedicated on 6/16/26, a year after the first cars began crossing its 4515′ span. [click for a photo of the 1926 Western Gateway Bridge] . . .

“[I]n 1971, the Western Gateway Bridge was replaced with a girder style bridge [of the same name] with five lane widths, sidewalks and bike paths east of the 45 year old concrete bridge. The Binne Kill branch of the Mohawk was filled in (now parking for Schenectady Community College) so that the bridge would only have to span 1875 feet with the rest of the roadway on an earthen dike.”

“Bridging the Mohawk” contains more information on the history of bridging the Mohawk from Schenectady to Scotia. For example, there was some tragedy involved in the building of the first Western Gateway Bridge in the mid-1920s. (also, see our prior post about the Burr Bridge)

a sunny Stockade greets Stockade-athon 2009

David Giacalone — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 04:32:31 +0000

The weather could not have been better for the spectators this morning, and I bet the runners liked it, too, as the 34th Annual Stockade-athon 15K road race passed through our eponymous Stockade neighborhood. With only one good eye, a fluish body and a very slow reaction time, I failed to capture as many interesting photos as I had hoped this morning.

As you can see, for example, the eventual men’s winner, Fernando Cabada Jr., was too fast for me, as I tried to quickly raise my Canon PowerShot for my first picture of the day:

…………………….. Cabada was too fast for me, too ….

Fernando Cabada Jr. of Boulder, Colo., was first and Jordan Davis of Syracuse finished second, while Laurel Burdick of Manlius won the women’s division in the 34th annual Gazette Stockade-athon 15k road race.

. . . right behind Cabada on Front St.:

. . . . . As usual, I’m going to post a bunch of photos that interest me for the colors or faces, and hope they help us celebrate this fine Schenectady tradition. [Click on a photo for a larger version and scroll over it for a brief (often unenlightening) description.]

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– as usual, Lawrence was in the middle of the action today –

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And, further down Front St., near Church:

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. . and then heading south on Washington Avenue:

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Monday morning addendum (Nov. 9, 2009): A few more faces (click to enlarge):

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.. ..

Finally, if you hung around at Front and Church St. until sunset today, you saw a few more streaking beauties:

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p.s. You can find the results and some Stockade-athon video at the Schenectady Gazette website; and a few more photos and commentary by participant Herb Terns at the Times Union Outdoors weblog.

great views from Gateway Landing

David Giacalone — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 01:18:18 +0000

. . . . . . . .

Despite seeing it often and using it in photos, it took me 15 years to set foot on Gateway Landing — a small public dock, deck, gazebo and picnic area nestled under the Western Gateway Bridge (near Schenectady County Community College), at the point where the Binnekill stream empties into the Mohawk River. Although located in the Town of Rotterdam, Gateway Landing is literally a stone’s throw from Schenectady’s Stockade District. It was constructed in the fall of 1994, by the volunteers of the Schenectady Action Council, and is maintained by the Schenectady Rotary Club. Gateway Landing is used for fishing, picnicking, and the docking of small recreational boats.

. click for early Gateway Landing history. .

And, as I expected when heading over there on October 27, Gateway Landing was a great place to get a different perspective on the lovely-but-fading fall foliage along our Stockade & Scotia stretch of the Mohawk River. [Click on a photo for a larger version and scroll over it for a description.]

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My perch at Gateway Landing also permitted a closer look than usual at the Western Gateway Bridge and the Isle of the Cayugas:

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. . . plus, a different perspective on the CSX rail bridge:

It should go without saying that I won’t let fifteen more years elapse before returning to Gateway Landing, which can be reached from the SCCC exit on the Rt. 5 Western Gateway Bridge (just past the Town of Rotterdam sign).

happy halloween ‘09

David Giacalone — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 22:37:10 +0000

Halloween got off to a great start this afternoon, at Polachek Square, where Lawrence watched over his neighbors and Joyce and Artur Wachala gathered some of our cutest tricksters for some early fun at Arthur’s Market. I snapped a few shots before leaving for a party at Joe Merli’s restored 1950’s Diner in Duanesburg.

Lawrence had a few pumpkins and a large pink visitor:

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……..

Finally, princesses, angels, comic heroes and even a race car showed up for the fun -

- HAVE A GREAT HALLOWEEN 2009 -

. . . bonus (Devin’s back with a big spotted dawgie):

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not just an April infatuation

David Giacalone — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 21:41:25 +0000

. . .

The above scene greeted me as I was leaving my garage on Sunday morning, and I knew I had to feature Washington Avenue’s cherry trees in a new posting — to show an autumnal echo of their brief April beauty. Below you’ll find a few shots of the cherry trees in front of 10 and 16 Washington Avenue and the lawn that separates the two buildings, here in the Schenectady Stockade. Then, I juxtapose Washington Avenue’s cherry trees as they appeared in April with their tawny-golden display earlier this week.

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. comparing the seasons:

- as, always, click on a photo for a larger version, scroll over it for a description -

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- Find more Stockade cherry blossom photographs here from 2008 & here from 2009. -

This black cat seems indifferent to our autumnal cherry tree display. It probably has Halloween on its felonious feline mind. I’m going to end this post with one more autumn cherry tree shot, taken October 26, 2009, in front of the Mary Hill House, next to the YWCA on Washington Ave.

giant jack-o-lantern haunts Riverside Park

David Giacalone — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 03:27:56 +0000

- seen floating above Riverside Park near Governor’s Lane –

Around 9 P.M. this evening, I spotted the giant jack-o-lantern pictured (poorly) above, while I was standing in the parking area and on the paved path at the end of Governor’s Lane, in Riverside Park. Facing away from the River, toward Front Street, the apparition was looming beyond the brick wall that runs from Governor’s Lane toward the Pump House.

. . . here’s another view [click to enlarge]

As you can see, I have not learned how to take night photos (except for fireworks), and my hand was shaking so much that Image Stabilization could not compensate. If you can get a better image over the next few nights, please let me know. (I’d be happy and grateful to post it.) Of course, I hope anyone who has clues, information, or hypotheses to help solve the mystery of the Great 2009 Riverside Halloween Pumpkin, will leave a Comment to enlighten us.

a blue heron on a gray Saturday on the Mohawk

David Giacalone — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 14:12:35 +0000

- Blue Heron floats past the Isle of the Cayugas, Saturday afternoon, Oct. 24, 2009 -

.. Yesterday was dreary and gray, with quite a bit of rain. But, a break in the rain around 5 P.M. left the Mohawk River a beautiful surface for reflecting autumn foliage and for one “peeping” tourist to float by the south side of the Isle of the Cayugas and the Schenectady Stockade. His visit was memorialized in this sequence of photos (beginning with the one at the top of this posting), taken from my backyard, behind 16 Washington Avenue. [as always, click on a photo for a larger version]

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- the blue heron takes off from its floating branch in the Mohawk near the Isle of the Cayugas -

- one branch now available for a Saturday tour of the Mohawk River -

- still worth a picture even with no blue heron in sight -

still waiting for those fall colors

David Giacalone — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:03:15 +0000

. . .

Like my buddy Lawrence, I’ve been standing around waiting for the fall foliage to reach its peak of color here in Schenectady’s Stockade District and along our Mohawk River waterfront. (more of Lawrence patiently waiting here). It’s the third week of October, I’m surely more impatient than Lawrence, as I lug my camera around our ‘hood, looking for autumnal beauty.

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- October 20th, but Isle of the Cayugas is still mostly green -

Of course, there already are quite a few examples of autumnal reds, yellows and oranges on trees and vines around the Stockade. So, I decided to snap a few pictures and share them with others who feel they’ve had to wait too long for the climax of autumn’s annual show. [scroll on a picture for a description; click on it for a larger version]

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- you can’t miss this tree on So. Church St. alongside the former Knights of Columbus building -

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- two more So. Church St. trees in the noonday sun – October 19, 2009 -

Three views on Washington Avenue, late afternoon, Oct. 20, 2009:

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While I procrastinated a day or two in posting these photos, many of the late-changing leaves went from green to yellow along the streets of the Stockade, but we haven’t quite reached our peak. I’m hoping to get a few shots along the Mohawk before the colorful leaves fall off the trees.

looking for Lawrence

David Giacalone — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 17:28:46 +0000

A few days ago, Rob Gavel asked neighbors on the Historic Stockade Yahoo! Group mailing list if anyone had a “a full-body image of Lawrence” that could be used in a project for the Stockade Association. To my surprise, as I searched my online and computer photo collections, I did not have a simple full-body portrait of our beloved Lawrence the Indian. The Stockade’s monument to Lawrence, or his traffic circle, appears in many of my photographs and webposts, but Lawrence is customarily just part of the tableau or background for one neighborhood event or another (e.g., the Valentine flamingo visit, our Christmas tree, Stockade-a-thon, or the Outdoor Art Show).

Rob’s request made me realize that I need to take a closer look at Lawrence himself. Yesterday afternoon, I did just that, on a sunny, mid-October Saturday (and also on Friday, October 16). Below you will find a few portraits of Lawrence the Indian, an icon of our Stockade neighborhood, along with some facts about him and his statue. [As always, click on a photo for a larger version.]

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“Lawrence” was among the Native Mohawks who encouraged the Dutch to resettle the village of Schenectady after a 1690 attack, in which French-Canadian and Indian marauders burned the stockaded village to the ground and massacred most of its inhabitants. (see the Stockade Association history page) The “I Spy” website of the Mohawk Valley Library System has this to say about the Stockade monument known as Lawrence the Indian:

At the junction of Front, Green and North Ferry Streets, is the Indian monument which marks the northeastern extremity and blockhouse of Queen’s Fort that was built by 1705, after the massacre. The statue was placed at that site in 1887 and became known as “Lawrence the Indian.” Lawrence was named after the Christian Mohawk who was a great friend to the early settlers and the most persistent of the trackers of the retreating French and Indians after the 1690 raid.

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As discussed in February 2008 at my f/k/a weblog, our statue of Lawrence the Indian “was originally a carving done by wood carver Samuel Anderson Robb about 1860 for William Demuth, who was the leading cigar store Indian peddler. Demuth published a catalog of his wares and in 1872 Lawrence is listed as ‘No. 53 Indian Chief.’ In 1873, the J.L.Mott Iron Works purchased the design and listed him for $500 in their catalog of statuary. The Schenectady statue was purchased in 1887.” [See “Fargo, North Dakota: The Indian Statue,” put together by the Institute for Regional Studies at North Dakota State University.]

In addition to our Lawrence the Indian, the J.L. Mott Iron Works model “#53 Indian Chief” statuary has had quite a few identities; the names and legends include:

Chief Hopocan in New Portage Park, at the intersection of Norton Avenue and Wooster Road, in Barberton, Ohio.
Tecumseh at the J. Fitzhugh Thornton Memorial, Thornton Triangle park in Cincinnati, Ohio
Hiawatha at the Forest Glen Annex to Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Dewitt Circle & Linden Lane, in the Washington DC suburb of Silver Spring, Maryland [not Bethesda, MD, as stated in the Queen City Survey weblog, where you can find a discussion and a photo of Hiawatha]. Two photos of our Lawrence are standing in for his clone Hiawatha at Marv Solberg’s informative and comprehensive dcMemorials.com website.
the Kisco Indian, at the Gorham Fountain, Mt. Kisco, New York
a Cherokee named Sequoia, in Calhoun, Georgia
an Indian unidentified by name or tribe in Fargo, North Dakota.

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The other versions of Mott’s “#53 Indian Chief” may look like our Lawrence, but none of them is nestled among the sights and people at the heart of the Schenectady Stockade.

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