Welcome! I hope I bring a spot of calm and happiness into these uncertain times. I blog about my photography adventures, flowers, gardening, the importance of chocolate in a well lived life, or anything else on my mind.
Ghost signs (signs of long ago businesses no longer in business that were painted on the sides of buildings back in the day) have always fascinated me.
Here is one of them, on the edge of the Court Street historic district of Binghamton, New York. The district consists of some 87 buildings, most of which were commercial buildings built between 1840 and 1939.
It's sad to see history fade away like this. I can't make out enough of this building to know what business it was advertising. I know there is another ghost sign not far from this building, which is in much better condition. Strangely, I didn't remember seeing this one until I saw it in late June of 2026.
I wonder if that sign has something to do with storage. Perhaps I'll never know.
In the spirit of better late than never, my spouse and I, along with a couple of in laws, visited a local treasure, the Roberson Museum, for its annual Home for the Holidays yesterday afternoon.
I thought you might enjoy these ornaments from a needlework based tree even though Christmas 2025 is gone and it's New Year's Eve.
We are at peak or near peak color where I live in the Southern Tier of New York.
It's true that people don't come to our area. It's true that you can enjoy better color in places like Vermont. But, on the other hand, there are no traffic jams here. You just cruise roads just a few miles from your house.
Here is some color from yesterday.
Sorry about the glare streak. That's what happens when it's a sunny day.
It was another spectacular day, with temperatures in the 70's F (23ish C). Again, some of my photos had to be discarded, but no matter. I was grateful for being able to leave work early and take this drive with my spouse.
So, thank you for coming along with me. Here's your reward from our local annual Scarecrow contest - a couple of colorful entries.
Lucky 13? CHOW is a local food bank run by Catholic Charities. There is such a great need out there.
Finally, an entry from Ametek, a worldwide company with a presence in Binghamton, New York.
Tomorrow is the last day of the Otsiningo Park Scarecrow Contest, and I'll hopefully have a few more pictures tomorrow for Wordless Wednesday.
We've had grey skies the past several days (plus rain) where I live in the Southern Tier of New York. I am craving blue skies and sunshine so why not devote today to a beautiful, sunny day we had earlier in September?
Here are some photos taken at a music festival in Binghamton, New York on September 14.
Taken from the Washington Street Bridge, built in 1886 and now a pedestrian only bridge. This is considered a historically important bridge. It was closed to traffic in 1969 but there is another bridge nearby, also connecting downtown with the Southern part of Binghamton.
The bridge in this picture is not the Washington Street bridge, but the Riverside Drive Bridge aka Memorial Bridge, built in 1923, carrying Riverside Drive.
A portion of the Washington Street bridge. I have other pictures elsewhere on my blog but my focus (so to speak) was on the clouds and sky..
The other bridge connecting downtown Binghamton with Binghamton's south side. I love the reflection in this piture.
One more, also from the walking path along the river.
I'm not ready for the gloom of fall and winter. Please, blue skies, come back soon!
Join me today as I share the beauty of a small park where two rivers (the Susquehanna and Chenango) meet in downtown Binghamton, New York.
It's mainly a place to stop a few minutes and relax. When I worked downtown, I would sometimes walk along the Chenango River's walking path with a workmate.
There is a pollinator garden maintained by the local Sierra Club.
From another angle. You'd never think you were in a downtown of a small city.
The month of festivals lasting from mid-August to mid-September (and even a bit beyond this year, due to at least one rain delay), continued Saturday with our 23rd annual Blues on the Bridge. This free concert each September brings both local bands and talent who have performed with nationally known artists to downtown Binghamton, New York.
It seemed like things were so normal. Well, maybe they are. The new normal, that is.
But first, the good stuff.
This bridge, built in 1886 and currently only used by pedestrians, was the original bridge the concert was held on. It's now held on a much sturdier bridge
The signature statue at each annual concert.
Of course, free is not free. This event takes a lot of fundraising and t-shirt sales (I proudly own several of the t-shirts from over the years), advertisers, and other promotions. But we are so fortunate to have this September music fest.
People of all ages comes out. The weather is usually great.
But then, the world intrudes. Today is the anniversary of a good friend's death and this year I'm missing her and my wisdom.
Yes, I know what she would say about my mood today. She would tell me to put on my big girl panties and face the world, just like she did during her second and final battle with cancer.
But I also wonder what she would have thought about our current world.
A city of about 58,000 people in southwest Ohio continue to be terrorized by bomb threats against schools, a hospital, and a college, as the latest episode of what can happen when your city is in the bulls eye of social media, as memes continue to go viral. I will not mention what the topic of discussion is but, if you don't live in the United States and haven't heard of Springfield, Ohio, you will quickly find out what is happening if you do a search.
Ukraine. The Middle East. Other places at war.
And the more trivial.
The continued list of major league baseball players who played in my youth but are now dying, grows bigger. Just think, this year - Bud Harrelson, Carl Erskine, Ken Holtzman, Jerry Grote, Willie Mays, Orlando Cepeda, And now, Eddie Kranepool, back on September 8. Like me, he was from the Bronx. He played his entire major league career for the NY Mets. He was only in high school when the Mets signed him. 18 years with the Mets, more than anyone other Mets player. What amazes me is that I didn't even know he had died until about four days ago.
I feel like I am getting older by the minute and, come to think of it, I am.
The September 15 death of Tito Jackson, founding member of the Jackson 5 and sibling of Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson, added to today's blue mood. At least I found out about his death right away.
We can wish we lived in happier times, but happier times tend to be an illusion.
We are at war with each other, and I thought it was appropriate to post a 2021 song from Tito Jackson, called Love One Another.
If only we took his advice.
Enough with the sadness. Now, I'll take my friend's advice and start the day.
Once again, on Sunday, Binghamton, New York its West Side became its Fest Side, with the ninth annual Porchfest.
A porchfest is exactly what the name states - bands set up on porches in a city or town neighborhood and play music on a designated day. The original intention was to bring neighborhoods together, was run by volunteers, and took place in Ithaca, New York in 2007. This movement has now spread to at least 224 cities and towns in the United States and Canada.
Our first Porchfest in Binghamton was in 2015, with 50 bands on 20
porches, and wasn't even officially sanctioned by the City of
Binghamton. Sunday, there were 140 bands on 64 porches, all between (officially) noon and 7pm. It's family friendly,
alcohol free (although there are restaurants serving alcohol) and best
of all, there's no admission charge. Contributions and purchase of T-Shirts and
other merchandise is more than welcomed but each year there are more and more corporate sponsors, too.
There is all kinds of music, from rock, to opera, to big band era skits, to classical. You can even throw in a ukulele, although this young lady (a little more on her tomorrow) also played electric guitar and a keyboard. A couple of her original songs, accompanied by ukulele, were pretty good.
Here are some of my past Binghamton Porchfest posts:
So, why is my post called Growing Old with Porchfest?
This year, the sun got to me early. I only stayed about two and a half hours and I left one venue after 15 minutes because the music was just Too Loud. (Perhaps the huge speakers by the house should have given me a clue.)
In some previous years we did come early (parking is easier), left, and then came back later in the day. But that didn't appeal this year.
Time flies. I can measure myself and my energy level against the memories of 2015 and come up a little short. I know low energy and aging don't necessarily go together. A 92 year old woman I've known for some 50 years has taught me that. But there are some adjustments I need to make for Porchfest 2025.
So, yes, I was tired. But I recovered overnight. Yesterday it was on the road to the New York State fair for a concert. More on that another time.
As for Porchfest, there's always next year, with some better planning.
Over the years, Callery pears have taken over more and more and are now considered invasive where I live in the Southern Tier of New York. (We commonly call them Bradford pears here, but Bradford pears are just one variety of Pyrus calleryana, an Asian pear variety that was brought here in the early 1900s with the best of intentions. But we all know about good intentions, right? You can read more about Callery pears and why they have become a problem here.
Three states so far have banned their sale: our neighboring state Pennsylvania, Ohio, and South Carolina.
In a way, it's a shame, because I believe the lovely flowering trees in the following photos are Callery pears (their flowers certainly smell like their flowers - bad) and if not, I'm sure I'll be corrected. Otsiningo Park has a lot of them.
So let's take in a walk from April 17 and view the trees and the sky.
For today, let's visit a pollinator garden on the edge of downtown Binghamton, New York.
Why a pollinator garden?
Sometimes, alas, Nature's creatures need a little help from humans. It's not because Nature's creatures are helpless, but, rather, because we change destroy the environments they need. Hence, this Pollinator Friendly Garden fills an increasingly important need. Even in a downtown. No, especially in a downtown.
Let's take a look at this garden, which we visited during a music festival in September of 2023.
New England asters, a fall flower.
Salvia, and ornamental grass.
Goldenrod against a blue sky.
Zinnias. In a normal year, I would have seen monarch butterflies, but I didn't see one. Not one.
One last look.
It doesn't take much room to create a pollinator friendly garden. Even if you have a small urban plot of land there may be something you can grow, including a lot of ornamental flowers: alyssum, black-eyed Susan, cosmos, lavender, zinnias, and more.
"P" day at the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. My theme Gardens, History, Art and The Unexpected.
For today, I want to show you an unexpected garden that waits for visitors, in clear view of I-81 going through Binghamton, New York.
I imagine it patiently waits for one of the thousands of cars that pass it each day to pull off the highway at the nearby exit and take a few minutes to wander its paths. After all, who would expect something like this hidden gem in the Southern Tier of New York?
Residents know. Now you will know, too.
Welcome to Cutler Botanic Garden. Tended mainly by volunteers, you can visit it for the best admission price ever - it's free.
This garden was given its start by Francis Cutler, who donated the land
to the Cornell Cooperative Extension Service in 1978. The garden opened
in 1979. Its missions include education and just plain enjoyment.
There is also a beautiful small rose garden that is a venue for weddings
and other celebrations.
Let's take a look.
At the entrance, in season, a Korean dogwood in bloom.
Hosta garden.
One of the roses. A number of them are antique roses.
The daylily display garden is a highlight of the garden in July.
Overview of the day lily display garden.
One of the many daylilies. I've purchased some of mine from them at an annual plant sale in May.
"Plant smiles, harvest love". This was part of the entries to a Whimsical Garden Landscape Design Challenge from AAS last year.
As was this.
One final view of the daylilies before we leave.
"B" day for the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. My theme: Gardens, History, Art and The Unexpected.
I suppose I should be doing a year end review of my life and blog today, New Year's Eve Eve. But I'm not quite ready to.
Do a review, that is.
It was hard picking a topic. After all, my Sirius XM subscription has expired - about the fifth time this week. Ditto my McAfee anti virus. Fed Ex is still trying to find me to deliver a package. I've won so many things from so many famous retailers and I'll have to get around to checking those emails out (NOT!) And, some well known streaming service wants me to subscribe for only $2 a year (plus a package of ransomware and viruses, most probably.)
One of my favorite bloggers announced that her post yesterday would be her last one. I'll miss her.
Wisteria window, Roberson Mansion, Binghamton New York
One can tire of today's world and think about years past. I love visiting historic buildings and mansions. But I wouldn't have been one of those living in those mansions, unless I (perhaps) was a servant.
Still, once you've reached the magic decade that begins with a seven, you have a lot of stored up memories.
Today, I caught myself thinking "let's go to the brewery that is where Pat Mitchells Ice Cream used to be." Pat Mitchell died in 2002.
It's so comfortable being nostalgic, especially as another year draws to a close. I had a conversation with a cousin earlier this month. My son and her daughter are four months apart in age. When they were little, my cousin, her husband and their daughter came up a couple of times on the day before New Years Eve (what I call New Years Eve Eve) for a New Year's Eve event called First Night.
For the price of a button, families in the Binghamton, New York area could have a lot of non-alcoholic fun, and we did. Have fun, that is, despite the weather. I remember one of the times they came up here it was close to 0F (-18C). But we were younger then, and a lot more tolerant of the cold.
If I remember correctly, the First Night national organization actually was headquartered in Binghamton for a couple of years. But I believe our last First Night was held in 2010-I know we lost some major funding. First Night is alive and well, just not in Binghamton, New York.
My cousin was so disappointed to hear that.
I miss First Night, too.
The closest we have is an annual New Years Eve family friendly celebration called First Knight, in a small village in our county - Windsor, New York, population about 880. It's a big community effort. Someone I know who lives in Windsor does some volunteer work for them and it would be great if we went and checked it out. But now that we are in that magic decade beginning with seven, we'd rather just sit home and watch a movie.
Growing older does that to you.
Clock, Roberson Mansion, Binghamton, New York
Time waits for no one at all.
Clock, Lorenzo State Historical Site, Cazenovia, New York
Time marches on.
Tomorrow, I will take a quick look back at 2023 and some of the travel spouse and I did. Nothing major - no cruises, no flying, no international travel. But, oh, the places we went. Each was interesting in its own way.
Come to think of it, in some ways, 2023 was a very good year.
I wish the same for you all, dear readers, in 2024.
More from Home for the Holidays at
Binghamton, New York's Roberson Center and Science Museum. Part of this museum is located inside the former mansion of Alonzo Roberson, who made his fortune in lumber. With no children to leave the building to, he and his wife donated their mansion to the community to be used as an educational facility. Each December, they decorate for Christmas.
Let's go up the mansion stairs.
Where I live in the Northeast United States, winter skies can be so dreary. Bring on the decorations - here, a Christmas village.
