Japanese Pagoda Library Tree #ThursdayTreeLove #4CLSRoadTrip

Time for another road trip, this time to a library I've used hundreds of times over the past 35 plus years.

On the grounds of the George F. Johnson Memorial Library in Endicott, New York stands a Japanese Pagoda Tree.  These trees bloom in late August, unlike most trees in our area, which bloom in the spring.

The tree.

This may help give you a little scale.

Close ups of the flowers. These were taken August 18.

Entrance to the George F. Johnson Memorial Library.

Inside, a clock.  It keeps time nicely.

I believe this is the house that used to sit on this property, owned by George F. Johnson

Here's a little history:  this library has existed since March of 1915, known originally as the Endicott Free Library.  It was located several blocks from the current library.  It moved several times before finding its permanent home in the current building in 1967.

The Endicott Free Library (later renamed the Ideal Home Library) operated one of the first bookmobiles (horse drawn) in the Northeast United States starting in 1916. It was a Ford flatbed truck used by someone else during the day.  It became a bookmobile in the early evening using removable book shelves. If your community has a bookmobile today, it may well have been inspired by the Endicott bookmobile.

Eventually, the library was named for industrialist George F. Johnson, who died in 1948 but is still beloved in this area for his philanthropy. If you are old enough, you may remember Endicott-Johnson or Father and Son shoes.  Here is a short history of the library and the population of immigrants and others it served.

After Mr. Johnson died, his homestead was purchased by the Village of Endicott.  The current library sits on its grounds. 

Mosaic, George F. Johnson Memorial Library

Also joining Parul of Happiness and Food for her #ThursdayTreeLove.

Happy New Year's Day 2023

First, let's get these out of the way:

Yes, I stayed up until midnight.

No, I didn't drink anything alcoholic.

No, I didn't go to a party or have anyone over. (I will have a family member over later today).

Today, as we look ahead to what, hopefully, will be a better year than those in this second decade of the 21st century so far, I am reminded of some of what I blogged on January 1, 2020.  What I wrote is indented and my January 1, 2023 commentary is in red.

Although I gave up making New Years resolutions years ago, and don't choose a "word of the year", I am aware that this year is going to be a year of major changes in my life....understatement of the century.

I've let relationships drop.  I won't blame anyone but myself.  Now, I have to try to find some of those loose ends and reconnect them.  Another understatement. 

I am reminded once again of how short and precious life can be... and, since March of 2020, we've been reminded of that again and again.

So, New Years Eve was the perfect opportunity.  I texted, Facebook messaged, and spoke on the phone - and did some long awaited catching up.  For me, the days before New Years is still a time of catching up.

Now, I just have to keep these relationships going - easier said than done.  Old acquaintances should never be forgot.   They should always be brought to mind.  Still, so true.

What about you?

Let me end today's post with some memories of our recent holiday season, taken at the Endicott Visitors Center in Endicott, New York.  I will be sharing more photos at a future date.

This is the original building that later became Binghamton University. At one time it was known as Old Colonial Hall and is now a combination museum and banquet facility.  It was once the residence of the executive secretary of a famed industrialist of our area.

Candy cane Christmas.

A dressmaker's dream tree. 

May 2023 be a good year for you, dear readers.

Japanese Pagoda Tree #ThursdayTreeLove

There aren't too many summer flowering trees here in the Southern Tier of New York State.  Crepe myrtles don't grow here (not hardy enough, although they will survive in the New York City area.) I don't consider Rose of Sharon as a tree, although maybe one could.

Several years ago, I started to notice a tree that was blooming in late July or early August.  Many of those I saw were in locations where I couldn't easily photograph them.  But I finally did, and a friend's sister (a plant expert) identified them as Japanese Pagoda trees (Styphnolobium japonicum), a native of China.

To my delight, I saw one of these trees on the grounds of the library in Endicott, New York.  For about ten years in the 80's and 90's, I worked in Endicott in walking distance of their library, and was a frequent visitor.  I don't remember this tree.  I wonder how old it is.

Here's a closeup of the flowers, which have a slight scent.  The tree is a member of the pea family, and is a good urban tree.  At this time it isn't thought of as invasive.

Here's more about this tree.

Joining Parul at Happiness and Food for her twice a month #ThursdayTreeLove.

Outdoor Outing Oops #AtoZChallenge

If you are looking for my Music Moves Me post, please click here.  I hope you'll stay for this post, though, before you leave to listen to some great music.

Welcome (or welcome again) to "O" day in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge.  My theme: "From Florida to Vermont With Stops In Between".

Before I begin, I owe you, my readers, an apology.   I'm prewriting many of my A to Z posts, and I inadvertently dated my "O" post with the wrong date.  It published in error last week and a couple of people commented on it (thank you!) and I don't want to delete it. So, for those who already read my O post, this is a little different. I've added some new pictures, did some editing, and I now invite you to enjoy the new outdoor art I've included.  Thank you!

Today, let's sample some outdoor art from various parts of the country, starting in the area where I live in New York state and ending in Florida.

We'll start in Ithaca, New York and a mosaic mural.

On a downtown Binghamton, New York walkway, decorations celebrating the history of this area.  Here, a boot to symbolize our long history of shoe manufacturing. 

A mural on the edge of downtown Binghamton, New York, celebrating the late Mohammad Ali.

Here's a mural painted on the back of a New York village's movie theater.

This mural, located in Endicott, New York, is called "Love Like Lisa".  It pays tribute to a woman, Lisa Iannone, who died at the age of 40 from a chronic condition she had lived with for many years.

Endicott had a big IBM facility at one time, and this isn't too far from that facility.  This mural is painted on the back of the Cinema Saver on Washington Avenue, just steps away from that factory complex. 

Let's start moving south now.  Our first stop is New York's Hudson Valley.

Here is a statue at the CIA - no, not that CIA, but the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York?  This culinary school has trained many great chefs, and the campus has some interesting culinary art on its campus.

Take, for example, this fish.   You may not want to eat it, though. 

It's made out of dining utensils.  

Now we are in Brooklyn, in New York City, with an outdoor store window painting in downtown Brooklyn (2018).

New York Aquarium in Coney Island (Brooklyn). 

Moving on to Virginia Museum of Fine Art, Richmond, VA.  This sculpture is called Chloe.  The artist is Jaume Plensa, from Spain. 

Still heading south, we arrive in South Carolina. Carousel at Riverbanks Zoo and Gardens, West Columbia, South Carolina. 

Finally, we arrive at our destination, Florida.  This mosaic is at the Florida Botanical Gardens in Largo, Florida.

Our outdoor outing ends in Bok Gardens in Lake Wales, Florida, with this cute squirrel.

"O" day in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge (for real, this time).

Endicott (New York) #AtoZChallenge

Endicott, New York, about five miles (eight km) west of Binghamton, is where I worked for much of the first 11 years I spent in this area.  Today's story is a story of greatness lost, a story which, sadly, must be told as part of my theme for the Blogging from A to Z.  But there is also hope, as you will see later in today's post.

The Village of Endicott has an interesting history, which is intertwined with two industries:  shoe making, in the form of a company called Endicott-Johnson (yes, the Endicott of the village's name), and IBM.  Endicott actually started out as a "company town" for Endicott-Johnson, a major shoe manufacturer, which was the world's largest shoe manufacturer in the World War I era.

Fortunately, compared to many, Endicott-Johnson (E-J) was a benevolent employer (building houses for the workers, providing free health care, recreational facilities, hospitals and more), and this area thrived.  E-J was also one of the first employers to institute a 40 hour work week.  George F. Johnson was beloved by many, and his funeral was one of the largest in United States history.

But it was, make no mistake, hard work, if you were employed by E-J.  Hard, stinky work. 

Then,  there was IBM.  Actually it's a long story, and neither my spouse nor I ever worked for IBM, but I never would have come to this area if not for IBM.

When I first started to work in Endicott in 1986, IBM, which was once headquartered in Endicott, was still a strong influence on the community.  Unfortunately, I don't have pictures of that era.  But I do have pictures taken more recently.  Before I get into some recent history, how about some pictures of beauty?

Main Street, Endicott, features an arch built, and paid by, the workers of Endicott-Johnson, in 1920.  It was restored (and widened) in 1995 and put on the National Historic Register in 2001.  There is another arch on Main Street at the Johnson City/Binghamton border.  I was concentrating on getting the blooming trees so the arch is a bit far away in this capture.  You can see it in the bottom center.

Taken near the former Ideal Hospital founded by the Johnsons (now a nursing home) in the fall of 2018.

A winter scene from almost the same vantage point.

Now, for the sad part.   Endicott-Johnson. declined and no longer has factories or facilities in our area, although it survives as a division of an Ohio shoe company.  Many of the IBM buildings stand vacant.  Sadly, one of IBM's legacy is a plume of underground pollution which has been mainly cleaned up but - you never know.  My manager of many years at my Endicott job lives in the plume area.

More of the IBM campus.

Let's follow the sad with happy (or hoppy).. When I worked in Endicott, a lot of shopping centered around Washington Avenue, a short avenue that was just a short walk from the IBM facilities and a former E-J factory (torn down and now a shopping plaza).  Today, a number of urban renewal projects, such as murals, are centering around Washington Avenue.  

Some eight years ago a vacant building formerly occupied by Elks Bakery was converted into the North Brewery, which thrives today. There are some other recent, hopeful signs of recovery, despite the pandemic.

Here's hoping Endicott can find even more new life and purpose in the coming years.  It deserves a new chance to thrive again.

"E" day of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge.  My theme:  New York State.

Two Views of Victory

 I don't often show the aged and decrepit side of the village of Johnson City, New York, but today I feel I need to show a contrast of past and present.

The major industry in this area, back in the early to mid 20th century, was shoe manufacture.  In fact, the Village of Johnson City was named for shoe manufacturers - twice.  First, Lestershire, after the Lester Brothers Boot and Shoe Company.  And then, the village became Johnson City, renamed in 1916 in honor of George F. Johnson, who was originally hired by the Lester Brothers Boot and Shoe Company and eventually became co owner of the shoe company with another man, Henry Endicott as the Lester Brothers sold out to them.

The story is a lot more complex, but for today's purposes you should know that Endicott-Johnson, at one time, was the largest shoe manufacturer in the United States and employed thousands in Johnson City, in nearby Endicott (yes, named after Henry Endicott) and other nearby communities.

The Victory Plant was built in 1921, and named Victory after our victory in World War I.  Just think, at the tail end of a pandemic which killed some 50 million people worldwide, this shoe manufacturing plant was state of the art.  This is what it looked like at one time (third photo down on the page this links to).

A view today of the defunct Victory Plant, Johnson City, New York

Today, it lies in ruins, closed up in the 1970's.  

But, within walking distance is CFJ Park (named after another member of the Johnson family), and near that, tents have gone up near a closed newspaper printing plant.  A vaccination facility is supposed to open there tomorrow.

Hopefully, thousands will receive COVID vaccines there in the coming months.

Two view of victory - past victory from 1921, and what we hope is eventual victory over COVID in 2021.

Endicott (New York) and My 2700th Post #atozchallenge

First, a short celebration of my 2700th post.  Happy postaversary to me.  But no time, no time to celebreate.  The Blogging from A to Z Challenge awaits.

Traveling Through Time and Space, I return to the happier days of the late 1980's, when I worked in the small upstate New York city of Endicott, New York.

I worked in this building for almost nine years, and I still return to this building at least twice a year because my dentist works in it.

I have many memories of a village where so many streets are named after Presidents.  Washington.  Jefferson.  Madison.  Monroe.   Lincoln.  Cleveland.  Roosevelt.

This building is only a couple of blocks away from Washington Avenue, which once was the main shopping street of Endicott.  Just blocks away from IBM, which had a major facility nearby, Washington Avenue was full of prosperous businesses.  I didn't take pictures of the bustling Washington Avenue, because I didn't know, back then, that the prosperity of Endicott would, one day, be only a memory.

There was the downsizing of IBM, a company which actually started down the road in Binghamton as a manufacturer of time clocks and other time keeping devices. 

There was the death by mall of downtown shopping.  Endicott's Washington Avenue was one of many casualties. In my memories, I can still walk down the Washington Avenue of, say, 1987, in my mind. Very few businesses of that time remain.

But, worst of all, was the Plume,. "Tons of industrial solvents used to clean computer parts were dumped down drains or leached from leaky pipes into the ground for years before environmental rules required that such "spills" be reported.."  These solvents were used from the 1930's to the mid 1980's.   The case was finally settled in 2015.

Now, Endicott struggles to return to its once prosperous days.  
 

The North Brewery, Washington Avenue

There are new businesses and some new hope.  For example, where a bakery flourished for many years (and went out of business many years ago) there is now a brewery.

That's how you Endicott nowadays.

But my memories of the 90's still remain.

"E" day on Blogging from A to Z Challenge. 

Overdue Library Art

Who says librarians don't have a sense of humor?  Or a sense of the artistic?

Today, I wanted to show you several examples of art, upstate New York library style. We have several local libraries here in our Triple Cities of upstate New York.

In the George F. Johnson Library in Endicott, NY, I found this mosaic near a water fountain.

Nearby, is their cafe - called, what else, The Overdue Cafe.

This library, like many others, has periodic displays of area art.  Last month, the subject was quilts.  I had to take these pictures on the "sly" because we aren't supposed to be using cell phones in the library.  I don't know the names of the artists - I was too busy sneaking around and seeing if any librarian was looking - I hope they are OK with me posting these pictures of their lovely art.

Chickens are a favorite art theme of mine.  At one point in time, I decorated part of my house in "early chicken".  I would have snapped this quilt up if it had been for sale back in my "chicken period".

Maybe I would even buy it now.

And finally, a quilt featuring a stag.  Not welcome in your average garden, but a beauty nonetheless.

Again, if any of the makers of these quilts come forward, I would love to give proper credit to them.

Do you have any favorite library art?

The Six Month Anniversary--Triumph Over Disaster?

Six months ago today, the floods started.

Six months ago, few of us dreamed what the next six months would bring to so many of us in the Southern Tier of upstate New York.  Those of us who lost our homes...our businesses....our basements...our neighborhoods...and even our jobs.  If you look back and search my blog for "Binghamton Flood of 2011" you will see the progression of our area's story.  (more on this tomorrow.)

Now, for employees of one business in our area, a six month wait appears to be over.

For six months, we held our breath while one of our larger area employers, BAE Industries, decided what their future in this area would be.  Their 640,000. square foot building was ruined.  Two months of 24/7 cleanup were for naught.  BAE abandoned the building and ripped their sign off the front.  It became what I called "TheNakedBuilding". I took this picture on one of the last days where a skeleton crew of BAE employees occupied it.

On February 29, they left for good.  The building, the future....shrouded in shadow.

Today, on the 6 month anniversary of the flood and of the last day BAE occupied an unruined building, BAE announced its future.

They are staying.  They are permanently going to occupy six buildings in the original IBM Campus in Endicott, about 5 miles to the west of Westover, near Johnson City, New York.  Endicott has seen better days - a lot of better days.  It has sadly gone quite downhill in the last 15 or so years.  It breaks my heart, as I worked in Endicott for many years. (not at IBM).

For years IBM occupied a large campus in Endicott  Now, many layoffs later, many of the buildings are vacant. (the campus is now known as "Huron" and IBM is down to about 900 employees.)  BAE had moved into six of those buildings soon after the flood.  Now, they are staying. (although - I must note that some NY legislation is still needed to make this a true "done deal".)

Endicott is hoping the 1300 employees will help bring their community back from the brink. 

In this long strange trip, I hope that BAE and its employees can finally rest.  Endicott will be a good home to them.  Our neighborhood's loss will be their gain. 

The future of some parts of Westover is still in doubt.  And soon, the demolition of TheNakedBuilding will begin.  Perhaps the Bradford Pears in front of the building will bloom one last time in May.

And then it will be....The Beginning?

There Are No Knights in Shining Armor-A Modern Fairy Fale

Once upon a time, there was a village called Endicott, in Upstate New York.

Endicott was named after Henry Endicott, who founded the Endicott Shoe Company and eventually made an employee, George F. Johnson, a partner.  Endicott-Johnson Corporation thrived.  And when the boom days of Endicott-Johnson were coming to a close, IBM took up the slack.  All was well, until IBM dwindled.

So did Endicott, which is now old, tired, decayed, and less of a nice place every year.

But now comes a knight in shining armor-maybe.

In September of 2011, Tropical Storm Lee dumped over 11 inches of rain on our area in just one day.  The already soggy ground from an incredibly rainy year couldn't bear any more, and floods resulted.  One building that flooded was a 640,000. sq foot manufacturing facility in Westover, just west of Johnson City, NY, leased by BAE Systems,occupied by some 1600 employees.  They are one of the major employers of our area.

In November, BAE determined the Westover building could not be salvaged.

In the meantime, part of their operation had moved to - ironically, buildings that were once occupied by IBM, in Endicott. (Endicott is just a few miles west of Westover.)  There were no buildings large enough for the entire operation, so they moved into 8 buildings on what is now called the Huron Campus.  But not everyone is in Endicott.  Some employees (I understand) are on furlough.  Some have returned (temporarily) to the Westover facility.  I've been told they must vacate by February 28.

BAE has committed to staying within 35 miles of Westover but....where?  640,000 sq ft buildings are not common here.

I had been told the announcement of relocation would be made no later than February 10, but it didn't come to pass.

So...in yesterday's paper the front page article was an article which turned out to be pure speculation.  What if BAE stayed in Endicott?  It sure would be nice to have a revival of Endicott.  Like in those good old days.

Yes, but.

There just aren't any corporate knights in shining armor any more.  No one employer is going to come and sweep Endicott back into the arms of prosperity.  And to me it was more than a bit annoying for our paper to publish that article before BAE had made that kind of committment.  Which it hasn't.

In fact, the longer it takes for this announcement: my imagination is working overtime and I wonder if BAE is going to go back on the promises it made back in November.  I truly don't think they are going to find a building suitable for them within 35 miles of the ruined Westover plant.  Much of their corporate culture (an educated guess here) is based on everyone being in the same building.  They don't want to be spread between 8 or even more buildings.  Corporate culture dies hard.

I'm also told (informally, by at least one person who used to work for IBM) those buldings in Endicott, some of which were vacant for years, aren't in that great shape.

BAE is going to think their operation deserves better.  The longer this process takes, the higher the possibility, I believe, that BAE is going to relocate somewhere outside this area.

1600 jobs were swept downstream on that waterlogged September 8.  We just didn't know it yet.

No one is going to live happily-ever-after.

THE END?

I Like to Watch Them Putt

Golf.  It's a game so deceptively simple, and so hard to play.  It's a game that has the excitement of paint drying if you watch a tournament on TV, yet in person it has an almost Zen like quality.  (I'm not the only one who has connected Zen and golf, either.) 

It's golf tournament time in Endicott, NY.  The Dicks Sporting Goods open is back in town, featuring PGA Champion senior golfers (age 50 and above).  The lineup includes four Hall of Famers:  Tom Watson, Hale Irwin, Tom Kite and Nick Price.  Tom Kite was a past winner of the BC Open, back when we had a "regular" PGA tournament here in the Triple Cities.

In those days, no one ever gave away free tickets to the BC Open.

Fortunately for many of us, including those unemployed in the economy of the Triple Cities, the law firm of Hinman, Howard and Katell gave away free tickets for the second round last year, and again, this year.

Last year my spouse, who was part of the "golf is like watching paint dry" crowd (although he worked as a caddy when he was a young teen) didn't go, and I went with a friend.  This year, the friend was otherwise occupied, so spouse agreed to go with me.  I kept telling him "it isn't like that at all".  I don't know if he was convinced, but sometimes spouses do things for love.

This year, armed with the basics I learned last year plus spouse's commentary on the game as a former caddy knows it, I had a really good time.  This year, I watched the golfers putt and observed the various putters they used.  I was fortunate enough to get close to holes, and close to tee-offs, and compared drivers.  I observed how one golfer's clubs were covered by hand-knit covers.  Made by a loving wife, or daughter or son?

It was cool, in the 60's.  Birds sang.  The breeze felt good on us.  The sun occasionally peeked out of the clouds. The crowds, though growing, remained hushed except for applause or gasps, as a certain shot deserved.  Birds sang some more.  Flowers bloomed.  (Augusta National this is not, but there is some nice landscaping.)  There was lots and lots of walking.  One of the holes is almost 1/3 of a mile long, and this is not a flat walk, either.  Occasionally, flowery scents reached our noses.  People murmured.  Although they weren't permitted, an occasional cell phone announced a text message.  You could almost touch the silence.  It was pleasant.  Volunteers driving golf carts on the paths politely asked people to move to the side.  Other volunteers, enforcing quiet before shots, called out for walking spectators to "stand".  The golfers were polite, although one golfer was visibly upset when he missed a putt close to the hole. 

Tom Watson and Tom Kite both ended up in sand traps.  Both very nicely got their golf balls out and back onto the green. 

No pictures, as cameras were not allowed. (although, again, I saw some people taking pictures with cell phones.)  But, I did sneak a shot last year, and here it is:

(as an aside, many people aren't aware that Dick's Sporting Goods began in Binghamton.   Of course, like so many other employers:  they left.  Except for two stores.)

We left in the early afternoon, as we had to get to a farmers market before it closed (we had asked a vendor to hold something for us, forgetting all about the tournament.)  We won't be back later, or back for the 19th hole partying.  I want that Zen feeling to remain.  Golfffffffffff..........

Tiger Woods, Alex Alexander and the BC Open - Memories

Well, this is probably where I don't gain in popularity.

I have a lot of mixed feelings about the Dick's Sporting Goods tournament.  (one of the things is its somewhat unfortunate name, if you shorten the full name up a little.)  I didn't tell the entire truth in the previous post.  Fact is I had a very small (a very very very small) part in the tournament the DSGT replaced, the BC Open although it is true that I never attended the BC Open itself.  However, I had the pleasure and privilege of speaking on the phone with its founder, Alex Alexander, one of the greatest gentlemen to have graced the Triple Cities with their existence.  Mr. Alexander died earlier this year, and I was very remiss in not commenting about his death then.

 The BC Open had its moments in its almost 30 years of existence.  One of the probably most famous moment (outside this area, anyway) was the year Tiger Woods played in it.   It was 1996.  It was just about when he was thrust into the public spotlight.   Tiger tied for third.  Although the Sports Illustrated article didn't quote this, I remember very well Tiger being interviewed and letting everyone know he would never play in the BC Open again because....well, let's say he was underwhelmed by Endicott.

Well sorry we didn't lived up to your standards, Tiger.  The shame is that Endicott has gone downhill, badly downhill, in recent years.  But the Endicott of today wasn't the Endicott of 1996, before "the plume" was discovered, and before the downstate gangs discovered Endicott.  En-Joie may not have been the fanciest of golf courses but it was part of the legacy of the Johnson Family of Endicott-Johnson, and still is a gem of the Village of Endicott.  How many villages of 15,000 in this country can boast a PGA tour?  Or a decent municipal golf course, at that?  Plus, a golf course where the pros play, at "blue collar prices"?

(The BC Open was a PGA tour; it is a long and sad story how we ended up losing the Open but ended up on the Champions tour.  It even had something to do with our 2006 flood - the very last BC Open in 2006 couldn't even be played here because of all the damage.)

Finally, one more clarification regarding my enjoyment of the golf tournament yesterday: I know that golf tournaments have another element of enjoyment, the "19th hole".   I might have been a golf  newcomer but I'm not naive. But excessive drinking isn't my scene and I didn't stay long enough for the 19th hole to get going.

I know the BC Open will never return.  The Champions tour has its own strengths, and I hope to return to see it again one day.

Searching for Joey Sindelar

A friend and I went to the Dick's Sporting Goods Open in Endicott yesterday, which is part of the PGA "Champions" tour.  (I was too tired to finish this post last night.)

I've been at two practice rounds at a couple of other golf tournaments but this was my first honest to goodness actual golf tournament ever.  I am a golf vi...well, I can't say that if I am going to remain a family blog.  So instead:  I have never played regular golf.  That is because any game that involves a ball and me is a total disaster for both of us, and anyone else nearby.  Trust me on this.

Now, if all you have ever done is watched golf on TV....yes, that is as interesting as watching paint dry.  But golf in person is not like that at all.

You are out, on manicured greens with bits of lovely landscaping here and there, water fountains bubbling.  If you sit at a hole, people are talking in whispers even if the golfers haven't arrived to complete their rounds yet.  You sit and the birds sing, the winds blow.  It is peaceful.   You hear nature around you.  You walk around.  You watch the golfers study their shots.  Someone holds up signs asking for Quiet and it becomes even more still.  Then some cheers, and quiet again.  Certainly not like any other sporting event you've ever been to.  If you love peace and quiet, and I do, golf is the place to be.

Oh yes, one other thing.

You get very, very, lost.

This is where the Joey Sindelar part comes in.

But first, I am going to talk about the start of the day's play.  After my companion filled me in on the basics of golf scoring (par, eagles, birdies, bogeys, etc.) we watched Hale Irwin tee off to start the day's play.  We were just a few feet away.  His was one of the few names I had heard of.

It was not his day.  His shot hit a tree branch.  And, I think it was probably downhill for him after that, as he isn't in the running at this point.

Nevertheless, we wanted to follow him and his greatness around.  Now, when someone you want to follow plays, you wait until he hits the ball, and then follow the crowd to wherever it landed.    (If I'm not using proper terminology here, please forgive me.)  In this tournament, golfers were playing in groups of three, so all three had to hit, and then eventually they caught up with you.  You hoped.

The problem was, holes are not in order.  You don't go to hole one, then hole two, then hole three in a straight line.  Oh no, that would be too easy. 

If you look at a map of En-Joie Golf Course, where this tournament takes place, it resembles somewhat a map of the Finger Lakes.  If I remember correctly, hole 2 was followed by hole 9.  Which was followed by hole 8.  Which was followed by us getting totally lost, and losing Hale Irwin.  Instead, we followed a set of golfers including one David Frost.

What we then decided to do was try to find the winner of last year's Open, one Joey Sindelar. and follow him. However, between the maze of holes, the fact that some of the paths were roped off and the fact that some people were starting at the first hole and others at the 10th (I suppose this is normal but what do I know) this was like trying to find Dr. Livingstone in the wilds of Africa.  Okay, not quite.

We were trying to estimate where Joey Sindelar would be given that he teed off from the 10th hole, and at the time he was supposed to start.  This became quite the intellectual exercise.  After some false starts and climbing hills that seemed to be getting steeper and steeper, we decided to plop down by a hole, see who was coming along, and hope Joey would be there soon.

From the program, we saw he would be in the 4th group to come to that hole, based on who was there at the time.  So we made our stand...well, our sit, and got to see him.  And also Craig Stadler, The Walrus. Yes, he looks like one.

We did miss seeing Ben Crenshaw, who was one of the last to tee off.  By then, we were so lost we probably would have ended up in Asheville, NC if we had tried to walk any more.

So we finally left.  But since we never found the 14th hole, we missed out on some spiedies.  Oh well.

Would I go back?  Yes.  But I'd better learn more about the golfers first, and bring a good map and compass.

Finally: many thanks for the law firm of Hinman, Howard & Kattell in Binghamton for buying the gate yesterday.  All we had to pay was $5.00 for parking.  Cheap!