The Second Floor #4CLSRoadtrip

Yesterday, I blogged about the first floor of the Oxford (New York) Memorial Library, which was once the home of master bridge builder Theodore Burr.

This house is the last known work of Theodore Burr, and his presence is felt everywhere in the building. Sadly (unlike his more famous cousin Aaron Burr, who became our third Vice-President of the United States and killed the first Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, in a duel), Theodore Burr died in obscurity and is buried in an unmarked grave.

I promised I would take you into the second floor of the building and that's what I am going to do today. But first, a little more of the first floor of this historic structure.

This must be the place!

This plaque greets you.  Besides a library, this building also houses a Covered Bridge Resource Center with reference material for various covered bridges including bridges in New York, Vermont, and Indiana.

Theodore Burr invented a truss called the Burr Truss that was used in the construction of many covered bridges. 

 I thought I had taken pictures of the resource center on the second floor but turns out I didn't.

Another plaque in the children's room.

Fireplace.

Up on the second floor, there is a lovely painting of a covered bridge.

Underneath it are two figurines.   I don't know anything about them.

China plates on wall.  I'm hoping one of my readers knows something about these.

The original flooring was rediscovered in 2013 during renovations when a rug was taken up.

The Four County Library Road Trip has uncovered many treasures in the area where I live in New York State.  There will be more to come in the next few weeks.

Thank you for joining me today.

Aaron Burr's Cousin and Covered Bridges #WordlessWednesday #4CLSroadtrip

 The name Aaron Burr, a former Vice-President of the United States in the 19th century, is well known even today because of his killing of Alexander Hamilton in a duel.

But not as well known is his contemporary and cousin, Theodore Burr.  I never heard of him, either, until my spouse and I took a road trip to some of the 42 libraries in the Four County Library System in New York State that my area libraries belong to.

Today and tomorrow, let's travel to Oxford, New York, population around 1330 people.  

At one time, in that village, one Theodore Burr, master bridge builder whose Burr Truss (perfected in 1804) still exists in a number of covered bridges, built a home between 1809-1811.

Today, his home houses the Oxford Memorial Library.  I'll show more of the library tomorrow, but today I wanted to show you some of the works of Theodore Burr.

This house is the last known work of Theodore Burr, and his presence is felt everywhere in the building.

A complete picture of the front of the library can be found here but all I took was a picture of a small part of it.  The building is on the National Register of Historic Places. 

Let's go in.

Some artwork on the first floor.  I don't know if this was original to Theodore Burr or a later tenant, but it certainly is appropriate.

 More art.

On a bookshelf, two models of covered bridges Burr designed.

No idea where this recess leads.
 

I bet you'd love to see the second floor, but it will have to wait until (maybe) tomorrow.  I'd love it if you join me again for some more surprises on the second floor, including a Covered Bridge Resource Center for those who love these bridges.

Joining with Sandee's Comedy Plus for #WordlessWednesday.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day August 2023

The 15th of the month has come again.  Welcome to Garden Bloggers Bloom Day!

Here in my zone 5b Southern Tier of New York garden, we've not suffered from the horrible excessive heat parts of our country have been subjected to.  Nor have we had flooding rains of some nearby areas, or the fires of others.  We are fortunate, and I am grateful for it. 

My garden, on this 15th of August, is approaching fall quickly, but we still have plenty of blooms.

First, a RIP for blooms no longer with us.

My blackberry lily only put out two flowers this year total on the two plants that survived last winter.  I don't know why they didn't do well this year.

And now, what's blooming.

Cardinal flower. 

Yellow cosmos.

My one reliable reblooming day lily, reblooming.

Just in time, probably my last of these giant yellow day lilies.

Variegated yellow lantana.

An heirloom French marigold I got from a nursery in Ithaca, New York.

Astilbe (full disclosure - taken 8/13). 

Hosta "Guacamole".

Gladiolus and bee.

Pink ivy geranium.

Pink tall phlox, starting to fade away.  There were two bees on this flower spike - one bee is somewhat hidden.

Zinnia- I think Queen Lime.

Red zinnia.

Variegated geranium.  To the eye this is orange but it always photographs as red.  This plant is three years old - I overwinter it each fall/winter but this year I think it's gotten way too big and heavy.

Red day lily (also in time for its last flower).

Orange day lily. I may have one or two more blooms.  This is my tallest day lily and it did fantastic this year.

Last (I have more flowers but I don't want to break the Internet), daylily Fashion Police.  I bought this last year and was told it might rebloom.  It did.  Last year.  This year it never gave me a first bloom but here it is, just in time for GBBD.  It only gave me three buds this year (the third looks like it might open later today) and seemed shorter.  I wonder if it's happy where it is. I don't have room in my main flower bed but we'll see what we can do.  Anything for my day lilies!

Joining Carol at May Dreams Gardens each 15th of the month for #GardenBloggersBloomDay.

Story Teller Music #MusicMovesMe

It's Monday.  It's time for music!  But first, let's introduce the Music Moves Me bloggers.

We are bloggers who blog about music each Sunday or Monday and if you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join! (Music Posts Only-meaning at least one music video, please!)   Our head host is Xmas Dolly, and our co-hosts are Cathy from Curious as a Cathy, joined by the knowledgeable Stacy of Stacy Uncorked and yours truly.

You are welcome to join our Monday music group.  It's so easy. All you have to do is join the linky above with a music post that contains at least one music video.  No music video? Your post may be removed, or may be labeled *NO MUSIC*. We alternate theme weeks and no theme weeks.

Today's theme is You Pick.  I decided to feature today songs that tell a true story, or one that is based on history, or...well, just a story.

Let me start by paying tribute to Canadian Robbie Robertson, guitarist and songwriter, who died from cancer at the age of 80 on August 9.  Perhaps one of my favorite of his songs is one he wrote when he was a member of the Band, which was released in 1969.

 

This is from the 1978 movie The Last Waltz, the final performance of The Band before Robbie Robertson left them.  It tells the story of the last months of the Civil War from the viewpoint of a Southerner, Virgil Caine.

How about some other story telling songs?

Coldplay's Vida la Vida lyrics are written from the viewpoint of deposed French king Louis XVI awaiting his execution during the French revolution.  He used to rule the world - now revolutionaries wait for his head on a silver plate, according to the lyrics of this 2008 hit.

Lukas Graham's 2015 song 7 Years is a song about growing up, what he has learned along the way, and his hopes for his future self.

The Devil Went to Georgia from the Charlie Daniel Band, from 1979.  Is Johnny the best fiddle player that's ever been?  Listen to the song and find out.

I'll end today's set with two of the best songs about historical events I've ever listened to.  I've had both on my blog before and I will have them again one day.  First,  The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald from Gordon Lightfoot.

 

My final song is from Rush.  Red Sector A is a story told from the viewpoint of a young girl imprisoned in a concentration camp. This song was co-written by Rush bass guitarist Geddy Lee and was released in 1984.  Geddy Lee's parents were both concentration camp survivors.

And that 's a wrap!

Join me again next week for another episode of Music Moves Me.

Blueberry Shadows #ShadowshotSunday

 Saying goodbye to the blueberry season here in the Southern Tier of New York.

Late blueberries cast shadows August 6.

Shadows on blueberry leaves.

Sadly, it wasn't the best year for the U Pick operation we go to.  They lost their entire early crop.  Because of a lot of hazy days (thanks in part to smoke in the air) later blueberries were delayed in ripening.

The late berries run tart (and are great for baking) but these were really tart.

But I am grateful, nevertheless, for what my spouse and I were able to pick.

Joining Magical Mystery Teacher's #ShadowshotSunday.

August Wildflowers for a Saturday

Please enjoy some wildflower pictures from local walking trails where I live in the Southern Tier of New York.  These pictures were all taken this week.

The yellows.

Goldenrod.

Jewelweed.

Evening Primrose.

The whites.

Queen Anne's Lace.

 

Sweet autumn clementis (I think) or Clematis terniflora , which is on invasive species list.  That plant originates in Japan/China.  It's also possible it's a native, Clematis virginiana. 

Pinks and purples.

Soapwort, which to me is pink and white. These plants poked through mulch the town laid down a year or two ago and looks like a human planting, but it isn't.

Purple loosestrife, another invasive.

Joe pye weed.

Like flowers?  Join me again Tuesday, August 15, for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day.

What's blooming in nature where you live?

Rain and Storm Clouds #SkywatchFriday

Storms spared where I live, for the most part.  We did get some rain, but that's about it.

My heart goes out to all those impacted by our weather recently, including the people of the island of Maui, an island swept by out of control fires fanned by a hurricane hundreds of miles away.

It was interesting watching our sky, though.   August 9, local park.

This time, once I got clear of the power lines.  It started to rain not long after.

August 10 after a drizzly rain and before another drizzly rain.

These last two pictures were taken over our community garden plot.

Joining Yogi and other sky watchers for #SkywatchFriday.

Happiness is a Library Tree #ThursdayTreeLove #4CLSroadtrip

"Library is a garden where knowledge trees are nurtured" - Swaran Singh Jaggi.

This summer, our Four County Library System came up with an idea.

There are 42 libraries in the system.  Urban libraries.  Small town libraries.  Libraries in historic buildings. They are spread out over four counties and it's quite an achievement to visit all 42.  Some people have done it. 

The idea:  visit as many of the libraries as you can between July 1 and September 2 and win some (small) prizes.  They called it the 4CLS Road Trip.

Despite my love of libraries, I had been to the grand total of four of these libraries before the road trip started.   But as of today, I am up to 18.  It doesn't sound like much, but those four counties (in New York State: Broome, Delaware, Otsego and Chenango) are spread out over a large area. 

Today, though, I am going to bring you to the Broome County Public Library. This is an urban downtown library. The population of downtown is varied:  office workers that aren't working remotely that day.  Students. Artists.  People living below the poverty line.  And others. This library serves them all.  But first, I need to mention the original library I remember and loved.

When I worked in downtown Binghamton  I was in easy walking distance of the old Binghamton Carnegie library, which opened in 1903 and closed in 2000.  By 1998, when I was visiting it several times a week on my lunch period, the building was in sad shape.  A new library was built several blocks away and opened (if my memory is correct) in October of 2000.

The current Broome County library, picture taken July 15, 2023

The Carnegie library was a treasure that stood empty until our local community college renovated the library and turned it into a culinary arts school.  

The old Carnegie Library on Exchange Street, Binghamton, New York 1903-2000

I took this picture of the outside of the building on July 5, 2020. I still miss this library, but love how, in this picture, it is framed by trees on the Broome County Courthouse property across the street.

I am not going to take you into the modern library itself today but I want to show you its little gem - its garden, full of trees and welcoming places to sit.  I ate many a lunch in the library garden when I worked downtown.

Even more trees make this an urban oasis.

This artwork is called "Books and Birds".

But what I love the most is the trees. They sheltered and delighted me on many warm/hot days.

I miss them, too.  Happiness, for me, is a library tree.

Joining Parul at Happiness and Food this second Thursday of the month for #ThursdayTreeLove.