Day 3, Monday, Castles, Parks, Swimming and Picnics

Memorial Day morning - made a date with Beth to drop Ben off in the later afternoon for swimming at the apartment complex pool where she works.

Puttered around Mom’s house. Started to collect things to pack that I’d set aside on my visit the previous summer. Also, went through some stuff in the basement that looked like it had never been examined that year.

Ben had french toast for breakfast, courtesy of Grandma.

View Day 3, Monday, May 25, 2009 in a larger map

Took Ben to the neighborhood I grew up in. Parked at my old house at 156 Garrison, and knocked on the door – no answer. Took a few pictures – the house looks better than when we lived there. Our old neighbor Tim Brown pulled in. I hadn’t talked to him in 20 years. I wasn’t missing much.

We then walked over to Dan and Barb Troy’s house on Oakgrove Dr. Nobody home but the dog.

Then we walked over to the castle. While standing at the gate, I saw Onalee Davies having tea in her garden. I went in and introduced myself. I think she’d forgotten me specifically, but not my dad (or me more generally), who used to work in the office next to hers. She was thrilled to have visitors, and we got the grand tour.

Ben on the bridge, looking into the castle grounds.

Onalee Davies with Ben, just inside the gate.

A “reverse angle” from the same spot – looking back at the gate and bridge on the left. The castle’s house – I wish I’d taken a video of the wisteria swaying in the breeze.

Wisteria damages buildings though, so this can’t be good. A little bridge – to the left of the previous view – over a weed-choked stream in the garden.

A guard tower along the driveway.

Ben’s first guard tower climb.

Spring foliage, looking north towards Oakgrove Dr. Spring foliage, looking west towards “the moat” part of Ellicott Creek that surrounds Dream Island. The little arch in the distance is over a set of steps going down to a landing. The pathway down around the back of the castle.

The entrance to the dungeon around back (no, we didn’t go in). Ben in the “breakfast room”. Looking north towards the garage – there’s an apartment upstairs. When we were young and reckless, we’d sneak into the castle grounds in the middle of the night, and go hang out in that apartment. An ox relief over a doorway. I had no idea the castle was built by someone named Oechsner (thus, the ox motif) who continued to live in the neighborhood (in the house on the corner of S. Ellicott Dr. made out of the same stone) after they sold the castle.

More relief work over the windows. This is around back. The doorway leads to the “secret playroom”. Ben in an archway. Ben in the “secret playroom”. He could not find the hidden door (from the dining room) to get in here.

A small tower by a boat landing.

Ben in the boat landing, from the bridge.

Ducks on Ellicott Creek as we crossed back over the bridge.

Next we drove over to Island Park. There were geese and goslings everywhere. Ben had never seen one, so he needed pointers about not getting too close. I’m not sure if he’d ever been on an island before the castle’s Dream Island. And he certainly had not been on one like Island Park where he could see the water on all sides at the same time. I told him stories about Old Home Days – the carnival when I was a kid, the beer tent when I was an adult, and falling into the creek and not being able to get out without help because of the mud. Then we walked out to the very tip, and I told him about canoeing in the creek.

Is that a latte?

Walking past the bandstand.

At the point, looking southeast towards the castle.

I told Ben that when that weir was dry, we used to use it as a shortcut to get over to the backyards on Cayuga.

Looking north from the point.

Looking north towards the dam.

Closer to the dam.

Geese blocking our way.

Then we crossed the street and went down to Glen Park. A couple sections of the dam were open, so the water was flowing pretty heavily. That’s an impressive waterfall that people take for granted because it’s right in town.

Looking down the falls from the top.

Blurry shot of the falls.

Ben with his face covered.

Ben after being told not to cover his face during the photoshoot.

Above the mill run behind the mill.

The boy likes ducks.

I’d forgotten about buttercups – we don’t have them out west.

Blurry duck butts

Nesting ducks

In the mill race

The mill from the park – it looks a bit careworn … needs a paint job.

We got in the car and drove over to the southwest side of what is now Amherst State Park (“the glen”). The road through does not connect any more, so we drove in for a bit, and then turned around. Circled around to the other side by the old Sisters’ Home. Again, the road is blocked, so we got out and looked out over the orchard. When that state invests its tax dollars in some Powerball tickets and wins the big one, perhaps they’ll have enough money to fix it up. We strolled around a bit, and I told Ben a few stories.

Then we drove by 61 MacArthur – where Ben’s mom lived – to see how it looked.

Dropped Ben off at Beth’s pool around 4:30.

I took that time to run to U-Haul and buy boxes, and other packing material. I stored them in Mom’s garage. Had a chat with her while she had a drink.

Went back to get Ben about 5:45. Had a tough time getting him out of the pool.

I love that scream about 15 seconds in.

Three quick videos of Ben, Katherine and Beth – blame me, I was learning how to use our new camera.

We saw kids on The Simpsons falling through chairs like this just the other night.

Made it out to Bob and Sue’s for a picnic by 6:30. No picnic – too cold – so we stayed in the house. The food and talk were excellent; I can’t remember the last time I saw Betty Reifsteck … it might have been 10 years.

Ben, showing off on the player piano.

Sue and Liz in the kitchen.

Bob and Ben disappeared into the living room. Bob had a small onager he’d built. They sat in there launching stuff across the room, and laughing. All I got was a lousy t-shirt (left over from one of his competitions).

You built a “what”? And it can throw stuff across the room?

I’d never heard of the Gosselin’s before Maddie plopped herself down to watch the season premiere.

Hey Sue – if you send me the photos you were taking, I’ll post them here!

We went back to Mom’s early. The three of us watched Night at the Museum together. I think Ben really enjoyed that – he’s a snuggler. Mom had never seen it. Early to bed again.