Happy New Year, everyone!

It's time to start a new edition of "At Home in the Huddle."

To reach "At Home in the Huddle 2012" click on EITHER the link, above,

OR the image, below!

It's Recyclables Day

(Tomorrow is Garbage!)

It's 16 degrees, white and sparkly at 7:00 a.m.

About 2" of "puff."

WKTV's Weather Forecast: "Quiet weather (Thursday) with sunshine followed by clouds. High temperatures in the upper 20s. A series of weak but fast moving storms will give us several chances for light snow heading closer to 2012. Light snow and rain possible Friday, Sunday, and Monday."



You can see what the weather's like in other locations by checking Area Webcams.

For instance, there is Snomobiling in Old Forge!

Skiiers and 'Boarders check I SKI NY for trail conditions at centers like Wood's Valley.

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IN THE MAIL

From The Waterville Garden Club Newsletter,
a partial list of winners of the Christmas Lighting contest.

"Best of the Best overall - 1st. (tie) Mr. and Mrs. Rob Verdon , Mr. and Mrs. John Pumilia
"Best of the Best" doorway; 1st. Ms. Bonnie and Joanna Bechy,
"Overall" category; 1st. Mr. and Mrs. Bob Harding,
"Doorway" 1st. Mrs. Elaine Barth,
"Most Creative" ; Mr. and Mrs. Rick Peglow,
"Businesses"; 1st. Uptown hair salon.

For more results, please see next week's issue of The Waterville Times.


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From the Waterville Rotary Club Newsletter

Meetings for tonight (the 29th) and January 12th are cancelled.

On the 22nd, Members, friends and family, enthusiastically led by Santa’s helper, Kirk, caroled at Harding Nursing home to an appreciative audience.

Waterville Rotarians will meet with Oriskany Falls Rotary on January 11 at the Copper Turret in Morrisville. Members will tour the Sheila Johnson Design Center at Morrisville College following the meal and a short program.

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From Clinton/Kirkland Historian Dick Williams, an E-letter about a book he had just read and which organist Alex Meszler had discovered, as well, about a year ago. Dick urged me to read it, saying that it had a great deal of interesting information about 19th century Waterville in it.

Alvinza Andrews was an early Sangerfield settler. In 1804 he married the daughter of Col. David Norton, who kept a tavern in the building that now houses Michael's Fine Food & Spirits. In 1834 Andrews founded a business in Waterville for manufacturing Pipe and Parlor Organs. His home was on the corner of (now) E. Main Street and Barton Avenue and his work shop was in the next two buildings - a home that was taken down to make room for the Fire House and the former Waterville Public Library / now Historical Society. His son, George Norton Andrews, 1832 -1904, grew up in the business and in 1852 father and son moved the factory to Utica. By 1860 the Andrews factory had gained a reputation far beyond its home territory and had installed as many as 300 organs in cities as far away as Pau Pau, Michigan, and Washington, D.C.

One such instrument - called the "Ely Organ" is in the Methodist Church in Deansboro and, as of a year ago, was still used every Sunday!

Oddly - and unfortunately! - it doesn't appear that there are any copies of this book available at either the Waterville Public Library or the Waterville Historical Society. (They - and you - can learn how to acquire copies HERE!)

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Just as Alvinza Andrews added to the growth and prosperity of Waterville, so did John A. Berrill, who operated a foundry here in the 1830's - 40's. According to the 1896 obituary of his successor, inventor Backus Beardsley, the foundry was located "where the Park is now." (I think that that's an error and that the foundry was actually next to Big Creek on land now occupied by Stewart's.)

Berrill invention seen on Ebay ........

The description reads: "ANTIQUE WALLPAPER GLUE BLENDER or SMOOTHER with HAND CRANK GEAR DRIVE! Embossed on hopper edges is 'BERRILL No.2, WATERVILLE, NY', To the best of my knowledge, it was made over 80 years ago. It measures 17 inches high, hopper is 8 1/8 inches diameter, it weighs 17.2kg. Pictures show condition well, as GOOD, with heaps of appeal!"

There's just one little problem: the item is located in Australia and, although the current bid is something like $49.00, shipping is estimated to be $366.o0! To read more, click the image!

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SPECIAL EVENTS

At the Library

Also this evening at 6:00

FREE MOVIE - FREE POPCORN

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SATURDAY

Hamilton Indoor Farmers Market
Saturday, December 31st, 8am - 1pm,

At Parry's, 100 Utica Street, Hamilton
Over 20 Vendors, including produce, meat, honey, maple, crafts & more.

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COMING SOON!

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Have a good weekend, everyone.

See you next year!

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28 degrees and light snow at 10:30.

Please use caution walking on pavement: it's VERY SLIPPERY!

Yesterday Ione Barney sent me an E-note saying that she and Dave had an unusual trip to see their daughter in Ohio: " Waterville was the only village that had a WHITE Christmas in our travels this week...we were in Ohio with Lynn and family for Christmas. We were in Ohio for 10 days and no snow all that time. We came back Monday and NO snow in Ohio, Pa, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Clinton , or Deansboro......never a drop on the ground or in the air until we got to Waterville !!!! It's the first time in the 28 years that Lynn has been in Ohio that we have traveled to and from there without any snow."

However ................

this could be the day that Winter comes!

From WKTV: "Wind advisory in effect for Hamilton, Herkimer, Fulton, Montgomery, and Otsego County from 10AM this morning until midnight tonight.

A cold front will deliver big changes to our weather today bringing wind, cold, and lake effect snow showers. The front crosses through this morning bringing a round of rain and snow. Winds pick up and temperatures fall below freezing late this morning. A flash freeze on the roadways will take place late this morning and early this afternoon. Watch out for icy spots on untreated surfaces. Gusty winds along with lake effect snow this afternoon.

Skies clear out tonight and temperatures fall into the single digits! Dry and much less windy for Thursday with highs in the upper 20s. A light snowfall is possible again on Friday, perhaps mixing in with some raindrops. Highs in the upper 30s.

The weekend looks seasonably chilly with temperatures in the 30s. Another chance for snow showers late Saturday and early Sunday."

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"Lake effect advisory for Madison, southern Oneida counties" from the Utica O-D.

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SPECIAL NEWS
From the Utica Observer-Dispatch

"Waterville students collect more than 6,000 items for charity."


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New Sign in the Park

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FOR THE RECORD

In answer to a blog reader's query:

No - I don't know when the Garden Club's Lighting Contest / Judging
took place or, even, if it did at all.

Perhaps someone has a better answer?

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Photo taken around 10:00 a.m.
The white stuff on the pavement? It is NOT soft snow!

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More when it happens!

Have a great day, everyone.

THANK YOU!

I had the best Christmas that I've had in several years, at least since my husband died in 2007, and am enormously grateful to my daughter, Allison, and her family and the many cousins and old friends who wrote and phoned (and sent chocolate and invitations to their own family gatherings!) but to all of the Blog Readers who sent Email cards and letters, to the "children" who I watched grow up and who sent pictures of their children and, especially, to my friend of forty- three years, Jean Davis! I couldn't ask for more!

But now I think I need a week of R. & R. & R. & R. ----- rest, recuperation, reorganization and time to write and send replies!

Here's just a brief start to the week.

It's Garbage Day

30 degrees and cloudy at 7:30

The Weather Forecast from YNN: "Variably Cloudy Overnight. Rain to Snow Tuesday Night.

Tonight will be pretty uneventful across the region. After seeing skies clear for a time, look for increasing clouds towards daybreak.

Tuesday will be a breezy, relatively mild day across the region. Rain will move in from southwest to northeast by the mid afternoon. Rain will mix with snow for a time Tuesday night and then flip over to wet snow by Wednesday morning. Lake enhanced snow showers will also develop Wednesday morning which could lead to some slick travel.

Other than a few flurries Thursday will be a less breezy, seasonable day. Another storm will move in from the west of Friday with some area wide light snow."

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IN THE MAIL

Along with all of your Email Greetings ............ this picture and note from Susan Lee Ryerson:

"We had a White Christmas here in Amarillo, Texas --- just like I remember growing up in Waterville! Best to All!" (Thanks loads, Susan!)

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SPECIAL EVENTS

THIS WEEK AT THE LIBRARY

Exhibition * Tuesday, December 20th - Saturday, January 14th

Artist's Reception, Thursday, December 29th, 6-8pm

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Family Movie Night * Thursday, December 29th

6pm | Movie: Mr. Poppers Penguins | Free Movie. Free Popcorn.

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NEXT SATURDAY

Hamilton Indoor Farmers Market
Saturday, December 31st, 8am - 1pm,

At Parry's, 100 Utica Street, Hamilton
Over 20 Vendors, including produce, meat, honey, maple, crafts & more.

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FOR THE RECORD

A scant two inches of snow has fallen in the past several days - barely enough to hide blades of grass on my lawn or for Waterville to qualify as having had a "White Christmas"!

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Enjoy your vacation, everyone!

It Snowed!

Just a tiny frosting, but .........

"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!"

and I wish all of you the most joyful of holidays

and a healthy and happy

New Year!

PsBrown - blogger

Today is the first day of Winter.

The shortest day and longest night

THE WINTER SOLSTICE

It's Garbage Day.

41 degrees and dry at 5:30 a.m.

The Weather Forecast from YNN: "Outside of some patchy drizzle early, Thursday looks fairly quiet with temperatures still running above average for this time of year. Highs will be in the low to mid 40s.

A weak system may try to throw a few wet flurries or snow showers in our direction later Thursday night into Friday. Temperatures will begin to cool towards the end of the week with highs on Friday in the mid 30s.

The holiday weekend is looking fairly quiet with nothing more than a few flurries or spotty light snow showers Saturday. Saturday will be seasonably chilly with highs in the low to mid 30s. Above average temperatures will return for Christmas with highs there in the upper 30s to around 40.

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Charles R. Slocum

1926 - 2011

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Donald E. Shantal, Sr.

1936 - 2011

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IN THE NEWS

Front Page Headlines from this week's edition of

The Waterville Times

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IN THE MAIL

This very interesting E-note from Jody Hildreth:

"Saturday was the annual Christmas Bird Count. I took Caleb King and my daughter Tessa out with me. We had a great time even though finding birds was very difficult that day. Slowest day I can ever remember.

The highlight of the day was seeing over 600 Snow Geese. While scanning through the flock for any unusual geese, I found one that had a neck collar on it. It was yellow and read TT44. I reported it and was sent back the following certificate. It used to take months to receive a paper copy via snail mail, but this only took a couple of days. I am always amazed when these come back.

This goose was banded way up north - west of Greenland in the small Canadian Province.of Nunavut. I put the coordinates in Google Earth and and am sending you a map as well as a copy of the certificate. This goose has already flown just over 2,000 miles and still has not finished its journey. Amazing."

Amazing is right! Thanks loads for that information, Jody!

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SPECIAL EVENTS

Tonight at The Library

T'was the Night Before Christmas

Thursday, December 22nd 6pm | Ages 2 & up | Sign Up

Join us for the classic story, make snowman soup and reindeer food and enjoy a warm snack all in the comfort of your pj's!


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Here and There

Yesterday was mostly dark and drizzly - "Feels like a Spring Rain," some said. Up in the park a dozen Christmas trees were still waiting, "Just lookin' for a home."

Out in the countryside, there were only a few tiny pockets of snow left. The rest of the ground was bare and pastureland still green.

I keep discovering lighting displays that I haven't seen, before. This is at the Landis Farm on Shanley Road.

Peeking through the picket fence in front of the Landis' house I spotted both a sled and ice skates by the front door. Actually, quite a few homes have incorporated Winter sports equipment in artful decorations - there doesn't seem to be any other use for skates or sleds in the immediate future!

Here are some on Babbott Avenue ..........

............. at Gerda Mortelette's home on Madison Street ............

................. Mrs. Staring's on White Street ................

............ at Connie Coleman and Jim Brackett's home on Elmwood Avenue ............

........... and at Roger and Terry Tanner's place on Route 20.

Confident that Winter will come sometime, Tom's sidewalk showroom is ready!


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FOR THE RECORD

Note the green grass!

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While I was searching Google Images for a Solstice Greeting Card I found an unusual website - a long series of kaliedescopic Mandalas that held my attention for quite a while. You might enjoy it, too.

Click the image and relax!

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Have a good day, everyone!

It's 30 degrees and dry at 7:00 a.m.

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Sorry: no new NEW or VIEWS today, because .......

not only is it only four days until Christmas, but
someone told me about a history mystery they were working on.

I can't resist that sort of thing, you know, and once I begin digging for clues nothing else gets done. Nothing at all!

Maybe tomorrow!

Have a good day!