suns along the Mohawk

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– a different kind of Labor Day at Collins Park (L) and on Washington Ave. –

  Some of my favorite photo adventures have taken place on Labor Days.  This year, the holiday ending summer seemed quite subdued under gray skies.  Of course, around this weblog, gray can be beautiful.  Here are a few photos taken yesterday, Labor Day 2011, at Collins Park in Scotia and around the Schenectady Stockade and its Riverside Park.

– as always, click on a photo for a larger version and scroll over it for a description –

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– even with the flood gone, the geese had Collins Park to themselves this Labor Day –

On the Stockade side of the Mohawk,

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– 1 Cucumber Alley needed a lot of attention after the floodwaters receded –

 My heart once again goes out to all those whose homes were damaged and treasures destroyed by the swollen waters of the Mohawk River.  The detritus of Irene’s floodwaters could be seen along the curbs and beside the homes of the Stockade and throughout Riverside Park.

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– tree debris under playground equipment in Riverside Park –

  Salvation Army and Red Cross disaster vehicles continued to offer their services on each street along the River on Labor Day, a week after the Irene flood.

– a Riverside Park flower planter has already bounced-back beautifully –

  From some angles, Riverside Park almost seemed normal, with playground equipment beckoning and flower planters already beautiful again:

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 And, speaking of normal, a banner for the 60th Stockade Villagers’ Outdoor Art Show (Saturday, September 10) is already flying over the Lawrence Circle:

And, Labor Day is about transitions, too:

  I’m not sure when it was taken down, but I first noticed the missing sign over the entryway to the former Arthur’s Market on Labor Day. [followup: I’ve heard from numerous sources that the sign was blown off by the storm winds; two years later, it was finally back in its historic spot, thanks to the resurrection of Arthur’s by Richard Genest.]

Taking down that sign surely means a new era for the storefront on the corner of Front and N. Ferry Streets.  I hope removal of the sign shows the new proprietors are actively preparing to open their market in the very near future.  A thriving market will be a plus for our neighborly Village.

• For more of our coverage of the Irene flood, click here (Scotia side), and here (Stockade), and there (comparison).

The images above, and a few more, can be seen in the Slideshow below:

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