suns along the Mohawk

 With weather too good to hope for in late July, and under beautiful blue skies with imaginative clouds, the 2013 Stockade Neighborhood Picnic (postponed to July 30 due to rain on July 23) was a lovely, relaxing evening in the Park for a few score of neighbors and friends.  A refreshing breeze even kept the dreaded mosquito scourge from sucking out our good spirits. Thanks go out to Valerie Ackerman, who orchestrated the event, which was sponsored by the Stockade Association Safety Committee and Neighborhood Watch, and was made possible by the efforts of many neighbors.

Maybe I was at the wrong place at the wrong time, but I confess to missing all the kids who livened up our 2011 picnic, as well as last year’s 2012 neighborhood picnic. It was nevertheless a most enjoyable event for me, and apparently for the other participants.  Naturally, I snapped quite a few photos, but also remembered to put down my camera and take advantage of all the good will and good food.  My favorite shots from the picnic can be found in the Slideshow below.

Mellow music was provided by the Kitchen Jazz quintet, which includes Stockade residents Richard Genest, Sylvie Briber, and Norm Ainslie

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– click on the collage below for a larger version –

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If you would like me to email you a copy of any of the photos in the Slideshow, please let me know.

– follow-up (Nov. 8, 2013): Richard Genest has taken over the job of renewing Arthur’s Market.  Among many other improvements prior to the re-opening, the old sign has been refurbished:

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original posting:

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– the iconic Arthur’s Market sign is back  –

On October 20, 2011, I witnessed and photographed the removal of the old Arthur’s Market sign, and its replacement with a sign for the prematurely-closed Stockade Home Market. (see our posting “Stockade Home Market is coming soon“)  At the time, I was pleased that landlord Artur Wachala decided to store rather than discard the old sign.

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– the retired sign, October 20, 2011 –

Rumors around the neighborhood over the past few weeks had me optimistic that the store at 35 N. Ferry St. would not remain vacant for long, after the recently-aborted Stockade Home Market venture.  Driving past the corner yesterday, I saw a very good sign: the original Arthur’s Market sign that we all knew so well is back hanging at the corner of N. Ferry and Front Streets, at the Lawrence Circle.  So, I came back after dinner to snap a few shots. See photos at top of this posting and below.

Today, I contacted Joyce Wachala to ask about their plans for the market space, saying there has been a buzz about her returning with her luncheon and deli specialties.  Joyce wrote back:

Thanks David!

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  Taking Joyce’s suggestion to check out the Arthur’s Public Market Facebook Page, I saw that they had placed a photo detail from the old sign in the masthead of their Facebook page earlier today.  And, I noticed that yesterday (July 11) Joyce had posted this message:

“Arthur’s clean up has begun! Look for the re-opening of our deli soon! Same awesome sandwiches, fresh coffee and always something new. Tables are back and we welcome our neighborhood residents, friends and the general public into the heart of the Stockade once again.”

Yes, our hearts have been broken before with expectations about revived enterprises in the Arthur’s Market space, but I hope we’ve all learned our lesson about the need to patronize any business we would like to see succeed.  And, I bet Joyce and Artur have been watching closely and have learned lessons of their own that will make their second try the beginning of another generations-long version of Arthur’s Market.

By the way, according to GoDaddy, the domain name arthurspublicmarket.com expired on 6/22/2013 and is available.

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 And, here’s another good sign on North Ferry Street:

  Either someone has stolen my favorite Stockade weathercock (see “in praise of Stockade weathercocks“), or Rev. Blanch’s Steeple Restoration Appeal is about to bear fruit and we will soon have a gloriously re-gilded rooster above the steeple of St. George’s Church on No. Ferry St.

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– St. George’s weathervane on (L) 12/12/2012 and (R) 07/12/2013 (click to enlarge image)-

 If you’ve been past the Church the past few weeks, you surely noticed that work is in progress on the Steeple.  The “Men Working Above” signs let us speculate about any divine assistance for this worthy project.  I’m looking forward to snapping some nice “(here)after” shots of the restored steeple and weathercock.

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– restoration project in progress – 12Jul2013 –

  In honor of Independence Day, I’ve collected images of the American flag taken over the past few years here in the Stockade, [with occasional additions, as merited].

Some folks hang Old Glory at their front door daily to honor their nation.  Others save it for holidays and other special occasions, to emphasize the importance of the day.  Either way, there does seem to be something glorious about those red and white stripes and the blue field of stars.

It’s only recently that I’ve focused on the flags themselves when taking a photo, rather than having them as an incidental backdrop or splash of color.  I plan to pay more attention to Old Glory itself from now on, and to remember the history and values it symbolizes.

Below is a collage I put together with photos of the American flag being flown in the Stockade neighborhood.  Below that is a slideshow with those images (or the original photo from which the detail was taken), plus a few additional shots.  Please have a memorable and enjoyable 4th of July.

– above: Old Glory seen in the Stockade [click on the collage for a larger version] –

 update (Midnight, July 4, 2013):  This posting inspired me to set out late in the morning of July 4th to photograph USA flags being flown in the Stockade. About two dozen photos have been added to the slideshow below.

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– a few of the flags flown on July 4, 2013 –

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203 Union St. – 04Jul2013

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– 4 Washington Ave. – 04Jul2013-

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. flag at 9 Washington Ave. looking toward the River – 04Jul2013 .

. . July 4th 2013 Collage (click to enlarge) .

update (July 4, 2016): Here are three recent favorites:

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Old Glory & Pride — at the YWCA – Flag Day 2016

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 p.s. Speaking of history and values and celebrations, this afternoon many members of our Stockade community will be at the Van Dyck restaurant to celebrate the life of James D. “Jim” Schmitt, who died this week at the age of 87.  The article about Jim in yesterday’s Albany Times Union (“James D. Schmitt, who helped revitalize the Stockade, dies at 87,” July 2, 2013) tells of some of the many reasons why Jim is thanked, admired and loved for all he has done for the Stockade.  More than usual, it is safe to say that “he will be sorely missed and fondly remembered”.  And, if you have a subscription, see the informative article in the Gazette, dated July 1, 2013.

. . Peter Rumora in his blossoming yard

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– some of the colors of Spring in the Stockade (click on the image for a larger version)  –

 Since my first “show and tell” posting in April, we have celebrated Cucumber Alley; spotlighted our cherry blossoms; enjoyed the scene from atop the Colonial Arms; strolled the Sidewalk Sale, watched for a flood, and more. (scroll down our home page to see those postings). Quite a few Stockade moments that I photographed did not fit into those posts and “fell through the cracks.” but still seem to deserve exposure here at suns along the Mohawk, to commemorate the variety of our Stockade beauty. Thus, this Spring 2013 Show & Tell.

The Slideshow below has the “show”, with captions hinting at the “tell”. [You can right-click on any slideshow image to see the individual photo.]

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