We arrived at the campground late in the afternoon. Although they were "closed" they gave us a spot and an "electronic key" for the gate.
We went to the Cemetery so Bob could see the headstones and house where mom was born (see below). Then to dinner. We got back to the campground about 8:00 and the "key" wouldn't work! No one is around as the campground was closed! We drove around the road outside the park and parked in the grass near the trailer. The next morning we were ready for breakfast and couldn't get the truck moving. It was stuck in the wet grass and mud. Bob went to the only other occupied trailer and got him to bring his chains and drag us out. He also gave us another "key" so we could get back into the park.
After breakfast we got the trailer hooked up and were ready to leave. The tires spun but there was a little forward travel as we dug into the mud again! After several "hatfulls" of gravel were carried to the wheels the truck moved and we were on the way to Niagara Falls only a couple of hours behind schedule.
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9/11/06
The Sylvan Beach fire department had a memorial for 9/11
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| I put the flags on the truck and was right behind the fire truck | These people didn't forget |
Sept 6, 2006
I took the truck to Rome, NY this morning for its first oil change after putting 406 miles on it yesterday. $138.18 which covered 9 quarts of oil, filter and fuel filter. It is a little pricey but it was for 9,745 miles so that would have been three oil changes for a car! The fuel filter ($36.89) would have been good for another 5,000 miles but I didn't want to stop and change it on the way to California.
The 406 miles yesterday was to go see Niagara Falls. I have seen higher falls but none with this much water, it was worth the trip:
Click the picture for more.
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| Niagara Falls |
Sept 4, 2006
The Civil War, "Battle of the Beach", took place in Sylvan Beach over the Labor Day weekend along with a Bon Fire at the campground.
Click the picture for more.
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| Civil War and Bon Fire |
Aug 27, 2006
I took today to travel down to Elmira to visit "The Wall" that was in California last year. I wanted to stay for the closing ceremony but it wasn't set to start until 6:00 which would have put me 'home' after 10:00 so I passed. Besides it was raining! I went back home via Lake Seneca and the "Finger Lake" country. Beautiful farms and vineyards and now I know where Watkins Glen Racetrack is!
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| The Wall is always a moving experience | 58,178 Flags |
Aug 26, 2006
While wandering around after breakfast last week I ran across a sign that said, "Lock 21". I went a couple of miles down a road past several small farms and houses and found an Erie Canal Lock. I went back and took some pictures.
Click the picture for more.
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| Canal Locks |
Aug 22, 2006
I went exploring for relatives in the area as my mother and grand-father were born here. My cousin, Tom, had taken on the project of building our family tree so I had good information to start with. I checked the phone book for Clifford, mothers maiden name, and came up with some possibilities. My first stop led me to a woman that said, "you need to talk to my mother". She directed me down the road where I met Mary Jane whose late husband was a cousin to my grand-father.
Mary Jane is 90 years old and was working in her garden when I pulled into the driveway. I introduced myself and she said, "Well you look like a Clifford". We went onto the porch and she told me stories for almost an hour. She remembered going to school with my aunts and uncle! She didn't remember mother but mom would not have been in school when they moved to California. Mary Jane said the name, Olive, was familiar. Mary Jane would have been 1 year older than moms oldest sister, Anna.
Mary Jane told me how to get to the house where they lived but, first I went to the cemetery where the family was buried.
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| Fish Creek Landing Cemetery. | My Great Grandfather Chancellor Clifford 1849-1925 and his wife Alida 1852-1925. They had 15 children! |
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| My g-g-Grandfather 1812-1883. The name
was sometimes spelled Clefford and sometimes Clifford. |
My g-g-Grandmother Charlotte Clefford nee Brown 1816-1888. They had 9 children. |
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| My g-g-g-Grandfather, Christopher Cleeford 1780-1862. Christopher was born in Rhoad Island. His father was born in Germany in 1750. | My g-g-g-Grandmother Watie 1782-1866, also born in RI. They had 5 children all born in Stephentown, NY. |
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This is the house in Fish Creek Landing where my mother, aunts and uncle were born. They moved to California around 1928. It is just across the street from Fish Creek which was part of the Erie Canal. |
My grandfather, Earl Winsor Clifford worked on the Erie Canal as a young man. He drove a mule team that pulled the canal boats. They led the mule team for 6 hours then spent 6 hours on the boat, with the mules while another team took over, then repeat. I went down the road to Chittenango Landing where there is a museum about the Canal Boats.
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| This is one of three dry docks where boat repairs were done. | The front of the store and the Erie Canal. |
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Right in front of the store is a submerged canal boat. No they were not submarines! This boat was abandoned here when the railroads took all of the freight business away from the boats around 1925. |