The Camera In My Pocket 2025

Mother Nature outdoes herself in autumn, I nearly passed up an opportunity to take this image, A branch showcases autumn leaves with rich red and yellow hues, contrasted by white fluffy flowers. The vibrant yet delicate balance creates a harmonious natural scene. The plant is, Clematis virginiana L, common name Virgin's bower, it is common in New York, and has a wonderful scent.

 

There's nothing more glorious than the colours of Autumn hydrogardener.

 

What is it about these that just make you want to pick them up, even if you have no use for them.

 

Oooh, shiney!

 

Today's wander took me to rural Grafton, New York where I have spent a lot of time over the past several decades enjoying the great outdoors. My son and I have enjoyed the beauty and recreational opportunities of the Martin Dunham reservoir since he was a toddler. The Martin Dunham Reservoir in Grafton was built as a water source for the City of Troy. Construction on the dam began in 1911, and a temporary railroad system was established to transport materials to the site and to build the now historic Martin Dunham Reservoir Dam. With the creation of the Tomhannock reservoir in the early 1900s the Dunham was no longer used as a water source for Troy, NY, and it became part of the Grafton Lakes Park system in the 60s. That said, it has been used by generations of local residents for hiking, fishing, swimming, birding, and just to enjoy nature.

Recently, New York State, in its infinite wisdom, has begun to drain the reservoir with the claim that the dam was unsafe, and it would cost millions to rehabilitate. Local citizens have signed several petitions asking the state to save this environmental gem. Thus far, a final decision has not been made by the state, just the usual bureaucratic mumbo jumbo has come forth from the state.

Today, I visited the reservoir to see/record what the state has done so far. The site is heart-wrenching to someone who so enjoyed this area all his adult life. This once beautiful body of water has been reduced to a mudhole, the large beaver lodge lies abandoned and destroyed.

To my delight, the beavers are undaunted, they have initiated Plan "B" and have begun to construct a dam upstream of the reservoir. Already, large areas of woodland have flooded, and I am sure much more will follow as the stream backs up.

As the destruction of the reservoir has greatly reduced the number of people who venture into the area, enterprising druggies have set up a pot farm in a clearing I once used to photograph wildlife.

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A few weeks ago, we took a ride past Schuylerville, NY and I stopped to photograph this historic example of Colonial architecture.
The General Philip Schuyler House was built in 29 days in November 1777. This home is now part of Saratoga National Historical Park. During the American Revolution, the British Army occupied this area. The beautiful home of American General, Philip Schuyler, was burned to ground. Following the surrender of the British, General Schuyler lost no time in replacing his home. He rebuilt this house using much of the glass, nails, locks and hinges salvaged from the burned home. From here, the General ran his extensive business affairs.

The Schuyler House was visited by many historic figures over the ages, including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Marquis de Lafayette and President Franklin Roosevelt. Unlike many historic homes, this house was given to the U.S. Government as is. It has no electricity or running water and remains in much the same condition as it was in 1777. It is open from late May to Labor Day.

In addition to the house, I photographed his privy, where I am sure the plans for many military operations were conceived and developed.

 

I presume the reservoir being dammed @hydrogardener, that the flow gates were opened from time to time? Does this in turn mean the reservoir had an outlet into a river, possibly at the far end? If that's the case, with the dam removed, can't a natural flow be reinstated to bring the area back to life?

 

It does have a dam and has been in operation for more than a hundred years. A creek runs into it and the excess water flows over a spill way. The dam impounds the water to fill the lake. There are valves to control the level, two of them and have failed, and they are using the one that is still working to lower the lake level. The problem is that they feel the earthen dam is not safe, and they do not want to spend money reinforcing it. The least costly alternative is to drain the lake. If the earthen dam were to fail, it would be a major problem for homes downstream and the water would surge several miles right into downtown Troy. It is simply a matter of funds to do the work, the state wants to take the least costly alternative, drain the lake.

 

Autumn in New York, Grafton Lakes State Park, Grafton, NY.

 

That is a beautiful photo @hydrogardener.

 

In a few days, I expect what is left of the fall foliage to disappear, so I have been recording the end of the season. Again, Grafton Lakes State Park, Grafton, NY. It is a beautiful area and mostly free to access.

 

A local walk this afternoon with views across the Dee estuary to North Wales. Flying geese and other high flyers plus some beach scenes and greenery.

 

This image was taken this summer at Lake George, NY. While looking at the photo, I noticed only two lifeboats and thought, is this a local version of the Titanic? According to what I found, it has lifejackets for the passengers. That said, Lake George is very big and brutally cold most of the year.

Lac Du Saint Sacrement is considered to be the flagship of the Lake George Steamboat Company in Warren County, New York. It is the largest and newest boat in the company.[1][2] The boat runs on Caterpillar Diesel engines and carries lifejackets for every passenger on board in case of an emergency. It also has rescue boats, an emergency generator, and incombustible furniture throughout the boat. The ship consists of 4 decks, 3 of which are heated and air-conditioned, cocktail lounges, a dance floor, a snack shop, and wheel chair lifts on the first 3 floors. The ship also contains a galley underneath the main deck. [3] The name “Lac Du Saint Sacrement” comes from the original name of Lake George until it was renamed in 1755 after King George II. Lac du Saint Sacrement, the original name of the Lake until the English won the French and Indian War in 1756, was given by Father Isaac Jogues, a French Canadian missionary who found the lake in 1646.[4][5]

 

I had to re-calibrate the gimbal on the drone, so I took it for a test flight at the golf course. It was surprising how many trees still retain their leaves, from the ground, you don't notice it as much. The day was overcast and the temperature about forty degrees, so the image lacks contrast. In the center of the image, the falls at Cohoes, New York can be seen in the distance.
It must be said that the grounds crew at the golf course does a remarkable job of removing the leaves.