Favoring the Left in the Erie Canal

To lock through a canal each boat must carefully secure itself adjacent to the canal wall. Most canals provide long lines for the boat crew to hold. Beware, the process can be thorny – as you continually adjust the tension of the line in response to the change in water levels.

The lines in the locks along the Erie Canal tend to be slimy, so work gloves are a MUST.

Lesson learned: Shortly after the first swarmy lock on the canal, Capt Rick intentionally placed his soggy gloves on the foredeck, hopping to confine the grimy mess while they dried off. An hour later, the right glove of his favorite pair was nowhere to be seen, presumably it blew away.

Scrounging up a backup pair of gloves to handle the next set of dreadful lock lines, perhaps Capt Rick was suffering from short term memory loss, or misplaced trust that lightning won’t strike twice. Once again, he left the goober green pair of gloves on the deck floor to dry. And once again only the right glove flew away – leaving him with two left gloves for the remainder of the canal locks.  Favoring the Left. Is it a political message? Nah.

If you want a deeper understanding of the NY Canal system, follow the blog of our fellow traveler, Gail Bernstein, Tonto’s Reward

Here’s a link to Gail’s fantastic post, including a fascinating history lesson – enjoy!  New York State Canals

Riverlink Park, Amsterdam, NY

A quiet spot along the water.

Little Falls, NY

Nothing, I mean nothing was open in Little Falls. Timing is everything.

Rome

The next stop on our itinerary was Rome, but we opted to keep going since it was less than appealing with bars on the windows of the buildings near the canal walls. Buttercup did not understand how we could get so close to land without stopping. Pobrecito.

Wondering about that live grass patch? She stands on it, but she refuses to pee on it, even when the weather outside is miserable. Maddie was a LOT smarter.

Sylvan Beach

Tourism is the life blood of Sylvan Beach, typically beginning Father’s Day weekend – well after our visit.  

As smoke from the Canadian fires filled the air, our walkabout was kept brief.

A little update on the fires: As of June 13, there were 450 active wildfires burning in Canada, with more than 4.8 million acres burned, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. Raging wildfires in Canada have already scorched about 15 times the normal burned area for this time of the year: nearly 11 million acres — more than double the size of New Jersey — with more than 2 million acres concentrated in Quebec alone.

The wildfires started from lightning strikes in the western provinces of British Columbia and Alberta and have spread to the eastern regions of Nova Scotia, Quebec and Ontario. Yes, the fires are still happening in Nova Scotia, our summer destination. Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain.

Dodging the smoky air, we recommend the Canal View Restaurant in Sylvan Beach. Rather unique, the house wine is served in a handmade chicken carafe.

Ess-Kay Yards, Brewerton NY

Caryl, Ray and Brock Lee, M/V Lit’l Houlegan, met us in Brewerton.  Surprise dinner the day they arrived: crab cakes, flown in fresh from Annapolis, handmade by Sandy and maybe Iron Bear!  They were so delicious I forgot to take a photo. Thanks again, Caryl and grill master Ray, for the scrumptious lamb dinner on night 2!

Extra thanks to Ray, Capt Rick got to provision at Costco.  Sorry, there are no photos of that event, either; but here’s one from the archives.

For Piper

The meandering route along the Erie Canal offers lovely scenery and an occasional splash of local art. This is for our dear friends, the Jackson family in Belmont Shore – fans for life. Come join us!

Oswego, NY

Wondering where the heck are we? Starting at the Federal lock in Troy, we headed west at Waterford on the New York canal system. In total, we completed 30 locks in the State of New York when we finally arrived in Oswego.

La Parilla On the Water, Oswego

Local trivia: What do Gen. Colin Powell, Jerry Seinfeld, Barbara Walters and La Parilla have in common? Private chef, Raymond Jock! Read More Here

Our tastebuds were enchanted by the magnificent Mediterranean bistro found within steps of where we were docked. La Parilla On the Water, 24 E. 1st St., Oswego. Thanks, Chef Ray, for dropping by our table and for sharing your exquisite creations.

Meet power duo owners, Deanna and Brandon Lagoe. Ask for their privately bottled red wine from Portugal, Monte do Carrapatelo. The experience was top notch!

Next stop:  Detour to Katlyn Marine, Sodus Point, Lake Ontario – for a special Fleming moment (we shall let Gail tell that story in her next post!).

Celebrating Milestones: June 14, Flag Day, Anniversary Paul and Celeste Amish; June 15, Happy Birthday Heather Rutherford; June 18, Father’s Day