Herkimer, and Boonville, NY

I got up really early today, as that was the plan. Surprisingly, the jet airplanes that were taking off in this area, helped to be my alarm clock. It was a one and a half hour drive to Herkimer, New York. I was looking foward to going to the Herkimer Diamond Mine. My sister Carol was here a couple of years ago, so I wanted to see about my luck in finding the world-renowned Herkimer Diamonds. I've been to Payson AZ, at Diamond Point, and eager to experience the eastern version. It's too bad that it got up to 90 degrees, and it was quite the challenge to stay cool and hydrated. Jo Jo and I got drenched using a spray bottle. It must have rained in the area a day or two ago, and after some observation, I figured out how to find some diamonds. Using the angle of the sun, I observed the shiny, glitter areas, and low and behold I eventually found different sized diamonds. Many of them were quite small, but I managed to find three or four larger diamonds as well. I think I could have spent the entire day here, but it was just beyond hot. There is something about finding these pieces. As soon as you find one, it's exciting enough to keep searching for more. After 10 or 15 minutes you start losing hope on finding anything else, and before you know it, you do find another. Maybe its like an addiction, but I think its quite therapeutic.

Years ago, I looked for pottery shards in the town of Huachinara, Mexico. After a fresh rain, the silt is washed away exposing new layers of pottery shards. They literally appear at the top surface, waiting to be collected. Maybe, I have the key to discovery.

I made my way up north to Boonville, New York, to spend a night with my friend, Diane. It was special to see her again, after passing through here about a month ago. We had a great morning walk with her sweet dog, Lily, and breakfast at the local diner. I traveled nearly two and a half hours to Ithaca, New York, where Jo Jo will have his 4 week follow-up visit at Cornell University Hospital for Animals, tomorrow morning. The weather has cooled thankfully, so I'm hoping for a comfortable night.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bryce Canyon National Park, then almost home

Image
​ A great night in the Utah desert, and a rather chilly morning, surprisingly, but I got up and hurried out of there with the intention of getting to Bryce Canyon National Park. I wondered if I would have enough time and decided it was only 20 minutes one-way, out-of-the-way as I continued on my route home. This would be my third time visiting Bryce and I’m so glad I did. As with any National Park, there are some new changes and the Ranger told me that because I’m over 20 feet I would have to park in the main parking lot and take the shuttle bus in to see the viewpoints. She gave me a tag to hang in my window. My heart sank to the bottom, since I know the shuttle buses will not except pets, and I was not willing to leave Jo Jo. However, upon examining the tag, it indicated vehicles over 23 feet to park and shuttle. My Travato is 21 feet. Hmmmm, I was annoyed. So I ignored the directions and went straight to the parking area at the sunrise amphitheater and not only did I see other campe...
Read more

At home now… from the great 2023 Alaska Road Trip!

Image
​ Jo Jo and I are home, from the trip of a lifetime! 106 days, 11,539 miles, 675 gallons of gasoline, a ton of fun, beautiful views, and amazing experiences. Other than a brief head cold, no other mishaps, except my souvenir windshield chips. The Sylver Gypsy performed wonderfully. She kept me safe and warm. My last days were drive heavy, but I managed a quick stop at Bryce Canyon National Park. My last night was in the Coconino Forest near Flagstaff, where I also made a brief stop at Sunset Crater. I’ll need a few moments to adjust being back to reality, but it’s nice to be home!
Read more

Montana to Blackfoot, Idaho

Image
​ Well, other than spending the day driving I didn’t do much else. Unless you consider the excitement of filling up my gas tank for $80.00. It’s the first time in a long time when I looked down I saw my gauge in the red and the yellow warning light came on indicating low fuel. I never do these things, but I must’ve been in “the zone” while driving. Either way, I made it to the next gas station and I also have 2 gallons as a spare mounted to my ladder. I wound up staying in the same place that I stopped in May, as I was traveling up north. It’s Rose Pond Park near the town of Blackfoot, Idaho. I even recall exactly where I stayed and it was open and available. However, there was a radio concert going on right around the corner. I wasn’t into listening to the “boom boom.” I found another spot just as a truck came with three ATV, mini bikes and kids who spent the next two hours driving around, mostly in the parking lot. I was actually concerned that they would come by too closely or lose ...
Read more