OSWEGO, NY

We drove 30 minutes north of my parents' home to Scriba, NY; 

and where my grandparents are born. This is my Dad's Mom.

And his Dad.

My Mom's parents.

And this is my parents' headstone that Dad tends each year--how many can say they have tended 

and planted flowers at their OWN gravestone!?!

It is tradition to go to Rudy's Fish Fry on the Lake (Ontaria) 

after the visit to the cemetery.  Me and my little Sis!

Sister, Dad, cousin, me, Mom, cousin.

(I grew up with these 4 brothers -1 left before pic time

 and the other couldn't make it)

He was waiting for us to drop a bit of our fish or fries!

The Lake was very calm but no smoke coming across from Canadian wildfires like we say during last year's visit.

This was the coolest driftwood stump! 

 It looked like a cat's paw!!!!

I couldn't resist a pose!

(and yes, I gathered a few rocks to bring home!)

 

ROCKING!!!!

I took the rocks out of the tumber to take a peek and move them from stage 1 grit to stage 2 grit.  I was as excited as a kid at the candy counter!

These are some of my favorite found rocks from Lake Ontario--some I have had for decades!  It was so amazing to see them begin to show their true colors! 

Here are some close-ups of my favorite ones!  This I believe is dolomite. 

Some red jasper, quartz in hematite.

A luxullianite--a type of granite!

This is an amazonite--it's me all over! lol  

(that's the name I call myself bc I mostly shop at amazon!)

These are three examples of quartz--rose, golden and milky.

A beautiful example of jasper!

This one had me stumped for a long time but I think I have identified it as unakite-pink, green and quarts in basalt.

The second tumbler held some quarts and carnelians!  My friend had purchased these a long time ago and never tumbled them so she gave them to me to try. 

This one has layers so is called an agate.  The colors range from golden to deep red;  some are opaque and othes quite tranlucent!

I loaded up the barrels for their next week of tumbling!

Until next time!

 

The Power of Water

 Lake Ontario was showing its stuff today!  Wind and waves were pretty wild!

 I was glad some rocks were still dry for me to chose from.....the painting rock craze is in my town, too!  I can take a few home with me in my suitcase but these things weigh a lot for the space they don't take up!

I collected 11 pounds worth on this collection!

 It looked calm and pretty for a few seconds and then......

 boom!  The waves would explode and 15-20 ft spray would shoot up! 

 We drove a bit down the shoreline for a photo of the Oswego Lighthouse and I will have you know that immediately after I took this, my Mom yelled, 'Look out!' and a rogue wave got me-soaked right down to the skin!

 I did take this one on the way back to the car.....someone was getting a cloudburst!

 Under the foam in this photo resides 20' of flat rocks that you can usually walk on-not today!  Beautiful coastline pic for my watercolor class, though!

And the best reason for gathering at the Lake, family-

my annual meeting with cousins who live in Oswego. 

 And we eat at Rudy's where they make the best Haddock sandwiches in the USA!