Wiawaka - Boating with Toby May 30, 2014

View of Lake George

Inside the lake 

The water and boat ride was so calm, I almost fell asleep. We were lucky to have such great weather right before the storm hit. You can really see the beauty of the lake once you are on a boat and cruising the water. Our tour guide was able to show us the green islands, the mountains, and the resorts. I would love to explore the small islands even though it is illegal to do so. I think it would be a great story to tell your grandchildren. It astonished me to find out that one man can own 16 miles of land on the mountains. Even though the family is slowly giving the land to the state, I think the majority of it should be allowed for public engagement. I don’t think it is right for people to be able to take away the beauty of things for other people. Seeing as Lake George is such a historical ground and a great sight, everyone should be able to enjoy it. I think it is great that students are allowed to stay in the summer and work right on the lake. It must be exciting for those students whose major fits the requirements, and they are able to do what they love. I think the best thing about Lake George is how clean it is. I could see right to the bottom of the lake and watch the fish and the rocks move about the currents. I don’t think I have ever seen a lake cleaner than that. It made me upset that I didn’t have the chance to swim the day before because the water was too cold. Lake George seems so far but it is really right in our back yard. So many events have taken place in this region. It’s fun for me to be able to know the answers to our guides question from reading The Hudson every week. I enjoy biology and wish I could stay at Lake George and collect specimens with the RPI students. 

Wiawaka Overnight Stay May 29, 2014

The room Rose and I stayed in

 Today was a very relaxing and fun filled day. I wasn’t expecting the community service to be as fast as it was. I enjoy cleaning, to a certain extent, and I think everyone was working hard to get the job done. I had the job of cleaning furniture and although I only did one house, I was working diligently. I was just excited to be able to choose the room Rose and I would be staying in for the night. When we were all done, everyone ran to choose their rooms. I was being selfish and put one bag each in two different rooms so that no one would take them because I couldn’t decide which room to choose. Ultimately, I let Rose choose. We would be sleeping in the pink room downstairs that night. We had one more job after choosing our rooms, raking. I still don’t understand why we had to rake right next to the boat house, seeing as the grass there was not mowed, and it looked like no one had ever bothered to touch that spot. I think they were just trying to give us something to do to get our nights worth of stay. What really surprised me during the day was that I found out Toby could teach us how to do flips! Rose and I were trying so hard to do a round off, I almost got it, but couldn’t get the ending jump. I was a cheerleader for four years and I was able to do so many of those flips but once you stop doing them for a little while you forget how to move your body in those ways. Now that I know I have an instructor at hand, I can learn how to do them all over again! It was nice to have just a day where we can relax and enjoy the area we were in. Wiawaka was so beautiful and had a great spot on the lake. That led to a few girls swimming in the water. The water was way too cold for me and if I would have went in my body would have been purple in minutes. I did enjoy laying on the dock and tanning. I didn’t realize how dark I actually got until we were in town walking around. Rose and I separated from the group and went on an adventure. First, I wanted to go around the stores and by things. I got a great Father’s Day gift and the tie-dye sweatshirt I always try to buy when I visit Lake George. After shopping, Rose and I went to the arcade.

The arcade on the left and Lazer Maze on the right

We went into a lazer maze, and changed our personalities into thieves in a movie trying to rob a museum. I finished without having my body touch any lazer. Rose on the other hand, touched two. But, our time made it into the top ten score and our name will be held on the board until someone breaks our score. Then, we roamed around the arcade and played a few more games. We spent 15 dollars for two lollypops. We aren’t very good at winning games, and only collected 15 tickets. Either way, we had a really great time. I wanted to thank Michael for the lovely dinner, and our other professors for breakfast and marshmallows. You didn’t have to let us sit around and soak up the sun, but you did, and I appreciate it.

Dinner at Wiawaka

Writing on fire place inside Fuller House in Wiawaka

I found this picture inside Fuller House and I thought it fit perfectly with this program. Most of us students have seen each other around, but have essentially came into this program as strangers. As the days pass, we all grow closer together. Although we may get annoyed with each other at some points in time, we all realize we have to do the same thing and help each other as friends. I hope to continue my friendship with all the young women in this program. 

Sewage Treatment Plant May 28, 2014

Stages of cleaning waste water starting from
Left to Right

Waste being pumped

The incinerator to burn sludge

Generator and operating room

Touring the North Wastewater Treatment Plant was a lot more interesting than I thought it would be. As shown above, there are four different stages the wastewater goes through before it is 95% clean. At first, I thought our guide put his pen in the wastewater to stir it and I was sure I was going to faint, but I realized he used the stirrer laid out on the table and I was once again okay. I think my nerves got to the best of me before I went inside the Treatment Plant and I was expecting nothing but the worse. I asked our guide if he would drink the resulting water, seeing as it was 95% clean. I was shocked to hear him say he would not drink that water and would clean it further. I expected him to be more confident in the “clean” water, but he was not. I do realize that there will always be some sort of bacteria in our drinking water, but if the bacteria in the 95% clean drinking water would not harm you, I am still curious as to why he wouldn’t drink it. What I liked most about the tour was our guide. He was so enthusiastic about the job, and it made smelling and staring at the wastewater a lot easier. I also enjoyed his way of comparing unrelated things to the cleaning of wastewater. He compared the bacteria being injected in the wastewater from the pipe to an aquarium. Although this ultimately ruined the idea of an aquarium to me, I was able to understand the logistics more. The bacteria being put into the wastewater will start to “eat” up the wastes. This also led to his other comparison of the bacteria in the wastewater to having thanksgiving dinner. You eat as much as you can, rest, and then eat more when you wake up. That is exactly what the bacteria does, and the Treatment Plant reuses the bacteria every day. I am now extremely proud to tell people my Treatment Plant site is more effective than their Treatment Plant site. I was shocked to learn that the Albany County Sewer District is the only Treatment Plant in the nation to turn their sludge into electricity. I was shocked because I would have never guessed Albany would be able to come up with 9 million dollars to make and import the generator from Italy. I agree with our guide on the prediction that more Treatment Plants will be investing in a generator to create electricity. It is great to see that not only is the Treatment Plant cleaning water, but also conserving energy by 40%.  When I have dreams about what my house will look like when I am an adult, I see my house using more solar energy than electricity. Everything about the Treatment Plant interested me. I was so amazed by how it all worked and I respect the employees more than anyone. Without the cleaning of wastewater, disease would spread and a lot of people would die. I know I take full advantage of the clean water I use without thinking much about what is happening to it afterwards. I immediately flush the toilet after every use and I take half hour showers. I think I will be more aware of how much water I am using now. I am very sensitive to many things (I think you guys can tell by now), but smell is definitely a chart topper. I tried to hold my composure as much as I could, but I think everyone could tell I would never step foot in a Treatment Plant again.

Fort Johnson, Johnson Hall & Mabee Farm May 27, 2014

Native American pieces owned by Sir Johnson
at Old Fort Johnson & Johnson Hall

What interested me the most about Sir Johnson was the way he was able to transition from different cultures. As we were learning about the life of William Johnson, I came to the conclusion that he preferred to be with the Native Americans. Not only did he do business with them, but he participated in their culture. From marrying a Native American woman in a traditional Iroquois ceremony to dressing in their clothing, William Johnson was essentially a part of the clan. Other Europeans saw the Native Americans as inferior, but Johnson was able to look past their ways of life and treat them as equals. If it weren’t for the smell and the greed of money, I think Sir Johnson would have chosen to live the way of the Native Americans. What also surprised me was the fact that our guide was able to admit that Sir Johnson was a hoarder. When we think of historical wealthy people, we often see them as extremely clean and proper without taking into account that they probably went through the same mental exhaustion as we do now. I personally knew exactly what not being able to see the walls of your house is like. By the end of my father’s life, he would never throw anything away. Our beautiful (once a bar) basement was covered head to toe in bags full of unwanted things. As a child I thought this was amazing because I could pretend that they were mountains and climb all over them, but now I can see how it was a serious problem. 

Typical styled dresses in the 1700s&1800s

Going to the Mabee Farm, a farm of the middle class, was very different from the rest of our housing tours. The first big difference, as our guide pointed out, is that the Mabee’s did not do anything extraordinary. They were not part of any huge historical event and they were as we would say now a middle class family. What they were able to do was preserve their house for us to see an original Dutch styled house. I could not imagine having to share a room with ten other people. It always amazes me to learn about how civilization sustained lives without proper sanitation. But living during those times were not as all bad as I make it out to be. The one thing that I do enjoy about early civilization is the clothing. The two dresses shown above were owned by Deborah Glen and Helen McLellan. The dress on the right is a wedding dress while the dress on the left is an everyday style. I would not mind wearing these dresses at all. Sometimes I actually wish it is socially acceptable to walk around wearing those style of dresses. Fashion is something I enjoy a lot, and I am always looking for new styles to fit in my wardrobe.

The De Sager boat on Mabee Farm

At first, I was hesitant to go in the row boat because I felt as though I was too tired to work my arms. But not only did I row for one ride, but I was able to go a second turn. I have only went into a row boat when I was a child, and I can only remember being so scared to tip over. But now I was excited to be able to have the experience. My roommate has been trying to force me to do crew with her up at RPI for about a year. I was never thinking about it until now. I always thought I was not suitable for the water but after I was told I row like a natural, I am feeling more than confident in my rowing abilities. Although crew is different than on an actual row boat, I am up for a challenge. Let’s keep in mind these are all thoughts and the chances of me waking up at 4 am to row is slim to none. 

Lansingburgh Memorial Day Parade May 26, 2014

A memorial float

A memorial float

A U.S marine tank 

Members of the Excelsior Drum & Bugle Corps

Today was my first Memorial Day parade in Lansingburgh. I think I can also say this is my first real Memorial Day parade. There were so many organizations and community people that were there to support each other. In my town, there is not that many people who attend and there is not that many organizations present. It was great to see everyone being proud of where they come from and supporting this day. I was fortunate enough to speak to several people. The first group of people I encountered, shown above, are members of the Excelsior Drum and Bugle Corps. This corporation is located in Troy, NY, but the people I met were not from Lansingburgh nor Troy. Instead, they were from surrounding areas who loved to play music. Music wasn’t the other thing these people had in common, they all knew someone who was serving in the military. The girl stretched out on the floor explained to me that serving in the military was a family honor, and that many of the men in her family served the country. Other members have uncles, brothers, and sisters in the military as well. Although they do not know anyone who has sacrificed their life serving the country, they still give thanks to their family members. I then asked the group how long they have been playing in the Lansingburgh parade. While for many it was their first year playing, the Excelsior Drum and Bugle Corporation has been participating in the parade since it began. I was also lucky enough to speak to a teacher of the Rotterdam School District. Since she understood the struggles of research, she was more than willing to answer some questions. While this was her first year attending the parade with her own family, she has been watching the parade for many years. The teacher grew up in Lansingburgh as a child, and always loved seeing the marching bands. This year, she was showing her own two children the marching bands which she loved to listen to as a child. The teacher just moved back to Lansingburgh with her husband and two children to be closer to her family and to come back to the tight-knit community. One man who I was much honored to meet was Dennis Perpetua. Dennis served in the Navy for 5 years, and was a soldier in the Vietnam War. He was nineteen years old when he served this country. Mr. Perpetua said that he used to come to the parade every year, but stopped because of illness. But Dennis has made it this year, and continues to come. What broke my heart is to hear Mr. Perpetua say that all of the friends he had while serving, died while in combat in the Vietnam War. As I continuously thanked him for his courage it occurred to me that the men and women serving are very brave and strong. They go through the most horrific events and still manage to have a smile on their face and go about life. I was glad to see Dennis enjoy the parade with his wife, and honor his friends. From the beginning of the parade, I could tell that the people of Lansingburgh had all intentions of remembering those who died in service. Every time veterans passed, everyone was silent and clapped. The respect they had for each other was amazing. While the majority of the people seemed to be of Caucasian race, there were many other multicultural people. Whatever their reason may be for attending the parade, the community respected the veterans and remembered those who sacrificed their lives for our freedom. 

Thomas Cole site/ Catskill painting hike/ Olana May 23, 2014

Thomas Cole's easel, and painting palettes 

Thomas Cole's painting space in the barn

The house that Thomas Cole lived in, was surprisingly large. I did not expect it to be a 2/3 story house but rather a cottage. It was amazing to see how much Thomas Cole’s family cared about him. The spaces his Uncle in law gave him to work on his paintings was very generous. Then again, Thomas was a famous painter. I am all for conserving historical places and belongings. I was shocked to see that the house still obtained Thomas Cole’s painting utensils such as his palette and easel shown above. As I was walking through the house and Thomas’ painting space, I was trying to imagine the scenery that would have been in place when he was alive. With the palette and painting space, I imagined Thomas painting his series of paintings to the Voyage of Life. 

Kaaterskill Falls

Site Five of Kaaterskill Falls was one of the most beautiful places I have ever saw. I was not quite sure what this hike would become of, because the trail was right off a road. I was stunned by how beautiful the waterfall was. I enjoy rocky hikes rather than grassy hikes. I was able to explore more and go passed my boundaries because I was excited to see the waterfall. Rose and I explored different areas than the rest of the group. We went down as far as we can go in order to stand directly in front of the waterfall. As I was standing in the water, I could feel the mist coming from the falls. It was both exciting and relaxing at the same time. I was nervous we would get caught in the current or get stuck in between the rock, but I allowed myself to take in the scenery. I will definitely go back to Kaaterskill Falls.

Frederic Church's House. Olana

By seeing the house of Frederic Church, I came to the conclusion that Church was more successful (money wise) than Thomas Cole. This would be the case because Church realized his talent many years before Thomas Cole had. But in more thought, I also realized that Thomas Cole died at a very young age which executed his talent. The house of Frederic Church was so beautiful. I loved everything about the interior, the architecture, and the detail. Frederic took many ideas from all around the world and put it together into this one house. It amazed me that 96% of the house is in its original state, with the original furniture. By looking at the rooms upstairs, I noticed they were relatively small compared to the other rooms downstairs. I thought to myself, why could this be? Wouldn't you want a huge bedroom? I came to realize that the rooms are probably smaller in order to gather the family together downstairs to read poetry or listen to music rather than sitting in the bedroom alone. I also questioned why the nephew of Isabel Church did not want to keep this house that he inherited. I still can’t answer this question, because the house is so beautiful and worth so much sentimentally that I do not know why anyone would put it up for sale. But, what is one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Whatever the reason is, I am glad that this is now a historical site and people can see how the Church’s lived. 

Albany Institute of History and Art May 22, 2014

Katie spelled by the hieroglyphic alphabet



Thomas Cole's painting titled Ruined Tower

Award winning sculptures

Dennis Byng's Untitled Piece

Displayed arrangement of flowers

Whenever I go view paintings and sculptures, I always feel as though I am never fully able to connect with the painter. I do not see myself as an artsy person, and I am almost never able to enjoy a piece in an intellectual way. But today, it was very different. By having a discussion about the paintings before viewing the original piece, I was able to get a sense of what the painter was trying to express. By having this knowledge, I was able to connect more with the painting and come up with more views on the piece. Some of the pieces that immediately caught my attention was the sculpted horse and the cube shown above. Not only are these pieces extremely beautiful, but there are complex. The cube above is a series of sixteen cubes identical in size but different in color. The cube rests on a transparent ring that raises it, and allows light to enter from below to enhance the colors. The sculptor, Dennis Byng, is best known for his innovative use of plastics in sculptures. The bright colors reflect off of one another, and are dramatically enhanced by the light. You are almost unable to see the different cubes put together, because the colors make the cube look hole. The sculpted horse, which is the 2^nd piece on the left, is decorated with eucalyptus and peony flowers. The sculpture of the horse is interrupted by the absence of plant material around the metal. The peony, is the heart of the design. While this piece seems very simple, the vibrant color of the peony brings out the sculpture. This piece was awarded with an honorary mention. But the peony was not the only flower I saw. In the room directly next to these pieces, assorted flowers were presented. Before I was fully inside the room, I smelled the beautiful aroma the flowers gave off. The presented flowers were brightly beautiful, and were each inspired by something the creator once knew or saw. The assorted flowers in the middle was inspired by a painting of the Beaumont Rice Mill, which was founded by the creator’s great grandfather. But these pieces were not the only beautiful thing that caught my eye. The Albany Institute itself expressed beauty. The marble stairs and wood banister set the perfect tone of the area. The white sculptures that were displayed were classical and simple. It is interesting to realize that every inventor is inspired by something whether it be a landscape, a relative, a dream, or a teacher. The pieces that then are created represents something bigger than is shown. A plaque on a wall in the Albany Institute of History and Art says that we view and interpret these things through the lens or our own time. We bring our own ideas, experiences, and biases with us. We imagine what we want to see, and in a way we make it our own.

NYS Museum May 21, 2014

Skull, face and description of a man buried in Almshouse cemetery.

While the skull and face might look very real, it is not. The skull is a masked version of the real skull of the individual, and the face was recreated by artists to look how the man might have appeared while alive. This part of the tour interested me most not only because that was the first exhibit and I was wide awake, but because it allowed me to reflect on classes I took in high school. The bone structure of an individual can tell you their ethnicity, how they lived, and the diet they had. I learned many methods to figure out the lifestyle of an individual in a forensics class in high school. I remember learning that the shape of the nose and eye socket can differentiate between ethnicity. African Americans would have a wider bone structure in the nose, while Caucasians would have a narrower nose. Bone structure can also tell an archaeologist the age at which a person died. The man above, died at the age of about thirty-two. I would assume that this male died so early of an age because of the time frame the Almshouse was running (1826-1926). During those times, there was not any advances in medicine to allow an individual to live up until their late seventies. The skeleton assessed above, and many others discovered by Archaeologists, reflect the conditions of life for Albany’s poor population. 

A plaque which shows the conditions the
Jewish Community lived in.

A plaque that shows the ideas and pictures
of the Nazi Germany Soldiers. 

A recreation of a living space a Jewish individual
would live in while in hiding. 

Ever since sophomore year of high school, learning about World War Two and the Holocaust was a great interest of mine. I have read many books on the topic, watched documentary films, took a college course on the Holocaust, met 3 Holocaust survivors, and visited museums. I was thrilled to know that the NYS Museum had a little section of the Holocaust. Whenever I visit an exhibit on this topic, I am extremely silent and curious. There are always new things to learn and see. Walking through the section made me feel very sad. I have never seen a recreation of the living conditions a Jewish individual lived in while in hiding. The area I saw was very small, and I can only imagine the horrible conditions these innocent people had to live in. No one should ever be massacred because of their religion, ethnicity, or cultural background. 

Artifacts of pharmacist tools discovered by archaeologists. 

The only thing I could think about while looking at the artifacts shown on the right was the book Down from Troy. The artifacts of the pharmacists reminded me of Richard Selzer’s father, a local doctor for the town of troy. The crucibles shown reminded me of the black bag filled with instruments Richard’s Father carried around on his visits. Some of the china in the back made me imagine Richard and his brother Billy competing at the dining room table to see who learned the most words in Latin. It is interesting to see how most of the things we do in our program relate to one another. I would have never guessed that going to a museum and seeing artifacts would relate to a book we are reading for our Book Club.

Troy Photo Run and Peebles Island May 20, 2014

This plaque on State Street in Troy marks the
spot where Charles Nalle was freed

Pictures of the Mohawk River 

A freed fish from an ephemeral pool

The fish above, one of many, was caught by bare hands today in an ephemeral pond (or vernal pool) on Peebles Island. An ephemeral pond is a collection of rain water and wind-blown sediment on soils that form tiny ecosystems. These ponds can range from a few millimeters to a few meters in depth (“National Park Service”).  The National Park Service says that organisms living in these pools have very short life cycles, as brief as ten days. What brave students in the Discovery Degree Program we have to catch these fish, with their bare hands, and set them free in the Hudson River. If the students would have left the fish to continue living in the ephemeral pond, the fish are exposed to being caught and eaten by birds, and consuming all of their source of food until there is none left. Personally, I am too afraid to hold the fish in fear that they will slip out of my hand and onto the ground that will soon lead to their death. Fish have what is called a slime coat that protects them from infectious bacteria. By looking at the hand holding the fish above, you can tell that a firm grip is the only way to prevent the fish from slipping out of your hand.  But having a natural slime coat is not the only reason why fish slip out of a firm grip. A fish breathes by taking water into its mouth and pushing it out through the gills. When the fish are exposed to the dry air, they flop in hopes of swimming and obtaining water. It was interesting, and quite amusing, to watch my fellow classmates try to hold the fish. After hearing yelps and seeing bug-eyed faces, I was sure I would not attempt to catch a fish. What a great experience it was to have a sly look on my face while my classmates are barefoot in an ephemeral pond. 

National Park Service. Ephemeral Pools (Potholes). NPS, 05/14/2014. Web, 20 May 2014