Tag Archives: Upstate

Room for cream?

I’ve always taken my coffee black. I started drinking coffee in college, not because I needed the caffeine but because getting a cup of coffee was often more convenient than getting a meal. I didn’t start having coffee in the morning until my second year teaching, actually, and even then it was more for the taste. My mum used to make her coffee with a bit of milk and a bit of brown sugar, but my dad never did. Mum stopped drinking coffee when I was 14 (long story that involves a bad cup of joe on an airplane) so my dad was my role model. Nowadays, I like to think that I drink coffee for the taste, but I do find myself with a headache around noon if I skip a morning cup. Addicted? Yes, I’d say so.

This afternoon I went to Pour Coffee Parlor with a book. I ordered just a regular cup of coffee and was delighted by the presentation:

Afternoon cup of joe

Pour also has a very trendy, hip vibe. This isn’t the greatest picture (my table faced the window) but hopefully it gives you an insight into the industrial yet welcoming feel of the place. The flowers on the tables are a nice touch.

Interior of Pour

Room for cream? No, but thanks for asking!

By the Water

My roommate’s family has a cottage on Cayuga Lake, one of the finger lakes here in upstate New York. Mitch and I spent July 4th there with Emily, her family, and her boyfriend, Tim. We had an awesome time and I can’t wait to go back! Wine tasting, kayaking, tubing, boating, eating, drinking, more eating . . . hard life, I know. Here are a couple pictures that I took at sunset. Cayuga Lake                                  Tree You’ll notice that the second picture is simply an isolated shot of the tree at the right of the first picture. The colors of the sky were stunning. If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you already know that I am infatuated with water and sunsets. Mother Nature may be fickle, but she never ceases to amaze. Today I was back at work on the Sam Patch, a replica of an 1800s packet boat, on the Erie Canal. I did a lot of posting about the boats and my summer gig back when I was doing the 365 Photos project that started this blog. Click on the tags – you’ll see! It was a rather gorgeous day on the canal, too. Another picture of water . . .

From the Sam Patch

I grew up with the Erie Canal practically in my backyard, but it wasn’t until college that I really began to appreciate the natural beauty of upstate New York and everything our waterways have to offer.