Day 9- 5/31/14 A Day in the Boat on Lake George

Looking into the Water of Lake George

We woke up bright and early to eat breakfast before we went on our adventure for the day. I was really proud of myself because I was really nice to everyone. I am usually not a morning person. After breakfast we went to Bolton and went out on the lake. Before getting in the boat I realized how clear the water was. This picture is a picture I took looking into the water. you can see the bottom of the water so clearly. The boat ride was really nice. It made me want to call my dad up and convince him to take the boat out. My dad lives on Sacandaga Lake and owns his own boat so it is nice being able to go out on the boat all the time. Another plus is that his house is located right on the water so he has his own beach area and water front.

Sagamore Hotel

Out on the boat ride we were shown many different buildings and different parts of the lake. One building that really stuck out to me was the Sagamore Hotel. It is conveniently located right on the water and is huge! The architecture on the building is absolutely beautiful too. I really enjoyed seeing this building. With the location and the use of the Lake I would imagine staying in this building would be so expensive. I thought the boat ride was kind of short and really wanted to keep going around the lake. I love being out on the boat feeling the breeze off the water and being in the sun. After the boat ride we went into town and ate lunch. Its funny because the whole group went to the same restaurant and I finally was able to get some grilled cheese!

Day 8- 5/29/14 A Day to Relax :D

May Flower Cottage, Wiawaka, Lake George

Today we traveled to Wiawaka, a camp that is located in Lake George. Wiawaka was originally created for the middle class women of Troy who could not afford to get away from the city. It is such a peaceful place to relax and it is located right on the lake. To stay at this beautiful camp we had to do some work cleaning up the camp. We had to sweep the porches, clean the furniture, and rake leaves in multiple areas. I did not mind doing this work because I am a neat freak and I always love to clean. After we finished our duties cleaning we went into the May Flower Cottage to pick a room because that is where we were sleeping. Precious and I chose a great room with a nice lake view. Andor kept going on about how there was a haunted room in the cottage and it Michelle kept saying it was room 6 so of course Precious and I had to choose the haunted room. Sadly we did not have any ghost experience during our stay. This could be because the ghosts are still a little rusty because Wiawaka is just opening up. (hahaha) We were fast efficient workers. As a group we completed most of our work before lunch so after lunch we had very little to do and had the day free to ourselves.

Me Relaxing on the Porch

Relaxing Near the Lake 

 Today was really fun because it allowed us to have a break from work. Everyday we are always on the go moving from one place to another. It was really nice to spend a day to ourselves and spend time with our friends. One of my favorite things to do on a nice summer day like that is to just swim and lay in the sun. The best thing about being outside on these nice warm sunny days you start to notice things such as your freckles showing more, your hair getting lighter and your eye color even changing a little. There are so many reasons why I love summer this is just one of the many. Today was pretty much a free day and we choose what we wanted to do. Some people went for a walk, while others went swimming and laid on the dock and tanned. A few people who were a lot smarter than I was decided it was a great time to get the reading done. It was just way to nice outside and I did not have the motivation to do my work. While us kids choose to do activities some of the professors like Andor and Micheal thought it would be a good time for a nap. Sadly I did not get any pictures of them sleeping like Michelle did it was just really funny. That was the first day the whole year I was in my swim suit and it was the first swim of the year. It was so peaceful laying on the dock. At one point i even fell asleep laying on my stomach and later I regretted that because of the sun burn I got. It was even behind my knees which was really annoying when I was walking. In a few days I wont mind the burn because when it clears up I will have a really nice tan!

Michelle, Precious and Krysti

After we were done swimming and tanning, Michelle, Precious and I went back to the cottage to change back into our normal clothes. We also found Krysti in the house reading and invited her to hang with us. We still had time before dinner so we went for a walk down the path and found this cottage on our journey. The rooms were so nice and if you opened your bedroom door you have a nice view of the lake. although the professors saw this as a day to do nothing I saw this as so much more. To me it was a day for all of us to bond as a group while doing leisure activities instead of school work. We were allowed to learn much more about each other. This day was really needed considering we spend so much time together. 

Silly Pic!

On the Porch

This picture above shows that we are becoming closer as friends and just being silly with each other. This picture I took of Michelle while we were on our walk and referred to herself as "blue beard."I know at the end of the program it is going to be moments like this that I will miss the most. By doing the discovery degree program I have become close with a few people who I was only acquaintances with before. Michelle I would talk to every once in a while when she was hanging out with the same people I was but we were not best friends, but now when I went home for the weekend I messaged her that night because I missed her so much. Another person I have become really close with because of this program is Precious. She is a really funny person I love to joke around with and even forced her into rooming with me! Precious even shared with me that during fall semester but after getting to know me she said I am a person she really wants to be around, well unless she is lying. (haha) Even though I have become really close to a few in the group, as a whole we have become almost like a family. Each one of us with our different personalities have blended together and learned the likes and dislikes of each other. We even went out of our way to plan a pizza day together as a group outside of class. 

Another Turtle Successfully Saved!

For dinner Micheal and the other professors prepared a homemade meal. They made spaghetti and meatballs, salad and the best part bread! I am not a big pasta person, or a big fan of a lot of food at all as the group knows now but it was delicious. I ate a little bit of buttered pasta and bread! After dinner we ventured into town to see what the Village of Lake George was like. This is a small village well known for the Americade and Elvis. There were a lot of little shops and it seemed quiet. I did not take any pictures in town but I think that is because I was excited to finally have time to shop! I am a typical girl when it comes to shopping. I bought myself shorts, a sweater and candy. I also bought a  key chain turtle for two reasons, one I love turtles and two to signify the turtle we saved on the way to the village. I saw this turtle in the road and quickly screamed to save it. So many times my dad and I would stop to save whatever turtle was attempting to cross the road. Sadly there are so many people who see turtles crossing the road and will hit them on purpose. One time my dad and I saw a turtle in the road and turned around to save it. On the way back the person before us hit the turtle. It was awful to see. It was summer time so of course we had the windows down and hearing the crack when the car hit it was truly devastating. This is why I will always save a turtle when I see it. 

Fire Time! 

When we came back from town we ended the day with a campfire. At this point we were all so tired we were hysterically laughing at anything. I think we even annoyed the professors with our laugh and our sponge bob songs. 

"Lets gather around the campfire

And sing our campfire song

Our C-A-M-P-F-I-R-E S-O-N-G song

And if you don't think that we can sing it faster then you're wrong

But it'll help if you just sing along" 

This song just keeps running through my head as I was writting this blog so I just had to include it in here. After roasting the marshmellows and talking about the most random things we called it a night. 

Day 7- 5/28/14 Where Does Waste Go?

Stages of Water Treatment

Bacteria Being Added to the Contaminated Water

Today we went on an adventure to the Albany County Sewer plant. When I first herd about this trip I was annoyed and I am not going to lie I thought about being "sick" for this. All that kept running through my head on the way to the sewer plant was the kid from the magic school bus who always said "I knew I should have stayed home today!" After arriving to the sewer plant Craig explained there are many processes that waste goes through before being clean enough to go into the river. When the water is gone through the whole process it is 95 percent more clean than when it started in the plant. The tour of the plant was amazing! It was so interesting to learn the different stages of water treatment. This tour was a lot better than I thought it was going to be. One of the most fascinating parts in my opinion is when we saw the bacteria being added into the contaminated water. It is amazing how many bacteria are added to the water. The coolest part is after the bacteria are done "feasting" the are taken out of the water to start the process over again. The bubbles on top of the water is oxygen that is coming from the bottom of the water. Bacteria need oxygen to survive so in the water there is oxygen channels adding oxygen to the water. The bacteria also break down ammonia (NH3) and release nitrogen and hydrogen into the air. After the water is cleaned it is then put into the Hudson River. I was amazed that I was actually interested in what was going on throughout the plant. A tour that I was dreading ended up being one of our best trips yet. This just teaches me a lesson that has been told to me for many years now, don't judge a book by its cover. Even though the sewage plant sounds disgusting, there was a lot of great science and education to learn about with it. Even thought the smell was awful the tour was really great. While on the tour though I was so afraid to touch anything and just felt so dirty. I was afraid to touch anything even the railing. As soon as I could I took a shower and felt instantly better. I also could not get the odor of the sewage plant out of my nose. All day it seemed all I could smell was that dreadful odor but it definitely was worth the trip learning the educational background and what goes on with waste. Many people including myself take advantage of water. When flushing the toilet, I would just walk away, however, after seeing the sewage plant I will have that in my head while using the bathroom.

Precious and Toby standing near the generator

This generator is used to power the sewage plant. I found this very interesting because it came from Italy. The generator came over on a boat and traveled up the Hudson River which is what we are studying. This just shows that the Hudson River is still very important for transportation today.

Day 6- 5/27/14 Discovering Sir William Johnson/ Visiting Mabee Farm

Sir William Johnson's' home, Fort Johnson NY

Today we went to Fort Johnson and visited the house Sir William Johnson lived in when he came over to America. Johnson came to America when he was 23 years old. He then bought land near the Mohawk River near what is now a small village called Fort Johnson. He built his own house on this property and developed a fur trade to make money.  He was very successful in this industry. One unusual thing about Johnson is that he was very friendly with the Natives around him. In his house many people including the Natives would come and go as they please. The Native Americans needed Johnson just as much as Johnson needed them. So many people would show up to the house and just sleep on the floor. One morning Johnson even woke up to about 20 Natives sleeping on the floor in his room! If  I woke up and saw so many people in my room I personally would be freaked out! I also do not think I could stand living in this house during the winter. In the cold months the house was below freezing because it was very hard to heat the house. Personally I am cold when it is 50 degrees out I could not imaging being in a house that is below zero. The picture above shows Johnson's house and how beautiful it looks. I really like how the house is made up of stone. Although this was a beautiful home, Johnson became more wealthy with his fur trading business and soon moved to Johnstown and built a new house for his family which is now known as Johnson Hall. He left his old home to his son John Johnson. 

A house In Fort Johnson that used to belong to my Grandmother

As a child I practically grew up in Fort Johnson because this is where my grandmother lived and I was at her house everyday before and after school. It is really cool to finally learn the history of a place I practically grew up in. After passing Sir William Johnson's house for years I finally learned the building was more than a pretty building that I passed on my way home. Being in Fort Johnson made me thing of the times I would play in the river as a kid and on the small playground down the road from my grandmother's house. It also made me think of all the times I would chase the ice cream truck and all the times my grandmother's basement would flood during rain storms because of the poor drainage. I would hear my grandma complain about the side walks and how she claimed there was not any flooding issues until they put in the side walks. It was really nice to be in one of the many areas that I call home.

Johnson Hall 

After visiting Sir William Johnson's first house in present day Fort Johnson we traveled to Johnstown to see the second house that he built. While building the second house, Johnson was a lot more wealthier because he had a well established fur trading business. Before going into the house I noticed and really liked the stone pathway. This was really pretty and is something I would consider putting on the property I will own. This house was a little different from the house in Fort Johnson. One main difference is when you walk into the house there is a huge room that you walk into. In the house in Fort Johnson, when you first walk in you are in a very small room that was probably a library. This huge room was used to accommodate those that arrived and many would wait in that area to speak with Johnson. Another difference is that Johnson's bedroom was located on the first floor instead of the second floor. This was because he had so many health issues and by this point in his age it was easier to stay on the first level of the house. Another difference is the attic in this house was used as storage space only while in the house located in Fort Johnson, the attic was used as a room for visitors and servants to sleep. At the new house, no servant was allowed to sleep in the house except for the butler who would sleep in the basement. Although there were many differences between the houses there were also so similarities. In both houses the kitchen was located in the basement. This is something that was very common during this time period. To me this was unusual because in today's society, most houses have the kitchen on the ground floor. Also there were still many visitors that came and went as they pleased. The last similarity I noticed was that the frames between rooms seemed lower in those houses then in modern day homes today. I think this could be because back during this time period people were a lot shorter than people are today. 

A baby walker found in Johnson Hall

I saw this baby walker and thought it was very interesting to see that something that is still very common with babies today was used back during this time period. They put babies in walkers as soon as they knew how to crawl because people during this time period thought it was bad for babies to crawl. They did not realize crawling was a typical developmental period for infants. 

Mabee Farm House

The last place we went today was to the Mabee Farm house. This house was really interesting to see because while touring the many houses that we have, they were all of the wealthier people. This house shows what life was like for the typical middle class people during this time period. The house has remained in the family from the time it was built up until 1999 when it became a historical site. The original border of the house was really small but that was common for people during this time period. They also had a dutch style fire place that made it easy to keep the smoke out of the house and cook food under the fire. This house was really nice to see and it was amazing how it was the same floor boards that we stepped on that was first placed down when the house was built. This farm is located along the Mohawk River so many people traveling in boats would need a place to stay. The family soon built an inn that was right near the house to allow people to sleep and make money. Many people would come stay at the inn and you often had to sleep in the same room and same bed with people you did not know. After we explored the area more we then walked down to the river and were able to ride in an old wooden boat that would be used for transporting goods during this time period. In the boat we had to use wooden oars to navigate the boat. This was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be. The oar was so heavy and hard to hold. I also did not realize that you get most of your power from your back. This was definitely really cool to be in a boat just like people during this time period would be. Today was really interesting and fun! I learned so much that I did not know before and like usual after getting back from our daily trip I was exhausted!

Day 5- 5/26/14 Memorial Day Parade Lansingburgh NY

Memorial Day Parade 

Today as a group we went to watch the Lansingburgh Memorial Day Parade. We split up into groups of twos to watch the parade and talk to the people around us. I noticed this parade was very family oriented. Most people watching the parade had young children with them and their was many couples. One woman I spoke with grew up in Lansingburgh and looks forward to the parade every year. She now lives in down town Albany. She said "Summer does not officially start until my family and I see the parade." This just shows the importance of the parade to those in the community. This photo shows children walking with soldiers holding a sign. This shows that the parade is a kid oriented event and children are encouraged to participate.

Band in the Memorial Day Parade

Before going to the parade, we discussed in the classroom the history of memorial day parades and more specifically the Lansingburgh Memorial Day Parade. One interesting point was a lot of the participates were Irish. These picture displays students in a band that is an Irish style. 

"Freedom Express" Lansingburgh Memorial Day Parade

The picture above shows a tractor trailer that was honoring soldiers that have died in war. When this vehicle went by it was very emotional because it was playing an patriotic song. I know many people including myself were touched by what they saw and herd. This piece in the parade was great because it really hit home to people and really emphasized what the Memorial Day is about. The parade overall was really exciting to watch. The kids all around were excited too. Then after the parade we went to a small ice cream shop called snow man. They had excellent ice cream! Thank you again Sharon for buying! :D

Day 4 5/23/14- Andor Drives the Van!

Kaaterskill Falls

Today we traveled to Catskill and instead of Micheal driving the van Andor drove the van! First we went to see Thomas Coles' house. I was not able to take any nice photos there because this one old man that was on the tour with us kept getting in the way right as I was about to get in the picture so I just gave up. The tour was nice but it definitely was not the best part of the day. The picture above is a picture of Kaaterskill Falls. We hiked up to the waterfalls. This hike was so much better than the other day because it was mostly up hill and we climbed on rocks and used trees as handles to support us. When we first arrived I was freezing cold but as we started going up towards the falls I became very warm and soon took off my sweater. Getting to the end of the trail and seeing the falls was really amazing. As you can see in the picture the site was astonishing.   

On Top of Kaaterskill Falls Looking Down

Michelle, Kassiana and I on Top of Kaaterskill Falls

 At the end of the trail, Micheal allowed three people to go with him and climb on top of the waterfall. Once I herd this I was instantly in! Michelle, Micheal, Kassiana and I began the very step climb up to the waterfall. While climbing up it was all in the placement of your feet. It seemed like we climbed up so quick and easy. It was so cool being on the top right near the waterfall. While we were up there we could feel the mist coming off and hitting us. It was so refreshing after that tough climb. After we took pictures and admired the scenery I realized it was time to climb back down. Right then and there it hit me that I am afraid of heights. Climbing up was not that bad because you can not see how high you are going, everything is to your back. As we begin our journey back down I was so afraid that I would slip and fall. One portion of the pathway was mostly little pebbles and I was sliding. I was so scared. I may have been the last one to climb back down but at least I did it and faced my fear. Today is just one of the many examples of how doing the discovery degree program will help me get out of my comfort zone and grow as a person. This was truly a great adventure.

After lunch I was already in a great mood and refreshed because I finally got chocolate chip cookies in my packed lunch like I have wanted all week! This just instantly made things better. We then traveled to the Olana Historical Site to see the beautiful house and land that Fredric Church owned during his life. Seeing a house like this was absolutely amazing! I could not believe how big and beautiful the house was. Sadly we were only allowed to take pictures of the outside of the house and could not take pictures on the inside. Church got his inspiration for the house from other countries and would buy so many objects to decorate the house. Another interesting fact is most of the objects in the house were there when Church lived there. As you can see the house was huge! This seemed more like a mansion to me than a house. Church is a creative inspirational person. It is amazing that he planned the house, painting and set up. I was not expecting anything close to this when I first herd of the trip because I never herd of Olana before. Overall today was so much fun and we encountered so many great experiences as a group. I like that we are always with the same people each day. To me it seems like we are all getting closer together. I am really enjoying this program and would recommend it to anyone!

Day 3- 5/22/14 New York State Institute of History and Art

Pictures Found  in the Art Exhibit 

Cube Shaped Sculpture

 Today we went to an history and art museum above are three pictures created by the same artist that I found very interesting. The pictures almost look three dimensional. They just really stuck out to me. I wish I was talented and patient enough to paint. Also is a picture of a cube shaped sculpture I saw at the museum. This was really cool to see because looking at it from different angles made it change colors. It almost seemed like the cube was melting.

Playground at Prospect Park, Troy NY

After our trip to the museum we went to prospect part located in Troy to eat out lunch. It was a really nice park. It also had a very nice view of troy. It was absolutely amazing. Looking over the edge was like looking at a flawless town. Most of my friends and I ate our lunch on the merry go round. After our lunch we even had time to play on the playground. As a group we went on the slide, teeter totter and the jungle gym. It was a blast. Going to playgrounds makes me think of all the childhood memories I have. To me the playground symbolizes friendship. The best part of going to the park was meeting new people and playing new games. Even though we did not meet any new people today, being at the playground made me think of my childhood.

Day 2 5/21/14- A day at New York State Meuseum

Medical Bottles from Historical Archaeology

 Today we ventured of to the New York State Museum.  We were lucky enough to go behind the scenes and see different artifacts others who visit the museum exhibits do not get to see.  All the people were very friendly and shared great information with us about the Hudson River Valley. One particular presentation that stuck out to me was with Kristin O' Connell. I enjoyed listen to her talk and show us artifacts about medical equipment. Being a nursing major anything to do with the medical field always interests me. O' Connell said the bottles shown in the picture above were medicine bottles. She also spoke about people of different classes having different medical supplies available to them. This was another great way to distinguish the different social classes during this time period.
After we saw artifacts from "behind the scenes" we were split up into groups and assigned certain areas of the museum to look at. One exhibit that my group saw was the World Trade Center exhibit. This was very touching to me and something I am very interested in because it happened during my lifetime. Seeing these toys it was just very touching to me. So many innocent children and adults were killed that day. It makes me wonder how can someone just kill so many people. What could possibly be running through their head to make them even consider driving a plane into a building?

Remains of Toys Sold in the World Trade Center 

Picture of the Twin Towers 

Day 1 5/20/14- Discovering Troy and Peebles Island

Painting located near River Front Park

 

River Street, Troy NY 

At first when we were sent out to take pictures I was not sure where to even begin. I kept thinking to myself this is such a big town and what is the point of taking pictures of a town that I thought at the time had no beauty to it. My view point of Troy soon changed after looking at the different buildings, trees and many other things found in the surrounding I was able to see that Troy is more than a 'run down town.' The picture above shows River Street in troy. These buildings are very beautiful in their architecture and just shows there is more to Troy then meets the eye. Sometimes you need to look closer at objects to see the true beauty. Looking at the buildings you can see different characteristics such as the windows and iron into the frames of the buildings. 

River Front Park Troy

Turtle statue near Uncle Sam's bus stop                                            



During this picture spree I began to look at Troy as a town filled with beauty, something I have never done before. This allowed me to discover new things around Troy. At the bus stop known as Uncle Sam's bus stop, I discovered a cement turtle. Since turtles are my favorite animal I was instantly in shock and had to take a picture with the statue. Then down near the river I began to look at each plant and tree closely and I discovered a tree that really interested me. The tree just seemed flawless and beautiful. I realized from this adventure that beauty is more than what you see at first glance. Sometimes you need to really focus on what is around you or you might miss the true beauty of the town or simple things around you. My examples of not noticing a statue of my favorite animal near the bus stop I am always at or a tree that I pass very often when walking by the river just shows that I do not always open myself up to the world around me. This is something I hope to improve with this program.

 At Peebles' Island I was fortunate enough to see more beautiful scenery. After using what I learned during our picture spree in Troy, I began to look all around my surroundings to make sure I captured the full experiences. Looking up at the trees it was so pretty to see the branches of all different shapes and sizes come together. I was also lucky enough to see turtles. I never have seen a baby turtle like the one in the picture above.

Saving the fish from the puddle in Peebles Island

A snake found on our hike around the island

 At Peebles Island I was able to experience two events I never have done before. First as a group we saved fish that would have been eaten because they were stranded in a body of water not connected to the river. To put the fish back into the river we were fishing the fish out with out hands! This was so cool for me because growing up I always loved fishing but I would always use a net or a fishing pole not my own bare hand. The second event I experienced was touching a snake. Growing up I have always been so afraid of snakes and when I was forced to touch it today I nearly had a heart attack. It was a very scary moment for me. Then I realized people are often afraid of the unknown. In life people experience different things and growing up in the country rather than the city allowed me to be comfortable with catching fish with my hand while those who did not grow up around that setting may be more fearful of the situation just as I was afraid to touch the snake because I have never done that before.

After looking at everything we did today and learned, I realized this program is really going to help me grow as a person. It already has so much in just the one day of the program. I am starting to look at my surroundings in a different view and was able to experience things I never have done before and never would have done if it was not for this programs and the professors pushing me. I am really excited to see what else this program brings.