the farm

ok, so after a side trip to niagra falls (the gatlinburg of the east, by the way....) and a particularly unpleasant trek across the whole of new york state...the new york turnpike is a miserable place to drive, but the most direct route.............lots of construction...and delays.........we finally made it to ecw's sister's farm.......which is hard enough to locate in daylight hours.....let alone in pitch black conditions..............i was driving at the time....and basically had a chorus of backseat drivers giving directional tips as we counted side roads, and scanned mailboxes until we found the correct hidden drive............this morning has been glorious thus far.............our nephew, a landscape designer, installed an extensive water feature in their side yard....which takes up their entire side yard............it has 5 pools, in descending fashion, with several waterfalls....ending in a pond that is large enough for those huge koi...the kind that are almost 2 feet long.............there are bluestone and brick walkways.......incredible plantings....a bridge to the gazebo.......truckoads of granite boulders lining the pools/ponds..............it is something one would see in an arboritum............just the place to bring one's coffee....to just sit and take it all in.............it was both gift to his mother....and investment.....as his business is just down the road, and he sends potential clients by to witness it's grandeur.................and sign up to have one just like it installed..................omg.......over the top.......................we are trying to organize our time here.............middlebury and dartmouth are out, but we have added amherst to the williams visit.......which will probably happen with just scw and myself.................as the rest of my family has no interest in driving much more..............we will also have a day at the races in saratoga........and a day at blue mountain in the adirondacs........and maybe an evening at the outdoor theatre in albany...............i could just sit out by the ponds................