Sat Sept 4: Utica Wall to Rome Wall

In which we go to Rome …

Well, this morning I put my shirt on inside out AND backwards…so I guess I am really living retirement life to its fullest.

First thing in the am we managed to hoist ourselves out of the pit and go grocery shopping. 

There is our sweet boat-alone on the wall.  With the spiders.

Please enjoy this picture of Rick trying to get the groceries down to my waiting arms . It’s a good thing we are still spry. 

There is now a lot of traffic headed east-snow birds headed to FL.  The lock operators say it is usually a flood of people, but this year the Canadians have had a harder time getting in. At any rate, several people heading east pasted by and waked us so hard that we got off that Utica wall in a hurry-rather than get spiders embedded in our skin, or the boat. 

 

Here we are waiting for 4 of those east-bound vessels to clear the lock so we can go into it behind the boat on the right.  That boat turned off its motor once settled in the lock, so we did the same.  It was so peaceful!  I don't know why that isn't a thing.  We are going to do that from here on out.

 

It was a quick hop, skip and lock to Rome.  Which we really only stopped at so that I could say ‘when in Rome’.  I do love to amuse myself… 

The Rome wall consisted of a truly terrible beat-up bit, and a nicer floating dock which we had all to ourselves. 

Rome, very optimistically, had a sign telling us about each exciting section of town (arts, historic, restaurant row, Italian sections, etc). We decided to check it all out via bike. Challenge accepted!

The recreated Fort Stanwick was great - Rick got to geek out and discuss something battle blah blah with a poor volunteer melting in period dress. I wondered around nodding knowledgeably and hoping I would get ice cream later (I did!).

It’s like Last of the Mohicans where they think the fort will save them, but really it’s just more of the same murder, mayhem and nary a brush to be seen for all those hair extensions shit…

And  I’m pretty sure these churches weren’t there originally:

We enjoyed our bike ride-even tho there really was no ‘there’ there.  If you know what I mean. 

This seemed to be the ‘arts district’.

We had a peaceful night on the quiet dock. (After the fisherman guy stopped playing Whip It, Whip It Good, at top volume). I must say, the sheer number of different bug species we encounter each night is impressive.  If my goal were to be bitten by a mosquito in every state, I am TOTALLY WINNING.