On The Sly

Absarka and don't fall in.

(Foxy's note: Good one, John ... it will take a real insider to get your reference!)

Foxy Gagnon,

Your comment "the Kevin Adler Memorial Ski Races at Beartown, one of my few favorite winter events" brought tears to my eyes. I participated in Kevin's burial and at 36 years old I can say he was my dearest friend. I want to create an event in his honor here in Colorado. I would appreciate a chance to discuss this with you. My sole source of information about you resulted in my "googling" Kevin Adler Plattsburg. After seeing this blog I read several of your postings on this blog and identified with your discourse.

Sincerely,

Sam Francis

I have a different perspective on the warm weather now: It saves the city money on reduced snow plowing costs!

This warm weather is very disheartening. It has seriously hurt some of the most recognizable events, past times, and businesses that actually define the North County. Cross-country and downhill skiing, , snowmobiling, ice-fishing, sledding, skating, and ice hockey, to name a few, are all non-existent because of this warm weather. If we look back on the very experiences we have shared through this blog in the past year, many of the stories reflect on the very activities I mentioned. I don’t know about global warming, or El Nino, but I do know it’s just not the same ole North Country without a little cold weather and some snow!

Fred Forkey, Popcorn Smallcome and Wick Cadieux, all three legends of the "French Quarter." Wick stories are lengendary even the one where Dutch Craumer sent him into a football game for a goal line stand and Wick went running onto the field and lined up at middle linebacker, "with no helmet on." The Wicker was always ready to perform on the football field. Popcorn was probably "the best" local boxer "pound for pound" in our area. He, along with Paul Savage, Bobby Smart and Buddy DeCarlo were all highly successful in the Vermont Golden Gloves. Fred Forkey was a walking "memory book for local addresses." A talent he gained while working for the local post office. He also was an excellent driver, leading many trips to the Skyliner in Malone for sessions with many of the Lyon Mountian gang like, Rusty Wilson, Donny Pageau, Carlie and Timmy Rounds and many others. I know I was a passenger on many of these trips. AH, life in the North Country, cold or hot, we have had many memorable times. Thanks for letting us share them on the blog.

Foxy, leaving today for a 10 day cruise! I had a crazy idea! Get Foxy's readers on a cruise! Party, Party and Party some more! My wife gets a kick out of me reading the Blog more than sports! Looking forward to coming home and reading the Foxy Blog! Lenny

(Foxy's note: We will miss you, Lenny! Don't forget to get caught up when you return. Have a great cruise!)

I REMEMBER ONE TIME BACK AROUND 1965-66. FRED FORKEY AND I WANTED TO BRING A CANOE DOWN TO THE LAKE FROM OAK STREET. WE HAD A HONDA SO FRED WAS DRIVING AND I SAT BACKWARD TO HOLD ONE END OR THE CANOE IN MY LAP. THE OTHER END OF THE CANOE WAS TIED INTO A SHOPPING CART. WE WENT DOWN 87 AND BY THE TIME WE MADE IT TO THE LAKE. THE PRESS WAS TAKING PICTURES. AND BY THE NEXT DAY THAT PICTURE WAS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY AND OVERSEAS. IT WAS BIG NEWS AT THAT TIME. I HOPE THAT SOME PEOPLE REMEMBER THAT.I SURE DO AND I KNOW FRED WILL.

Reading about the possibility of Myrtle Beach North reminds me of the good old days at Plattsburgh Beach. If there is anything that can bring our beach back to the wonderfully fun place it was once was - I'm all for it. I remember as a kid, my parents toting coolers (no wheels back then) to wherever the best picnic table was at Mountain View or Lake Meacham and having fabulous times (at least for those few hours!). Want to hear something funny, as a teenager at Plattsburgh beach I remember there always being a police car there, and at the time I thought they were looking for bad guys - no wonder my girls were voted most gullible - they take right after their mother. Oh well, Happy New Year to y'all.

Foxy: Here's one I remember from my younger days in the Montcalm ave area. Four of the guys went rabbit hunting in Ellenburg one day when the actual temp. was around 40below in Pburg. We rode to Ellenburg in a small Plymouth station wagon with the two black and tan hounds in the back of the wagon. We parked on a back road, bundling up to prepare ourselves for the cold. The car was running, the heater was on and a small crack in the window, on my side, was allowing blowing snow, from outside the car, to build up on my shoulder. Inside the car with the heater on, four guys and two dogs. We looked at each other and said, "Lets go". As soon as I started to open my door, the wind yanked it from my hands and when I stepped out and faced the wind, it took my breath away. We hurried around and opened the back of the station wagon to let the dogs out and they wouldn't budge. They wanted no part of this day. We finally hauled them out of the car and trudged into the woods to get out of the wind. The dogs couldn't pick up a scent because of the cold and wind I believe. So back in the car, to find a more suitable place to hunt. And that place probably would be mohagany ridge. What a day. Never again would be venture out in those conditions.

yes it's hard to believe the weather...probably should have figured ..bought my 1st snow blower last year... have only used it twice! Feel bad for the skiers and ice fishermen.. but nice for us winter wimps like fox and me...

miney, sounds like a heck of a party ya had in '75...
bet ya a few of the local bloggers were in attendance
"zonebreaker","Bullet" Carr??? and probably the blog new comer "Smell" was there I'll bet!

And yes that Boise St game was quite possibly the most entertaining game I have ever seen... there were 5 or 6 plays in the last minutes that you'll see in highlights for years to come... GO BOISE ST!!
"old timer" probably played in a few games like that in his day.... but ya gotta remember, that was before facemasks and the forward pass!

Yeah, I remember shoveling that snow ... hey, remember the winter of '67 (I think) when it got to -35F and they closed school for 3 days straight? We sure did have some great ice fishing on the Lake. I worked @ Dominos in '75 for Roy Tedford from Redford and when I went off to the Marine Corps he threw me a going away party out @ his farm Christmas Eve 1975 - the likes of which may not have been seen up in the North Country since. I mean he had homemade white lightening, beer, booze & all the rest. Best of all, we had a Gigantic bonfire. They threw so much gas on it that when Buggsie threw a match there was an explosion that shook the house to its rafters. All 5 guys out there @ the time got blown off their feet and Buggsie couldn’t hear for a few hours. What a send off … I was in New England last week for New Year's and couldn't believe there was no snow. Stan & I drove around Connecticut looking at the sights and couldn't believe it - we sure had a good time though. Nate & I went from Concord NH down to Boston and it was cold as all get out, but no snow - unbelievable. We had some great food @ the Union Oyster House - in its 180th year of operation. I don't miss the cold but I do miss the snow. I guess there's no driving on the Lake this year, huh?

Foxy, I have been living here in the midwest (mn/wi border) for the last few years, and just like the good old North Country, we are having the nearly snowless winter, and temps in the 40's. Lots of people think it's global warming, some say its part of a cycle, and in fact it was a record, in the 40's here in 1889 today. What do you think?? At any rate, we are losing winter, but don't forget those winter sports, that rely on the cold and the snow, and all the hotels, watering holes, and places to eat, that may not survive, due to the nice weather! I'd hate to be a snowblower, or snowmobile salesman right now!!

Foxy, am I the only one who thought Monday night's Fiesta Bowl was one of the most exciting college football games ever played? Boise State played gutsy football , after coming back from an 18 point deficit in the second half. A tip of the hat to them and their coaching staff.

(Foxy's note: I agree! One of the greatest football games I have ever seen. The final winning play was unbelievable!)

Foxy,
I bet the snowshoe rabbits are complaining about the warm weather especially if their fur has changed to white! I remember one year we had weather like this up there and my dad and I were hunting snowshoe...poor bunnies didn't have a chance! You could see them "huddled-up" under a brush pile like big tame rabbits in a pen.

I'm sure you are not complaining about your heating bill either. Even in Ohio, we have seen quite a difference in our monthly heating bill due to this mild winter SO FAR!.

This also puts a hurt on the skiing and folks whose livelihood depends on skiing. Winter is coming, so don't get caught with your shorts on!

Paul

Foxy; I remember living in Plattsburgh and having several days in a row with -10 or better! The Ferry couldn't run because of the lake freezing. Snow in October! Short high school baseball seasons. March snow storms. The local Y, The center of sports during the long cold, snowy north country winters. Larios, the social hang out. Love the hamburghs, Arnie's, Pizza's and Nitzi's, Michigans! Wow I am hungry!! Its 86! Here in Fl!!!! Thanks for the memories, Foxy and don't ever stop writing about yesterday! It's great to remember our past and share the memories of friends and people who grew up in the small city of Plattsbugh! Thanks again Foxy!!!!!! Lenny

I can't believe anyone up here in the North Country REALLY misses the cold! I say, blame WalMart for always put the bathing suits right out after Christmas. As for global warming...Bring it on! Maybe I'll get to go swimming this summer for a change. If those environmentalists were really sincere about it, they wouldn't have been driving those SUV's around. Nobody wanted to give up their gas guzzlers, so now instead of heating bills, we'll be cranking up the old a/c. Bloggers will be glad to hear that it costs less to cool a house down ten degrees than to warm it up ten degrees. The only thing we have to do is worry about flooding and reverse continental shift. We may be having polar bears in the landfill soon. By the way, the worst thing about this warm weather is that the skunks keep waking up in town and spreading the joy!