A Glimpse into a Summer Day in Glens Falls, NY
Rising in the morning after a long workweek, my husband and I began to stir awake, ready for a Saturday of relaxation and fun. While Michael’s brain slowly awakened and began a morning attuned to the virtual worlds of online gaming with friends, I ventured out to downtown to explore. I grabbed a cold brew coffee from the lovely baristas from Kru Coffee; the quaint coffee shop located at Centennial Circle.
My own brain buzzing with caffeinated stimulation, I mindfully walked down Glen Street, past the lovely small businesses full of patrons, like Rude Betty, Gourmet Cafe, and Finders Keepers. Each one is unique, creating a diverse downtown. Rude Betty has a selection of risqué merchandise, from snarky cards, amusing gag gifts, and assorted chocolate. Gourmet Cafe, started by Francis Willis and his wife, Tracy, has delectable sandwiches for lunch and pasta entrees for dinner. Finders Keepers is a consignment shop, filled with thousands of gently used clothes and shoes to peruse.
Turning the corner onto South Street, I gazed at a new sign up ahead for Popirondack, a new gourmet popcorn store. The owner’s father was dressed in a retro red-and-white vertical stripped shirt and brimmed hat, delightfully playing a flute to passersby. Exiting patrons were enjoying candy apples as the smell of fresh popcorn filled the air as I walked inside. I tried some of their samples, as they were in the midst of a soft opening of their store. My tastebuds were delighted and confused with all the different flavors, from chocolate, candy, and caramel. I snagged a bag of kettle corn, wishing them well as they embark on their new venture along South Street. I chatted with Jeff Flagg on the sidewalk, who enthusiastically promoted his new peanut product, Managawan, that he was promoting and potentially might be selling at Popirondack.
After procuring some kettle corn, I turned around to walk toward the Crandall Library where I stopped at its front garden. There were a dozen chairs, with the librarian Emily instructing the group of women on the art of nature journaling. I inquired if I could join, pulling out my notebook and sitting close to a coneflower, trying my best to draw. After about thirty minutes, all of us sat in a close-knit circle to discuss what we created on paper. Emily promoted the next nature journaling group on Saturday, August 16th at Hovey Pond, where it will be a color scavenger hunt. If you would like to join, be sure to sign up on the Crandall Library calendar event page. I learned that Emily had used her art expertise to help develop education games for a University of Wisconsin-based game developer, Field Day. One of the games the piqued my interest was Headlines and High Water, a text-based game that teaches school-aged kids media literacy and journalistic insights.
As I helped put away the chairs from the nature journaling group, another group of people holding protest signs started to gather by the Civil War Monument. They were a part of the Indivisible, a grassroots organization that has chapters across the country to bring awareness to the destructive acts in the current Federal administration. Lots of solidary car honks were heard as the traffic moved on by, with lots of shouts of positive words and a few detractors. After observing the scene and reading protest signs, I headed into the library to read more of Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn series, appreciating the cool air-conditioning on a warm, summer day. I am on the third book in the series, Hero of Ages, much to the delight of my husband who adores the prolific fantasy author.
I noticed a sign as I headed back toward my car for a local garage sale down the road. I headed up to a small house in Queensbury, New York to browse around. One of the homeowners, Molly, is a massive Harry Potter fan and collector. Their family was on the precipice of their first child, so they needed to reduce clutter to make room in the house. I snagged a medium-sized Buckbeak stuffed animal, but there were lots of other collectibles, like a sealed Marauder’s Map, a half dozen replica wands, and original, early 2000’s Harry Potter trading cards. It is always fascinating to see the original artwork of the characters prior to the Warner-Bros films.
Heading south back home, I stopped at the romance bookstore, Just One More Chapter. I had just recently spent enough money to get a $10 discount; I procured a lovely, scented candle that is supposed to smell like the beach. Back in May, I wrote an article about the bookshop for a local publication. I continued on my way home, where Michael and I grabbed our baseball gloves to head to Haviland’s Cove Park to play catch. Michael has always been interested in baseball, from playing in little leagues, enthusiastically watching Yankees games, or collecting a trove of baseball cards. It was quite the dichotomy on the park field, with a group of people playing recreational football on one side and Michael and I playing catch on the other.
Later that evening, Michael and I headed to East Field to watch a local, professional baseball team, Glens Falls Dragons. While the Dragons have been a part of the Glens Falls since 2015, the city has had a professional baseball team organization since 1980. After purchasing tickets from the box office, I was told to remain with the corral of contest contenders. I had, crazily, signed up for the hotdog eating contest that was happening before the game a couple weeks ago.
The excitement was building, as nearly twenty kids and adults gathered onto the field. A long table was setup over home plate, extending far to hold almost two dozen plates of hotdogs, each plate containing five or ten. Billy Floyd, the field host, spurred more excitement as the countdown begin. All of us had ten minutes to eat as many hotdogs as possible. While I didn’t win (the winner consumed eleven!), it was a gloriously fun time, though some of the kids didn’t seem to have as big of an appetite as they thought.
After the winners were given a trophy by Ms. Glens Falls, we all walked back to our seats in the audience, albeit with our stomachs fuller than before. And the game commenced! It was surreal to watch a professional baseball team in our little city, especially as the sun set and the lights kicked on.
The atmosphere in the stands was pleasant; the local kids playing behind the stands, the concessions doling out soda and ice cream. We even got to talk with a local restauranteur of Morgan and Company, Steve Butters. He is a part of a local little league team, sitting next to his son who was still dressed up his baseball uniform. We told him that we loved his food, and we mentioned that we ate there after our wedding. Living in a small town certainly does lead to surprising moments of connection.
Though the end result was heavily one-sided, as the Amsterdam Mohawks crushed the Glens Falls Dragons, it was a lovely day and evening in Glens Falls, New York. Our town is special but not unique; there are places throughout the country that have cultivated a sense of community. We can come together and build a bright future that uplifts everyone, no matter our differences.
The dark clouds of judgement and despair will not obscure the bright, clear sky of our future. Be a part of positive change, learn from others’ experiences, and mold a society that treats everyone with dignity and respect.
