Canterbury Sails by Chasseur: Little Falls, NY

August 24 - 25, 2012 Friday and Saturday

We arrived in Little Falls, NY Friday afternoon and took a walk to Moss Island. Here you can see and climb the oldest rock formations in North America. The cliffs are made of Precambian syenitic gneiss, the ancient root of the Adirondack Mountains, among the oldest rocks known in geological history. The layers of granite and syenitic gneisses were formed from the intense pressure of the continental plates of earth colliding and produced the Adirondack Mountains. There are enormous potholes 15 feet wide and 30 feet deep, we did not find them.
We could not sleep Saturday night after the phone call regarding our friends Hank and Carole. Saturday we felt numb and lost, still feeling the shock of losing them. We were befriended by sailors Keith and Brenda Houseknecht on S/V "Twocan". They had been stranded in the Erie Canal last year from hurricane Irene. Complete strangers they "scooped" us up and took care of us through the morning, offering a lending ear. We did not have the energy to move the boat , so we stayed in port, walked through town and visited the historic Herkimer house.
The Herkimer house is the 18th century Georgian home of Brigadier General Nicholas Herkimer, a Palantine German farmer, Indian trader and prominent Mohawk Valley businessman. He was a commander of the Tryon County Militia and hero during the Battle of Orishany in 1777. Despite being wounded and outnumbered, he and his command held the field. He died 10 days later from his wounds. We took a tour of his beautiful home. We spent the afternoon walking quietly on a path back to "Chasseur".
In the evening Keith and Brenda took us to an Italian restaurant and a trip to Walmart. We shared many sailing stories. They offered much advise for our miles ahead. They were heaven sent to us this day.

"Life and economics, as well as health, run in cycles, so we must be able to handle the bitter and the sweet." J. E. Adams