Hans Groot's Kill

Don't be alarmed at the name! 'kill' is a Dutch word meaning creek or stream. Schenectady was settled by the Dutch in the 1600s, so we have quite a few Dutch place names.

This stream flows through the grounds of Union College. I couldn't find an old enough map to see where it originally flowed. Today, its source and terminus are covered over by the city. All that's exposed is a small bit to the north and east of the college. The stream is part of Jackson's Garden, but I wasn't quite far enough west to be there. This was taken just off of Lenox Rd. There isn't any real access, no parking or anything, just an embankment next to the bridge that carries Lenox Rd over the Kill, worn by decades of people walking down to this vale.

James at Newtown Daily Photo runs a theme called Weekend Reflections. Around a hundred photo bloggers post a photo containing a reflection; beautiful work. Click the link and go see!




the Kill is. and below is a close-up:
I was going to embed a Google map, but Google have done something and I can't get an embed link. Computers are supposed to make our lives easier, right?

This is the Google map: http://goo.gl/maps/nJfV

I used Jing to capture the image of the Google map and add the arrows, so you can see where the stream hides among the trees. It reappears on the other (left) side of the parking lot, into Jackson's Garden.

Sweetgrass basket

Another example of traditional art by the Akwesasne people. This is a basket woven from sweetgrass. It's part of the exhibit at Union College called North By Northeast. The poster reads:

Sweetgrass is a marsh grass cherished by basketmakers for its pliability, colour and wonderful smell. Either woven a couple of strands at a time or braided, it is the signature element of many Haudenosaunee and Wabanaki fancy baskets. Picked in the summer, the grass is cleaned, tied into bundles and hung in the shade to dry.

'In Mohawk and Haudenosaunee culture, sweetgrass is referred to as the 'Hair of Mother Earth.' Its sweet fragrance is appealing and endears us to our Mother Earth. We know we are not disconnected from her when we can smell her sweet hair.' -- Salli Benedict (Mohawk)

Mohawk beaded collar

This is a beaded collar made by Niioieron Perkins of velvet, cotton, satin and glass beads. It's currently on display at Union College's North By Northeast exhibition, courtesy of the Akwesasne Museum. I can't imagine how long it took to make this. It's beautiful, and I'm glad I got to see it.

The Mohawks gave their name to the river that Schenectady is built on. Their culture predates the Europeans here by who knows how many hundreds or thousands of years. We don't get to see much of that culture any more.

Autumn is here

Went to Union College to see an exhibit called North By Northeast (more tomorrow) and it was such a typical autumn day that I took Autumn's photograph!

Union College rowing team

It's a cool day today, cloudy and more wintry than springlike. The Union College women are out on the river anyway, honing their racing skills.

This is obviously an 8 seat shell, but the 4 seat teams were out, too.

Go U!

Back to school

It's back to school for students in the public schools and also in college. This is the time of year when we see many students move in from out of town, out of state and out of the country to attend classes at Union College.

Welcome back!

I'm off for a bit and I didn't take enough photos to pre-post in my absence, so no new posts for a bit.

Jackson's Gardens

This is one of the formal plantings in Jackson's Gardens, on the grounds of Union College. Standing here, it's a bit of open space, bright and sunny amid the trees.

Stone walls separate the sections, and an immaculate, lush grass lawn carpets the path under your feet.

The little one has spotted the small pool and fountain and can't resist racing off to go see it close-up.

Chester A Arthur

Chester A Arthur, 21st President of the United States, Union College alumnus.

This statue of him stands just outside the entrance to Jackson's Gardens on the north side of the campus. I couldn't resist the juxtaposition of the stolid Presiden and the playful children - almost missed the shot, they were moving so fast!

Jackson's Garden

On the grounds of Union College, not far from the Nott Memorial, one can find Jackson's Garden. Jackson's Garden is 8 acres of paths, plantings and trees that roughly follows along Hans Groot's Kill.

The Kill (local lore is that kill is the Dutch word for creek.) is a slow moving, quiet piece of water. I hope this photo captures some of the peacefulness of the place.

If you visit the Garden in the summer, be prepared for the mosquitoes. With all the water and shade, it's a perfect place for them.

Inside the Nott memorial

The inside of the Nott Memorial is very much an open space. The main building is a cylinder, capped by a dome-shaped roof, supported by steel columns.

There are 3 'floors' - balconies is more accurate - that run round the outside perimeter of the building. There's an art gallery on the second and third levels, and seating for a quiet place to study as well.

Curved iron staircases carry you from level to level, although there is an elevator as well. The floor on the first level is exquisitely tiled.

I loved the light coming in through the stained glass windows and the gentle curves of the stairs and walls. Even my 6 year old loved this wonderful place!

Nott Memorial

This is one of those iconic images of Schenectady. Almost always presented in association with Union College, the Nott Memorial is a spectacular piece of architecture.

It's situated at the east side of an open field; almost everyone takes a photograph looking east. This makes an afternoon photo more interesting than a morning one. Well, more illuminated, anyway!

I like the juxtaposition of the grand old building, with the FW Olin building peering over its shoulder at the left. Olin is the building with the telescope dome and satellite dishes on the roof.

Surprise at the college

I thought I'd go over to Union College and get some photos of the Nott Memorial as the sun was going down. Took the whole family, including the dog. Imagine our surprise when we met a lovely young lady walking her dog... and her conures.

Yes, conures. Plural. This rascal was grooming her dog! He's a Green-cheeked Conure. We were enthralled. Our dog got along famously with hers, and the little one was thrilled to watch the birds walking about.

To be clear, this is all outdoors, on the walk next to the memorial. What a wonderful surprise!