When the leaves turn red and gold, when the geese migrate south, setting down briefly on Owasco Lake to feed and gaggle all night long outside our bedroom window, and when the boat is snuggled under its shrink-wrapped winter blanket, that’s when Janet and I abandon our deck chairs at lake’s edge and drive our automobile—laden to the roof with suitcases and junk—to paradise in Juno Beach, Fla.

Thousands upon thousands of us snowbirds commute from our homes in the Northeast to our homes or condos in the Southeast every autumn, only to return the next spring. It is a uniquely American ritual that may die off with the 55-plus generation because of the rising cost of owning and operating property in Florida and other southern vacation states.

We enjoy the drive but other snowbirds prefer to ship their cars and fly back and forth. When you see the humongous car carriers unloading in front of the condos, then you know the “season” has begun. Likewise when you see the car carriers picking up their loads in the spring, you know that the “season” is over.

Instinctual need—The human animal has not evolved much beyond the geese, whales, sharks, or other mammals that are driven by unknown instincts to seek shelter from the snow and cold of winter.

Our routes of travel include Route 81 through Pennsylvania and Virginia to Route 77 in North Carolina, Route 26 in South Carolina, and finally hooking up with 95 that travels through Georgia and Florida. The most beautiful segment of our journey is Virginia, in my humble opinion the most beautiful of all the 48.

The rolling hills and lush landscape of this Colonial state highlight the vibrant colors of autumn as well as the verdant greens of spring upon our return. Our route hugs the mighty Appalachian Mountain chain. Starting in Front Royal Virginia—opposite Washington D.C.—Skyline Drive melds into The Blue Ridge Mountain Parkway and then The Smokey Mountain Parkway and finally ends in The Great Smokey Mountain National Park in Tennessee.

The parkways generally follow Route 81 and ride high over the mountain ridges. Occasionally, when weather permits and the mood is right, we will drive the Blue Ridge Parkway from Roanoke to Fancy Gap, Va., which intersects with Route 77 just south of the intersection with Route 81. This beautiful byway takes only a few minutes more and rewards with spectacular views of the Virginia landscape.

Breath-taking view—Some of the scenic overviews overlook 100 miles to the horizon. The driver must be continuously vigilant for the occasional deer or bear that sometimes meander onto the highway from the nearby woods. Oh, and if a passenger is prone to motion sickness, forget the whole idea.

Charlotte, N.C. is the halfway point of our journey and our stop-over point. It is a beautiful, modern, cosmopolitan city totally unlike typical laid-back southern cities like Savannah, Ga. This year, we discovered a new upscale Holiday Inn that, likewise, is totally unlike the typical mom and pop motel. This attractive high-rise hotel features plush rooms with every modern ammenities including a large flat-screen TV, an inside pool, and a steakhouse restaurant off the lobby. We would have expected to pay over $200 a night for such accommodations in a major metropolitan area, but instead, thanks to off-season rates and deep discounts as a result of the recession—our rate was $89.

In spite of the enjoyable trip, we were happy to arrive at our southern home. Florida is worlds apart from Upstate New York but we welcome the change of venue. Several of our friends and neighbors in Auburn join us, some introduced to the area by us. Additionally, we have acquired many new friends from other places in the Northeast. Janet is even able to continue her weekly bridge games with the same Auburn group, unabated.

Florida has undergone a sea of change since the crash of 2008. The explosive growth that produced condominiums on every square foot of beachfront and practically every street corner—or so it seems—has come to a complete halt. Many housing projects as well as commercial building projects were halted in mid construction. Many retirees on a fixed income have seen their investment income greatly reduced, while their mortgage is upside down.

The resultant chaos has reduced property values by up to 50 percent in some cases. This situation is likely to continue for the foreseeable future and while it produces opportunities for some, it has created hardship for others.

Meanwhile, Florida remains a haven for those of us who love to be outdoors practically every day of the winter, to swim, and play, and exercise. In my estimation, it can add 10 years to your life and make the golden years shine.

Tony Funicello is an amazing guy. At age 67, this trim, muscular athletic man is an accomplished race car driver and one of the leading racing instructors in the country. During the summer season he commutes to Upstate New York from his Florida residence to conduct race training at Watkins Glen International Raceway.

His training sessions are animated with illustrations, demonstrations and war stories from his racing experiences.

One of his favorite demonstrations is to call a student to the front of the class and ask him to raise both arms above his head and clench his hands together into a fist.

Then Tony instructs the student to “Try and resist my pushing your arms down.” He is always able to push the student’s arms down. Then he has the student raise his arms again and says: “Do your best to keep me from pushing your arms down again.”

This time the student stiffens his resistance and is able to keep his arms upright.

Tony explains, “The first time I asked him to try and resist; the second time I told him to do your best. The first time his brain was wired only to try; the second time his brain was wired to release adrenalin to his muscles – and do it!”

According to Tony, this demonstration never fails. I have witnessed it and can attest to its effectiveness, thus acknowledging the human mind’s incredible control over the body.

Racing cars is a young man’s game. Perhaps no other sport calls for faster reflexes and greater concentration. However, age does not take much of a toll on reflexes — it does take a toll on concentration.

In the major leagues of racing, a race car driver is old at 50. One notable exception was Paul Newman, who happens to be my role model for more than just being a major league race car driver. Newman was never caught up in his fame and fortune and dedicated much of his life to helping others. His creation of the “Hole-in-the-Wall Gang,” a camp for youths with terminal cancer, is but one example of his inspirational life. His last race was the grueling 24 Hours of Daytona when he was 79. Incidentally, Paul’s race car proudly displayed the number 79.

I started racing at age 69 and proudly display that number on my race car.

Racing is one of the greatest challenges of my life and after almost a decade of racing it is still a challenge — more so than being an airplane pilot.

The most difficult aspect is the tremendous concentration that is required. While racing, at up to 150 miles an hour (not to mention the 200-plus MPH speeds that an Indy car driver achieves), you must be aware of what is going on all around you, while at the same time concentrating on the road ahead, and being prepared for a possible emergency around the next corner.

Tony says that if you divert your eyes into the cockpit (to check instruments for example) it takes two fifths of a second to refocus on the road ahead. At 150 MPH that is half the length of a football field.

After a few hours of racing it is not hard to understand why your concentration wanes. Racing is 90 percent mental and 10 percent physical. More than any other sport, it illustrates the tremendous capacity of the human brain for mind over matter.

The point of all this is that aging is as much a mental condition as it is a physical condition.

I have written many times in this column about people who retire to their easy chair, let the world go by and prepare to die.

Usually, their mind precedes their body to the grave.

There is ample evidence to suggest that aging can be controlled and extended by exercising the brain and the body. The brain is much like a muscle: if you do not exercise it regularly, it will atrophy.

Studies have shown that those who regularly do mental exercise, such as cross word puzzles, word games, and even watching Jeopardy, are much less likely to suffer dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

To this we add racing as an exciting, rewarding and challenging mind exercise. Not for everyone but for the few of us old frogs who get a kick out hearing from our fellow racers — “you’re how old?”

You are what you eat. You end up becoming the sum of things you’ve ingested for the past few decades — that’s how life works. You also live with what your neighbors do in their yard. Sometimes that is not pretty, and you think about calling a certified landscape contractor to come and screen out that negative view.

I know — I have been on the other end of that call. Most of the time, only a portion of the yard looks lousy and the further you get away from the piles of junk or ever-brown plants they have near the house, the more the yard improves. If you simply run a hedge down the property line, then you screen out the bad, the ugly, and also, the good.

I like to use a technique called creating a view space. That would involve planting shrubbery that would grow large enough to block the negatives, and then transitioning to lower material so the desirable view into your neighborhood might be enjoyed. The Japanese refer to this as “ Borrowed Space”.

If you look at the photo, you’ll see that this client has used the very reliable Limelight Hydrangea and Lucy Rose of Sharon to frame a view of the best part of the adjacent back yard, while screening out two neighbors and their many windows that affect the privacy of their deck space. Since most of us live in our back yards, creating an environment where you might dine without having someone next door asking you to pass the beans is probably a good thing for most of us with limited space.

Since fall is for planting — with the warm ground and ample rainfall while the shorter days mean less stress on transplants — isn’t it time for you to consider improving your own perspective outdoors?

Working with plants has always been a journey, not a destination, and this is another step in that journey.

Keep planting until you are planted!

Jim Sollecito is the first lifetime senior certified landscape professional in NYS. He operates Sollecito Landscaping Nursery in Syracuse. Contact him at 468-1142 or by e-mail at jim@sollecito.com.

By Lauren Feiglin

September is the time when people think of school bells, school busses and learning. For us, September brings anticipation and eagerness to register for fall classes at OASIS, the local chapter of The OASIS Institute, the national, not-for-profit education organization with headquarters in St. Louis.

A successful model for productive aging, OASIS’ mission is to enrich the lives of mature adults by engaging them in lifelong learning and service programs so they can learn, lead and contribute in their communities. Since June 2001, the Syracuse chapter has done just that. Experiencing rapid growth from the day it opened, its membership has grown to nearly 8,500. The organization relies heavily on its volunteer corps of more than 125 to operate the center and run programs, and has partnered with several local organizations and institutions, including the Syracuse City School District.

With generous support from Upstate Medical University, OASIS’ local sponsor, the Syracuse OASIS Center relocated in July to a newly constructed 11,000-sq-ft. facility that is twice the size of its original space formerly situated in ShoppingTown Mall.

The new center is built in the former Telergy Building, next to the DoubleTree Hotel, near Carrier Circle in East Syracuse.

The new building is a lovely, state-of-the-art facility, with loads of sunlight, more than sufficient parking and amenities. Members will be delighted to find larger classrooms, an additional fitness classroom, separate enclosed coatroom, increased storage space, increased volunteer work space, new staff offices, a break room and wider hallways.

The staff and volunteers are overwhelmed at the wonderful opportunity the new facility will provide because OASIS will be able to serve more members, offer more classes, reduce long wait lists and provide smoother transitions between classes. Gone will be the days of rushing around to move chairs, tables and AV equipment in between programs.

Only four and half miles away from its former location, the new OASIS Center is still located in DeWitt, is accessible from multiple driving routes, is on Centro bus routes and is close to many wonderful, accommodating restaurants. Members will appreciate the easy access, expanded parking and a safer walk to their cars. In fact, everything about this move for OASIS is a winner.

The grand opening planning committee has worked hard during the summer to create a special day of events to launch OASIS’ new home, and invites the community to attend the OASIS open house Aug. 18, beginning at 9:30, when SUNY President, David Smith, MD, and a representative from The OASIS Institute, officially “cut the ribbon” and open the doors for a day of tours and special events.

We know how eager members are for OASIS to open its doors this fall. Planning for the new facility coupled with time for the construction, resulted in shorter 2010 OASIS trimesters and less classes. These “lighter” trimesters were difficult for members, as staff and volunteers reassured them they’ll be pleased with the outcomes and requested their patience. One OASIS member said she felt as if she was going through “withdrawal” while waiting for the new Center to open and for fall classes to begin.

Good news! Classes begin Sept. 13, with a variety of fresh, stimulating and exciting fall programs in which they can enroll.

Lauren Feiglin is Syracuse’s OASIS executive director.

By Jim Sollecito

When I was a boy, I could have any flavor ice cream I wanted as long as it had the words chocolate, vanilla or strawberry in the title.

Since we had five kids in our family, all of us with different tastes, my parents bought Neapolitan, and everyone was somewhat satisfied.

To this day, I refuse to buy that mix. I know there are better flavors out there, and since life is made up of variety, I want to taste them all, or die trying.

The same thing is true of plants. When a customer comes into my garden center and asks for a Compact Burning Bush, Lynwood Gold Forsythia or Common Purple Lilac, my job is to first ask if they are requesting those plants because they have significance, or because they used to have them and are familiar with what the limited features are.

Usually it is because of a lack of understanding of how much horticulture has advanced with better cultivars (cultivated varieties) of flowering plants that have a better form, a nicer flower, or stronger fall and winter interest.

The last item is a biggie for CNY landscapes.

I took a brief look at our inventory for this spring, and these are only some of the new varieties we are carrying: Dream Catcher Beauty Bush, Invincibelle Spirit Hydrangea, Lollipop Crabapple, Red Emperor Japanese Red Maple, Welcome Home Siberian Iris, Candy Store Phlox, and Fireball Monarda. This is about 20 percent of the list, and each is a better landscape value than its parent offered us.

Everything has a life, and for landscape plants, if you have 15–18 years out of them, you did well. Things take a toll on shrubbery, and if yours are looking a bit long in the tooth, then it might be time to get some exercise and dig a few holes while filling them with something that will give pleasure to all who look at them. Life is too short to drink cheap wine or have ugly landscape plants around your home.

This is planting season in CNY, and if you are even thinking about something new, why not get something better? It is a fun experience to see, smell, and in some instances taste the varieties that 2010 landscape plants should offer.

And, yes, lest I forget, I am planting a Vanilla Spice Clethra in my own home this year. I just couldn’t resist getting back to my roots.

Until next time, keep planting until you are planted. Why settle for ordinary?

Jim Sollecito is the first lifetime senior certified landscape professional in NYS. He operates Sollecito Landscaping Nursery in Syracuse. Contact him at 468-1142 or by e-mail at jim@sollecito.com.

By Sandra Scott

Today picturesque Sackets Harbor is a serene town that hugs the shore of Lake Ontario, which belies its tumultuous past. Following the outbreak of the War of 1812 between the United States and Great Britain, Sackets Harbor became the center of American naval and military activity in the upper St. Lawrence Valley and Lake Ontario.

Standing on the porch of the Commandant’s House looking out over what was once the battlefield it was hard to envision what the peaceful, green expanse looked like during the summer of 1813.

There were two long log barracks that housed 1,000 soldiers each and all the equipment needed to supply 2,000 soldiers. During the War of 1812, Sackets Harbor was an active station where naval ships were constructed and supplied. With easy access to timber, the area developed into an extensive shipyard.

A major battle occurred on May 29, 1813, when the British attempted to destroy the American shipyard. At that time the majority of the American forces was across Lake Ontario attacking Fort George. The remaining Americans drove off the enemy, but a fire that destroyed their military stores marred their narrow victory. In 1814, the 9,600-pound great rope, made famous in the book of the same name by the late historian Rosemary Nesbitt, was transported by lake and then overland on the shoulders of local volunteers from Oswego to Sackets Harbor. It was needed as an anchor rope for the newly launched frigate, The Superior. In the Ice House a video, “The Lion and Eagle,” depicts the conflict.

The Commandant’s House shows the lifestyle of the 1860s. Interestingly, few of the artifacts actually belonged to the occupants, Josiah Tattnall and his family. Tattnall sided with the Confederacy during the Civil War. Considered a traitor, his possessions were auctioned off to buy uniforms for local soldiers.
Regardless, there are many period things to see from the horsehair chairs to the tin-lined pantry. Living history programs, costumed interpreters, and the colonial garden help add to the understanding of the 1800s.

Sackets Harbor Battlefield is designated as one the top 10 War of 1812 historic sites where history comes alive at the annual reenactments.

Next to the battle site is the Pickering-Beach Museum. The long rambling 1817 house was home to families that were important in the development of the area. It offers more insight to the era.

Sackets Harbor played a part in every war up to and including World War II.

Madison Barracks is today a historic residential community on the site of Fort Volunteer, which was later named Fort Pike in honor of General Zebulon Pike, of Pike’s Peak fame.

Pike was killed during an attack on York, today known as Toronto; his body was brought back to Sackets Harbor for burial. Through the years the barracks served as a frontier post, military depot, hospital and training center for both civilians and the military.

The first stop in Sackets Harbor should be the Seaway Trail Discovery Center with detailed information on Sackets Harbor along with all the other sites along the 504 miles of the Seaway Trail. Housed in what was once a hotel, visitors learn about history, the area’s economic development, and coastal recreation along with local wildlife. The hotel was a gathering place during its heyday. Chat with the animatronic Ulysses S. Grant who was stationed in Sackets Harbor at Madison Barracks before his Presidency.

Another animatronic display is the ladylike cow comfy in her alcove stall adjoining the kitchen room. She explains life on a dairy farm and how important she is to the local economy.

Just minutes from the village visit Old McDonald’s Farm where during the tour of the cow barn LaWanda, the guide, explains, “Here girls rule and boys drool.”

The working farm has 700 cows. They are milked three times a day making it a 24-hour process. The farm provides fun and learning for the whole family. Did you know that rabbits can come in 150 coat colors but have only five different eye colors? And, how many eggs does the average chicken lay each year? The answer is 20 dozen. What does the owner of a farm get for a birthday present? A llama, of course, so the first llama does not get lonesome — and the camel needs company, too. The Robbins family has transformed their 1200-acre farm into a visitor-friendly working farm with over 1,000 animals and farm tours, featuring their Wizard of Oz Hayride along with a variety of seasonal events. Truly an agricultural adventure for all ages.

The arts are flourishing in Sackets Harbor. The Samuel F. Hooker House Arts Center is housed in the 1808 Hooker House, home of an early and prosperous merchant.

Besides showcasing work by local artists and special exhibits they have two large studio spaces where they offer classes and workshops. Nearby a private gallery displays and sells the work of Lawrence C. Barone with a focus on the Upstate New York landscape. Year round the Lake Ontario Playhouse is home to stand-up comedy from the national circuit and during the summer there are professional theatrical performances.

A three-hour motor coach group tour and walking tours are available from the Sackets Harbor Visitor’s Center housed in the 1802 Augustus Sackett Mansion. The tours highlight the village’s history, architectural landmarks, the importance of Sackets Harbor’s past, and the growth of the village in the last 30 years.

During the summer there are weekly Sunday waterfront concerts.

Stay at one of the many quaint B&Bs or Ontario Place Hotel, which offers accommodations with the option for a private chef. It is also home to the Sackets Harbor Brewing Company.

Today Sackets Harbor is a beautiful resort town with many attractions not the least of which is boating. Enjoy history, dining out, art galleries, and shopping for unique crafts, artwork, or antiques.
For more information check www.sacketsharborny.com or call 315-646-2321.

By Mary Beth Roach

Now that Bob Burchhardt is retired, and his wife, Diana, works part time, the Tully couple is focusing on the next phase of their lives and looking at what develops.

So they enrolled in a new photography class, “Seeing the Light,” offered through Syracuse University Lifelong Learning Institute (LLI), a program begun in 2008 by SU ’s Gerontology Center for students at least 50 years old that integrates classroom work with a community service final project.

With the theme of AGE and engAGEment, the institute is all about “learning for learning’s sake,” said Madonna Harrington Meyer, director of the institute.

For years, these students may have been building careers and raising families, so they may not have had the opportunity to pursue some of their interests, Meyer said.

“There’s always a road not taken,” she said. “These classes pick up old passions.” Studies show, Meyer said, that lifelong learning is good for physical health, social health and cognitive health.

“The Lifelong Learning Institute provides a forum for learning about topics of interest in an engaging and supportive way, both on our own and with others,” according to Susie Weiss, of Cazenovia, also enrolled in the photography class.

The classes also extend beyond the boundaries of the classroom, in that the students’ final project involves them in the community.

For example, students in a recent class about elections were involved in registering voters; those in an astronomy class took their new knowledge and their telescopes to The Nottingham, a local retirement community, and shared views of the skies with the residents there; and students currently enrolled in the “Polar Heroes, in Print and on Film” class are scheduled to help with the penguin exhibit at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo.

Faculty from throughout the jniversity are invited to design classes for LLI, and Meyer’s staff evaluates them. Most of the classes are 16 hours, but the Institute is beginning to create some one-day programs.
Bob Gates, an English professor at SU and a professional photographer, has offered workshops with the Syracuse Camera Club. It was a natural progression, he said, to develop a photography class for LLI.
It was through the Camera Club that the Burchhardts met Gates, and when they learned of this new course, they decided to enroll.

Bob and Diana like being in a class with their contemporaries, and they appreciate the different skill levels that their fellow students bring.

“You learn from your peers as well as the instructor,” Diana Burchhardt said. Weiss also learned of this class through the Syracuse Camera Club, and shares Diana’s believe that you learn from not only the professor, but other students as well.

“It’s quite enjoyable to come together with new people who share an interest in a particular topic,” she said. “There is also something nice about taking a class with people who are a bit older, and who share some similar sensibilities and also bring a lifetime of different experiences together.”

Photography has been an interest of Weiss’ since childhood, and now she sees the class as a way to learn more about the field in general, to help her move from film to digital photography, and to do more with her photographs then store them away.

Weiss, who turns 55 in June, received her Master of Social Work from Syracuse University, with a concentration in gerontology, one of the first years that the Gerontology Center was in existence.
“I guess it’s a little full circle to now be taking a class through the Gerontology Center’s Lifelong Learning Center,” she said.

LLI will offer two classes in June. In “Art Now,” Professor Judith Meighan, of SU’s College of Visual and Performing Arts, will take students on walking tours of various art spaces in the area and discuss ways to make the programs at these facilities more appealing to mature visitors.

A second class will be “The Universe: From the beginning to the end?” with SU physics professor Carl Rosenzweig. According to a course description, this collaborative effort with downtown Syracuse’s Museum of Science and Technology (The MOST) “will explore with students the structure, origins and fate of the Universe, from the dramatic birth of everything in the Big Bang nearly 14 billion years ago.”
Working with some of the facilities and museums in Syracuse, Meyer said, allows them to focus on some of the wonderful aspects of Central New York.

It’s “a celebration of things we have here in Syracuse,” she said.

For more information on the program, visit www.maxwell.syr.edu
www.maxwell.syr.edu/cpr/gerontology and click on the Lifelong Learning Institute link.