The O.C.

No Peter Gallagher here, just Armand Assante, his alpaca farm down the street and the cornfield Jacko burned down to make a music video (more about this in future blogs)...

Been a bit longer than I would have liked between posts, but it's been a rough couple of days. For now, all I will say is I headed home to Warwick this week to see my folks and help prepare for the huge garage sale they're holding this weekend.


Home sweet home!

Aside from the seemingly endless task of pricing and tagging antiques, toys, clothing, film equipment and African artifacts (not to mention all the buffalo body parts), I got to catch a movie with the gang at 8 Hats High and swing by the Orange County Fair Grounds, a place I've been meaning to document in this blog for months now.


Orange County's version of the World's Fair in it's heyday, the Fair Grounds have since fallen into 'Nascar Knock-off' disrepute. With the exception of the occasional county fair, touring circus or race-car derby, the grounds are deserted.


Fortunately, most of the fair's oddities are viewable from the roadside. This old windmill greets you at the entrance.


The lighting is actually my favorite part of the past present. Each one is unique and sprouts from the ground like forgotten scenery to some modernist's set.


Next to grab your eye is the statuary, like this giant prize cattle's portrait immortalized at one of the side entrances.


This one might just run you off the road. Überraschen!

And if you thought they couldn't possibly top this hailing politically-incorrect monstrosity, Weird Al Yankovic will be playing the OC Fair Grounds in 2010!

History Lesson... with visual aids!

You’re in luck! I was certain that when my computer died about a month ago it had taken the following pictures with it. But wonders upon wonders, I hadn’t deleted them off of my camera’s CF card and so, here is the blog post that might never have been:

My hometown of Warwick, NY isn’t far from another, even smaller town, Florida, NY.


While it lacks palm trees and beaches you may know Florida, NY as the birthplace of William H. Seward, Secretary of State under Lincoln and Johnson. He nearly shared Lincoln’s fate that infamous night, in fact.


Sadly, the town either doesn’t have the funding or the inclination to actually preserve this piece of history outside of not bulldozing the building to the ground and putting up a few plaques and ‘No Trespassing’ signs.


How many people skip over this piece of history to grab a slice?


Ignoring the well-posted 'No Trespassing' signs, I snooped as best I could in the mud and cold. Outside the barn, I found an ancient outhouse and loads of junk pouring out from the inside.


Magnetic tape and film!


Children’s books!


Bones!


I couldn’t get inside to some of the larger rooms due to the fact that they were filled with so much junk the doors wouldn’t open more then a few inches.


Luckily, some of the windows had been smashed in. What did I find?


Old taxidermy (always neat).


Creepy old operating tables… I think…?


A coffin?!?

Then again, you may be familiar with Florida, NY as the hometown of Jimmy Sturr, the Polka King.