RUSS' PAGE
IT'S ALL ABOUT ME
I'VE BEEN AROUND SINCE '48, AN APRIL FOOL THAT ISN'T FOOLISH AT ALL. I DO LIKE TO HAVE FUN THOUGH AND TRY TO GRAB EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOMETHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY. I HOPE SOME DAY TO FIND AN ADVENTURESOME LADY TO SHARE MY ADVENTURES WITH. LIFE IS SO GOOD!
* HAVE YOU EVER LIVED IN A CASTLE? I HAVE!
* HAVE YOU EVER LIVED ON AN ISLAND? I HAVE!
* I SPENT NEW YEAR'S EVE 2005/2006 IN ANTWERP, BELGIUM, WITH A LOVELY LADY I MET ON THE NET
* I SPENT TWO WEEKS AT A GOVERNMENT SPONSORED PRINTING COMPLEX IN KASTERLEE, BELGIUM
* I'VE BEEN MOTORCYCLE CAMPING THROUGH NEW YORK, NEW HAMPSHIRE AND VERMONT
* HAD SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES ON MOUNT HOOD AND AT MULTNOMAH FALLS IN OREGON
* SAW THE STROGANOFF COLLECTION ON LOAN FROM THE HERMITAGE IN SAINT PETERSBURG, RUSSIA
* WAS TIME WARPED IN THE PETRIFIED FOREST IN ARIZONA
* YODELED IN THE GRAND CANYON
* SAW EVERY PART OF NIAGARA FALLS
* FELL IN LOVE WITH A WITCH WHO DIDN'T SPELLCAST ME
* ENJOY THE BEAUTIFUL ART, POETRY AND EPITAPHS AT OLD CEMETERIES LIKE LAUREL HILL IN PHILADELPHIA, PA
* HAVE A RARE STREET ROD HEARSE
* I FREQUENTLY GET SPIRITUALLY CHARGED AT COLUMCILLE MEGALITH PARK IN BANGOR, PA
ENJOY SOME OF MY ADVENTURES AS YOU TOUR MY SITE
THIS IS SINGER CASTLE, FORMERLY JORSTADT CASTLE ON JORSTADT ISLAND (PREVIOUSLY DARK ISLAND) LOCATED AT THE EASTERN END OF THE THOUSAND ISLANDS REGION OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER IN UPSTATE NEW YORK. IT WAS PRIVATELY OWNED BY DR. HAROLD AND ELOISE MARTIN, AND AT THE TIME OF THESE PICTURES, IT WAS THE ONLY CASTLE IN THE AREA COMPLETELY FURNISHED AND OCCUPIED AS A RESIDENCE. THIS MAGNIFICENT HOME SERVED AS A NON-DENOMINATIONAL CHRISTIAN RETREAT TO VARIOUS CHRISTIAN GROUPS THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER MONTHS. RELIGIOUS SERVICES WERE HELD EACH SUNDAY AND WERE OPEN TO ALL WHO DESIRED TO ATTEND, AFTER WHICH A SHORT TOUR WAS GIVEN. THIS WAS THE ONLY TIME THE ISLAND AND CASTLE WAS OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
THE ABOVE PICTURE WAS TAKEN ON A RARE CALM DAY. THE RIVER IS VERY UNPREDICTABLE AND THE SURFACE RANGES FROM THE ABOVE TO SIX FOOT WAVES! AT TIMES GETTING TO THE MAINLAND CAN BE A CHORE.
THE NEXT TWO PICTURES SHOW A CLOSER VIEW DURING THE FALL AND IN THE WINTER. WINDS ARE SO STRONG IN THE WINTER THAT STORM SHUTTERS ARE INSTALLED TO PROTECT THE WINDOWS. TEMPERATURES RANGE FROM 100*F DOWN TO -20*F BUT THE AVERAGES ARE 85*F TO 15*F.
SNOW FALL DURING THE WINTER IS SURPRISINGLY SMALL AS COMPARED TO THE AREA FROM WATERTOWN TO SYRACUSE. THIS IS MAINLY BECAUSE OF THE 'LAKE EFFECT' SNOW COMING FROM LAKE ONTARIO HITTING THE AREA BUT MISSING THE CASTLE AS IT IS JUST A FEW MILES NORTH OF THE LAKE BELT SNOW AREA.
HAVING SPENT FOUR YEARS LIVING THERE AS A STAFF MEMBER, CARING FOR THE GROUNDS AND BUILDINGS YEAR ROUND, I HAVE MANY FOND MEMORIES AND LONG TO LIVE THERE AGAIN. THE DAYS WERE LONG AND HARD WITH WORK BUT SO SATISFYING.
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