Tag Archives: New York state

Sharon and Yang Boldly Go

Dr. M'Benga, James Cawley, Mr. Sulu, Sharon Healy Yang, Sharon Yang, Star Trek, Star Trek Museum, Star Trek sets, Ticonderoga, , , , , , , , , , , ,

I’ve been so busy getting out my two mystery novels that this is the first chance that I’ve had to share with you pictures from the September trip Yang and I took to Ticonderoga to see the Star Trek museum.  This museum recreates all the important sets from TOS Star Trek, based on the original blueprints that James Cawley received.  Cawley, himself, produced one of the best fan continuations of the original series, called Phase II, after the title for the never-realized return of Star Trek t TOS to television.

Anyway, to see the museum from the outside, you would have little idea of the magic that dwells within.  You might think this was just a building in a strip mall. You can see me checking out the timeline of the various incarnations of the series on the outside here. 

Ah, but once you walk inside!  The lobby is way cool!  There’s one of the models of the Enterprise!

Also on display are props and costumes –

and even a hatching baby Gorn!  Awww!

 

 

 

 

Once you enter the museum, the fun really begins.  Here I am ready to beam down

 

 

 

 

And then I’m gone!  But it looks as if we left behind the Medusan Amabassaor in his little metal carry on.  If he opens up the lid, don’t peek!

 

I also got to see the newly arrived Galileo Seven.  Yang and I didn’t get to take it for a spin, though.

Next, I decided to stop off in sickbay to see if Bones could give me something for my osteopenia.  He wasn’t in, but Dr. M’Benga and Nurse Chapel let me check things out.

   

Enjoy some neat shots of McCoy’s office.  Dig the way-out alien skulls! 

And don’t miss the lab where they experimented on those flying snot things from Deneb.  In fact, one is under glass here!  Don’t lift that cover!

 

 

So, down the corridor we go!  And, of course, we have to pass the Jeffries Tube.

 

 

 

 

There’s a stop in the conference room, which would also be re-dressed for filming as the rec room.  Mr. Spock left his lyre just hanging around, and the formerly silver-spray-painted styrofoam cups are now wax-paper silver spray-painted cups.  Ecology on parade.  Good enough. 

Next, it’s on to the Captain’s quarters! Whoo Hoo! 

So, here’s the work station.  Nice little personal computer and ship’s intercom.  What are the books behind the desk?  Our guide Ashley told us that they regularly switch the volumes.  When I was there, the books consisted of a volume of star charts, multiple volumes on Abraham Lincoln (remember Jim’s hero), and Moby Dick.  I wonder if the good Captain at one time had a copy of Bait and Switch?

Here I am in the boudoir section of the quarters.  Uh,oh.  Don’t worry, no Kirk around – and Yang was there to protect my honor, not that I haven’t done pretty well in that department on my own.  You can take this as you will, but these beds are awfully narrow.  One roll-over and you’re on the floor. Where do you put the cat?

Now, when filming the seires, the same rooms might be re-used for multiple settings.  So this would be the same setting for Uhura’s quarters in “The Tholian Web.”  Look at how high the mirror is here.  They had to switch to a longer mirror to catch the reflection of the petite Ms. Nichols when she looked in her mirror. The one I’m looking at would only reveal the top of her bouffant!

Let’s not forget Engineering and auxiliary control.

 

 

 

And now the bridge!

 

Here I am at the console of my bestie, Uhura.

Of course, I have to drop by the helm/navigation console to say hello to the two cutest guys (after Yang) on the Enterprise:  Sulu and Chekov. 

This is the navigation thing that the boys are always checking on, even though we can’t really see it on our screen

 

 

Yang got a picture of me  with our wonderful tour guide, Ashley.

So, let’s wrap up with Captain Sharon R. Yang in the captain’s chair, boldly going where no English professor has gone before.  I must say that chair is comfy!  So, warp eight Mr. Sulu, and don’t spare the horses, er, dilithium crystals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Autumn’s Last Will and Testament, Part One

Albany County Rail Trail, Autumn, birds, Brant Geese, Colt State Park, Fall, Foliage, hawks, Nature, New England, New York state, Redtail Hawk, , , , , , , , , , , ,
All the leaves brown and the sky is grey.  The Mamas and Papas song seems to sum up perfectly the end of November and beginning of December. So, I thought you might enjoy a look back at some of autumn’s leafy glory to tide you over until the soft blues and pristine whites of winter take over.

One new place Yang and I visited was the Albany Rail Trail in New York.  The trail starts on an uphill slope, but once you get to the top, it levels off and is smooth sailing till the end.  We ended up doing 18 miles of beautiful fall scenery along a river and through the woods.

 

 

Then, returning, after a flat ride, we sailed downhill at a feisty clip – but not before I stopped a few times to get some gorgeous shots of the brilliant fall colors, especially gorgeous along the sides of the valleys that sloped into the river, with that goldening light of the setting sun.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s your liquid moment of Zen, in video format: 

 

Yang and I also made our autumn pilgrimage to Colt State Park – after lunch at the Beehive in Bristol, RI – Yum, their pumpkin spice latte!  The day was brisk and sunny.  We had the pleasure of all kinds of  fauna.  Walking up a road that cut through the woods and emerged into the open with two large, stone-fenced fields on either side, we caught sight of these guys on our right.  Since we were on foot and not in a car, we had no fear of another fatal collision.  The deer were chill, too.

 

 

A little further down the road, what should swoop past us to disappear on the other side of the stone wall but a Red Tail Hawk!  Clearly, her eagle, err hawk, eyes had spotted something edible scurrying through the leaves on the far side of that wall.  Unfortunately for her, but fortunate for the mouse, vole, rabbit, or whatever, our hawk hunter emerged and tromped down on the wall with nothing to eat in her claws.  Apparently she was a tad embarrassed because her look here clearly says:  “What are YOU lookin’ at?”

 

Finally, we also made it out of the woods and onto the shore to make our first sighting of Brant Geese. They kind of look like stocky Canada Geese, but they are quite different.  They also may have a black head, but that’s marked by a white band around their necks, plus, they lack the brown feathers of the Canada Geese. These guys always swim in tight formation and have the most adorable vocalization – not the rowdy honks of their North of the border brethren.

 

Below is a video where you can hear them almost quacking, rather than honking, but you have to listen carefully!