Like many small cities, Massena's downtown is largely deserted, most retail having relocated to the St. Lawrence Center mall on the eastern edge of town. Here's a view of downtown (note the desperate-seeming "open" banners on the establishment at right), with Fiona the Pink Toyota, who brought us here, parked in front of the dashing, copper-toned "Z" car. (Someone in this town is prospering.)
Massena does still have some little shops with charm, and sometimes charming names, like Alkie’s Liquor Store, where I was able to find a bottle of quite good, and inexpensive, V.S.O.P. Cognac. The proprietor told me she usually charged fifty dollars for a photo, but waived it for me because I bought a bottle, and I promised to publish the picture on my blog.
Here’s Alkie’s next-door neighbor, Booter’s Country Bar.
Later in the afternoon, I rode with my step-father in law to a nearby farm stand to buy what proved at dinner to be remarkably tasty corn and tomatoes. On our way, we had to drive through a brief but heavy rain shower that, mercifully, stopped just before we got to the farm. On the way back, I regretted not having my camera, but rushed to get it as soon as we got home. I summoned my daughter outside, we both took shots, and Liz got the better one of this symbol of hope in a time of flood and tribulation.
Keepin’ my eye on the Massena rainbow (apologies to John Stewart).
