Ithaca and the surrounding communities are country life for the wealthy. I am fully aware that my life at the lakeside was one of luxury and privilege.
Let's think about this. Only those who are really well-off can take an entire month to indulge themselves in personal pursuits. I'm probably one of those people. I live in NYC, and on my own with no employer but myself, which means I am doing better than most. I have a nice car. I have a nice camera. I have fancy computers. I even have an iPad. I am fortunate. I often forget this when looking around at what I see of the visible wealth of others.
Outside of Ithaca, on my way back home, I passed through towns similar to those I'd see my relatives living in while in Pittsburgh. The small houses, the rusted tractors in the front yards and the debris saved for no practical reason, were all very familiar.
One thing that really struck me as a sign of the times or the lack of their progression was the sign on the rental shop here in Whitney Point. It advertised Video & Nintendo Rentals. I remember seeing these sorts of signs in the late 80's and 90's when Nintendo was all the video-gaming rage if not the only video-gaming rage. It conjures visions of blonde adolescents, cheering at TVs with legs, while beams of airbrushed light blow their bowl-cut hair back. Reliably, mom and Dad sit over their shoulder, on the couch, bowl of popcorn in hand, cheering them on.
Those were the days.
I opted not to take photos of the homes in the rougher looking places. This area wasn't so bad. Wikipedia says the town has a total population less than my high school's class sizes. They'd smell my interloping through my lingering charcoal and lakewater aromas. I'd be branded a terrorist, or a fed, or a plain old asshole for sure.