River Checking

Taking advantage of this gorgeous springtime weather, we set off to check out the Windsor Locks Canal Trail over the weekend. We took a walk along this section in September, so beautiful, and decided to see what the March views had to offer.

The level of the river is good, sometimes the snowmelt coincides with rainy days and we see a dangerous rising of the river waters at this time of year. Thankfully, not this year. It was just running fast today.

The Connecticut River quickly drops in elevation thru here, the area is known as the Enfield rapids, it's just below the Massachusetts/Connecticut state line....

-obviously this man had never been in a boat with my father, I can hear him now ..."Sit down in the boat!"

These river rapids and falls play an important part in this area's colonial history. General Knox, chief of the artillery, back in 1776, actually recommended the Springfield Armory site to George Washington ..

from the Springfield Armory Museum website...

During his short visit to Springfield, Knox was impressed with the town’s strategic location on the Post Road, central to the northern theater of war and on a major waterway, yet above the Enfield Falls and therefore out of reach of enemy warships. It was largely because of this that, a year later, Springfield became the site of the principal arsenal for the northern states during the War of Independence.

The canal was built alongside the river because the rapids made river travel too dangerous. Opened in 1829, the canal drops 32 feet over it's five mile course. Today, the Windsor Locks Canal Walk follows along the top of the old towpath beside the canal. The walkway is a wonderful path, looking down on one side is the rapids of the wide Connecticut River, the other side is the serene waters of the old canal, just a few feet deep and so calm.

We couldn't walk along the canal trail yet, it's closed until April first. There were a lot of folks out to enjoy the sights, lots of birds chattering, a nice warm Spring breeze, just a great day to be outside.

This area is protected, nice to see, because the local eagle population winters over in this section along the river. We didn't see any eagles today, but the view was still great..

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There is a wonderful old sycamore tree growing here... the silvery bark was glinting in the sunshine...

looks like the alewifes and herring are protected here, too

the old gauging station...

 

part of the old canal...

the Suffield/Enfield bridge...

Years ago, large tobacco drying barns were a common sight in this area. Many are gone now, just their foundations remain...

Daylilies emerging.... hurray for Spring!

On the way home we spotted another sign of spring, readying the water park rides.....

It won't be long before we'll be hearing the shrieks from the roller coaster...

Six Flags opens April 10th

We are having a wonderful warm blast of Spring weather this week in western Massachusetts. I hope all of you are getting a taste of Spring, I know I was needing some sunshine in my life, nice to get out and feel the warmth of those rays..... enjoy!

Meet Phoebe Allen

Have you met Phoebe Allen? She's a Channell Islands Allen's hummingbird living in a rosebush in Orange County, California.

What's so exciting about her is that she is presently sitting on two eggs, and we can watch her every move on a webcam, right now. During the daylight hours in California, you can watch her coming and going and listen to the neighborhood noises, right here on your computer. ....

Quick, take a look! Did you see her? Did you see the little eggs? If it was a black screen, it probably was still night and dark at the time, so bookmark that site, right now, and come back again when it's daylight.

She now has two eggs in her nest, laid February 25 and the 27th. These should hatch in the next week or so, between March 14 and 16, so be sure to keep an eye on Phoebe and her golf-ball sized nest this week. Her eggs are so tiny, just the size of a TicTac. I always pop two TicTacs at the same time, and that's the exact size these little eggs are. Just think, by next week, there will be two tiny, peeping little babes in that nest, and we'll all be able to watch these new lives set forth on their life's journey.

To read more about Phoebe and the history of her previous nests, check here

PBS has a wonderful video on hummingbirds, everything you'd like to know and then some, available for viewing at this site. When you have a chance, make a cup of tea, have a seat and watch this in fullscreen. It lasts just under an hour, but it is beautifully done and the photography is wonderful. Bookmark it, if you don't have time to watch it right now.

If you'd like to keep an eye on an eagle cam, check this one in Virginia, the first egg should be hatching today, so check back often for a first sighting of a newly hatched eaglet. How cool is that, to see this great soaring bird on it's very first day of life?

Have you watched these shiba inu pups? Their mom made world news last year with her first litter... Here's the newest arrivals, just full of life, running, tumbling and playing with each other. Sometimes I even laugh out loud... oh my, they are so cute!

Do you know of any other web cams that are fun to watch? Leave a note in the comments, so we all can see...thanks!

Sure Signs of Spring

What a gorgeous Spring day! It was in the 50's here, today, folks were out all over town enjoying the sunshine and warm temperatures after a long winter.

We took a little ride to get some fresh air and brighten our moods. At our first stop I heard a familiar sound... it was the cheep-cheep of a Robin. Hurray!! finally the robins are returning! They'll put a stop to this nonsense long winter weather, for sure.

Here's the first robin of Spring, 2010....

today's hero...

 

Dad would have said that robin is a sight for sore eyes...

and look at the buds popping out on that tree, too.

on the way home, along the river, we spotted this...

and around the corner, we saw more...

All along this little neighborhood street, buckets were hung from the maple trees, gathering the sap.

When does the sap flow? this tidbit from the Massachusetts Maple Producers website explains it well....

There is no set time when a sugarmaker must tap his trees. He must be aware of the clues of nature to tell him when the time is right. The temperatures are not as extreme as earlier in the winter, the streams run with melting snow, icicles drip faster, the crows can be heard announcing the not-too-distant arrival of spring. Mostly what the sugarmaker is waiting for is the arrival of the time of year known as "sugar weather," when the nights are below freezing and the days are mild. This is the type of weather that makes the sap flow.

Just down the street, we noticed two people collecting the liquid from their neighborbood trees...

We stopped for a chat, I told them I had just taken a look at their website, The Maple Hut. They invited us back to see their operation, what a fun and interesting hobby they have!

Here's the Maple Hut...

 

Inside, the sap is set to boil down in this stainless woodfired unit...

Look at the size of their woodpile!

this is a mighty hardworking couple!

It takes about 55 gallons of sap to make one gallon of maple syrup, this red container will eventually be boiled down to the one gallon size shown here, atop, for comparison....

(sorry for the blurry pic)

From every batch produced each year, a small bottle is kept... the earliest bottles of the season on the left are light colored, as the season progresses, the amber liquid turns stronger and darkens.

I tried a sample taste from the batch they made yesterday, oh my, it was so yummy!!

This was the best maple syrup I ever tasted!!!

The best!

All of their products are displayed in this lovely old Hoosier cabinet,

what a beautiful old gem this is...

can't think of a better way to spend a warm Spring afternoon...

It is very interesting to see the whole process, from tapping the trees to the finished bottled product. Your can read more about it here, at the Massachusetts Maple Producers website. If you live in Massachusetts, here's a link of the local sugarhouses, some serve breakfast on the weekends, too.

If you'd like to order from the Maple Hut, here's a list of the products they sell. Stop in or give them a call, I'm sure they'd be happy to send some of their goodies out to you. Make sure you order some maple candy, too, it's sweet and delicious.

Oh my, the Maple Hut's syrup and candy was so good today, and brought back memories of the maple candy and syrup Dad used to bring us from his trips to Vermont. We always had real maple syrup on our pancakes and waffles, too, never the fake stuff. I remember that big heavy metal can....Mom would pour the syrup in a little pitcher then set it in a pot of hot water to warm up while Dad made his special pancakes.... "sinkers" he called them, There was nothing light and fluffly about his rendition of a pancake recipe. He was proud they were sinkers and 'stuck to our ribs'. Sometime he would add blueberries or corn. His Sunday morning pancakes are a great childhood memory.... nice.

Thanks so much Mike and Rosann, for your hospitality today. We both learned a lot and it was a great fun experience!

Guess who's having pancakes for breakfast?

Seconds anyone?

Spreading some Warmth

There's nothing better than snuggling up under a nice warm afghan while watching TV! I was able to do that the past few weeks as I watched the Winter Olympics, while working on my most recent afghan project.

If you would like the pattern for this throw, I found it here, at the Craft Yarn Council of America. They have some beautiful free patterns, check it out.

I was pretty chilly the first few nights of watching those athletes, but each new sport added another few rows, and soon my project overflowed my lap, covering me up and spreading its warmth.

Today's sunny breeze is perfect to add just a touch of fresh air, after running this afghan thru the washer and dryer earlier this morning. I did a delicate wash and dry, and it fluffed up nicely. I'm a firm believer in making afghans with machine washable/dryable yarn, so they can be used and enjoyed. Some of my afghans have been in use for 20 or 30 years, and every one of them gets tossed in the wash at least once a month, and still look nice. People, dogs, cats, spills.... they've stood up to many years of hard use around here.

I hope this provides lots of warmth and happiness to someone special, too.

This is a crocheted ripple afghan, made in double crochet, with popcorn stitch added for texture..

I added a row of shell stitch border around the edge...

It's nice and warm to snuggle under, too...

This week this throw will make it's way to Anchorage, Alaska. Lin and Don, I thought of you while I was making each stitch, knowing your family loves these winter sports. I hope you both enjoy it.

While I was wandering the yard this morning, I looked for ANY signs of spring....

I found this celadine, growing in the sunshine...

 the pachasandra is forming some flowery little buds...

and the ivy weathered well thru the winter...

This darn thing will never die

trust me, I've tried...

I tried really hard to find some new shoots of any thing..... The darn Yucca, above was looking the best of everything green out there. It looks like it may be even sending up some more new growth. Try as I might, this plant will not go away. I guess I may as well learn to love it....

In the meantime, if you by chance notice some new growth popping up thru the soil, remember this little poem by Robert Frost....

Nature's first green is gold
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

I like to think of this poem when I see those first golden yellowy green shoots of the daffodil or tulip in the Spring. It takes them a day or so to turn from golden to green. Watch for those very first new leaf buds, too, when they're teeny tiny, they are indeed one of Spring's first flowers.

Does anyone have daffodils or tulips yet?

I can't wait!

Tagged by Happiness

My Scotch friend, Anne, was tagged with happiness yesterday and urged her readers to pass it on. You might want to check out her favorite things, too.

It's simple - just list 10 things that make me happy.

Sounds easy, eh?

What makes me happy? I really had to think about this, I could list a hundred things, or a thousand if I thought about it, I suppose. The hard part is limiting it to only 10 things, just 10.

Some days I have a pretty screwy outlook on what makes me happy, due to chronic pain, My life is pretty simple now, compared to 20 years ago. I move at a much slower pace, some days I try not to move at all.

It doesn't take much to make me happy, either, so that makes this list making a bit easier, I suppose.

Here we go, they are numbered, but they don't necessarily make me happy in this order...

1. Tom- He makes me happy. I look forward to him coming thru the door in the afternoon, always willing to sit and tell me about his day, his hopes. He's been a great caregiver over these difficult years and I truly love him for that. Just being around him makes me happy.

2. The furkids- Newman, Tubbie and Samrose. Tubbie and Samrose are my feline friends, happy to curl up near my feet and content to sit at the window with me on rainy days. Newman is the one that gets me up and moving, now, this second, running thru the house with his ball, letting me know it's time to get outside for some fresh air, fun and sunshine. Newman came into our lives, unexpectedly, he found us and decided to live here. He's the reason I get out of bed everyday, even when I know it's going to hurt...

3.Sunshine- Sunshine makes makes me happy....there's nothing better than those rays of sunshine coming thru the early morning window. It energizes me! I love how even the long winter rays leave a warm spot on the sofa for a kittie to curl up on. I have less pain on sunny days... a good thing.

4. Heirlooms- I love the old family things I have... Mom's china, her wedding ring that I wear on my pinky finger, her Christmas pins, using her gravy boat at our holiday meals. Old cookbooks, photos, doilies and linens, they're all special to me!

5. Warmth- I like to be warm. I love feeling the warm rays from the sunshine on my lap when I sit out, even at this time of year. Hot radiators make me happy. Even tho we have a brand new heating system, I still take that extra step each evening, warming up several 'cornbags' in the microwave to tuck in around my feet and in Tubbie and Samrose's bed. I make sure each of our pets is all snuggled in, with their cornbag and covered with their blankie, too. Hey, they're my kids! On really chilly nights, I heat up this old soapstone bed warmer and tuck it between the sheets an hour or so before I go to bed. This originally belonged to my great grandfather, he used to warm it on the parlor stove for Aunt Eleanor to put under her feet in their car, back in her courting days, way back in the 1930's. I remember her telling me, when she was around 90, that her Grandfather told her that a proper young lady would always be sure to keep both feet on this footwarmer.... at all times! I miss my Aunt Eleanor.

6.Comfy clothes- Holy smokes, I hope I never have a chance encounter with those folks from "What Not to Wear". Whatever would Clinton think? I only wear clothes that don't touch me, don't rub, don't pull, or bind. Heck, half the time I'm only half dressed. I'm going to be a nudist when I grow up.

7. Clean stuff- Clean and shiny stuff makes me happy... I'm happy when the laundry is all clean and folded, when the dishwasher is finished and my favorite coffee cups are ready to be refilled and stirred with a clean spoon. I'm happy when the kitchen floor is clean and shiny, with no muddy footprints. I like to check my reflection on the toaster, as distorted as that reflection is, as long as there's no smeared fingerprints, I'm happy. I like putting out a big stack of fluffy towels in the bathroom and spreading an ironed doily on a newly waxed tabletop.... nice.

8. Yarn, Needles and Hooks- My yarn stash makes me happy, knowing I can take a hank of yarn and turn it into a new pair of socks, a hat or even another lacy doily. My collection of needles and hooks includes some from Aunt Eleanor and Mrs Nieroda and have such special memories. Some have come from friends, they've passed their Mom's collection of hooks and needles for me to use and care for... that makes me happy, knowing these tools have been held by other hands and made warm sweaters and mittens for generations. I'm happy knowing I've passed these crafts on to others, too, and they find enjoyment in knitting and crocheting..... nice.

9. Giving- giving to others makes me happy. Give what you can, it doesn't have to be about the dollar, give your time, your knowledge, your love. Just give.

10. This blog- this blog makes me happy. I love reading your comments and getting to know you. I've reconnected with friends and family that visit here, too. I remember when I was in high school, our teacher told us about computers and how they would someday be in all our homes. It seems the future is here, what would we do without our computers?

11. oooopps, I can only put ten things on the list. I didn't even get to my friends yet! or mention my Waldies! and what about our hammock, strung between the trees at our cabin in the woods? how about those daily walks I take with Newman, they make me smile, even tho we only go two or three houses away. I didn't even get to mention those summertime rain showers or paddling around in the brook, or picking a bouquet of flowers or a tomato from the garden.... all those things make me happy. My doctor's interest in helping me get some relief makes me happy, and their genuine caring.... thank you Dr McKee and Kathleen, for your years of care.

This list could go on forever....

Life makes me happy.

A sunny day with only a bit of pain is the best, so I'm heading outside right now  to enjoy it!

If you've read this far....you're tagged! I'm looking forward to reading about what makes you happy! It's just ten things, and I bet you you can list twenty, just off the top of your head....



.... more about the type of chronic pain I have can be found here...

Welcome March!

"Winds of March, we welcome you,
There is work for you to do.
Work and play and blow all day,
Blow the Winter wind away."    

March is finally here!! Hurray!

This is the view from our walk just two days ago, back in February...

And the view from our walk this morning, in March...

 

What a difference just a few days make! Look, the sidewalk is finally dry after a week of snow, sleet, rain, and slush. What a great way to welcome in the first day of March!

Did you notice Newman checking out those ladies walking on his sidewalk? He stood and watched them for a few minutes. We seldom see anyone on our morning ventures, but when we do, they usually give him a pat on the head... these ladies were on a serious walk and just kept going.....

Look close at this photo...

Yup, we even had shadows today!

Soon this rosebush will be bursting with blooms...

And this privet will be covered in green buds instead of white...

There's so much to look forward to this month.... St Patrick's Day and the first day of Spring, and a few birthdays...

I'm so glad March didn't come roaring in like a lion today, with roaring winds and stormy skies, we had our roaring lion's weather all last week... every day was stormy.

Today is breezy, the mud is drying up and you can almost smell Spring in the air. As I sat tossing the ball to Newman, I could feel the warmth of the sunshine today... a nice sign that Spring is here.

I'm looking forward to taking our morning walks without being all bundled up in heavy warm layers, to shed the scarves and gloves, and to sit for awhile on the backyard bench in the warm sunshine...

Welcome March, I'm glad you're here!