Spring Bath...

Many of you have expressed thoughts and questions about "washing" my house. Perhaps it does seem unusual to some people. However if you go to your local hardware store you will find products for doing just that. It takes some elbow-grease but it is certainly worth it.

Here is a view of the enemy...



A closeup of the problem... left side of the photo shows a spot scrubbed, but not rinsed. The right shows the accumulated dirt. It is probably a combination of dust from my unpaved driveway a few feet away, and as this side of the house faces north and is shaded from late morning on it could be fungus like the north side of trees? Who knows.... all I know is that it is grey-ish and unsightly. The power washer I have borrowed is small and it does take additional scrubbing with a sponge mop to get off the deposit.



The "troops" are assembled...



The weapon is ready,...



Victory is mine!

It's Finally Here!...

After much anticipation I do believe that SPRING has come to the hill!

Trees are budding...


My driveway is completely dry...

Green shoots are enjoying the sun ...

The pine trees are getting ready to produce that dreaded yellow pollen. I know, I know... it's nature's way!

And I've spent two days raking...!

Today I start on an even bigger task,...washing my house! Stay tuned!

The Pulse of the Adirondacks!...

You need two almanacks,... The Farmer's Almanack and... The Adirondack Almanack!

To kick off its fourth year of providing the North Country with information on local politics, environmental issues, history, outdoor recreation, culture, and regional development, The Adirondack Almanack has brought on board two new contributors.

Check out this online journal for the work of original editor John Warren, (also writer of the New York History blog), plus the two talented writers/artists who just joined the Almanack. I believe you will enjoy the well-written posts by Mary Thill and the writing and artwork of Mark Wilson. Put your finger on the pulse of the Adirondacks!

Day dreams...

...of warmer weather!

When I checked the temperature this morning it was 28° and there was snowflakes in the air! So my traditional Easter picnic out in a natural area was postponed. We stayed in and watched a movie and picnic'd in the livingroom in front of the tv.

Day dreaming of warmer days to come.... This is a picture of the resort on the St.Lawrence River where I spent last weekend. You can see by the date that I have been going to the river for years. The 1000 Island area is a wonderful place in warmer weather!

That same year I spent time with some cousins at a camp on Upper Saranac Lake. This is the view from in front of the camp.

Warm days and calm water for canoeing and kayaking will be here soon. But you sure couldn't tell it by the weather today. I just couldn't bear to take one more picture of dark skies and snowflakes!

Weekend Getaway!...

The 1000 Island Bluegrass Association sponsored a weekend getaway at Bonnie Castle Resort in Alexandria Bay, NY. It's the annual kickoff for the bluegrass festival season in the north country.
Headlining for Friday evening was the Abrams-Burtch Connection. Wayne Abrams, grandfather of the Abrams Brothers, and Bob Burtch have formed a new band for the bluegrass circuit.

The headliner act for Saturday evening was Remington Ryde from Pennsylvania.




The opening band for both Friday and Saturday nights was the north country's favorite son, David Nichols and his band Spare Change. David does custom pearl inlay work for many well known musicians, as well as building mandolins and guitars. The summer season will find the band traveling to festivals in NY, VT and Ontario. You won't find any nicer friends anywhere than David and Nadine. Here you see them sharing a duet while band members Gary Greenland on banjo, and Chad Darou on guitar join in.

Across the St.Lawrence River from Bonnie Castle is Boldt Castle,....another story for another time. Sunday morning it looked like this... but in the summer it is awash with colorful flowers. It is open for tours beginning in early May.

Informal jam sessions were going on all over the hotel. In good weather you might see groups outside, or in various guest rooms as well as the larger designated areas.

People of all ages,... I guessed this to be a mother and daughter...

This is a bluegrass family friend Ray on guitar.

The girl playing fiddle is a young teenager...

The circle is always able to be widened to include new people coming into the room. This made me think of the song "Will The Circle Be Unbroken," and old standard of the music world.

Here Ray's daughter Pam is in the center holding his mandolin which she'd been playing until she sang this song,...

I enjoyed watching this gentleman playing his dobro guitar...

I've already made my reservation for next year!...

Champ!...

Just south of the village of Port Henry, NY is this colorful sign. "Champ" (named for Lake Champlain) has been toying with us for a very long time, elusive creature that he is! The sign lists those that tell of sighting Champ. Samuel deChamplain, the first non-native to explore the lake between NY and VT, wrote of seeing "a 20 foot serpent shaped like a barrel with a head like a horse."



We, who live near Lake Champlain, like to think of our Champ as a friendly "monster." I don't say it is true, nor do I deny Champ's existence. With so many credible people listed as having seen a mysterious creature in the water we know they saw something. What they saw is the question!


Champ must be friendly, after all, how many monsters do you know with a heart on his tail?



To read more about Champ and the area, visit Paranormal Encyclopedia, The Lake Champlain Land Trust, or many other sites on the internet. Perhaps Champ is a first cousin of Nessie?



p.s.... I will be away this weekend, leaving Friday morning and returning Sunday evening. I do so appreciate your visits and your comments. If you don't see your comment appear quickly that is the reason why. Have a great weekend everyone!

Really?....

The sun is shining, it's 81°, all the flowers are blooming, the lawn needs mowing...
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April Fool!.......actually it looks like this.... (she said giggling!)