Local Strawberries and blueberries, yogurt

Fresh fruit time before breakfast.
Maine

What in the world......

while you are probably wondering what this is all about, I'll just say that all these empty "refreshment" bottles point in one direction. Maine.

Pay no attention to the forecast....

`Spring is right around the corner! Here's the proof!

Sap, as far as this old raggie knows, only flows in late winter, early spring.....

-when I was a mere lad, I do remember my father and brother gathering and boiling sap for days I think....their rewards? Well, I imagine syrup, because that was a longggggg time ago! I just remember them doing it, not what their return was..... :)  And the sweetness of the sap...remember that very well! Talk about sugar water....yumm!

I do remember spigots (or taps if you will) made out of pieces of an old TV antennae, that were split open on one end to let the sap drip into the pails. No plastic hose lines to tanks back then. They had an old wood stove setup in the driveway as I recall. I bet my brother has a picture somewhere. That must have been about 1960, give or take....

Whatever, spring is almost here. Forget the forecast!

This Chili will warm a Saturday Night!

The Sharon Women's Club has numerous fund raisers throughout the year, and an extremely popular one is scheduled again for this Saturday evening at The Sharon Fire House, on West Main Street. It's time for their annual Chili Dinner! This dinner has become one of the most popular events in Sharon as far as "dinners" go. I know people always seem to talk about it for some time afterwards. There is always a pretty great raffle held too, so bring along an extra dollar or two! You might come home a winner!

Servings for takeout start at 4:30PM, with eat-in starting at 5:30PM. I hope that many of you can turn out and support these fine ladies on this function. Sharon Women's Club, celebrating 100 years as an organization, do a lot of very important things here in town, and we are indeed fortunate to have them. Please support them as best you can.

Betsy Hall & Teresa Kenny selling tickets on Thursday

New Town Truck. New Placard.

Well, seeing a new truck is not an unusual sight, as I think they replace a truck every year or so on the road crew. But this new door sign. Whoa! What do you think? Do you like it as it is? If you could change it, what might you suggest instead?

I ran into our town road foreman (Mark Anderson) briefly and got him to stand-still long enough to allow me to take this pic. The design part I believe was actually done jointly by a member of the town crew (Ray Aakjar Jr.) and Todd Tufts, a Sharon resident, owner of strategy graphics, and a very active sign designer here in our area.

My opinion? Strictly mine. Green is not my favorite color. I'm partial to other colors. On the green truck, I might have done something else. But as far as the design....I like it very, very much. Nice to see something new! Good job guys! Keep it shiny!

Fast-climbing oil prices..

Libya supplies less than two percent of the worlds oil. Yet our "oil futures" are scared to death and re-acting......The prices in Sharon went up two times today. Four times I am told since Saturday. As you can see they got a delivery today. It will be curious to see if the main office calls tomorrow morning and says go up again.

I know it's silly to some, but I have gone to a $40.00 purchase limit for the week. I am going to try and see if that is enough to get me through the week. Hope so for now. Don't want to start riding the scooter this early.....be a little cold in the morning!

A thought about kids.......in particular, a daughter..

I guess ya either love em'...............
or
ya love em!

Twenty-two years ago this day, our Catherine came into the world.  So, in honor of her birthday, I wanted to do a shout-out and pic of her for my followers to see. This pic was from Thanksgiving at our house of 2010, and in the pic as well is her brother Andrew and their cousin Molly. Happy Birthday Catherine!

Snow-covered bridge

It was so cold this morning....I'm sorry, this is the only shot I took as it was about 9º above about then.....

Budget taking effect already?

I know that the Governator's new budget has to be approved and all before it happens, but it sure seemed like a new policy was in effect on road plowing following today's 2-3" snowfall. I think they have gone to plowing just one side, a bit down the middle by the looks. Guess it's okay if we all go to the same direction at the same time.

Course in nearby N.Y.S. they have another theory all together. Sand or salt, and don't plow at all. Ah well, keeps drivers on their toes, and off the gas pedal!

\

Our Rep. shops in Sharon

It was a pleasure to have our Representative, Robert Willis visiting in Sharon on Friday afternoon. We exchanged pleasantries and I saw her shopping in the pharmacy and the farm market. Nice to have an elected political person visit the community and not be looking for votes, but for necessities! Doesn't it seem like with some, you only see them when they are looking for votes, but that is the only time you see them? Nice to see you Roberta! A simple show of face I think means a lot!

Just how DOES it do that?

An open small stream, yet snow forms over it, like a natural bridge? How? What holds it up?

Midday post

~just kind-of summed up how I was feeling with the cold temps, grey skies, snow in the forecast and after it having been in the 60's yesterday........

Auf Wiedersehen!

Well, the end of the road officially came today for the laundromat existing in the plaza in Sharon. A crew of three men came and started "gutting out" what last was the Laundry Lounge. The interior is to be cleaned out completely, the machines are all gone with the exception of maybe one or two as of today. The jackhammers will soon be hammering out the concrete pedestals which held the machines. The plan is to turn it into a storefront of some kind I am told. What type of business might our town support do you think? It will be interesting to see.


A number of parties have taken ownership of the business in the last fifty years, starting with the landlords thru the last family. The family which owned it the longest to my memory was The Johnson's, Norm and Barbara, who purchased it I believe when they were getting ready and did retire from dairy farming. They had numerous children, who all gave a hand, so there was always a Johnson on duty, from 7am till 9pm, seven days a week. A major part of their success I would imagine was that fact. Family on duty. Actually, my mom worked there for a few years a couple of mornings a week, from 7 till 9am, receiving clothes from those who needed service. It was a "out" for her from the house, to see a few folks and make a little gas money. Her commute was pretty long though. She walked across the street. :)


A part of me is sad to see that a laundromat will no longer be in the plaza. When I was but about six or seven (very early sixties), the first laundromat was over in part of what is now the pharmacy. There was a front door and a back as well, it was a narrow storefront, much like my current store. As you went in from the front, the driers were on the right, and the washing machines on the left. There was a coin machine up front that gave out quarters for a dollar bill, and was way cool in its day and age. With some prompting from Mr. Bartram or a few others, I am sure some good tales could come out. I do remember one incident with a cat in a dryer though......and of course there was the very famous police case, involving Mike Murtagh and his stolen Final Touch...... Ahh well, that my friends, is history. 

~So long old friend. Thank You.You served a lot of people for a long, long time.~

Remember this date...

56º on my thermometer in front of the store this afternoon, and it allowed me to open the front door of the store for a couple of hours! On Feb. 17th! How nice! But to all of you who are still wet behind the ear.....this is not spring!! It is the middle of Feb. Yes, the sun is higher each day, and warmer if you are in it, but this is not spring!!! 

Friday is supposed to be 60º, and that too will feel real nice. But remember, it is still February! Do not forget!!

Take a second....

and tell me...do you see a face here?

New Equipment at The Salisbury-Sharon Transfer Station. (don't you dare call it "the dump"...!)

Alright, maybe it's a bit of a stretch.....  :)

Winter Warmer

Other than us all wearing multiple layers of clothing, and using heating oil like it's tap water, this has been an exceptional hard winter to stay warm. In our house, we have really turned to hot tea for help. My wife and I have been tea drinkers for a good many years. By tea, I don't mean not your standard Lipton or Red Rose in a tea bag from the grocery or department store. I am referring to loose teas. And specifically I am referring to our local tea distributor located in nearby Millerton. I am of course referring to Harney and Sons Tea Company.

We happen to enjoy flavored teas probably the best, and love holiday mixes and new things they come out with. So, I didn't start out for today's post as a plug or endorsement, but it certainly is just us saying that we are thankful for their teas, and in particular this winter. If you were to stop-by, this would be what you see often on our kitchen counter. Cheers!

When it rains, it pours.....

So, the other day I'm grasping at straws with what to do on my blog. That was then. Look at this crazy offering for today...its about a four-parter!




Part A..
 Art Hall had one son (that we know of). His name is Tom, and well, he is a bit of an institution here in Sharon. Perhaps mental. Perhaps comic. Perhaps, well, you just got to know the guy. I think character sums him up pretty well.

Part B...


Today's temperature was extremely enjoyable, and peoples attitudes certainly seemed to bouy. Outside our front door at the plaza, we had an extremely different occurence of recent months.....water running in the gutters and downspouts. Nice!

Part C...

Today also happened to be Valentine's Day, for those of you who watch the calendar for this annual greeting card/flower holiday. My friends at The Sharon Farm Market shared one of their lovely plants with Clare and I.

Part D..

Do you remember the line from Crocodile Dundee about "thats not a knife" when the bad guy pulls a knife, and Michael J."Mick" Dundee pulls out a huge knife and says."Now....that's a knife"! ?  Well, tonight we had a fun time with.....

"is that a Toblerone?"

Now, that's a Toblerone!!

Guess you had to be there.......whatever, it gave us a chuckle after a long day at the store for me, and a real busy day for C. Hope the winds leave the power alone.......

Did you ever, while looking at a frozen pond or lake, think that the body of water is just sitting there, dead still? That it's waiting to be "uncovered" in the spring thaw before coming back to life? Maybe the top six, eight or ten inches.  But below, things are still moving on, waiting for no one. The air temperature was about 4º above zero, but the brook flowing out of Silver Lake was alive and running with an amazing amount of current. The iced trees and snowy surroundings made for a beautiful winter landscape.

A Fireside evening

Tonight we spent at home due to the fact our invitation to have dinner at The White House with Barrack and his family didn't get delivered as we had hoped. Well, hopefully he'll offer a raincheck!

January was so cold we didn't have any fires in the fireplace so today and this evening have been very enjoyable with this nice fire going. I don't think the oil burner kicked on once. Poor Mr. Taylor loses a dollar or two.

what to do...hmmmmm...

Blogging is fun. I enjoy it a lot. However, it takes time. Time to find to wander with my camera. Time to download and select pics worth saving. And time to think of a post, and to organize my thoughts (stop laughing, I heard that). Time. Time. I need more time. What to do. But I work all day, get home either right at supper time or after, and when supper ends, it's like poof, cleanup, time for a short visit and it's time to go to bed. So this blog thing is really getting to be a bit of a what-to-do.

I was thinking, perhaps I should reverse things, download stuff at the the store first thing in the morning, and work on my blog while there. I don't think that's what I really should be doing during business hours, do you? Hmmmm. What to do. What to do.

So, while I struggle a bit as to see what seems to be the best thing for me, the blog you have been seeing may change a bit, for a bit. I may post every-other day. I may post when the spirit moves me. Or I may not post at all for a bit. I really am not sure. What to do. What to do.

So, to the sixty to eighty of you who tune in on a daily basis to this bat-channel, please bear with me. There's an answer that will work best for me. I just need to find it. What I have has running rough, so I need a change. It's been rough for a while. Time for a tune-up....

What to do......hmmmmmmm.

Suggestions welcome.

So....which would be your favorite season?

                                                             Sept.15th

Feb. 11th

another snowy shot

No. It didn't snow today. In fact the sun shown brightly and there was actually snow melting on the roads on my way to Miller-tron this afternoon. Perhaps it wasn't the sun but chemicals? Whatever, the sun shined brightly and people seemed happy for it. It would have been down-right terrible if it hadn't shined. As it was, the temp was still in the low to mid 20's , if that. But, here's the good news. Our January thaw is coming next week! Upper 30's, 40's are being talked about! Hallelujah!

This particular shot was taken in the a.m. this week on my way to work...

Mindrelic

Daughter Catherine posted this video a few weeks back in her blog, where I enjoyed it very much. I like the music, and as a photography nut, I enjoy the camera work, which I find pretty amazing....Enjoy!!
(don't be afraid to click up from 720dpi to 1080, down on the four arrows in the lower-right corner..) The HD is pretty amazing!!

no wind this morning.....

Okay. Who out there remembers when this windmill was in operation? Come on, don't all answer at once. Show of hands please.... One. Two. Is that all? It has been obviously quite some time since this old girl made a last go-round. Actually it really wasn't too long ago, when it still had a few more boards left, which actually did make it spin just a wee bit when the wind would catch them. But as far as spinning to get water up out of the well.....hmmmm, I am going to bet twenty-five, perhaps thirty years have gone bye. Maybe more. I like that the property owner has left it standing. A bit of history, though rusting away, but still speaking to those who take the time to listen.

Indestructible Mailbox

 Here's a way to beat the annual hope your mailbox doesn't get thumped by a snowplow...
encase it in snow!!

No posts

til probably Sunday night, maybe. You all take care now, ya'here?

"Take me out to the ballgame...."

Okay. I admit it. I am getting tired of this winter business. It's supposed to be around zero degrees fahrenheit tonight. Zero. Zip. Nada. Tomorrow is supposed to be much like today, with plenty of sun, just cold. And then surprises among surprises....more snow on Saturday. And Tuesday. Maybe Wednesday too. If I wanted to live in Montana, I'd move there! But some good news is we are gaining two minutes and two seconds of daylight tomorrow alone. Now, that is a positive!




But for some really good news.......


Feb.14, 2011
Voluntary Spring Training reporting date for pitchers, catchers and injured players

FEB. 19, 2011

Voluntary Spring Training reporting date for non-pitchers and catchers

FEB. 26, 2011

Mandatory Spring Training reporting date for all players
Voluntary Spring Training reporting date for pitchers, catchers and injured players




So, I have begun the countdown. Eleven days. Just eleven days, and those who want to go in early, can. And 23 days till full squads report.
Another positive.


Then will come March Madness, a very happy time of the year for this guy. Summer is just around the corner!! And when it gets here, perhaps, just perhaps, I'll head to the big ball yard in the south Bronx, grab a dog and a beer, and sit back and watch C.C. and the boys.

Ahhh. I feel warmer now......

Up on the Roof

"Right smack dab in the middle of town
I've found a paradise that's trouble proof (up on the roof)
And if this world starts getting you down
There's room enough for two
Up on the roof (up on the roof)"
-The Drifters-




Well, normally there's room for two or two hundred. But it is a space where no one is allowed to go. It is the roof over the stores in the shopping center. And if you were unaware, it is basically a flat roof. Well, anyway, tonight I heard a bang from my back room. I went back and found nothing. The I heard a grinding-vibration sound from above my head. Huh? I went to the back door to take a look and just as I opened the door, down came just a whole stream of heavy snow. What is going on?? Then I put two and two together, and realized there were probably men and machines up on the roof attacking the snow buildup. When the snow stopped falling, I dashed out with my camera and caught them in action. There were two men with  snowblowers and about three or four guys with shovels. What with the rain/ sleet event all-day today, on top of all the snow of recent weeks, probably a wise decision by the landlords to remove the weight and protect their property.


Somebody tell the governor that in Sharon, the plaza owners were pro-active, as he requested. I'd just call it real good wisdom.

I hope they don't load it all on my little storage shed. I wouldn't want it to go down. That little place holds all my boxes, and trash, and extra shelves. Maybe they'll clean that too. I just did it about ten days ago myself. Wouldn't know it now...

#383 & #510

Okay. I know I can't really do it, but I went so far as to look it up....

#383---That's Southwest @ 5:10pm tomorrow to Baltimore(BWI) from Hartford (BDL.).
#186---That's Southwest to Orlando from BWI...
They're the only flights not sold out tomorrow on Southwest.....

This is outside our house right now.....

and the storm of the century isn't here yet. It's due in the middle of the night, till Thursday a.m.

I talked with a friend who said she is praying it goes to the ocean. She is a prayer warrior. I pray God's listening....snowstorm's I can deal with. Storms of the century, I want to go to Disney World.....

Hope everyone stays warm and safe.