Hiddenhurst...the residence

A follow-up to last weeks farm shot. Nice place, wouldn't you say?

Maintaining the plantings....

Where there once were lollipops, there has been for many years now a lovely garden, maintained by The Sharon Women's Club. This years planting, to this greenhorn, are just amazing! I go home this way almost every day, just to keep an eye on the beauty of it. Remember just a few months back already and there was snow, and then great tulips, and now all these different plantings. Thank You Sharon Women's Club!  


~I caught a couple of ladies weeding and trimming recently. (A little covertly too!)~

Meet Dexter!

Did I ever tell you I am partial to black labs? I had one for fourteen years during my youth. They are, in my book, just an awesome dog.

My Dad always said a dog was as smart as his owner. I had a smart dog.

Fields of yellow...

Today was, to me, one of the ten most beautiful days of the year. Who was the old weatherman on Marshall's station years of years ago, who always said that such-n-such a day was a ten most beautiful day, and we'd have about twenty-four of those each year? Anyone out there remember?

But back to the main topic......wasn't it g-o-r-g-e-o-u-s today? I do so hope we get some more just like it soon.

Blue Man, errr, boy....

Wanted to get this guy up today too.....

Triple Header!

Blogging....... Some days it's easy, some days it's hard. Today I probably could have had about six themes, but I cut it back to three......

Number One:

Did I mention we have an abundance of rabbits at our house this year?

critters.....




Number Two:
my neighbors just down the road, being quite enterprising I thought, set out to raise some funds for the Little Guild in Cornwall. How neat is that of these young people? Good for them!! So, I stopped bye on my way home and chipped in, and as I pulled away and then looked back to grab a picture, someone else, Ray of Cornwall Electric, stopped and was joining in this worthwhile endeavor! Way to go Mooney Family!

and all this up on Jackson, where there is not a lot of traffic. They'd taken in over $30.00 when I was there to contribute to Little Guild. Awesome!


And Number Three:
Then, a bit later on in the day, I attended an artist's opening at The Sharon Historical Society. Local artist from Sharon, Warren Prindle, had an exhibition of his work, entitled Native Son, A Retrospective. It runs from now until September 8th. Make sure to stop in and enjoy his work, and his talent!

Fog Mountain

"when the fog goes up the mountain, the rains will be coming down in an hour...."
Uncle Donny

They did.

Virage.......

Today I took care of a couple in my store. We had a  nice little visit, they made their purchase and then they went on their way to the farm market for nibbles I presume. While they were gone, I looked out front and here was a car of style of which I had never seen before. From my store, the symbol on the hood looked like that of an Aston Martin, but it was a "big" car, so unlike any Aston I had ever seen before. I have had a bit of a thing for Aston Martin's ever since my childhood, and seeing the DB5 in person multiple times which made itself extremely famous in the James Bond flicks.

So, Al was now there, and I grabbed my camera and went to take a look. Aston Martin sure enough! I went to take a picture, and my camera battery is dead! xkdjfvirejguihjt!!!! So I just was walking around and admiring the car when out came the couple I had moments before sold wine to. I asked if it was their car and indeed it was. The owner told me it was a '91' and it was the last of the hand-made of this model. Hand made. Did I say hand made?

So, no camera to have photos to remember, I came home and Googled™ 91' Aston Martins for kicks and up comes photos of the car I just walked all around and talked with its owners! So, here is what I saw today. The owner said there are many Astons coming in to Troutbeck this weekend, for an annual event. Might just have to find my way down there, with a working camera in hand!

Oh...cost you might ask? More than $240,000 in 1991, and they only made 54. Bet it probably is a bit more valuable today.....but, you never know.

Celebration coming Soon!

As I understand it, there will be a heck-of-a-party @ The Sharon Pharmacy on July 2nd, as they celebrate 50 years in business, all by the same family, The Heacox's.

Congratulations in advance! In this day, what with all the rules and regulations, and forms of competition, making it so tough for the small guy, an amazing feat!

I hope everyone can get a chance to stop by and congratulate the members of the family!

Commencement Address/2011

A friend brought to my attention this morning on Facebook™, a commencement address given by another friend,  Peter Richmond, last week to a near-bye graduating high school. The speaker is a author by occupation, and, well, just a pretty fun guy in my view. I read his speech today and just thought it was well worth the read, and that perhaps more people out there should give it a few moments. So, click on Peter's name above, take ten, and give it a shot. Thanks.

Mutton Hill Flowers

One of many reasons on why I like summer.....

"A Horse is a horse......"

Nope. Not so. This one was in the 2000 Olympics. Not just a horse by any means.

We visited a local horse stable on Friday evening past, and had a great tour, a great host, and a great time. Horses truly are an amazing animal, in many ways. Can't wait to go back again, and hopefully soon!

Day off..

Took a day off from the blog, as I was extremely busy around the house Saturday. I 'll try to get back to normal.

Hiddenhurst Farm(from the North)

How cool is this?

What's that silver thing?

A LIGHTED gear shift knob...How cool is that!

Bet my cousin Bob up in Taconic can relate to some of these shots......

'56' Ford I think...

New Curbs give a bit of an uplift...

Same-old, and less-than half-of-a-tree times three, due to power company pruning...A nice low, trimmed hedge, running through from end to end, or some Rose of Sharon's, pruned nicely? A couple of rhodi's spaced nicely perhaps?

Ventilators

Quiet rainy day...

makes for not much of a post for today.

A button buck was keeping his eyes on me, while his girlfriend was hanging out in the tall grass.(over to the right)

Just a couple of red maples. Nothing special. I just like red maples.

Like I said, not much of a post today.....

Jacquier's Farming in Action

Unfortunately, there is not a lot of farms left in all of our local towns. Fortunately, there is a farm in East Canaan, owned by The Jacquier's, called Laurelbrook Farm, which reflects the national trend of industrial farming. In other words...big business. Over 1,000 cows to feed and milk every day requires vast amounts of food. Pete and his family and workers harvest silage from open land for miles around. Today I caught up with them on Jackson Hill Road, on Austin Jackson's old farmland. This morning, going to work they were just arriving to cut the first cutting. Tonight by 8 pm they had it all cut, wind-rowed, loaded into 18 wheel trailers and hauled away. Sometimes they store silage in Amenia Union, and truck it to East Canaan later when they have time and need it. I'm not sure where todays went, but the fact in less than 12 hours they cleared all of Austin's old fields of all the first cutting.....wow! I guess time is money, and boy they made time count today. I feel sure they are off readying for another cutting as I type @ 10pm. With rain forecast, they probably won't cut tonight unless they know they can get it in before the rain gets here. Amazing business. Amazing family.

Here is a whole series of the progression from one truck leaving loaded, to another pulling in and loading immediately. Not a wasted second.

New Mailboxes..

Winters are tough on lots of things. One that you tend to forget about is mailboxes. Today I was wearing numerous hats for house chores and I needed to fix a leaking bathroom sink. I found I needed parts, so I went to my plumbers house and got a new kit, and on the way back, I ran into my neighbor Jim out building a new setup for his and two neighbors mail boxes.

Now, Jim probably wouldn't pose alongside his project, so I snuck one using my outside mirror on my truck. Gotcha Jimmy!

Got the sink problem fixed, and dug about a 150' ditch, 6-8" deep. Put sand in the bottom, laid in a new cable, covered it in sand, then topsoil, and then raked it off and its ready for seed. Some piles of rocks and turf to clean up and then it's done. Comcast can come hook up the two ends, and our signal will be stronger in the house. My family is teasing me....want some Tylenol™? Going to the chiropractor tomorrow? Ha-Ha!    (maybe)

Meow.

Anybody into cats? Go down the Town Hall and see the photos on display. One thing though.....leave your dog in the car. He might get paranoid......

Re-union

 Each year, about this time, the folks up at Hotchkiss throw a little party. Reunion weekend. All was quiet as far as alumni arriving when I was up there shorty after noon today. Things were abuzz though as last minute work was readying things all over campus. There was one big problem facing them though. No power. They said they were told it might be back by midnight. I saw a former NU supervisor later this afternoon and he said no way. Hope he's wrong.

I hope their quest for flashlights in gross was successful in Torrington. 650 people wandering around in dark dormitories will be quite an experience. Sounds like a reunion they'll remember for years. Reunions happen each and every year, but alumni can only go every five years after their graduation. My kids will be there next year, as Cat will be five out and Drew ten already. I think I'm going to leave town that weekend next year. I don't want to know.   :)

Main Gate

Went over to Miller-tron tonight for a bit and there were many cars on the lawns, so they're starting to come in. If you find yourself up that way tomorrow, watch out for visitors crossing roads in droves. May be a bit crazy..... I hope the weather holds for them.

Storms hit the corner...again.(actually the whole state)

It was a a scary afternoon in our corner of the world today. Storms moved in from the west-northwest and swept thru south and easterly. Trees were downed, and branches galore in different areas. And of course the power went along with that too. I hope no one got hurt.

Tomorrow is supposed to be a better day. Lets hope so.