Halloween will soon be here.

~and the best part about that is that it means it will soon be over! Personally I do not care for Halloween, in a way, shape or form. With that said, my next-door business neighbors, The Sharon Pharmacy, is known as Halloween Headquarters. Today, while minding my biz, I looked out front and two really strange characters were out roaming about. If they show up at your house in the coming days, I'd lock the door for sure......  :)

Maybe the snowstorm tomorrow will drive the monsters back into their caves for another year!

Town Line changes..

August 23rd and October 23rd..........just a wee bit of difference, wouldn't ya say?

It's a "guy" thing...

First things first...hopefully, I am now back on schedule. Sorry for the mix-up to those who are kind enough to follow daily. I found numerous subjects yesterday morning so I think I'm good to go again for a bit.


Second. Today's post. It is a crane, which was just raised and is being used this week at the early stages of the construction of the new "green energy" heating plant, now under construction at The Hotchkiss School in nearby Lakeville, Ct. Kind-of a guy thing, I know. It has all kinds of counter-balance, as can be witnessed in this picture. The crane is operated by a guy walking around with a little joy stick on the job. The power is from an electric motor, which is run by a very small, quiet Honda generator. How cool is that? No big monstrosity of a diesel fume-throwing machine thus far, other than the excavators which dug the hole.


I am told the plant will burn wood chips for its energy source, and burn them so cleanly that it truly will be amazing. A case of Hotchkiss investing their money, and doing something really good for the environment,  and for all of us. 


Applause, applause!

Long day on Monday....

So last night I had a monthly church meeting which ran extremely long, and when I got home, I just crawled into bed and called it a day. Thus, no posting was done Monday evening. I also need to thank my daughter who correctly said I had done a post on The Black Goose already, and yesterdays was pretty much a re-do.. Oops!  I forgot! Sorry. But thank you Cat for having a good memory and alerting me. So with all that said, I'll throw up this little picture from recent days and say we'll try and do better tomorrow....

Breakfast....and more...in Sharon!

This offering is a bit overdue, but I wanted to get it out there. No longer (thankfully) is there not a place for a little breakfast, lunch or dinner in Sharon.  The Black Goose is  open! There has for years been the gas station coffee and Hostess snacks for breakfast at minusmart. Then last year the Farm Market opened, and there was a place for a bagel and an egg sandwich ( which I must admit is awesome!--from Jam). But this summer the Black Goose Grill opened in  the old Twin Oaks location in the plaza. Breakfast and lunch: served Tuesday through Sunday. Suppers: Wednesday through Saturday. Closed: obviously Mondays.


My review: Bob and his staff are working hard to make an affordable stop in Sharon. I enjoy their short stack of pancakes and a cup of coffee for about $5.60 or so. I think that is a good deal. Suits me anyway.. The regular menu has nothing I don't think priced over $10.50, and that's is a pretty large variety for that price range. In addition, they are doing specials on a large blackboard for supper that seems to range from $10.95 to about $15.00 if my memory serves me correctly. In this day and age, that's almost verges on amazing...


I think Sharon is indeed fortunate in this economy to have, first off, someone willing to take a chance on opening a restaurant, and then secondly, making it as affordable as they have. I hope others feel as I do, and that we ALL need to support them as best we can, when we can, for it sure is nice to have them there. Driving somewhere else to get a meal is no longer a necessity, and for that I am thankful.


So welcome to Bob and his crew. Thank you for trusting in us. I hope we show that trust back to you, so you can be here a long, long time.

What's up with dropping foliage anyways?

Why is, do you suppose, that some trees drop their leaves from the bottom branches up first. and others drop them from the top down first, like the one pictured here? This particular tree is out in the open, so it's getting plenty of light from all sides, so I wonder if light matters?  Guess I'll need to ask the Tree Doctor.

Birds of feather, flock together

Those noisy critters from the north are starting to do their thing in recent weeks, so I guess that is just another sign to keep doing the annual fall chores. Gutters, leaves, storm doors, lawn furniture to the shed, firewood to the porch, shut off the outside faucets, posts to line the driveways, surely I must be forgetting something! 


Oh well. If you're going to live in New England, well, you just have to expect it. Tis' part of the game.

Evening sky Oct. 20, 2011

Clouds rolling in from the northwest, and the butternut trees are bare already.....not sure if that is a good or bad sign.....

Removing Wallpaper.....Yuck!

I took this afternoon off from work at the store to continue work at the house. I am working on our living room. Currently, todays schedule was to finish about 3/4 of the rooms wallpaper removal and ripping up the other half of the carpet, under-pad, carpet cleats, and get it out and in the truck, ready for the dump tomorrow morning. With the help of my wallpaper steamer, I can say, it's done! Phew! Stripping wallpaper I rate right up there with digging a ditch with a hand shovel. Uggh. Anyway, it's done. Thank heavens....


In lieu of photo's of great interest, I am going to give a plug. If you are ever in Brunswick, Maine, I highly recommend The Lion's Pride Pub. Their food is awesome, and the feature 35 beers on tap, and none of the Coors Light/Bud Light varietals. The good stuff only. If your in the neighborhood, check'em out! I mentioned this on FB last week, and a friend who frequents Maine on business is planning on going there soon. You never know!

These steeples.......

Well last year The Sharon Congregational Church steeple went through a major repaint and some carpentry repairs. That work, which happens to be up over one hundred feet in the air at the tip was a very expensive project. Very thankfully, funds were raised and the work was completed. This year, the work has moved south about a hundred yards. The Episcopal Church steeple has been removed this past spring. Their project involves far more than paint. Much of the steeple needs to be rebuilt, from its strong, large beams inside to the outside skin. Fundraising is just getting started I am told, and it will be expensive. Maybe some kind person of extreme "fluidity" will come forward. I hope so. The church just looks so unfinished without its customary steeple.

Substitute or Guest Star?

When my parents went on their getaway to Maine, I added myself (with my father's permission of course...HA) as a contributor to his blog so whenever he doesn't have the chance to post I can keep it updated. But I'm not content with being just a fill-in; I'm taking on the role of "guest star". (Which, by my own definition, means I can write about my own silliness.)

SO, since things have been fairly exciting for me the past few weekends, I thought I would quickly mention some of the fun things in the NWC that I have been lucky enough to partake in. Columbus Day weekend was a big weekend for everyone, not only because it was a long weekend but also because it seemed to be the last hooray in terms of summer weather. The endless weeks of WET have really taken a toll. Gardens, fields, and crops were not the only things that have been drenched. People's attitudes seemed to be too! But those few extraordinarily gorgeous days really seemed to brings some smiles to match the sunny weather. :) 

One of the many events that weekend was the Salisbury Fall Festival . An all weekend event, many local businesses, clubs, groups, churches got involved and had wonderful pancake breakfasts, scarecrow contests, etc. One event that I partook in was the 2nd Annual Hotchkiss Bearcat 5K to benefit the Housatonic Youth Service Bureau. I could not have asked for a more beautiful day nor more beautiful scenery! Ran on the Hotchkiss Cross Country course, the 5K brought back many memories of training on different sections...some better than others (anyone who knows "Cardiac Hill" will know what I'm talking about!). Not only was the run great, but it really was for a great organization. Nancy Vaughn, the director, said that they had more than 100 more participants than last year! With a fun run, 1K and 5K there was something for everyone. Here are the results. [Disclaimer: Despite the amazing weekend, I still managed to develop Lyme Disease and felt progressively more crumby. I finally got diagnosed on Tuesday and spent the next day in bed! Not that my times would have been that much better...but it might be a factor :)] 

Annual Rite

Can't be a fall without a picture of the maple tree in Tom Bartram's yard on Low Road. Sure glad I don't have to rake up all those leaves! What am I talking about? I built our house in the woods. We have more leaves than Carter has pills........

Hidden Messages

So in 1987 we started building our house in early April. In February of 1988 we moved in. Tonight I started stripping the wallpaper in the living room, which is the original, and removing the carpeting. It was time. (actually about five years ago was time, but it takes time!) Anyways, under the paper, on the wall I started on, I found a secret hidden message, in my own handwriting.

If you're wondering, the Yankees didn't make it. Oakland did and was beat by the L.A. Dodgers, and Kirk Gibson hit those home runs which live on in Sportscenter™ highlights forever....


(Yes Cat......no apostrophe in Yankees...I'm learning.....slowly)

Mitcheltown Bridge Repairs....

Just curious.... I know that Mayor Bob removed himself from the discussion as he is a neighboring landowner, which I guess makes sense. The last I heard the other selectmen were to meet with the landowner on getting a go-ahead to get going on repair of this road bridge/culvert/whatever..... This goes back about three/four years now doesn't it? What is the problem here really?

Moody's Diner

Saturday night past found us heading south on Rt.1 from Rockland towards Bath and on to Brunswick. When we got to Waldoboro, I pulled the car into Moody's Diner. We got there about 5: 45 pm, and walked in and we were seated at a booth in about one minute. If we'd walked in at 5:50, we would have been waiting for thirty minutes or more! Wow, do the folks go here! And they have been going since 1927! I enjoyed the nostalgia of it all, and the desserts were yummy. My meal was okay, but nothing to brag about, as was my wife's. Our friends did enjoy their meals, so maybe we were just expecting more? Whatever. I am glad we stopped, and I will try it again the next time I am in the neighborhood. If you're going through, give it a try would be my suggestion.

click on and read about this landmark

LIFESTAR

How to get rid of leaves...quickly!

and water as well.....

There are many things I love about our town, and state. One of the businesses I absolutely love is LIFESTAR Air Ambulance Service, based at Hartford Hospital in Hartford. The ability that they present to possibly leave Hartford within seven or eight minutes of a call, travel in another eight to ten minutes and be on the ground at Sharon Hospital is awesome. They as well can go directly to the scenes of serious calls where faster transportation to better equipped facilities is necessary, another tremendous advantage. This service has resulted in I am sure, hundreds, if not thousands, of possibly saved lives, or improved lives because of that ability of quick transport to a better equipped facility. Their video says twenty-five years and twenty-four thousand calls.......wow!


Thank you LIFESTAR, Hartford Hospital, and the state for funding such a valuable program.

Marshall Point Lighthouse

As many of you are by now aware, we got out-of-town last weekend, and saw some new sights (to us) in Maine. This one is of The Marshall Point Lighthouse in Port Clyde, Me. Many of you may recognize it from it twelve seconds or so of fame in the "Forrest Gump" movie....... enjoyed my stop here very much, and highly recommend it!

UPDATE

We interrupt this blog with an urgent message -- 

RICK IS MISSING.

Sharon, CT -- As of midday Friday, Rick was no longer in the NWC. Sources close to him say he may have escaped up to Maine with his wife and two close family friends for the holiday weekend. Currently their whereabouts are unknown. Anyone with information is urged to contact the authorities. 

Ok, so he's not missing. But for those who are curious, Mom, Dad and some friends went on their second annual Columbus Day trip to Maine this weekend. The long weekend conveniently falls close to my mother's birthday so as a present, they have made it a habit of taking a well deserved mini-vacation to their (second) favorite state. Although Maine is lovely in the summer, there is really something to be said about taking slow walks by the water with your hands warm in your pockets and a scarf wrapped around your neck. I'm convinced the cool air makes the clam chowder and fresh blueberry muffins taste that much better, too. 

I'm really glad they have the chance to get away for the weekend. Not only to take a break from the daily humdrum of life but also to get the chance to do things as a couple. It's been many many years since they were just two, so I'm happy they have the opportunity to revisit some of those experiences again. 

(Now time for the obligatory Maine photo)

For those of you who get tired of my dad's constant stream of amazingly beautiful pictures taken with his fancy-schmancy camera, here's what my iPhone can do...

Introducing....

Rick's Reserve Red

I made the decision about six weeks back to sell at our store a private label wine. The big kicker with that....it is my own label with my name on it! It took a bit to get things together but last Friday I put on sale for the first time in Sharon, Rick's Reserve Red. It is a red wine made from the pinot noir grape. These grapes are grown in California, and shipped to The Millbrook Vineyard in Millbrook, New York. There it is made into wine and bottled and marketed. This wine is only used for their private label offerings.


I took the pictures (obviously) for the label and our son wrote the little note on the back of the bottle, so it really is a family-involved deal. I have an opening introductory price of $11.99, which is a steal!


I sort-of guessed that the initial sales would be somewhat good, due to the town clock picture and all, but I worried about that second sale....I want to assure you......there is nice wine in the bottle and repeat sales are happening every day! Comments have been overwhelmingly positive! The one I did get that wasn't too positive was just that they didn't really care for this style, that they like a more hearty red. That's fine.


So, if you're perhaps in the need for a bottle of red, with a hometown feel to it, or need to bring a gift or have a gift for someone, I feel really good about presenting this red wine as an option for all to consider.

Steve Jobs

My son, at a very young age, taught me about this thing called an Apple Computer™. We owned numerous Apple computers as a family, then Apple Computers became Macintosh and then eventually just plain Mac's. My kids grew up with them, so I guess I did too. They started in grammar school and went through college and law school, and in their personal lives. I have used them strictly in my business endeavors, and here at home.


Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak founded Apple. Steve Jobs took the company and turned it into what it is today, through his visions and leadership. Apple changed the world of computers. And then they changed the world of listening to music with iPods. And then they changed the music shopping world with iTunes. And then, there came the iPhone, the King of Smartphones. And then, along came the iPad.


Steve Jobs died today. I didn't know Steve Jobs other than through news and readings throughout the years. But I can't help but feel that the world lost a true visionary, as my friend David said just this evening on his Facebook™ account. His efforts have affected so much of my families lives thus far. One company, led by one individual, has had such an effect on our world. 


Rest in Peace Mr. Jobs. Thank you for all that you have given the world. In my family, you will never be forgotten. My condolences to his wife and children.

'32' Desoto

"if I were a rich man......yada-deedle...... "


     Many of you know I am a bit of a gear-head, having a love for many types, styles and ages of cars. I like some brand new models, and I like some mighty old ones. Yesterday, I think I saw one of the prettiest I have seen in years. Years! Dr. John Downey of Sharon, a good friend and neighbor, has had local car builder, restorer, aficionado Chris Coons working for more than three years off and on on his '32' Desoto. Without a doubt, totally neat. Totally.

Still looking up.....

I've been making comments for weeks now, from time-to-time, telling you all to "look up"...... A friend with a large tract of private land lets me come take pics whenever I want, of which I am quite thankful. It usually about amazing skies, super sunsets, or rainbows or all kinds of wildlife. Last week I visited one late afternoon and a funny thing happened. When I left town, the sky was clear and I thought from up on his land it would be a magnificent afternoon for some clear shots. I still have not figured out where the clouds came from. So, when I got there and saw the clouds I was disappointed and wasn't thinking I would have a good shot. But lo and behold, when I got home, I was very pleasantly surprised with this and other similar shots. Why, or how, the sun blurred up the way it did....no idea. But you know what....I'll take it! So I'll keep saying....Look Up!


Hope I'm not boring you all with these sky shots....

and now, for something totally different...

Well, today I saw something happen in Sharon, which I have never seen done before in Sharon. That doesn't mean it never happened before, I just have never been witness to it happening. The Sharon Ecumenical Clergy Council had a Blessing of the Animals on the Green in front of Town Hall. Attending were Father Fador from St. Bernard's, Rev. Kim from Sharon Methodist, Rev. Ryan and Guerrera from Sharon Congregational and Rev. Widing from The Episcopal Church.


So, the churches were all represented, and there were lots of folks from I believe all of the denominations there, with their dogs and cats, in all shapes and sizes (no goats or pigs or snakes--thank heavens, for I'd been outta there!!!)). During my time there, the clergy went around and said a blessing for each and every pet there. It really was quite touching and I left feeling quite happy for all who partook, especially for the really young, whom I felt paid very close attention. There was one dog there who would fit in a bread box with lots of room to spare. There also was a number of B-I-G dogs there. I hope the little guy wasn't breakfast or a snack for one of the big guys..........

Pastor Ryan

Rev. Kim with an attentive audience!

Rev. Guerrera has her hands full!

Rev. Widing giving a blessing..

Father Fador and Rev. Guerrera, Janice and Torey