Adirondack Family Time™

By Diane Chase The first and only time we have seen author Joseph Bruchac and his musician son Jesse perform was at the Old Forge Adirondack Storytelling Festival at the McCauley Mountain Chalet. It was a riveting mix of music and Native American storytelling. My children have checked out plenty of Bruchac books from the school library and a few more line our shelves at home. Joseph (Joe) Bruchac has written over 70 books for children and adults as well as poetry, short stories, music and anthologies. The theme throughout is his strong tie to his Abenaki culture.

By Diane Chase We have all heard about the local food movement but what about the local investment movement? What would happen if we invested 1% into a local business rather than sending our money to large corporations or overseas? In the Adirondacks there are plenty of people with great ideas that lack the capital to grow their business. As more and more people attempt to eat locally, can we take it one step further and start investing with that same 50-mile range? Author Amy Cortese writes about investing in businesses 50 miles or less from your home in her book,  Locavesting: The Revolution in Local Investing and How to Profit from It."  Some of the greatest examples she found of local stock markets and local investing was in the town of Hardwick, VT where business owners went to local investors to solve cash flow issues when businesses started to grow too fast The  Saranac Lake Community Store  is one such group investment effort and I am sure there are others in the

Dar Williams at the Indian Lake Theater August 12 at 8:00 p.m.  American singer-songwriter Dar Williams visits the Adirondacks to perform this Friday at the Indian Lake Theater in Indian Lake, NY. A favorite among the adult-alternative set, Dar Williams has a unique voice that can dance from lyrical and ethereal to playful and gritty. Her lyrics are funny and sharp while they deal thoughtful insight into life. Williams has been described as a synthesis of the Indigo Girls, Joni Mitchell and Joan Baez.  Tickets are almost gone, so reserve your seats now by calling (518) 352-7715. $35 (members of Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts) $25/general admission © Diane Chase, author of Adirondack Family Time: Tri-Lakes (Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, Tupper Lake and High Peaks: Your Four-Season Guide to Over 300 Activities with GPS Coordinates  available online or bookstores/museums July 2011. Diane is currently working on the second guidebook in the four-book series of Adirondack Family A

One of the greatest privileges in visiting and living in the Adirondack Park is being able to swim in all the natural swimming holes, pools and ponds. Swimming in ponds and streams can be tricky with small children but not impossible. Being able to go for a refreshing dip in a natural setting is worth a few precautions. Though it is a fun family activity there are a few things to remember before you go. The first rule is to never swim in springtime when the water is at its swiftest from recent snowmelt and mountain runoff. Each year there are incidences where people of all ages believe that they can outwit Mother Nature and battle the strong currents. Even expert swimmers have been known to drown during these rough, unpredicible times.

By Diane Chase My children can spend hours scouring the countryside for grasshoppers... or are they crickets? Well, it would depend on what time of the day it is. Here are just a few quick facts to help tell the difference.

Adirondack Animal Land Adirondack Animal Land is a 80 acre privately owned zoo. Located  3554 State Highway 30, Gloversville, NY 12078. From Lake George take 87 south to Exit 15 and follow Route 29w to 30N, following signs to Adirondack Animal Land.  

By Diane Chase Did you know that Gypsy Moths were introduced in the United States as a failed attempt at creating a silk industry similar to the silkworm? The Gypsy moth was brought from Europe to Massachusetts in 1869 by Leopold Trouvelot in attempt to breed the moths for silk production. A few escaped and now the moths defoliate trees from east to west coasts of the United States. Well, Mother Nature is trying to trip my apple growing by first giving that cute fawn apple leaves to nibble upon and now a bout with tent caterpillars. So what is the difference between the Eastern Tent Caterpillar, Forest Tent Caterpillar and the Gypsy Moth?  Eastern Ten Caterpillar "tent" The Eastern Tent Caterpillar • black heads, light brown body with hairs with a white stripe. • Light stripe down its back bordered with brown and black wavy stripes on either side  There are a series of blue and black dots along the length of the body • Length - about 2 to 2 1/2 inches • The

By Diane Chase For the 2 nd  year Amusements of America will be coming to Tupper Lake between stops at the Saratoga and Franklin County Fair. In case anyone is wondering about these traveling fairs, Saratoga County Fair (held in Ballston Spa) is one of the oldest fairs in New York State and still organized by the Saratoga Agricultural Society while the Franklin County Fair (held in Malone) is run by the Franklin County Agricultural Society and has continued to provide this annual event for over 150 years. Now the Tupper Lake Lions Club has gotten into the carnival game. From July 27-31 at the Tupper Lake Municipal Park there will be an assortment of carnival rides for children of all ages, from rides for small children to something the parents can share like the Ferris wheel, merry-go-round or the “dizzy dragon.” I can’t tell you what the last one is because when I spoke with Maurice from Amusements of America it sounded like he was on the Ferris Wheel at Saratoga County Fair. He ass

By Diane Chase There is always a lot of conversation about invasive species in the Adirondack Park. These prolific plants, animals and insect crowd out native plants. Purple Loosestrife is a hardy perennial that was brought to North American by settlers as early as the 1800s as a  medicinal plant to treat such ailments as ulcers, diarrhea, and dysentery.   Without a natural predator the plant chokes out native wetland plants (especially cattails) How does it affect other plants?  1) Its rootball grows in a tangled mass that chokes out other native plants. 2) A single plant can produce as many as 3 million tiny seeds. 3) It is aggressive and grows by root and seed making it nearly impossible to eradicate. What eats Purple Loosetrife?  The golden loosestrife beetle (Galerucella pusilla) is being introduced into the Adirondack Park in hopes to help control this wetland invasive. Thankfully extensive research shows that the beetle will not become a different issue to deal wit

FRIDAY ADIRONDACK FARMERS' MARKETS ESSEX COUNTY Elizabethtown - Behind the Adirondack History Center Museum.  Adirondack Farmers' Market    Fridays, June through October, 9 am-1 pm HERKIMER COUNTY Old Forge - Park Ave., behind the Old Forge Hardware Store Fridays, June - October  3-6 pm WARREN COUNTY Warrensburgh - Warrensburgh Mills historic district, River Street (NYS Rte. 418) near Curtis Lumber. Fridays, May through October  3 -6 pm Bolton Landing - Behind Town Hall Fridays: June - September 9 am - 2 pm 

Ebony Jewelwing Adirondacks For Kids: Be a Bug Detective while you are playing outside or along a nature hike and look for this damselfly known for its bright body and black wings. It can be seen buzzing about usually during the summer months of July and August.  The Ebony Jewelwing is a type of damselfly. This bug eats large quantities of aphids, flies, mosquitos and other insects! Just the type of outdoor friend we like to have. Not only is this little creature beautiful but very helpful.  That said, it also is a meal for birds, dragonflies and bats. Well, we all can't be at the top of the food chain. 

Thursday Adirondack Farmers’ Markets Clinton County CVPH Plattsburgh Thursday - 75 Beekman Street,  Thursdays, June - September  11am - 2 pm  Essex County Willsboro - Across from the old Mountain View restaurant on Rte. 22. Thursdays, June through September 9 am-1 pm Hamilton County Long Lake - Corner of Rte. 30 and South Hill Road across from post office. Thursdays, June through September 10 am -2 pm   Speculator - Located at the pavilion in Speculator Thursdays, June through September 3-6 pm  Warren County North Creek - Next to the train on the Hudson River on Railroad Place. northcreekfarmersmarket.com
 Thursdays, June through October 2-6 pm  Diane Chase is the author of Adirondack Family Time: Tri-Lakes & High Peaks (Your Four-Season Guide to Over 300 Activities) 

Loon Lake Live! is a FREE classical chamber music and interactive series that continues to bring beautiful music to the Adirondack High Peaks area. Situated in Loon Lake in Franklin County, New York.  These professional musician want to share their love of music with the North Country.  This is the 15th season for Loon Lake Live!. Enjoy one or all of the various concerts that will take place around Loon Lake, Saranac Lake and Lake Placid this summer.  Loon Lake Live!  2011 - Our 15th Season Concert Set 1: Location and DateSunday 7/24, 7:30 pm Loon Lake Jewish Center Monday 7/25, 7:30 pm John Black Memorial Room Historic Saranac Lake Laboratory 89 Church St., Saranac Lake PerformersStephen Redfield, violin Aaron Packard, violin Catherine Beeson, viola Lori Lax, viola Sara Fierer, cello Debra Sherrill, french horn