Adirondack Family Time™

© Diane Chase is the author of the Adirondack Family Activities™ guidebook series, Adirondack Family Time™, which is available online or bookstores/museums/sporting good stores. Diane is currently working on the third guidebook in the four-book series of Adirondack Family Activities™.

The Whiteface Mountain Summit Weather Observatory, part of the State of New York Atmospheric Sciences Research Center University at Albany has the current summit weather.  Today: 1/24/13 it is a chilly -20F with a wind speed of 36 MPH! © Diane Chase is the author of the Adirondack Family Activities™ guidebook series, Adirondack Family Time™, which is available online or bookstores/museums/sporting good stores. Diane is currently working on the third guidebook in the four-book series of Adirondack Family Activities™.

Eastern Hemlock Scientific Name:  Tsuga canadensis Family Name  (Scientific and Common): Pinaceae Continent of Origin:  North America Did you know?  The Eastern hemlock is Pennsylvania's state tree! The needles and bark have been used for medicinal purposes in folk and Native American medicines. The needles have low doses of Vitamin C and the tannins in the bark*  *please do not self diagnose. Please go to a medical professional for advice in treating any of the conditions listed below.  Medicinal Purposes* Needles used as a tea or tincture: Kidney ailments, rheumatism, colds, and coughs, Bark has been used in a tea to treat colds, fevers, diarrhea, coughs, and even scurvy. It has astringent properties for skin conditions and a poultice has been used to treat wounds in wilderness first aid. • T he Eastern Hemlock is a woody tree that can live for over 800 years and be over 75' tall and 25' spread at maturity • The bark contains tannins tha

Get your school or non-profit involved.  Earn money and help eliminate waste! TerraCycle is on a mission to eliminate the idea of waste. Each waste collection programs (each one is called a “Brigade”) for previously non-recyclable, or difficult-to-recycle, waste. The collected waste is then converted into new products, ranging from recycled park benches to upcycled backpacks. Select Your Waste To get started, simply sign up and join a Brigade program for which you want to collect. There are currently more than  40 Brigade programs  that range from food packaging (like drink pouches and candy wrappers) to office supplies (like pens and tape dispensers) to personal products (like cosmetic, beauty and diaper packaging). You can join as many Brigade programs as you like. Collect and Send

The Red Dot Trail in Paul Smiths, NY is an easy multi-trail system that connects to the Jackrabbit Trail, near the Paul Smith's College VIC. Either cross-country (XC-ski) or snowshoe during the winter. Be careful, nearby Osgood Pond does not always freeze.  Follow the clearly marked trail. Either cross the bridge over the canal or continue to Little Osgood Pond. There are two lean-to along the trail with a variety of conditions. There are some hills as the trail follows an esker that overlooks Osgood Pond.

Trumpet honeysuckle ( L. sempervirens )   is a native plant DID YOU KNOW? Native Adirondack honeysuckle to look for are: American fly-honeysuckle  ( Lonicera canadensis ) and  Limber honeysuckle  ( Lonicera dioica) and   Northern bush-honeysuckle ( Diervilla lonicera ), Wetland area honeysuckles : Mountain fly-honeysuckl e ( L. villosa ) and Swamp fly-honeysuckl e ( L. oblongifolia ) Native vines:  Trumpet honeysuckle ( L. sempervirens ) and Hairy honeysuckle ( L. hirsuta ) How to tell the difference? Invasive honeysuckle have hollow stems while the Adirondack natives have solid stems . Non-native are larger and more vigorous than the Adirondack honeysuckles.

The  Saratoga Arts Center in Saratoga Springs  has released in 2013  Fine Art Classes for Everybod y program.  There are Open Studio to Basic Drawing classes available. Don't forget to enroll children in the School Break Camps .  School Break Camps are full week programs in theatre and visual arts for children ages 5-14. There are two sessions, February 18-22 and April 1-5. 

2013 Public Skating Schedule Glens Falls Recreation Center, Fire Road, Glens Falls Hours are subject to change or cancellation *   For weekly updates call 518- 761-3855 Admission is Free

HAPPY NEW YEAR!  PLEASE BE SAFE AND REMEMBER  WE ALL CARRY PRECIOUS CARGO TODAY AND EVERYDAY!  (So keep those highways and roads safe and don't forget your designated driver!)

First Night Saranac Lake is just around the corner with exciting events,  spoken poetry, live music, comedy and magic. Come watch the snowflake ball watch and fireworks at midnight! Happy New Year from the Adirondacks!   to print a schedule, click here !  Buttons are $12 for adults and can be purchased starting in Mid-November at : Ampersound Music, Price Chopper Supermarket (Lake Placid), Books & Baskets, Blueline Sports, ADK Daily Enterprise, Saranac Lake Chamber of Commerce, and the Lake Placid Visitor Bureau. Children 12 & under are FREE. All button sales are final. © Diane Chase is the author of the Adirondack Family Activities™ guidebook series, Adirondack Family Time™, which is available online or bookstores/museums/sporting good stores. Diane is currently working on the third guidebook in the four-book series of Adirondack Family Activities™.

MERRY CHRISTMAS from everyone at  Adirondack Family Time (Diane, Tyler, Sawyer and Lisse Chase)

According to a press release from the National PTA, when school resumes for Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, CT ,  in the wake of last Friday’s school shootin g, students  will be in a new building. Parents and volunteers are working to ensure that the students are welcomed back by a winter wonderland with the entire school decorated with as many unique snowflakes as possible. The National PTA reports that an effort is under way to cheer the Sandy Hook Elementary students when they resume instruction. They are asking everyone to make snowflakes or to donate change in support of the Sandy Hook PTSA. Be as creative as possible, no two snowflakes are alike!  Please send snowflakes by January 12, 2013 to: Connecticut PTSA 60 Connolly Parkway Building 12, Suite 103 Hamden, CT 06514 The National PTA met with PTA leaders of all of the schools in Newtown, Conn., including the Sandy Hook PTA, as well as community leaders who requested the group’s help in supporting th

Adirondack Park Zipcode Areas. Search and find where the next Zip Code Meets Date will be around the Adirondack Park!