Posts

Saranac Lake: Bass Season Opens with Father’s Day Fishing Derby

Image
Father’s Day is just around the corner, June 21, and the Saranac Lake Fish and Game Club wants to get all anglers under the age of 16 on the water with their father. This year the event coincides with the opening of Bass Season . The rules are simple. Participants are expected to demonstrate good sportsmanship and respect for other people. The purpose of the free event is to get people outside, to enjoy the morning and have fun together.  I contacted members of the Fish and Game Club and started quite a discussion on the exact number of years that the annual Father’s Day Fishing Derby has been taking place. The general consensus is that this annual event has provided almost 30 years of fun competition for children. The Father's Day Fishing Derby will be held from 8 a.m. to noon on Lake Colby and is open to all children fifteen years and under, who don’t require a fishing license. Registration is at the Lake Colby Beach prior to fishing that morning.  There are five

Paint and Sip in the Adirondacks

Image
Usually I keep my art and my wine as separate events, but now there are plenty of opportunities for me to get my creative juices flowing paired with a glass of fine wine. In the Adirondacks and just outside the Blue Line there are various art organizations and dedicated businesses that encouraging all of us to dig deep for our inner artist and bring her/him along to an evening of "Paint and Sip." Combining painting a canvas among a group of friends with the commoraderie that comes with a few glasses of wine has no definitive history, but one southern artist,Wendy LoVoy, started offering an art instruction class  in 2004 which has now evolved into the Birmingham, Alabama home of Sips n Strokes, Inc.  Since that time other companies have franchised spreading the good fun across the nation.  One such company,  Painting with a Twist,  formed its earliest roots during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Formerly called Corks and Canvas , Painting with a Twist has built an emp

Keep Children Head Safe with Free Bike Helmets at the Bicycle Rodeo

Image
I wonder sometimes if I’m the only parent that thinks her children are hardheaded. My kids can be sassy and sweet then rapid fire my words back to me in one-line quips. I realize they get tired of “Safety Mom” and the other titles they so eloquently bestow upon me. The bottom line is as stubborn as they can something be, their heads are not truly hard. So to make sure children’s noggins stay safe numerous organizations in Saranac Lake and Tupper Lake have joined together to host their annual Bicycle Rodeos.  The Saranac Lake event takes place June 6 from 10 am – noon at the SL Civic Center, 22 Ampersand Ave while the Tupper Lake rodeo will be held June 13 from 10 am to 2 pm at LP Quinn School, Hosley Ave. The schedules of the two activities are similar with free bike obstacle course, bike raffle, free helmets, refreshments and bike repairs. Tupper Lake will also host Flutterbug the Clown, face painting, a bounce house and other games.  

Learn About Group Solar Discounts at Solarize the Tri-Lakes

Image
There are people in the Adirondacks that live off-grid. There is a misconception that those people are living a radical life of self-imposed hardship. Though certainly there are people that want to live a rustic life, going solar doesn't have to mean giving up the amenities. I like my electricity and the gadgets it powers up. I'd go so far as say I love electricity and the ability to turn on lights, use this computer and watch a television show. I also love the idea that I have the opportunity to harness my energy from the very sun that is drying my clothes right now. The issue for me has always been money and the fact that our old house is a drafty bit of business. A kick-off program called " Solarize the Tri-Lakes" is being initiated tonight, June 4,  in Saranac Lake at the Saranac Lake High School. The 6:30- 8 pm event is free and open to the public. The concept is simple, to bring people together in hopes that a solar network can be created. Shared solar se

An Easy Adirondack Walk and Views of Lake Champlain at the Champlain Memorial Lighthouse

Image
By Diane Chase There is something special about having alone time with my daughter. It gets even better now that she branches out beyond the princess -themed play to climb, fish, or catch something. This time we are explores searching for new lands. We may not discover unchartered territory in our Adirondack Coast tour but we will tread on the lands discovered over 400 years ago by Samuel de Champlain. The Champlain Memorial Lighthouse sits on the edge of what is now the Crown Point Public Campground. It overlooks Vermont and sits surrounded by land that witnessed battles and forts. Originally constructed in 1858, the Champlain Memorial Lighthouse is a statement to the States of New York and Vermont and the Province of Quebec who worked together to reconstruct this monument as a testament to explorer Samuel de Champlain.

Bark Eater Trail Alliance Joins with Adirondack Ski Touring Council

this text is before the jump

Spring Fever: Eight (8) Days of Nature Activities

Image
By Diane Chase During a change of season I am always a bit overwhelmed whether its a new school year, Christmas shopping and all those twinkle lights or springtime mud. Everyone needs to get outside so here are 8 days of nature activities to do with your family to clear your head, no matter what environment you live in. Day One:  Look at the sky. Simple you say but how many times do you work in an office all day, commute to your job, sit in your car, play outside but never look up at the sky. Take a look. What do you see? Stars? Clouds? A jet? My daughter saw a magic carpet and a mermaid. Yes, together. Day Two: Look down, get on your knees down low and look at the ground. Look past the concrete and other stuff and try to find the earth.  Yesterday you looked up and today you look down. That is what children look at all the time, whether they are just learning to walk or running around. Get down low today and see what you have been walking on all this time.

Craft: May Day Paper Cone and Traditions

Image
Happy May Day! Craft:  Make A May Day Basket: The tradition is for children to place a simple bouquet of flowers on the door of a friend or neighbor. What I enjoy is it gives children a chance to surprise adults and do something kind without costing a penny.  The "basket" can be as simple as a used tin can or glass jar with wire or twine for hanging.  The kids can go outside and fill the jar with lovely spring flowers. If you aren't in an area with fresh flowers about, make some tissue flowers for everyone to enjoy!  History: There are many traditions surrounding the first of May. Beltane was the name given to this time, on the Celtic calendar.  The name originates from the Celtic god,  Bel  - the 'bright one', and the Gaelic word 'teine' meaning fire, hence the name 'bealttainn', meaning 'bright fire'. May Day is the beginning of the 'lighted half' of the year when the Sun begins to set later in the evening

A Happy B'Earth Day Cake

Image
HAPPY EARTH DAY! This is my daughter's favorite cake to make. It doubles as an Earth Day/Birthday celebration. If anyone is interested in making it, what I did was quite simple. 1) Make your favorite cake recipe. I used the one-bowl chocolate cake from Craig Claibourne's New York Times Cookbook . You have to make two batches for each half of the globe. 2) Find two bowls of the same diameter. Oil and flour the insides of both. 3) Cook as directed and when finished cool and use a spatula to pop the cakes out of the bowls. 4) Frost. I made a no-cook butter cream frosting. Frost the two halves together forming the globe. 5) Put a light coating of blue-dyed frosting over the sides leaving a small area on top for the polar ice caps.* 6) Lastly use a globe as a guide, with a different color frosting "paint" on your continents. 7) Go for a run. That butter cream frosting is just that, butter. *I couldn't find my blue dye and berries made the "world" too pu

Saratoga Museum Poster Contest for Kids

Image
C alling All Kids pre-school through Grade 2 For the Children's Museum at Saratoga's  Annual Big Truck Day Poster Contest Contest Rules: Open to children pre-school through Grade 2. Design the poster at the museum's own Creation Station art room, at school, or at home. Submissions must be on white paper between 8.5 x 11 and 11 x 17. Please include child's name, school grade, name of school, & contact info (address & phone number) on the back of your submission. Deliver submissions to The Children's Museum by  Tuesday, May 19th, 2015 . Prize Package: The winner will have their design featured on all promotional materials  and will receive a prize package including:   A $50 gift certificate to G.Williker's!  FREE tickets (2 adults and 3 children) to the Big Truck Day Event! And more to come! Big Truck Day is always held the first Saturday in August. This year Big Truck Day will be held August 1, 10 am - 2 pm   at the Ma

Easy Short Lake Placid (NY) Hikes: Cherrypatch Pond Springtime Snowshoe - Wilmington NY

Image
  One minute it feels like we have so much snow and the next moment it seems to all melt away. It is this tricky time of year that we have to choose our wooded walks with care. There is plenty of snow still hidden among the trees when we make a quick stop to take in the beautiful view from Big Cherrypatch Pond.   I’ve only ever noticed the sign for Cherrypatch Pond heading west toward Lake Placid from Whiteface Mountain. Little and Big Cherrypatch ponds bookmark Rt. 86 and we’ve never given the ponds their due. With only a passing glance from our vehicle, the ponds always seem more marshland than open water. The trail to Big Cherry Patch pond starts on the south side of Rt. 86 with its outflow crossing beneath the road to the northern Little Cherrypatch Pond. We park at the small designating area and make our way over the remaining snow bank. The whole hike is less than ½-mile round-trip, but since we are searching for signs of spring, we plan on taking our time.

Clarinets for Conservation in Saratoga Springs April 19

Image
Last year at Saranac Lake's BluSeed Studios, my daughter and I went to see a concert that blended beautiful music with the origin of the clarinet. Since my daughter is just learning to play the clarinet, it seemed like the perfect way to strength her love of playing. It did so much more, for both of us. With world-wide trading at our fingertips, eBay and auction houses, it feels like we have lost touch with the beginning of things. We have certainly lost sight of our food source and we've also lost sight of our resources. An organization based out of East Berne, NY has been working to preserve the wood source of the clarinet, piano keys, bag pipes and more. Since 2010 Clarinets for Conservation  has run a program in Moshi working with school children and teaching music, conservation and tree planting.  Clarinets are made from the Mpingo Tree, commonly referred to as African Ebony or Blackwood tree, also the National Tree of Tanzania. It takes 80 years for a Mpingo to gr

Be A Nature Detective: Making Maple Syrup

Image
We only have five maple trees on our property and each year we produce two gallons of maple syrup, just enough for our family's consumption. Making maple syrup is a rewarding experience for children and families. It is a wild foraged food source that does take a lot of time, but is always worth the effort! • Can syrup be made from any sap out of any tree?  Well, it depends on what you want to use the syrup for. If you want something to sweeten your morning pancakes then maple trees have the highest content of sugar. Syrup has also been made from birch trees,  • How do you get the sap out of the tree?  A person has to drill a hole into the tree and tap in a spiel, a small peg that will let the sap drip out. A bucket or jar is also attached to the tree to catch the drips of sap.