Adirondack Family Time™

Hummingbird Moth on Milkweed Is it a bird or is it a butterfly? A hummingbird moth can be found around your Adirondack garden throughout the summer months. Some shared characteristics between the two similarly named creatures make people mistakenly identify this moth for the more popular hummingbird. Differences 1) Stating the obvious here, but one is a moth and one is a bird. 2) A hummingbird moth's tail is shaped like a fan 3)  The moth has a long tongue that rolls up under its chin called a proboscis 4) A hummingbird moth is classified as a  Lepidoptera 5) Hummingbird moths have antennae Similarities between hummingbird and hummingbird moth 1) Both can remain suspended in the air as well as flying sideways and backwards 2) Both feed off of nectar   3) Both emit a similar humming sound   Hummingbird moth 1) In the United Kingdom, hummingbird moths are referred to as Bee Hawk moth 2) Part of the Sphingidae family, one of the fastest flying insects in the w

Pointe Au Roche State Park Trail Map We have been traveling to Plattsburgh to visit two friends of ours on a weekly basis. In order to have a calm beneficial visit I take the advice of a woman I know who raised six sons. “Run them like dogs,” she said when I would wonder how to manage two kids. So, now quite a few years later, I still think of that advice and am always looking for a place to expel their excess energy. Not so surprising it is usually the adults that need to indulge in some old-fashioned play and use the kids as an excuse to do it. Pointe Au Roche State Park is just a short drive from Plattsburgh and an easy jaunt for anyone visiting the area. With over 800 acres it is a unique combination of forest, marsh and shoreline. It has an interesting history that still can be seen skulking in the landscape. The land was first cleared and used agriculturally and then during WWI as a training site (similar to ROTC) for young men. The parcel then became a variety of businesses

Yes, you do need a a tee shirt to make this bag, but the one I used was in a free bin at a thrift shop. Materials One tee shirt and a pair of scissors Instructions 1) Find an old tee shirt or get one from a variety of places. I found this one in a free bin at a thift store. 2) Cut off the sleeves 3) cut off the neckline 4) measure how deep you would like the bag to be. I used another reusable cloth bag for my measurement as well as a knitting book. 5) Cut fringe from the bottom to where the bottom where you would like the bag to be. Separate the side fridge and cut up to meet the size of the other fringe. 6) Start at one side of the fringe and tie two pieces of material together into a knot. Continue tying knots until the end of the shirt is reached. Look inside the bag. If you can see holes through the knotted sections, go back and then take one piece of fringe from each adjacent knot and tie it together. That will seal up any holes. Great bag that is com

Earth Day is Every Day! I hate plastic drinking straws. My children both have been taught  to say NO to the straw when we go out to eat. It isn't a perfect scenario. I understand that some people find it easier to drink out of a straw so here are some options to kick the plastic straw habit. 1) Get in the habit of saying No to the Straw . I have to remind myself to ask for "no straws" at a restaurants. It's a work in progress. 2) Purchase reusable stainless steel straws. I keep a container near the fridge where my children and their friends can grab a straw to use around the house. I also have one in my bag and a few in each car's glovebox. To solve the issue of plastic outside the house, I looked into purchasing paper straws. Though inexpensive, the packaging and shipping can be an issue. 3) Make Your Own Paper Drinking Straws: It seems making paper straws would be a simple enough, and it is. Below are a few templates to make things easy for you. I

Lake George's own Special Olympian Max Jackoski has started a Facebook page to help spread his brand of kindness beyond the shores of the southern Adirondacks. Jackoski and his mother Lisa are more than just mother and son, but a team that can inspire others to make someone's day a little bit happier.  “What I bring to my community.” “This all started because Max loves to text his friends and ask about their day,” says Lisa. “It then evolved into finding out and sharing the national daily celebration. I teach group fitness and Max would hear me announce a bit about the day and he decided to add it to his Facebook page. He does all his own posting and decides what goes on his page.” Today’s special video highlights World Down Syndrome Day , which takes place every March 21. The reason this specific date was chosen was to draw attention to the triplication of the 21 st chromosome, which is the cause of Down syndrome. Since 2006, March 21 has

Valentine's Day isn't just about candy and hearts, don't forget your four-legged friends! They hike the trails and always greet you at the door. Children will also love being able to help make their four-legged friend a healthy treat. Plus the added bonus is a lesson in measurements. Gather all the ingredients first and let everyone involved take a turn, no matter how small. Even give a small portion of the dough to let the kids roll out and cut out the treats. For even more fun, use cookie cutters. Peanut Butter/pumpkin Dog Treats 1 1/2 cups flour 
(I use whole wheat) 1/2 cup peanut butter (no sugar and creamy)* the kind of peanut butter that is just peanuts, no salt or sugar  1/3 cup canned pumpkin puree add a little water if needed until the dough can form a ball Grain-free peanut butter/ pumpkin dog treats grind oatmeal into a flour and substitute for the whole wheat flour Preheat the oven to 350 F. Combine wet ingredients. Mix the flour into the wet ing

REPOST FROM JANUARY 2015: Living in a climate where it snows around 6 months out of the year, we either need to eat it or shovel it. Eating it is always the preferred way of using snow. This recipe for a homemade soft-serve ice cream is easy and fun. It doesn't store well so plan on making enough to eat immediately. My family doesn't seem to mind that they have to eat any leftovers. Enjoy! One quick and easy dessert that is a fan favorite is making a soft-serve ice cream out of snow and simple ingredients found in the fridge and pantry.

Protect dog paws from the cold Recipe and Craft: Do It Yourself (DIY) Paw Winter Protection (Paw Wax) - multi-use formula for pet walking, exploring, hiking, protect from road salt, frostbite, frostnip.  The temperatures around the Adirondacks have been well below freezing, -31º to be exact, but that doesn't stop our golden retriever from wanted to go outside to play. We still need to watch for signs of frostnip in all of us, we also make sure to take care of our pup. DIY Paw Wax ingredients We've always altered between using  Musher's Secret, a food-grade barrier wax made in Canada, and a homemade version of a paw wax. Our dog tends to lick off everything so whatever we use, we need to make sure it is safe for the furriest member of the family. (We have even use it ourselves as lip balm or hand moisturizer while we are hiking.) What is good enough for the dog, is good enough for the children.  Making your own paw wax isn't complicated, but the ingredien

Mirror Lake Inn Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Back by popular demand! My favorite cookie recipe!    *reprinted with permission Mirror Lake Inn Chocolate Chip Cookies , Lake Placid, N.Y. Mix until light and fluffy 2 cups butter 2 cups sugar 1 cup brown sugar Blend and add to sugar mixture:  4 eggs Add: 4 tsp. vanilla 4 cups flour 3 tsp. salt 2 tsp. baking soda 4 cups chocolate chips 2 cups broken walnuts (I omit) Drop onto greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 8 minutes. Yields 4 dozen. Tip: I whip up a batch and keep the dough in the refrigerator and bake a few cookies at a time! Enjoy! *if you stay at the Inn you get complimentary afternoon tea and chocolate chip cookies daily. If not, you can make your own and pretend!

At the summit of Elephant Head overlooking Lake Titus Distance =  0.5-mile from parking area to summit. Seasonally the road in is impassable, adding an additional  1.5-miles from road to parking area Elevation   = 1,939' Vertical Ascent  = 464' We don’t usually choose our hikes for the name of the mountain, but when daughter found out that there was an elephant in the Adirondacks, she wanted to see it for herself.   One such hike is the 0.5-mile hike to the summit of Elephant’s Head Mountain, part of the Titusville Mountain State Forest.  Depending on the weather and the type of vehicle, getting to the trailhead can be part of the issue. We turn onto the dirt road at the familiar brown sign marking the entrance to Elephant’s Head mountain. This time there are potholes to maneuver, but the road itself is manageable.

Sundews are a carnivorous plant from in the Adirondacks Nature Detective?   Yes, please!  At least with Adirondack carnivorous plants, you don't have to worry about it eating your pets or smallest child. This isn't A Little Shop of Horrors,  but Mother Nature's pest control.  Pitcher Plants at Ferd's Bog There are carnivorous plants that are native to the Adirondack Park, but they are much smaller than the mythical Venus Flytraps. The sundew, pitcher plant, and bladderwort are beautiful as they are resilient.    These   plants use various natural disguises to lure in its prey. No carnivorous plant completely relies on insects as a food source. Photosynthesis is still at play.   The sundews' sticky leaves glisten in the sun, tricky insects onto the leaves. There they are trapped and "eaten" by means of the plant's digestive enzymes.   The pitcher plant uses its brightly colored "trumpet " and nectar to lure insects into the

Looking for a rainy day activity  or have you lost your favorite bookmark? Don't dog-ear those pages, make a quick corner bookmark out of recycled materials. Enjoy reading your favorite books! Directions (print-out tutorial at bottom of page) 1) Cut out a 6" or 7" square piece of paper or use the tutorial print-out to the left. We have used old maps, children's artwork, candy wrappers, and catalogs as material for bookmarks. 2) fold in half diagonally: bring corner 4 to corner 1, fold along corners 2 and 3 to form a triangle pointing up. 3) Fold corner 2 to meet corner 1 and fold corner 3 to meet corner 1, crease along folds 4) turn the diamond 180º so flaps face down.  (See diagram) 5) Gentle open the flaps 6) in the center there will be folded lines forming a square. Fold the top layer Corner 1 up. 7) Refold corners 2 and 3 down to form the diamond shape. 8) Fold the top layer of Corners 2 and 3 to Corner 1. Crease at line 7. 9) Fold Fl