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History of Labor Day

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Labor Day Celebration New York City, 1882 Each Labor Day, it is necessary to go beyond the barbecues, vacation spots, and Back To School Sales. It is time to reflect on the history of Labor Day and how it came to be. The holiday was conceived to celebrate the American labor movement with all its strength, contributions, and prosperity to the wellness of the United States of America. Fact: Labor Day is celebrated the first Monday of September. Who founded Labor Day? That is up to debate, but has been attributed to these two men:  Peter J. McGuire , general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a co-founder of the American Federation of Labor or machinist  Matthew Maguire ,  proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York. Maguire  later the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, N.J. How was Labor Day to be Celebrated? The first proposal of the holiday was a stree

Hiking Catamount in Wilmington (free Adirondack trail map)

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At the false summit (overlook) of Catamount My daughter is always worrying about my allergic reaction to cats. She is like the town crier when we visit friends letting each and every person know that she can’t have one because it makes her mother sneeze. I appreciate both my children being on the look out and so far being able to resist the urge to take home those offers of free kittens. Cute and fuzzy, warm and cute, cats are part of an ongoing conversation of animals to have, along with monkeys and unicorns.   We drop my son off with friends while the rest of the family hopes to reach the summit of Catamount. We have a time limit so it is not going to be a meandering pace. Long gone are the days when she would bring a backpack full of stuffed animals to share her lunch. Now we search for other wildlife. The name of the mountain is Catamount.  According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, A catamount is any variety of American wildcat such as a lynx, cougar or mountain l

Nature Detective: Hummingbird or Moth?

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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

Adirondack Coast Hikes: Pointe Au Roche State Park Nature Trail, Museum, Playground and Beach

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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

DIY: tee shirt grocery bag without sewing (directions)

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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

Make Your Own Paper Beeswax Drinking Straws. Say No to Plastic! (paper straw templates)

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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

How's Your Day? Special Olympian Max Jackoski Wants to Know!

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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

Craft Activity: Peanut Butter Pumpkin Dog Biscuits

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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

Recipe;: Making Snow Cream instead of Ice Cream (using fresh, clean snow to make ice cream)

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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.

Make You Own (DIY) Paw Wax: protect pets' paws in all weather conditions from frostbite or hot pavement

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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, -31Āŗ 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