Adirondack Family Time™

Do you want to help bring back the bat population to the Adirondacks?  White-nose Syndrome has killed more than 5.7 million bats  since it was discovered in a single New York cave in February 2006 DID YOU KNOW? • There are cave bat species (Northern Bat, Little Brown Bat, Indiana Bat, Eastern Pipistrelle, Big Brown Bat) and tree bat species (small-footed bat, red bat, hoary bat, silver-haired bat,  in New York State • All cave bat species in New York State spend the winter hibernating in caves and mines where they live off stored fat reserves.  • According to Bat Conservation International ,  a single bat can capture 500 to 1,000 mosquitoes in a single hour! • Bats are the only mammal that can fly! (Flying squirrels just glide) • Bats wings are similar to a human hand. Yes, it is has four fingers and a thumb • All bats located in New York State eat insects. Other breeds eat    fruit, nectar, small mammals, birds, lizards, frogs, fish, and blood.   • Bats' predators in

Here is the beginning of mini golf behind the Tamarack in Inlet. 

This is not just any birthday party for the Adirondack Carousel ; it is coming up on its first. What an amazing first year it has been. Offering carving workshops, art exhibits, birthday parties, field trips or just a unique carousel ride, the people involved have given much to the community and have much to celebrate.    Instead of throwing a private little affair, the Adirondack Carousel is opening its doors and asking the public to stop by on Saturday and enjoy what the entire Carousel has to offer. On May 25 th  there are a variety of events happening from 10 am – 3:00 pm. Enjoy face painting and balloon animals with MerriLoons the Clown, book signings, and free carousel rides from 10 am – noon. At noon, top it all off with a piece of birthday cake. Ride tokens will be available for purchase for the remainder of the day.

Looking for a pleasant place to relax for a few hours? Try John Brown Farm and Historic Site in Lake Placid. As the final resting spot for abolitionist John Brown, the John Brown Farm and Gravesite encompasses the original 244 acres purchased by the Browns in 1849.   After Brown and his followers were executed for treason for the raid at Harper’s Ferry, WV John Brown ’s name soon became synonymous with the anti-slavery movement. 

Happy Mother’s Day! Mother’s Day is a special time to be able to show your appreciation for the person who gave you life. (That is what I frequently remind my children, in case they were to forget.)  There are many traditional ways to spend Mother’s Day with family such as a homemade breakfast in bed, brunch at a local restaurant or lovely bouquet of flowers. All are thoughtful gifts.  Sometimes children aren’t really involved in the Mother’s Day gift giving process. They become passive recipients. Here are a few ideas to get everyone involved.  1) Go for a nature walk and search for flowers on the trail. Create a “no-pick” bouquet by taking photos or drawing pictures of what was seen. Identify the flowers and trees and put it all in a memory book that will last forever.  2) Ask your mother or grandmother what her favorite game was growing up and ask her to share. Perhaps everyone will learn a new game.  3) Have children bridge the generation gap by a

Fruit Leather Trying to find a recipe for children's snacks can be challenging. Thankfully my kids and I have been able to make a fun fruit leather thanks to Chow.com . There are other options and recipes on how to make variations of this healthy version, but we liked the easy use of the applesauce lightly flavored with raspberries. Enjoy!  Difficulty:  Easy |  Total Time:   15 mins, plus at least 6 1/2 hrs baking and cooling time  | Makes:   6 to 8 servings Texture and flavor vary greatly among apple varieties, so we decided to use applesauce as a shortcut in this  DIY  fruit leather recipe. It delivers more consistent flavor and cuts out having to cook and purée the apples yourself. To get the fun, shockingly pink color, no fake dyes are necessary—we just added raspberries, which also give the fruit leather a nice tartness. Special equipment:  You will need a nonstick silicone baking mat. Time frame:   The fruit leather needs to slowly dehydrate so i

By Diane Chase I recently spent my Sunday in the Emergency Room due to a classic "target" shaped bite that showed up on my ankle after an Earth Day weekend of clearing trails and picking up roadside garbage near Westport, N.Y. Not only did I get to spend my leisure time with the ER staff but I, usually so diligent with tick searches, did everything wrong regarding my own health. So to save you a trip to the ER and a bothersome dose of antibiotics, here are some safety tips for tick prevention. I live in the northern sector of the Adirondack Park and did not take in consider that the above average warm temperatures in the southern Adirondacks would bring out ticks earlier than usual. I had dressed for the cold with dark pants and socks. I was on my knees clearing brush and digging out long forgotten garbage. I was careless and now have a 14-day round of antibiotics to show for it. By the time I noticed the classic bullseye tick bite indicator, I no longer had the tick to i

We thought we could use a bit of practice for the 9-Miler canoe race so when a friend asks to meet us at Lower St. Regis we quickly agree. We take the canoe and drive to the Lower St. Regis canoe launch, arming each child with a paddle. A Paul Smith’s College Watershed Steward greets us. He diligently checks the canoe for any invasive plant life, specifically Eurasian Water-milfoil. The Watershed Stewardship Program, among other duties, is responsible for helping to educate the public with ways to avoid the spreading and introduction of invasive species into the lakes. The canoe passes the test. My daughter and I sit in the center while my son practices his stroke in preparation of the big race. We head west about 1/4 –mile, looking out for the first carry. We have a contest on our boat to see who will view the DEC sign first. My son is the winner. The portage is about 200 yards, a quick jaunt. Bog Pond is aptly named. We traverse through a channel with grasses reaching over ou

Getting ready for the Adirondack Bug Season? Try these homemade remedies! Homemade Mosquito Deterrent* I TEMS NEEDED: Combine in a 16 oz bottle: 15 drops lavender oil  3-4 Tbsp of vanilla extract 10 drops of citronella oil 1/4 Cup lemon juice. HOW:   Fill bottle with water. Shake & it's ready to use. Spray on yourself. (Substitute 10 drops of lemon eucalyptus oil instead of citronella oil)  *Do not apply without doing a skin test first. Children can be especially prone to rashes from essential oils) HOMEMADE MOSQUITO TRAP: I TEMS NEEDED 1 cup water 1/4 cup brown sugar 1 gram of yeast 2-liter plastic bottle HOW: 1. Cut the plastic bottle in half. 2. Mix brown sugar with hot water. Let cool. When cold, pour in the bottom half of the bottle. 3. Add the yeast. No need to mix. It creates carbon dioxide, which attracts mosquitoes. 4. Place the funnel part, upside down, into the other half of the bottle, taping them together if desired. 5. Wrap the bottle with

Foam Flower Tiarella cordifolia   zone: 3-9  light: sun to shade  soil: moist  flower color: white  bloom: May - June  height: 6" - 1' plant spacing: 1' uses: groundcover, spreads by runners divide: spring or fall

Look forward to these fun activity days at the Babbie Rural and Farm Learning Museum in Peru, NY Opening Day is May 3, 2013 • Plow Days - May 4 & 5 • Museum Days - June 1 & 2 • Woodworking & Conservation Days - June 29 & 30 • Hay & Grain Harvest & Music Weekend - August 17 & 18 • 3rd Annual Kids Fair & Festival - Sept. 7 & 8 • Harvest Weekend - Oct. 12 & 13 Look for us in the Battle of Plattsburgh Parade and the Peru Applefest Parade Museum hours - 1 0 am to 4pm - May, June, Oct. (Fri. thru Sun.) July, Aug.,Sept. (Thurs. thru Sun.) Closed for the Season - Oct. 14

April 28,  Sunday 3-5 pm Heaven Hill Farm, 302 Bear Cub Rd, Lake Placid  The Climate-Friendly Gardener Combat global warming from the ground up. Learn why gardeners are part of the solution. May 19,  Sunday 3-5 pm Heaven Hill Farm, 302 Bear Cub Rd, Lake Placid  Fresh is Best Grow your own salad year-round. From easy window gardens to herbs grown outside. Take home a little salad garden. June 1,  Sunday 9:30 am at Lake Placid Rug and Home, 2077 Saranac Ave Plant Sale Perennials, vegetable seedlings, and garden merchandise (new and used) will be for sale. Free PH testing and lots of gardening information available. All proceeds benefit the Master Gardener Volunteer Prgraom of Essex County Cornell Cooperative Extension. © 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

By Diane Chase,  Spring break may be starting for area schools but this is a busy time of year for Rhonda Butler and David Brunner, owners of Asgaard Farm and Dairy. Once owned by illustrator, printmaker and artist Rockwell Kent, the property, designed by Kent, has remained mostly unchanged.   Since March 9 over 62 baby goats (kids) have been born with more expected during the week of March 31-April 5. I talked with Rhonda at length about the spring births and was delighted to find out there are many opportunities to visit the kids and even attend a birth. The goats at Asgaard are breed through their natural cycle. Though larger dairies use artificial light to manipulate the goats to breed off-season, Asgaard continues to follow the natural season.