Adirondack Family Time™

“You’re a fast hiker,” my daughter says to me on our way up the trail from the famed Ausable Club toward Noonmark (3,556’). I can say with complete assurance that no one has ever said that to me before. I have always been the last in the pack. I enjoy hiking and backpacking and my family knows that I will eventually show up on top. My camera will be filled with pictures of tracks, plants and trees to identify once I get home. Now that my daughter is able to amble up the trails I am no longer left wandering alone. We are starting up Noonmark via the Stimson Trail, named for Henry L. Stimson, Secretary of War under Roosevelt and Secretary of State under Hoover. We split the group letting the faster hikers park the car at the hikers’ parking lot on the Ausable Club property off of NY 73, while the slower ones (my daughter and myself) are dropped off at the trailhead opposite the golf course. This is all private land so we are respectful and stay on task. When the trail begins we fol

I have always been partial to fairs. Not really the huge amusement parks (though we have gone to a few of those) but the traveling carnivals. I am not, however, much for the fast rides. A lifetime ago a cousin once challenged me to an "eat and ride-off" at one such visiting fair. Yes, immature, I know. So we ate carnival food and rode on the fastest rides. I lost and to be frank so did anyone else that was riding "The Zipper" with me. My cousin went on to consume more food and enjoy many more rides. I woefully handed over all my tickets and sat with my head between my legs. Interestingly enough my taste for carnival snacks never diminished, just the jostling rides. The Franklin County Fair in Malone, NY, is the largest annual, long-standing event in Franklin County. The Franklin County Agricultural Society was formed in August 1851. For over 150 years the Society has continued their purpose of improving agriculture, horticulture and the inclusive mechan

We are visiting friends in Plattsburgh and always attempt to get some wiggles out before gracing them with our presence. We have heard of a two-mile pedestrian path alongside the lakefront of the former Plattsburgh Air Force Base (PAFB). We are familiar with the museums at the former Base so know right where to go to find the beginning of the path. We park the car in the lot overlooking Lake Champlain and ready ourselves for the two-mile trek. One child is on his two-wheeler and the other in the No Longer a Baby…Jogger while my husband and I rollerblade. We gingerly cross the bridge over the railroad tracks and head north. Be careful; this bridge is one lane. We find a few drivers surprised by and not watching for walking traffic. My son is developmentally in a black and white stage where events have to be someone’s fault. As in, it would be the driver’s fault if a car hit him. Yes, I agree, but it will still hurt. Logic does not always play a part. Once we are on the trail it is sm

It has been touted that listening to classical music makes children smarter (though watching videos cancels it out) and “music soothes the savage beast.” So then it would only make sense to partake in the Lake Placid Sinfonietta’s concert series . Watching a taped performance is no substitute when a live one is available so the video issue is solved. We see a peaceful change come over our children when we join other patrons during the Wednesday evening Pops Series so the beastie issue is temporarily pacified. Once again the Lake Placid Sinfonietta will be holding its free community concerts (Wed. 7:00 p.m.) at the Paul White Memorial Bandshell. This is also the first year that children 18-under will be admitted free to the Sunday Symphony Series at the Lake Placid Center for the Arts (LPCA). That series starts at 7:30 pm and is followed by a reception where guests can mingle with the performers. What an amazing opportunity for children and adults. Another midsummer treat will be

This Saturday, June 21, the Almanzo Wilder Farm is having a 75th anniversary celebration of the publication of Farmer Boy; the book based on the boyhood experiences of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s husband. From 1857-1875 the Wilders made Burke, NY their home. Most people have heard of the “Little House” books that preserved a personal account of frontier life. Now translated into over 40 different languages, the Laura Ingalls Wilder’s series glimpses into a time that has disappeared but that clearly shows how our country was built by the resilience of pioneers like the Ingalls and Wilder families. We are indeed fortunate to have one such location nearby. The 84-acre farm/museum will be hosting a series of events during this celebratory day. The hours during this special event are 10:00-5:00 with docents available to answer questions regarding the vast property and its special connection to the book. There are quite a few events that center around the Wilders as depicted in Farmer Boy

My children are not quite of an age where I can hand them a few bills and send them off for a few hours. Thankfully most of us are eased into parenthood so these changes are gradual. I am always so grateful to find places for them to gain some independence but still be able to find me if necessary. I have never attended the Lake Placid Elementary School annual spring carnival and silent auction, but it seems the perfect place for the whole family to spread their wings, games for all and a silent auction for me. A long-standing tradition, the carnival is a fundraiser for FRIENDS (an acronym for Friends Really Interested in the Educational Needs and Development of Students), which raises money to provide funds for field trips, supplies and other student needs. Taking place this Saturday, June 7, from 10:00am-2:00pm, the carnival will host a mixture of games, activities and events. There is no fee to get in but some events range in price from .25-$2.50. Just a few activities to look forwa

I do not know what is in store for me for Mother’s Day. That is the point, I guess. To let the wee ones hatch elaborate plans that involve waking me at 4:00 a.m. with tea and toast. They have hatched some sort of plan, the two of them and have been hiding things from me. At first I thought it was more sticky candy wrappers I occasionally find under the couch or perhaps an accidental spill cleaned up with my best tea towels. After a small slip of the tongue I have been led to believe that it may be something a little bit more. My son is itching to tell me what he has planned. When he comes to hug me he always mentions how he loves giving surprises as much as getting them. Then he follows with a few hints. It is not alive. (Whew! I am a bit alarmed when presented with the gift of life in the manner of snakes or ant farms.) I can’t eat it; which may be a mixed blessing. I can’t wear it; so I am assuming that I am going somewhere. For anyone wishing for ideas the Wild Center in Tupper Lak