Adirondack Family Time™

The renovated barns at the Almanzo Wilder Homestead Farmer Boy!

This Saturday, October 2nd, there will be a green energy open house around New York and the Adirondacks supported by the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association . With over 140 homes to tour across the state, people can find any example of sustainable energy from pellet stoves, geothermal, passive, solar and more. The opportunity to to see how these processes have worked and meet with people that have taken the step toward energy efficiency is invaluable. As a parent, I always try to be a good example for my own family. Taking kids on green energy tours like this may seem like its a bother but the payback will be well worth it. Just like any other activity, be prepared. Depending on the ages of your children inform them of what you want to look for. Are you interested in getting solar panels or just passive solar? What inventive ways are kids able to come up with to solve your own energy issues?  Let them ask questions, follow the tour around and be a part of the solution. Give the

Honorary Laura Ingalls and Almanzo Wilder Most people have heard of the “Little House” books that preserved a personal account of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s frontier life. If you haven't read them it is never too late. Perhaps a trip to the library so you can share these memories of a challenging pioneer lifestyle with your child would be fun. The tie-in to the North Country is the third book in the series,  Farmer Boy , which chronicles the childhood experiences of Laura’s husband Almanzo Wilder.  From 1840 to 1875 the Wilders made Burke, NY (just outside of Malone) their home. Since 1987 the original homestead has been used as a museum and educational center.

You hear these songs all the time. They are some of the first songs your child will learn and it's not "Wheels on the Bus."  Answer is here 

Okay, not really a fly but still trapped in a web. Here nature is at work right on the side of our house. We didn't even need to visit a mountain or trail to see nature at work. My son's only comment, "Wow!" Just waiting for a meal This insect struggles to free itself from the web The spider just patiently waits for the insect to tire out Breakfast, lunch and dinner Fast and efficient There you have it. Just another day in the lives of kids in the Adirondacks.

Steve Hall gives a raptor demonstration By Diane Chase Labor Day weekend in the Adirondacks is a perfect time to be able to have kids get up close and personal with the wildlife that surrounds  them as we hike, walk and play.  Not so long ago my children discovered a baby robin out of its nest and floundering near our front stoop. The mother robin circled nervously. It was a difficult decision to stand back and let nature take its course. My husband and I were operating with a barrage of opinions, a few old wives tales, two crying children and a curious dog. The baby was a fledgling and managed to seek refuge under the deck while its mother continued to feed it. We assume that it flew away one morning like it was supposed to, with no help from us. The most challenging part of those few days was keeping overzealous children from creating a bird sanctuary as the dog whined for a nibble of Robin Red-Breast Tartare. Cree the Wolf This Saturday, September 4, 2010, childre