Musings of an everyday woman . . .

Reflections on living and loving life . . .

Spring Skiing at Burke Moutain – – – Simply the Best!!! March 26, 2011

Filed under: 365 Project,Adventures,Family — everydaywomanusa @ 9:39 pm
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Last Sunday, my DH and I had a chance to get some spring skiing in at Burke Mountain in the Northeast Kingdom.  When our kids were little, they’d say, “We know why it’s called ‘Burke,’ because it’s always ‘BRRRRRR’ there!”   That’s true, especially in January and February, but we were very fortunate to catch a balmy spring day in March where you didn’t need to fear frostbite for any uncovered skin.

Burke is a wonderfully challenging mountain; in fact it’s a favorite spot for olympic skiers to train.  We hadn’t skied in a couple of years and it was great to see we hadn’t forgotten how!  In other words, we’ve still got it!  (Actually, my objective now is mostly just to get down the moutain in one piece!)

The view from the lift was incredible, too . . .

especially from the top of the mountain  . . .

Another fun sight this time of year is the “Mardi Gras” tree near the top of the mountain, which features a colorful array of beads and undergarments that have been tossed from the lift by skiiers . . .

A beautiful day of Spring Skiing is just about better than anything else . . .

. . . except of course we raced home that evening to spend time with our one-year-old grandson, Joshua!

 

The Maple Syruping Tradition Continues . . . February 26, 2011

Filed under: 365 Project,Baby!,Winter — everydaywomanusa @ 10:28 pm
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February is the time of the year in New England, as the temperatures rise above freezing during the day and dip  below freezing at night, that we trudge through the snow to tap those maple trees, beginning the long, labor of love that turns fresh maple sap into sweet, sticky maple syrup.

I know I’ve written about this  maple syruping adventure before . . . but this year is different, because we have this little guy on board to experience it all . . .

Joshua was in the “thick” of things, so to speak, taking it all in, as he watched his grandpa, great-grandpa, great-uncle, uncles, and second-cousins scurry around the woods, drilling holes, tapping in quills, hanging buckets, and installing pipelines.

Uncle Nate even took time for a game of “Peek-a-Boo” with Joshua, between the maple trees.

“Josh, do you want to help?”

Grandpa splices tubing for the pipeline . . .

Cousin Steve works from the crook of a tree . . .

Uncle Jon taps in quills and adds covers . . .

Joshua has Mommy lift the lid to check to see if the sap is dripping . . .

He even took a “Gator” ride with Mommy and Grandpa.

Even Grandpa takes a break for Joshua’s favorite game of the moment: “Peek-a-Boo!”  It’s amazing what babies will encourage even the most serious adults to do to make them laugh!

Josh takes a break from all the hard work with a rest on the quad with Uncle Jon, Uncle Nate, and Mommy.

Of course, Duke was supervising the whole process . . .

. . . as was Jake . . .

And this is the little guy that made it so much more fun!

I’m thinking there’s some pancakes and sweet maple syrup in his future . . .

 

Deer, Deer, Everywhere! February 25, 2011

Filed under: 365 Project,Winter — everydaywomanusa @ 7:44 am
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An interesting phenomenon is happening in our town, following a good, old-fashioned winter that dumped several feet of glistening, white stuff on us.  As the snow begins to melt from from a southern hillside in town, which houses a rock quarry, hundreds of deer are flocking to this spot in search of buds to eat, after a very meager winter with very little available food.

When our son reported that he had seen 50 deer at a time on this mountainside, I found it incredulous, but when I drove by after another fresh snowfall the other day, I couldn’t help but gasp  . . . and then pull over, as I stopped my counting at 100 . . . and took some pix of this unusual sight.

The entire hillside was spotted with deer, which stood out boldly against the fresh snow.  Literally, every square centimeter of my viewfinder was filled with deer.  I was mesmerized by the sight and stopped counting to take pictures to document this most unusual scene.

With my mouth agape, I continued to snap photographs, alternately looking through the lens and then with my naked eyes, as I blinked away more snowflakes that were falling.  Even though I had grown up on a farm, and currently live on another farm with orchards that welcome deer to its fruits, never before had I seen such droves of deer!

I zoomed in and out, as I continued to marvel at what was in front of me.  Another woman stopped to get a closer look,  and a man, who had lived in town all his life, stopped with binoculars to inspect the scene.  He handed the binoculars to me and said, “Do you see this?”  Even though I was witnessing the same sight through my lens, I graciously accepted his offer for yet another inspection.

This had been occuring for several days . . . day in and day out . . . alongside a very busy state road.  The hoards of deer are unfazed by traffic, and this day several huge snowplows and even tractor trailers roared by, without so much as a flinch from the animals.

Here’s the sad part:  although local police have set up signs and barriers in an attempt to keep the deer from crossing this busy interstate, there have been lots of deer/auto accidents.  One night alone, twelve deer were reported as being hit, as they jumped into oncoming traffic.  In speaking with someone who experienced this first-hand, he said he felt terribly for days afterwards, but never saw it coming.

When I drive through this area,  I slow down to a crawl, and probably perturb those behind me.  As the warmer temperatures continue to melt snow in the area, the deer are relocating to other portions of the hillside, seeking fresh buds as this area must, by now, be mostly grazed off.

When driving to our daughter’s house just one street up from this section, I routinely see a group of seven or more deer, usually standing right in the middle of the road.  So, I’m always on guard for these lovely creatures . . . and also always have my camera ready . . .

These deer lanquidly crossed the road in front of me and then looked back, seemingly to pose for this picture.

These deer are safe in the confines of a local reservoir and quarry hillside where they reside . . . until they venture into traffic.  As this harsh winter brings the creatures out of the woods in search of food wherever they may find a few tasty nibblings, I hope we can coexist and that we humans, for a change, can just slow down!