I’m not quite sure how to begin. I lost a friend to ALS a few days ago. She was not my best friend or a relative. She was a mentor that I spent many summers with. She was my past. We knew each other before children, husband, or my move to the Adirondacks. She knew me before. We ...
The weather can’t decide what it wants to do. The ice underneath this new layer of snow is making my microspikes investment worth every penny. We’ve dropped my child off at her lessons and only have a limited amount of time to get out and enjoy the new fallen snow. I don’t mind keeping ...
Rain and snow, the weather can’t make up its mind. For those times when I don’t want to break trail myself, it is nice to have some groomed cross-country ski options. Though there are wonderful choices that have reasonable trail fees, such as Mount Van Hoevenberg, Dewey Mountain, and the ...
Just because you can do something, doesn’t always mean that you should. The lucky part of living here is that my car acts like a sports shop. At any given time my trunk holds a few pairs of snowshoes, ice skates, a backpack, and some microspikes. What I keep in my car dictates the sport. If I ...
We have been waiting for the Lake Placid Toboggan Chute to open. It’s a winter highlight for my family and must for visiting family and friends. Sliding down an icy ramp onto a frozen Mirror Lake is simple fun at its best. The weather has been a bit uncooperative so the Toboggan Chute ...
My husband and I are the parents that limited “screen time” for our children. We had numerous conversations about Internet safety. We read books and talked with friends. Some elements we discussed resonated, but a lot of what we said seemed to be filed away in a seldom used section of my ...
Does any else remember school cafeteria food actually tasting good? Does anyone remember when “mystery meat” was whispered around the table because no one could ascertain what food product was on the plate? Before I get a lot of hate mail, I’m not talking about the effort that went into ...
Recently it’s all about Ruth Bader Ginsburg in the news. My family watched the documentary “RBG” and fell in love all over again with this powerhouse who faced obstacle upon obstacle in her fight to expose gender discrimination. Notorious RBG wasn’t the first to dedicate her life ...
One of the many wonderful things about living near or visiting an Olympic town is the ability to try unusual sports. My children have been able to casually mention to family and friends that they tried ski jumping, biathlon (paintball because small children shouldn’t have guns, right?), and ...
My children have finally given up asking for a kitten, cat, panther, lion, or other feline. Since I’m allergic they depend on their friends or the Tri-Lakes Humane Society to provide the source of entertainment that our dog just doesn’t have. Though my daughter swears she will have cats one ...
There are many holiday traditions, but one that is very close to my heart is the annual Christmas Bird Count (CBC). We visit with friends, take a long wooded walk, and learn about the various birds in our community. We've only been participating since 2013, but this holiday tradition is in ...
I love winter, the winter solstice, and the Christmas holiday. I’m excited to go through all our decorations and have the house smelling like balsam. I discovered long ago that it isn’t about the bins of decorations that don’t go up as quickly as our neighbors or that sometimes cookies ...
I was recently reminded that I am not a runner when I watched people lap me during the recent Bitters and Bones Turkey Trot. It didn’t even matter that the race was no longer being timed when I finally made the finish line. The atmosphere was incredible as people gathered together with the ...
I can sift through the sale circulars like I’m holding the winning lotto ticket and my numbers are somehow hidden inside the pages. I’m a frugal shopper, but even shopping the sales, my family has never had to go without. It is difficult to imagine not being able to open the fridge and have ...
The Wild Center is one of our favorite places to visit. It houses all the essentials for a multigenerational family: coffee, animals, coffee, interactive activities, coffee, and wonderful trails to work off all the caffeine consumed. I enjoy the exhibits and am constantly amazed how this museum ...
Winter comes every year whether I’m ready for it or not and I never seem to be ready. I haven’t cleaned out the garden when the leaves start to fall. I haven’t raked or or carved a pumpkin and the snow comes. I like the excuse of getting outfitted for winter fun in order to finally ...
I love going to the movies. I’m not sure if my strong feelings are always attached to the actual film or directed toward the smell of buttered popcorn. Back in the olden days, when I was growing up, film was only seen on the big screen. I waited with great anticipation for that opening ...
The leaves are at their peak and it’s not always enough to just glimpse the brilliant golds, reds, and oranges through the car windows. We need to plan a picnic and explore the roads, making sure that the locals become the tourist once in a while. One of our favorite spots while driving ...
Every time I step into the Adirondack Carousel, I am in awe of the craftsmanship of each animal and the hand painted scenes surrounding its exterior. In addition to providing a unique experience, the carousel provides an expanded interior play area and games to idly pass the time away. With ...
One of our favorite places to go all year round is the Jay Covered Bridge. While during the frosty months we are hypnotized by the swift current and ice formations. In the heat of summer we are drawn to the cool waters below. Now that it’s autumn, it is the perfect place to view the changing ...