Page Turner

     It's here. The season of snow, cold and a weary Sun that's late to rise and early to bed. For 'outsiders' like myself these are hard times. Long hours of darkness that would test even Rip Van Winkle's need to sleep. Might as well settle into a cushy chair with a good book. A hard working woodstove and a couple of furry friends complete the scene. Time to turn some pages until spring.  This post features some local interest books I plan to spend the winter with.

          Shays Settlement in Vermont: A Story of Revolt and Archaeology                        

          by Steve Butz

          

          I've wandered the border hills for many years. I've heard Steve talk about what he and his students have been finding up on Egg Mountain. Now I'm looking forward to reading his book about Shays and a bit of lost history.

          Untold Stories of the Battenkill

          by Elizabeth and Barton Conkey

          If you grew up in Greenwich, you grew up with memories of the Battenkill. Lucky for us, Betsy share's her memories in this coffee table book of art, photos, oral histories and stories.

          Teaching Trout to Talk: the zen of small stream fly fishing

          by Stuart Bartow

          Bartow knows and loves the Battenkill. He's a poet, author, educator and passionate advocate for his hometown stream. He also likes to wet a line on occasion. A mid-winter reminder of how wonderful clear running water is.

          Images of America

         There must be thousands of volumes in Arcadia's Images of America series. They feature old photos with accompanying text by local historians. There are several focused on Washington County and many more of surrounding areas: Lake George, Vermont and Saratoga. Fun to see what's the same and what has changed.

 

          A Guide to Architecture in the Adirondacks

          by Richard Longstreth

          One of the joys of wandering Washington County is the beautiful (sometimes bizarre and even ghastly) architecture you come across. This book looks like it would be a fun and informative companion on road trips in the Adirondacks.

           In the Bleak Midwinter

          by Julia Spencer-Fleming

          This 2002 murder mystery was the first in a series that now numbers seven or eight novels. It's set in the upstate community of Millers Kill, and features Clare - Episcopal priest/tough cookie and Russ - the Chief of Police. The author lives in Maine but I have a sense that she has a Washington County connection. Can anyone fill me in?

          The Harrows of Spring

          by James Howard Kunstler

          The fourth and final volume in the authors World Made by Hand series. They're set in the disrupted future but feel like tales out of the past. Recognizable locales add to the appeal.

          There you have my chosen company for this years reading season. Cat and dog are optional but highly recommended.

Wash Day - 12/4/17

     Shiver me timbers! Woke up to a blanket of freezing fog this morning. The meteorologic term is radiation fog. It occurs when clear skies and no wind during the night allow enough heat to escape for the air to reach its dew point. Then water vapor condenses into liquid water. The droplets in fog are tiny but there are enough of them to dramatically reduce visibility. It's like a stratus cloud at ground level.

     Yesterday was warm, calm and damp. Last night a super-moon peeped thru clouds that gradually dissipated. Perfect conditions for the cooling that produces fog. With the temperature right around freezing this morning, the moisture also gilded leaves and branches with frost. A vivid demonstration of water in three physical states - solid, liquid and gas.

     I love to wander Washington County taking in what makes it special - geology and landforms, plants and animals, architecture and all that people have created. But I also like to eat and have a roof over my head. Seems like providing those basic necessities takes ever more time and labor. The result is long stretches with little opportunity for the exploration I so enjoy.
     But even when work-shackled, you can still enjoy the sky show. Late fall, with its shifting weather, colorful sunsets and early evening stargazing is a gift. We're so lucky to have the circle of seasons and the variety they offer. Pity the poor folks in Hawaii with their monotonously perfect weather patterns. If anyone would like to contribute to my airfare, I'll volunteer to go there and offer our condolences...