In just a couple more weeks, I'll have been back in CT for 6 whole months. It feels like summer just began, and now we're entering the autumn zone in earnest.
I've been pretty busy. Going on a lot of evening walks. Gone swimming a bunch of times. Have eaten a ton of summer squash (that my mum & I grew from seed). Had some art up in a group art show in Hartford. Went to a summer carnival, saw fireworks a couple times. Spent time with family. Went to my fave local farmers market a few times. Ate some grilled food. And I got put on a big
project w/ my usual contract gig, so I've been working a ton, too. Honestly? This has been one of the most relaxing summers I've had in years. I've had my ups & downs, but it's been so good for me to be back here, back home. Even just the smell of the earth & air here has been restorative.
The thing about New England is, no matter what season it technically is, there's an underlying mood of Autumn mixed in. There's a certain haunted quality here year round. And I love it. Life still has a lot of challenges for me ahead, but at least I feel more at ease for awhile. This is a healing time.
One of my favorite seasonal rituals has been achieved - my annual visit to The Big E!
It was a gorgeous weekday, and we got there on the early side before things got too crowded. The sun was out, the temperature just right, a perfect autumn day from morning til evening.
The free wine tasting, featuring 6 New England area wineries, was one of the highlights of my late morning. It gets crowded during peak times and I hadn't been able to go in years. We didn't have to wait too long. I'm not even a big wine or alcoholic beverage person, but I do like new experiences and flavors, so this is always a fun time.
Of course, one of the main attractions to the fair is the food. This year I broke with tradition and mostly tried foods that were new: either new to me, or new to the fair this year, starting with plantain fries topped with pork, grilled onion/peppers, and a yummy sauce. Loved this and would get it again.
Next up: the apple fries, new to the fair this year and highly recommended. These were fantastic, crispy fries made of apples and dusted with cinnamon sugar - we opted for the caramel sauce addition.
New to me this year was the deep-fried taco, the outer skin reminded me a bit of an egg roll. We chose the chicken option, which also had lettuce, tomato, cheese, & sour cream. I would've loved some hot sauce on this, but it was otherwise pretty great.
We also shared a Mass Sea Breeze, a refreshing and very sweet drink.
And last up: the smoked salmon on a stick from the Maine building - which usually sells out as it is extremely popular. It's definitely some of the BEST salmon I've ever eaten, and I am a huge fan of salmon. I've had it before, but most years they run out before I can get it.
Pickle lemonade was one of the new offerings at the fair this year, but we didn't try it. There were a lot of pickle-flavored items, including pickle-topped pizza and a pickle cupcake. I didn't try any of those either. I like pickles, but not sure I need a pickle cupcake. Maybe if I'd had more wine it would've sounded like a good idea.
Last food item of the day, which is my usual custom, is buying a cream puff or 2 to bring home. This year's special flavor was MAPLE which I am extremely excited about. Maple is one of my favorite New England flavors, 10/10 would recommend this cream puff.
I was happy to see some Halloweeny vibes here and there as well, mostly in the Storrowtown/craft area of the fair.
The Rhode Island building always showcases the Great Jack O'Lantern Spectacular, which returns every year to the Roger Williams Park Zoo (and is absolutely worth visiting; I blogged about it a couple years ago)
Our night concluded with a spooky moonrise. And that's it for my 2023 Big E adventure!
To read more of my more in-depth posts about The Big E, check out these links:
A (perhaps) unpopular opinion (at least among the Halloween crowd):
I LOVE Springtime. I'm not sad that Halloween is still months away.
I don't want it to be Halloween year-round. I don't wish it were Halloween 24/7.
For one thing: Too much of a good thing tends to ruin that thing. I need variety. Enjoying the changing seasons helps me to appreciate Autumn & Halloween all that much more when it does arrive.*
(*in late July**)
(**don't @ me; if you love Halloween too, you know what's up)
Anyway, there is so much to love about the other seasons, with their own special sights, smells, sensations, activities, traditions, memories. I love Spring, with all its wild blustery, blossoming energy.
Also, it's Sugar Season - the brief season during late Winter, on the threshold of Spring, with freezing nights and mild, sunny, thawing days, where the sap of Sugar Maple trees begins to run, trees are tapped, and maple syrup is made. This is a regional practice, mostly in the northeastern USA and parts of Canada -- or wherever Sugar Maple trees are plentiful and climate conditions permit.
During this time of year, one of my favorite customs is to visit a local sugar house to have a great breakfast & to buy a bunch of maple sugar stuff. Since I haven't been able to do that much since I moved to WA state, here's a bunch of pics & video from my archives.
(Photos are from various visits to both Gould's Sugar House in Shelburne Falls, MA and North Hadley Sugar Shack in Hadley, MA. All photos below by me)
Wearing some Sugar Season flair: An antique maple tap & a real sugar maple leaf pendant.
If you're in New England and it's sugar season: Find a sugar house that serves breakfast!
Sunny weekend mornings are the best time for this adventure. Chances are that when you arrive at your sugar shack of choice, it will be crowded and you'll have to wait a bit to be seated for breakfast/brunch. Not to worry though, you can check out their gift shop/general store, wander the grounds of the maple farm, and watch as maple sap is boiled down to maple syrup. You can pick out all sorts of locally made goods as well as maple syrup products.
Did you know it takes 40 gallons of Sugar Maple sap to produce 1 gallon of maple syrup? And, of course, later in the year Sugar Maples are one of autumn's most beautiful trees, with leaves that change to vibrant orange and red hues.
Every sugar house has some version of this sign. (Gould's Sugar House)
Gould's Sugar House
Some sugar houses boil down their sap over wood fires, which requires a
massive amount of firewood for the season. (Gould's Sugar House)
Watching sap become maple syrup at Gould's Sugar House. The aroma is heavenly, a sweet hint of maple and wood smoke.
North Hadley Sugar Shack entrance
North Hadley Sugar Shack
Pure maple syrup candy from Gould's Sugar House
Fresh batches of maple syrup from Gould's Sugar House, some of the bottles are still warm.
Finally, when it's your turn for breakfast, you will be seated in a cozy, rustic dining area.
Gould's Sugar House
Gould's Sugar House
Gould's Sugar House
Enjoy the view of the countryside on this fine spring day.
Gould's Sugar House
North Hadley Sugar Shack
Whatever you decide to order, you can pour freshly made pure maple syrup all over everything. There's plenty of strong coffee to cut through all that sweetness, and in some cases, sour house-made pickles as a palate-cleanser.
Gould's Sugar House
Gould's Sugar House
North Hadley Sugar Shack
Gould's Sugar House
If "Sugar on Snow" is on the menu, give it a try. You will be served a small tray of cleaned, packed shaved ice and a small pitcher of hot maple syrup. You drizzle the syrup over the ice, where it firms up to a soft, chewy, sticky candy.
Gould's Sugar House
Gould's Sugar House
Gould's Sugar House
One of the best things about a sugar shack experience is getting out there to enjoy a beautiful spring day in the New England countryside. The blue skies, fresh air, and sunshine are so refreshing as winter is on the wane.
Hadley, MA
Shelburne Falls, MA
Gould's Sugar House
Here is a fun video about the iconic maple syrup bottle design!
