Had a lovely chat with a dear friend today who told me about this short video he remembered from his childhood called Dark and Lonely Water, one in a series of British public info short films created as cautionary tales for children, narrated by none other than horror icon Donald Pleasence:
Brilliantly done, and really plays like a short horror/suspense film. Must-watch!
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.
The practice of tapping trees and reducing sap down to syrup is an ancient practice, invented by the First Nations people of North America.
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)
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| 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.
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| Every sugar house has some version of this sign. (Gould's Sugar House) |
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| Gould's Sugar House |
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| Some sugar houses boil down their sap over wood fires, which requires a massive amount of firewood for the season. (Gould's Sugar House) |
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| Watching sap become maple syrup at Gould's Sugar House. The aroma is heavenly, a sweet hint of maple and wood smoke. |
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| North Hadley Sugar Shack entrance |
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| North Hadley Sugar Shack |
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| Pure maple syrup candy from Gould's Sugar House |
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| 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.
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| Gould's Sugar House |
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| Gould's Sugar House |
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| Gould's Sugar House |
Enjoy the view of the countryside on this fine spring day.
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| Gould's Sugar House |
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| 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.
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| Gould's Sugar House |
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| Gould's Sugar House |
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| North Hadley Sugar Shack |
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| Gould's Sugar House |
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| Gould's Sugar House |
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| Gould's Sugar House |
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| 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.
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| Hadley, MA |
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| Shelburne Falls, MA |
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| Gould's Sugar House |
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This crab's coloring makes it easy to see how it earned that particular nickname - bright shades of orange & purple contrasted with black. In the wild, it's found near coastal Pacific Ocean rainforests in the vicinity of Mexico and Panama. It can be kept as an exotic pet as well. They're also known as the Moon Crab, Halloween Moon Crab, Purple Moon Crab, Harlequin Crab, & a few other names.
Check out the video below to see one in action!
I rate it 7/10 Jackos! 🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃_ _ _
I've watched about a zillion videos like this, but this one is pretty great - and included a bunch of places I hadn't heard of before. Fun watch on a Friday night.
Sick of Xmas specials yet? Me too. Here's another one. Click the pic below -
Today's post might be a bit late, but it IS pretty cool. And you don't have to take my word for it.
Click below --
Is there really a Santa Claus?
Today's post is for the children - Click the pic of Jolly Ol' Saint Nick below for today's special gift.
It's Xmas - time to head to the malls! Click the pic below for a seasonally appropriate playlist.
Tis the season to love this underrated holiday song - click below to see today's entry.
Do NOT miss today's entry - your life might just depend on it!
Click Santa to ponder the true meaning of Xmas.
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Time for all sorts of festive holiday baked goods! Click the pic below for some fantastic ideas.
Today's entry brings us a delicious experience!
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Having trouble feeling motivated today? Follow the link by clicking the pic below for some inspo!
