Hello Spring, are you sure you can't stay?

Took a little morning hike up to the top of Mt. Tom on my day off yesterday. The light wasn't perfect, because I didn't get a very early start, but it was my day off, and that just wouldn't be right. In any event, thought I'd share a few shots from the top.

The plains...

One More...
You may have already noticed, unless you were the one person in town who wasn't outside during this beautiful weekend, our friend the Nashawannuck Pond is back from her extended vacation and makeover. Can't say for sure when the fish will return (or will be returned), but we'll keep you posted.



The town beach side of the pond got most of the dredging. It'll be interesting to see what it's like this summer, when that side is usually chock full o' weeds. I promise to provide a kayak-view report on that sometime in late July.



In the meantime, here's the 'town beach', which is looking a bit muddy at this point. It seems like it'll need a few truckloads of sand to actually look like a beach. But that seems weird, the thought of actually putting sand into a newly dredged pond, sorta like driving your car through the mud right after you took it to the car wash.

Hope you're enjoying the fine weather. The pace in the shop has certainly picked up. And I just happen to be well stocked with interesting flavors... Strawberry cheesecake, Guinness, Mocha chip, Leprechaun Tracks (mint with chocolate fudge, rainbow sprinkles, & colored mini marshmallows), Girl Scout Mint, and, wait for it, maple bacon.

I know you're curious...

Go Buy a Flick, or three.

Well, you've probably already heard by now through the giant broadband pipe that is the local grapevine, our buddies Liz and Tim are closing up shop for good. They gave it a great little run, and I, for one, will miss their presence on Cottage Street. Like the end of Night Owl Records a few years ago, Pick Your Flick too became a victim of technology's relentless forward progress. It's just too easy to watch a movie now, thanks to industry-changer Netflix, cable movies on-demand, and the ever-growing number of on-line options. Heck, you can watch a movie on your phone now. So who's got time to actually 'go' to a bricks-and-mortar store to rent something. As a long-time Netflix subscriber, aside from keeping Tim and Liz caffeinated and sugared up, I take my own share of blame for PYF's shuttering.

I've spoken to Tim a few times, and sure, he's disappointed and a little sad about having to end a venture that he truly was passionate about. This guy knows and loves moves, as does his super-cool wife Liz. His competitive advantage, and a primary reason to go to PYF as opposed to that other big box video store (that's also going away soon), was his impressive movie knowledge and general outgoing good nature. Walking into PYF was like going to a friend's house. 'Hey Tim, what do you think of this one? Give me an idea for a scary movie.' It was that interaction with Tim, Liz, and young Gwen that made going to PYF fun. And if you never took the time to go, I believe you missed out.

I suppose there's some long commentary to be made about the downside of technology and the internet relative to how it's making such small town, mom and pop type gathering places obsolete. I'm fairly certain the upside of the many new and exciting ways we have to communicate and do stuff, like watch movies, does outweigh the down. Who could have even imagined the idea of a blog just a few years ago. But you can't help but get a little nostalgic when you see good people fall victim to progress, and while we continue to get more connected, we become just a little less connected at the same time.

Please go down to Pick Your Flick this weekend, or next, 10-6pm, to buy yourself a couple of your favorite movies for cheap. And say thanks to Liz, Tim, and Guen for pursuing their passion, and albeit for a finite period of time, making our cozy little town just a bit more cool.

Here's the full article over at the Gazette. You may need a subscription to see though. Or just go pick up today's Daily Hampshire Gazette.

Good luck to Liz, Tim, & Gwen with whatever lies ahead. Congrats on three years of peddling movies and good cheer. Many people talk of starting their own biz, but you went ahead and did it, and for that you're a success in my book.

My Hero.

The 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics are now officially closed. After a couple weeks of entertaining, inspiring, intriguing, and sometimes heartbreaking sports theater, the torch has been extinguished, and these games have gone out the way they came in - part giant Vegas show, part multi-media commercial for the host country, and part tribute to the hard work and dedication of the world's most elite athletes in the sports of winter. I must admit, these Olympics nearly had it all. Public tragedy. Inspiring perseverance and focus amid personal tragedy. Controversy. Malfunctions, mistakes, and miscues. Heartbreaks. A plethora of American success stories. And although it went to the country where hockey stars are worshipped like baseball players, a USA/Canada final provided the finale organizers have been fantasizing about for years. Being able to watch in HD this time made it all that much more fun to watch, almost as if you were hanging over the edge of the halfpipe as boarders completed fancy tricks overhead. Sure, there were tons of commercials, and we often knew outcomes before we tuned in at primetime, but for these past couple of dark and wintery weeks of February, it’s been a most enjoyable distraction.


Aside from being great sports entertainment, it really is inspiring to watch these athletes compete against each other at such a high level. Sure, they're representing their own country, but when it comes right down to it, each competitor is there to prove to themselves and the world that they are truly the best at what they do. It's downhill skier against downhill skier, boarder against boarder. Each individual has dedicated their life to the pursuit of excellence in their chosen sport. I have no doubt each loves what they do, whether it be skiing, skating, sledding, or even curling. I envy these athletes who are able to muster the time, means, and drive to fine tune their abilities to such a high level. For every 'fun' downhill run, though, I can only imagine the hundreds of hours of grueling weight training, cardio, study, instruction, competition, travel, personal expense, and self-sacrifice, not to mention after all those years of preparation to be able to stay mentally focused enough to perform your absolute best on one specific week, day, run, skate. While the entire world watches. For that, these athletes deserve to all the attention and adoration they receive. These are our modern day gladiators and heroes to be celebrated. When Shawn White went all out on that second run in the half-pipe snowboard competition final, having already won the gold medal, yet still completed the trick the world was dying to see and that only he could do, and by doing so pushing the envelope of what’s possible in his sport, I couldn’t help but be inspired.

When Canada’s Christopher Del Bosco crashed during the snowcross final because he wasn’t satisfied with the idea of just a bronze medal, pushing it a little too hard, I was inspired.

When Canadian figure skater Joannie Rochette completed a nearly flawless performance just two days after the tragic death of her mother, I was inspired.

And when Petra Majdic, the Slovenian nordic athlete, went on to winning a bronze in cross-country skiing, I was inspired. This she accomplished after crashing into a gully during a training run, then climbing out of that gully with two broken poles, four cracked ribs, and collapsed a lung. Under unimaginable pain, she skied three more races, coming away with a bronze medal, which she was received while in a wheelchair.

The list goes on, but that's not really what I came here to talk about. You see, besides watching the Olympics this weekend, I also attended a wedding. It was the wedding for a good friend. A young man I most often refer to as my 'little brother' or 'little' as commonly referred to in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. If you've ever picked up my little coffee table book called 'Hand-me-downs - Some just slightly used tips on life for my little brother', you may remember I'm a big brother in that program. Rather, I was a big brother a number of years ago. When I met Ted, he was just eight years old. He had a few learning challenges but more than made up for that in street smarts and a general good nature, despite the many challenges he'd already faced in those first eight years. His parents struggled with drugs and various entanglements with the law, and as a result, were deemed unfit. As a result, Ted and his younger three brothers were being raised by their grandparents. The six of them lived sardined into a small three bedroom house in desperate need of repair, most of which took a back burner to more basic needs such as food and clothing for four growing boys. Thankfully, when the boys were taken away from their parents a number of years before that day I first met Ted, their grandparents had jumped in to help. In their own words, ‘We just couldn't see these kids, after all they'd been through already, split up into different foster homes.’

As I sat in the artificially darkened function hall near Ted’s neighborhood, I couldn't help but swell with pride for my now grown-up little brother. He had made it through an adolescence filled with thorns. Playing big brother himself to three younger brothers in desperate need of a strong father figure while himself managing to avoid the many bad things that seem to find vulnerable kids these days, he was still standing. And standing tall, right next to a beautiful young lady about to be his bride. Her name is Juli-Anne, a pretty young woman who recognized the goodness that has arisen from the ashes of an extremely challenging beginning. I'm sure I wasn't the only one in the room who felt like a proud parent as we watched our 'Teddy' and Juli-Anne profess their love to each other.

His life could have easily taken a much different turn. Over the past few years, his parents have continued to struggle, while Ted has watched his family grow by three, helplessly having to watch his own history repeat itself with three new little sisters. Each time, his parents inevitably became again unfit and his grandmother swooped in to save the children and the day. As Ted now leaves grandma’s nest, she continues to find the energy to raise more children, despite now entering her 60's. As I sat next to Ted's newest siblings, a couple of cute twin four year old girls, all I could do was shake my head.

The real moment of that wedding day for me was not when Ted danced the ceremonial slow dance with mom, although that was touching in its own way. I can’t know for sure, but I sensed that hers were tears of regret. Rather, it was when he was dancing with his grandmother. It was her love and strength that provided the sunshine under the dark shadow cast by his mother's weaknesses. Despite having already raised five children of her own, and barely having the means to provide for herself and her husband, she somehow selflessly found a way to provide her six grandkids the privilege of a normal childhood. I can really only speak for my little brother Ted, but for him, she has made all the difference. She'll never get a multi-million dollar glitzy ceremony or a medal draped over her neck, that's just the way it is. Come to think of it, she probably wouldn’t want the attention anyway. And that’s certainly not why she’s dedicated her life to these great kids. She did it out of sheer love. Just love. It didn't matter that they were her kid's kids. She could have retired to her little condo on the Maine coast or fixed up her deteriorating home, but instead she chose all the responsibilities of a parent, not once again, but six times again. She did it, and continues to do it, with an unassuming grace, and despite more than a few challenges with each of the kids along the way, she seems to hold no bitterness toward her own daughter or the world.

I believe we all have our own role to play during our brief time here. Some are destined to be able to do triple flips on a snowboard and be rewarded with adoration and a lifestyle befitting a king, while others live a life of equal dedication yet are rewarded in more meager ways such as a quiet moment before bed, a colorful drawing taped on the refrigerator, or a tearful dance with their grandson at his wedding.

It seems the world has and needs both, but to me, the real hero this weekend was not Shawn White, Lindsey Vonn, Apolo Ohno, or Bode Miller. I wholeheartedly respect and admire their talent and dedication, along with that of the rest of the athletes at these Olympic games, and I thank them for two weeks of inspiration and gamesmanship at its highest level. No, for me the real hero is, without question, my little brother Ted's grandmother, Claire. Congrats on the marriage of your boy Teddy. He truly couldn't have done it without you, and for that, you deserve gold.

I think you can guess which one she is...

Welcome back Pond, Scoop of Guinness?

Above is a shot of the Nashawannuck Pond just this morning. I took a bunch of photos of the newly dredged pond recently (just before this weeklong onslaught of winter weather arrived), and was preparing to do a little blog entry on the final chapter of the big dredge the pond project. And wouldn't you know, roving photographer, blogging extraordinaire, now exclusives videographer for Easthampton, Patrick Brough, beat me to it. And in fine fashion I must say.

So rather than reinvent the wheel, I humbly defer to Pat's entry last week over at Bay Road Photo. Some great photos, lots of interesting pond trivia, and a couple cool interviews with the experts. But before I send you over there, might I mention the recently promised Guinness Ice Cream is done and sitting comfortably in the dipping cabinet, awaiting your next visit...



Sorry about the squirrel drinking Guinness photo, couldn't be stopped.


Here's the link to Pat's great pond piece:


Dredging Project Link




Image by Patrick Brough.



The quality of my little videos is pretty average by comparison, but in the interest of logging the completed state of the dredged pond into the Diaries, here are mine...






Hope to see you soon.

Winter's Fashionably Late Arrival.

Well, I guess it was nearly inevitable that our luck would eventually run out (or our luck would return, depending on how you feel about snow), and a snowstorm would finally wander north enough to force us to fire up that under-appreciated snowblower in the back of the garage.

A few ticks up on the thermometer, and this morning's winter wonderland has quickly become a winter slush puppy, but I'm happy to report I was able to wander out with my camera this morning before the changeover. Thanks mostly to an early morning wake-up call that came in the form of an avalanche-like crash of snow falling off the slate room of my house.


Whoever borrowed Mt. Tom this morning, please return it. No questions asked.

Drive safe. Or nap safe. Looks like we're in for a good stretch of winter's wrath, enjoy.

Winter Photo Shoot. - Old Orchard Beach, Maine.

Winter, a lingering season, is a time to gather golden moments, embark upon a sentimental journey, and enjoy every idle hour. - John Boswell


Had the chance to escape to the coast for a brief post-Valentine's Day respite earlier this week. Not so much writing this time, but still managed to capture a few images. There's nothing quite like snow on the beach. Unnatural, yet beautiful nonetheless.

Hope you enjoy.

If you liked, here are a few more...

I hope you are enjoying this cold and nearly snowless winter so far. Pitchers and catchers arrived this week, so Spring must be around just a few more corners. Next week is looking to be a bit snowy, so perhaps not yet time to put away the snow shovel and boots. We New Englander's are a patient breed when it comes to the weather. Spring will get here when it feels like it. In the meantime, put a scoop of pellets on the fire and on your way to the couch, grab yourself warm (or cold) beverage and a comforter , flip on the Olympics, and savor the slower pace of life while it's still here.

Latest from the Lactose Labs.

An interesting read on the topic of lactose intolerance.. Why do people become lactose intolerant?, in the health section of this week's on-line Wall Street Journal.

"For years, doctors thought that lactose intolerance primarily affected individuals from certain parts of the world, such as Asia and Africa. But newer evidence suggests the opposite is true. Most adults develop lactose intolerance. Only a minority—those descended from herding cultures in northern Europe and parts of Africa—have a mutation that allows them continue to break down lactose into adulthood. The misperception likely developed in part because so many Americans are of northern European descent and have the mutation."

I realize the lactose-intolerant are probably not a key demographic of Ice Cream Diaries readers and Mt. Tom's guests, but I sincerely believe that the lactose-intolerant are people too, and I couldn't, in good conscience, not pass along this interesting article.

For most individuals, lactose intolerance doesn't mean they should permanently cut out all dairy. Studies have shown that people who are lactose intolerant can drink one to two glasses of milk* a day without symptoms, says Dr. Grave, who encourages all people without allergies to drink this amount. Many people say their symptoms actually improve when they regularly drink milk, perhaps because the bacteria in the colon break down lactose more efficiently or the number of bacteria build up, he says.

* I'm no lactose scientist, but I'd say a small ice cream would be about the same as a couple glasses of milk.


And on the same topic albeit a much lighter note...

I realize it's too late for Valentine's Day, but if you're interested in a tee above for your dairy-dreading date, you can find them HERE.

And if all else fails, there's always sorbet or soy gelato (should be starting that up again in a month or two). And one last thing for you unfortunate latose-intolerant, if I come across any good spinach recipes, I'll be sure to pass them along.

HVD2U.

Wanted to share a few images of Valentine's Day, Mt. Tom's candy store style. We're open 12 - 8 pm today (Thursday), Friday & Saturday 12 -9 pm and Sunday 12-8 pm. Why pay Northampton or mall prices when you can get it all here in downtown Easthampton. Home of the Valley's finest free parking.


Handmade gourmet chocolates...turtles, maple creams, cherries, buttercreams, and much more...

Making these kept us busy yesterday during the crazy snow (non)event...

Can't forget the cupid corn...

And certainly not least, we've got a big stack of fresh strawberries ready and waiting to be hand-dipped in chocolate. Those will be available starting tomorrow (Friday) thru the weekend (or as long as they last).

Hope to see you soon, and Happy Valentine's Day to you and yours.

We now return to your normally scheduled commercial-free blog banter.

Thanks again for your vote.

Just a quick note from your friendly, neighborhood homemade ice cream & candy shop to say thanks for your vote in the Valley Advocate's Best Of contest.

In case you haven't had a chance, here's the link (just click on the logo below)..

And if you need some helpful hints, check out my original blog entry.

Thanks again. You're the best.

What I did on my winter vacation, Part 2

The dipping cabinets are restocked. The chocolate display case is overflowing with fresh gourmet chocolate delights. The candy jars are reloaded. Fresh coffee beans are in the house. Cups, napkins, ingredients, and all the other ice cream shop necessities are on the way. The Mt. Tom's supply chain is back on line and ready for 2010. The Valentine's Day display displays proudly in the front window, and a good batch of Valentine's candy is up, ready to help satisfy the candy cravings of your one special someone. In short, I'm pretty much all caught up and finally have a chance to start blogging again.


In the interest of likely more interesting photos (if you're outside my extended family anyway), I've opted to brief you on the second part of my January of leisure first. The first ten days were spent in sunny (but chilly) Florida with the family. We threw a 50th wedding anniversary party for the folks so this year, instead of just me, my brother's family, and the folks, it was a vacation overflowing with uncles, aunts, nieces, nephews, and cousins. Very cool, but probably not as interesting to you as vacation adventure part 2. Colorado & Utah...



I'll let the photos do most of the talking. Above is me next to the elk statue in downtown Boulder, Colorado. Many thanks to longtime friend Beth,her husband Pete, and wicked cool daughter Gretchen for the hospitality. In case you've never been there. here's a shot of downtown Boulder, Colorado, one of my favorite towns in the U.S. It was definitely on my short list of places to open an ice cream shop back six or seven years ago. Part college, part hippie, part artsy, very cool, if you ever find yourself in that area, well worth an afternoon walkabout.

Here's an interesting find in a gallery there...



Janna Ugone lamps. Her studio is right here at 1 Cottage Street in Easthampton. Nice.




After a couple relaxing days in the Denver burbs, it was off to Park City, Utah, by way of Salt Lake. Another local artist sighting while walking through the SLC airport, Mark Brown clocks being sold in a terminal gift shop. Easthampton artists rule.




Park City, Utah is the great little ski town about 40 minutes outside Salt Lake. There are only 3000 permanent residents, but swells to 45,000 during the ski season. And well beyond that for the 10 days of the uber-hip Sundance Film Festival.



As luck would have it, my visit with buddy Mark, his wife Marissa, and their 2 little princesses falls right in the middle of the Sundance festivities. The town is overflowing with L.A. types, (locals call them PIB's - 'people in black'), with their fancy fur coats, high heels, and Iphones. It's quite a spectacle. The rich and famous are all around. Paparazzi mill about. Locals and tourists wander the streets, anxious to catch a glimpse of a 'star'. We tried to just act cool as we did our usual little pub crawl through town, but it's hard not to be on the lookout for someone famous. Most were well-hidden in their fancy private backroom parties, but we did see a few. Here's my brush with fame...



The movie we got to check out was the premiere of 'Get Low'. It stars Bill Murray, Robert Duval, and Sissy Spacek. Wouldn't you know, they were all there. They got introduced, and even did a Q&A afterwards....



One of the questions from the audience was to Bill Murray - 'Is it true that you snuck up behind someone downtown and put your hands over their eyes, and they said 'who is that?' And you said, 'You wouldn't believe me if I told you.' And then you snuck away.' Wouldn't put it past him, he was genuinely funny during the unscripted after-movie banter with the audience.




Here's one more, my buddy Mark's daughter, hanging with the Snoop Dog...


I showed all these photos to one of my 17 year old scoopers. She barely knew Ben. Had no idea who Bill Murray or Robert Duval were, but she knew the Snoop right away!

On to the other main attraction of Park City in the winter - Skiing! They were having a terrible ski season, hardly any snow, until just before I got there. It snowed for 5 days straight, nearly six feet! Needless to say, the skiing was tremendous...

We even got to check out the half-pipe Olympic qualifier competition. All I can say is, Shawn White = amazing. In a class by himself.

Here's one more of the awesomeness of the Utah mountains.

My friend Mark's walk to work at SkullCandy, speaking of hip... and I thought I had a pretty sweet commute...

Many thanks to Beth, Pete, Mark, & Marissa for the fine hospitality. Good fun, great skiing (came back in one piece, which is good), and a nice break from the rigors of ice cream making. Feeling refreshed, recharged, and ready to go. Well, at least as recharged as one can be after a month of sleeping on pullout couches, trundle beds, inflatible mattresses, and subsisting on a diet of chicken sandwiches and nachos.

See you soon.