How's that for a crazy storm.

It only lasted a few minutes, but wow, it was somethin'.

If you didn't experience it, you can read about it here.

Looking out the front windows of the shop when it hit was like being in a car wash. The sky was dark as night. The wind gusted. Rain fell in horizontal sheets. Cottage Street was instantaneously transformed into a white-capped river. It was actually pretty cool. Until one giant bolt of lightning hit just a few blocks away, and the electricity said so long. Plunged into quiet darkness once again. Two days in a row. Guess I picked the wrong summer to quit drinking.

Unlike the night before, it seemed probable that this one would last more than the one hour of its predecessor.

I had actually planned to fire up the gas generator that day, just to make sure it was still working. Turned out, she was called up to the show. No sense just practicing during a real power failure. This was the scene at the end of my street....

There was a similar scene at the other end of the street, and throughout the town.
Check out these photos.
And the pond has turned a pale shade of brown...


Well, the night was a bust, but thanks to my trusty little generator, there were no ice cream casualties to report. Power came back in time to switch everything back, scoop a few late night customers, and call it a night. Phew.

There was one interesting happening amidst the chaos and stress of the possible microburst-induced blackout. About an hour into the powerlessness, a group of people came up to the door. As I approached from the back of the shop, I prepared myself to deliver the bad news that the ice cream must not be disturbed when there's no power. Not to mention the fact that the shop was almost dark, the register didn't work, or the scales, warmers, and everything else needing the juice.

I tried to wave them off, but they seemed determined to plead their case.

Turned out, it was a group of twenty foreign exchangers, from Poland, Columbia, Dominican Republic, and a number of other faraway places. Their 'trip to a local ice cream parlor' had been planned for weeks. They'd each been to the website, picked the flavor they would order, and had even learned how to say 'I'd like a regular Cookie Dough in a cup, please.' in English. The American group leaders had looks of near panic. They asked if they could buy a tub and some cups and spoons. I pondered the situation for a second, but as soon as my mind began to imagine the sight of twenty foreign visitors with ice cream, dodging downed tree limbs and live wires as they walked around the pond in the rain, it was clear I needed to open my door and let them in.

I couldn't go into all the freezers, so basically I hauled out a tub of vanilla and started scooping. After they were all scooped, I wandered back to check on the generator. A few minutes later, I returned to find twenty men and women, from all corners of the globe, each eating a bowl of classic American homemade vanilla ice cream. In the dark. Few were speaking. There were just too many different languages to go around.

It was a little surreal, kindof cool, and came as a nice little respite from the anxiety I felt as I wondered how long Western Mass Electric would be clearing trees off the wires.

Their organizers had each given them a 'scoop coupon' to use during the field trip, but since it turned out to be just one big vanilla scoopfest in the dark, I hope to see most of our foreign visitors for a cup of their first choice soon. To which I hope to be prepared with a merci, gracias, danke, or dziekuje.

July's Top 10 Flavors.

Best Selling Flavors for July:
10. Peppermint Stick
9. Chocolate Fudge Brownie
8. Strawberry
7. Deer Trax
6. Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup
5. Mint Chocolate Chip
4. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
3. Cake Batter
2. Chocolate
1. Vanilla

No major surprises there, except maybe for the strong showing by Cake Batter. I think Cake Batter sales were up last month with the help of a new variation on the flavor... Rainbow Cake Batter, with rainbow sprinkles and rainbow sno-caps.

New and/or interesting flavors this past month... Pistachio Almond, Mojito sorbet, Mudpie (with brownies, oreos, chocolate chips, mini-marshmallows and marshmallow swirl), the return of Lavender, Vanilla Peanut Butter Swirl, Peppermint Fudge, Cantaloupe Sorbet (took a few tries to get the spelling right), and the big hit of the month, and perhaps the summer... Burnt Sugar.

Just bought a pack of Guinness, so you should see a fresh batch of Guinness ice cream in the dipper in a few days...

And stop by to check out the new frosty drink menu... Lime Rickey's, Iced Mochaccinos, Egg Creams, Birthday Party Milkshake, Mt. Tom's-occino... intrigued?

Think I might whip myself up a little coffee shake with a kick (shot of espresso) right now...

See you soon.

The Mt. Tom's Roadshow.

This afternoon I took my gig on the road. Ocassionally, I'm asked to scoop at local functions, fairs, and such. It can be a pretty big effort, one that falls squarely on me, since I really can't ask a summer scooper to make a bunch of ice cream, come in early on a Saturday, load up their pickup truck with a freezer, ice cream, cups, toppings, spoons, hand wash station (can't forget that one), signage, and about eighteen other required props, then drive it all to a field somewhere you've probably never been before. Then,when you get to the event, you've got to find the one person you know, somewhere within a sea of fairgoers, the one who you've been emailing with sporatically for the past two months. Once you find them, they've got to show you where to set up (and where to plug in, you hope). Finally, you've got to unload everything and configure yourself a little mini ice cream shop in the middle of that field. During this time, there are either fifty people already forming a queue in front of the freezer, or there isn't a soul to be seen. At this point, you're either thinking, 'oh boy, can my wrist take this?' or 'oh, boy, how did I get roped into this?'

I don't do many roadshows, mostly because they really are a good deal of effort. On the other hand, though, it's a great excuse to spend an afternoon outside in some festive surrounding. And it really can be a great opportunity to recruit new customers to the shop.

Today's scoop 'o-call was Southampton Day at Conant Park in, you guessed it, Southampton, MA. I didn't expect a Woodstock-type crowd, since the population of SoHamp (not sure what their swanky nickname is actually) is probably around 10,000 (another total guess). I pulled up in my truck at the requested time of 12:30pm, about an hour into the festivities. The crowd was tightly tucked into picnic tables under the park pavillion. This turned out to be very helpful, since it would be pouring within the hour. I double-parked in the lot, turned on the hazards, and began my quest to find 'Deb', my penpal over the past two months. Someone knew someone who knew her, and in the time it took her to walk over and say, 'welcome', I was backing my truck over the lawn to a spot right next to the picnic pavillion.

I quickly plugged in, set up shop, and I was in business. Here's my makeshift operation. Kindof reminds me of those old lemonade stands as a kid...

I was greeted with an initial curiosity over what they were calling the 'special Southampton Day flavor'. Seems Deb had told her crew I had invented a special flavor just for their day. Guess I missed that in the email stream somewhere. I had to do a quick improvise. Presto, chango, a new flavor was born.... Southampton Surprise.

Uncoded name: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough.

Next time I'll be better prepared for that one. I promise, Deb.

The event was fun. I didn't break any scooping records, but I think I may have gained a new fan or two, we'll see. The new burnt sugar flavor rocked that pavillion pretty good.

As did the Southampton Choral singers...

So it was a quick event, but cool in a small town, let's get everyone together, have a little town meeting, sing songs, give out a few awards, and call it a big picnic kind of way.

And throw in some face painting, homemade blueberry pie, a trick bmx bike show, and some antique cars....

One of my favorite moments was when a little boy came up to my stand and said, 'Mt. Tom's gave you all this ice cream?'.

To which I had to reply, throwing all ego to the wind, "I am Mt. Tom's!'

He seemed unimpressed, simply replying, 'I'll have a Southampton Surprise, please.'

Small towns rule.

Eat in Easthampton tomorrow for a good cause.

Easthampton Eats for JJ's Memorial
Wednesday July 30
10% of sales at participating restaurants will be donated to JJ's Memorial.

The family and fiends of JJ Dushane have a goal to raise $72,500 by the end of the year. The money is to be used to complete construction of a Memorial and new basketball courts over by Nonotuck Park. This group has been working hard to raise money to honor their son and friend. I hope you'll stop in to one of the following businesses to lend your support. I'm sure you can drop them a ten spot directly or pick up a wristband for a fin if you're not hungry tomorrow. They've also got a golf tournament coming up that sounds like another good way to support the cause and help create something good out of a terrible tragedy.

Participating:
Domino's,
Mt. Tom's Ice Cream
Opa Opa
Papa George
Pizza Wings n Things
Ralphine's Cafe & Deli
Silver Spoon
Treydon's Bar & Grill


Thanks.

Randy Pausch (1960-2008)

By now, you've probably heard of Randy Pausch and his powerful 'Last Lecture. I've been meaning to post a blog entry about him, his courageous battle with pancreatic cancer, and his amazingly optimistic and positive message about how to live a happy life. Although he outlived his 1-2 month to live prognosis by over a year, he passed today. If you've never taken the time to watch his 'Last Lecture' or read the book version, I highly recommend it.

Although I haven't made time (ironic) to watch his 'Time Management' lecture, also posted on his website, that looks really good too. You may have some trouble getting through to his website today, but I'm sure it will be easier in a few days.

There are countless great quotes from the talk, so I'll just leave you with a few...

Find the best in everybody…. Wait long enough, and people will surprise and impress you. It might even take years, but people will show you their good side. Just keep waiting.

- Decide if you’re a Tigger or an Eyeore. I’m a Tigger.

- It is not about achieving your dreams but living your life. If you lead your life the right way, the karma will take care of itself, the dreams will come to you.

- Never underestimate the importance of having fun. I’m dying and I’m having fun. And I’m going to keep having fun every day, because there’s no other way to play it….Having fun for me is like a fish talking about the importance of water. I don’t know how it is like not to have fun…

- Never lose the child-like wonder. It’s just too important. It’s what drives us. Help others.

- To be cliché, death is a part of life and it’s going to happen to all of us. I have the blessing of getting a little bit of advance notice and I am able to optimize my use of time down the home stretch.

May we all be so fearless in the face of our own mortality.

A day at the Easthampton Beach.

After a couple days of dark and rainy weather, who wouldn't want to go to the beach on a perfect, blue sky, sunny day like today. Couldn't quite pull off the logistics of getting to Cape Cod or Misquamicut or Plum Island and back in time to open the shop for noon, so I had to settle for a little bike ride to what was once a happenin' little town beach (or so I'm told).

I didn't actually get to frolic in the surf or make sand castles, but wandering around the 'beach' with my camera was a good excuse to enjoy the fine morning.

Looking East over Nashawannuck Pond as Mt. Tom keeps an eye on things...

And perhaps someday when the pond has been drained, dredged, dozed, and refilled with crystal clear spring water, and the beach has been remodeled and resanded, these may become those 'before shots from that guy's blog'...

The future renovated paddle boat rental house/tiki beach bar?...

Hope you got to get outside and enjoy this top 10 day...

Summer Crew of '08.

As we round out the first half of the summer (can you believe it's almost the end of July already, wow.), I thought it was a good time to introduce the Mt. Tom's ace scoopers of Summer 2008. Returning from last summer is Katie, peach peeler extraordinaire and opening day pitcher of this summer's crew. Off-season recruits include Kate from Williston (end of last summer) and Mimi and Montana (late spring). Also returning from last summer is local favorite and Hampshire Regional High cheerleader, Taryn. Rounding out this summer's crew is Jen, Easthampton star athlete and cousin to Mt. Tom's scooping legend, Lauren.

I was often told 'employees will be your biggest headache', and I'd be lying if I didn't admit they have been cause for the ocassional headbanger over the years, but I've generally been careful (and lucky) enough to hire conscientious, hardworking kids. You hear the 'kids these days' comment thrown around a lot, and admittedly there seems to be a wide range of 'motivation levels' in today's youth, but I believe there are more than plenty of great kids out there, eager to work hard and make money for college, that first car, a new I-phone...

And let's face it, the quality of your crew is directly proportional to the quality of your life. For me, a responsible and reliable crew means not only a better, more successful biz, but it translates directly into my ability to leave the shop to the crew while I drop the kayak in the water or go for a jog around the block.

Being able to employee teenagers has been an unexpected perk of being a small biz owner. It's definitely a lot of work to hire, train, maintain, do all the paperwork, manage, and schedule the crew, but just being able to provide jobs to college-bound teens is pretty satisfying. For most, it's their first job, save a few babysitting gigs and paper routes. This can complicate the training aspect, but it also presents the opportunity to offer a young person a chance to (hopefully) get their professional lives off on the right foot, or forearm, if you will.

When I first started my engineering career, I had the opportunity to do a one year rotation as a shop supervisor on a production line. It was a challenging job, especially as a twenty-two year old engineer and working world neophite thrown into a feasting pool of well-seasoned union workers, some three times my age and a hundred times my experience. I was tested early and often. It was definitely one of the most challenging jobs I've had, but also one of the most rewarding. It was in those silicon trenches where I learned a few key rules about managing people that have served me well through my tech career and now as crew chief to an ever-changing group of young men and woman. Here's my short list, if you'll indulge me.

1. Treat people with respect.

2. Value their efforts and tell them whenever you can.

3. Encourage fun (as long as the jobs get done).

4. Empower them.

5. And most importantly, be consistent. Treat everyone the same way. Make your list of rules and consequences and stick to them. Discipline is never fun for anyone involved, but I've learned if you let it slide for one person, pretty soon others will start breaking the same rule, and before you know it, you're a lame duck waving an ice cream scoop around like a crazy person.

One final people managing observation... Although arguably the most important aspect of the staffing process is hiring the right person for the job, I believe everyone has a strength or a skill. Or as I like to say, 'everyone gets a little something.' The key is to identify what that something is and, for lack of a better word, exploit it. The 'cleaner' becomes the go-to cleaner. The artsy one becomes the cake decorator. The chatty one becomes the shop quality team leader...

Ok, I'll stop lecturing now. Hey, what else is there to do on a rainy day like this...

Enjoy the rain, and stop in soon for a cone and a hello to the summer crew.

Image of this Week.

Rumor has it, the rain is coming in for the next few days, which usually means time for organizing, projects, and blogging. In the meantime, here's an image from today. Baby sis of scooper first class, Mimi.

Talk with you again soon.

Down on the Farm.

Just another one of the many cool things about living in western Mass. A farmshare at Mountain View Farm (the farm formally known as Ole' Turtle Farm). Fresh veg to eat and cut flowers for the shop tables every week all summer. I know the shares sell out pretty fast every Fall, but definitely worth checking out if you're a Pioneer Valley rez. Check it out here.

A few shots from a recent morning 'u-pick'. Another heat wave is here, must go make ice cream. Come on down. The Blackberry Merlot Sorbet is going fast.

Savor the Moment.

During the space between careers, I had the great fortune to enjoy some amazing travel. What started as 'taking the summer off' after getting laid off from my high powered engineering job at a now-busted optical networking startup (I know, that's a long way away from making ice cream), turned into nearly two incredible years of wanderlust. First, I drove cross-country in my little Acura, with just a tent, some camping supplies, my laptop & camera, and U.S. road atlas. Thiry-five states, three months, and many thousands of miles. 16 National Parks. Alaska. Mountain biking in Moab, Utah. Camping in Grand Canyon National Park. Getting up early to catch Old Faithful at Yellowstone National Park. So many unforgetable moments.

My second adventure took me to Australia and New Zealand with a buddy who also got laid off that summer. We did the entire east coast of that land down under. Syndey to Caines. Dove the Great Barrier Reef. Camped on a deserted island. Walked on a glacier on the South Island of New Zealand. Hiked through rainforests.

We were hiking, wide-eyed, through one of the rainforests in New Zealand, and my buddy says to me, 'remember this moment. This is something you'll remember your entire life.' As we sat in that mossy forest and scarfed power bars, we literally savored the moment.

There were many moments during those years of adventure. When I think back, the moments that stand out in my mind aren't things like the hike down into the Grand Canyon (although that was very cool) or driving the twisties of Big Sur (again very cool). No, it was more the little moments. Sitting with a glass of red on the edge of a lake reflecting the majestic Grand Tetons. Being woken up in the middle of the night by a light so bright I thought it was morning, only to open the flap of my tent to discover a full moon so bright you could read a book under it. That moon was rising over the desert of Joshua Tree National Park in California, and became a moment carved into my mind as one of the most tranquil, dare I say spiritual, I've ever experienced.I could go on and on. Perhaps in a book for my counter someday.

So what does all this have to do with life and ice cream, you begin to wonder?

It's simple, really. As our t-shirts like to say,

Life is Short.
Eat Ice Cream.

Translation:

Life is short.

Savor the moments.

The nature of the moments I experience in this adventure I call 'Mt. Tom's' is certainly different, but that doesn't stop me from occasionally stopping to try to 'remember the moment' as my buddy suggested a few years back in New Zealand. And sometimes, I'm even able to grab my camera before that moment's passed...

My nephew, Willy, during a rare visit from his home state of Florida.

A buddy's kids. Check out baby sis in the background.

Happy customers.

A couple scoopers decided to do a shift with the ice cream party hats. Seems they didn't aspire to have the moment recorded.

If you haven't been to the shop this year, you haven't seen the digital picture frame on the counter. It's chock full of pleasant moments of life in an ice cream shop.

All aboard for Mt. Tom's.

Ok, so some customers are more reluctant than others to make the digital picture of moments frame. Perhaps I'll just stick to kiddos. They don't seem to mind...

Let's face it. There's plenty of reasons to feel down these days. Just open the newspaper to any page. In these times of foreclosures, $4.00 gas, inflation, stock market dips, and the temporary demise of the travel vacation, one's ability to enjoy the simple moments becomes even more important. I guess that's what makes this gig so great. I get to be part of one of those simple moments of happiness nearly all day, every day.

What more could you ask for in a job.

Thanks for listening.

A Sign of Things to Come?

An albeit well intoxicated man enjoys a float on the pond this past weekend. As hot as it's supposed to get later this week, I still don't think a dip in the Nashawannuck is such a great idea.

But one can only hope...

Easthampton awaits state ruling on pond cleanup

Shop's gone to the Dogs.

Adorning the walls of Mt. Tom's this month, it's regular dogs in crazy digs. Check out this madcapped collection of aristodogs all month as part of this weekend's ArtWalkEasthampton festivities.

The artist is Carol Lew, and she paints dogs in fancy clothes. The show includes both prints and original oils, all in handsome frames. Definitely worth dropping by for a look. And while you're here, may I suggest the strawberry cheesecake ice cream. Or perhaps the peach mango or blackberry merlot sorbet?

And while you're strolling around Cottage Street, don't forget to check out the Nashawannuck Gallery's 'Oz show', held over for another month. Rumor has it, that Red Shoe'd girl will be making an appearance.

ArtWalk goes from 5-8pm Saturday night. Here's a map for you.

Happy National Ice Cream Month to you & yours.

I was thinking since this blog is called 'Ice Cream Diaries' and not just 'Jim's Diaries', that I should actually talk about ice cream once in a while. So here we go. What you see before you is the latest creation in my little ice cream kitchen. Commonly called 'S'Mores', it's a chocolate base with marshmallow swirl, little marshmallows, graham cracker crunchy things, and chocolate chips all swirled together like a big happy family. How's that sound?

If you're not a big chocolate ice cream person, here's what else is cookin' on the specials board this week... Rum Raisin, Black Licorice, Banana, Mocha Chip, Heath Bar Crunch, Cake Batter Chip, Blueberry Pie, Peach, Strawberry Cheesecake, and Watermelon Sherbet.

On deck... Blackberry Merlot Sorbet, Peach Mango Sorbet, Swiss Chocolate Almond, Ginger, burnt sugar

And another interesting development... Made my first batch of Soy gelato this week. It's a French Vanilla, and I've been told by a few non-dairy types that 'it's really good'. It seems to be selling pretty well, so perhaps Soy Gelato could be that nice non-dairy alternative to sorbet. Stay tuned.

Moving along to the consumption portion of the show, here's a shot of the Day Care Express, fully loaded with kiddos enjoying some cool refreshment.

And in the spirit of National Ice Cream month, I feel oblidged to pass along some ice cream trivia...

• Based on ice cream consumption figures, the top five individual flavors in terms of share of segment in the United States are: vanilla (30%), chocolate (10%), butter pecan (4%), strawberry (3.7%) and chocolate chip mint (3.2%). Source: The NPD Group's National Eating Trends Services
• Ice cream and related frozen desserts are consumed by more than 90% of households in the United States. Source: Mintel
• More ice cream is sold on Sunday than any other day of the week.
• Top 10 Ice Cream Consuming Countries in the World
  1) United States 2) New Zealand 3) Denmark 4) Austrailia 5) Belgium/Luxembourg 6) Sweden 7) Canada 8) Norway 9) Ireland 10) Switzerland

Ok, that's enough.

Too hot for ice cream (like that's even possible)? Can I tempt with the latest confectionary temptation here...
Ok, so maybe a marshmallow ant farm isn't exactly what you woke up hankerin' for this morning. How about this one? Chocolate-covered pretzels with Jimmies.

Stay cool, and if you can't stay cool, stay sugared up at least.

Long Weekend

Hope you're winding down nicely after the long holiday weekend. A couple (nearly) random thoughts and images for your end of weekend (or ease into work Monday morning)...



"You have to believe in yourself when no one else does. That's what makes you a winner."
- Venus Williams



An interesting article on happiness.... Happiness, Is it as easy as a Smile?

And a few intriguing variations of recent Mt. Tom's shoots, ala Photoshop...

Prints (in the form of photo cards) will be available for purchase soon at the soda fountain counter in the shop. Hey, gotta support my photography compulsion somehow...

Hope you had a great holiday. See you soon.

Happy Fourth.

Hope you and yours have a relaxing and enjoyable fourth.

Image of the Week.

How can you not be happy looking at these two ice cream covered kiddos.

The next generation of Root Beer Rudy and his brother Reej? Only time will tell...

My Ice Cream Adventure Captured on Canvas.

You might remember this scene from a few weeks ago. This is John Gnatek, local artist extraordinaire, painting the facade of Mt. Tom's as part of the Plein Air art competition during last month's ArtWalkEasthamton. It turned out to be a great event, with over 40 amazing entries. Although John didn't win, his was a crowd favorite, and certainly a favorite of mine. So much so that I had to make the purchase...

It does show the 'pre-facelift' color scheme of the shop, but it's still pretty darn cool. I had to sell a few extra cones last month to pay for it, but I think it'll look great on a wall in that retirement cabin on a lake thirty years or so from now...

Nicely done John. Thanks for choosing my shop to paint.