Pond Dredging: Stink or Swim?

Well, it looks like the pond has started its exit in prep for the long-anticipated dredging out project. It could be yet another tease, but it does seem that the valves on the spillway have been opened, and the water level is slowly starting to drop.

As promised, I will keep you appraised.

The two big questions on my mind are: 1. When the pond is reduced to a babbling brook surrounded by a giant mud field, will it stink? I thought I detected that start of empty pond smell in the backyard yesterday. But then again, it could have just been the overflowing dumpster.

The second thing I wonder about the project and the touted improvements it may bring is will the old Easthampton public beach someday be brought back to life by a swimmable Nashawannuck? I think improved watercraft traffic, e.g. paddleboats, kayaks, etc., better fishing, and a neater looking pond are the reasonable expectations, but wouldn't a swimable pond be sweet. Friends that grew up in Easthampton fondly remember frolicking at the town beach.

I guess time will tell, at least on my 2nd question.

In the meantime, I'll just continue to make ice cream and hang out with my bear buddy.



Don't call 911 on me just yet. This is just me taking one hiding bear home for safe keeping at night. So if you see a guy with a Mt. Tom's Tee and ice cream on his arms, toting a power drill and a green bear under his arm at around 10pm, try to resist heckling him or calling the cops. It's just me, doing my part to keep the little bears out of harm's way from the mean streets of downtown Easthampton. Unfortunate it had to come to this, as Easthampton City Arts folks are also tasked with bringing in the bears every night, but it seems to be the only way to keep them safe.

Enjoy this coming stellar summer weekend. See you soon.

Staying Cool, Chasing Sunset, & Call to Artists.

After sweltering it out during this first real blast of summer heat these past few days, it became clear the shop's center A.C. unit, the workhorse, just wasn't going to make the cut. I never considered a big window AC as a disposable thing, but between the size of the shop, the people, the heat thrown off by all the freezers, and the door constantly opening and closing, 3 12K window AC's just are no match for those 85+ degree and humid days. And after blowing warm air at us during the hotest times of the day these past few, it became clear today that one of us had to go.


I went.


To Sears for a bigger hunkin' AC. Thanks to Dad for the assist on installing this 100 pound gorilla. Er, polar bear.


Moving right along, anyone recognize this?...






Have always been intrigued by this tattered facade (can you call it a facade if it's on the side of a building? sidesade?). Someday, I'll get a good image of it.


Speaking of images, one night last week I saw a great sunset brewing and was determined to get the shot. I wasn't really up for a twilight climb to the summit of Mt. Tom, followed by a dark and somewhat scary descent, so I jumped in my truck and set out to find the next best spot for the shot.


After sitting in the Tavern on the Hill parking lot for a while...



I realized, although a great view and a fine waft of some exotic garlic butter sauce eminating from the kitchen just above me, it just wasn't the spot I was looking for. There had to be a better place. So I got back in my truck and headed due west. I quickly realized (once I got to the bottom of Mt. Tom to be exact) that one of the downsides of being landlocked in a generally flat space is you're probably not going to get a good open horizon sunset even if you stand on an empty ice cream mix crate on top of the bed of your truck.


It was fun trying though. Ok, it was a little frustrating, and probably slightly dangerous, since my best view of the sunset was whilst driving down Cottage Street...

I was actually stopped for this one, a little safer...



Where did I end up for this beautiful sunset you wonder?

Why, across from the Tractor Supply store, of course. Ok, it's not Montery Bay, but you gotta give me points for trying...

One last item of note, I'm looking for artists to show their work on the walls of Mt. Tom's during the next few artwalks (and throughout that month). If you or anyone you know is interested, drop a line or stop in. It's free (I don't even take commissions if you sell anything!), and the shop is still bustling, so it'll definitely get seen.

Stay cool.

And if you're not, Sears still had 5 of those 15K BTU AC's left this afternoon...

Guest Blogger - Tim Jenks

Today's entry comes from our buddy up the street at Pick Your Flick, the cool local video rental joint on Cottage Street right here in Easthampton. Since the last movie I saw in the the theater was Star Wars, I defer what I thought might be an interesting and timely topic, summer movies, to resident expert, Tim Jenks, proprietor of the aformentioned video rental place.

If you haven't been to his store, I suggest you check it out. Sure, Movie Gallery has more copies of stuff, but Tim's place is way cooler, has much more hometown feel, and is chock full of hidden indie gems. And the best part is, you can get movie ideas from Tim and his wife Liz. Their smiley daughter Gwen mostly gives movie recommendations by giggle and flailing arm gestures, but I expect soon she'll be another source of friendly conversation and movie info.

Here's Tim's take on the Summer of '09 movies he's seen so far...

+ Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen +

If you were between the ages of 5 and 18 during the 1980's, then you probably share the same feelings that I do about Transformers. If you don't fall into that age category, here's a glimpse into my thoughts: Transformers are Awesome! That's it, nothing too complicated here - they are without a doubt Awesome. So when I heard that they were making a Live-Action Transformers movie, I thought it was a joke. No one could make that work on the big screen if they weren't in their original animated form. Then, in 2007, Michael Bay blew us away with the coolest looking, walking, talking, destroying and gigantic "real" Transformers anyone had ever seen. So I hear that they are making a sequel to this awesome movie and don't think much about the way it will look or feel because I already know how it will look and feel, right?

Wrong.

Revenge of The Fallen is nothing like it great predecessor in any way other than the fact that there are Transformers in the movie. First off, the camera moves way too quick to even decipher what is happening on the screen if you could follow who was who anyway. They introduce way too many Transformers to try and remember on the fly and the Decepticons aren't that much different than the Autobots.

I would like to tell you that this movie was great but unfortunately that is not the case. Too many robots and explosions and not much story development make this one fall right on it's face.

****************

+ Harry Potter & The Half Blood Prince +

If you have read the books then you probably feel the same way that I do about the last film, The Order of the Phoenix. It was nowhere near as good as the book and they seemed to have left out about two hundred pages of vital plot from the film. Well, the latest installment in the Harry Potter series blows the last one away by far. I would even go as far as to say this film is the best adaptation of the books to date. It's very dark and dreary, just as the book portrays. You should definitely watch this movie if you're a fan of the series, books or films or both.

*******************

+ Star Trek +

Let me start by stating that I am not a fan of Star Trek by any means. I never watched the original series or the spin offs or any of the previous films. That being said, let's talk about this film.

Simply put, this film blew away any expectations that I've ever had about Star Trek. It is awesome in every way. Visually it is simply stunning and the sets are incredible. The story line and character development are equally great as is the acting.

I highly recommend seeing this film even if you were never a fan or you still aren't a fan. After the film ended I wanted to watch more immediately, and I think you will agree.


*****************

+ Bruno +

Let's start this one off by saying that Bruno is a fictitional character from an HBO television series Da Ali G Show. If you were offended by Borat, then chances are that you will be highly offended by Bruno.

If you want to see male parts flying around, then go see Bruno. This film is definitely not for the easily offended, and this comedy hails all the stereotypical flamboyant gay jokes. It actually makes you question Sasha Baron Cohen’s own sexual preference, not that it makes a difference one way or another. Some of the props used during the filming are definitely not for the faint of heart. I’ll just leave it at that.

The scene where Paula Abdul is being interviewed about humanitarian issues while sitting on an old Mexican man is hilarious but miles from politically correct. The last scene of the wrestling match gone horribly wrong is so funny it had me nearly peeing in my pants. I strongly do not recommends this movie for families or people who are easily offended. If you can enjoy the raunchy movie, it's worth every penny to see it at the theater. I can’t wait for it to come out on DVD to see what all the extras are.

Conspiciously absent from Tim's list is the flick, The Hangover. Rumor has it, that's the funny movie of the summer to see. Miles funnier than Funny People, I'm told. Maybe I can get one of my scoopers to write a little review of that one.

Then again, that may not be suitable for family-friendly ICD reading.

In any event, it's prime movie weather. Too hot and muggy to do much else, besides eat ice cream of course.

And if you don't feel like driving all the way to West Springfield or South Hadley, crank up your a.c., stop by Tim's video store, and pick up a few flicks for tonight.

Tim's working on another ICD installment - his favorite rental summer of '09 flicks. Stay tuned for that.

And feel free to leave a comment with a movie recommendation of your own...

Pond Surveying & Stalking the Blue Heron.

In case you were wondering why the pond is so high right now (aside from all the rain we've been getting)...


An Army Corp of Engineers survey boat, out this morning, doing its thing.

With the water level so high, and a stellar morning of weather on tap, I took it as an opportunity to drop the kayak into the pond for a little pre-work paddle. Of course, I brought the camera...



In case I came across interesting things, like spider webs...


Sunning sun turtles...

And the prized Blue Heron...

I was a total heron stalker this morning...

This guy was I'm sure pretty annoyed with me by the end of my paddle...

With the water level so high, the Nashawannuck Pond looks almost like a Nashawannuck Lake...

With watersports and everything...

Hey, you never know.

Not sure when the dredging will actually begin, but just in case the water level starts dropping, I was happy to get in one good last spin around the pond today. The water was roaring over the spillway this morning, so we'll see...

In any event, hope you get out to enjoy this fine day. If you're stuck at the office still, feel free to click on an image above and make pretent it's a sunny Sunday afternoon...

And you've got an ice cream cone in your hand, naturally.

Small Consolation.

For one rainy day. Some cool sky out there just now. In case you missed...

Hope you caught the rainbow too. Saw it, but wasn't quick enough with the camera.

Is it really August already? Wow. I only know that because tonight's the night I have to stay in the shop after everyone goes home, the lights go out, and all the ice cream is tucked into bed.

And what will I be doing you wonder?

Why, updating all my prices in the cash register and on the boards to work with the new meals tax rate of 6.25% of course. Don't worry, I'm planning to try to keep my prices pretty much the same with nice round numbers to keep the changemaking as simple as possible.

Guess it beats mopping at 11pm...then again, I haven't tried to program a tax rate into the cash register since the day I bought it. May need some liquid encouragement for this one...

In any event, I hope you're making the best of this fickle summer weather and you've been saving room for ice cream. And staying away from those pesky PED's.

I'll end this pretty uneventful post with a quote of today's quote on the board. It comes from one of the sites I frequent (I've talked about it here before, but I'm too ice cream weary to dig up the link to that post. Here's the site anyway - Truthteller

Smile, the purpose of life is to do some good, have fun and learn something.

Peace out.

Sailing on the Nashawannuck.

How about that sky tonight? Was tough to get a good shot, but here's one...

Moving right along to earlier today...

I'd heard about it the other day, and even saw a picture on the cover of the local section of the Gazette last week, but I had to see it for myself to believe it.

Sailing on the Nashawannuck Pond?

Even before the dredging. How could that be even possible?

I submit above, exhibit A.

And exhibit B...

Don't worry, he didn't hit the flag. I watched Pond Sailor guy tack at the end of Cottage Street this afternoon. He and his crew of a woman, a boy, and even a dog might as well have been enjoying a day on Buzzards Bay. It was pretty cool actually.

And filed today also under 'Odd Sightings on The Pond', a ghost row boat...

And if you still don't believe me about the sailboat...

Seems like this guy knows what he's doing. He sailed right up to the spillway and turned her right around just a few feet away from it. Pretty sweet. Hopefully, a little foreshading of the cool activities to be seen and had on the soon to be new and improved Nashawannuck.

Safe Haven for Bears.

As I'm sure you've heard by now, the fifteen little bears of BearFest Easthampton fame, except for wire-haired bear, have been brought inside from the dangerous streets (for bears anyway) of Easthampton. After a number of thefts and near-thefts of these prized pieces of art in the form of fiberglass bears, the Easthampton City Arts group responsible for the very cool and successful public art display, made the decision to move all the small bears inside. It's sad really, that the actions of a very small number of hoodlums, for lack of a better word, have tried to put a dark cloud on an event that's been so positive for the city of Easthampton in so many ways.

In any event, the show goes on. You can still see groups of people, maps in hand, wandering around the bears, taking photos, and having fun. Here's to hoping the lowlifes that have stolen the bears are found and prosecuted to the full extent.

I'm thinking chain them to one of the empty logs in town for a few days and let the people decide what punishment suits the crime...taking a piece of art that someone spent hundreds of hours creating, taking money that would have been raised from its sale and spent on arts programs for kids...

Ok, I feel better now. Meet Hiding Bear, if you haven't already, the coolest small bear in town if you ask me. Meticulously created in a mosaic of intricately cut stained glass by Crystal Popko. You might recognize him from the front lawn of Jim's Package Store.

In more bear news, it looks like the silent auction site for the bears is just about set. Bear Auction Site. The live auction takes place on October 15th at the Log Cabin.

Note the large selection of t-shirts in the photo above (hint, hint)...

Some are BearFest tees, proceeds go to the cause. The rest are Mt. Tom's tees, new ones just in, heavier cotton (same as the 'Life is Good' tees) and a wider variety of colors. You know you want one.

In other Easthampton news, it sounds like the pond dredging project is finally a go. Here's the latest. It's looking like mid-August we'll start to see the water level dropping. I'll be keeping keen eye on things and will definitely be keeping you up to date right here, your place for all things dredge.

Soas to end on a brighter note, here's another bear image from my growing collection...

Hope you enjoyed National Ice Cream day this past sunday. Snuck up on me this year, sorry for not warning you.

Fear not though, July is National Ice Cream month, so you've still got plenty of time to grab a spoon and celebrate.

Better go check that sump pump now.

See you soon.

Cool Sky last night.

Generally, thunderstorms give me huge anxiety. All it takes is one good bolt of lightning to plunge our little grid into darkness. When that happens, I get a pit in my stomach, guard all my freezers from being opened, ready the portable generator for when and if the power failure lasts more than three hours, and begin to pace up and down Cottage Street. Luckily (touch wood), it doesn't happen often, but when it does, a good thunderstorm is usually the culprit.

In any event, last night's storm never got that close, but it did provide for some awesome cloud formations, lots of lightning bolts (in the distance), and a sweet rainbow. Probably not the wisest thing to do, standing with my camera on the edge of the pond in a thunderstorm, so since I risked life and limb for the shop, I thought I'd share (you can click on to enlarge)...

Thanks to Patrick Brough for posting a link (and encouring me to post my shots here and not just on Facebook...). Check out his here.

Guest Blogger - Brian Hendery.

The camera will be my tool, the pictures my inspiration. Things needn’t be great or spellbinding – but we all need something to make sure our lives don’t blend into a regular cycle of monotonous routine. Something small, or simple, symbolic or otherwise: whatever can change the regular into the mysterious, the customary into the magical.

Of course, the original form of this is simply keeping an open mind and exploring. Capturing the moment just advances the thought to those who have the misfortune of not going with you.

The themes are only as limited as where you can go. Elope from the crowds and find somewhere where you can be with the environment around you: wherever that may be. Take road trips. Go where the wind blows. Follow your dreams – be spontaneous. Am I the only one who has dreamt of being a nomad? I believe not.

- Brian Hendery

Now for the crazy part. Brian is 14 years old.

A friend shared this with me, as she says my little coffee table book on the counter, Hand-me-downs - Slightly used Tips on Life for my Little Brother, provided a bit of inspiration for Brian's piece. I was humbled when I found out I had played that role, and when I read it, I was blown away. Remember that name...

Thanks Shannon for sharing, and thanks Brian for the amazing writing, well done. Next milkshake's on me.

Some Nice Additions to the (relatively) New City.

Wandered by the first 'concerts on the common' ever held at the new 'shell' over by the old skateboard park behind Eastworks this past Friday. The big band sounds weren't quite my kind of music, but I just had to check out the new venue for the summer friday concerts. The crowd seemed a bit thinner, but that was probably because the lawn is so much bigger here. It really is a beautiful spot. You can see Lower Mill Pond and a slice of the Mt. Tom range in the background, and better yet, no road noise, car exhaust, or risking life and limb to traverse the traffic to get there.

And I must admit, the sound was pretty impressive. The hatch shell thing doesn't look fancy or high tech, but the acoustics were darn good. As I listened to the big band sounds, it made me wonder how sweet it would be to watch one of the many great local indie bands play here some night. We can only hope.


Moving down the rail trail a piece, there's another nice addition to the local landscape. It's in the form of a cool little park at the corner of the Manhan Rail Trail and Union Street, next to the Movie Gallery. Hadn't heard much about this, but the construction fences are now down, and it's open for strollers, and people with strollers. From what I understand, the fancy benches were commissioned by local artists. Not sure where the money came to build this park and its arty accessories, but it's beautiful nonetheless. Hopefully, the skateboard gangs that hang out around that spot won't figure out that the lawn furniture as art also make for great skateboard obstacles...

(you can click on the images for a closer look.)

Whether you were grilling in your backyard, riding around on your motorbike, weeding, or just relaxing on your hammock, I hope you got to get out and enjoy this fine weekend. Dare I say, the nicest day of the summer to date. Which isn't a huge feat I suppose, given the cool, cloudiness that's been most common here since early May.

101 Frightening Ice Cream Flavors.

From the website 'whostinks.com'...

The Japanese have long taken pride in their ability to adopt, adapt and improve on customs, practices and styles from other countries. Having succeeded globally with cars, electronics and even fashion, it was only natural that the Japanese turned their hand to trying to surpass the West with one of its favorite culinary delights - ice cream. Here are some of their amazing inventions...

Just click on the link above to peruse this scary little list yourself. Let's face it, some things were just not meant to be in ice cream. Having said that, there are just a few on this list I've actually done... Stout, Red Wine, Curry (coconut curry to be exact, finishing up that tub as we speak).

Moving right along to the truly frightening flavors on this list...

Can you imagine going into an ice cream place and asking for 'a single scoop of Pit Viper with jimmies'?

I can see the conversation going something like this...

"I don't know honey, I think I'm more in the mood for Squid Gut today."

"Hmm, but they have Squid Ink too. How to choose..."

"Dear, maybe you should just get a large of the natural viagra? (wink, wink)"

"And can I just tell you...I've had the hugest hankerin' for Ox tongue all day. Do they have it? ...What do you know."

"I had the Sauerkraut last time and it was just ok. Nothing like the Seaweed and Eel, that's for sure!"

"You know what, I think I'm just going to get my usual, charcoal with rainbow sprinkles in a waffle cone."



Or something like that.

All ice cream and no play...

makes Jim a dull boy.

After a holiday weekend spent mostly in the weeds (this is a good thing in the food biz) on account of a short staff and some good ice cream weather, I finally got a chance to get some fresh air and stretch the legs yesterday. Felt good to be behind the lens again. Here are some of my favorites from my quick little kayak paddle on the Nashwannuck Pond followed by a hike up to the top of Mt. Tom for some sunset/full moonrise shots. Was a little concerned about post-sunset descent, but fortunately, or unfortunately, a big cloud obscured the sunset a bit, so I opted for an earlier than complete darkness light jog back down to my truck. I did have a flashlight and the headlamp, but they weren't needed. Note to self though, bug spray next time.



Hope you had a great 4th (3rd & 5th).

Happy 4th to you & yours.

July 4th tends to feel a bit anti-climactic here in the fireworks capital of the Pioneer Valley. Easthampton's fireworks extravaganza is always held the weekend before the fourth, which is great because it generally conflicts with no other events or anyone else's fireworks, and people who like to get out of town for the long weekend of the 4th don't miss out. Those Kiwanis dudes know what they're doing. If only the weather was as well organized.

This was the scene just minutes before dusk and fireworks launch time...

If you were part of the festivities, I hope you enjoyed. The fireworks went off a little early on account of the looming wall of rain and lightning, but it was actually kindof cool to watch the fireworks (albeit a bit abbreviated), listen to Freebird rockin' from the main stage while being dusted by a light rain. A multi-sensory experience.

I hope you and yours have a great 4th, full of burgers from the grill, cold beverages of your choice, great friends & family, and I'll go out on a bit of a limb here and suggest, perhaps even a little sun.

And if the 4th has you in a patriotic mood (as it should), check out the mini-series John Adams, if you haven't already. I'm not sure a better depiction of the days leading up to the birth of our fine nation has ever been made.

It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. ... I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means. And that Posterity will tryumph in that Days Transaction, even altho We should rue it, which I trust in God We shall not. -John Adams

Enjoy, and feel free to stop in for a cone. We'll be open regular hours (12-10pm) on the 4th.