News from Up North
September 2nd, 2013 · No Comments · Posted in News from Up North, rural life
This is what happens when you run over a wire with your rider mower. What a mess!
I was clearing a path for temporary sheep fencing along the old fence around the orchard when the mower sucked up a heavy gauge wire that had fallen into the tall grass. This is the kind of wire you use to permanently electrify a fence. I heard the initial contact between blades and wire, but couldn’t turn off the engine before the mower had sucked in a goodly length of it. The mower just died.
Fortunately, I had spotted a business card for “small engine repair” on one of our community bulletin boards. People around here seem to do most of their advertising at the grocery store, the bank, the feed store, the gas station. Anyway, I kept the card for just such an emergency, made the call and within two hours Robert Lee arrived with two helpers. They removed the mower deck from the tractor, flipped it over and went to work with a couple of wire cutters. Mr. Lee removed the blades and gave them a good sharpening.
In less than an hour, we were back in business….
The week we’ve all been waiting for has arrived: School starts on Thursday. Daughter has her schedule and a spot on the school bus. It’s supposed to pick her up at the end of the driveway a few minutes past 7 a.m. This will be a very different experience for her, attending a K through 12 school where her entire class of eighth graders numbers around 80.
The Washington County Fair posted an all-time attendance record that had stood since 1995. Nearly 125,000 people came out for all those tractor pulls, pig races and giant cheese sticks.
Mark your calendars. The 7th annual Washington County Cheese Tour is scheduled for this coming weekend, September 7 and 8. Six area cheese makers open their doors for tours, tastings and demos. This is a self-guided event wherein you drive yourself to the different farms. Go to www.washingtoncountycheese.com for more info.
Kudos to 46 sixth graders from Cambridge and Salem who recently took part in science enrichment activities. On a trip to Ball Mountain dam in Vermont, the students searched for garnets and hiked several miles along the West River. They observed amphibians and unusual plants such as the Indian Peace Pipe, which has no chlorophyll and cannot make its own food, but sucks nutrients from nearby fungi. Who knew?
The North Eastern New York Orchid Society is hosting a specialist on the orchids of Columbia at an event September 7. Andrea Niessen, of the organization Orquideas del Valle in Cali, Columbia, will address the group at the William K. Sanford Library in Colonie at 2 p.m.
Also this coming weekend, the Merck Forest and Farmland Center holds its Sheep Dog Trial and Farm Festival. This two-day event combines with the final leg of the Northeast Border Collie Association’s 2013 Vermont Triple Crown Sheep Dog Open. You can watch the doges compete. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for children 4-12.
In case you need to brush up on your bow hunting safety, classes are being offered in Hartford and in Hudson Falls. Space is limited for the Hartford course, so call the Hilltop Archery center to reserve your spot. The Hudson Falls course is home study, offered by the local fish and game club.
Finally, Rensselaer County Dairy Princess Lindsey McMahon has been at the Schaghticoke Fair with her retinue, helping at the ice cream booth, holding a smoothie making contest and impressing attendees with the need to consume at least three portions of dairy products every day. The dairy princess hands out ribbons to those participating in the cow and calf shows, and is always to be found in the milking parlor at the end of the day.
This week she recommends making stuffed mushrooms, “My favorite appetizer!” Break the stems off 12 whole mushrooms and fry in oil with 1 tablespoon minced garlic. Into the sautéed mushroom spoon a mixture of 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon onion powder and a pinch cayenne pepper. Bake in a 350 oven for about 20 minutes.
This edition of News from Up North was culled from actual news reports in the Washington County Area and is presented here for the enjoyment and edification of our readers. As always, stay alert and please drive carefully.
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