CircleCount helps you better understand Google+

2013-05-24 13:14:33 (9 comments, 0 reshares, 12 +1s)

Is it a snapping turtle?

Seems like that's often the first question kids ask when they see a turtle.
Nope, this would be an eastern box turtle. It's got a cool hinge on the bottom of the shell that allows it to clamp tight when it feels threatened. Like, for example, when someone helps it finish crossing the road...
A "species of concern" here, not endangered, but good to see them around.
And a whole lot friendlier than snappers too!

2013-05-19 03:20:02 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 7 +1s)

How old?

A friend of mine had a birthday party at the vineyard that's right around the corner. It's a relatively new vineyard, and these vines are still maturing. Kinda like me. =D

2013-05-12 12:29:31 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 11 +1s)

Happy Mother's Day!
To all the fabulous mom's out there.

2013-05-11 03:21:43 (12 comments, 0 reshares, 5 +1s)

Not for beginners...

I just walked I from the garage to find my son "introducing" two of his friends to Mama Africa. Entertaining, no doubt. But it also means that the gallon of milk I just opened this morning is nearly gone as they tried in vain to calm some of that heat. Or, "warmth of Africa" as it were.
You can't just jump into these things without proper training. There's a reason an entire shelf in my fridge is dedicated to this stuff.
Personally this isn't a favorite, the taste isn't to my liking. But it does pack a fair amount of heat so it should be treated with the proper precautions.

Well, it looks like the boys have moved on to some bread and they're able to speak without their tongues hanging out so they'll survive.
I might just have a little Radioactive Iguana and a beer...

2013-05-10 11:51:21 (8 comments, 0 reshares, 7 +1s)

Hold on it's #buggyfriday... Now let's gently set this guy down outside.

2013-05-10 02:45:35 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 11 +1s)

Gimme a C, a bouncy C

Or maybe a G?   The lighting at the piano caught my eye as my daughter was practicing her lesson tonight and after taking it I noticed the nice C shape she's forming with her left hand.

2013-05-05 14:26:28 (14 comments, 0 reshares, 13 +1s)

Things that make you go awwww.....
Baby chicks!  Freshly hatched and about 6 days old.  Barred rock chicks hatch after about three weeks in an incubator.  Or of course under a mother's watchful eye, but in this case an incubator. Either way it's fun to watch.  And capture.

2013-05-03 03:13:53 (6 comments, 0 reshares, 8 +1s)

they rise

Fresh from the earth, the undead peonies are back.

2013-05-01 14:39:49 (9 comments, 0 reshares, 10 +1s)

Yawn!   Good morning dear!

This was taken just a few days ago and already they've unfurled quite a bit.  They cover the floor of the woods behind the house wherever the ground is a bit wetter.  They add some nice green color early in the spring and they're more vibrant greens show up when they first open.

2013-04-30 12:34:06 (6 comments, 0 reshares, 6 +1s)

It's all in the eyes

Wikipedia says about the garter snake:  _If disturbed, a garter snake may coil and strike_  Yes, yes they do.  This particular one was a bit peeved at being uncovered from beneath the leaf pile with a garden rake.  And I was nearly as surprised as he was!  And when I used a small stick to move a leaf that was obscuring a good camera angle he did just that.  

They're usually quite docile though and his good nature returned after I explained where I'd recently seen a few frogs and then he let me snap a few pics of his good side.   =D

PS  My apologies to the squeamish, though snakes are far less threatening in digital form...

2013-04-29 21:47:35 (8 comments, 0 reshares, 9 +1s)

just not cricket

...or maybe it is.  One dusty cricket coming right up for #happybugsdaychrismallory..

Sorry the poor guy didn't get a chance to clean up, he was hiding under a bunch of leaves and got left behind when the wheelbarrow was dumped out.  I was going to offer him up a little bar of soap and washcloth, but he wanted to start right in with the singin'

2013-04-28 13:18:35 (8 comments, 0 reshares, 6 +1s)

Looking for signs of spring

They're popping up all over. This little guy was a rescue of sorts. He'd moved into the goldfish pond and had to be relocated to the brook but it didn't take him too long to find a place to fit in.

2013-04-27 13:22:45 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 5 +1s)

Thanks for all the birthday wishes yesterday!
I apologize if I missed replying, Google notified me of some that didn't show up anywhere.
Thank you all, they were much appreciated!

2013-04-25 03:44:07 (4 comments, 2 reshares, 10 +1s)

Tuckerman's Inferno 

A five event relay race, or solo race for a few.  Run, kayak, bike, hike and ski.  

This year's event didn't go as anyone expected, but, that's the risk or running an event like this in the spring with the weather they get on Mount Washington (still title holder to the highest wind speeds ever recorded).  No complaints from me about this year's mild weather whatsoever.  So here's how it went down....  

I heard it was really warm and sunny on Friday, and then it rained Friday night.  And then it got cold! The kind of cold that turns spring corn snow into freshly glazed pottery. 

And that warm weather and rain will turn rivers dirty, angry and evil. At near flood stage they relegated the kayakers to a pond to run laps instead of the six mile river run.  The race was supposed to be for people with ice waterin their... more »

2013-04-25 01:32:09 (7 comments, 0 reshares, 8 +1s)

Those dog days are comin'

A day like today makes it seem as though it's right around the corner. The temperature was up a bit and the sun felt strong. Enough to get somebody's tongue hanging anyway. =D

2013-03-19 17:50:05 (10 comments, 0 reshares, 9 +1s)

Winter just doesn't seem to be giving up this year...

2013-03-09 12:34:28 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 11 +1s)

The weekend's here, don't blink or you'll miss it!

More snow yesterday made some of us pretty happy, others not so much...

2013-03-07 15:12:11 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 10 +1s)

Another gets on and another gets on and another sith rides the bus...
#starwars #earworm

2013-03-05 18:24:05 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 4 +1s)

Oops

2013-03-04 16:45:48 (7 comments, 0 reshares, 14 +1s)

Monochrome Monday
Here's a post for the #monochromemonday   theme with my mobile friend +Jerry Johnson  and his fellow curators +Hans Berendsen , +Steve Barge , +Dominique Hilbert +Martin Heller +David Orr 

This was taken during a hike with the kids to a very popular spot.  This tower is visible from miles around and the trail to it's base is well traveled, even in the snow and ice, as it was yesterday.
I took a look up at the tower and thought the tree in foreground really added a nice level of interest and I tilted my smartphone a little to give the tower a little bit of an angle but I didn't notice the pattern the clouds had formed around the top until after I snapped it.  And that's my favorite part of it...

2013-03-02 16:36:57 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 8 +1s)

The special Olympics are being held today at Ski Sundown. Here Team Southbury discusses a little strategy.

2013-03-01 15:44:55 (9 comments, 0 reshares, 7 +1s)

Mint condition?  Nope, this be well loved

Years ago my dad purchased this, along with several other books from the local library's annual book sale.   When he got it home he found out just how long it had been around.  And not only was it a first edition, but signed by the good doctor himself.

On duty for well over thirty years at the library, it was likely a bedtime story countless times.  It was repaired, patched, taped back together but the illustrations are still as vivid as ever. And still very readable.

In this condition is it worth anything to a collector?  No.  But it's a cool piece of history.

Ran across this while looking for a (Seuss) book to bring in to read in my daughter's class today. 

#drseuss  #readacrossamerica

2013-03-01 03:32:00 (16 comments, 0 reshares, 7 +1s)

+Nicole Burgoz needed something to go with ribs and taters. This was the best I could come up with on short notice.
One tasty Belgian tripel coming right up. =D
#craftbeer

2013-02-26 02:32:08 (11 comments, 0 reshares, 5 +1s)

Trust

Below is an article and short 90 second video to an event I helped with on Saturday.  Other than the rain and/or drizzle that fell all day.  Though that did make the snow easy to turn in and that was a huge help to beginners!  I was paired with a 16 year old boy with Vision Impairment who had ice skated once before so he had good balance.  He struggled with turning and stopping I still was able to get him a couple runs from the top of the mountain!

One of the highlights for my student was going past a group of ski patrollers in the middle of a training session and getting a big cheer from them!  Very cool!

In the video, one of the students mentions how she has to trust that her instructors or guides are giving her correct cues when she's skiing (and elsewhere).  I recieved a small sampling of what that might be like during our training and preparationfor t... more »

2013-02-24 18:09:02 (4 comments, 0 reshares, 8 +1s)

Beware thin cover! Old school skiing with soul. Natural snow cover all over the mountain today.

2013-02-22 19:42:16 (6 comments, 0 reshares, 12 +1s)

Who else is looking forward to the weekend and the prospect  of more snow?
And all the fun which that entails!
#fidofriday
+Fido Friday, +mel peifer,  +Wes Lum , +Lisa Lisa and +Suhaib Ayaz 

2013-02-22 16:36:22 (8 comments, 0 reshares, 5 +1s)

Looking forward to seeing these out on the hill tomorrow afternoon!  Supposedly there are some TV camera crews showing up tomorrow as well, so I'd best remember to put my game face on in the morning.

2013-02-22 15:18:10 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 3 +1s)

Good to see another link to Bicycle Design from +The Atlantic Cities, this time about Mathias Hintermann’s Backbrat bike mounted grill design.

2013-02-18 23:31:52 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 6 +1s)

training for the visually impaired tonight. We have ten students coming on saturday afternoon!

2013-02-16 16:53:01 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 8 +1s)

Fresh powder, sunshine and a full day of bi-ski lessons. Life is good!

2013-02-15 01:57:41 (6 comments, 0 reshares, 6 +1s)

Looking for an alternative to the typical bottle of wine for Valentine's? This is much more interesting. And highly recommended.
+Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
#craftbeer #namaste

2013-02-14 20:03:15 (5 comments, 0 reshares, 17 +1s)

Happy Valentines Day from Odin, the god dog of snow.

2013-02-10 16:15:39 (4 comments, 0 reshares, 19 +1s)

Enjoying the spoils from storm Nemo.

2013-02-10 01:00:35 (4 comments, 0 reshares, 13 +1s)

Thanks Nemo!  Fresh snow turns the backyard into a playground, all it takes is a little ingenuity...

2013-02-09 23:22:26 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 5 +1s)

So the shoveling out is all done. Time to catch some rays. Anyone up for some frozen margaritas?

2013-02-03 16:29:55 (6 comments, 0 reshares, 9 +1s)

A lot of preparation goes into that first run of the day.
Looks like it's going to be a good one. A little bit of fresh snow and lots of sunshine.

2013-01-28 16:03:07 (8 comments, 0 reshares, 11 +1s)

Here is a pic of the completed ice sculpture from yesterday. The shot I posted yesterday showed it in process.

here ya go +nanci wylde, as promised. Though a little late.

And before anyone asks, no, not my handiwork.

2013-01-27 17:44:12 (9 comments, 0 reshares, 11 +1s)

A little chainsaw art for the winter carnival today.

2013-01-20 22:06:38 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 17 +1s)

I found one of my former students out making a few runs with his dad this afternoon.

2013-01-19 21:01:12 (8 comments, 0 reshares, 9 +1s)

Hanging with coop...

2013-01-08 02:45:17 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 9 +1s)

Training session tonight. This shot is from one off the lessons this weekend. Bob is displaying how well the mountain man bi ski can carve a turn. Beautiful sunny day yesterday.

2013-01-07 02:47:40 (6 comments, 0 reshares, 9 +1s)

My coat, heading home after a great weekend... Great couple of lessons on Saturday with kids, at opposite ends of the Autism spectrum, and opposite ends of the communication spectrum as well. One non-verbal and one that would.... not.... stop..... talking. I now know more intricate details of the PC version of Portal 2 than I could have picked up in six months of playing the game myself. He's almost got me convinced to pick up a copy myself. Except with the severe lack of free time I have at the moment, there wouldn't be much point.

And yep, that's my daughter transporting the coat, and it may be hard to tell, but she's also modeling her new Vader hat.

2012-12-29 18:51:30 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 8 +1s)

Not a bad place to be when it's snowing!

2012-12-29 18:47:29 (8 comments, 0 reshares, 9 +1s)

Went out for some training today so we broke out a few tools. My first lesson will be tomorrow with a repeat customer. Looking forward to seeing his growth since last year.

2012-11-29 04:55:50 (4 comments, 0 reshares, 3 +1s)

MY NEW ALBUM...A G+ DREAM IN THE MAKING

A little over a year ago, before G+ and before I met all of you, my musical dream was dying.  It seemed impossible to juggle motherhood, graduate school AND trying to build a music career.  I was at a point where something had to give...and it looked like I was going to have to sacrifice MY DREAM.  Then YOU came along, you listened to my music, you supported me, you encouraged me to make more music, you believed in me...and because of YOU, my G+ FAMILY, my dream was revived and my life was changed.

THE NEXT STEP...
The next step of my dream is to be able to FINISH MY ALBUM, share my new songs with you guys (and the rest of the world!) and to get one step further in my musical journey.

THE REALITY
Being that I'm an independent musician, I can't do this without help.  I'm myown... more »

2012-10-20 03:06:22 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 10 +1s)

Oh, the dilemma. Which glass is best for an IPA?...

And is anyone else reminded of Hester Prynne by that big A on Cap's forehead?

2012-10-05 12:16:30 (14 comments, 0 reshares, 16 +1s)

There was just a hint of magic in the air this morning. Or maybe someone had a wee bit too much pixie dust on her toast?

2012-10-05 03:37:16 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 2 +1s)

Just in time for Halloween, +HEATHER FAY 's take on Michael Jackson's classic.  Gorgeous cover art by +Ashlan Nathens too.  If you're a fan of Heather's you'll love it. 
She and her bandmates spent a lot of time and energy getting just the sound they were looking for on this and you can really tell.  High production values and of course Heather's beautiful voice.

2012-09-29 18:48:06 (7 comments, 0 reshares, 7 +1s)

Bottling some sunshine today. Fresh habanero salsa...

2012-09-25 12:02:42 (5 comments, 0 reshares, 15 +1s)

The colours of autumn, safely escorted across the road.