Antique Cars and a Picnic by the Pond
Last Saturday, The Antique Auto Club motored over to the Pond for a Picnic after a visit to Mt Prospect and Weeks State Part to take in the views. A Fun Day for All!
Fiber Arts in the Barn
Tracey Bowman, out Fiber Arts Master, taught us how to do simple loom weaving and shared her wonderful creations with us.
Next Workshop is July 26-28-Yarn and Yoga Retreat. For Details Go to:
Peddle Boat and New Toy Rack
ADVENT Walk and
Treasure Hunt
Each Solstice we hold an Advent Walk and Treasure Hunt at the Pond. The clues are poems, read out as the kids scramble over the 68 acres to find each treasure and the next clue. Lots of winter fun for all!
Hot Mulled Wine was a big hit with the adults this year! It's an instant tradition!
All of a sudden...Winter!
With the time change we began to build fires in the stove. There are snow flurries and Grilling season for all but the extremely hearty is over. Here's whats happening as we round the year through to Solstice.
The Barn continues to be improved upon. We are adding plumbing and electricity this Fall. Insulation for some areas will make for a more comfortable space and I hope to be making leaf prints and sharing some techniques with fellow artists and crafters by spring.
The pond overflow culvert needs some repair and I am designing a liner that will make this job as simple as possible. It's too cold for that now, so it will have to wait for spring.
The solar panels are cranking out electricity on every sunny day and so far we have spared the planet 5,581 pounds of co2 emissions. This is the equivalent of 140 trees planted! Feeling good about that!
If anyone wants to use the barn for a non profit community function, please let me know!
Thank You!
We are feeling extremely grateful for the support of these New Hampshire and Vermont businesses , who graciously donated to the dinner for the Forest Society last week!
Thank you Volunteers! So many special folks showed up to get it all together-without your support, this evening of fun and food would have been considerably less pulled together! Your help made it possible for us to dine well, (and on warm food), drink well, and enjoy nicely decorated and set tables, and have a chair to sit on!
A special thank you to Fred Davis of Davis Electric who got that heater connected to power in time, in spite of major obstacles!
Local Sources for Ingredients
FarAway Orchard
Windy Hill Orchard
Green Mountain Herb Company
Meadowstone Farm
Lef Farm
Jonathan's Sprouts
Tanarlane Farm
King Arthur Flour
Cabot
Misty Knoll Farm
Presby's Maple Farm
Fall! Its Here
After a week of balmy temperatures, we are getting that Fall nip in the air especially in the evenings. The leaves have just started to turn and more light is filtering down as they begin to fall.
We are cleaning up and putting away some summer toys and anticipating cooler weather. Piling up our wood, digging out the snow shovels!
Next at the Pond
Our focus this week and next is on the Farm to Table Dinner, Oct 13th to benefit the Forest Society. While we gather and cook, we are thinking about the new well and plumbing that will bring water to the barn, the insulation project and how we will be able to make our best community contribution with our lovely new space.
Ideas anyone? I'm thinking of an Artist in Residence program. Time in nature is essential to keep the creative juices flowing. I'd love to share the space with a fellow creative, then launch a digital and in person show with the results.
Schillings Brewery-the 2 tasty kegs were provided by this great local craft brewer
Littleton Food Coop-A special shout out to The Little Coop who sources local food for their very generous donation
Trader Joe's
Costco
Shaw's
The NH State Liquor Commission donated the Whiskey Barrel door prize
A beautiful Sunset
Last Week of August Solar Panels
We were down to the wire installing the Solar Panels before the August 27th deadline. The crew worked extra hard and in a day and a half the 39 new panels were up and generating power. A few sunny days and we had made 1200 KW!
Installing Solar Panels between thunderstorms
The final floor goes down>
Almost done!
The roof goes on this week-thunderstorms permitting, and the big glass doors will also be installed. The floor is almost done and once the driveways are graded and graveled-we are ready to settle in.
While the primary purpose of the barn is as an art studio, we hope to host community minded gatherings and fundraisers in this glorious space. It is too lovely not to share. This is not a commercial venture, but a cultural one, so there will never be a fee charged to use the space.
Call Mary Boone if you have an idea! 603-801-1943
The Barn went up at a dizzying pace. The day was hot, the crew was cool.
Countdown to Barn Raising! Thursday, July 19th
Thunder Showers were no match to the Crew from The Barn Yard!
Top Left-the first truck arrives and is unloaded to the orchard
Right-It's all put together with pegs! Rugged!
Bottom-At end of Day One-the first floor takes shape
This is it!! Our Barn! Cut, numbered and ready to go!
The Foundation is in and Insulated
The floor is on and the grass has sprouted
Barn Frame Plan!
We are getting close to building the barn. The foundation and floor are done, the entries are graded and seeded and the barn is being built off site. July 15 is the start of the Barn Raising.
Headline this week! Sunny and the Black Flies are gone! Rejoice!
I'm naming him-BIG Mac
BIG Turtle!
He must be the Grand-Daddy Turtle
This guy comes out on a sunny day to back on the rock. he is shy and dives in if we approach
Boys love tents!
A brand new baby deer showed up today at the kitchen deck!
Memorial Day Weekend
The barn foundation has been insulated and the supports for the posts are in! Grading has begun all around the barn site.
Solar Power
377 KW collected so far! once the glitches in programing are worked out, we expect to have energy independence!
"Beer is how we know God loves us"
Benjamin Franklin
Brewing up a batch of Belgian Strong Ale. Maybe we will plant hops next summer?
Second week of May 2018
This year we will build a nice Post and Beam Barn
This week the barn foundation is going deep into the ground. The posts and beams are being cut (off site) and we are upgrading the drives and paths after a long winter.
The solar panels, temporarily set up facing south by the berm section of the pond are beginning to produce power and I am learning how and when to do a re-boot!
Thinking Ahead...
It's spring now, but we all know that winter will be rolling around! Here's an idea for next winter–Hot Rocks! imagine sitting on one of these, pond side, to strap on your skates, skis or snowshoes!
Solar Power is back on after last week's storm tripped it off. We've collected 325 KW so far!