Our One Maple

It was last year, that we tapped our Maple for the first time and it turned out to be one of my favorite days of 2009. This year, I was agonizing over tapping the tree at all because there would be a few days this month that we wouldn't be able to bring the sap up to Coolidge's Sugar Shack.

I had been in a bit of a "funk" the last month and then got sick, but when I pulled into the driveway after work a couple weeks ago and found three sap buckets on our porch along with a drill, a big smile appeared on my face. I was so happy that the Coolidge's remembered our one Maple tree that could be a part of their sugaring.

I immediately went over to the tree, drilled my three holes and then hung the buckets. Of course, the last hook wouldn't budge and so I sat on our ski lift chair waiting impatiently for Drew to get home to place the last bucket.

The darkness forced me inside and when I heard his car pull in the driveway, I rushed him over to catch the droplets of sap before too many had hit the ground.

The weather was perfect with warm days and cold nights. I kept checking the buckets and the sap level never seemed to change even after a few good days of steady dripping. I started thinking I was a little too crazy and stopped checking the buckets every two minutes.

Finally, I peeked in the buckets on Friday and there was nothing there! At this point I wondered if Cal was discreetly taking the sap for us when we weren't home. I stormed into his wife's place of work and asked if he was taking the sap. With her answer, yes, another mystery was solved and was glad we did not have a sap stealer on our hands. I was able to breathe a sigh of relief and reflect on how lucky we are to have people remember us and our one Maple.

Irish Gargoyle

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Jewelry at the Deli

Today I discovered the best deal in all of Jay. Jewelry. I found it at Devin's Deli of all places and is made by Tara, my favorite sandwich maker's wife! This month they are running a special, buy three pairs of earrings for only $8 or one for $3. You can see this unique, handmade jewelry right above the frozen novelties.

So Ladies, before you reach for that pint of Ben & Jerry's to lift your spirits after a bad day, you might want to consider buying a pair of earrings to make you look good while you eat that ice cream on the couch.

I know that many of my readers don't have the luxury of popping into Devin's Deli and Garage to check out the jewelry deal, so I will send a pair of earrings to my first comment below. Go!

Sweet Little Ball of Raccoons, I Think Not

When I first saw the Raccoon ball in the tree on the corner of Glen Road and 9N tonight, I thought it was one big fat raccoon. Then, I realized there was another one underneath.

After walking to the other side of the tree I could tell there were a few more sleeping up there.

As cute as they looked all snuggled up together, I couldn't help but think about how annoying they've been since we moved to Jay.

Here is a short list of how they have wreaked havoc on our property thus far:

1) In an attempt to get some birdfood, they broke our "old lady" clothesline.

2) They knocked over our pumpkins, had a feast and left the mess for us to clean up.

3) The Raccoons have been blamed for the disappearance of the blue jay's nest and their recently hatched babies.

4) After an overnight hiking trip, our packs were in the mud room drying out. The door was left ajar hoping that our cat would return home. Instead of seeing Mango in the morning, we discovered that my backpack was a mess, having been picked over of its food and Benadryl had been consumed. Shortly after, in broad daylight we saw a raccoon strutting across our lawn all pumped up on medication. That was the last night we left the door open for Mango and gave up hope for his return.

I'm pretty sure the raccoons will return to torment me some more. So, as sweet as they all looked in their little sleeping ball, I have no problem saying that I don't really like them.

Learn to Fly Extravaganza

At the start of the Olympic Games two weeks ago I had asked Drew, "If you could start your life over at the age of three and start training for an Olympic sport, what would it be?" He thought for awhile and finally replied, "Ski Jumping." If he had grown up here and not in Central New York, that could have been a possibility. Our six year old friend Ruby is lucky to have a Mom that allows her to try out a variety of activities and last week it was Ski Jumping. She had so much fun and couldn't wait until the next time she could practice her jumps.

Last night was the last of NYSEF'S Learn to Fly Series and ended with a kid parent competition. Unfortunately, Ruby's dad has been out in Colorado for the month and so Amy was scrambling to find a surrogate parent. Drew was the lucky one and got to partner up with Ruby in the Learn to Fly competition.

Ruby coached Drew on how to stay low and spring up on the jump. She showed him how it was done on her Sponge Bob Square Pants skis. This girl has no fear.

After practicing, Ruby told Drew, "You better jump far!" Of course in the excitement of it all, I messed up on my videography duties. So, either tilt your head to the left or if you have a laptop turn it clockwise 90 degrees to check out Drew's massive 9 meter jump on the 16 meter hill.

They made a good team and finished in 21st place! Ruby was a little disappointed that she didn't receive a ribbon, but as we walked out to the car, she started to realize she did pretty darn good since some boys didn't even go off the jump and that was only her second time.

Winter Olympic Gargoyles

Gargoyle John has put on his winter hat and is rooting for Team Canada and USA in the sliding sports.

Gargoyle Lance has wrapped a scarf around his neck and is looking forward to watching both Nordic Skiing and Ice Hockey.

Lake Placid Toboggan Chute

One of my all time favorite activities in the winter is tobogganing down the chute onto Mirror Lake. This is always a hit or miss activity because it is so weather dependent. February is usually the best time to go when the lake has been frozen for a few months.

A couple years ago in March, my friend Emilie and I stumbled upon the Lions Club race that had been delayed due to weather conditions. We had so much fun, but got completely soaked because the top layer of Mirror Lake was turning to slush. Strangely, we received second place for women and walked away with a Genesee Beer trophy that now resides in my garage.

That trophy really means something to me because as a child my sister and I were in a sledding accident and we ended up with one black eye and a swollen jaw. Surprisingly, we took a chance at the Toboggan Chute together a few years back and the only mishap was a pair of torn snow pants.

This is not an activity for the faint of heart. There is a large warning sign before you climb the structure discouraging expectant mothers and others with heart conditions. They also let you know they are not responsible for damaged clothing that might get torn from extreme friction.

My husband had never been down the Toboggan Chute and so after grocery shopping we went for a few rides. I think the following videos will show that I have gotten over my fear of sledding.

I love it when you spin on the ice at the end!

How can something be so scary and fun at the same time?

If you've never been tobogganing, this could be your week. The conditions are fast and this Saturday, Rock 105 will be hosting the Adirondack International Toboggan Championships where there are lots of prizes and the funds raised go to the USA Luge Team. I'm sorry to say there won't be any beer trophies handed out at this event, that was last weekend and I missed out on the event. So, for another year, our beautiful beer trophy will be the only one on the tool shelf.