Welcoming in the New Year!

I regret that a sticky winter bug has kept me from compiling a decent list of things to do in the Valley for the New Year's celebration.  Nevertheless, I have taken a few minutes to compile a shortlist:

One obvious option is Northampton's First Night Celebration.  I have not yet taken to the cold frosty streets to enjoy First Night festivities, but this poster by Brooke Dyer is so charming and reminiscent of childhood imaginations that I nearly feel inclined to try it out this year.

Many restaurants are featuring special New Year's Eve dinners, and many of the local stores are sponsoring New Year's Eve celebrations for families, kids, and/or adults.  (See The Blue Heron in Sunderland and Chandlers in South Deerfield.)

If staying out late on New Year's Eve isn't your thing, try for something on New Year's Day.  At my parents' house, New Year's Day is a day of football and taking down Christmas decorations and finishing off the Christmas cookies, but there are so many other options.  One of these is Duke Ellington's Nutcracker at the Cultural Center at Eagle Hill (this may be a bit of a trek, but the venue is worth it -- and what could be more fun than Ellington to welcome in the new year?).

Happy New Year!

My Recipe for a Happy Holiday

For me, the holiday begins today, with a vacation that stretches into the New Year.  I am very thankful for a little downtime during this season. 
I have a standard recipe for happy holiday vacations.  As the years pass it gets refined, and I don't always have access to all the ingredients every year.  Nevertheless, here it is:

My Recipe for a Happy Holiday

1 Gingerbread with Hot Orange Sauce
4 dozen Grandma's Norwegian Krumkaker
1 Box G&G's Homemade Flatbread
1 Fireplace for Multiple Fires
1 Collection of Classic Movies
1 Large Pot Clam Chowder (sometimes replaced with Beef Stew)

1 Large Stack of Books; holiday reading must include one or more of the following:

• Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman
• East by Edith Pattou
• Snow-Walker by Catherine Fisher

1 Frosting of Snow to cover the ground
Blankets & slippers & wool socks (as needed)
1 or more Dear Ones (these may include but are not limited to spouse, parents, siblings, nieces, nephews, cats, dogs)
3-7 Days Away from Work
Birds at Outdoor Bird Feeders

There are, of course, other little things that help make the holidays special and relaxing -- all those little decorations and traditions.  What is your happy holiday recipe?

Trees from Zaskeys

Time for picking out a Christmas tree is drawing to a close, but there still may be a few of you out there lacking that particular bit of cheer in the corner of your living room.  If such happens to be the case, you may want to make a trip to the Zaskey Christmas Tree Farm on Mt Warner Road.

Mr Madley and I visited the Christmas Tree Farm last Saturday -- our first outing to a tree farm for our first Christmas tree in our new home in Hadley.   I had picked out a number of trees from the road, after walking past the farm several times, but there were plenty of trees available.  We spent a little while roaming through the pines (it smelled so good!) and finally settled on a Fraser Fir of 5.5 feet or so.  One of the employees/cousins (it's a family farm) had it down in about 30 seconds; then he trimmed the bottom flat and snipped off a few stray branches.  We got the whole thing for under $30 -- a fantastic price for a fantastic fresh tree and impeccable service.  Friendly folks, festive trees (and wreathes). (Prices are posted on their website.)

What I learned from this experience -- Christmas trees grow about a foot a year -- and Zaskeys have acres and acres of new baby trees getting their growth in for future Christmases.  I also learned that I love picking out a fresh-cut tree from just down the road and bringing it home. (My cat loves it, too.....)

Our tree now sits in the corner of our living room, all decorated with white lights and a variety of ornaments.  It makes me happy.

Happy Holidays!

Aldi's is Almost Here

The other day while running errands, I noticed that the Aldi store in the Home Depot lot is almost complete.  And then upon returning home that very afternoon I received a postcard with coupons in the mail announcing that the store would open December 13.  That's next week.  Wow.  I remember when they were just breaking ground -- it wasn't that long ago.

I've never been to an Aldi store, though my parents have.  They use Aldi products to stock the shelves their food storage.  They love the canned chicken, and one year for Christmas they gave me a case of Aldi's canned cherry pie filling.  (Yes, it was a good gift -- I truly love cherry pie filling.)  And so, in light of the cherry pie filling, I admit I'm the slightest bit excited. 
But a little disappointed, too -- another big chain store in our lovely little Hadley town.  Another mass of of lights on Rt 9.  Another draw for traffic.  Another big chain store.

Holiday Fairs Post Updated!

Just a quick notice that the Holiday Fairs post has been updated.  Find it here.

Next Barn Over for the Holiday!

The Next Barn Over CSA is carrying on the Hadley Food Bank tradition and will have its Thanksgiving store open today from 10-2.  This is great news -- you still have time to stop in and get some delicious local Thanksgiving treats!
For more information, visit the Next Barn Over website or read the news in the gazettenet.
So good -- I'm looking forward to learning more about the Next Barn Over, now that I've found it!

Small Business Saturday

As Thanksgiving approaches more and more emphasis and advertising are given over to the feared "Black Friday" -- when all kinds of stores will open their doors to hoards of anxious shoppers who both dread and long for the morning they will rise from their beds at an indecent hour to seek out the biggest and best sales around.  Armed with wallets, credit cards, coupons, and bags, of course.
That's Black Friday.

Saturday is an entirely different story.
This Saturday, November 27, is Small Business Saturday -- a day set aside to support the local small businesses that keep our communities diverse and varied and not like one big strip mall (though Hadley does indeed have one).
There are plenty of reasons to participate in Small Business Saturday -- small businesses reinvest more money into our communities, employ our friends and neighbours, grow more jobs, and are staples of our society.
There are lots of small unique businesses in our valley -- hope you can get out and support a few on Saturday!  I know I'll be out at at least two, maybe even three or four (restaurants count!).  Essentials, Atkins, Local Burger, Rt 9 Diner, Amherst Books, Scandihoovians, Hadley Garden Center, The Gift Chalet, Modern Myths, Ben & Bill's Chocolate... so many options!


So tell me: what is your favourite local small business?

Holiday Fairs & Bazaars!

6/30/13: This post has been getting a TON of activity (some of which is referrer spam), but it's quite out of date.  If you are looking for events and fairs, please visit the calendar page, linked on the right side of the post.

---

Updated!
Fair & Bazaar season has arrived!  It started last weekend with the fun Twist Fair and will be continuing on into the holiday season.  Here is a short list of some of the local fairs going on.

November:
Amherst Harvest Festival: Nov 20, 5:30-7 p.m. (potluck harvest supper). Grace Episcopal Church, Amherst. Free. 256-6754.

Amherst Sleighbell Fair: Nov 20, 8-2. South Congregational Church, South Amherst.

Cranberry Fair: Nov 20, 9-3.  First Congregational Church, UCC of Amherst.


4th Annual Craft & Vendor Fair: Nov 19 (5-9) & Nov 20 (10-2).  Schoolhouse Commons, 1085 Park Street, Palmer.

Hadley Holiday Vendor Fair (Hadley Mother's Club): Nov 20, 9-2. Most Holy Redeemer Church, Hadley.

Hartsbrook School Holiday Fair: Nov 20, 10-3. Hartsbrook School, Hadley.


Old Deerfield Christmas Sampler Craft Fair: Nov 19-21 (hours vary by day). Better Living Center, Eastern States Exposition, West Springfield.


December:
Holiday Marketplace: Dec 4, 10-3.  Shutesbury School, Shutesbury.

Leverett Christmas Craft Fair: Dec 4,9-3.  Leverett Congregational Church.

Northampton Winter Craft Fair: Dec 4-5, 9:30-4:30.  Northampton High School

Snowflake Bazaar: Dec 4, 9-4. Unitarian Meetinghouse (121 N. Pleasant St.), Amherst. (Thanks, Jenny!)

Sunderland Gingerbread Fair: Dec 4, 9-3. Sunderland Congregational Church.

Winter Fair in the Hilltowns: Dec 4, 10-4.  Brassworks Building, Haydenville.

**If you know of other local fairs that are not included on this page, please post a comment!  I'll update as I find more.**

Restaurant Review: Hillside Pizza

It's been an awful long time since I've posted here, and I've missed lots of important things -- like autumn in New England and election day and the cyclocross race at Look Park in Florence.  Maybe I'll catch up on those later.  Today's post is all about pizza.

Friday night is pizza night, right?  Not if you're gluten-free and lactose-free.  It's been years since Friday night was pizza night at our house.  But then we saw "gluten-free pizza" on the sign for the recently opened Hillside Pizza on Rte 9, and we had to try it.

We ate in; the restaurant was nice.  Cork board advertising and decks of cards at each table; a refrigerator with sodas and juices; clean, well-lighted, with plants and paintings.  The staff were friendly and helpful (entertaining, too -- you can watch them throw the pizza dough in the air). 
After a thorough perusal of the menu and a few questions asked and answered, we ordered 2 kinds of pizzas -- a regular pepperoni and a gluten-free mushroom & sausage.  Prepped in-house upon order, there's a bit of a time-lapse between ordering and eating, but that's what the cards are for -- plenty of time to play a game or start a conversation.  But not too long.  And then the pizzas came.  Our reactions? -- Delicious!  Hot, fresh, cheesy, and made with many local ingredients -- you can't go wrong with that. 
The gluten-free pizza is made with cheese in the crust, so if you usually need a little help with lactose, don't forget the lactaid.  However, Hillside Pizza does offer dairy-free cheese for the top of the pizza, if you have problems with lactose and not gluten.

Hillside Pizza also offers salads and sandwiches, gluten-free desserts, chips, fundraising opportunities, and take-and-bake pizzas.  Better than Amy's; better than DiGiorno.  But that shouldn't surprise anyone.  Hillside also promotes local business and a healthier community by responsible use of local, sustainable, and renewable resources.  If you've been thinking about making a visit, think no longer -- just go (but check their hours first -- they're only open 4 days a week).


Friday night pizza night!  Delicious -- I can't wait to do it again!

Here's a look at the Hadley restaurant's menu.

For more restaurant info, visit my previous blog.

What's Blooming

I spent much time working on the landscaping of our house this summer -- tearing out trees and bushes and planting.  Every time something grows or blooms, it's opportunity for celebration.  As of last week, here's what's growing / blooming in my garden.

(What's missing is the pink Dinnerplate Dahlia that has a huge bloom on it and multiple buds -- beautiful.   And the orange nasturtium, the red-berry holly, the orange chrysanthemums, the small yellow rose, the pink impatiens... even the hollyhock and helleborus have new leaves.)

Isn't Nature fabulous?!

Double Blanc Rugosa Rose

Dryopteris (Brilliance Autumn Fern)

Carpathian Harebell (Campenula)

Toad Lily plant

Toad Lily

The Northern Flicker

While I was preparing dinner this evening, I saw two large, long-beaked birds fly onto our yard.  I quickly retrieved our binoculars and saw birds I hadn't identified before.  Large, woodpecker-like, with a black necklace and the slightest bit of red on the neck, seemingly eating from the ground.  I opened our Sibley's and found it -- the Northern Flicker (yellow-shafted).  A lovely bird and my very first sighting -- exciting!

Cummington Fair, 2010

 When I was a lass, the fall fair was one of my favourite events of the year -- the fair was only 4 blocks from our house (walking distance!), went a whole week long (I could hear the demolition derby while I was falling asleep at night), and my father was often the fair veterinarian (which meant that sometimes I could go with him for free and visit the animals).  I loved the animal barns, the rides, and the fair food -- especially corndogs, fried dough (which we called elephant ears, which elephant ears are different from New England elephant ears), and cotton candy.  There were years when I my mom didn't go to the fair and I was charged with bringing home an "elephant ear" for her.

This past Saturday, we went to the Cummington Fair for the first time.  I ate a large corndog and a fried dough with cinnamon and sugar, pet some goats and cows, watched a lot of people having a good time on those crazy rides, and saw lovely canned goods and homemade crafts.  It was a great day -- definitely one of the best fair experiences I've had since living in Massachusetts.  I'm so glad we got to go, and I hope you get to go next year -- it's worth the price of admission.

 

Fall Festivals & Fairs & Other Events

'Tis the season the Pioneer Valley really begins to flourish.  Last year I created a calendar with local event listings, but this year, I think I'll just stick to a post and update it whenever I find something new.
*Updated 8/27*
(Admission fees vary by event, and some events allow children in for free.)

Aug 26-29:
Cummington Fair @Cummington Fairgrounds, 97 Fairgrounds Rd.  Entrance fee.

Aug 27-29:
Vermont Blues Festival @Mount Snow.  Tickets required.

August 28:
Red Fire Farm's Tomato Festival @Red Fire Farm, 7 Carver Street, Granby.   Admission Fee.

Sept 3-6:
3 County Fair @3 County Fairgrounds, Northampton.  Admission fee.
Blandford Fair @10 North Street, Blandford.  Admission fee.

Sept 7-12:
Brimfield Antique Show

Sept 9-12:
Franklin County Fair @Franklin County Fairgrounds, Greenfield.  Admission fee.

Sept 11:
Annual Honeybee Festival @Warm Colors Apiary, 2 South Mill River Rd, South Deerfield.  Free admission.

Sept 12:
COVAC Benefit Bike Race

Sept 17-Oct 3
The Big E @Eastern States Expo, West Springfield.  Admission fee.

Sept 18-19:
Old Deerfield Fall Craft Fair @Village of Old Deerfield, outdoors.  Admission Fee.

Sept 23-26:
Belchertown Fair @Belchertown Town Common.  Free admission.

Sept 25-26:
Hancock Shaker Village Country Fair @HSV, 34 Lebanon Mountain Rd., Hancock.  Admission fee.

Oct 2-3:
Berkshire Harvest Festival @Berkshire Botanical Garden.  Admission included w/parking fee.
Garlic & Arts Festival @Forsters Farm, 60 Chestnut Hill, Orange. Admission Fee.

Oct 9-11:
Paradise City Arts Festival @3 County Fairgrounds, Northampton.  Admission fee.
Ashfield Fall Festival @Ashfield's Main Street.  Free admission.

Nov 6-21:
Fall Chrysanthemum Show @Botanic Garden at Smith College, Northampton.  Suggested donation.

Nov 12-13:
Twist Fair @ Northampton Center for the Arts, Northampton. Admission fee.

The Birds are Back

Any of you who followed my Livin' in the Belch blog know that one of the things I joyed in was the variety of birds at the feeder we had on our back deck.  It has taken four months of preparations at our new house, but yesterday (Saturday) I was finally able to put up our old feeder (by the kitchen window) and hang a new one (on the tall trunk of a recently debranched yew tree).  And today, we have birds.  Many many birds.  First and foremost, we have a half-dozen of the brightest yellow goldfinches; we also have black-capped chickadees, titmice, sparrows, a woodpecker, mourning doves, and a beautiful lady cardinal.
And one of the resident chipmunks, who keeps making dashes to the area under the birdfeeder and filling his cheeks.
More bird posts to come, for sure.  Have a great week.

Vintage, Retro, Thrifty: Great Old Clothes

I used to love my vintage clothing stores in Salt Lake City and in Boston.  It was Grunts and Postures in SLC that finally reduced my dependence on my mother's closet and encouraged me to expand my vintage clothing collecting to stores beyond the Salvation Army and Deseret Industries.  Funky, cool, vintage, retro, new -- it had it all, and even though I didn't have much money, I loved what I found and could afford.
Later I moved to Massachusetts, and I found and was directed by other vintage clothing wearers to a number of second-hand stores and vintage clothing stores (included the ever-famous Garment District) to fuel my love of the classic and off-beat looks.  When I relocated to Western MA, however, I had a harder time tracking down the right shops.  Until last Friday.

Roz's Place was perhaps the easiest to find.  Right on Bridge Street in Northampton (where all of these stores are located), it's someplace I walk by monthly, at least.  It has a funky collection for men and women with some new and some old.  The collection rotates seasonally, and right now there is a whole rack of plaid flannel and wool shirts and another whole rack of leather coats.  Of course, there is also a large selection of skirts and dresses and men's and women's shirts and pants and shoes.

But just around the corner on Market Street, nearly hidden behind some other stores, is Uncle Margaret's, a good place for dressy and casual (I found a lovely 50s dress for a wedding I'm attending).  Jewelry, slips, skirts, dresses, men's & women's shirts and pants, clutches and purses, hats, shoes, and even some books. 
No pictures inside the store (that's almost what the sign says).

A couple of storefronts further down Market Street is Retro Genie, recommended to me by the owner of Uncle Margaret's.  Larger than UM's, it carries clothes and accessories, as well as home decor, small furniture, and interesting items.  Unfortunately, most of the clothing of interest hangs from the ceiling, requiring the help of a sales assistant for looking, sizing, browsing, and definitely trying.  However, there were some fabulous pieces hanging up there, if you're willing to ask about them.
Pretty sure this place is dog-friendly, since one of the employees had her adorable young dog (wheaten terrier, I believe) and a customer also brought in a dog.

Sid Vintage I did not have the opportunity to visit.  The store has just relocated from Crafts Avenue onto Main Street and anticipates its grand reopening this month.  Looks like fun, though, and I'm looking forward to getting there.

Just remember -- most vintage & used clothing stores do not accept returns -- so be sure to study your clothing carefully before deciding to purchase.  Look for stains, holes, tears, broken buttons & zippers; smell the underarms for lingering odors; check seams and hems.  Some shops may be willing to bargain down a price if you find a problem they weren't aware of when pricing the item.

If you have another favourite vintage clothing store in the area that I didn't mention here, please leave a comment!  (I'd love to have another store to check out!)

Local Yarn Store

We received a flyer in the mail this week, and since it relates to something that people have asked me about, I thought I'd post the information here.

Norma's Notions
14A Lawrence Plain Road
Rt 47, Hadley, MA

According to the website and the flyer, Norma's Notions has yarn, knitting accessories, books, cross stitch kits and supplies, craft paint and brushes, fat quarters, and handmade items ready for purchase.

There's also a social knitting group that meets on Tuesday nights -- and knitting classes on Thursday nights beginning in September.  You can check the website for more information, but information doesn't seem to get updated regularly.

I haven't visited this local family-owned craft & yarn store yet, but after my first visit to Webs in Northampton on Friday, I'm very curious about Norma's.

Inspections: Hadley Auto Service

If you're looking for somewhere in Hadley to go to get your car inspected, there are three locations along Rt 9 -- the Jiffy Lube, Country Nissan, and the Hadley Auto Service.  This morning, I set out to the Hadley Auto Service for my first local inspection.
Nothing much to report -- my car passed inspection.  Two things to be aware of: Hadley Auto Service only accepts cash for their inspection services ($29); and, it's located right beside Esselon, which is a lovely place to wait while your car is being inspected (grab a coffee, tea, muffin, cookie, snack, or meal and relax -- the auto shop doesn't have much of a waiting area).

The Mass Dash

If you were out on Rt 47 or Rocky Hill Road last night around 9pm or 10pm, you may have seen vans parked along the side of the road or at the school; you may have seen people running decked out in lit-up visors and vests, alone on the road.  A few hours earlier, had you been near Shelburne Falls, you may have seen some of the same people, either running on the road or waiting in vans to provide relief or stretching by the side of the road to take up the race.  And you may have wondered, as we did, what kind of race is this?  We asked a relief van in Shelburne Falls -- a marathon, a half marathon?  No.  It was a 200-mile relay race from Mt. Greylock to Boston.  Curious.

I looked up the race this morning to find out more about it and, of course, to write this post.  The race is called The Mass Dash, and you can  read the delightful description of the route here.    Teams of up to 12 runners participate in a 2-day race comprising 36 relay legs all the way across Massachusetts -- from the Berkshires to Boston.  The race benefits the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute through team fundraising.

The race sounds amazing.  Good luck to those still running this morning.  I hope you enjoy the beauties of Massachusetts as you run through mountains and forests, by lakes and rivers, through historic towns and landmarks.  Keep your legs and be safe!

If you're traveling east towards Boston today and you see vans and runners making their journey, show a little support -- they've come a long way already.

The Mass Dash

It's Too Hot! More tips.

More tips: The Center for Disease Control has a whole list of tips available on the Weather.com website and also quite a few pages available on their own website -- Extreme Heat.

There's going to be more high heat tomorrow, with little cooling tonight.  Be ready.  Maybe I'll see you at the mall or at the movies.

It's Too Hot! Tip #7

Tip #7: Go to the library -- if it has a/c.
Being a librarian myself, I am a big fan of libraries.  If your local library has air conditioning, and it's working in this heat, take a break and make a visit.  You might just get there in time for a special program -- or you might find a book, magazine, video, or comic that suits your fancy.

It's Too Hot! Tip #6

Tip #6: Drink water.  Lots and lots of water.

It's Too Hot! Tip #5

Tip #5: Go to the store.
Save up those errands for the heat of the afternoon and go to those stores that have air conditioning.  Don't worry about taking it slowly, either.  Just stroll those aisles, enjoy the cool, and maybe even buy a little something.

It's Too Hot! Tip #4

Tip #4: Get those windows closed and those shades drawn!
This may go against all summertime reason, but if you can capture that  cooler night air and keep it in your house, the house will stay cooler.  So when you wake up in the morning, keep the curtains closed and shut the windows (or at least take the openings down to mere cracks).  The closed windows will keep the cooler air in and the closed curtains will keep the sun from beating the air into a frenzied heat.  Your house will be cooler inside, even if you don't have air conditioning.

It's Too Hot! Tip #3

Tip #3: Ice cream!  Need I say more?
I don't need to, but I will.  Ice cream, soft or hard.  Popsicles, fudgsicles, frozen lemonade, sherbet, italian ice, frozen fruit bars, sorbet, frozen berries... the list goes on.
For a fun twist, make up some Kool-Aid, lemonade, or fruit punch and freeze it into tasty ice cubes or mini-popsicles (with your ice tray and a few toothpicks).
Here's a map and a list of some of the local places for ice cream.

It's Too Hot! Tip #2

Tip #2: Take in a film.
There are at least three theatres immediately in the area -- the Amherst Cinema, the Pleasant Street Cinema (Northampton), and the Cinemark at the Hampshire Mall.
For less than $10, you can get some action, adventure, romance, laughs, culture, and -- air conditioning!  Not a bad way to spend a super-hot afternoon!

It's Too Hot! Tip #1

What to do when it's 96 in the shade and 105 according to the temperature at the bank?
Tip #1: Find a large body of cool water and jump in!  This may be the ocean if you have wheels and a bit of time on your hands (and a/c in the car); it may also be the river, a lake, a pool -- or maybe just your bathtub.
Watch out for sprinklers in the mid-afternoon, though -- lots of that great water evaporates into the air -- and that dry grass is dangerous on bare feet!
And don't forget your sunscreen -- the sun reflects off that water and becomes much stronger and harmful to your skin.

Heat Advisory

You may have noticed that today is hot.  And it's still relatively early.  If your brain didn't fry, you may also remember that yesterday was also very hot (record breaking, I think).  The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for Western MA today. Please -- limit your outdoor work and your indoor work, if you don't have air conditioning.  As the day gets hotter, take some time to head to the stores and the malls -- they can help keep you cool.  Don't overextend today -- the heat and the humidity will be extreme -- 100 degrees or higher!

Where are the Fireworks?

If you like fireworks and Fourth of July celebrations, there are plenty of local places to go this weekend:

July 2:
Beacon Field, Greenfield: celebration; 9:30pm fireworks

July 3:
Stanley Park, Westfield: Lights for Liberty festivities begin at 5:30pm; 9:15pm fireworks
Michael E Smith Middle School, South Hadley: music and games at 6pm, fireworks at dusk


July 4:
Lake Wyola, Shutesbury: boat parade at dusk
City Hall/Memorial Bridge, Springfield: Star Spangled Springfield concert at 7:30pm; fireworks at 9:30pm
Amherst: 3pm parade, Stars in the Sky events at 5pm, fireworks at 9:30 (UMass)
Old Sturbridge Village 19th Century Independence Day
Chesterfield: July 4th parade at 10:30am, pancake breakfast at 7-10am

Post a comment if you know of a local July 4th event I haven't included here.  Include a link, if there is one.  For other listings, visit this page on the Visit Massachusetts site.
Happy Independence Day!

Balloon Evening

Last Friday was an evening of balloons in Hadley -- I was eating an easy dinner at the kitchen counter, looked out across the lawn and saw this:

... a low-flying balloon, nearly skimming the tops of the trees.  As the neighbours and my husband and I all scurried outdoors to watch the show, we saw the following:

There were others I didn't get pictures of -- but what a fun evening show!

Graduation 2010

A hearty congratulations to the Hopkins Academy students who graduated yesterday.  Read the short article about the graduation from MassLive here.  Valedictorian Marisa Babb and Principal Diana Bonneville are featured.  The article mentions that all graduating students are headed off to 2-4 years of college or the military.
Congratulations!

Memorial Day Parade, 2010

Sunday was the Hadley Memorial Day Parade, and I thought, what better way to introduce this brand new blog to the world than to share pictures from the parade? I took pictures of just about everything, but have selected only about half of them to share here.
The parade took place on Rt 9 and began at 2pm; we had prime seats at the corner of Rts 9 & 47, just across from Town Hall.