Saga of the Oven, pt 1

My oven broke down in late September / early October, which caused quite a difficulty for me, since I happen to enjoy baking.  I like bread and baked potatoes and squash and roasted vegetables and cakes and cookies and casseroles....  The oven we had was old.  It came with the house, and was set into the brick wall, which on the other side is home to our fireplace.  When the oven officially broke down, it caught on fire, and that was super exciting.

Now, two years ago I remodeled our kitchen.  I put in new floors (cork!), refinished the cabinets, put in new countertops, removed the forest-green tiles that covered the walls and painted the walls white, had a new stovetop installed, bought a new fridge, and even replaced the kitchen lights.  The one thing I didn't replace, because it worked and seemed like a hassle to change, was the oven.  A year later, joke's on me.

(A before and almost-after shot, though the fridge and floor in the pic are still old -- they both got replaced.)

So we were left without an oven, in the early autumn.  The season of squash and sweet potatoes and roasted veggies.  And looking ahead to the holidays.

I looked into options -- called electricians, talked to salespeople -- but the verdict was always the same: the oven was too old, we couldn't make out the make and model, so replacing the parts would be impossible; and, it was unlikely we would find another oven to fit in the brick wall -- replacing the oven would require a mason to work on the brick and an electrician to do the wiring (or a dual-purpose contractor) -- and a nice chunk of change for a new built-in oven.  Too expensive, too time-consuming.

Time to try something new.

Tune in next time for the breath-taking actions of an ovenless baker.

Dreaming of Spring

Are you as excited as I am about the approaching spring?  I know with all this crazy weather it's hard to remember that spring is on its way -- but it is!  I started mapping my garden months ago and think I am finally ready to order seeds (from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, which includes Comstock, where I purchased seeds last year).  There are some amazing things that can be planted and grown in backyard gardens, and I'm excited to see what this year brings.

In preparation, I winter-prepped the garden with hay and compost, and I've been composting like mad all winter.  My garlic went in in October (4 varieties purchased at the garlic fest), and they're already showing little green spikes of growth.
This year my garden is going to be not-quite-typical for a small backyard garden.  I'm planning for native Narragansett corn, bush beans for soups and such, oats, white scallop squash, flax, stevia, and a variety of tomatoes and lettuces (of course).

Do you have experience growing oats, flax, or stevia?  Beans, oats, or native corn?  What do you do to make your garden a success?

Opportunities to Get Involved!

There are currently many opportunities to get involved with town committees.  Check out the following vacancies:

Board of Assessors, 3yr term, 1 vacancy
Board of Health, 3yr term, 1 vacancy
Board of Health, 1yr term, 1 vacancy
Library Trustees, 3yr term, 2 vacancies
Town Moderator, 1yr term, 1 vacancy
Park Commission, 3yr term, 1 vacancy
Planning Board, 5yr term, 1 vacancy
Planning Board, 2yr term, 1 vacancy
School Committee, 3yr term, 2 vacancies
Selectmen, 3yr term, 1 vacancy
Elector Under Oliver Will Trust, 1yr term, 1 vacancy

These are all elected positions.  If you are interested in running, the last day to pick up nomination papers is Thursday, February 13, with a deadline of Tuesday, February 18, to submit nomination papers with Registrars for certification.  All nomination papers must be filed by Tuesday, March 4.

There are also openings in the following advisory committees:

TV-5 Advisory Committee
Council on Aging
Finance Committee (no official business can be conducted until at least one new member is appointed)
Future Uses of Hadley Town-Owned Buildings Committee (February 7 deadline; contact Select Board)
Zoning Board of Appeals
Historical Commission

For more information, visit the Town of Hadley Website, watch TV-5 Community Bulletin Board, or contact the Town.

The Hadley Town Election will be held Tuesday, April 8. 
The Town Meeting Warrant for the May 1 meeting is open until February 19 at 4pm.

The New Year Arrived, the Last Year Gone

I have been feeling a bit guilty about not writing for so long, but with a new child in the house and the starting up again of school, I just couldn't force myself to sit at the computer and blog.  But now it's a new year, and at the very least I should recap a little of the last few months.

Scenes from the Kitchen Garden's ChiliFest:

My own harvest pictures (isn't that corn amazing?!)

All Hallow's:

And a few lovely autumnal scenes, graciously provided by Mr Madley:

I just love where we live -- isn't it a beautiful place?!

I feel I must make mention of the devastating fire that took out a plaza on Rt 9.  There has been much media coverage, and I hope you have taken the opportunity to donate to a relief fund.

And so the new year begins.  I have great plans for the garden and have already begun mapping it and looking through the seed catalog (hulless oats, hard soup beans, flour corn included in the anticipated plantings).  I plan on purchasing and raising a few chickens this spring, but in the meantime need to construct their coop.  I'm sure there will be plenty of information and pictures forthcoming on both of those pursuits.

Enjoy the snow that may be on the way, and keep yourselves warms in the upcoming arctic temps.
Happy New Year!

A Night and Day in the D.A.R.

This past weekend we took a short camping adventure at the D.A.R. State Forest in Goshen.  And really, with state forests like this one, who needs to travel for hours and hours to find the perfect place to camp?  This was our first overnight outing with Little Madley, and we got a late start on reservations, so one night was all we could manage; but it was a successful one and I'm already excitedly thinking about our next camping trip.

Our site, with a so-called 4-person tent -- plenty of room for another tent or two.

In brief, the woods were beautiful, the sites were nice, there were multiple trails for biking and hiking, a lake in which to swim, fish, and canoe -- and even showers and flushing toilets!  The only fault I found, which isn't really much of a fault, is that there were no logs or stones set up around the fire pits, which meant that if you wanted to sit comfortably, you had to have your own chairs (which we didn't).  Also, pets are allowed, and there were many dogs around camp.

Below are the pictures documenting the camp; be sure to read the informative captions if you have any interest in camping.

An empty site.  Two vehicles are allowed per site.

The site neighbouring ours.  The view is somewhat obscured, but not entirely; and, there is a path between the two, in case you camp with friends.

Each fire pit had an adjustable grill.  Wood must be purchased onsite and costs $5/bundle; we easily used 2 bundles in our overnight.  (Be sure to bring firestarter and a hatchet -- kindling from around camp is damp and the logs are large-ish.)

There is a beach and swimming area reserved for campers.

The beach is a lovely place to go at sunrise or sunset.  The light plays out wonderfully on the water, and you might see a family of ducks or a heron.

A lovely trail through the woods by the lake.

View from that same trail -- the Long Trail, or the path to Al's Chapel.

This review wouldn't be complete without a picture of a facilities -- water and washing stations.

The bathrooms, with running water and electricity.

Unfortunately, I failed to get a picture of the showers -- they were in use when I had my camera out for documenting.  But they were painted cinderblock, like the bathrooms, one room (free!) showers with wooden benches and shampoo racks; wear flipflops and you'll be fine and clean in no time.
The park service also sponsors activities like campfires, hikes, skills lessons, birding, and more.  Calendars/schedules are posted at camp.

After setting up camp, we all happily ate hot dogs and grilled/steamed veggies and marshmallows for dinner on Friday night.  We followed that up with a trip to the campers' beach to watch the end of the sunset and visit with a family of ducks before tucking into our sleeping bags.  Saturday started with a breakfast of scrambled eggs and cereal, and then Mr. Madley and Little Madley were off on a cycling adventure up the hills and around the dirt roads.  I enjoyed the peace and calm of a quiet walk through the woods before scrambling to get everything packed back into the car and ready for departure.
After checkout (11am) on Saturday, we headed to the open beach where there were lifeguards, grills, and picnic tables.  We were able to swim, relax, nap, picnic -- and Little Madley ran around and fished with friends he had made a nearby campsite.  All in all, a delicious way to spend a Friday and Saturday.  And like I said before, with state forests like this one, who needs to travel for hours and hours to find the perfect place to camp?

To plan your camping trip at the D.A.R. State Forest, visit ReserveAmerica.com.  Rates may vary according to season or days booked, but start at $12/night (there is also an online registration fee to factor in).  And if you're not into camping, but just want a nice place to spend a day swimming and hiking and picnicking, the parking fee is $5 and well worth it.
Enjoy!

For Whom the Road Tolls

Drivers through Western MA will begin paying tolls between Exits 1-6 starting October 15, reports MassLive, after the House approved a compromise bill that was also passed by the Senate.  The total to drive the Pike between these exits will be $1.75.  Don't be caught by surprise when October arrives!

For more on tolls, see this page.

Burger Fest!

Barstow's Burger Fest --

Be there & enjoy the taste of summer!