What Will the Library Be in the Future?

As part of the long-range planning process the Goodwin Library is currently participating in, it is conducting a community survey.   This survey is being sent out with the quarterly tax statements (I just got mine today -- on the salmon-coloured paper), but can also be found online at  https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Goodwin2013.

Survey respondents will be eligible to win a gift card to Barnes & Noble -- but more importantly, respondents will provide information that will influence the direction of and goals for the library in the coming years. 

The survey is not very long and shouldn't take more than 5-10 minutes to complete.  Please fill out either the paper survey or the online survey -- whether you are a regular library user or not -- and encourage your friends and neighbours to do the same!

Butterfly Garden, pt. 2

Remember when I posted previously about the butterfly garden going in at the elementary school?  Well, it's been started.  Take a look at the early stages:

I need to get down there and take some more current pictures, too, but I bet it's going to be beautiful!

Remember -- if you'd like to help or donate, contact Debbie Windoloski at Gardenscapes!

Open Space & Recreation Plan Survey

The meeting tonight is being shown live on Channel 5, and I'm learning all kinds of interesting things -- and some things I'm glad to know about.  (I'm really looking forward to some of the mentioned projects finishing up, so there are more trail markers and maps and such to designate open space.)
I did find a link to the Open Space & Recreation Plan Survey that I mentioned before.  You can find copies at the Senior Center, Town Hall, or the Library, and you can also print it out and mail it in.
The link to the survey is found here, or you can click here to open the PDF directly.

Open Space Meeting -- Tonight!

Perhaps you have seen the Open Space & Recreation Plan survey handed out at town meeting this month.  If you haven't, I highly recommend finding one (I know there are some available at the library) and filling it out.
And then, just maybe, you would like to attend the Community Forum on the Hadley Open Space and Recreation Plan that happens TONIGHT from 7-9 at the Hadley Senior Center.  Look at this page for information.
If you care about how the open space in Hadley is utilized, consider attending.
Happy Thursday!

Squirrels and Bears and Raccons -- oh my!

How amazed were we the other day when a raccoon showed up in our lilac bush, seeking out the birdfeeder hanging there?  We had seen far too many squirrels and their gymnastic manner of procuring food from the feeders; we had seen a bear tear our feeders from their perches and devour everything inside; and occasionally, we even actually see birds enjoying a meal.  But until the other day, we had not yet seen a raccoon go after the birdseed.

It happened something like this: Mr. Madley saw a quick shadow go around the side of the garage but did not get a glimpse of what the creature was, and within moments I was watching a raccoon out the kitchen window, climbing through our lilac, breaking branches as she sniffed around.  Finally, she found what she was looking for -- the feeder -- and she went at it.  Not as light as the squirrels, and with longer fingers and paws, her position in the lilac was a bit precarious as she approached the branches with the feeder.  But she managed to reach her target and proceeded top open the feeder, reach inside, pour out seed, and eat some before she knocked the contraption to the ground.  (Seeing it on the ground like that makes me think that this is not the first time she has visited -- I have picked that feeder up at least 2-3 times previously.)

We thought seriously about scaring her away, as we sometimes do the squirrels, and next time we probably will, but I had never seen a raccoon in action so close before and was mesmerized.  Besides, who can refuse a nursing mother delicious free food the day before Mother's Day?

All these critters coming to my house for meals.  Maybe I should open a restaurant....

PS -- Just saw the lady again, walking down the street, right up our driveway, across our walk to the front step, and then around the side of the house to the back.  A brave, hungry mama.

Dahling -- You Look Radishing

Let it begin -- let the garden excitement really begin.  The sugar snap peas are clinging to their supports, the shelling peas are popping, the spinach is almost ready to eat, the beets and carrots and brussels sprouts are poking their heads up above the ground, the lettuce is looking leafy, the garlic is growing by the day, and the radishes... well, the radishes are sparkling.

I had never planted radishes before, but a whole packet of sparkler radish seeds came as a gift with my order from Comstock Ferre this year, so I decided to plant some -- about a 3-foot row.  And they sprouted.  And they grew.  And soon they were the only leafy bits in the garden (not counting the garlic, but it's not exactly what I would call leafy).  I was so happy.  I planted them March 30, and today, May 10, I pulled up my first one.

It's beautiful.  Radish-red on top, creamy white underneath.  It is definitely more root veggie than I got in my garden all season last year.  And tonight it will be eaten -- greens and all.  The greens will go in the salad.  The radish, well if the radish even makes it to the salad, we'll be lucky.  I anticipate gobbling it up straight.

Happy gardening!

*The delightful title of this post comes with compliments from Mr Madley.

Butterfly Garden at Hadley Elementary

If you have been any kind of follower of my blog, you should probably know by now that I love gardens.  And I love butterflies and flowers and birds.  And vegetables.  So I was very excited to learn that Debbie Windoloski of Gardenscapes, in cooperation with Principal Jeff Udall and school mom M G-O'C, is building a butterfly garden at the Hadley Elementary School this month.
From the letter requesting donations:

The garden will be located on the front right end of the school and will be a special place for butterflies, birds and pollinators, and more importantly, the children of HES who will enjoy the garden and help plant and take care of it. In the future, we hope to build vegetable gardens as Phase 2 of our schoolyard gardens project.

I think every school should have gardens -- butterfly, flower, and vegetable!  What a wonderful way to teach students about nature and healthy environments and sustainability and nutritious food.  This is a great project, and I look forward to seeing how it turns out.
Students are already growing annuals for the garden -- some butterfly zinnias, mini-sunflowers, and butterfly cosmos.  Ground will be broken (clearing space for the garden) Saturday, May 4, at 7:30 AM, but the big event, the dedication ceremony, will be in June. 

For more information about, to donate (they are happily and readily taking donations of labor, tools, butterfly plants, and more), or to support this garden project, contact Debbie Windoloski at Gardenscapes (phone and email contact available).