Weekend Wander: Innovation, CAMA Spring Power-up, Sloane Trails, Bees
Go see something new. Outdoors – prepare for changeable weather, but go.
Connecticut Antique Machinery Association Spring Power Up Sunday, May 7. Visit the neighboring Eric Sloane Museum, Noah Blake cabin, Kent Iron furnace – all just a walk away. Admission fee to both sites, or ask about a discount.
Much to see – CT Antique Machinery Association Spring Power up. Image linked to CAMA, which is a not-for-profit group.
The machinery complex has 10 areas of focus: Industrial steam, large internal combustion engines, small internal combustion engines, agricultural/farm machinery and implements, Cream Hill Agricultural School, CT Museum of Mining and Mineral Science, narrow gauge railroad, construction equipment, sawmill, and blacksmith shop.
The CAMA blacksmith shop – linked to the official site which features stories, photos, details of the machinery, mining museum and more.
Or choose a walk, bike ride, paddle, tour – from ongoing events in The Last Green Valley – that's the northeast corridor of Connecticut and southern Mass. Most are free; many are family friendly – some welcome well-behaved dogs on leashes.
Grow beauty too. These geraniums were gorgeous and went quickly at a local sale.
Remember, the trails and places remain even when a group outing is over – information for walks, explorations, places to eat and more on www.thelastgreenvalley.org or check postings on the LGV Facebook page.
More reasons to visit – the libraries of The Last Green Valley: Putnam Public Library, May 10, 6:30 p.m., Bobcats of CT; www.putnamct.us/library/pages/calendar-of-events. Jacob Edwards Library, May 11, 4 p.m., Lyme Disease Awareness, www.jacobedwardslibrary.org.
The Eric Sloane Museum kicks off the 2017 season, opening this weekend. Note: Sunday, May 7, discounted admission if you visit in conjunction with the Connecticut Antique Machinery Associations Spring Power Up. The grounds slope down to the Kent Iron Furnace and there is an free interpretive trail on the property – just follow the signs.
On the grounds of the Eric Sloane Museum in Kent. CB/MDP
From a visit to the Eric Sloane Museum. CB/DMP Image is connected to a recent story about one of Sloane's lesser-known wall-sized paintings.
Community Free Day at Florence Griswold Museum is a bargain, Sunday, May 7, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The original Florence Griswold House, current exhibition in the Krieble Gallery, Chadwick Art Studio, Rafal Landscape Center, gardens and grounds along the Lieutenant River – free admission. Scavenger hunt and hands-on projects in the education center. Information (860) 434-5542;www.florencegriswoldmuseum.org.
Spring Boat Show, ongoing until Sunday, May 7. Brewer Essex Island Marina, 11 Ferry Street Essex, CT. Family- friendly marina. Marleyās CafĆ© will be open for the weekend, offering food and beverages with a portion of sales proceeds to be donated to Sales Up 4 Cancer. Free admission and free parking. The boat show is produced by WindCheck Magazine and sponsored by Brewer Essex Island Marina, Essex Boat Works, Yacht Brokers Association of America and YachtWorld. Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; (203) 332-7639.
First Sunday Science Series at the Seaside Center: Bees and Wasps, Sunday, May 7, 1:30 to 4 p.m., Innis Arden Cottage, Greenwich Point Park, Old Greenwich. Learn the difference between bees and wasps, then take a guided walk. Beth Boyer, the “bee lady,” will lead the way. Activities for younger visitors. Information (203) 413-6756.
History is people making and doing things that matter. CB/DMP
Seedlings and plant sales.
Trout lilies bloom time almost over – but your observations of the color variations can add to science. For how, visit the official site linked to the image of the two trout lilies.
What to notice – image is linked to the trout lily project.
Trails are open dawn to dusk at Sessions Woods Wildlife Management Area, “a 700-acre tract of natural land set aside for wildlife that also serves to introduce visitors to wildlife and natural resources management through educational programs, demonstration sites, and self-guided hiking trails and displays.” Worth an outing; pack a lunch and go see the natural wonders (review the tips for if you see a bear), Burlington, Conn. Upcoming events and a map linked here.
Beinecke Library exhibition, free and open to all, Monday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Tuesday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. “Happiness: The Writer in the Garden” includes how “writers of all dispositions seem to agree that the work of shaping the natural world into manageable plots brings particularly rewarding forms of joy and satisfaction.” Many parts of the Beineckeās collections are represented in this exhibition ā from 17th century printed books to contemporary archives. Because of the history of the collections in the library, the selections are weighted towards English language materials, but “they stand for versions of joy felt around the world when a writer looks into the face of a fresh blossom.” To read the labels and see descriptions of the materials in the show, follow this link to a PDF about the exhibit.
The Writer in the Garden – exhibit that is free and open to the public at Yale Beinecke Library. Image is linked to more information about it.
The Northeast Sea Glass Expo, Sunday, May 7, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Seabrook Community Center, 311 Lafayette Rd., NH, Some 60 artists create with sea glass, beachstones, driftwood and seashells. Admission, $5; (603) 918-6237.
Antique and Vintage Appraisals with Sarabeck Antiques, through May 20, 2 to 4 p.m., Harwich Antique Center, 10 Route 28 West Harwich, Mass. Free appraisals of antique and vintage items, with specific interest in nautical, primitive furniture, carved woodworkings, military items, musical instruments, vintage collectibles, coins, gold/silver, vintage or antique jewelry, lamps, advertising and signage. Limit of two items per person. Email harwichantiquecenter@comcast.net or call ahead (508) 432-4220 for specific dates by type.
The unique home of Mark Twain -Samuel Clemens – and his family.
A Very Happy Family Tour of the Mark Twain House, Told by Susy Clemens, through May 10 at Mark Twain House & Museum, Hartford. Special tour, daily. Cost is $25; children age 1 to 16, $17; (860) 247-0998.
“…the mole had arrived to complete the work of the hackmen. In a half hour he had rooted up the ground like a pig. … a smooth beautiful animal with fur like silk if you could only catch him. He appears to enjoy the lawn as much as the hackmen did… He is constantly mining and ridging it up…”
– Charles Dudley Warner, My Summer in A Garden. (Author was neighbor to Mark Twain in Hartford's Nook Farm literary community – and served as the editor of The Hartford Press, which merged into The Hartford Courant.)
Cows on lush pasture. TW/MDP
And one special learning-by-doing event that may be for you.
The School of the New American Farmstead at Sterling College offers āFundamentals of Artisan Cheese,ā May 15 to May 24, an intensive nine-day program for aspiring and practicing cheesemakers, offering in partnership with Jasper Hill, an American Cheese Society-certified cheese professional educator and producer of award-winning, perfectly ripened, single-source cheeses from the verdant working landscape of Vermont.
Led by world-renowned master cheesemaker and educator Ivan Larcher, this is a whole-system perspective on cheesemaking, which begins on the farm and requires attention to animal husbandry, forage and feed, dairy production, and milk quality. Fee is $3,000, which covers tuition, a printed text, electronic access to course materials, and ground transportation between all course locations, plus three meals per day prepared by the Sterling Kitchen, the #1 campus kitchen in the country for sustainable food. Not included are airport transfers or accommodations. On-campus housing is available for an additional fee of $60 per night.