A weekend away in Saratoga Springs

I just spent a wonderful weekend in upstate NY. Now to be fair, I like both winter and snow. I don't mind cold weather and my idea of a great winter weekend has nothing to do with beaches. So, Saratoga Springs in January may not be for everyone but it is an amazing town and would be a blast any time of year.

I arrived right around dinner time on Thursday night and after checking into the Hilton Garden Inn I headed my car toward downtown. The hotel was really in a nice location, just outside of downtown, probably a bit too far to walk but only a 10 minute drive. There were quite a few cute little vintage retro motels in between that I cannot really comment on the quality of but had a nice vibe from the street.

I pulled into some on street parking spot across from a restaurant called "The Wheat Fields." I had looked it up on my gluten free app and it was supposed to have a great gluten free menu. Once, inside I realized it had a great menu, gluten free or not, full of fresh local ingredients. I had a salad and a little pasta puttenesca.

I did not wake up for breakfast the next day but I did have a snack at what became my favorite place, "the Olde Bryan Inn." It was right across the parking lot from the hotel I was attending the conference at. It had the most amazing atmosphere. Old brick and stone interior, with a roaring fireplace, big wooden beams, and a very friendly staff. I ate here three times before the weekend was over! The menu had a mix of basic american comfort foods and nice hearty entrees.

I also found a wonderful breakfast spot a little off the beaten path called "A Country Corner Cafe." I ate here on Saturday morning, so I realize it was busy with both local and tourist traffic but getting a seat here can take a little while. I lucked out and got a booth almost immediately but many others had to wait awhile or left. In the cafe section there are probably only 20 seats but they have a larger space next door that many customers ended up in

. The whole vibe is a kitschy grandmothers kitchen, with lots of eye candy one may have found in the 1960's. I had a breakfast bowl with eggs and veggies but they had a lot of option that sounded great! A PB&J cristo, a interesting take on huevos racheros, and a whole board of specials daily.

I also checked out the local farmers market while there. It was amazing how much produce was available! Mostly root veggies that are obviously being stored in the various farms root cellar, but even among these the choices were astonishing! Purple potatoes, rainbows of carrots, garlic, onions, shallots, and even many choices of greens. There were also great options when it came to meats, cheeses, even some raw milk. The atmosphere was perfect for a cold Saturday morning, very warm and lively inside the middle school gym. They even had a little band playing away!

What I did not realize before I arrived was that Saratoga Springs is known for its mineral springs. As such, its a bit of a spa mecca. There is actually a spa within the State Park called Roosevelt Baths that offers mineral baths, in a private setting or with a group. Obviously the spa also includes all the typical treatments, massages, facials, etc. When I did finally realize this I attempted to get in for a mineral bath but they were booked up. If this is something you would want to try make sure to call ahead and book.

My last recommendation is one final restaurant that was just down the street from Wheat fields called "One Caroline Bistro." I ate here twice for dinner and although I can only vouch for the antipasto platter, which was fantastic, I think the rest of the food would probably measure up to standard. With a menu that also features produce, meats, and cheeses from local farms this little restaurant is small but packs a punch. Located below street level it is a juxtaposition of old and modern. A little jazz group plays in the background every night while you dine. My only tip, don't sit at the bar, where I was regulated as a single. Every time the door opens you get a big rush of bitterly cold air, which takes away from the pleasure of the meal.

I really loved my time in Saratoga Springs and these are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the dining options and entertainment choices. If I was looking for a great little getaway in the next few weeks this would be high on my list!

NOFA-NY Winter Coneference

Whiling away my time while I wait for my next workshop here in Saratoga Springs NY. I am attending the Northeast Organic Farmers Association of New York Winter Conference. Yesterday I took workshops on both growing blueberries and achieving organic certification. I am pleased to say that both were highly entertaining and informational. The plus side of the trip is that it is located in this gorgeous bustling little urban area. Yes, a lot of adjectives to describe Saratoga Springs, but I am taken back by the homey feel that is has coupled with the immense choice of restaurants, shops, and entertainment. It is like the perfect marriage of urban and hometown. I plan to include my best picks for a perfect weekend away in Saratoga Springs in a later posting. For now, I will keep focusing my time on mulching, composting, orcharding, and general farmer merriment.

Life Without Water

Unfortunately, the small leak that the hubs fixed was not the only issue. I woke up Friday morning with frozen pipes again, no idea why at this point. However once I defrosted them there were burst pipes again so I made many desperate calls to local plumbers until someone called me back. Once he got out here he announced that one, my crawl space was small, cramped, and nasty and two, we really needed to re-do the entire plumbing system to fix the issues. Well that's just great. So he wasn't able to get the water running Friday but would be back in the morning.

Saturday morning rolls around and no plumber. It was somewhat of a misunderstanding slash miscommunication. Either way, no water. Of course, I was attempting an organizational feat that day and so I and my very girl scout friend had to use the "outdoor" bathroom. Wink, wink. However, when push came to shove, I thought I would try melting snow to use the indoor toilet. If you have never done this let me tell you, it takes at least 20 minutes to melt enough snow stove top in order to fill that tank!

Sunday came and went without water. Same sad story. Also, just so you know I have been showering regularly in a different location so at least I am fairly clean and smelling nice at this point.

Monday dawns and I have a bit of an issue. The plumber is due very soon and I need to do...well a number 2. I don't have the requisite 20 min to melt snow and I can't leave that in the bowl when the plumber gets there. I race around the house and find a box. I am sad to say that this morning I was forced by the elements to go in a box!

Now it is 6 pm and the water is still not on. Although the pipes have all been replaced and insulated the pump is not working. The thought is that it burned itself out during the great freeze of 2011 and we need a new one.

And so is my life at the moment...both dogs and chickens have water though!

Cause and Effect

It has been a pretty eventful time here on the farm lately. It's amazing how little things can create really large problems. Our little farm cottage is estimated to be between 75 and 100 years old. Apparently, back in the old days, when the water table is super high people didn't dig basements. As such, we have a crazy small crawl space under our house complete with dirt floor and crumbly foundation. This crawlspace has been the bane of my existence for many reasons, most of which include snakes living under my little house and now frozen pipes. Late Saturday night I woke up to a very still silence. No fan running for white noise, no heaters running, and no lights. I went out into the living room to check things out but there were no blown fuses so we assumed it was a power outage and went back to bed. That apparently was our first mistake.

Sunday morning we woke up and we no longer had water to any of our sinks or our toilet. We figured that since the pipes were already frozen we could wait to thaw them out until after church. So we made our cups of coffee and headed out.

Let me pause this little tirade to say that this is not the first time the pipes have frozen. In fact, this is the third time I have had to thaw out the pipes this winter. First, our heat tape wasn't plugged in so we had nothing to combat the low temps. Second, we had a massive snow storm that blew snow into the crawlspace and wrapped around our pipes freezing them solid. And now, Cause: the power went out, turning off the heat tape. Effect: leaving us in the middle of this mess!

When we did get back home I took out the trusty "thaw out the pipes" space heater and hooked it up under the house. 30 minutes later the water was running again, in fact it was gushing out underneath the house like Niagara Falls! This time we were not as lucky as the last few and one of the pipes burst from freezing. We realize we needed to turn the water off ASAP and ran to the door to the mechanical shed. Here is our cause and effect number 2, Cause: No gutters installed on the back of the house. Effect: Ice buildup in front of the door prevents the door from being open.

Hubs realizes that we need to melt that ice pronto and I ran for the flame weeder. After a few passes with the flame weeder we were back in business and proceeded to turn off the water supply. Only after we had all the water turned off did we discover our next problem. Cause: Using a flame weeder on a partially rotted door, and then turning all the water off. Effect: Starting the door frame on fire and not having any water to extinguish it with.

So irrationally, I start throwing snow at the door frame. Let me tell you, do not attempt this snow does nothing to extinguish a flame. Once I realize that the snow is doing nothing I run into the house and search for water, all I find is the water in the toilet. I fill up a small bucket and run back outside to throw it on the door frame. Of course Jon, being slightly more rational in the situation has turned the water back on so we can just use the tap. Smart.

I then learn a little bit about plumbing, including how to use these cute little clamps to patch a broken pipe. I have to credit my husband with a lot because he not only fixed the pipe but he crawled underneath the house and braved strong cold winds in order to do so. His clothing didn't fair well but it was a small price to pay to have water again! So I hope your weekend was better than mine!

Digging out the Chicken Coop

I am definitely feeling the farm girl lifestyle today. In fact, I just came in from plowing our lane (again) after all the snow drifted back over the plowed areas. We received somewhere between 12 and 15 inches of snow over the past 24 hours. The biggest problem however isn't the snow but the wind, upwards of 40 mph! It seems like as soon as you scoop or plow the wind just fills it right back up. You can practically watch all your hard work get covered up! The funniest thing about today however has to be the chicken coop.

Let me preface this story with some background information. Unfortunately, through first time farmer ignorance, our coop design isn't really the best one for our needs. I simply cannot fit the water station in the coop. A few weeks ago I went out to the coop only to discover that the waterers that I was using were not really meant for winter. The water was frozen solid! So I hoofed it to my friendly neighborhood tractor supply for an answer. Apparently, there are these little devices called "de icers" that you can place in water to keep it from freezing. However, it will not work in my suction based waterer so I had to settle for a deep metal pan.

Now, before the storm hit yesterday I went out to make sure that the feeder and water station were full. This morning I look out and realize that the chickens are officially "snowed in" with a drift of about 3 feet tall in the run. I therefore have to bundle up and tread out there to dig them out and give them access to their water. So after falling down a few times, I finally had a path for them to get out of the coop, get to the water, and for me to get in :-)

So now it is just keep feeding the woodstove to stay nice and toasty, unpack from our Christmas trip and get some laundry done. Oh and wait to see if Best Buy braves the elements and delivers our new TV...my guess not so much!

The Pleasures of Homemade

We have decided to do a pre-Thanksgiving. As we will not be able to celebrate on the actual date we have coined tomorrow evening as our holiday. We have a healthy crew coming to join in and we are preparing a feast with all the usual suspects, turkey, stuffing, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, etc. I have chosen this year to make it as "from scratch" as possible. I am finding that the more I make myself the more I enjoy the process. So with preparation in mind I have begun my homemade adventure! I made a fresh loaf of white bread two days and cornbread tonight to make stuffing with, homemade mac and cheese is just waiting in the fridge, the cream of mushroom in the green beans will be from scratch, and the pie is next on the agenda. My mother always makes the best walnut/pecan pie. I will be trying to replicate it for my Thanksgiving table out here on the coast. She has a fantastic and fairly foolproof pie dough that I am impatiently waiting to get from her tonight ;-) I encourage everyone to try something homemade this holiday, it really is a wonderful thing.

Life As Usual

I think that this time of year may be my favorite so far on the farm. The colors in the woods were magnificent! In fact, about a week ago I was sitting out in a tree stand for a few hours...no deer to report unfortunately...and it was just so beautiful. Being out here in such a rural setting has allowed me to see the beauty of nature over and over again. I think that the restoration process we have been going through in and outside of the house has clouded my view day after day but seeing the wildlife and trees change has captured my attention again.

We had wood delivered to heat our home through the cold winter months and the hubs and I have been stacking it with fervor...and sweat! Its really rustic using the wood stove but so homey. Of course, it forces you to see just how much you are using to keep warm. Its not just flip a switch or turn the thermostat up a few degrees and get a bill, its bring in armloads of wood and see the pile shrink knowing exactly how much that pile cost.

Trying to finish up odd jobs around the farm before winter hits. Mulching the new and old beds, cleaning up the garden and amending the soil, general cleanup around the house and barn, the list seems to be never ending. But all in all, I really love it out here.