Each February, during Dartmouth Winter Carnival, Occum Pond hosts a party. This enormous effort brings together the town of Hanover, Dartmouth College and the Occum Pond neighborhood for the benefit of young and old alike. Now in its 13th year, the Occum Pond Party is a free festival where all can participate in traditional winter activities such as sledding, skating and pond hockey as well as less traditional events such as penguin bowling and couch potato racing. The miniature ice palace is both festive and a fun place for kids to explore. Whether you desire to dash through the snow on a horse-drawn sleigh or to slowly savor maple sugar on snow, this is one party you do not want to miss. The 2011 Occum Pond Party is scheduled for February 12, 2011 from noon to 3pm. Stay at Breakfast on the Connecticut and enjoy all the activities Dartmouth College Winter Carnival offers.
Archive for December, 2010
2,788 Black-capped Chickadees
December 27th, 2010 by donnanandersen
In 2003 the Hanover/Norwich area had the top number of this diminutive bird according to the annual Hanover/Norwich Christmas Bird Count making it a “major center of abundance”. Nationally and internationally, volunteer birders gather in small groups in the few weeks around Christmas to count the population of winter birds in their area. The Hanover/Norwich count takes place on December 31 and dates back to 1960. According to noted researcher/ornithologist Chris Rimmer, “The data generated over the years is useful to track population trends. The counts provide an index of what is there.” The meeting place for the Hanover/Norwich count is in front of the Hopkins Center, Hanover at 7:00 am on December 31, 2010. Groups are formed and given assignments which cover a 15-mile diameter radius centered near the Hanover reservoirs reaching south to Lebanon, west to West Norwich, north to Thetford Center and east to Goose Pond. This is an all volunteer project, so people are encouraged to participate. The day concludes at Everything But Anchovies for the “countdown”. Each group reports and there are always a couple of surprises at the end. In 1990 the count included six Tundra Swans on the Connecticut River and in 2009 a Snowy Owl in Hartford. For information contact Nancy Martin and Walter Ellison at borealdee@baybroadband.net. What a wonderful social gathering for birders getting them out to maintain a monitoring tool started over 100 years ago.
Stay at Breakfast on the Connecticut and see what birds you can count on our 23 acres on the banks of the Connecticut River.
New Hampshire’s Affordable Place To Ski
December 17th, 2010 by donnanandersen
Situated just north of Hanover in rural Lyme is one of New Hampshire’s hidden treasures – the Dartmouth Skiway, home to one of the nation’s elite collegiate ski programs. With 104 skiable acres covering two mountains, 30 trails and ample terrain to satisfy every level, the Skiway has been referred to as “the essence of a family ski area” by the Boston Globe. You will find the modern McLean Lodge the perfect place for warming up between runs, getting a bite to eat or just relaxing. But the real draw for me – no long lift lines and adult lift tickets at half the price of the Skiway’s big named cousins – $40 per day weekends, $25 weekday. Two and one half (2 1/2) hours from Boston, MA and Hartford, CT, the Skiway beckons. Stay at Breakfast on the Connecticut and get a $10 discount on adult weekend tickets.
50,000 Christmas Light Display – La Salette
December 11th, 2010 by donnanandersen
On a cold, crisp night with a gently falling light snow, we visited Enfield, NH to see the annual Christmas light display at the Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette. Every year a local designer and a team of volunteers spend over a month constructing a magnificent light display of more than 50,000 lights on 20 acres of hillside. Admission is free and hours are 5 to 9pm through the month of December. So bring a thermos of hot cocoa or buy a cup in the cafeteria and spend some quiet reflective moments admiring the handiwork of many.
Holiday Canapes with King Arthur Flour
December 4th, 2010 by donnanandersen
Meeting on November 30, 2010 at Breakfast on the Connecticut, the Utility Club of Lyme was thrilled to welcome Robyn Sargent from the King Arthur Baking Education Center. The theme for the demonstration was Holiday Canapes. Robyn took the ladies through the steps and tricks to making a Blitz Puff Pastry which is used as the base for Savory Pesto Palmiers and Cheese Straws. For the attendees, the best part of the program was the opportunity to sample the canapes.
Hanover – The Home of Dartmouth Men’s Hockey
December 3rd, 2010 by donnanandersen
From November through February it’s the “Best Game in Town”, offering fast paced, hard hitting action in a great venue. Never thought you would enjoy hockey? Take in a game – you might be surprised! It’s an indoor rink but you will want to wear a warm coat, gloves and hat. Enjoy a bowl of clam chowder from the EBA concession. Went recently and saw Dartmouth beat Harvard 5-1. Go “Big Green”.
December games you might want to catch:
12/13 Vermont
12/30 & 12/31 Ledyard Bank Tournament (Boston College, Colgate, Dartmouth, Mercyhurst)