Most people here can’t remember a winter so out of sync with the season. Temperatures have yo-yo’d up and down while storm tracks have been non-existent or to the north and south of us. Despite that the skiing has been exceptional, if not epic. Mountain ops has done an incredible job and nature has helped with the relatively meager snow cycles that have brought us enough fresh to have guests smiling this crazy winter.
We’ve been blessed with snow cover since mid-December and Christmas Day brought an all-day snowfall! We’ve had a consistent 8″ depth here in the valley, and as I write this,  February 19th, there is 48″ at the Mt. Mansfield stake and the whole mountain is open. Just 50 miles south the ground is bare and other  areas are not faring as well. The warmer temperatures this winter have meant great snow conditions, i.e. less ice and also less layers for warmth. We’ll have to wait and see if any dumps are forthcoming and a sense of weather normalcy returns.
An interesting sight on the Mountain has been a resident moose. It’s been spotted several times and was last seen on Thursday.

With the leaves go the leaf peepers and the last migrating birds, the calm after the greatest show on earth. It’s tick season, the time before snow when the bare tree vistas  inspire the name. Time for many to take a break and either close completely or scale back hours for a much needed rest. For us it means a month off, and while I love the this time before, but in anticipation of, the winter and snow, common sense calls for getting out of Dodge. We’ve just come off the busiest five weeks of the year and a six month stretch without a break.
 Most years stick season lasts until early December when staying snow usually comes. While it’s often white for Thanksgiving, the snow that falls prior to that comes and goes. I’ll try to get one more mushroom gathering trip, the late fall oyster mushrooms are exceptional, and some hiking. I like to hike best on a damp day when you can sneak through the woods with very little noise and disturbance. It increases your chances of surprising wildlife. Besides possibly flushing a partridge, deer, moose and bear are all active this time of the year. Deer season is still weeks away so hunters are few.
The rest of the time before leaving for Florida will be consumed with moving fireplace wood, getting all outdoor furniture in, the last garden clean-up, setting up the perimeter markers for snow plowing and just chilling.

Just before the death of flowers, and before they are buried in snow,
There comes a festival season, when nature is all aglow

 With summer leaving us, we are sad to see the garden going to sleep! It produced lots of pumpkins for us this year. We are still picking lots of things but its days are numbered!!!
One plus, I won’t have to water the planters and hanging baskets much  longer…whew!
Planning ahead? Don’t forget the great summer weekends up here for next year – Hot-Air Balloon Festival, Antique Car Show, British Invasion, and, of course, Oktoberfest… to name a few.
No moose out back yet this year but deer are aplenty. Otters have been frolicking around and, of course, the “bear”. Getting those pictures just made my summer. It was really cool.
There has also been a Northern Harrier, i.e. marsh hawk, on patrol over the wetlands this past week. Impressive bird with a three and a half foot wingspan!

We thank all who visited with us this summer and fall and hope to see you again real soon.
Check our website for upcoming winter packages and events.

 SOUR CREAM PUMPKIN COFFEE CAKE
This cake is a tad of a pain to make but delicious and worth the effort!
Bake at 325 degrees for 50-60 minutes in a greased 13 x 9 inch pan

Batter: Cream 1/2 cup butter, 3/4 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla.
Add 3 eggs, beating well.
Combine 2 cups flour,1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda.
Add dry ingredients to butter mixture alternately with 1 cup sour cream.

Pumpkin filling: Combine–1- 16oz canned pumpkin,
1 beaten egg, 1/3 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice.

Streusel: Cut 1cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup butter, 2 teaspoons cinnamon until blended.
Add 1 cup chopped walnuts.
Spoon half of the batter mixture into prepared pan.
Sprinkle half of streusel over batter.
Spread pumpkin filling over streusel.
Carefully spread remainingbatter over pumpkin mixture. Sprinkle streusel over the top.

Happy fall and Thanksgiving to all our friends and family…..Suzanne & Stephen

The Dog Days of August!!!  It’s been a beautiful summer so far in Stowe. Our gardens have been plentiful and we have been picking lots of veggies and flowers. The blueberries bushes have responded to last year’s TLC and are flourishing again. We’ve been able to pick enough for all our needs here at the Inn, though I do need more for jam.

The Fire pit has been a big evening attraction. Guests love to sit around the fire relaxing with a drink and taking in the awesome sunsets. The s’mores are a big hit and so delicious! The warm weather also has the pool seeing quite a number of guests cooling off after their sojourns around the area.
Lots of wildlife and last Saturday a guest was leaving the village after dinner and a big bull moose crossed the road in front of him. Fortunately, he saw it in time to avoid a collision.

The screened in gazebo is always a favorite to watch the sunsets from.

Consider an August stay? We’d love to have. Every month brings “new”.

Recipe of the Month:  Zucchini Bread w/pecans

Oven-350 degrees             Bake-50 min. till toothpick comes out clean
Grease a  8x4x2 loaf pan

Ingredients:

1 cup flour
1 tsp. gr cinnamon
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. gr nutmeg

1 beaten egg
1 cup sugar
2 cups grated, unpeeled zucchini
¼ cup cooking oil
½ cups chopped pecans

Mix dry ingredients together, in separate bowl mix rest of ingredients, combine.  Pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar mixture if desired. I did!

Today we took some time for a woodland stroll to look for Yellow Chanterelles. With the moist conditions, while still early in the season,  it seemed like a good bet. Unfortunately, they were elusive. We found only several and they were deteriorated. We’ll try again in a couple of days and persistence will pay off, it always does.
The morel season in May was not up to last years great crop,  but we were able to serve several breakfasts of morel and wild ramp omlettes and frittatas.

 The “lazy” days of summer. . .I don’t think so, at least nothere in Stowe! The hills are alive, happy – and full of things to do. From the Concerts In The Meadow Sunday evening concerts at the Trapp Family Lodge (further details at www.trappfamily.com/node/5868/events) to the British Invasion, summer is filled with events – and guests are never for want of what to do! Please go to: www.gostowe.com/events for all event dates and information.

 The garden is doing well this year . . .and with no frost, we are ahead of the season. Can’t wait for fresh peas! The wood duck occupying the nesting box we put up last winter has moved on with her brood of a dozen and a hooded merganser, that had been eyeing it, has moved in. No moose or bear sightings yet!

  We wish all our friends and family a very happy 4th!

 Recipe of the Month – Three Berry Crisp

F i l l in g :
 Toss together two cups each fresh raspberries; blackberries and blueberries, three tablespoons sugar, two teaspoons flour, two teaspoons lemon juice and a pinch of salt in a 2 qt baking dish

 Topping :
 Pulse ½ cup sugar, ½ cup brown sugar, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, an eighth teaspoon salt, ½ cup oats, ½ cup flour and 1 stick cold, unsalted butter cut into ½ inch dices in a food processor until coarsely combined

Cover berry mix with topping
Bake for45 to 60 minutes until lightly brown and bubbling around the edges

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