Apple Valley Overlook

The day after we tried to visit the Keystone Arch Bridges Trail, we made another attempt, but still no luck! The parking area was even more crowded and there were way too many people. So, continuing our “going with the flow” theme, we ended up taking a beautiful walk at the Apple Valley Overlook in nearby Ashfield, Massachusetts. The day was cold and so clear that we could see the mountains of Vermont in the distance! This was a few weeks before the election and as we walked we discussed possible outcomes, never imagining the challenges to our democracy that would occur after Biden became President elect!

Even though it was cold and quite windy, I was inspired to play a (chilly) improvisation on my recorder, although this might be the last one until spring!

Before heading home, we made one last quick visit to the William Cullen Bryant Homestead in Cummington, Massachusetts- the woods were getting ready to be tucked in for the winter!

We first discovered the site this past summer totally by accident. A copy of the New Yorker magazine was almost about to join an anonymous pile of books and other old magazines. Luckily, Paul picked up the May 25th issue and read about a writer named Alan Weisman who has taken refuge at his rural Massachusetts home during the pandemic. He is the author of the 2007 best seller, “The World Without Us”. In the book, all life on earth has vanished, a bit too apropos for our time! In the article, Weisman shows the interviewer the lovely wooded trails on the Bryant Homestead property. The William Cullen Bryant Homestead has become a special place for us and we have made many return trips.

We had just gotten back into the car when a bald eagle flew overhead, so close that we could see the eagle’s beak; it hovered over us for a few seconds, swaying gently back and forth on a current of air with it’s enormous wing spread. I felt an immediate sense of calm and resoluteness; perhaps this was a sign that all will be well with our democracy!

When we got home, I did a quick search in the refrigerator and found a red onion, a few shrimp, a handful of green beans and a bit of feta cheese. I marinated the shrimp for a bit with a few cloves of garlic minced with a tablespoon of salt, olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, cayenne, red pepper flakes, and smoked Spanish paprika. In a small oval shaped cast iron pan I caramelized the red onion. I heated the broiler to high, added the green beans (which I had steamed), placed the shrimp and the marinade on top and broiled the mixture until the shrimp and green beans were crisp and lightly charred. I added a bit of feta and broiled it until the feta was bubbly and browned on top. Served with crusty bread or brown rice; or better yet both, this will help to fortify us for the next coming weeks!

Spicy Shrimp

AND, here is the tree of the week!

Please stay safe!!