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Windy Hill Farm & The Red Lion Inn, Stockbridge, MA

Friday, October 3rd, 2008

Well, well, well, where have we all been? I guess it’s that time of year again for our annual visit to Stockbridge, MA. This is the time I usually get a gift certificate to the Red Lion Inn for my birthday. It’s a great excuse to drive up to the Berkshires to go apple picking at Windy Hill Farm and eat a nice lunch at Red Lion.

The thing is…you have to be really careful about the weather when it comes time to go apple picking. There is a tendency for rain in September and October, prime apple picking months. If you plan too far in advance, there is a chance you will be rained out. Actually, the best way to go apple picking is just by driving around on a nice day and unexpectedly drop in on a local orchard. I have done that many times. Or, it can be something that you wake up and decide to do, if you are close enough to an orchard.

We got semi-lucky and went on a day that was cloudy in the morning and sunny in the afternoon. It was breezy and cool, perfect for what we were doing. Amazingly enough, Stockbridge was full of people on a Thursday. I thought it would be nice and empty. I guess leaf peeping is more popular than I thought.

Here are some photos of our time at Windy Hill Farm.

We had a really good time picking apples. Since it was Thursday, we got the Wednesday, Thursday special of only $16 to fill up two big bags. I thought that was pretty good. We also got a big pumpkin, some hot cider and a donut.

After that was all finished, we drove about a mile up Rt.7 to the Red Lion Inn for some lunch. This was a pretty funny meal. I ordered five plates of food. I though the salads were…well, just salads. I didn’t know they were an entire lunch for one person. After I got done ordering, the waitress just looked at me. I was like, “What, is that too much?” She said that it was fine. I just told her that we would wrap anything we had left over, which we did. It was fun.

After we were done eating, we walked upstairs to visit the room we stayed in over Christmas and to see the library we spent some time in. That was fun too. We then rode the elevator downstairs to leave out the back door.

I really like that place and I have to say that Autumn is probably the best time to go.

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Please Forgive Me – I Did a Horrible Thing

Thursday, September 20th, 2007

I opened my birthday present early.

My mother emailed me a few days (or weeks) ago and told me that I should be receiving a box from Amazon. She told me not to open it, and I didn’t…until last night. I was so proud of myself too. I even called her up just to tell her that I didn’t open it.

The box was just looking at me. It was kind of like that box of donuts looking at Mickey from all the way up there on the counter. What am I…a robot? I have feelings. Of course I am going to open the box!!! I felt like this venue would be the best way to break the news to my mother. I am a horrible person.

Anyway, for some time now, I have been aware that I have not been using my frontal lobe. It is kind of like mush. This has been hindering my thought process and decision making. The lack of activity, I suspect, is due to my lack of reading and continued education. I am nowhere near the level I used to be. I even have trouble writing these days.

Good thing I opened my birthday present early. It was just in the nick of time. In the box, I found two very interesting books. The first one is a thick paperback entitled, “1,000 Places to See in the U.S.A. & Canada Before You Die.” I started reading this last night. It felt very good up there in my frontal lobe. I am not sure if it was from reading the book or the thirty push ups I did. Yeah, that’s right.

What’s interesting about this book is that the author, Patricia Schultz, grew up in Beacon, NY. She even mentions Walnut Street. I thought that was pretty cool, since I eat lunch in Beacon quite a bit.

I read the first few sections…right now, we are in Connecticut, somewhere near the Connecticut River. It seems like a very interesting book and it feels very good to sit on the couch and read.

The second book is entitled, “The World Without Us,” written by Alan Weisman. I haven’t read anything in this book yet, but I am sure it will be good. If my mother ordered it from Amazon, she surely read the reviews. That’s just the way she rolls.

Anyway, since I opened my present early, it might be a good idea to get me something else that I can open on my actual birthday. Ok, just think about it.

And finally, THANK YOU!!! The gift was very thoughtful. Also, don’t feel too bad, I opened Stephanie’s gift early too.

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