There are plenty of opportunities to encounter such stillness in the far-flung American wilds. The key, said Dan Austin, founder of Austin-Lehman Adventures, is to look for destinations with limited access. “The tougher the access, the fewer visitors, the more wildlife, and the better the fishing,” he told me. Thanks in large part to the conservation ethos that is particularly American, one can still find the wild corners of a state or national park, a secluded section of United States Forest Service land, or a remote river canyon — “one that is everything but tame.” Here is a handful of guided trips to help you find yours.

HAVASU FALLS, GRAND CANYON, ARIZONA

Outfitter Austin-Lehman Adventures, austinlehman.com. A five-day journey takes hikers far from the Grand Canyon’s main rim, traveling through labyrinthine red-sandstone canyons and stands of cottonwood and lush fern gardens. The destination: 100-foot Havasu Falls and the Havasupai village of Supai, one of the country’s most remote towns, where food, mail and supplies still arrive by America’s last “pony express.” Two miles farther is your base camp, from which you can go fossil-hunting, explore underwater grottoes and trek across pristine streams, meadows of wild grapevine and up spectacular 1,000-foot canyons. The backcountry’s bubbling blue-green mineral waters are natural Jacuzzis — perfect for a tranquil end-of-day soak.

Skill Level Moderate to challenging.

Cost $1,548, including lodging, base camp accommodations, gear, meals, packhorses.

UPPER PENINSULA, MICHIGAN

Outfitter Keweenaw Adventure, keweenawadventure.com. Miles of logging roads and rolling single-track mountain bike trails wend through wilderness on the sparsely populated tip of Michigan. The daylong guided “To the Point” tour takes cyclists along Lake Superior’s farthest shores, venturing through towering old-growth white pine and through the Nature Conservancy preserve at Horseshoe Harbor, where the dramatic, rippling rock ridges of the ancient bedrock beach protect the interior boreal forest against the powerful wind and wave erosion of the lake. You’ll climb and roll under stands of balsam fir, white cedar and white spruce, home to black bears, peregrine falcons, snowshoe hares and all kinds of warblers. The reward for all that hard work: a land’s end view of the vast lake and Manitou Island from atop a 700-foot bluff.

Skill Level Moderate to challenging.

Cost $125, including dual-suspension mountain bike rental.

LANAI, HAWAII

Outfitter Trilogy Excursions, sailtrilogy.com. Quiet Lanai, a 141-square-mile island, has no traffic lights and a population of just over 3,000. Its lovely southern coastline, lined with empty, flour-sand beaches, was the onetime playground for King Kamehameha I and other Hawaiian royalty. On the Lanai Seafari you will spend a day retracing the royals’ wanderings with Trilogy’s rigged sailing catamaran and snorkel alongside moray eels, spiny lobsters and one of the region’s largest pods of spinner dolphins, accompanied by a naturalist guide. You’ll also explore the pristine waters around Kaunolu, a favorite fishing retreat for Kamehameha I and a sacred spot for Hawaiians, and Kaumalapau Harbor, and see striking views of spiny sea cliffs, tumbling down to secluded beaches.

Skill Level Easy (provided you know how to swim).

Cost $199, including snorkel equipment, eco-tour, breakfast and lunch.

GLACIER BAY, ALASKA

Outfitter REI Adventures, rei.com/adventures. An eight-day Glacier Bay and Inside Passage itinerary takes travelers into the distant corners and coves of Glacier Bay National Park on a small 76-passenger ship. Excursions by kayak, skiff and on foot give guests the chance to watch the ebb and flow of the World Heritage site’s tidewater glaciers. The sheer range of ways to experience the stunning environment sets this trip apart; active travelers can paddleboard a fjord, hike far-off trails or do a polar bear swim in chilly waters, while onboard viewing decks and glacier walks cater to those who want to take in the sights at a more leisurely pace. Trip highlights: Icy Strait, one of the state’s best whale-viewing spots, and Chichagof Island, home to the one of the densest brown bear populations in the world.

Skill Level Easy to moderate (abundant activity options are a plus).

Cost From $2,795, including airport transfers, meals, gear, guides. Departures are scheduled between May 18 and Aug. 31.

WHITE MOUNTAIN NATIONAL FOREST, NEW HAMPSHIRE

Outfitter Appalachian Mountain Club, outdoors.org/lodging/whitemountains/custom-adventures.cfm. You don’t have to be a hard-core hiker on the Appalachian Trail to appreciate the region’s magnificent high-altitude wilderness. The Appalachian Mountain Club leads customized hiking adventures with experienced guides; book a weekend lodge-to-hut trip that starts at one of the club’s two New Hampshire lodges, traversing hardwood forests, beaver ponds and mountain ridgelines and overnighting at backcountry huts. One recommended stop is Zealand Falls Hut, a four-season spot near cascading waterfalls and the eastern edge of the Pemigewasset Wilderness, one of the most isolated wild areas in the state. Guides are trained in wilderness medicine and natural history, so you can work on perfecting outdoor skills and learn about the moose, stars or alpine flowers you spot along the way. In the summer, hearty breakfasts and dinners are served at lodges and huts.

Skill Level Moderate to challenging (trips are customized).

Cost $350 per guide per night for four to six people, including use of equipment and outdoor clothing (not lodging and meals).

MARQUESAS KEYS, FLORIDA

Outfitter Adventure Watersports Charters, adventurewatersportcharters.com. For the past four years, the wildlife biologists and ecologists Ryan and Rebecca Means have been identifying and documenting the remotest place in each of the 50 states for their continuing Project Remote (remotefootprints.org). In Florida, they’ve homed in on the Marquesas Keys, a ring of uninhabited islands formed by a meteorite and protected as part of the Key West National Wildlife Refuge (25 miles from the nearest road, the Marquesas are also the Means’s preliminary pick for remotest spot in the lower 48). Take a full-day boat charter to explore the atoll’s mangroves, lagoons and rich underwater life; hammerhead sharks, loggerhead turtles, eagle rays, sailfish and yellowtail snapper make for outstanding diving and fishing.

Skill Level Easy to moderate.

Cost $249, including four dives and lunch.

Article source: http://travel.nytimes.com/2013/05/19/travel/seeking-solitude-with-a-guide.html?pagewanted=all

View full size PHOTO OF THE WEEK: “Iris in late afternoon sun.” In the weekly calendar we are featuring a photo that was an entry in our 2012 photo contest. The winners ran in the Dec. 22 weekend edition of Homes Gardens of the Northwest.

Diane Krueger, Corvallis
Events are free unless noted. Fees usually include materials; call to confirm. All area codes are 503 unless noted.

TOURS

Eastside Garden Tour
Tour gardens in the west Columbia River Gorge.
When: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, May 18-19
Tickets: $20
Details: 492-2900 or 866-367-4667 or eastsidegardentour.com
Benefits: West Columbia Gorge Consortium

Oswego Heritage Council Historic Home Tour
Tour five historic homes and gardens in Lake Oswego.
When: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, May 18
Tickets: $30
Details: 635-6373 or www.oswegoheritage.org/events/hometour.html

Sellwood Garden Tour
Tour gardens in Garthwick, Sellwood and Moreland neighborhoods.
When: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday, May 19
Tickets: $25
Details: www.facebook.com/SellwoodGardenTour
Benefits: Sellwood Middle School

Inviting Vines VI
Tour five private gardens in Southwest Portland and the Rogerson Clematis Collection Garden at Luscher Farm in West Linn. Presented by the Friends of the Rogerson Clematis Collection.
When: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, May 25
Tickets: $20
Details: 231-0025 or lucyflora@comcast.net or rogersonclematiscollection.org

EVENTS

SATURDAY, MAY 18

Elk Rock Garden Plant Sale: 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, May 18-19. Vines, unusual perennials, shrubs, rock garden specimens and more. Elk Rock Garden at the Bishop’s Close, 11800 S.W. Military Lane; elkrockgarden.org or 971-207-4379

Community Garden Club of Camas/Washougal Plant Sale: 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Camas United Methodist Church, 706 14th St., Camas, Wash.; 360-834-2976

Schreiner’s Iris Gardens Bloom Season: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. daily, through June 9. Iris display gardens, plant sale, live music and more. See website for schedule. Schreiner’s Iris Gardens, 3625 Quinaby Road N.E., Salem; www.schreinersgardens.com or 800-525-2367

SW Portland Fuchsia Club Sale: 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Unusual upright varieties, trailing varieties and baskets. Lamb’s Thriftway on Scholls, 12220 S.W. Scholls Ferry Road, Tigard; 644-1966

Beaverton Garden Club Plant Sale: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Perennials, succulents, shrubs from members’ gardens and small trees. Beaverton Resource Center, 12500 S.W. Allen Blvd., Beaverton; 267-7649

Herb, Vegetable and Sustainable Living Fair: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, 1-5 p.m. Sunday, May 18-19. The 33rd annual festival features vendors, information booths, presentations on sustainable living practices, tours of the historic Pomeroy log house and more. Pomeroy Living History Farm, 20902 N.E. Lucia Falls Road, Yacolt, Wash.; pomeroyfarm.org or 360-686-3537

Peony and Iris Farm in Bloom: View more than 250 varieties of old-fashioned and new peony varieties and 1,000 varieties of bearded iris. Stroll the peony fields and the iris garden/arboretum. Potted plants, cut flowers, peony bouquets and iris plants for sale; or order bare-root peonies for fall planting. Daily 10 a.m.-6 p.m. through June 16. Brooks Gardens, 6219 Topaz St. N.E., Brooks; www.brooksgardens.com or 393-7999

Spring Fever Open House: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday, May 18-19. Several specialty nurseries along the Cascade Nursery Trail in the north Willamette Valley open their doors to the public. See website for details. cascadenurserytrail.com or 651-2006

Rare Plant Research: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, May 18-19. Three nurseries and a garden open to the public during the weekend; wine tastings offered by King’s Raven Winery. Call or see website for updated details on participating nurseries. Rare Plant Research, 11900 S. Criteser Road, Oregon City; www.rareplantresearch.com

SUNDAY, MAY 19

Sunset Bonsai Club: 1:30-3:30 p.m. Demonstrations and lectures. Bring your tree to prune and learn how to maintain its shape. Beaverton City Library, 12375 S.W. Fifth St., Beaverton; www.sunsetbonsaiclub.com

MONDAY, MAY 20

Morning Bird-song Walks: Guided walks led by Audubon/Tryon volunteers Rick and Stephanie Wagner. Weekly 7 a.m. Mondays, through May 27 (including Memorial Day). Tryon Creek State Natural Area, 11321 S.W. Terwilliger Blvd.; www.tryonfriends.org or 636-9886, ext. 225

TUESDAY, MAY 21

Therapeutic Garden Volunteer Information Sessions: 12:30-1:30 p.m. Get information on how to help with garden maintenance, planting projects, clerical work and other volunteer opportunities in the Legacy Health System Horticultural Therapy Program. Registration required; meeting details given at that time. Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center, 1015 N.W. 22nd Ave.; www.legacyhealth.org/gardens or 413-7012

Paradise on Earth — the Beautiful Flowers of Kashmir: 7:30 p.m. Chris Chadwell gives a presentation on alpine and perennial treasures of Kashmir in this program of the Columbia-Willamette Rock Garden Society. Smile Station, 8210 S.E. 13th Ave.; cwnargs.org or 232-2346

THURSDAY, MAY 23

Clark County Master Gardeners on the Road Tour: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. See how four gardeners transformed their properties. Register by May 20; meeting details given at that time. $30; ocrs.wsu.edu/signup/?eventid=893  or 360-397-6060, ext. 5738

SATURDAY, MAY 25

Invasive Species: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Snacks and tools provided. Registration required by email. Columbia Grove, 3412 S.E. Riverwood Court, Vancouver; www.columbiasprings.org or 360-882-0936 or volunteer@columbiasprings.org

The Greater Portland Iris Society Floral Show: 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Showcasing the early, middle- and late-season blooms of the iris genus. On the second floor near Sears and Marshalls. Lloyd Center, 2201 Lloyd Center; greaterportlandirissociety.org or 360-835-1016 or 503-668-9230

CLASSES + DEMONSTRATIONS

SATURDAY, MAY 18

Greenhouse Building and Growing: 9 a.m. Learn about building a custom greenhouse, setting up a greenhouse kit, and summer greenhouse management. Registration required. Greenhouse Catalog Co., 3740 Brooklake Road N.E., Salem; www.greenhousecatalog.com/clinic or 393-3973 or Michael@GreenhouseCatalog.com

Naturescaping Basics: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Learn how to design a low-maintenance, chemical-free landscape that conserves water and minimizes pollution while saving time, money and energy. Offered through East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District. Registration required at the website. Troutdale City Conference Building, 223 S. Buxton Ave., Troutdale; emswcd.org or 222-7645

Children’s Garden Club — Flower Containers: 10-11 a.m. Children learn about annual flowers and design and plant a container to take home. Registration required at the website. Portland Nursery, 9000 S.E. Division St.; www.portlandnursery.com or 788-9000

Growing and Arranging Peonies: 1:30 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, May 18-19. 1:30 p.m.: Walking educational field tour with Carol Adelman. 2:30 p.m.: Floral arranging with peonies. Adelman Peony Gardens, 5690 Brooklake Road N.E., Brooks; www.peonyparadise.com or 393-6185

SUNDAY, MAY 19

Make Your Own Mixed-herb Container: 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Make and take home a container full of culinary herbs to harvest throughout the fall and winter. Registration required at website. Portland Nursery, 9000 S.E. Division St.; $25, includes all plants and materials; www.portlandnursery.com or 788-9000

Fine Foliage: 1 p.m. Learn to create eye-catching combinations and vignettes, plus how to use old favorites. Joy Creek Nursery, 20300 N.W. Watson Road, Scappoose; www.joycreek.com or 543-7474

Make Your Own Vegetable Container: 1-2:30 p.m. Make and take home a container full of vegetables. Registration required at website. Portland Nursery, 9000 S.E. Division St.; $25, includes all plants and materials; www.portlandnursery.com or 788-9000

TUESDAY, MAY 21

Tomato Planting 101: 9:30-10:30 a.m. Vern Vanderzanden on getting the most out of the growing season. Hosted by the Washington County Master Gardeners. Demonstration Garden at Washington County Fair Complex, 882 N.E. 28th Ave., Hillsboro; metromastergardeners.org/washington

SATURDAY, MAY 25

The Buzz About Bees: 9:30-11:30 a.m. Beekeeper Glen Andresen on mason bees, bumblebees and honeybees. Learn how to help them thrive in your yard and how to build a mason bee block. Then visit the garden’s honeybee hives for an inside look and search for the queen. For age 12 and older. Registration required. Leach Botanical Garden, 6704 S.E. 122nd Ave.; $8; leachgarden.org or 823-1671

Gardening on the Move: 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Practical skills with container gardening, creating movable planting areas, transplanting and proper plant care, as well as how to address some of the more emotional challenges of caring for a garden that goes with you wherever you go. Registration required at website. Portland Nursery, 9000 S.E. Division St.; www.portlandnursery.com or 788-9000

Tomatoes Tomatoes Tomatoes: 1 p.m. Planting times, cultural requirements, fertilizing needs, watering systems and more. Portland Nursery, 5050 S.E. Stark St.; www.portlandnursery.com or 231-5050

Click for public gardens.

Calendar items run on a space-available basis. Please submit notices at least one month before the event to Homes Gardens Listings Desk, The Oregonian, 1320 S.W. Broadway, Portland, OR 97201; or by email (send as a plain text file, with Homes Gardens in the subject line) to listings@oregonian.com. Except for cancellations and corrections, notices cannot be accepted by phone.

Article source: http://www.oregonlive.com/hg/index.ssf/2013/05/homes_gardens_events_in_oregon_40.html

Good causes

BENEFIT FOR VNA CARE NETWORK HOSPICE. Saturday, May 18, 7 p.m., John Archer Estate, 10 North St., Danvers. Evening of fashion and live music. Bless by Bless Couture will preview their spring collection. Just in Time and pianist Nathan Johnson will perform live. Event includes silent and live auctions and heavy hors d’oeuvres. Tickets cost $50. www.vnacarenetwork.org or 888-663-3688, ext. 1361.

MOTHER’S DAY TEA. Sunday, May 19, 1 p.m., St. Michael’s Hall, 15 Endicott St., Peabody. Hosted by the Daughters of St. Joseph. Admission is free, but donations of unwrapped gifts for newborn infants are requested. Gifts will be donated to an organization that offers comprehensive pre- and postnatal education and support programs for teens and young mothers. Those planning to attend should call Lola Busta, 978-531-5592; Ann Kostos, 978-774-0985; or Janis Marren, 978-531-8837.

Sustainable earth

DIG IN @ PEM/PM: DIRT!. Thursday, May 16, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., Peabody Essex Museum, East India Square, Salem. Celebrate growing gardens, learn new ways to use seasonal and locally grown food, learn how to create a seedbomb, draw a costumed, live model from Modern Millie Vintage and Consignments, and enjoy live music by Dan The Wildfire. Event includes cocktails and local food. Free/PEM members and Salem residents with ID, $10/nonmembers. 866-745-1876 or www.pem.org.

CALLING ALL CANS AND BOTTLES. Saturday, May 18, 8 a.m. to noon, Shaw’s Supermarket, 71 Dodge St.; Henry’s Market, 588 Cabot St.; and Super Stop Shop, 224 Elliott St. and 37 Enon St., Beverly. The Beverly Homecoming Committee will be at four locations accepting cans and plastic bottles, which will be recycled at deposit centers; monies raised from can and bottle deposits will benefit the Homecoming Fireworks display.

ELECTRONICS RECYCLING COLLECTION. Saturday, May 18, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Landmark School, 429 Hale St., Beverly. Each item costs $5, and a small box of random equipment is $5; $15 fee for TVs. Proceeds support a service learning trip to Jamaica. www.landmarkschool.org.

GREENFEST 2013. Saturday, May 18, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Brown Elementary School, 150 Lynn St., Peabody. Peabody’s third annual event features dozens of educational exhibits by environmentally-focused organizations and institutions, “green” storytelling, recycling arts and crafts, and student-led recycling and garden club tours. For a minimal fee, old electronics and paperwork may be dropped off for recycling; paperwork will be confidentially shred. For a complete list of exhibitors and information, visit www.greenpeabody.org/greenfest or join the GreenPeabody group on Facebook.

ELECTRONIC RECYCLING AND SHREDDING EVENT. Saturday, May 18, 9 a.m. to noon, Ipswich High School, 134 High St., Ipswich. All proceeds will benefit the Ipswich High School softball program. Recycling fees: TVs, $15; computer monitors, $10; all other electronics, $5. Shredding fees: $10 per 13-gallon bag and $15 per file box. Doug Woodworth, 978-356-5507, ext. 119.

EDIBLE LANDSCAPING CLASS. Saturday, May 18, 11 a.m. to noon, Green Meadows Farm, 656 Asbury St., Hamilton. Barbara Emerson of “Edible Boston” will answer questions and offer advice on using edible plants to beautify grounds. Free. Space is limited; register at 978-468-2277.

SOLAR ENERGY DAY. Saturday, May 18, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Greenergy Park, corner of Sohier and Tozer roads, Beverly. Eighth annual event at America’s longest-running solar facility to celebrate clean energy. Includes tours of the solar field, food and live music. Located at the wind and solar site next to Beverly High School. Free admission and parking; bring non-perishable food items to donate to Beverly Bootstraps Food Pantry or Friends of Beverly Animals. www.solarnow.org.

Get outside and explore

COLORFUL FEDERAL STREET: EXTERIOR PAINT TREATMENTS AND THE HISTORY BEHIND THE COLORS. Saturday, May 18, 9:30 a.m., meet at the corner of North and Federal streets, Salem. Historic New England and Historic Salem Inc. present a historic walking tour in the Federal Street neighborhood with architectural historian and color specialist Sally Zimmerman, senior manager of historic preservation services at Historic New England. Zimmerman will focus on how paint color and architectural style come together to add value and character to a neighborhood that has some of the oldest houses in Salem. Also, local historian Hannah Diozzi of Salem Strolls brings the “colorful” history of the neighborhood to life during the tour. Visitors are welcome to bring along photos of their homes for a basic color consultation. $20/nonmembers, $5/Historic New England and Historic Salem Inc. members. Registration suggested at 978-744-0440 or www.historicnewengland.org.

SWAMPWALK GRAND OPENING. Saturday, May 18, 10 a.m., rail trail entrance, Route 97, Wenham. Open Space Recreation Committee hosts at the north entrance to the boardwalk. Refreshments served. Rain or shine. Prizes awarded for observing an off-the-endangered-list spotted turtle and any member of the three beaver families.

BIODIVERSITY BY THE SEA: EXPLORING BEVERLY’S TIDE POOLS. Saturday, May 18, 11 a.m. to noon, Lynch Park, 55 Ober St., Beverly. Meet and learn about the strange and surprising creatures inhabiting these miniature seas with naturalist Paul Erickson, a former New England Aquarium staffer and “Good Morning America” special correspondent. All of the animals investigated will be returned to their natural habitats. Children must be accompanied by an attentive parent or guardian. Bring warm footwear that will keep feet dry and stable on slippery rocks. Park in parking lot and gather at the seawall entryway to the beach. Free; part of Beverly Open Space and Recreation Committee’s Earth Day nature walks. Rain or shine.

MAYOR’S RIDE. Saturday, May 18, 2 p.m., Beverly City Hall, 191 Cabot St., Beverly. Join Mayor Bill Scanlon, the Bicycle Beverly Committee, and River House for the second annual bicycle ride, to Hospital Point Lighthouse and back. Participants of all ages and all cycling abilities invited. The easy, scenic route will be marshalled for safety and concludes with Hoodsies and additional refreshments back at City Hall. Donations for River House will be accepted. 978-927-4599.

BIRD PHOTOGRAPHY 101. Sunday, May 19, 8 to 9:30 a.m., Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary, 87 Perkins Row, Topsfield. Join Nancy Landry, avid bird photographer and author of “The Birds of Plum Island Calendar,” for a walk, during which she will share tips for finding and photographing birds. Bring either a digital single lens reflex camera or a “point and shoot” type camera with an electric view finder and minimum 10X zoom lens. Binoculars and a birding guide are suggested, but optional. Limited to 10. $12/adult, $10/Mass Audubon members. Advance registration required at 978-887-9264.

FOX HILL: EXPLORATION BIO-BLIZT. Sunday, May 19, 1 p.m., Fox Hill, park and gather at the end of Tall Tree Drive, Beverly. Join Mass Audubon ecologist Dr. Robert Buchsbaum for an exploration of this open space woodland, where a newly established access trail has opened for public walking, biking and nature study. The walk will focus on identifying and recording just about everything that attendees find. Bring binoculars and a magnifying glass. Carpool if possible as parking is limited. Free; rain or shine. Event is part of Beverly Open Space and Recreation Committee’s Earth Day nature walks.

Presentations, discussions and lectures

FARMS BRANCH BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP. Thursday, May 16, 7 p.m., Beverly Public Library, Farms Branch, 24 Vine St., Beverly Farms. Group will discuss “The Language of Flowers” by Vanessa Diffenbaugh. New members welcome. Handicapped-accessible. Discussion titles available at the checkout desk; alternate formats may be available. 978-921-6066 or ingalls@noblenet.org.

MANHATTAN IN MARBLEHEAD: JASON ALEXANDER ISRAEL. Thursday, May 16, 8 p.m., Jewish Community Center, 4 Community Road, Marblehead. Jason Alexander, known for his role in “Seinfeld,” is teaming up with One Voice, the teen organization pushing for peace in Israel. Hear from Alexander and several world players as they discuss “A Blueprint for the Middle East” in New York City, which will be simulcast live at the JCC. Ask questions and be a part of the debate. Event part of the JCC’s Manhattan in Marblehead series. Reserve a spot at 781-631-8330. http://www.jccns.org/manhattan-in-marblehead/.

THOMAS JEFFERSON: AN AMERICAN PARADOX. Friday, May 17, 10 a.m. to noon, Explorers Lifelong Learning Institute, 10 Federal St., Salem. Anthony Guerriero, Salem State University history instructor, will discuss the enigmatic personality of the famous Founding Father who wrote that all men are created equal, yet owned his own slaves and carried on a forbidden relationship with a slave for 38 years. Donations appreciated from nonmembers in attendance. 978-744-0804 or www.explorerslli.org.

NEW ENGLAND LIGHTHOUSE EXPERT TO SPEAK. Saturday, May 18, 7 p.m., First Baptist Church, 221 Cabot St., Beverly. Jeremy D’Entremont will present a talk on “Lighthouses of the North Shore” and will be available to sign copies of his books. Desserts and coffee served. $10/adults, $5/seniors and children under 12. The event is a fundraiser for the First Baptist Church in Beverly, known as the “Church With the Harbor Light,” the only church in the United States with an operating lighthouse. 978-922-3295.

MONDAY NIGHT BOOK CLUB. Monday, May 20, 7:15 to 8:30 p.m., Hamilton-Wenham Public Library, 14 Union St., South Hamilton. Club will discuss “Prague Winter: A Personal Story of Remembrance and War,” by Madeline Albright. Copies of the book are available at the reference desk. Rebecca Shea, 978-468-5577 or rshea@mvlc.org.

AUTHOR, PHOTOGRAPHER AND GUIDE PRESENTATION. Tuesday, May 21, 7 to 8 p.m., Hamilton-Wenham Public Library, 14 Union St., South Hamilton. Andrew Martinez presents “Marine Life of the North Atlantic.” Martinez has spent more than 30 years photographing marine life of the North Atlantic. Photo assignments sponsored by National Geographic World Magazine have taken him to Fiji, Bonaire, and Cape Cod. www.hwlibrary.org.

“THE ROSE MAN.” Tuesday, May 21, 7 p.m., Beverly Public Library, 32 Essex St., Beverly. Friendly Garden Club will host Dr. Erwin Ehrenreich who will present a basic rose lecture that will cover rose history, classification, care and a year in the rose garden from spring pruning to winter protection. His lecture will include a photo slideshow of roses, some of which are from his own rose garden. Ehrenreich is a member of the American Rose Society, the Rose Hybridizers Association, and the Heritage Rose Foundation. Kerry Baser, 978-712-0712.

EVENING BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP. Tuesday, May 21, 7:30 to 8:45 p.m., Beverly Public Library, 32 Essex St., Beverly. Group will discuss “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” by Harriet Beecher Stowe. New members welcome. Handicapped-accessible. Discussion titles available at the checkout desk; alternate formats may be available. 978-921-6062 or bev@noblenet.org.

FISH TALES FROM THE FISH HOUSE LECTURE. Wednesday, May 22, 7 p.m., Swampscott Yacht Club, second floor of the Fish House at Fisherman’s Beach, 425 Humphrey St. Swampscott Yacht Club presents “Vintage Swampscott,” featuring local historian Lou Gallo who will show historic photos of Swampscott and tell tales of the town’s rich and colorful past. Free. Cash bar will be open. Reservations required at 781-962-5587.

Poetry

TEEN POETRY CONTEST RECEPTION. Thursday, May 16, 7 to 8:30 p.m., Hamilton-Wenham Public Library, 14 Union St., South Hamilton. Featured speaker: Dan Sklar, author and professor at Endicott College. Following Sklar’s talk, contest winners will read or recite their poems aloud. http://informedteenshwlibrary.blogspot.com.

ANNUAL POETS NIGHT. Tuesday, May 21, 6:30 to 8 p.m., Middleton Senior Center, 39 Maple St. Middleton Arts Association’s event features a presentation of original poetry shared by members of the Massachusetts State Poetry Society, the Wordcrafters Poetry Group, North Shore Poets Forum, and friends of the Art Association. Anyone is welcome to read at the open mike. Free admission; refreshments served. Building is handicapped-accessible. Parking and entry on the left side of the building. Direct questions to Beverley, 978-740-3212.

Commemorations

“SALUTE TO OUR VIETNAM VETERANS.” Thursday, May 16, 7 to 8:30 p.m., Tapley Memorial Hall, 13 Page St., Danvers. The Danvers Historical Society will salute Vietnam veterans and their families. All veterans are invited to attend. Free admission to all members and veterans. Light refreshments to follow. Reservations are appreciated by calling the Society office, 978-777-1666, or emailing Cathy Gareri, cgareri@danvershistory.org.

350 YEARS IN WORDS AND MUSIC. Sunday, May 19, 5 p.m., Meeting House, corner of Main and Washington streets, Topsfield. The Congregational Church of Topsfield’s 350-year celebration concert features the Combined Choirs, CCoT Chancel and Handbell Choir, the Arlington Ward Choir of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, organ and trumpet accompaniment, narration and audience participation. Admission is free and all are welcome. Wendy S. Colby, 978-887-2101, ext. 11, or wendy@topsfieldchurch.org.

Music and dance

THE ORCHESTRA ON THE HILL CONCERT. Thursday, May 16, 7:30 p.m., Crane Estate, 290 Argilla Road, Ipswich. Under the musical direction of Thomas Palance, the orchestra will perform an all-concerto program featuring seven soloists performing four concertos. $20 at the door. m71pearlman@gmail.com or 978-356-3845.

METHEE COFFEEHOUSE CONCERT. Friday, May 17, Unitarian Universalist Church, 28 Mugford St., Marblehead. Doors open at 7:30 p.m., concert at 8 p.m. Ryan Montbleau with Tall Heights. Tickets cost $22 in advance and $25 at the door. 781-631-8987 or www.meandthee.org.

THE WORKINGMAN’S BAND. Saturday, May 18, 4 to 7 p.m., Village Tavern Grill, 168 Essex St., Salem. The Workingman’s Band, featuring guitarist and vocalist Tom Yates, will perform classic country, rockabilly and blues music.

¡VIVA! THE COLORS AND SOUNDS OF THE CARIBBEAN. Sunday, May 19, 1 to 3 p.m., The House of the Seven Gables’ Seaside Garden, 115 Derby St., Salem. The Ricardo Monzón Orchestra will perform live music as teens from Express Yourself execute their dance from their May 15 performance at the Citi Performing Arts Center — Wang Theatre in Boston. Event includes Latin music, large visual arts display created by Express Yourself youth and a scholarship awards presentation by the Gables Settlement Association. Free admission. Reserve a spot with Stephen Weber at 978-744-0991, ext. 104.

PAUL MADORE CHORALE CONCERT. Sunday, May 19, 3 p.m., First Universalist Church, 211 Bridge St., Salem. The Paul Madore Chorale and soloists will perform “The Seasons” by Franz Josef Haydn. Based on an epic poem by James Thomson, “The Seasons” is a four-part oratorio composed by Haydn toward the end of his career. $25/general, $22/seniors, $18/students. Purchase tickets at Sophia’s, 105 Essex St., Salem; Arnould Gallery, 111 Washington St., Marblehead; or www.mktix.com/pmc. 781-592-7284, 978-774-7981, or www.paulmadorechorale.org.

PIANIST JACQUELINE SCHWAB IN CONCERT. Sunday, May 19, 3 p.m., Marblehead Arts Association, King Hooper Mansion, 8 Hooper St., Marblehead. Schwab, who has played for several Ken Burns documentaries on PBS, has specialized in meditative, spirited arrangements based on traditional and vintage tunes from America, England, Scotland and elsewhere, which she accompanies with stories. Tickets are $20, $15 for MAA members, and may be purchased at 781-631-2608.

SWING INTO SPRING. Monday, May 20, 7 to 9 p.m., Masconomet Regional High School, 20 Endicott Road, Topsfield. Masconomet Regional High School and Middle School Jazz Bands, Percussion Ensemble and Jazz Choir will perform a special selection of music while attendees enjoy an ice cream sundae bar, raffles and more. $12/ticket in advance, $15/at the door. Fundraiser for the Masconomet Music Parents Association, which annually awards over $12,000 in merit scholarships to underclassmen and seniors for music lessons, enrichment programs and post graduate studies. Details and reservations available at www.mascomusicparents.org or by contacting Glaudia Giustra at cgiustra@gmail.com.

Theater

“NEXT TO NORMAL.” Thursday, May 16, Friday, May 17, and Saturday, May 18, 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, May 19, 2 p.m., Marblehead Firehouse, 12 School St. Marblehead Little Theatre presents a rock musical with book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey and music by Tom Kitt. Tickets cost $23 for adults, $15 for students (matinees only). Tickets available at the Spirit of ’76 Bookstore or www.mltlive.org.

“HONK!” Friday, May 17, 7 p.m.; Saturday, May 18, 3 and 7 p.m.; and Sunday, May 19, 3 p.m., Collins Middle School, 29 Highland Ave., Salem. North Shore Children’s Theatre presents a musical journey of the Ugly Duckling. www.northshorechildrenstheatre.org.

“A DELICATE BALANCE.” On stage through Saturday, June 1, at the Salem Theatre Company Theater, 90 Lafayette St., Salem. The STC concludes its 10th anniversary season with a production of Edward Albee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play. Performances run on Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., and Sundays at 5 p.m. Tickets cost $25 for adults, $20 for seniors and $10 for students. www.salemtheatre.com, info@salemtheatre.com, or 978-790-8546.

“BRAIDS.” Fridays, May 17 and 24, 8 p.m., and Saturdays, May 18 and 25, 3 and 8 p.m., Dane Street Church, 10 Dane St., Beverly. The Sea Change Theatre Company presents Joseph Frost’s lyrical one-act play as the final production in its inaugural season. In the play, the lives of three women, a mother and her daughters, intertwine as they struggle with the perplexities of womanhood, family responsibilities, and abandonment. Tickets cost $12 for adults and $10 for students and seniors. To purchase tickets, call 978-500-3885, or email boxoffice@seachangetheatre.com. Run time is approximately 40 minutes.

Film

HERITAGE INDEPENDENT FILMS. Thursday, May 16, and Tuesday, May 21, 11:40 a.m., “Mysteries of Essex County”; 12:10 p.m. “Ghosts at Damon House”; and 12:35 p.m., “O’l Tyme Radio,” at Hollywood Hits Theatre, 7 Hutchinson Drive, Danvers. $5 admission. 978-777-2711.

INSPIRATIONAL EVENINGS: “MIRACLES.” Monday, May 20, 6:30 to 7:45 p.m., Hamilton-Wenham Public Library, 14 Union St., South Hamilton. “Miracles” incorporates Jorgelina “Jayzee” Zeoli’s two autobiographical films about healing from trauma through self-awareness, spirituality, music and art. Videotaped discussions with holistic practitioners, trauma survivors and members of different faiths follow both films. Registration is requested by contacting Rebecca Shea, 978-468-5577 or rshea@mvlc.org.

Art

GRADUATE ART SHOW RECEPTION. Friday, May 17, 4 to 9 p.m., Van Loan Cyber Cafe, Endicott College, 376 Hale St., Beverly. Exhibit reception for Master of Education Arts and Learning Graduate Art Show, titled “Art from the Creative Process.” Exhibit on view through May 26. Details at www.endicott.edu/gps/artsandlearning.

ANNUAL STUDENT ART AND FASHION SHOW. Tuesday, May 21, 6 to 9 p.m., Peabody Veterans Memorial High School, 485 Lowell St., Peabody. Presented by PVMHS’s Visual Arts and Family and Consumer Science departments. Opening reception for teachers, students, parents and the public, 6 to 8 p.m. Art show will be on display in the upper balcony of the field house with an awards ceremony at 6:45 p.m. Fashion show begins at 7:15 p.m. in the main hallway of the high school’s second floor. Free. Katy Millman, PVMHS chair of visual arts, 978-536-4522.

VISUAL THESIS PROJECTS EXHIBITED. On view at the Walter J. Manninen Center for the Arts, Endicott College, 376 Hale St., Beverly. An exhibit, featuring projects created by graduating seniors from the Endicott College School of Visual and Performing Arts, on display through Friday, May 24. Free. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Kathleen Moore, 978-232-2655 or kmoore@endicott.edu.

WORKS BY ARTHUR WESLEY DOW ON VIEW. Exhibit on display throughout the summer at First Ipswich Bank, 31 Market St., Ipswich. View two paintings by Arthur Wesley Dow and works by other local artists during the bank’s regular business hours. First Ipswich Bank is a stop along Ipswich Museum’s “A Walking Tour.” Details available at firstipswich.com.

“THE PAINTED STORY: NEW WORK BY BRIAN BROGAN.” On view through Friday, May 24, True North Gallery, 25 Woodbury St., Hamilton. Exhibit features North Shore artist Brogan’s vibrant paintings inspired by indigenous traditions from around the world. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., or by appointment. 978-468-1962 or gallerydirector@truenorthgallery.net.

SPRING EXHIBIT. On view through Thursday, May 30, at the Gallery at Grosvenor Park, 7 Loring Hills Ave., Salem. Exhibit features work by local artists Peggy Farrell of Marblehead and Jan Condon of Salem. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekends. Handicapped-accessible. 978-741-5700.

For children and families

ART CLUB. Friday, May 17, 1 to 2 p.m., Hamilton-Wenham Public Library, 14 Union St., South Hamilton. Children in preschool and older are invited to experiment with straw painting. Sessions are drop-in and free-form. www.hwlibrary.org.

EARLY CHILDHOOD NATURE EDUCATION WORKSHOP. Saturday, May 18, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary, 87 Perkins Row, Topsfield. Workshop designed to help those who work with children ages 3 to 6 to increase their awareness of, curiosity about and appreciation of the natural world through direct outdoor experiences. Workshop suitable for an early childhood educator, a child care provider, after-school teacher, parent or Scout leader. Hands-on activities and take-home activity sheets included. A portion of the workshop will be outside on the sanctuary; dress for weather and bring a lunch. $50/adult, $45/Mass Audubon members. Registration required at 978-887-9264.

KEEPING KIDS SAFE PROJECT. Saturday, May 18, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Honda North, 382 Newbury St., Danvers. S.I.P. Kids, a national child safety organization that tours the country providing free FBI-quality digital fingerprints for children, will host a free child safety fair. Local organizations and law enforcement agencies will help educate children and their families on how to avoid dangerous situations. Free digital fingerprinting.

AUTHOR READING AND BOOK SIGNING. Wednesday, May 22, 3:30 to 5 p.m., Wenham Tea House, 4 Monument St., Wenham. Reading specialist Jeana Khan will read from and sign copies of her second children’s book, “Eli The Elephant.” Program suitable for young readers, ages 3 to 9. For reservations, call Wenham Tea House at 978-468-1398.

Plant and yard sales

PLANT SALE FUNDRAISER. Saturday, May 18, 8 a.m. to noon, Marblehead Community Center, 10 Humphrey St., Marblehead. The Marblehead High School Class of 2016 will offer a variety of outdoor plants, including hanging plants, annuals, perennials and vegetables. lavender.michael@marbleheadschools.org.

MACK PARK ANNUAL YARD SALE. Saturday, May 18, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Mack Park, 31 Grove St., Salem. Hosted by the Mack Park Neighborhood Association. Rain date May 18. Drop off items at Mack Park on Friday, May 17, 5 to 6 p.m., and Saturday, May 18, 7 to 9 a.m. tlcook1965@aol.com.

CRAFT AND YARD SALE. Saturday, May 18, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Northshore Unitarian Universalist Church, 323 Locust St., Danvers. Proceeds from the sale will benefit the NSUU Sound System Fund for Hearing Accessibility. www.nsuu.org.

MARINE PRODUCTS YARD SALE. Saturday, May 18, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 135 Lafayette St., Marblehead. Featuring used equipment at low prices. For more information, contact Bill O’Meara or Rick Howard at marine@standrewsmhd.org, or call the parish office at 781-631-4951.

HAMILTON-WENHAM GARDEN CLUB ANNUAL PLANT SALE. Saturday, May 18, 9 a.m. to noon, Hamilton Council on Aging, 299 Bay Road, Hamilton. Hosted by the club on the front lawn. www.hwgcsite.org.

PEABODY GARDEN CLUB ANNUAL PLANT SALE. Saturday, May 18, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Peabody City Hall, 24 Lowell St. Features perennials, annuals, herbs and other plants along with baked goods, white elephant table and raffles. Members will be available to answer questions. Proceeds support community projects around Peabody, activities and speakers at the club’s monthly meetings, and the club’s scholarship fund. 978-535-2228, 978-531-4558 or 978-531-7943.

SALEM BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE PLANT SALE FUNDRAISER. Saturday, May 18, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Sunday, May 19, 9 a.m. to noon, Salem Common. Annuals, hanging baskets and homegrown perennials. 978-745-9595, ext. 5676.

FRIENDLY GARDEN CLUB PLANT SALE. Saturday, May 18, 9 to 11:30 a.m., Beverly Senior Center, 90 Colon St., Beverly. Features perennials, annuals, veggies, and herbs grown by club members, a garden boutique, raffle, and specialty container gardens. Plants may be purchased by cash or check made payable to FGC. Kerry Baser, 978-712-0712.

COTTAGE GARDENERS’ PLANT SALE. Saturday, May 18, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., St. Stephen’s United Methodist Church, 67 Cornell Road, Marblehead. Featuring perennials, herbs, vegetables and ground covers from members’ gardens. The Cottage Gardeners welcomes new members; club meets on the second Tuesday of the month, except during the summer. For more information, contact Charlene Tyler at charlene.tyler@yahoo.com or 781-639-2203.

TWENTY-SECOND ANNUAL LONG HILL PLANT SALE. Saturday, May 18, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Long Hill gardens, 572 Essex St., Beverly. Features a vast selection of unusual plants, rare woody and herbaceous plants, hundreds of perennials, empty and planted hypertufa troughs and some planted with dwarf alpine plants, vegetable seedlings provided by the Food Project, and sand-cast leaf ornaments. Also, stroll through the Sedgwick Gardens, which will be in peak bloom. Horticultural experts will be on hand to answer gardening questions. Rain or shine. Member-only preview sale from 9 to 10 a.m. bogrady@ttor.org; 978-921-1944, ext. 1825; or www.thetrustees.org.

Article source: http://www.salemnews.com/local/x1169352185/North-Shore-Entertainment-Calendar

Mount Everest Climbers’ Waste Could Power Local Villages

The village of Gorak Shep. Photo: Frank Kehren

There is no plumbing on Mount Everest. When nature calls, climbers must use makeshift holes dug by sherpas, or use buckets as substitute toilets. With the ever-increasing number of climbers attempting to scale the mountain, containing all of that human waste is no small problem.

Currently, National Geographic reports, much of the excrement is carried in sealed containers on the backs of porters to the nearby village of Gorak Shep (which also lacks plumbing or sanitation facilities), where it is emptied into open pits. Up to 12 metric tons of the stuff can be hauled to Gorak Shep in a single year. But the village is running out of space for containing the mess, and last year researchers discovered that the refuse had contaminated one of the village’s two major water sources.  

Seattle climber and engineer Garry Porter witnessed the problem first hand when he attempted to scale Everest ten years ago. Since then, the image of all of that waste has stuck with him. ”I couldn’t shake the feeling that my final tribute to Nepal and the people of Everest was having my waste dumped in these open pits. It just didn’t seem right,” he told National Geographic.

Porter decided to found the Mount Everest Biogas Project as a potential fix, along with Everest guide Dan Mazur.

In biogas production, bacteria feed on organic waste (like feces) and produce several gases as a byproduct. One of these is methane, which is the primary component of natural gas and can be burned for heat and light, or converted to electricity. One cubic meter of biogas provides about two kilowatt-hours of useable energy. This is enough to power a 60-watt light bulb for more than a day, or an efficient 15-watt CFL bulb for nearly six days. A biogas reactor at Gorak Shep could address the fecal contamination problem while providing the perennially low-income community with a sustainable source of methane gas for energy, especially for cooking, Porter says.

The team plans to keep the biogas digester tanks warm (they stop working if temperatures drop below freezing) with solar panels.

In addition to getting rid of all the feces, the team hopes that the biogas project will relieve some of the pressure on Everest’s natural resources. All of those poop-producing climbers also need to eat, and cooking fuel often takes the form of native plants harvested around Everest, including an endangered species, the alpine juniper. If successful, the project will be the world’s highest elevation biogas reactor and could be introduced to other high altitude areas around the world.  

More from Smithsonian.com:

Mount Everest Is Not Immune to Climate Change 
Conquering Everest 

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Article source: http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/smartnews/2013/05/mount-everest-climbers-waste-could-power-local-villages/

A trek up Little Smith Mountain

Published 10:34am Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Thursday afternoon Jimmy Lanier, the founder of the Cherokee Ridge Alpine Trail Association, took me, my wife Mary Lyman, TPI’s magazine editor Betsy Iler and her husband, Rev. Rob Iler, on a walk.

It was a walk to remember, a walk on the brand new 2.2 mile Little Smith Mountain Trail.

Jimmy is a personal friend and something of a marvel. He’s 74 and has more energy and stamina than a guy 20 years younger … like me.

Jimmy is an enthusiastic hiker who heads for the trails about three times a week, which probably has a lot to do with his energy level. Many other days you can find him scouting trails, building trails or bolting together the Smith Mountain Fire Tower, a project he headed and spent countless hours on over the past couple of years. Jimmy’s a joy to hike with, especially when he’s showing off one of his new trails. So when he called and asked if I was interested in seeing his newest creation, I packed up my camera and jumped at the opportunity for some fresh air.

If you’ve been to the top of Smith Mountain, you’ve seen one of the most beautiful places on Lake Martin. And you’ve seen Little Smith Mountain, which is the next big rise just south of the fire tower and right beside Lake Martin. The new trail starts at the fire tower and circles Little Smith Mountain in a round-about path that zigzags back and forth across the face of the mountain, around down by the lake, back to the top of Little Smith Mountain, then down to the parking lot.

Along the way, hikers are treated to a number of different ecosystems. My personal favorite is the gorgeous open longleaf pine forest. Longleaf forest is not like any other ecosystem in our area, in contrast to most of the dense woodlands in our area, you can see for hundreds of yards through the longleafs.

The hiking trail is amazingly soft, almost bouncy in places, where years and years of longleaf pine needles cushion the ground. Line after line of vertical dark pine trunks rise up on all sides and the green canopy scores of feet overhead gives the forest a cathedral-like feeling. It feels like you’re walking through a holy place.

That feeling is enhanced in many places where the pine-needle forest floor is carpeted by acres of lush green ferns and tiny wild blueberry bushes. Huge gray boulders dot the forest in places, and lichens growing on their faces painted the rocks bright orange.

As the trail continues around Little Smith Mountain, it winds down through hardwood bottoms and deep groves of rhododendrons and mountain laurel.

This month the mountain laurel is in full bloom. It’s bunches of cup-shaped white blooms flecked with red are a natural treasure in our area that I’d put in the same you-gotta-see-it category as the Cahaba lilies blooming now in our rocky streams. If you’re not able to hike, you can see these flowers from a boat in Lake Martin, but walking through them is an even more impressive sight.

As we continued around the mountain, we walked through patches of dead longleafs killed by an intense fire several years ago.

Jimmy said he used to hate that some of the trees are dead, but he’s grown to love the sight. I agree. The silver trunks are create wild, towering, modern-art shapes that contrast with the living trees nearby.

And when we arrived at the top of Little Smith Mountain just before sunset, we had a view over the forest and out over the lake, sweetened by a strong breeze, that was simply breath-taking. Or maybe that was the hike. In any case, I was quite happy to stay up there for a while to enjoy the majestic view and to catch my breath and attempt to let my soaked shirt dry. It didn’t. And I didn’t care.

We finished our hike as the sky was turning cobalt blue, walking down through the shadowed hardwood forest until we arrived at the foot of the mountain and my truck.

Mary Lyman and I make an annual fall pilgrimage to the Smoky Mountains to hike with friends. It’s a place famous for its beauty. But as we were walking around Little Smith Mountain this week, we both said that we need to invite our Smoky Mountain hiking buddies down to Lake Martin because the trails here in our home forest are just as beautiful.

If you enjoy the outdoors, give yourself a treat and hike the new Little Smith Mountain Trail this month, while the mountain laurels are still in bloom. And if you can’t, be sure to look for the photo essay in June’s Lake magazine.

Boone is publisher of The Outlook.

Article source: http://www.alexcityoutlook.com/2013/05/14/a-trek-up-little-smith-mountain/

Long summer days, fresh air, beautiful surroundings: the essential ingredients for the perfect family adventure. Take a break from the everyday life of computer screens, commuting and domestic chores and get everyone canoeing, cycling, horse riding, snorkeling, bivouacking, water trampolining … or even milking cows.

HuffPost UK Lifestyle, in conjunction with Jack Wolfskin, brings you 10 fun ideas for active holidays for all the family. You’ll also find Jack Wolfskin’s range of products will kit out your children as well as yourselves, bringing the same high standards of hi-tech design and durability to inner and outer clothes, footwear, sleeping bags and accessories.

The same Texapore waterproof yet breathable materials are used in boys’ Rascal and girls’ Purple Rain hiking shoes. In addition, you’ll find kids’ Wild River, Water Rat or Seven Seas sandals ideal for canoeing, sailing, paddling in the sea or messing about on the beach.

When it comes to equipment and accessories, Jack Wolfskin’s got it covered. There are rucksacks, sleeping bags, hats, even Thermo bottles – all specially designed for children.

There’s really no excuse then to leave your children behind this summer; you’re guaranteed to have your very own entourage of mini-alpinists, sailors, trekkers and cyclists!

Loading Slideshow

• 1. Stay on a working farm in Devon, UK

  Roll up your sleeves and get stuck into all kinds of old-fashioned countryside activities at Aller Farm near Stockland, Devon. Learn to milk a cow, feed the calves, build dens (with special kits provided), scrump for apples in the orchards, toast marshmallows on the camp fire, take trips to the beach a few miles away and generally run amok. An added bonus is that the River Cottage Canteen and Deli is located close by. For accommodation, tents are provided, and you can even have a private hot tub and shower set up outside your tent. Baby equipment is also laid on, and pets are welcome too.

• 2. Cycling holidays – Holland

  Holland is the ideal location for family holidays on two wheels. Cycle paths are flat and mostly asphalted, and there’s no shortage of rental companies that will kit out all the family (consider a href=”http://wheel2wheelholidays.com/” target=”_blank”Wheel2Wheel/a for example). Hire your bikes and helmets in Amsterdam and pedal along the canals and through the parks before heading out to the historic cities of Den Haag, Delft and Rotterdam. Accommodation (camping, hostels and guesthouses) is plentiful and reasonably priced. Jack Wolfskin produce a href=”http://www.jack-wolfskin.co.uk/equipment/bags-and-travel-bags.aspx” target=”_blank”10- and 15-litre courier bags/a to stow your belongings, and you might also consider investing in their waterproof-yet-breathable a href=”http://www.jack-wolfskin.co.uk/apparel/children/all-jackets.aspx” target=”_blank”softshell jackets/a (available in children’s sizes too).

• 3. Sailing – Greece

  Learn to sail as a family in Greece, and you won’t risk putting your children off for life because of freezing water or muddy shoes. Soak up the sun instead in the safe environment of Club Vounaki (run by a href=”http://www.sunsail.co.uk/” target=”_blank”Sunsail/a), and take advantage of opportunities for dinghy sailing and yacht and catamaran charters, using the latest equipment and expert instruction for all levels of experience. And if some members of the family really do insist on keeping their feet on dry land, there’s free use of mountain bikes, tennis courts and a gym, as well as ‘Minnows’ childcare for ages 4 months to 2 years and a variety of kids’ activity clubs for other age groups.

• 4. Walking in Austria, Sound of Music-style

  Head for the flower-strewn pastures of the Tyrolean Alps for a holiday straight out of ‘The Sound of Music’. Choose your route along the well-marked paths according to your stamina and appetite for altitude and you’ll encounter unspoilt valleys and idyllic villages along the way. Mountain trains, funiculars and cable cars will give tired legs a rest for sections of the journey. Companies such as a href=”http://www.inntravel.co.uk/” target=”_blank”Inntravel /acan organise itineraries with comfortable hotels with pools and spas to soothe sore feet and aching limbs. They’ll also arrange for your luggage to be transferred to each port of call, so all you’ll need during the day is a light pack (such as a href=”http://www.jack-wolfskin.co.uk/equipment/rucksacks/alpine-rucksacks.aspx” target=”_blank”Jack Wolfskin’s Stowaway 22/a) for water bottles and other necessities.

• 5. Moose spotting in Norway

  Outdoorsy activities are a way of life in Norway, and at Gålå Høg¬fjellshotell you too can participate in a whole range of bracing pastimes, including fishing, cycling, walking and even a moose safari. Accommodation is in wooden cabins (with grass growing on the roofs, their own saunas and wood-burning stoves). If you’re feeling particularly hardy, there’s the prospect a freshwater swim early in the morning (though doubtless many will still prefer the heated swimming pool instead). And for your packing list, don’t forget a href=”http://www.jack-wolfskin.co.uk/footwear.aspx” target=”_blank”boots/a, a href=”http://www.jack-wolfskin.co.uk/apparel/men/all-jackets.aspx” target=”_blank”jackets/a and a href=”http://www.jack-wolfskin.co.uk/apparel/men/fleece.aspx” target=”_blank”fleeces/a to insulate yourself against the northern climate.

• 6. Canoeing – France

  Canoeing on the Gorge du Tarn in southwest France offers gentle drifting waters as well as foaming rapids, so families can take their pick to suit ages and abilities. Companies such as Aigue Vive (a href=”http://www.canoekayakgorgesdutarn.com” target=”_blank”www.canoekayakgorgesdutarn.com/a) run shuttle buses that drop you and your canoe off at the start of the day, and pick you up again at the end to take you back to your campsite or gîte. One, two and even three-person canoes are available, and when the river’s high there’s rafting too (with instructors).

• 7. Walking with donkeys – Spain

  Walking emen famille/em in the province of Segovia, just north of Madrid, is made a lot easier when you’re accompanied by your own donkey. Children take turns to ride or lead their trusty steed as you follow ancient droving paths through protected countryside where birds of prey circle overhead and deer flee at your approach. Trip organisers a href=”http://www.inntravel.co.uk/” target=”_blank”Inntravel/a will arrange for your luggage to be ferried from hotel to hotel so you can travel unencumbered.

• 8. Underwater exploration – Greece

  Discover a world of underwater adventure at Cape Sounio near Athens. Run by the son of Jacques Cousteau, the greatest marine explorer of them all, these week-long holidays are on offer from April to October each year, and provide children aged four to 12 the opportunities for snorkelling expeditions, underwater photography, studying tides, astronomy and even ‘junk to funk’ recycling experiments. Accommodation is in bungalows and villas set around the main swimming pool, and facilities also include an indoor heated pool, a separate children’s pool, tennis courts and a free children’s club for the littler ones.

• 9. Corralea Activity Centre – Northern Ireland

  Corralea offers fun, healthy and green activities in the beautiful setting of the Fermanagh Lakeland. There’s canoeing, water trampolining, surfing and windsurfing, mountain biking, climbing, archery and even orienteering. You can visit for a day or stay a weekend or longer in the self-catering cottages nestled amidst natural woodland. And while you’re there, don’t miss out on nearby attractions such as the Marble Arch Caves Global Geopark or the romantic monastic ruins of Devenish Island or the grand houses and forest parks of the National Trust’s Florence Court, Castle Coole and Castle Archdale.

• 10. Horse riding – Spain

  Head for the mountains of Southern Spain to a finca that runs horseriding breaks for all the family (a href=”http://www.unicorntrails.com/europe/spain/andalusiaretreat”target=”_blank”www.unicorntrails.com/europe/spain/andalusiaretreat/a). Some may just want to have lessons on the Andalusian horses; others may feel more adventurous and follow the paths that wind through the mountains. And when you’re feeling a little saddle-sore, relax in the swimming pool, doze in a hammock in the orange groves, or head for the beaches only a short drive away.

Article source: http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/05/14/10-ways-to-get-active-with-the-family_n_3271528.html

Article source: http://www.louthleader.co.uk/lifestyle/leisure/fotherby-gardens-open-for-national-gardens-scheme-1-5088606

PITTSFIELD — It will have been a month ago this Thursday since 28-year-old U.S. Marine Corps veteran Edward S. Passetto stood before the flagpole at Berkshire Community College to speak about the importance of the American flag and raise it in awareness of Student Veterans Week at the college.

He spent seven years in the Marines, joining in 2004. He served as a Harrier jet mechanic and was deployed overseas for a tour in both Afghanistan and Iraq.

In 2011, he became a veteran and was proud of it, saying so at public veterans events, on social media pages, and in the Letters to the Editor section of The Berkshire Eagle.

On Saturday morning, John Harding, also a Marine Corps veteran, said Passetto was supposed to join a group from the Vietnam Veterans of America James E. Callahan Chapter 65 to plant flags by veterans’ tombstones in area cemeteries in advent of Memorial Day.

Passetto never showed. His body was found around 10 a.m. on the Monument Mountain Reservation in Great Barrington, the victim of an apparent suicide.

Crisis hotlines and websites: If you or someone you know is in crisis, there are resources available right now to help:

• Local: The Brien Center Crisis Hotline (24/7): (800) 252-0227
• National: 800-SUICIDE (800-784-2433) or 800-273-TALK (800-273-8255)
• For hard of hearing/deaf, veterans: 800-799-4889
• Chat online: www.crisischat.org
• More information: suicidehotlines.com; suicidepreventionlifeline.org

  What to watch for: If someone you know is in crisis, there are signs to look out for. The following information has been supplied by suicidepreventionlifeline.org, webmd.com, and Brenda Carpenter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Berkshire County:

• Talking about wanting to die or to kill themselves.
• Looking for a way to kill themselves, such as searching online or buying a gun
• Increasing the use of alcohol or drugs.
• Acting anxious or agitated; behaving recklessly.
• Sleeping too little or too much.
• Withdrawing or isolating themselves.
• Showing rage or talking about seeking revenge.
• Displaying extreme mood swings.
• Always talking or thinking about death.
• Clinical depression — deep sadness, loss of interest, trouble sleeping and eating — that gets worse
• Having a “death wish,” tempting fate by taking risks that could lead to death, such as driving fast or running red lights
• Losing interest in things one used to care about
• Making comments about being hopeless, helpless, or worthless
• Putting affairs in order, tying up loose ends, changing a will
• Saying things like “it would be better if I wasn’t here” or “I want out.”
• Sudden, unexpected switch from being very sad to being very calm or appearing to be happy
• Visiting or calling people to say goodbye.

“We’re all very, very shocked,” said Harding, who serves on the Chapter 65 board and is a past sergeant of arms for the Marine Corps League and junior vice commander for the Disabled American Veterans (DAV).

“I worked with him personally,” Harding told The Eagle on Monday. “He was very active in the Pittsfield Marine Corps League Detachment 137. We were going to meet this week on other veterans coming home.”

Ongoing struggles

During the years of his service, the time after he left active duty and in the wake of his death, Passetto indicated his struggles relating to his association with the military, from mental-health issues to his long-term fight to claim disability benefits through the U.S. Department of Veterans

Affairs.

“Unfortunately, he’s the victim of what he wanted to help,” Harding said of Passetto and the veteran’s death.

Harding said local members of the Marine Corps will be present at funeral services, which haven’t been announced, to honor Passetto. Harding also said the struggles of returning veterans will be part of the Memorial Day addresses he will deliver this month in Pittsfield.

On Sunday, the CBS television show “60 Minutes” aired a segment called “Succeeding As Civilians,” detailing the challenges veterans have when trying to re-integrate into civilian life.

The segment stated there are 3 million Americans who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. In additions to facing unemployment, nearly half have a disability because of their service.

CNN correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta reported, “Most tragically, more soldiers killed themselves last year than died at the hands of the enemy.”

“There are two parts of these things that are always disturbing,” said Jack Downing, president and CEO of Soldier On, a private organization that works to support veterans and prevent veteran homelessness and operates headquarters in Pittsfield and Leeds.

“For all of us who work in this field, it makes us aware that the system is far from perfect,” Downing said. “There are cracks in the foundation and people slip through them. We’re usually unaware of them until there’s a tragedy, and that’s the sad part of it.”

“Many young people come back from conflict and disguise their pain and their needs,” he said.

Outdated program

When military personnel retire, are discharged or separated from service, they are issued a document generally referred to as a “DD 214,” or a certificate of release or discharge from active duty. Then they are offered the opportunity to take a TAP (Transition Assistance Program) class, a series of workshops meant to help veterans learn how to prepare for a post-military career.

The 20-year-old program was criticized of being so outdated and irrelevant that it is undergoing an overhaul and being renamed as Transition Goals Plans Success, or Transition GPS.

After that, veterans typically are on their own.

“I had to do everything myself,” Passetto said at the April 16 ceremony at BCC.

Passetto appeared to have been a self-advocate. In a March 2011 interview with The Eagle, he said he began looking for a summer job but “couldn’t find the kind of work that could pay the bills.”

In May 2011, he said he began filing his disabilities claims.

Downing calls this “a horrible, horrible mess of data and paper.”

“When we send our kids off to college and other places, they’re coming back better. We’re not expecting them to come back worse, which is happening with this war we’re in,” Downing said.

He said returning military personnel — at one time fighters, providers and protectors — face the stigma of asking for help socially, emotionally and financially, and being offered only minimum-wage jobs.

“There are a lot coming back and going on unemployment,” Downing said. “You end up with young men and women who can’t find a job while waiting for benefits and think there’s a system that doesn’t care.”

Not getting very far with finding a job or receiving his benefits, Passetto decided to take advantage of his Montgomery GI Bill benefit and enrolled in Berkshire Community College to study manufacturing in the fall of 2011.

Passetto died still waiting for help, still not getting compensation for the damage he incurred as a Marine.

Downing said he met with U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, VA members and other state officials to specifically talk about veterans benefits and the time period for claims in Vermont, New Hampshire and Massachusetts.

Downing said that in Vermont and New Hampshire, it takes approximately 15 days for a claim to officially be processed and filed into the VA system. In Massachusetts, the process takes place within 30 days, he said.

‘System is broken’

The problem is, according to Downing, there still are hundreds of thousands of claims that have been in the system for more than a year, getting further backlogged as troops return and file new claims.

“The system is broken, and it falls on all of us,” Downing said. “We need to be accountable for what we didn’t do for this young man if we had been more effective at our jobs.”

Passetto was a 2004 graduate of Lee Middle and High School, where he was a member of Lee High’s Alpine ski team, coached by his late father, Michael Passetto.

Upon graduation, Passetto went right into the Marines. He was deployed overseas twice — once each to Iraq and Afghanistan.

At the time of his death, he was enrolled as a student at BCC.

“We are saddened by the news that Ed Passetto, a BCC student and friend, has passed away,” the college said on its Facebook page on Sunday. “Our hearts go out to his family and friends. This is a terrible loss to all of us.”

Counseling and grief support services were offered Monday to the BCC community, and will continue to be offered this week. The college flew its flags at half-staff Monday in Passetto’s honor.

The Eagle’s Dick Lindsay contributed to this report.

Article source: http://www.berkshireeagle.com/news/ci_23236331/marine-fought-aid-veterans

Oh, what glorious weather we’ve been having!

Most of us can’t get enough of the outdoors. And you know what? Our houseplants want some of this beautiful weather as well.

Now, admittedly, the nighttime temperatures are still too cool for them, but during the daytime, let them out! Just don’t forget them overnight and do begin to feed them with the appropriate fertilizer.

Many of our local garden/nursery centers are filling up with perennials, trees shrubs and yes, annuals. I would recommend waiting for another week before purchasing the annuals for baskets, containers and garden beds, unless you are able to cover them if we get one of our late spring frosts.

With that said, I would like to introduce you to a very pretty groundcover from the alpine regions. There are more than 400 species of these evergreen, semi-evergreen biennials and annuals from the temperate, subarctic and alpine regions of the northern hemisphere.

There is such variety with these alpines. Some varieties have flowers, which can be yellow, pink, white and white with pink spots. They vary in flower and foliage shapes as well.

So, today I would like to introduce you to the white variety of Saxifraga, Saxifraga arendsii, which is commonly known as White Mossy Saxifrage. The White Mossy Saxifrage is a wonderful cool weather bloomer. As its name tells you, the bright green foliage of this mounding ground cover is moss-like and evergreen.

Held just above the foliage on short stems in the coolness of early spring until the start of summer are bright white flowers. They have five petals per flower, face upward and are cup-shaped.

Because in our area during the summer the sun is more intense, White Moss Saxifrage need to be planted in part-shade only. Also, the alpine regions have sandy soil, so whether you use them in containers, rock gardens or as an edging plant, the soil needs to be sandy and kept moist.

White Moss Saxifrage grows to between six and eight inches high and about 12 inches wide.

Article source: http://www.northjersey.com/community/house_gardening/garden_gal/206711011_A_pretty_little_alpine.html

It took three years and a million-dollar ad campaign, but we won.

Barbara Brotman has conceded.

Brotman, a Chicago Tribune outdoors columnist, in 2010 took playful umbrage at a Montana Office of Tourism ad campaign in her city that had plastered some of the public transportation she takes with grand images of Big Sky Country.

It wasn’t fair, she wrote, to torment Chicago flat-landers with such scenic splendor while they were trapped riding the Red Line.

Even worse, she said, Montana had co-opted Chicago’s most famous street’s nickname for its ad campaign.

Actually, she said we stole “the Magnificent Mile.” There it was, she reported, on one of the images on the elevated train she took to and from work, under a photograph of a red rock bluff:

“Miles Magnificent,” it read, seemingly implying that if Chicago had one mile it was proud of, Montanans had thousands of them.

“They are trash-talking us, Chicago!” she howled as best one can with tongue planted firmly in-cheek. “Montana is thrusting its mountainous finger right in our Midwest faces, taunting us with its magnificent scenery and world-class outdoor recreation.”

Spoiling for a fight, she challenged her readers to step up with their own photographs documenting Chicago’s natural beauty.

Brotman called it a “civic campaign” she named “Take That, Montana!”

Well, if the notion that Chicago had anything in the natural beauty department remotely resembling Montana’s wasn’t the funniest thing former Missoulian city editor Michael Moore had ever heard, it must have ranked right up there.

Sure, the Windy City sits on a lake (Michigan) whose size alone makes any Montana body of water seem like a mud puddle.

But certainly our mountainous mud puddles had to be more scenic than anything Chicago could scare up. Moore issued his own challenge to Missoulian readers to battle back with their own photographs of the Treasure State, and we’d see which place was more beautiful.

So the two newspapers and their readers had some fun with it back in 2010.

“When it was over, Montana was still a scenic wonderland,” Brotman wrote, “but I maintained that my campaign made its point: Chicago has a quiet, subtle natural beauty, and Chicagoans stood ready to photographically defend it. We weren’t going to let our public transportation be turned into Montana’s billboard without a fight.”

Eventually, of course, the little rivalry between one big state and one big city died away.

Then, just a few days ago, on May 1, Barbara Brotman passed through the Chicago Transit Authority’s Clark/Lake “L” station on the way to work, as she always does.

Only on this morning, she found herself drowning in all things Montana. The Big Sky rained down on her, everyplace she looked.

Starting May 1, commuters who board or depart trains at the station – Chicago’s largest, and one of its busiest – have to first walk across Montana. The platforms are covered in giant maps of the state.

The station itself was suddenly plastered inside with 114 huge photographs of Montana scenery, some as large as 25 feet wide. The TV screens show Montana commercials when they aren’t displaying train station information. Two train cars that pull into the station are completely wrapped with an image of bison in Yellowstone National Park; their interiors are completely wrapped with shots from Glacier National Park.

Even the turnstiles, Brotman noticed, are wrapped in what she called “Montana-ana.”

Sarah Lawlor, communications manager for Montana’s Office of Tourism, says it’s the state’s first “crowd-sourced” social media campaign.

We even labeled our monthlong takeover of the Chicago facility. “Station domination,” we call it.

It’s part of a $2 million ad campaign in three cities the tourism office targets with monies generated by Montana’s 4 percent lodging facility use tax, otherwise known as the bed tax. The effort is to lure people here to contribute to one of the driving forces of Montana’s economy, tourism.

The other two cities – Seattle and Salt Lake City – are closer to Montana. Chicago is emerging as a key locale, Lawlor says, because of direct flights between it and us, and also because of train service on Amtrak’s Empire Builder.

Chicago is an expensive market, part of the reason half the $2 million is being spent there alone, but the “L” station isn’t the only place where Montana is pushing itself as a tourist destination in Chicago.

The state is also promoting itself on everything from billboards to the sides of buildings, “but nothing to the scale of what we’ve done at the ‘L’ station,” Lawlor says.

Those 114 photographs that have been blown up and displayed inside the station? None were taken by professional photographers. They’re all Montana vacation photographs that were submitted by tourists.

The idea is to show potential visitors to the state what actual visitors see and do, so that the potential ones “can re-imagine themselves in those locations,” Lawlor says.

Each photograph identifies the site, and the tourist who took it. To Brotman’s chagrin, it turned out that 25 percent of the 114 photographs of Montana on display were taken by people from the Chicago area.

The same ones who, she noted, “once stood shoulder-to-shoulder with me on the ‘Take That, Montana!’ barricades, proud defenders of the prairie faith, resolute resisters of the gaudy charms of towering mountains.”

They’d turned on her, Brotman decided, since she wrote this of Montana in 2010:

“Their snow-capped mountains? Kind of gaudy, don’t you think? Those alpine lakes? Look fake to me. And as for those bighorn sheep gazing down at us from the pictures, they need a new horn-do. Those flips went out in the 1960s.”

Brotman called three of her fellow Chicago-area-ans whose pictures are part of Montana’s ad campaign to ask them, essentially, what the hay? Why were they aiding and abetting the enemy?

Their answers, dutifully reported by Brotman in the Tribune’s May 6 edition, went something like this:

“It’s one of the most beautiful landscapes I’ve ever seen,” Courtney Jones of Lincoln Square told her. “It’s such a magical adventure place. It’s just a life-changing experience.”

This, of course, tickles the Montana Office of Tourism. It may be spending a lot of bed tax money in a train station, but all the publicity it has generated in the Tribune has been free of charge.

“The moose are wetting themselves with laughter about now,” Brotman decided in her May 6 column.

“I have been well and truly vanquished,” she went on. “My nose will be rubbed in failure twice a day.

“I will console myself by grudgingly admitting that riding a train through images of snowy mountains and flower-carpeted meadows isn’t such a bad way to start the morning.”

Of course, the commute will give her time to contemplate, and one of Brotman’s first fantasies, she said, was Super Gluing a photo of a wildflower-studded prairie on the side of a bison and sending the animal meandering through the streets of Missoula.

“A mobile billboard,” Brotman wrote, “for Chicago wilderness glory. Take that, Montana.”

Article source: http://missoulian.com/news/local/montana-ad-campaign-wins-over-chicago-tribune-columnist/article_2e315df2-baa2-11e2-9e51-0019bb2963f4.html?comment_form=true