In case I don't see you today, let me just take a minute, before the day before Thanksgiving (good) chaos begins, to wish you and all of yours a very Happy Thanksgiving. May it be full of an endless supply of good family, good food, and' [...] In case I don't see you today, let me just take a minute, before the day before Thanksgiving (good) chaos begins, to wish you and all of yours a very Happy Thanksgiving. May it be full of an endless supply of good family, good food, and' [...] 
I realize my holiday window displays won't deter anyone from their annual pilgrimages with the kids to the Macy's windows, but in general I try to give it my best shot, given the usual fairly burnt out from the full summer run mood I'm in' [...] 
This weekend brings us to the 2nd Saturday of the month, and with that, another exciting ArtWalk Easthampton evening. Just hung yesterday here at Mt. Tom's, an inspiring photography/painting combo show featuring the works of photographer Rob Colclaser and his wife Allison, painter. Stop' [...] 
As I mentioned in the last ICD entry, the giant sinkhole that took out a fifty foot wide swath of the Manhan Rail Trail last year has been fixed. As you probably noticed, yesterday was a pretty sweet day. Nearly 70 in November, can't complain about that.' [...] 
You may remember the scene above from just over a year ago. Our shiny, almost new railtrail was shortened by about a mile when a giant sinkhole swallowed up a fifty foot across stretch near the Rt. 5 end of the Manhan Rail trail. [...] 
As I usually preface when I actually talk about ice cream here in the Diary of Ice Cream, I'm actually going to mention something about ice cream here. At barely 46 degrees, it may not feel like perfect ice cream weather, but it's at least [...] 
I learned early in my entrepreneurial career that biz and politics do not make kind bedfellows. Or is it strange bedfellows. Heck, I forget. In any event, I just voted for the person I think is best to lead our little hamlet for the next [...] 
If you're a long-time Ice Cream Diaries reader, you may remember that late October is usually the time I add a rant about my annual trek to the New England Ice Cream Retailers Association (NEICRA) conference. It's basically a couple days of hobknobbing with ice cream [...] 
He who gawks, er hesitates, as they say. Great sunset at the end of a beautiful New England autumn day. I admired it from my backyard parking lot just a little too long before my camera and I decided to wander down to my usual photo spot [...] 
As I mentioned in the last installment of the ICD, I have reclaimed Mondays as my own, and with that, have resumed the pursuit of dairy-free passions. This past Monday, I pointed my trusty Tacoma west, and headed out to the 'country'. First stop, [...] 
Just wanted to drop in a quick reminder soas to maybe save someone a trip to Mt. Tom's on a monday between now and the beginning of May. Starting tomorrow (October 19th), we'll be locked up tight on mondays so I can go out and [...]
Well, BearFest 2009 is officially a wrap. Last night's hugely successful gala and auction up at the Log Cabin netted Easthampton City Arts and its amazingly talented artists over $54,000! A capacity crowd of artists, bankers, business owners, Williston School folks, and bear art enthusiasts alike rubbed' [...] 
Another unexpected perk of having your own ice cream biz, sometimes you get to meet the governor of Massachusetts. Ok, so it wasn't the governor governor, but pretty close. Lieutenant Governer Timothy Murray paid Easthampton a visit today. First stop, the Easthampton City Arts building to' [...] 
Seems like only yesterday when our 35 fiberglass friends magically appeared around town early one day in June. Well, we've now come to the home stretch for BearFest 2009. Tabletop bears are being rounded up as I type, the Easthampton City Arts team frantically finishes' [...] 
The summer scooping pace usually hits the brakes when that first cool snap rolls into the generally-happy Valley. You get a little tap of the brakes when school starts, and another one as the days get shorter over the course of September. As you've probably' [...] 
'It's been a tremendous Summer run', he exclaimed.
I think I shared this one before...
Well, it seems the shrunken Nashawannuck Pond has given way to lush marshes and steep sandy banks. Work continues over at Rubber Thread Pond behind the town hall. I believe they are replacing some piping between the two ponds, so the bigger fish can go through. It's' [...] 
Sure enough, with highs now in the low 70's and brisk nights that find us closing windows after the sun goes down, comes the first infantry of Fall. A few turning trees in that low spot at the top of the mountain on route 141. Having to' [...] 
If you've been to the shop lately, you may have noticed a few new flavors under the Specials section of the chalkboard. Bear Tracks and Peach have been old standbyes this summer (the Peach is particularly peachy this time of year as the fresh local' [...] 
If you've been in for a cone this week, you may have noticed a few new faces behind the bar. Yes, it's that dreaded time of year for me when I have to say 'good luck in college' to my ace scoopers, and bring in [...] 
Check out the new Mt. Tom's ballcaps. Be the first on your block to sport one...For all you pond dredge enthusiasts...
End of summer push going on right now. Some great weather keeping the biz brisk, new scoopers just coming on board and scratching their way up the learning curve, and all the usual summer ice cream chaos all have been keeping me away from my [...]
Ava Schmitt, age 6.
This was the pond a couple weeks ago, as seen from a kayak...
Well, it looks like the pond has started its exit in prep for the long-anticipated dredging out project. It could be yet another tease, but it does seem that the valves on the spillway have been opened, and the water level is slowly starting to drop.
After sweltering it out during this first real blast of summer heat these past few days, it became clear the shop's center A.C. unit, the workhorse, just wasn't going to make the cut. I never considered a big window AC as a disposable thing, but between the' [...] 
Today's entry comes from our buddy up the street at Pick Your Flick, the cool local video rental joint on Cottage Street right here in Easthampton. Since the last movie I saw in the the theater was Star Wars, I defer what I thought might [...] 
In case you were wondering why the pond is so high right now (aside from all the rain we've been getting)...
How about that sky tonight? Was tough to get a good shot, but here's one...
Generally, thunderstorms give me huge anxiety. All it takes is one good bolt of lightning to plunge our little grid into darkness. When that happens, I get a pit in my stomach, guard all my freezers from being opened, ready the portable generator for when [...] 
Wandered by the first 'concerts on the common' ever held at the new 'shell' over by the old skateboard park behind Eastworks this past Friday. The big band sounds weren't quite my kind of music, but I just had to check out the new venue' [...] 
As you've already heard, Rubber Ducky bear was dislodged from its log a few weeks ago by some local hoodlums. Luckily and unlike Chrome Bear, he wasn't actually bear-napped.
Somewhere in the blur of the past few weeks of Bear Fest prep, scooping all over town during the big event, and the post Fest steady stream of bear peepers, as I like to call them, another field trip season has come and gone. I think a [...] 
From Gazettenet.com via youtube, in case you haven't seen it. Gabby hobknobs with the mayor...
You've probably already heard, but posting up this cool poster created by Bronwen Hodgkinson just in case.
Well, if you're one of the few who haven't yet heard of the Bear Fest summerlong art display that kicks off tomorrow (Sat., June 13th) yet, here's one last reminder for the big event. I just got back from a secret tour of the 35 completed [...] 
Photo by Patrick Brough
For one rainy day. Some cool sky out there just now. In case you missed...
