Scenes from South Deerfield, part 1

View of our backyard.



Reverse psychology?



Captain Lathrop is the protagonist in my rock opera ode to South Deerfield (work in progress)



Park and water fountain in "downtown" S. Deerfield

Buy stuff!

After our first few weeks here, it seems appropriate to give you a review of some of our Pioneer Valley shopping discoveries. Consumerism = good, right?

There are no Dairy Queens here. This is a problem.

No Chipotles either. This is also problematic.

Minnesota-based retailers are well-represented in nearby Hadley, with a Target and a Best Buy. Nothing that fantastic about either of these stores, but it is nice to have some familiar names close by.

The Hadley Mall also features Dave’s Soda and Pet City. True to the business name, this warehouse-style store caters to the multifaceted needs of the region’s dog, cat, fish, and reptile owners, while offering those same owners the convenience of replenishing their dwindling supplies of carbonated beverages in the same shopping trip. Not the cheapest place to buy that 24-pack of Diet Coke, but it is perfect if you’re desperate for Diet Coke AND kitty litter…

Yesterday we made our way down to the Holyoke Mall, just north of Springfield. Readers familiar with any of the ‘Dales in the Twin Cities would feel at home here, as this mall features pretty much the same shopping options – Gap, Old Navy, Abercrombie, Sears, JC Penney’s, DSW, and so forth.

Virtually every town out here has a Dunkin’ Donuts. We haven’t yet succumbed to the pull of our local Dunkin’, but rumor has it that their coffee is decent, so we can’t avoid it forever.

Favorite new find so far: Trader Joe’s in Amherst. Hippie/granola/organic foods, fun atmosphere, cheaper than Whole Foods, pre-made cheese enchiladas – how can you go wrong?

- jbc

Forced family bonding in Colorado...

Six days after we arrived in Massachusetts, I left Jay to finish unpacking boxes in our new apartment and flew to Colorado for a family reunion. Leaving so soon after we moved was stressful for both of us, but Jay enjoyed some much needed "chill-out" time and I loved spending time with family in the beautiful Rocky Mountains. Our time together was a mix of scheduled activities and free-time, which allowed us to participate in lots of fun activities together and still have time to recover before the next group activity. Highlights of the trip were whitewater rafting (in the same boat as my two of my youngest cousins, Benjamin and Jonah) and spending time in the arts and crafts house with my sister, mom, and grandma.

I also got to spend a night at the new home of my brother Chad and his wife Laurie. Like us, they recently sold their house and moved to a new town. Laurie will be attending grad school at Colorado State University in Fort Collins. I have to thank them again for getting up so early to drive me to the airport!

Looking forward to the next Morey reunion...
-hbc

Celebrations!

We celebrated our fifth anniversary over dinner at Sunderland's (pop. 3777) Blue Heron restaurant. In typical New England fashion, the restaurant is located in a renovated building that was once the town hall. Very tasty!

Oh yeah -- we offically became ex-homeowners today, as the new buyer closed on our beloved bungalow in South Minneapolis. We're happy that the selling process has ended, but we'll definitely miss that house.

- jbc

Derailleur, with 2D Jay

Derailleur played the annual Bike-In at the Bell at the University of Minnesota on August 12.

Really wish I could have been there in person for the show, but the commute would have been rough... As an alternative, Bob, Mark, Keith, and Grant conjured my cardboard likeness to join them onstage, as seen in this live-action photo (click the photo to enlarge).

Reports indicate that a gust of wind blew me over halfway through the set. Long live rock and roll!

- jbc

First impressions

After 1400 miles, countless highway toll booths, a smelly motel room in Rochester, NY, and some serious cash spent on keeping the gas tanks full, we arrived in sunny South Deerfield, Massachusetts on the afternoon of Tuesday, August 8.

The move went relatively smoothly, and at this point we're about 75% unpacked. The apartment is already starting to feel like home.

The apartment is on the second level of an old house -- it features a big kitchen with walk-in pantry, a big living room, and several smaller rooms that we'll set up as offices / workspaces. We're almost exactly one mile from the main block of South Deerfield.

South Deerfield is in a hilly and mostly forested region right along the Connecticut River. Mt. Sugarloaf state park is on the edge of town, and it's a steep drive up to the top, but it's worth it for the great views of the valley, and one can easily see the U-Mass campus roughly 10 miles away. (The view seems to bring happiness to all, as you can see...)


Massachusetts residents seem to be morbidly proud of their state's (er, commonwealth's) nickmame of Taxachusetts, but things don't seem that much different than in Minnesota (except for groceries). However, this weekend Massachusetts is having a "tax holiday" -- the state tax (normally 5%) is suspended for the weekend, and stores seem to be doing brisk business as people go for those purchases they've been putting off for awhile.

- jbc