From the lost files of the HOWL birthday party!

Anya and Jo, a pickin' and a grinin' at the HOWL 23rd birthday celebration!

Resident Turkeys

A huge flock of turkeys makes it's home up here on the mountain. The other day, they hunched in the trees over the sheep's paddock. This day they came onto the driveway to investigate the road salts, I suspect.

Snow Shoeing Catamount Trail from HOWL

What an incredible day. Sarah's hiking club met at HOWL and a group of us strapped on our shoes and headed out for the woods and the Catamount Trail. Sarah was on cross country skis and what a work out she got!

The sun was beautiful, the birds were out. We saw tracks galore...deer, squirrel, bird, but most interesting was the coyote trail we crossed coming back. It definitely looked like a pack had passed behind us when we went back through, with a male freshly marking a stump. Probably the pack we've heard on occasion yipping as it passes across the land.

Mark your calendar for the full moon hike February 18th!!

From -22 to +80

Last week the mice went subnivian, the thermometer went subzero (-22), and Annie used her sublime buildings coordinator skills to rescue the pipes.


This morning, the mercury hit 80 in the sun. Winter in Vermont--go figure.


Ember the ram soaks in some rays.

Wonderful womyn gathered at HOWL to celebrate 23 years since the incorporation of the non-profit that owns and provides stewardship of HOWL. It was a festive occassion with snowshoes, skiing, live music, fabulous food, wonderful desserts, her-story telling, and a silk screening using the original silk screen created for HOWL from years gone by. Archival documents, newletters, brochures, fundraising flyers, photo albums and guest books were on display and available for viewing. A number of "original" Howlers were present for the event as well as a number of HOWL "first-timers". It was a great event. Thanks to all who helped put it on and to all who participated.


Happy Birthday, HOWL!


Howlers...


a'fiddlin' and a'strummin'


the artist at work...


The beautiful, original HOWL fundraiser logo created by Oak...


We all got to take one home...

Winter Wonderland at HOWL

Winter has arrived at HOWL. After a tremendous windstorm (85+ mph winds for nearly 24 hours), nearly six days without power, and a two-foot snow storm, we are dug out enough from the storms to admire the beauty of winter. Next time you're thinking of coming up to HOWL, bring your skis or snowshoes!



Michio is captivated by a downy woodpecker feeding on suet.


Hmmm, guess we'd better put "improve attic insulation" on the to-do list. Sure makes for pretty icicles, though.

The chickens didn't bother venturing out into the snow from their squatter digs in the old sauna...

...while the storm encouraged Anya, Martha, Peggy, and Amalia to take to the Catamount Trail for a four hour dusk-return jaunt.

Nuns Fest!

Educational, inspirational, and gastronomically pleasing....Nuns Fest, 2010! If you missed Nuns Fest, you might just have to make the trek to Our Lady of the Mississippi Abbey in Iowa and say hello in person to Sister Grace and her wise Sisters. Or at the very least, order a good twelve pounds or so of their caramels: www.trappistine.com. Seriously, these things are sinfully delicious. From one women's land to another, thanks Sister Grace and all the Sisters of Mississippi Abbey!

Zebith put her Art Professor skills to work with this brownie-nuns-cake masterpiece. And okay, so the photo below is a terrible picture of all of us, but check out this spread! Where else can you find a Hannukah menorah and a nuns cake framing a veritable feast, all by candlelight? Nat saved the day by hauling over her neighbor's generator (Nuns Fest Saturday was Day 5 of no power) to power up the 4 hour DVD marathon screening of The Monastary. Missed it? Check out www.mississippiabbey.org/DVDs.