Tune In and Then Go Out

This weekend you will want to be outdoors with me! Ct. Outdoors Radio with Suzanne Thompson will tell you all about it. So tune in your dial early to hear about the A-MAZE-ING Story Slam outdoors, all natural and on the air in 3 - 2- 1
Hi, This is Carolyn Stearns and Suzanne Thompson coming to you from the radio studios of WLIS and WMRD. Ct. Outdoors guest is Carolyn Stearns and she is going to tell the audience about the story slam at a corn maze.

The A-MAZE-ING Story Slam www.A-MAZE-INGStorySlam.ning.com is where Arts and Agriculture Meet! Come out and listen to stories in this free program for the whole family. In fact pack a picnic and come at 12 to hear the Crustaceans a surf band play! www.myspace.com/crustaceansrock Then at 1 the stories begin.

Where to listen as Suzanne and Carolyn bring you this interview on the radio. A large piece of Eastern Ct. fits in the listening area of the two stations. Here is where to set your dial: WLIS 1420 AM Old Saybrook and WMRD at 1150 AM - Middletown will broadcast the Ct. Outdoors Show at the following times. Tuesday Aug 31 12:30 -1 p.m. and again at 6:30-7 p.m. Sat. Sept 4 you can hear it if there is no Uconn Football being aired, the show time will be 1 p.m. and on Sunday Sept 5 tune in early from 7-7:30 a.m.

You can find more of Suzanne's work at www.theday.com/ctoutdoors as she urges people to get Outdoors we recommend this weekend in Thompson , Ct. Take a walk in Fort Hill Farms Corn Maze before or after the slam, enjoy the 70 gardens, savor the farm fresh ice cream flavors and pan for gem stones in the water. Under the tent stories will be told the winning storyteller to receive a hot air balloon flight from www.brighterskies.com Anyone can share a story 5-7 minutes on the theme; In A Quiet Corner. Tune in your radio and listen and then come outdoors and join us at the A-MAZE-ING Story Slam!

Donkeys Just Wanna Have Fun!

Coming into the ring for your viewing pleasure the obstacle class for donkeys. Let's see how our exhibitors have trained their donkeys to work their way through the obstacles. Then there will be the riding and the driving classes. Yes, they let donkeys drive but it has to be an automatic........ well couldn't resist the joke, the driving will be donkey to a cart and a exhibitor at the reins. There are many classes in a Donkey show and again I will be delighted to be the announcer for the annual Donkey show at the Brooklyn Fair in Brooklyn Ct. this Saturday. See my schedule of shows at www.carolynstearnsstoryteller.com

http://www.brooklynfair.org/ The show starts at 9:30 in the event arena near the cattle barns. Donkeys are such fun animals and a resurgence in interest has brought a large number to the fairs and shows held annually around New England and beyond. They are patient and thoughtful much like Eeyore from the Pooh stories. They may not pass an obstacle at first attempt but will ponder the risk involved and the value in doing as they are asked and will make a valiant attempt despite having fear issues.

The donkeys come in three sizes. There are the miniatures which are invariably cute, the standards which are the Grand Canyon type and made popular by the children's classic storybook Brighty of the Grand Canyon by Marguerite Henry. Then there are the Mammoth Variety a rather large horse height donkey with magnificent large ears. My all time favorite donkey is a character named Jassper! He has the world's best ears! Jassper resides in Franklin Ct. on Blue Hill Farm and has many donkey friends, he is a gentle ambassador. Jassper recently starred in a video I made in a corn maze with his friend Tabassco and they will both be at the show Saturday. I will see them again next week when they come to the A-MAZE-ING Story Slam at Fort Hill Farms http://www.forthillfarms.com/ in Thompson Ct. The story slam is a storytelling competition and Jassper and Tabassco and possibly their friend Asster will be all ears as they listen to the tales told on the theme "In a Quiet Corner".

http://www.a-maze-ingstoryslam.ning.com/

After their fun at the story slam they will be at the Blue Slope Country Farm Museum Fall Festival in Franklin, Ct. Here they will also have some demonstrations of how to operate donkey powered farm equipment. Dependable and steady work habits the hallmark of the donkey as a farming partner , Jassper did some corn chopping last year very economically, he works for cookies! www.blueslope.com/fallevent

Come out and watch our friends in the show ring Saturday!

A-MAZE-ING Give A Donkey an Ice Cream Cone

Summer was soooo boring for Jassper and Tabasco, just green grass .... and more green grass. Jassper and Tabasco needed a DAYCATION! Their owner understood when they told him. After work one day they were loaded in the Corn Pro Trailer to go on a Daycation trip. How Excited Jassper and Tabasco were. They were guessing where they might go.

They passed a beautiful town green when they got off the highway. It had not been a long ride, what excitement could be in this quiet country town?

A sign showed them where they would turn and pointed the way to Ct. Grown at Fort Hill Farms http://www.forthillfarms.com/ . Blue Hill donkeys at Fort Hill, Jassper and Tabasco hoped they had more than green grass.

Tabasco helped find a place to park their trailer.

They soon new they were welcome at Fort Hill Farms and it would be a great Daycation!

They got tickets for the Corn Maze. They had never been in a corn maze before!

Jassper and Tabasco tried all the paths, up and down the hill and to the towers and had so much delicious fun!

Winding through the green paths was fun, and relaxing and sometimes they even felt like running a little.

They found answers to the quiz and looked at the secret maps. At the end they looked at the big map again and saw all the places in the maze they had visited. They wished more friends had come to the maze with them.

Back under the big tent they were told about the

A-MAZE-ING Story Slam

coming on Sept 4, 2010 at 1 p.m. They asked if they could come too.

Of course the answer was yes! Jassper and Tabasco would be "All ears" when listening to the stories at the A-MAZE-ING Story Slam. They could be really good listeners!

Jassper whispered to Tabasco that they would look it up on the barn computer when they got home. Tabasco had to try to remember the site address.

www.A-MAZE-INGStorySlam.ning.com



After all the fun in the maze little Tabasco was sooo hungry he was happy to see a little grass. Jassper had a better idea. He had heard from a friend at the Farmers Cow about the new ice cream and he really wanted to try it!

Jassper looked near the fishing pond but it wasn't there.

They found the Creamery and had a hard time choosing a flavor!

Other people were in line to place an order and Jassper got in line next.

Finally it was his turn to order, Mint please! and make it all natural.

Jassper's cone was so delicious!

Got Ice Cream?

It was an exciting Daycation at Fort Hill Farms for Jassper and Tabasco!

Now they will be counting the days until

Sept 4, 2010 when they can come back.

Will they be seeing you at the A-MAZE-ING Story Slam?

Jassper may tell you a story about Scarlet the new baby donkey at Blue Hill, but he may be to busy trying a few more flavors.

THE END!

On the Radio in 3....2....1

Wed. August 18 at 7:20 a.m. I hope your radio is tuned to WILI 1400 AM in Eastern Ct. That is when I will be guest on Wayne Norman's Morning Show. http://www.wili-am.com/ I will be up and out early to bring you the latest news and updates on the A-MAZE-ING Story Slam http://www.a-maze-ingstoryslam.ning.com/ to be held Sept. 4 in Thompson Ct. at Fort Hill Farms http://www.forthillfarms.com/

A story slam is a competition in telling a story. Short and to the point the stories come from everyday people and professional storytellers. Everyone has a story to tell, come tell yours! We will have all kinds of great prizes, the best being the top prize of a hot air balloon flight, now that is a bucket list item if there ever was one!! Before and after the slam the corn maze at Fort Hill Farms will be open and our " All Ears " Listeners from Blue Hill Farm ( donkeys) will be on hand to charm you. There is a place for picnics before hand and the Fort Hill Farm Creamery will be scooping ice cream all day!

If this hasn't convinced you I suggest you tune in to WILI radio 1400 AM tomorrow morning and hear it for yourself. Live on the radio in 3...2...1. This is Carolyn Stearns and Wayne Norman coming to you from Willimantic Ct.

Taste Of Summer

What does summer taste like? Like the ice cream cone these girls lick at the Tolland County 4-H fair. www.4-hfair.org/tolland/county.html . It certainly tastes like a trip to the Uconn Dairy Bar and the Jonathan Supreme mounded up in a cup and drizzled with chocolate fudge syrup. The Uconn cows got up early to make the cream that is sprayed onto your Sundae so yummy! Don't forget to drive up to the Kellogg Dairy Center to watch a bit of milking. All those bovine beauties making all that delicious ice cream. www.dairybar.uconn.edu
If you are way out in the Ct. Quiet Corner get your licks at Fort Hill Farms new Ice Cream shop www.forthillfarms.com/creamery.html Any way you better lick quick while the sun is hot and make that special moment in your summer to enjoy ice cream at or near its source!

Corn on the Cob is another favorite taste of summer. We have had some mighty sweet corn this season due to plentiful rain and good hot sun. Corn loves the hot days for growing. Come by our family stand Country Stop and Goods at 25 Stearns Rd for some of the best Butter and Sugar corn you ever tasted. I put tonight's leftovers in the freezer and cant wait for a frosty fall day to make a bowl of corn chowder with it. Corn should be cooked and eaten the day it is picked. Be sure not to boil it to long and if you are putting it up for the freezer dunk it into a sink of ice water to get the heat out of it quick after it boils. Did you know that each kernel needs a piece of the silk to get it growing, so if you are missing a few kernels on an ear probably some bird borrowed the silk for a nest and left the bare spot in the ear for a reminder.

My other favorite taste of summer, Limeade or Lemonade - in that order. Crackling ice in the glass and a make it a tall one. Pour the Limeade in and add a sprig of mint. Total refreshment. A fun project for kids is to make Sun Tea. Put a clear gallon jar full of water and 10 tea bags out in full sun for a few hours and when you come back its tea. Kids really like to watch the color of the water begin to change. Staying hydrated on a hot day means drinking lots of water. Then when you have had enough, sip one of the refreshing summer drinks for the flavor to last.

Blueberry season came early and we are picking berries out in the yard each morning. I have to say eating them right off the bush is my favorite way to enjoy blueberries but there are so many good choices. My church just had a Blueberry Breakfast as a fundraiser for the 300th anniversary we are celebrating this year. http://pages.cthome.net/FCCMansfield/ Delicious blueberry baked goods, french toast and Blueberry sauce, oh it was all really good! Find some ideas at
www.blueberry-recipe.com/index.html

Eat up and enjoy these tastes of summer, before long it will be time for sugar on snow!

Event Planner - That's Me

Among the items listed on my resume should be event planner extroidinaire! In the job description of "Mom" there is a whole section on planning, the usuals being birthday parties and sleepovers, vacations and family holidays. Each deserving the remembrance as either incredible or awful, and usually it was unforseen circumstances that brought on the awful.

I've taken those skills and developed them to new heights lately. It began with being a 4-H leader for so many years. Once you have planned an event where every child brings a cow or horse well the rest of the events look pretty tame. It was all good training my 33 years in the ranks as leader of the Cock-A-Doodle-Moo 4-H club. We had all kinds of livestock projects so juggling a day with children and multiple species became routine. They were some great events and the best days nothing got away and no one got hurt! Do over? of course I dont think any of us would trade a moment of those wonderful days.

The most challenging event was probably the Oxen drive across Eastern Connecticut. That was a planning and logistics exercise on the level of the Boston Marathon. Five days on the trail with two boys and two teams of oxen , what would we eat, how much could we carry, what if the oxen decided not to take aother step 50 miles from home? In the end we made it home with no major glitches. A tree across the trail provided a few moments of panic its massive trunk and branches to much work for my portable folding saw I was carrying. In the end we made them jump through the branches and they did it. A lot of prayer went into that moment but I was not turning around and the steep embankements on either side of the old railbed there were nightmares themselves. Some places I carried a bucket to lower off bridges to water the oxen but on one leg of the trip we stopped at a resevoir for them to drink. The oxen had never seen a lake before or even a pond. One thing I didnt count on, they dove in. Still yoked together the pair Scooby and Shaggy dove straight into the water and began swimming. So did I, one water rescue with oxen accomplished and onto the resume. The stop by the old graveyard to lay flowers on the grave of the ancester who made the walk in 1772 was a lifelong memory and incredible time warp moment. Then the last day we made the last couple miles all up hill to the home farm and they knew, they wanted to run in celebration. Those oxen were amazing stepping off from the front of the church we went on our way picking up speed the whole distance. Yes, after that event, they are all easy. I still remember the feeling of incredible accomplishment when we sat at the picnic table eating pizza and cake ( ordered by the boys age 8 & 13) All that was an event for the towns 300 th birthday, we started it off on the right foot literally!

Now I'm in the midst of planning many small events and one big Heritage Sunday for our church which is now celebrating its 300th anniversary. I have been planning some of the events and some are done by other committees. My latest was the building of a mini church. A small replica of our beautiful New England white church. It's purpose is to help inform the town and neighboring areas of our church birthday and be a symbol of our community outreach and desire to let people know we are 300 years of Faith in Action...and counting! First Church of Christ Congregational ( http://pages.cthome.net/FCCMansfield/ ) There are 3 parades in the area annually, Memorial Day, July 4th the infamous Boom Box Parade, and a newer one the Festival on the Green Parade in the Fall. What better way to inform people of our anniversary than a float in the parades I thought. I was able to get a carpenter in the congregation ( http://www.funkandlittle.com/ ) to scale down the church dimensions and draw us some plans to go by. From there we began gathering supplies and the construction over several days and evenings until the very final hours and minutes before Memorial Day when in the line up for the start of the parade I drew the front window in with a marker! The little church did its job and was a great hit. We all had lots of fun at the parade and now everyone sees what my vision was for this event. The 4 th of July parade will be easier as everyone is excited about making it happen again , bigger and better. So here we go more event planning.

I'm also planning the A-MAZE-ING Story Slam for Sept 4, 2010 at Fort Hill Farms ( http://www.forthillfarms.com/ )in Thompson, Ct. ( http://www.a-maze-ingstoryslam.ning.com/ ) this will be patterend after story slams ( competitions) in cities like New York and Boston. We have a great location, a big tent, a backup location, we are working on judges and prizes and signs and websites and camping and food for people who choose to spend the weekend in the area. A lot of little pieces, but I dont have to pack any food for cows, there are no lakes that need lifegaurding, there is no trail to watch over and nothing to build, so a Story Slam while it is a event for the public it's really .... a piece of cake!

A-MAZE-ING Story Slam

Yesterday I drove the winding Boston Turnpike ( Rte 44) which boasts many improvements since George Washington traveled it. Finally turning off to the northeast I headed in the direction of Thompson , Ct. www.thompsonct.org I came up to the green now shaded by the ginat trees and went along one side past the library and congregational church so common on a New England Green. Taking a final right onto Quaddick Rd. I passed stately colonials and soon the land opened into the rolling meadows of a Connecticut farm. Fort Hill Farms to be exact and the Quintessential Gardens. www.forthillfarms.com I hadn't made the drive since last fall and was glad to see the tapestry of green fields and trees and owner Krisitn Orr just getting out of her car there to meet with me.

The meeting was a first planning session for The A-MAZE-ING Story Slam to be held Sept.4, 2010 at 1 p.m. We just knew this had to be a personal meeting to transfer our enthusiasm for the project into an actual plan of action and bring together my world of storytelling, www.carolynstearnsstoryteller.com and Kristin's world of the annual Corn Maze. Actually our worlds overlap in that I come from a farm family as well www.mountaindairy.com and we have that understanding of farming, real food, all forms of agriculture and how many in the world are losing touch with these essential roots.

We spend a lot of time discussing logisitics and bounce from topic to topic with our ideas and energy building. Signs, internet, web links, prizes, who we know, how to get things done. The maze itself, and rain logisitcs and we have answers for everything! There is a wonderful greenhouse that will easily seat all who may come if the weather decides not to cooperate. There is the maze itself which won't be seeded until July 10 and my plan to be there to video tape that so all on Ning and Facebook etc can share in the excitement of the planting. ( it goes in late and stays up until November, that way it doesnt dry out) Come fall the maze will become feed for the cows of Fort Hill Farms www.thefarmerscow.com so the corn has purpose beyond family fun.

Next we walk the gardens, Quintessential Gardens tended with loving care by Kristin. There are the peace gardens, lavendar labyrinth, walled gardens, small and large gardens, bursts of spring color and shady retreats for a summer day. My camera catches many images to store for use in forth coming posts and sites.

Inspired by MassMouth www.massmouth.ning.com and in such easy driving distance of Boston, Providence and New London, Thompson is the perfect location to move the energy of Ct. Storytelling to the forefront while supporting Ct. Agriculture.

Save the date of Sept. 4, 2010 the Saturday of Labor Day weekend to come to Thompson for the A-MAZE-ING Story Slam. Better yet follow the ning,

( A-MAZE-INGstoryslam.ning.com ) facebook and or blog pages to learn about all the great things you can do in the Quiet Corner of Connecticut to make your Labor Day vacation perfect. There is a little something for everyone in the Quiet Corner. This is just like the seeds of the corn, lots yet to be revealed.

note photos from the 2009 maze