The Dahl family May 31

Grace, Marie & Eliza wanted to get out for a bit. Yesterday, I took them with me to Price Chopper to help get supplies for a picnic. I told them they needed to wear masks and to behave!

I’ll put a description with each picture. I think they had a good time!

Marie & Eliza greet some other customers coming in behind us while Grace wipes down the cart handle with disinfectant.
Eliza wanted pickles but I convinced her that the gallon jar would be hard for her to carry.
Marie was impressed with the watermelons. We discussed the fact that she can’t bend her arms enough to use a knife to slice it.
Grace & I both think Citizen makes the best cider!
Eliza talked me into trying these chips. They do sound delicious!
There are just too many choices when it comes to Barbecue Sauce. Grace and I figured we could find a good recipe and make our own.
No shortage of toilet paper today!
Marie tells me to spread these crackers with roasted garlic Chèvre spread for a great snack.
Grace was a bit naughty and rode the paper plates up to the cash register.
Marie is fascinated by the machine that takes credit cards.
We always return our cart to the cart corral when we are done shopping.

Curbside Delivery

Our building is still closed but we will be allowed to start curbside delivery next week!

You may pre-order up to five items by leaving a detailed message on the library answering machine or send an email to pember.library @gmail.com with Your Name, Your phone Number, A list of requested items

Our delivery hours this week will be Wednesday through Friday 2-4 PM and Saturday 10:30 AM to Noon. We will call you to arrange a time for pick-up and get more details.

The Dahl family May 30

The continuing adventures of the Dahl family


You know, if we all work together, we can get this place cleaned up and ready to open for curbside service. (We hear a rumor that could happen in the next week or so.)

The Dahl family May 29

The adventures of the Dahl family continues…..

Grace, Jennie and Alice were very excited to learn about animal skulls at the Pember Nature Preserve. They stopped in for a quick program before heading down the trails. Yes, the trails are open! Grace is a big fan of skulls and educated Jennie and Alice on the woodchuck skull. Did you know that their teeth never stop growing and will grow up to 1/16th of an inch each week? That’s why they have to chew, chew, chew on everything! However, they don’t chuck wood.

The girls also learned about the gray squirrel, raccoon and white-tailed deer too.

What’s next? Bones!

The Dahl family May 28

The continuing adventures of the Dahl family

There’s a lot of work to do before we can plant this garden. We’re waiting for the plow and harrows to arrive. There will probably be beans, tomatoes and cucumbers here. We might even add a few squash. At the front of the building, Ella is trying to decide if the geranium and the spike will be enough (Thanks to Van Ripers Gardens for providing these.). Then she and Grace are working on a plan to get the weeds taken out of here. Looks like we probably won’t have to worry about snow for a little while!

The Dahl family May 27

The continuing adventures of the Dahl family

(overheard at the campfire)
I love camping out. There’s just something about the smell of a campfire!
Yes, and it’s definitely the best way to cook a steak or a few burgers.
I’m not so thrilled by the black flies we encountered while we were hiking.
Do you think we packed enough sunscreen? I want to take the kayaks out on the water tomorrow.
I’ll check, I need to figure out how we’re going to store the leftover food away from bears and other hungry critters.
When you come back, can you bring the star guide? I can figure out the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper but I wonder what that constellation is that looks like a “W” over to the east.

It’s so relaxing here. And we’ll have great stories to tell the cousins when we get back.

The Dahl family May 26

The adventures of the Dahl family continues…



Jennie, Alice and Grace decided to head to the Pember Nature Preserve for a program on Bird’s Nests. It seems Jennie knows all about birds and their nests and even educated Alice and Grace. The Nature Center and the Pember’s loan kit has many nests to investigate. Please remember that people cannot collect eggs, nests or feathers of migratory birds. The Pember has a special federal and state license to collect these items for education.

The Dahl family May 25

The continuing adventures of the Dahl family

Memorial Day is an American holiday, observed on the last Monday of May, honoring the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. Originally known as Decoration Day, it began in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971.


The girls are disappointed there is no parade today but love to show their patriotism.


Ella and Hannah traveled up to North Street to see the clock that is described in Michelle Yauger’s book “We gave our best.” Eliza, Ruth and Marie are reading about Sullivan Fringi, one of the soldiers for whom VFW post 1653 is named.

The Dahl family May 24

The continuing adventures of the Dahl family

The Dahls wanted to get out in the beautiful sunshine before the day gets too hot. We have lovely benches and a pretty garden behind the Pember. This overlooks the beautiful Mettowee River. They can also see the walking bridge over the river and behind those trees, the Slate Valley Museum.
Jennie wonders, “Why is it called the ‘Slate Valley’ ?”


Slate was discovered in this area in the 1830s. There is an area about 6 miles wide and 24 miles long that has many slate deposits. Someone discovered that the thin pieces make great roof coverings and an industry was born. This area is also called “the colored slate capital of the world” because the chemical and mineral composition of the vein of slate produces a variety of colors. More information can be found by visiting www.slatevalleymuseum.org/ and of course the Slate Museum itself when they are able to reopen.

The Dahl family May 23

The continuing adventures of the Dahl family

Ruth celebrated in style yesterday when the gang threw her a birthday party. She shares her birthday with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (b. 22 May 1859). She couldn’t wait to curl up with some of her favorite Sherlock Holmes mysteries after the party.

The Dahl family May 22

The adventures of the Dahl family continues…

David and Ella thought they would check out the Museum’s gift shop. Wow, look at these cool shells, said David. And they are free, said Ella. There are a lot of items in the gift shop which help support the Museum.

Did you know that seashells are old homes of sea animals? The animals that live in shells are called invertebrates because they don’t have a backbone. Clams, snails, scallops and other mollusks will find a new home when they outgrow their current one. The museum has an exhibit full of invertebrates.