Blues Be Gone!
by Elizabeth Bassett
1/28/2010, pages 9-11

If there’s no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothing, how’s this: there’s no such thing as a bad winter, just the wrong outlook. Consider some ideas to turn around your day, your weekend, and your attitude.

Winter Farmers’ Market. Imagine emerald greens and bright carrots and beets on a grey winter day! Several nearby towns continue winter markets into spring, Burlington, Williston, and Shelburne among them. Charlotte’s Queen of Sprouts, Jennifer Slater, will be at the Shelburne Farmers’ Market on Saturdays, February 13, March 6, and April 3. The market operates from 10am to 2pm at the Shelburne Town Gym, next to the fire station. In addition to a variety of sprouts, Jennifer will offer live greens, seeds, and do-it-yourself kits. For information about other winter markets, including Burlington and Williston, go to: http://www.vermontagriculture.com/buylocal/buy/winterFarmersMarkets.html

Don’t get SAD. Get sunshine. Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, is a type of winter depression common during the dark months of December, January, and February. Not surprisingly light can offer relief. (A professional should treat severe cases.) The National Mental Health Association cites a study that found than an hour’s walk in winter sunlight was as effective as two and a half hours under bright artificial light. A brisk walk at lunchtime, even on a cloudy day, offers light and fresh air. It burns calories too!

Swim. Stowe’s Swimming Hole is light-filled and lovely. This non-profit, community facility includes a competition-sized swimming pool, toddler pool with water slide, cardio and strength training circuits, and group cycling and exercise rooms all wrapped in a contemporary barn. For more information call 253-9229 or check out www.theswimmingholestowe.com. Closer to home, though less glamorous, local pools open to the public include YMCA, Sports & Fitness Edge, and many area hotels.

Sledding. Nothing brings out the inner child like sledding. Mt. Philo provides enough (or more than enough) thrills for most. Small fry like the slopes at CCS and behind the Shelburne Post Office (park on Shelburne Avenue). For the adventure of a lifetime drive to Lincoln Gap. Other popular sledding venues include Burlington Country Club, Casey’s Hill in Underhill, and Snake Mountain in Weybridge.
Winter Birding. Otter Creek Audubon and the Middlebury Area Land Trust (MALT) have partnered for Marsh, Meadow, and Grassland Wildlife Walks at Otter View Park. Meet at 8 am on February 13 and March 11 for a walk and bird spotting. For more information contact MALT at 388-1007 or www.maltvt.org.

Growing Things. Flip through colorful garden catalogs and invest in a summer of healthy, local produce. Ruby chard, juicy tomatoes, and tender lettuce never seem more possible than at seed ordering time! Consider an extra row for the Charlotte Food Shelf. If you can’t wait until Town Meeting Day to start your seeds, buy a do-it-yourself kit from the Queen of Sprouts, available at the Shelburne Supermarket, The Old Brick Store, and Home Ecology in Shelburne.

Take a Hike! The Green Mountain Club, www.greenmountainclub.org, offers a full schedule of volunteer-led winter outings. The February calendar includes hikes, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing. If you lack for outdoor adventures it’s not GMC’s fault!
Cross Country Ski. This year Vermont Nordic Centers participating in the reciprocal pass program number 28! This means that for the purchase of one season’s pass you can ski free for one day at each of 28 areas across Vermont. This could be a full-time job for the right person!
Skating. The State Police reminds us, “There is no such thing as safe ice.” Au contraire, consider field skating. During a thaw, when brooks flood over their banks and snow melts, fingers of shallow water flow over field, marsh, and meadow. After a freeze it’s possible to explore places that are often inaccessible. Possible venues for field skating include the environs of Muddy Brook between Spear Street and Mt. Philo Road and the wetlands near Shelburne Pond and Monkton Pond in Addison County.
Or check out the rink next to Charlotte Central School. For updates on ice conditions check the town’s website: www.charlottevt.org under recreation and skating conditions.
At the other extreme is Nordic skating. Nordic skates have long blades and are worn with cross-country ski boots. Think of cross-country skiing and it’s easy to understand why Nordic skaters look for vast expanses of ice. Aficionados inform each other about conditions on Vermont rivers and lakes. A website, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/VTNordicSkating/, serves as a community forum and ice-spotting bulletin.
Still lacking for ideas to brighten winter? Check previous Out-Doors columns in the archives at www.thecharlottenews.org.

Dates to Remember
Saturday, February 13
8 am: Winter Birding in Middlebury
10 am- 2 pm: Shelburne Winter Farmer’s Market
Saturday, March 6
10 am- 2 pm: Shelburne Winter Farmer’s Market
Thursday, March 11
8 am: Winter Birding
Saturday, April 3
10 am- 2 pm: Shelburne Winter Farmer’s Market