Past Is Present; Old Mills, Stone Artifacts, Rivers

“I am collecting the history of our people as written into things their hands made and used.”

- Henry Ford (who collected entire buildings, even the soil around them for what is now the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village, a National Historic Landmark.)

Stories expand human understanding of people and hidden structures such as this historic mill show above, and help us all know more about the world. Elderflowers and black walnuts, sharpening tools or hitching up draft horses, shopping for trucks that haul the best and tracking down trailers and hitches. Wandering around New England and the Northeast, we find plenty of stories worth sharing.

For more about a stone gristmill (pictured above) or farms, markets, entrepreneurs, and business news on our network, visit www.moodogmedia.net or Moo Dog Press magazine.

'Where The Bulldogs All Have Rubber Teeth, The Hens Lay Soft-boiled Eggs'

"In the Big Rock Candy Mountains there's a land that's fair and bright
Where the handouts grow on bushes and you sleep out every night
Where the boxcars are all empty and the sun shines every day
On the birds and the bees and the cigarette trees
Where the lemonade springs where the bluebird sings
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains

"In the Big Rock Candy Mountains all the cops have wooden legs
And the bulldogs all have rubber teeth and the hens lay soft boiled eggs
The farmer's trees are full of fruit and the barns are full of hay
Oh, I'm bound to go where there ain't no snow
Where the rain don't fall and the wind don't blow
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains

"In the Big Rock Candy Mountains you never change your socks
And the little streams of alcohol come a-trickling down the rocks
The brakemen have to tip their hats and the railroad bulls are blind
There's a lake of stew and of whiskey too
You can paddle all around 'em in a big canoe
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains . . ."

- Folk song first recorded in 1928 by Harry McClintock

As development of our news network continues with the new deployments for image quality and other improvements, our interconnected community keeps on "Reporting On All Things Country, Boardroom to Barnyard™" - here's a sneak peek.

For stories on farm visits, business and feed and much more, visit Moo Dog Press.

Explore Connecticut; Residents Get Deals

Connecticut's nooks and corners are worth exploring. From aquariums to smaller museums and galleries, even greenhouses that offer hidden beauty such as a koi pond tucked inside are waiting to be discovered. And now's the time.

“Connecticut – Your Staycation Destination” is a tourism campaign that offers discounts and special deals for state residents at a variety of attractions, hotels and restaurants around the state.

The Lutz Children's Museum, founded in 1953, is one of more than 140 attractions and businesses offering discounted prices and lodging, complimentary gifts and other deals to state residents available through Labor Day, Sept. 7.

Founded by the local PTA in 1953, the museum is named in honor of popular art teacher Hazel Lutz, who collected artifacts during her travels around world to use them as educational tools. She kept the collection in her classroom and, as it grew, the items were moved to larger public places.

The live animals will delight the small fry.

For a list of attractions and businesses participating see www.CTvisit.com

The Connecticut River, Ice Becomes Access

“There is a vitality, a life force, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique, and if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium; and be lost. The world will not have it.

"It is not your business to determine how good it is, not how it compares with other expression. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep open and aware directly to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open. No artist is pleased. There is no satisfaction whatever at any time.”

- Martha Graham, dancer, author