Sunday, September 22, 2024

2025 Head in the Clouds Amherst Wall Calendar NOW AVAILABLE!

Calendar Cover ~ Photo by Suzanne Warren

GIVE THE GIFT OF A NEW YEAR

with the all new

2025 Head in the Clouds Amherst Wall Calendar

Order online for delivery by mail

$22.00 per calendar
Free shipping with a purchase of 2 calendars or more

Proceeds* to benefit the

Open the calendar on 2025, and treat yourself and your loved ones to the changing seasons of one of the most beautiful corners of the world, from the farmlands to the rivers, lakes, hills and trails of Western Massachusetts.

12 beautiful, seasonal photos of Amherst and the Pioneer Valley by residents and visitors (scroll below to view all pages)
Over 240 daily entries highlighting astronomical, historical, weather, and meteorological events in Amherst and New England from 1620-2024
(NEW) Guide to Cloudspotting
17" X 11" (full size when open)
Saddle stitch binding
High quality coated gloss, heavyweight paper
Shrink wrapped

Purchase ONLINE at ETSY: https://etsy.me/3BfnDzU

Also available for in-person purchase at:

Amherst Books, located in downtown Amherst at 8 Main Street on the Common. Phone: (800) 503-5865. Amherst Books is a locally owned, independent bookshop. In addition to our calendar, they carry new and used books, including an amazing selection of poetry, literature, philosophy, small press titles, literary journals.

Local Pick-Up. For questions, special requests, and to arrange for pick up in North Amherst (payment via Venmo or check), please email to order directly through Sharon at CloudsAmherst[@]gmail[.]com

Our Head in the Clouds Amherst Wall Calendar is the perfect gift for cloud spotters, nature lovers, photographers, artists and writers, students here and abroad, locals, and former residents longing for a taste of home. This calendar will have them (and you) falling in love with Western Massachusetts month after month. And this is a gift that will keep giving all year round.

Connecticut River - Alexandra Dawson Conservation Area, Hadley
Photo by Suzanne Warren

Guide to Cloudspotting

Ice Canopy, Hawley
Photo by Brittany Wolcott

Puffer's Pond, North Amherst
Photo by Joshua Wolfsun

The Wedding Tree - Hampshire College, Amherst
Photo by James Patten

University of Massachusetts Amherst - College of Education
Photo by Steven D. Brewer

Poetic Dialogue, Amherst
Photo by Mindy Domb

Connecticut River - Mitch’s Marina, Hadley
Photo by Stephanie Oates

The Dickinson Homestead, Amherst
Photo by Sharon Vardatira

Moody Bridge Road, Hadley
Photo by Linda Repasky

French King Bridge between Erving and Gill
Photo by Elliot Levin

Connecticut River - Alexandra Dawson Conservation Area, Hadley
Photo by Suzanne Warren

Where the berm turns (between Cemetery Road and Honeypot), Hadley
Photo by Stephanie O’Keeffe

Silvio O. Conte National Wildlife Refuge, Hadley
Photo by Jennifer Murphy

Back of Calendar

Sunday, September 8, 2024

Shifting to Fall

Photo by Annette Fortier, Turtle Hill Photography
Ames Pond, Kestrel Land Trust Nature Retreat, Shutesbury MA

Did the arrival of fall also take you by surprise this year? Somewhere around mid-August, even before cool air arrived in any discernible way, something shifted, almost imperceptibly at first. It happens every year.

I suspect it’s the slant of the sun combined with the arrival of those first few cooler nights. Even in years when the heat lingers, by the time September arrives, the season’s transition is undeniable. September is when the trees begin to change color, confirming what we already know – winter is coming.

This featured September photo in the 2024 Head in the Cloud Amherst wall calendar is quintessential New England in late September. Photographer Annette Fortier (Turtle Hill Photography) captured this scene while exploring Ames Pond, a Kestrel Land Trust Nature Retreat in Shutesbury. She recalls, “I was struck by the wild beauty, peace and spirit of the place. I couldn’t resist trying to capture the essence of it.”

Autumn in New England is unparalleled. Here’s hoping you have many opportunities to pause and savor the moments.

On Puffer's Pond

Saturday, February 4, 2023, 3:35 pm: The past two days have seen record-breaking cold in the area, with the temperature dipping to -14F overnight, Friday into Saturday. To make matters worse, the wind was unyielding, whipping through the trees and driving wind chill readings down to -40F. In a season that had been unusually mild up until that point, it was something of a shock. Local residents were suddenly forced to think about warming up their cars, preventing pipes from freezing, and dressing in multiple layers to walk their dogs. By Saturday, while many were happy to hunker down and wait for temperatures to stop breaking low records, this was the moment that ice fishers and skaters had been waiting for all winter. With temps hovering around 12F (albeit above zero) by Saturday afternoon, Puffer's Pond was the place to be for about 30 people, many of whom were spread out over the ice, either ice fishing or playing hockey. While this is a fairly typical sight at Puffer's in the coldest winter months, our current lack of snow made it unique. No one had to contend with snowpack - the skaters didn't even have to clear a "field" for their game. And with all the hiking paths snow and ice-free, photographers had no trouble capturing water flowing through, under, and around layers of ice on the water. And, still, at 12F, without hand and foot warmers, I did not linger long. The temps will be rising quickly in the coming week, climbing well above freezing, even to 50F in the days to come. So, I'm guessing the skaters and ice fishers also won't be here much longer.

(Read past entries here.)

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Sunday, September 22, 2024