Gyotaku - Fish Prints

Gyotaku is the art of fish printing, originally done to record the size of their catch. You don't have all the way to Japan to get print of a fish; now you can get a print of a native Vermont fish on a shirt for all to see at Emile A. Gruppe Gallery at Jericho Settlers Farm,



The shirts are made by Brian Swisher and Gretchen Alexander with fish caught in Vermont. Most of the prints are made with Bluegill, Pumpkinseed,Perch, or Crappie. The fish are washed, eyes plucked out, and fins pinned out. The fish are then coated with a thin layer of heat set fabric paint.



The shirt is laid on the fish and rubbed to transfer the paint. The fish is re-inked between printings. Then the "chop" (traditional Japanese signature) is stamped that reads "water", "art", and "life". Then the paint is set with an iron.



Information: Pamphlet on table

Jericho Settlers Farm

Jericho, VT - Last weekend we were up in Vermont and stopped by the Jericho Settlers Farm. The farm is a CSA(Community Supported Agriculture); this is where you can buy a "share" in the farm's crop that year. In return for your membership, you receive a box of what is ready to eat that week. The consumer gets fresh vegetables and the farm gets buyers for their crops and money up front; this way they don't have to take a loan out to hold them over until the crops come in(I heard this on a radio program). Jericho Settlers Farm(JSF) in addition to vegetables,sells meat and eggs. They sell Pork, Lamb, Beef, Chicken, and Eggs. More information: Jericho Settlers Farm



Below is the barn that houses the farm stand on the left and on the right is the Emile A. Gruppe Gallery.



Here owner Christa Alexander waters plants in the Greenhouse.




Lettuce grows out in the field.



"Hogs lookin' at you Pig"...I couldn't resist. A mother pig with some of her piglets. They kept on hiding behind the hay.




These pigs setting up for the "Missing Hog Formation" for a fallen comrade who gave his all for dinner...he was a real ham...OK only a few more zingers(I'm my own best audience).



A view of our mother pig and some Herefords in the background.



A "Chicken Mosh Pit", these chickens have a whole field to run around in but decided to group together, maybe it was the Speed Metal I was playing? OK, I'm done.



The chickens are raised "Free Range" following the Lambs or Cows who eat the high grass and when the grass is short enough the fence is moved and the chickens are moved in and fertilize the field. This Chuck Wagon with these nesting boxes hanging on the side is also moved. The chickens jump in when they want to lay an egg. The egg rolls down into a catcher. I also noticed quite a few eggs laid below the wagon.



I have not a clue what this is, it was hanging from an apple tree and I thought it looked cool. It looks kind of sticky, to catch bugs?

Note: I found out what this is, it is an Apple Maggot Trap". It is used to see if there are the Apple Maggot flies and tell if they need to spray. I don't know what they do on an Organic Farm?



There is just too much to write about this farm, log onto their website for more information: Jericho Settlers Farm

Old Wilson Clothing Company Sign

This building is somewhere along Rte.7 in Vermont. It looks like it was underneath the siding. The only thing I could find from this company is an old shoehorn with this name on it.

"Queen Connie" Pioneer Auto Sales

Brandon, VT - I just had to take this photo of the gorilla holding up the VW beetle in front of Pioneer Auto Sales. I have seen another just like it in Massachusetts, I will photograph that next time I pass that one.

I looked up this location and a few websites are calling this gorilla, "Queen Connie", any one know what the other is called?

Rutland County Vietnam Veteran's Memorial

Rutland, VT - My wife and I were driving through Rutland today and she noticed this monument so we turned around and I got these photos.


In 1981 a Vietnam Veteran named John Reno; he suffered from depression and flashbacks. He started this memorial as a way to work through his problems. Unfortunately, he died in a boating accident 1982. This piece of stone lay in a Castleton gravel pit until John Bergeron, another Vietnam Vet went looking for the stone in 1995. He continued carving the stone working from John Reno's concept. This memorial was dedicated on Memorial Day 2000, nine years ago today. (Info from sign at the memorial).


Close up of the face showing the detail.


The upper body.


Someone had left roses earlier in the day.

Old Roadside Shrine

Simsbury, CT - We have all seen those makeshift "Shrines" on the side of the road, usually with a white cross, plastic flowers, and maybe a photo. Well, this is not a new phenomenon. This is a monument to David Russell who died by being run over by a cartwheel June 15, 1782; he was 38 years old.



A view of the monument on the side of the road.

This is the stretch of road where this monument is located.

Enormous Bear

Granby, CT - On the way into work today I saw this enormous bear on the side of the road hugging a tree. Not wanting to cause an accident I drove down the road and turned around. By the time I got back the bear was on his way across the field and into someones back yard. I don't know how much this bear weighed but I would not be surprised is he was pushing 400 lbs. He was much larger than any other bear I had ever seen. He was so fat, to borrow a term from the movie "Some Like it Hot", when he walked he looked like "Jello on Springs".


Da Bear


Does this bear have a broad beam or what?

Flayvors of Cook Farm - Asparagus Ice Cream

Hadley, MA - Flayvors of Cook Farm is an Ice Cream stand that makes its own ice cream from its own cows. It also sells butter, light lunch items, milk, pasteurized and raw milk, they even sell cows. But why buy the cow when you can just get the milk? This is the Cook Farm website if you want to buy the cow. A note about the cows, this is from my cow knowledge in a past life. The cows at the Cook Farm are Holsteins and Jerseys; Holsteins are good for volume of milk and Jersey's are known for their high butter fat content of their milk. This makes for a great pairing.


One thing that Hadley is known for is Asparagus, it is supposed to be the best asparagus in the country. I saw a video that said that a farmer, I don't remember the name, started to grow asparagus to sell in Boston because it was a delicacy in Paris and Germany and has been grown here ever since. Judging by the sign it is called Hadley Grass. I found this article about how Beth Cook invented Asparagus Ice Cream. But I also found this article on how Asparagus Ice Cream was made in the 18th and 19th century. OK, let's just say that she invented this recipe.


Here is a young lady scooping out my "Heifer" size asparagus ice cream.


And here it is, it also contains almonds and has a strong almond flavor. I read that asparagus ice cream tastes like pistachios so I am not sure where the taste of one leaves off and the other begins. It is actually very good and good for you.

Wyland Whaling Wall - Portsmouth NH

Portsmouth, NH - This mural is called "Isles of Shoals Humpbacks" whaling wall. It was the 37th Whaling Wall painted by Wyland. He paints these to raise public awareness of these whales. The mural is in bad shape and needs repair. A group was formed in 2008 to help save the wall.



The white spots you see are places where repairs have been made to repair the wall but have obscured the paint job.

To find out more or to find out how the help click here: Save the Whale Wall

Woodpecker Hole

Here is a hole made by a woodpecker. Judging by the other holes this must be a favorite tree. The only question I have is. "Why did he peck so deep into solid wood?

Nash Dinosaur Track Quarry and Rock Shop

South Hadley, MA - This is the building at the Nash Dinosaur Track Quarry and Rock Shop (formerly Nash Dinosaurland). The quarry was first opened to the public in 1939 by Carlton S. Nash. In 1997 Carlton passed away at 82 years old and his son Kornell Richard Nash continues his fathers work today.


The photo above shows the quarry that still yields tracks. I saw where they layers of stone are cut away to yield the next layer of tracks.



These are just some of the tracks on display in the shop. Most of the tracks are for sale so if you have that hard to shop for person, think of giving them one of these. Many notable families own one of these such as Maytags, Skinners, Carnegies and Pattons and last but not least Laural Hardy?(direct quote from website...at least one of them).


Also for sale are all these cool colorful rocks,psychedelic man. I don't know too much about them...but they look good!


Also for sale are other fossils and stones from all over the world. These fish are from China.

Click on this link for the full story and direction to Nash Dinosaur Track Quarry and Rock Shop