Take a look at our January newsletter!
JANUARY 2021 Tree Care
WWW.TROUTBROOKTREE.COM
(860) 888-8472
Ringing in the New Year With Optimism (and Pruning!) Happy New Year’s! 2020 is
shouldn’t stop us. If you had goals or plans you had to put off, take a look at those goals again. You might not be able to work toward them right away, but if they’re truly something you want to do or accomplish, refocus your energy on that thing. Or maybe you want to start fresh. Plenty of people want a clean break from last year. They want to look ahead with a renewed sense of optimism and to hit the reset button. No matter how you want to approach the new year, keep your eye on the prize. What do you want this year? How do you want to enrich your life, your family, your career, or your community? Even if it takes a little longer to get to the goal, it will be worth it in the end! At Trout Brook Landscaping, one of our goals is to deliver stellar service to our community — to go above and beyond. Our heart is in West Hartford. We’re here to prune, we’re here to remove snow, and we’re here to take care of you! While you could say that’s always our goal, we’re always looking for ways to improve and be even better at what we do.
Last year, we accomplished that goal by investing in new equipment. This year, we’re putting our equipment to good use. Throughout the winter, we do a lot of pruning, and our new equipment is being put through its paces. It helps that this is the ideal time to prune, especially larger trees . With the leaves off the tree (and trees in their dormancy period), it makes it easier to prune, which means the trees will look even better come spring. If you have trees on your property that need trimmed back or you want to get rid of overgrown, damaged, or diseased branches — or you simply want to improve the look of your yard — give us a call at (860) 888-8472 to book your tree service appointment! Our team of tree professionals is ready to help you (and your trees) start 2021 on the right foot.
finally over, and many people are looking to 2021 with optimism. The new year often represents new beginnings, and that certainly holds true for this year. Right now, everyone is thinking about what they want to get out of the year. They’re thinking about what they missed out on in 2020 and how they can get back on track. When will we be able to go back to our favorite restaurants? When can we take a vacation or get out of town for a while? When will we get to spend time with family and friends we haven’t seen for months or longer? These are questions we all have, and we’re hoping 2021 has the answers. While we may not have the answers just yet, it’s still important to set goals and make plans, even if you aren’t sure what the future holds. When you think about it, that’s always how we’ve set goals and made plans. We set goals with optimism and the idea that we will reach them.
In the meantime, we wish you a happy New Year’s!
–Andrew Bachman (860) 888-8472
We may have a few extra hurdles to overcome going into 2021, but that
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What Are Ice Dams? AND HOW TO HANDLE THEM
HOW WE REMOVE ICE DAMS
Heavy snow can sit on the roof, and over time, it causes ice dams to form on the roof’s edge. The bottom layer of snow can melt and run down the roof, backing up underneath the shingles and forming an ice dam, which is like a “standing glacier.” Later on, as the ice under the shingles melts, water drips into the house, causing stains of the ceiling and water damage.
Water damage can get out of hand quickly, and the only solution is to melt the ice and get the water running away from the house. We use special steam pressure- washing equipment to CUT through ice dams; this equipment is called the Arctic Steamer. After removing the snow just above the dam, we cut through the ice dams with the Arctic Steamer. The steaming process is shown to have no impact to the roof because it uses low-pressure, low-flow steam. This equipment is designed by roofers in Minnesota, where ice dams are a perennial problem.
Trout Brook Landscaping is experienced with ice dams from prior winters. In the case that you have water damage, we can usually bill the ice dam work on an insurance claim, with no cost to you .
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO PREVENT ICE DAMS
Prompt roof snow raking after a storm can reduce the risk of ice dams forming. Also, increasing ventilation in the attic can be helpful to lower the roof temperatures.
How Habit Tracking and Daily Resolutions Could Transform Your Life
Yearly resolutions are so last year … if they’re your only resolutions, that is.
into your daily ritual. For example, taking a short daily walk could lead to an exercise habit, or keeping an apple in your bag every day could encourage healthier snacking. It’s important that you stick with it because habits take a long time to create. One study published by the European Journal of Social Psychology asked people about a simple habit they wanted to form, like drinking water at lunch or taking a walk before dinner. They found that the average amount of time it took before the action became automatic was 66 days! Don’t be too hard on yourself if you miss a day, but know that sticking to a new habit is serious work, so starting small might help you out.
yourself. Bad habits, like smoking, have an inherent
reward. However, healthy habits can have rewards too! Try consuming a bit of dark chocolate after a workout or treating yourself to a fresh beverage or relaxing to a podcast after tackling an important task. Find ways to reward yourself, and you’ll be more likely to stick to your new habit. Certain daily resolutions don’t have to be related to exercise or diet to majorly improve your life. For example, having a gratitude journal might boost your long-term happiness by 10% and improve
Having long-term goals isn’t a bad thing, but do you have a daily plan to reach them? The huge boost of motivation in January isn’t always enough to sustain you all year long. That’s why there are major benefits to starting new healthy habits, whether you increase your weekly exercise time, eat healthier foods, or work on getting better or more sleep. Luckily, sticking with these habits might be as easy as making daily resolutions to complement your yearly goals. BJ Fogg, a Stanford University professor and author of “Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything,” notes that tiny habits can make a new habit easy to implement
your blood pressure. Don’t hesitate to improve your quality of life! Just start small, and you’ll be amazed by how far you’ll go.
Another important aspect of forming new daily habits is rewarding
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TAKE A BREAK
West Hartford in History
Getting to Know Our Community — Starting With the Past!
We often feature book recommendations to promote local authors or historical figures, but this month, we want to highlight a different kind of resource: a website! One of the great things about living in West Hartford is that it’s steeped in history, and there is so much to learn about our community. We have many great local resources you may or may not be familiar with. One example is Webster’s West Hartford History ( WestHartfordHistory.wordpress.com ). We were inspired by this website (as well as another — more on than shortly) as we put together our Page 4 article on harvesting ice in West Hartford. Webster’s West Hartford History website is brimming with articles, essays, and features that tie right back into our community. Webster’s West Hartford History is associated with another great local resource: the Noah Webster House ( NoahWebsterHouse.org ). While the Noah Webster House is packed with numerous historical resources, their “Armchair Tour of West Hartford History” is an excellent and accessible way to learn about our community. You can find this video series on their website ( NoahWebsterHouse. org/armchair-history ) and on their Facebook page ( Facebook.com/noahwebsterhouse ). This video series covers a range of topics, including ice harvesting, haunted houses, area parks, and so much more. There is a lot of great content to browse through, and if you’re looking to learn more about the history of our town, it’s a great place to start! Later this year, we’ll also be diving into more historical content, so be on the lookout for more great stories about old West Hartford, but in the meantime, enjoy these great resources. You never know what you might learn!
Easy One-Pot Lentil Soup
Inspired by MinimalistBaker.com
Ingredients
• 2 tbsp coconut oil • 2 cloves garlic, minced • 2 shallots, diced • 4 large carrots, sliced thin • 4 stalks celery, sliced thin • Sea salt, to taste • Black pepper, to taste
• 3 cups red potatoes, cubed • 4 cups vegetable broth • 2–3 sprigs fresh rosemary or thyme, chopped • 1 cup uncooked green lentils, rinsed and drained • 2 cups chopped kale
Directions
1. In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat and sauté garlic, shallots, carrots, and celery for 4–5 minutes, adding salt and pepper to taste. 2. Add potatoes to pot, along with more salt and pepper. Sauté for 2 minutes. 3. Add vegetable broth and herbs, then bring soup to a simmer. 4. Add lentils, stirring until soup returns to a simmer. Then, turn the heat to low and cook soup uncovered for 15–20 minutes. 5. Finally, add kale and additional salt and pepper as needed. Cook for 3–4 minutes, thin soup with additional vegetable broth as needed, and serve!
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69 TALCOTT RD. WEST HARTFORD, CT 06110 WWW.TROUTBROOKTREE.COM (860) 888-8472
JANUARY 2021 Tree Care
INSIDE
THIS ISSUE
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Prune Away the Branches of 2020 What Are Ice Dams? How Habit Tracking and Daily Resolutions Could Transform Your Life Getting to Know our Community — Starting With the Past!
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Easy One-Pot Lentil Soup West Hartford Knows Ice
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WEST HARTFORD’S FROZEN HISTORY
The corner of Farmington Avenue and Trout Brook Drive is a location steeped in history. If you drive through that intersection today, you’ll see a Dunkin’ and a funeral home. But if you rewind time by about 140 years, you’ll find something very different: the Trout Brook Ice & Feed Company. West Hartford was once known for its ice. In 1879, the Trout Brook Ice & Feed Company was founded by Edwin Arnold. At the time, Trout Brook Drive did not exist, but Trout Brook, which now runs along Trout Brook Drive, very much did. And that’s where Arnold decided to set up shop — right next to the brook that would be the source of his famous ice for years to come.
come winter, dozens of ice harvesters descended on the frozen brook. They chipped away at the ice, cutting out large blocks. The blocks were then moved to ice houses and barns where they were insulated with a layer of sawdust as they awaited transport to their destinations over the course of the spring and summer. The company was also known for its signature red horse-drawn wagons (and eventually trucks) that it used to deliver ice to customers all over the area and as far away as New York City. As the area grew in size, demand for ice increased — and it increased even more with the approach of World War I. To meet this demand, the company built a second ice source
However, the ice boom was short- lived. After World War I and into the 1920s and ‘30s, home refrigeration started to take off. With the invention of home refrigeration in 1913 and the development of Freon refrigeration in the ‘20s, they knew time was limited. In 1927, Frederick Arnold (Edwin died in 1905) sold Trout Brook Ice & Feed to the Southern New England Ice Company. By 1936, that company folded, along with many others. While the ice industry faded into history, the legacy of Trout Brook ice is still very much alive in West Hartford. It’s alive in Trout Brook Drive and in Woodridge Lake (and even in our company, Trout Brook Landscaping!). It’s alive every time Trout Brook or any of the local ponds freeze over and everyone rushes out to play on the ice. We may not harvest it anymore, but we do love our West Hartford ice.
outside of West Hartford — Woodridge Lake. They also built several ice barns to store all the ice.
Arnold built a dam on Trout Brook. Then,
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