A quick heads up: I’m going to be merging Tolland County Buzz and Quiet Corner Buzz into one newsletter QCB that covers both counties. I’ve been doing this for about a year and a half, and while I still love it, the truth is these two newsletters have been hard to monetize, which makes it tough to justify putting more time and money into growing them separately.

I’ve tried to make the model work through things like Dinner Club, products, and other side ideas, but with our fourth child just arriving, time is tighter than ever, and I need to be realistic about what’s sustainable. My hope is that combining them lets me create a stronger, more useful, more fun newsletter overall. I know a few people may drop off because of it, and honestly, I get that, but I think this is the right move.

Connecticut Buzz Mutt Madness has officially wrapped, and honestly, it was even bigger than we hoped. Thousands of votes rolled in, the competition got fierce, and Connecticut showed up in a big way for its dogs. Congrats to Elvis, our first-ever champion, and to Ginger, who made an impressive run all the way to the finals. Huge thanks as well to Pet Supplies Plus for sponsoring the tournament and helping turn this into one of the most fun things we’ve done. Safe to say this one was a smashing success.

My mom is a big mahjong person, so naturally I figured I’d see what kind of interest we’ve got here.

Mahjong seems to be having a bit of a moment lately, and I get it. It’s social, a little competitive, and has that perfect mix of “this seems confusing” and “okay wait, now I’m obsessed.”

After seeing how many connections came out of Dinner Club, I started wondering if there’d be any interest in a local learn-to-play mahjong night. Nothing stuffy. Nothing intense. Just a fun way to meet people, learn something new, and spend a night doing something a little more interesting than staring at your phone.

The rough idea would be Tuesday/Wednesday nights, somewhere local, with a group of maybe 50 people max and a 2-hour session to learn and play. If we put it together, I’d expect it would probably cost somewhere around $50 to $60 total per person.

“I’m going to give you the location, but do yourself the favor and don’t look it up online. Just go and experience it first hand.”

A reader reached out recently with an idea like that, and I immediately loved it.

Mostly because it felt like a nice little rebellion against how we do things now. Usually, before we go anywhere, we’ve already looked at the photos, checked the map, zoomed in on the parking lot, and basically ruined the surprise before we even leave the house.

This was different. Less screen time. Less overthinking. More just getting in the car and seeing what’s waiting for you.

So here’s a fun new little experiment:

I’ll give you the latitude and longitude coordinates to a local spot worth checking out and invite you to go have a real-life adventure. But here’s the catch: don’t look it up.

Don’t search around on Google Maps. Don’t poke around on Street View. Don’t start playing detective. Just let a little mystery back into your day and go see it for yourself.

To do it, copy these coordinates into a GPS coordinate site or into your map app search bar, then hit directions without snooping around first:

Here’s your destination: 41.76949, -72.17399

If you go, snap a photo of what you find or take a selfie while you’re there and send it my way. I might feature one in a future issue.

The next Connecticut Buzz Dinner Club is headed to Wethersfield on Thursday, April 16 at 6:30 pm, and today is the last day to sign up. You voted for the town, and now you can also bring a plus one. It’s $16 to save your seat, and we’ll handle the matching, the restaurant booking, and the mystery element that makes this way more fun than your usual “where should we eat?” group text.

Here’s the deal: you take a quick quiz, we match you with five other Connecticut Buzz readers based on your vibe, and the morning of the dinner we text you the restaurant. Then during dinner, we’ll send the optional secret afterparty spot in case you want to keep the night going.

🐶Adopt-a-pal: Meet Roxanne, a 5-month-old shepherd-husky mix who’s smart, good with kids and dogs, and on track to become about 60 pounds of very loyal, very energetic main-character energy.

🏡House of the week: This Hebron Cape packs in some fun details, with a fireplace and woodstove insert, French doors, built-ins, and a patio setup that feels made for summer. The sneaky flex is the primary bath with a skylight and whirlpool tub, plus an RV/boat pad that says this place is not exactly boring. Check it out!

🥾Trail of the week: Bicentennial Pond (Mansfield) – This one is perfect if you want the “I got outside today” feeling without committing to a full wilderness expedition. It’s a short, easy 0.7-mile loop at Schoolhouse Brook Park with pond views, a mellow pace, and basically zero excuse not to go.

🔭Sky report: New moon on April 17 setting up the darkest skies of the stretch and giving you a real shot at seeing the zodiacal light, that weirdly beautiful triangular glow in the western sky after sunset. April 18 and 19 just after sunset, when a thin waxing crescent Moon cozies up near Venus in the west.

Last week’s trivia answer was William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt, and 37.5%, nailed it. The fun local-history wrinkle is that the answer is a little more nuanced than the question made it sound: McKinley’s 1897 inaugural suit cloth came from Rockville’s Hockanum Mill, while Theodore Roosevelt’s 1905 inaugural suit cloth came from the Springville Company, another Rockville mill, which tells you just how absurdly respected Rockville’s woolens were back then.

Those fabrics were not just a local flex either. Afterward, Rockville mills marketed them as premium goods with names like “McKinley” cloth and “Presidential” cloth, both made from black undressed worsted using some of the finest yarn counts in men’s wear, which tells you Rockville was not messing around when it came to wool.

If you are looking for something easy, free, and actually kind of fun to do with the kids during holiday break this week, the Passport to Connecticut Libraries is a pretty solid play. From April 1 to 30, you can grab a passport at your local library, visit participating libraries across the state, collect stamps, and if you hit five or more, you are entered to win one of six $200 Visa gift cards.

In Tolland County, the participating libraries shown here are Hall Memorial Library in Ellington, Rockville Public Library in Vernon, Somers Public Library, Stafford Library, Tolland Public Library, Willington Public Library, Bentley Memorial Library in Bolton, Booth & Dimock Memorial Library in Coventry, and Mansfield Public Library, plus Mansfield Library Express in Storrs.

This is one of those sneaky-good family activities where the kids get out of the house, you get to feel productive and wholesome, and nobody has to spend a bunch of money to make the day feel like an actual outing.

Rockville | Native Pride with the Mohegan Tribe | 1pm - Explore the history, culture, and traditions of the Mohegan people at Union St Community Center (52 Union St).

Somers | Paint Night: Gnome Welcome Sign | 6:30PM-8:30PM | ($) - Create a charming hand-painted gnome sign in a cozy, magical setting at An Angel's Window (24 Battle St, Suite 2B). Call to reserve (860) 327-2494

Somers | Women at the Well | 6:30PM-8PM | ($) - A gentle evening of faith, connection, and community for women at The Well House (645 Main St). Gather!

Tolland | Spring Cookie Class | 6PM-7:30Pm | ($) - Decorate adorable spring-themed cookies with tips from the pros at Tolland Red & White (46 Tolland Green). Email: [email protected]

Vernon | Trivia Night at Spare Time | 7PM-10PM - Test your knowledge and compete for prizes with Bar Rated Trivia at Spare Time Vernon (350 Talcottville Rd).

Coventry | Gene Donaldson & the Stingrays | 8:30PM - CT Blues Hall of Fame artist brings classic rock and blues from the 60s-80s at The Bidwell Tavern (1260 Main St).

Stafford Springs | New City Road | 7PM - Kick off your weekend with live rock at Four Seasons by the Lake (51 Old Springfield Rd).

Stafford Springs | Plant Bingo at Stafford Cidery | 6PM - Win real plants at bingo night and grab a cider then get your daubers ready (68 Main St).

Vernon | Pandemonium at Rocking Horse | 8PM - High-energy rock band takes over the stage at Rocking Horse Smokehouse (69 Talcottville Rd).

Andover | Paint it Gray: Watercolor Workshop | 9AM-10:30AM | ($) - Beginner-friendly minimalist watercolor class focused on technique at Over AndOver CT (415 Jonathan Trumbull Hwy). Create!

Andover | Sinhala & Tamil New Year Festival | 10AM-4:30PM - Celebrate Sri Lankan culture with food, music, and festivities at Ct Meditation Center on Route 6, Andover.

Bolton | Spring Houseplant Swap | 11Am - Trade cuttings, props, and plants with fellow collectors at Cropley's Garden Center (1262 Boston Tpke).

Coventry | Trout Fishing Derby | 8AM-12PM | ($) - Family fishing fun with trophies and raffle prizes—presale gets free breakfast at 617 N River Rd.

Coventry | KAL Consignment 2nd Anniversary | 10AM-5PM - Fill-a-bag sale, permanent jewelry, and refreshments at KAL Consignment (44 Depot Rd).

Ellington | Customer Appreciation Event | 11AM-3PM - Free family fun day with food and activities at Kloter Farms (216 West Rd).

Ellington | The Deadheads | 8:30PM - Grateful Dead tribute band brings the jams at The Hidden Still (87 West Rd).

Stafford Springs | Soapstone | 8PM - Powerful classic rock band delivers a memorable live show at Four Seasons by the Lake (51 Old Springfield Rd).

Storrs | SNARKY PUPPY with The Nth Power | 8PM | ($) - Five-time Grammy winners bring funk, soul, and jazz fusion to Jorgensen Center (2132 Hillside Rd). Experience!

Storrs | UConn Choir Reunion Concert | 5PM - 150+ alumni celebrate Dr. Spillane's retirement with choral favorites at von der Mehden Recital Hall (875 Coventry Rd). L

Storrs | UConn Botanical Conservatory Tour | 12:30PM - Explore tropical plants and biodiversity at Torrey Life Science Building (75 N Eagleville Rd).

Tolland | Samantha & Fitz | 6Pm - Acoustic duo returns with crowd-pleasing covers at The Spot Tolland(200 Merrow Rd).

Vernon | Beyond Purple | 9Pm - Tribute to Deep Purple, Whitesnake, Dio, and Rainbow at Rocking Horse Grill.

Vernon | East of the River Card Show | 10AM-4PM - Sports cards, Pokémon, and TCG buying, selling, and trading at Modern Style Events (400-2 Talcottville Rd).

Willington | Seniors, Inc. Craft Fair & Bake Sale | 10AM-3PM - Shop handmade goods, browse local artisan work, and grab something sweet at the Willington Senior Center (20 Senior Way).

Willington | Intro to Cattle Sorting Clinic | 9AM-4PM | ($) - Learn ranch sorting with your horse in a fun, relaxed environment at Magnolia Equestrian Center (34 Cemetery Rd). Saddle Up!

Willington | SIRSY Live | 7PM | ($) - Award-winning rock duo brings intimate acoustic performance to The Packing House (156 River Rd).

Coventry | Patriot's Day: Shot Heard Round the Town | 1PM - Fife and drums, militia displays, and Revolutionary War history at Strong-Porter Museum (2382 South St).

Coventry | Free Screening: THE GETAWAY | 2PM - Classic Steve McQueen action film on the big screen at Booth & Dimock Library (1100 Main St).

Hebron | Paint Night at The Flour Girl | 10AM | ($) - Learn to paint florals step-by-step with refreshments included at The Flour Girl (14 Main St). Create!

Stafford Springs | Cold Train | 2PM - Rock and roll afternoon with great food at Four Seasons by the Lake (51 Old Springfield Rd).

Storrs| Springtime Sculpture Walk | 2pm - Guided outdoor art tour with UConn's Benton Museum curator - free and family-friendly at UConn Campus.

Tolland | Spring Planting Workshop | 10AM-1PM - Free hands-on class on planting and transplanting for all skill levels at Rockville Tolland SDA Church (9 Hartford Tpke).

Vernon | Strike Out for a Cause | 1PM | ($) - Bowl for Habitat for Humanity with pizza, soda, and 2 hours of fun at Spare Time Vernon (350 Talcottville Rd).