Building a Lean-to - Week Two

In week two we finished planking the roof, carrying in all the materials, and most of the walls.  One side wall is only half finished because we're installing a window there. The roof is all complete except for the green tin cover arriving in a week or so. Friday and Saturday nights were party nights with a lot of Sean's friends arriving and in some cases departing. Each morning we worked on site and then moved on to more fun activities - we are all on vacation after all.
Sean organized hikes on the Appalachian/Long Trail ending at Clarendon Gorge with a swim in the river. Many of the group are runners and various length/routes were completed each day. And of course, we ate and ate and ate and did a little drinking too! There were hot tub records set - eight adults at one time, and midnight swims. Despite all this, the lean-to was 85% complete by the end of the two weeks. Thanks everyone!

Friday night a big group arrived, although all but Derrick had to leave the next morning. Shown here from left
Molly, Trey, David, Erica, Chris, Will, Sean and Derrick

Will working on attaching the roof planks to the joists
with the nail gun

Saturday morning's work crew -
Derrick, Will, Sean, Heather and Scott

Spring Lake is just up our road. We swam
there during the day and sometimes
late at night.

Hannah, Piper and Jenny joined us on
Saturday along with Courtney and Deb 

Piper and Hannah carried in a lot of lumber on Sunday

Derrick makes even hard work more fun. He's working
as a team with Deb

At the end of Sunday morning the roof was finished
and all the materials carried in and stored neatly on site.
Work crew first row; Deb, Piper, Hannah, Jenny and
Heather. In the rear; Sean, Derrick and Will (Scott
taking photo)

Jenny hamming it up with her salad

Courtney is finally in the picture. She needed Saturday
morning to catch up on her sleep.
Here's the full weekend work crew - top Hannah, Piper,
Courtney, Jenny and Deb
bottom - Sean, Will and Derrick

Our daughter Zoe and grandson Nick joined the party on
Saturday - here at the lake enjoying the great weather.

Grandson Tommy provided music and
entertainment for us

Deb worked hard on the siding

Courtney stretching her long legs up to the
top of the job

They really did an artistic job on our siding

Derrick, Hannah and Gabriel nailing in the nailers

Nick helps by keeping everyone supplied with nails

Tuesday's work crew - Gabriel, Hannah, Piper and Nick in front
Courtney, Deb, Derrick, Scott and Sean in back
Heather took the picture

Wandi and Lisa at our ever present meals. Wandi and
parents, Scott's brother Brent and wife Wilma arrived
along with Lisa and son Gabriel on Monday

Thursday's work crew - Courtney, Piper, Sean, Nick and
Scott (Heather taking photo)

Not all work no play - fooling around in the kitchen,
Brent, Courtney and Wilma

Play and work perfectly combined - Piper helps
Nick build a Lego Millinium Falcon

And Courtney works/plays with Tommy to construct
a Lego garage with lots of cars and a helicopter

There's time for relaxing too

Sean is nailing in the supports for the roof extension.  We
ordered a special 18 foot 4 x 4 beam for the front of this.
It was a tough job hoisting it up in place!

Nick helped Piper and Courtney with their table top

They built a bench too!

The final work crew on Friday - Piper, Nick, Sean, Courtney, Scott and Heather

Building a Lean-To - Week One

Last year we decided to build a lean-to on the other side of our stream. We love hiking and have stayed many times on the Appalachian and Long Trails in similar buildings. So why not build our own? Last winter we had a number of large hemlock and pine trees cut down and Podge Sirjane, our neighbor and friend, helped us with the design. He then cut the trees into the appropriate size pieces of lumber with his portable saw mill and delivered them.
Our youngest son Sean invited a group of his friends and ours to help with the construction over two weeks. He and his boyfriend Will came first and then Scott Silverstein. Will stayed for a week and Scott for the weekend. The five of us accomplished a lot as you can see from these pictures. We also of course hiked, swam and not last in importance, ate. Next week, a roof and siding!

Podge had several loads of lumber to haul in

Scott and Podge Sirjane

Will and Sean join the construction crew,
after changing clothes of course

Will works on the narrow bridge

While Sean and Scott S. shingle the wider one

Sean did a lot of digging to position the cement blocks
that supported the sills

The first few days were spent bringing in the
materials - this is the new generator.

Sean checks the level on the sills, supported by the concrete
blocks

Scott S., Will, Sean and Scott G. in back sit on the
completed foundation.

Sean fixes the ingredients for Thai spring rolls

Scott S. and Scott G. fix some dinner

Heather and Sean screw in the joist hangers

After the joists are measured, cut and fit into place, we
lay the floor boards

Posts up and braced

Scott nails down the posts while Sean
checks that they are straight

Hoisting the roof beams was a tough job!

The week finished up with measuring, cutting and
nailing in the roof beams. Not bad for one week's work!

Hiking the Appalachian/Long Trail

Just over a mile up our road are three side trails leading to the Appalachian and Long Trails, which run concurrently here. So a mile and a half walk brings us on a footpath that leads south to Springer Mt. in Georgia and north to either Canada on the Long Trail or Mt. Katahdin in Maine on the Appalachian Trail. Often when I step out of my house I think of Bilbo and his wonderful poem "The Road Go Ever On" (credit of course to J.R.R. Tolkien).
"The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say."

I've been swept off down that road to many places in the world and hope it brings me to many others.

Doug and Scott S. on the suspension bridge at Clarendon
Gorge, part of the AT/LT

David and Scott at the south entrance to
the suspension bridge

Clarendon Gorge from the suspension bridge

View from the AT/LT looking west from the top of the ridge

Years ago I hiked the length of the Long Trail from Massachusetts to Canada, about half of it with Scott and the other half earlier, often alone. In a similar vein I connected sections of the Appalachian trail from the Maine border to that of New York. Completing the AT is on my bucket list. I vicariously attempted it supporting my son James' attempt back in 2001. He started from Springer Mt. on March 8 and made it almost to Virginia before stress fractures in his feet defeated him. But he had a wonderful time before that - and had provisions the envy of all others on the trail. That was my contribution to his trip.
Good friends of ours here in Shrewsbury, Gerry and Chyrl Martin, did the entire length in one season after retiring some years ago. It was very difficult but worth while for sure. Scott is not interested in that approach, but I might convince him to do sections with me at some point. Unfortunately with six months on the boat, this dream will have to wait.
But we do short hikes in this area on the trails a lot. These pictures were taken heading south from Rt. 103 and ending at Spring Lake Ranch, just up the road from us. Doug, David, Scott S., Scott and myself had a beautiful morning's trip. The trail starts by crossing the narrow suspension bridge hung over Clarendon Gorge and the Mill river. This bridge is dedicated to the memory of Robert Brugmann, a seventeen year old who was swept to his death in 1973 by the river. He was trying to cross it in high water after the old bridge was destroyed. It's a beautiful bridge and a lovely spot.
The trail climbs steeply up for a mile to a long ridge with some nice views to the west. It continues along that ridge to an old meadow, now filling in. A little later in the summer they'll be lots of blackberries and some blueberries there. At the next junction with a cross country trail, a side trail leads down to the left, criss crossing a power line, to Spring Lake. If you go right along the shore, you join the rutted dirt road that leads to Spring Lake Rd and back down to Rt. 103. If you walk all the way back to your car at the parking lot it's a total of 7.5 miles. Happily the last half of the hike in down hill!

Vermont Symphony Orchestra

Scott and I all set up for a lovely dinner and concert

The musicians are tuning up and almost ready to start

Looking away from the concert hall, many people sat in
large family/friend groups socializing and eating before
the evening program.

During the second piece a light rain began to fall and
umbrellas appeared

The woman on the right doesn't seem to mind the rain - it
hasn't disturbed her nap! Check out the hardy gentleman
behind her using his jacket creatively. (tap on the photo
to enlarge it)

The Vermont Symphony Orchestra (VSO.org) was founded in 1934 by Alan Carter and he led them for over 40 years. After only two other music directors, Efrain Guigui and Kate Tamarkin, Jaime Laredo, the famous violinist, took over in 2000. It is the oldest state supported orchestra in the country. They give over 45 annual concerts all over the state and 176 school performances. It became quite famous nationally when it performed in each of the state's 251 cities and towns between 1984 and 1986. They don't have a home concert hall - the whole state is their venue.
This is our second summer series evening - last year it was at Okemo Resort and this year at the Polo grounds at Quechee. The orchestra gives 8 outdoor performances in their Summer Festival Tour.



The program, with Anthony Princiotti as conductor, was:

SMITH Star Spangled Banner
DVORAK Carnival Overture
HANDEL Overture from Music for the Royal Fireworks
BERLIOZ Ballet Music from Les Troyens
RIMSKY-KORSAKOV The Kalendar Prince from Scheherazade
MEYERBEER Coronation March from Le Prophète
ELLINGTON, arr. CUSTER Duke Ellington!
RODGERS, arr. BENNETT The King and I
TCHAIKOVSKY 1812 Overture

We arrived an hour and a half before the program and set up our picnic dinner. Many larger groups had already set up elaborate meals and were enjoying the perfect lawn set out in front of the tent covered stage. Our meal was potato and crabmeat salads with lettuce and tomatoes. This was accompanied by a gin and tonic first and a glass of white wine during dinner. I made a fresh fruit salad for dessert and happily the only food booth was ice cream, so we added some sorbet. Mid way through the second piece light rain began to fall. Resilient Vermonters all, no one left. Instead folks opened up their umbrellas or snuggled into their rain jackets and continued to enjoy the concert. The showers were brief however and only a few people got really wet. It was a warm evening so no damage done.
As the 1812 overture began, we noticed some bustling activity near the edge of the field and soon, on cue, the fireworks began. How marvelous! The pyrotechnics lasted through that piece and the next two shorter encores. Everyone clapped on time and cheered. What a wonderful late Fourth of July moment!

Fourth of July

Most of our friends got in the group picture this year. We are missing Julie and Nat, and Leslie and Rob.
Left to right; Rebecca, Debra, Scott S., Russ, Doug, Marty, Scott, Heather, James, Jenny, David W., Leslie, David S.
and in the front, Dick and Larry

Deb and I assemble pizzas

This was our 28th annual Fourth of July weekend and it was, as usual, a lot of fun. Happily the weather cooperated on the whole with mostly warm sunny days. Russ raced round and round Lake Rescue in his motor boat with everyone in turn; some waterskiing, tubing or just rubber necking. Dick and Debbie brought their twin kyacks and explored Spring Lake with it's family of loons. A hiking group went out each morning and tramped the Appalachian/Long Trail nearby. And the Shrewsbury Outing Club docks up at Spring Lake were well used. A group swam the length of the lake each day.

James, Dick and Doug pour over the Atlas to find Doug's
son Tom's Peace Corps location 

Food is generally the star of the show. Everyone brings several dishes or ingredients with them and meal planning involves choosing which ones to combine. The kitchen is a hub of activity before and after the meals. Some things are traditional, like Leslie's flag cake and others should be a tradition, like Rebecca's mojitos. Marty made amazing toasted coconut bars, Doug brought barbecued pulled pork and Debra's vegetable tarts were the star of one lunch. Scott S. organized his helpers for Thai fresh spring roll construction and James slaved over the stove to produce delicious Asparagus Risotto for 17 people. My Scott made four loaves of bread for the weekend using his new 6 hour no knead receipe.
As in most Fourth of July meals, the grill was smoking, presided over by Dick with several helpers. And those who didn't cook the meal, cleaned up afterwards.

We ate many of our meals out on the deck

But the best part of these weekends is spending time talking and relaxing with old and new friends. The mornings begin around 6AM and several hours are spent over endless cups of coffee or tea chatting or reading. The lounge chairs are always occupied with sun worshipers or others just taking a nap. With everyone chipping in on the cooking and cleaning - no one works too hard, especially the host and hostess!

Setting the automatic timer to take our group shot was
a group effort!

Jenny, looking chic as always

Mojito preperation - Nat, Julie, Jenny and Scott S.

Gathering out on the lawn for our group picture

Rebecca, Larry, Russ and Dave head out for some
water skiing

Rob, Scott S. and Leslie assemble Spring Rolls

Most of the group have been coming since the beginning and James, Jenny, Julie and Scott were babies at first. A few of our original friends have moved away and each year we enjoy meeting someone new so the cast of characters changes some. Still, a core of old friends look forward to this annual get together and we feel lucky to be part of this lovely tradition.