Hello to all:
It’s a fine Sunday morning in Vermont; yesterday was over 80 degrees and yet the night was an autumn- like 50 or so with a magnificent Halloween looking moon. So- apparently spring, such as it is, has come to the Green mountains. Frankly, we almost missed it- as one day it was bare tress and the next day everything was green and lush and we started having to mow when we rolled out of bed in the morning. Spring goes pretty fast up here.
Our time here has been overshadowed by spending most of the last three weeks working on the house of horrors in Groton- our original and insane Vermont house purchase. What were we thinking? 23 rooms, two barns and an apartment, in the most remote part of Vermont? As most of you know – we had a really bad situation with our last renters- finally getting them out after months of no pay on rent. The house looked like post holocaust France once they left- and we have spent a collective total of over 300 hours over last three weeks- basically living there; which also means no furniture or heat, no internet or phone and sleeping on air mattresses until they run out of air and leave us on the cold floor at 2 in the morning. It has been an undertaking for the ages- but we are just about done and the house is listed on the market If you want to see it – the link is: http://www.nnerenmls.com/nne/maildoc/sd_RzyoyC20140531213556.html
We have had the great fortune to be assisted by our young renter from the apartment, Spencer, who is not working since he lost most of one arm to a logging accident last summer. He is an amazing young guy- not only with great skills and problem solving ability (plus thousands of dollars of tools) but a wry sense of wacky humor that has left us laughing through day after day of 14-15 hours of demanding physical labor. He has dubbed Jenn the lesbian queen since she has not showered in weeks and calls me Miaggi (from the karate kid) for my endless window washing (left da circle….)We would not have survived without him .The process has left us as one with Home Depot and the only Walmart in Vermont, plus regulars of the truck stop in Wells River which stays open until ten –so we can drag our asses down there to eat and access internet and phone. The French Canadian truck drivers coming down I-91 and stopping there to eat move to the other side of the room when we enter with our Holocaust -cleaning smells. . We pretty much called it a wrap after our last gonzo day this Friday and it’s in pretty amazing shape given where we started. So- now we can turn our attention to the maintenance of our other three houses (tell me-what is wrong with this picture?).
While we worked we had periodic visits from “Still Shaky Dave” our Vietnam Vet neighbor who would come down and tell us stories of roaming the jungles.; one day shots went off and he came down running (it was firecrackers) looking for Vietcong in our master bedroom suite. Jenn and I were covered with green paint and had to hide in the closet until he fully wok up (he sleeps most of the day in between patrolling the perimeter). His wife, Deb, pitched in with our cleaning and repairing efforts, in between surreptitious runs to the flea market to buy more stuff.
In between, and on the way to and from, our trips between Mt. Holly and Groton (1 ¾ hours and 89 miles)- we managed to do a few days of the semi- annual Vermont open studio tour –there are an awful lot of potters in Vermont (both types)- and we seemed to have an endless need to buy pottery (as in bedding). We also got to spend a night with our friends George and Connie at their B&B in lovely Brookfield- home of the world’s longest floating bridge until they tore it down last month there’s a great picture of Jenn and Georgie attached with the photo gallery.
We have managed to get in a couple of our classic Vermont eating stops in coming and going between the two houses. Stopped on a beautiful Sunday on the way to spend the night in Brookfield(and buy more pots- not POT!) at Tozier’s- outside Bethel- a long standing family ice cream and fried clam stand, and after our last week’s foray in home remodeling- we stopped on our way home (having not showered in days and covered in paint) at our beloved Harry’s café- which had been closed for the month of May (shoulder season- remember?) and was having their re-opening that night. They have moved from right near our house into Ludlow at the site of a former mafia type gaudy Italian restaurant-which apparently did not resonate with the locals. We got to reunite with our usual server- Katie- who is the definition of post counter culture Vermont chic (raises chickens and pigs, throws pot, does not shower much and has three young kids all named after trees).
So our return to the mountains has not left us much time for leisure as of yet- probably won’t until we return from Tess’ wedding in early July. I even got in a few work trips in last month; most recent involved going to Philadelphia for a conference which is more complicated than it sounds. Took the six seater out of Rutland airport to Boston to catch a connector. Going was a pretty ok flight- though going through eth quasi- TSA proved daunting. The airport is one room school house kind of deal- and they and seven TSA for six passengers. they screened my bag six times –which apparently was the result of “having electronics in my packed dress shoes “ (it was my travel alarm clock). On the way back- we were delayed by thunderstorms and then took off an hour late only to go through a storm at 7000 feet- with the six seater practically going upside down, and my knuckles still white five days later from holding the seat bottom. The pilot spoke no English and the co-pilot slept through the flight (even when upside down). Traveling from here is quite the adventure. I kissed the ground when we got off.
That’s about if for now- hope to have more interesting stuff in the future once we stop figuring out which house to fix next…and now we need to go mow the damn lawn again.
Be well,
Stu
