Yo Peeps:
“I regret that it takes a life to learn how to live”…………………………………………………………….Jonathan Safran Foer
“Jewish voodoo tip-
mention an acting career,
then watch for chest pain”…………………………Haikus for Jews
Bada- dada…….Bada-dada……Bada-dada………dada – (you have to hum it yourself to get the right impact)
Lots doing in the mountains this week….still raining every 2nd or 3rd day in our new global warming era…but when not, have hit the daily 75 and sunny regime…….Can the Donald pardon himself?
Sunday drive last week over to Poultney through the rolling hills on western side of state….hit another roadside attraction in the form of Otto’s Cone Point General Store (check out the signage) for their weekly music on the patio (in the shade of) major Route 30 (well, major for Vermont, anyway). Gorgeous day, greening up everywhere you look…and fine Maple Cremees for a buck …even Lucy had her own bowl
THE POND– has reached a new peek clarity…we can see the bottom everywhere and now thinking about a variety of contraptions to hide the pump setup (a pond’s work is never finished)..…miracle of miracles – came home one afternoon to find Jennifer floating in the pond (facing up and alive)…her first venture into the abyss in five years-which we repeated a second time later in the week
After eight weeks of almost daily rain, we finally got out with the kayaks- up to Nineveh- for a float. The greeter- tent man there had to inspect the kayaks, to see if our scum had come with it…but we passed inspection (thanks to the sagely Trout King) and spent a few hours lazily paddling through the mountains, while Jen made poor little Lucy swim most of the way- lots of work for those little legs (she then slept for ten straight hours)
Came home to tackle the damn apple tree that hangs over the pond, before it starts dropping a 100 apples a day into our pristine ecosystem…five sweaty hours later…and voila…..no more overhanging limbs, and two exhausted older adults
Midweek, I had my promised escape to the Marriott, spending the night up at White River Junction (this is really a place) to be close to Barnard and Silver Lake State Park for all -day Governor’s Family Council retreat the next day. The hotel is right across form the states only VA hospital…so it was me and a hundred deranged Vietnam Vets seeking out the smell of napalm in the morning…on the other hand, I had absolutely no fears of any kind of attack there, as they all seemed to be packing a little something and were out at all hours patrolling the perimeter…
On the way home, I gave a ride to a council member- who spent the two hours tearfully telling me her story of a child they lost. It was quite moving and I was glad to listen, but then we had the classic Vermont road experience of driving 20 miles down route 100A to within 100 feet of route 100 to get home…and having the road blocked off, when we could see the turn a mere hop, skip and jump away….so had to drive back and around…adding an extra hour to the trip (we don’t need no stinking road closed signs around here)…which maybe was a bit too much weeping for me…..
We have three massive fuel oil tanks in the basement-none of which has a readable gauge, so I thought we should get one filled up, so we have heat in the fall…..in Vermont, not always so easily done. Turns out the green-minded legislature had passed a new law that all tanks have to be inspected before any more oil can be delivered. So they came out and, of course, found our two ancient connected tanks, to be quite the pieces of decaying shit…so no oil until we remove, destroy or fix them. BUT, we have a third tank that looks much newer but is not hooked up to anything (have I mentioned we also have 48 circuit breakers?…power in numbers, I believe is the concept). So, now we are on the hunt to try and find out from our benefactress, Karen, what the story is with the big red tank…so maybe we can have them take us to cleaners to get that one hooked up…and then maybe we can have some oil…and then maybe we will have heat eventually……
Speaking or our projects….Jenn has now configured some kid of scaffolding system so she got the stairwell walls painted…..so the last part of that (staining and putting down the treads) can move forward. This will be just in time for the upstairs carpet to be put in, to start on the barn roof, re-finish the kitchen floor and electrify the outbuildings……I have lots of Marriott nights booked in August….and then, we are now having to talk about fuel oil tanks…AND just to add a cherry on top, Jenn has resumed her “time to buy a pickup” mantra….which led me to stop the car in the middle of Route 103 and start walking to Rutland….
Our week took a turn towards the cultural with Friday night at the Weston Playhouse to see “Lost in Yonkers”…very Jewish- angst Neil Simon, but quite well done and a fine experience, outside of my shouting match with a local blue haired biddy over whether I could park on red stones (I lost)…packed opening night at the Playhouse which is good to see, plus we are usually the youngest people there, which is GREAT to see….Then last night, we went to Stratton Ski Mountain to see the legendary Preservation Hall Jazz Band straight from my beloved N’Awlins (father’s day gift from Tess and Jake, bless their hearts). Big, big tent and I got to hang outside with the jazzmen as they were getting ready to take the stage. With the six of them, they tripled the color apparent in the audience.. though typical of NOLA, they presented all kinds of mixed shades of mulatto colors…which is probably why they were allowed to enter the state (are they really black?)…consummate musicians…..
And amongst the highlights of this week , we watched as much as could take (actually Jenn slept , while I howled) of The Trailer Park Boys at the North Pole…this is priceless hi-brow entertainment-can you dig it?
So- now we are getting ready for our first dinner party of the summer tonight…for which Jenn has a six page house cleaning list…plus there is always THE POND I may suddenly need to attend to……
We are off to the heartland for our mid-summer visit this week and gone for ten days…with any luck the squirrels have found a better hotel deal this year…So- no Blog next week and who knows for the week after. Will you miss me? How about each of you send me YOUR BLOG next Sunday instead…can you dig it?
Happy mid-summer dreams to all…and to all a good night….ho…ho….ho…………………………….
Monsieur Stuard
