First Passes of 2010

Just a month after the "earliest-ever" ice-out, we are making our first turns and feeling good and sore. It's always good to be back. These first days are special. But I'm still sore.

Too soon for coaching?

Spring Again

A month now past the earliest ice-out I can remember. The buds are on the trees. The course is in the clear. And the promise of summer's slow-motion is just ahead.

The Course in the Clear

Five days after Massabesic iced out (on March 15th); Dubes iced out this morning. Skier on deck!

The Course in the Clear

Early Ice Out?

An uncommonly-warm early March has us thinking "ice out" before April.

The Thaw

January Morning

We've had over a foot of snow these past few days; a little less down by the pond, where the sun is shining this morning.

Sun on the Pond

Swedish Farm Jazz

I heard Inga Swearingen on "A Prairie Home Companion" yesterday and totally dug her vibe. Her latest "First Rain" is right into heavy rotation. Kinda like a Swedish Bebel Gilberto or even Juana Molina. Swedish farm jazz, for sure!

A White Christmas

First Serious Chill

Right on the heels of that first foot of snow, we have several nights in the teens. It wont be long before the dock is iced in entirely. Good skating ahead!

The Pond With Ice

First Serious Snow

We had several dustings, then we had 4~5 inches last weekend, and today brings our first real winter storm. Have to love the holidays!

The Pond With Snow

Northern Goshawk

This amazing Northern Goshawk has been on the hill for some time. I snapped this through the window in my office a few weeks ago.

Thanksgiving 2009

Really all I had to do was "show up", Zuki did all the prep. Plenty to be thankful for!

The Leaves are Gone

Two weeks after pulling the boat, all the leaves are gone from the birch. It feels like Halloween!

In-Between Season

It's now technically "in-between Season". I took the Nautique off the lift this morning. The air was upper 30s, the water was down to 46 degrees. Turned off PerfectPass and took the boat out and back, outside the boat gates; a make-believe, ceremonial, tournament repositioning move. Except I was the only one there. Sad.

Fun Machine

October on the Pond

The dynamic range of weather one may encounter in New England, especially in October, is substantial. This week has been mostly cloudy, cool, and damp. It didn't stop Brooke, Jim and I from getting in a quick lunchtime set today against the backdrop of near peak color. This season's wasterski days may be numbered, but they aren't over! Watch us on the webcam.

Jim

Brooke


Heading North

Late September Skiing

Paul and I agree that one fine way to start the workday is with a solid ski set. We had one this morning. Air and Water were both 62 degrees. Sunny, brilliantly 930 AM in late-September sunny! And wind just starting to get busy out of the South. We could sure use more of these!

Paul at the far side

Fall is Here

I can't deny the calendar anymore, September 21 has come and gone. This, however, is fine with me. I love fall. And fall in New England is the best. Luck has it that I don't have any immediate travel plans. And this is great; for there is no place I'd rather be than home, during Fall, in New England. The pond is hovering just above 60 degrees; and I have no plans to pull the Nautique for another few weeks. Maybe catch us on the Dubes Webcam. Or not. But one thing is for sure, the colors are awesome!

Summer's Last Stand

Our perpetually too-short waterski season in New England was truncated at the head by a rainy start and my own personal choices; I'm doing my best to make sure it isn't truncated at the tail. It was in the low 70s today, but the water temp was only 61. It takes two or three passes to literally warm-up, without resorting to a wetsuit. The `97 Nautique (not the 2010) is on the lift and with any luck we can get in another half dozen sets before this one is history.


Pond and Lake Moments

Peace in the Rhythm of My Pain

Halfway over the Atlantic, middle of the night, glow of the keyboard like a fire's hearth against my fingertips. There's not a single empty seat and I'd be freaking out if the guy in front of me pushed his seat back again. Is it rude to push back? Keller Williams and String Cheese are jamming happy major chords. I'm optimistic about FPL and Prague. I'll get some sleep in a bit then motor through the international transfers at CDG on autopilot. ... The plane CDG/PRG could not be nicer; an A320 with about a 33% load factor. I have three seats to myself; and so does everyone else. A UniBall pen just blew out its viscous ink in my lab notebook - was able to contain the situation before it got ugly. Trying to decide between the $40 taxi or the the $10 bus/train dance - will try the later if my luggage went missing on the short connect through CDG. Where is my Prague map of bus line 119 to end station Dejvicka, to train line A station Zelivskeho? In my luggage, of course! ... Luggage went missing, needed the cab ride to center myself. Arrive at hotel in Prague. No luggage. Go see the Castle with Vaughn, Steve, and Kati. Dinner with Nachiket. Luggage arrives around midnight. FPL Monday good, FPL Tuesday better. Stay for Peter's keynote on Wednesday then PRG/CDG. Typing again CDG/BOS. Not one, not two, but three screaming kids within four seats of me. Note to self: do not sit one row behind the bulkhead. Alcohol should help. … Prague was nice

Hmmm

Cheat Sheet

Mixed Modes

Old Orchard Beach 2009

OOB has a both the Hampton-like touristo vibe and the hot, sandy beach vibe going for it. Despite the stress and demands of this summer, we managed three nights this year.

Volkswagen Factory

The Maine Drag

Max in Charge

Buried

Hickory 2009

It was so cool to see the group that turned out at The Hickory last night. Driving east on 28, turning into the parking lot of this unfamiliar haunt, I was just a little uneasy. But I saw Karen getting out of her car, and instantly knew this can’t possibly be bad. In a few minutes I’m meeting old friends and making new ones. People I just met are buying me drinks. And a really kind cross-section of our life in the 70s showed up. Way cool. … So the plan is to do this again soon. Lots of little (or not so little) gatherings. Candy is thinking of a 33-1/3 reunion for the class of 1976 lot. Mike and Mary Lou got the group thinking about Memorial Day 2010 event at Davis Park. We had some trouble choosing between showing slides and movies on a big white sheet; or booking Phish for a stealth Bushkill festival. … Thanks so much to Jim Blatter for hooking us up; and to the Hickory staff. Let’s do it again soon.

Shep and Karen

The Trees Grow

My first substantial departure from home was not, as I suspect it was for others, going off to college. Although Rochester and Woodstock are separated by seven hours of Thruway; college never felt, for me anyhow, "away from home". My fledgling event was breaking out of the Bearsville orbit, jettisoned really, and moving to San Francisco. I recall my first visits home and the first thing that felt askew was that the trees looked bigger. The trees near my home. The trees on the village green. It was if my departure had somehow furloughed the arborists of Ulster County. The basal area of my teenage habitat had become swollen with grand oaks and towering pines.

Almost 40 years since I first sat (here) at the bar at Manitou House; and the dominant organic landscape change is the forest. There is something to be learned here, but I'm not precisely sure what it is. Aphorisms like "Leave it alone and it will fix itself" come to mind. But the way things were are not by any decree, the way things are supposed to be.

All of which fuels my excitement about getting together tomorrow night with some who were among the local shrubbery of the 70s.

Andy on Tractor