In my last post, I told the story of our new place at Lake George and of our major remodeling project. And while the construction did rule our lives to a degree, we did manage to find time to take advantage of the other pleasures that the Adirondacks have to offer.

To start with, one of the advantages of living in a construction work site this summer was that it forced us to wake up early and get started with our day. There is nothing like knowing that the painters will be knocking on the door at 6:30 to get you out of bed and into the shower! Thanks to this incentive, we saw many Lake George sunrises – and that, in my opinion, is the most beautiful time of the day around here. Take a look at these pictures, and see if you agree…

Red sky at morning…

Sun just about to peek

Sun rising as storm clouds dissipate

Our sideways oak, and its reflection

Boathouse at dawn

One interesting thing about Hague is that there is only one supermarket within 15 miles… and that is a Walmart. Long before we left for New York, we vowed NEVER to buy food from Walmart (due to previous bad experience and general principle!), a pledge we lived up to. Instead, we would escape the dust and mayhem of 51 Pine Cove by hopping in the truck and hitting fruit stands, farms, and small markets all over the Adirondacks and Vermont. A day’s circuit could include a stop at the little farm next to Tractor Supply in Ticonderoga, followed by raspberries and a cider donut at Gunnison’s Orchard in Crown Point, then up the Champlain Valley to the Essex Farm  to get a chicken. We’d have lunch in Essex along the lake while waiting for the ferry to Vermont, then after a pleasant half hour on the ferry we would meander through the Vermont countryside to Green Pasture Meats and to Champlain Orchards for produce and hard cider. Then, across Lake Champlain again on the charming Ticonderoga Ferry, and finally back home, with a quick stop at the Hague Market for a freshly baked cookie. Not the most efficient way to shop, of course, but mighty pleasant, with some lovely sights along the way!

How could we NOT stop?

Storm brewing, as seen from the Essex ferry

Champlain Orchards, where we became regular shoppers

Covered bridge on Swamp Road in Vermont

Essex Farm CSA

Lake Champlain shoreline

Our constant companion through the summer was Roscoe, our thirteen-year-old Australian Shepherd. Definitely well into his advanced years at this point, we were hopeful but not sure that he would survive long enough to see the Adirondacks. However, he revived remarkably once we arrived – Lake Therapy, we called it. As long as he was hiking, wading, kayaking, digging on the beach, or sleeping, he was a happy dog!

Lake Dog

Captain of the Ship

Early Morning Paddle

Kisses for Brian

Admiring the view

Roscoe’s Kayak

Hiking with his Grama at Jabe Pond

Lake Therapy

Roscoe is not the only one who enjoys paddling – Karen and I like it too! We had some lovely times on the water, both with and without Roscoe. We paddled mostly on Lake George, but also took a few expeditions here and there. Looking forward to more exploring next year, when we are not under construction…

Evening paddle on Lake George

Storm’s brewing

Picnic in the canoe, on Cedar River Flow

Resting on a small island

Ford-tough canoe transport

Chasing loons on Jabe Pond

Loon-chase successful!

Our original plan for this summer had been to limit our boating to paddle-driven vessels, but we quickly discovered a flaw with this strategy – the flaw being that it was not something easily done with friends and visitors. So, it did not take us long to rationalize the idea of purchasing a boat. And, for me, that meant a wooden boat. It’s in my blood, I guess! Anyhow, we did some looking around, and came across an under-loved Chris Craft in very nice shape. And, the rest is history!

1947 Chris Craft Sportsman Utility 22, perfect for relaxing evenings on Lake George

In addition being famous for boating, the Adirondacks are renowned for hiking. We took advantage of this as much as we could, taking very short, flat hikes with Roscoe (whose hindquarters are very weak), and longer, more strenuous hikes without him. Saw some beautiful places, and got a little sorely-needed exercise in the process.

Misty view from Cat Mountain

Sunny afternoon on the summit of Anthony’s Nose

Feeling ispired at Inspiration Point, above Silver Bay

Rest time at Tongue Mountain lean-to

Chillin’ on Cook Mountain

Roscoe hiking the woods near Northwest Bay

All these activities were really fun just by themselves, but were made all the more rewarding by the constant presence of family and friends. We enjoyed frequent visits from some great people who we rarely get to see much of! Some pictures of this fine cast of characters is shown below, roughly in order of appearance…

My aunt and uncle, Julie and Ken, who were kind enough to provide us with refuge when the cacophony of power tools became overwhelming

Hiking with my cousin Ginger, who lives here year-round, and provided all sorts of great guidance for us

Ginger’s grandson Josh, fisherman par excellence

Jed and Jane Duncan, longtime friends and our brave, first visitors

My sister Lisa and her husband Tim, who were kind enough to arrive with soft shell crabs from their dock on the Chesapeake

My son Tyler and his old man

Hiking in the High Peaks with the Rueppel clan

Karen with Bricker, Julie and Ken’s grandson, and the world’s happiest and most gregarious nine-month-old

My Aunt Vee, who at age 85 felt that living on an active construction site was “a great adventure”

Julie, Vee, and my cousin Oey from New Hampshire

Patrick, friend of mine from college, learning how to drive

Brian with a soft shell crab and leftover ribs for lunch

Kelsey, Brian’s girlfriend, who spent every possible moment in the water

Judy, Karen’s mom, from all the way out in California

Like all good things, summer must come to an end. And indeed, as I write this, it has. Days are getting shorter, nights are getting cooler, and it is time to start thinking about our trek back home to California. We are taking the “long” way, however, and will be making lots of visits along the way, so I’m not complaining!