Summer 2016 - A Time of Great Change

     The Summer of 2016 can only be described as an emotional roller coaster.  As we opened our camp on Chateaugay Lake in upstate NY, we again realized that the 2400 square foot home in Mooers we had lived in for 29 years, had really outlived its usefulness.  This caveat comes up every year, usually around tax time, and every year we would talk about downsizing and putting the house on the market.  But we could never seem to pull the trigger.  We were a little bit concerned about the real estate market, but after several visits with the tax assessor, we decided it was time to dip our toes in the market and see if we could locate a buyer for the property.  We contracted with Century 21 in early June, and before we knew it, a "For Sale" sign was planted in the front yard.  We made a few improvements to the property to increase its "curb appeal", and settled in for a leisurely summer on the lake.  
      Our first adventure of the summer occurred in June, as we ventured over to Vermont to enjoy the Jenny Brook Bluegrass Festival in Tunbridge, Vermont.  

We had heard about this festival previously, but this was our first visit.  The venue is located on the fairgrounds in Tunbridge, nestled  among the Green Mountains, alongside Jenny Brook and it is truly a wonderful location.  The Tunbridge World's Fair began in 1867, and happens every September.  We somehow managed to score a parking area almost directly behind the main stage area, and were able to enjoy the sounds of Bluegrass music from our campsite.  Performers included The Gibson Brothers, who are our local favorites from Brainardsville, NY., Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, and the The Claire Lynch Band.  But there was another band from Virginia that really caught our attention.
 The called themselves  Nothin' Fancy, and they travel around in a YELLOW tour bus.  And I do mean yellow!  They performed several times over the weekend, and seemed to really enjoy putting on a show.  The fiddle player is a classical trained violinist and is quite comfortable playing bluegrass or Mozart. Each night after all the performances ended, they ventured out to the campsites and hosted a jam session, inviting anyone and everyone to come up and sing or play.  Amazingly, attendees aged 10-80 joined in and tried their hand at performing.  Nothin' Fancy are very talented musicians, and made the festival experience a little more special.  They have their own Festival in Buena Vista, VA every September, and Debbie and I are hoping to get down there one day.

   









      I have no idea why I would think this was going to be a leisurely summer!  "Summer Projects" just seemed to keep multiplying, in anticipation of the sale of our home in Mooers.

     Trees had to be cleared at the camp to make room for a garage and a parking spot for Big Red.  It was time to call in the professionals!  So after a small do it yourself project to get things rolling, we called in the big guns!

     In mid-July, still without a buyer on our other house, Secore Excavation arrived to begin the clearing of our property.  Debbie and I stood in amazement as more and more equipment rumbled up our driveway.  Soon Richard, the father, was maneuvering the excavator around, knocking down trees in every direction, as his two sons, Mathew and Andre, struggled to keep up with chain saws, bulldozer, and trucks, moving the debris from the property.  Our neighbor Andy anxiously awaited the delivery of 10' logs of pine, maple and cherry, over to his work site, where they would be cut, split and stacked for drying.  Did I mention that Andy is 80 years old, and cuts and splits wood all summer long?  He's been known to wear out a grandson or two over summer vacation!

     As Debbie cautiously supervised the clearing of the property, it became more and more evident that these guys knew exactly what they were doing, and any fears or concerns we were experiencing were not justified.  Well, maybe not exactly!  

For some reason, the camp decided to move over a few feet, just as a tree was coming down, and the results looked much worse than they actually were.  I've heard about this phenomena occurring in parking lots, where inanimate objects suddenly move, striking vehicles.  But I had never witnessed a house moving!  Dishes and glasses were rattled inside, but nothing was broken, and repairs to the camp were soon completed.

By the end of the week, our previously wooded lot was cleared enough to allow parking of Big Red up at camp.  Phase 1 of our Summer Project was completed, and the Master Plan was coming together.  No buyer for the house in Mooers, but camp renovations were progressing smoothly. Summer 2016 was definitely bringing changes into our world!