Home again, home again

Ah, it was good to sleep in our own bed last night, crowded though it was. LB believes his best place is lying immediately next to my head so I had a few moments where I woke up sputtering on fur. Tolstoi took his place next to Alan and Turtle wandered by every now and then. Even amongst all this activity, we both slept well. Now, a day to reacclimate, do laundry, get food, and get ready for the week.

Tolstoi looks great and it appears the meds are helping his irritable bowel syndrome. The others are fine -- needing a good brushing. Thanks to Kim and Aunt Barb for their excellent care. Tolstoi particularly appreciate the rotisserie chicken that Barb brought over!

Friday night we had a nice dinner with Jacques and Jenn, with beautiful lamb and steak from Lobel's and all the best vegetables Vermont can offer -- swiss chard, lettuce, fresh peas. We will miss the produce.

Yesterday, we took Rte 2 down to Burlington which was a marked improvement over 100c, which had been our route of choice. Construction and congestion have made the last half hour of that drive just a chore. The Rte 2 method puts you on the interstate at Montpelier and from there it's a quick 45 minutes to an exit quite close to the airport.

Came home to a note from Hardy with the following recipes. Apparently, he's got his eye on a T3 from the local Orvis store.

Red Beans and Rice

1 lb red beans
1 lb sausage
1 onion
1 bell pepper
Cajun seasoning to taste

Cajun seasoning*

5 T salt
2 T cayenne
1 T white pepper
1 T black pepper
1/2 T garlic powder
1/2 T onion powder
1 T paprika

* This is pretty strong so use sparingly. (Hardy, you'll be happy to know that Camp now has cayenne and cumin.)

Lemon Pepper Pork marinade

1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 T cracked pepper
5 cloves garlic
salt

The lake is warming up

Another sunny day dawned here in Averill -- bright blue sky with fluffy white clouds dotting the horizon. The wind is from the north so the weather should hold for tomorrow. With six days of sun, the lake has warmed measurably. I wouldn't call it warm but it's not the frigid experience it was on Saturday, that's for sure.

Thursday brought more Harry Potter (really good), more puzzling, more naps in the hammock, more kayaking, more swimming, more sleeping in the sun. We also took an evening trip over to the Connecticut to Junction Pool. It was a beautiful evening although we never did figure out what they would bite on. Alan lost a bunch on an elkwing caddis but that didn't prove to have lasting appeal. We did see a mink which surfaced briefly on a rock before heading back into the water -- Alan's second of the week and Carole's first.

Back at Camp, we had a late dinner of Solomon's boneless ribs (wishing for Hardy's rub), fresh peas, spinach, and beet greens. About 10pm, headlights flashed in the driveway and Jacques, Jenn, and Bandit arrived to start their week. Late night visiting on the porch took us to midnight and bed.

Goodbyes and Hellos

Last morning with Hardy dawned with Alan running out for more eggs to prepare for "Cajun Breakfast" super-charged by Dawn's andouille sausage. The morning was already too short -- and gorgeous. Yet another calm Averill dawn with colors of mauve and rose.

Following breakfast, Hardy packed up shop and went with Alan down to the ponds for one last casting session. Hardy landed three brookies and Alan had four (such an over-achiever) in the short time before the long drive to Burlington.

As the deadline loomed for departure.....Carole arrived at the ponds with a 10 cast limit, strictly enforced. In this case, training and prior shock therapy prevailed and Alan reeled right up. Hardy, however, was not so well oriented as to how things were going to be and required further cajoling (we don't shock guests--yet). Alas, despite everyone's best wishes, it was time to go and we set off for BTV.

Amidst strains of banjo and fiddle, we sailed southward. Within about 15 minutes, young Reichel was horizontal and snoozing hard. Alan and Carole enjoyed tunes from Mecuen & Salazar and Leo Kottke down into Johnson. Stopped at Edelweiss for lunch -- nice sandwiches enjoyed in one of the loveliest gardens we had ever seen (with a water feature). Sweets purchased included eclairs, ginger snaps, "gnomes--??," raspberry shortbread, almond croissant, and a peanut-butter chocolate cookie sandwich. Hardy was begging surrender as we approached Burlington airport.

Airport logistics worked through, we said fond goodbyes, and waved behind glass as Hardy got onto the plane.

Returning a less traveled route, a bit longer, we still got in in time to take a nice canoe ride around the lake with Priscilla from the Lakeview Store. As we circumnavigated a deliciously calm Lake Averill, we talked and we visited and we looked and we wondered where were the loons.

The answer appeared on our own beach as we returned from the ride -- a mature loon hanging out about 15 feet from shore. S/he didn't bat an eye as the canoe drifted in -- just gave a couple of warning 'coots' -- and ignored us as we first watched in wonder and then (as mosquito feeding frenzy set in) banked the canoe. Such calm, such beauty, hello.