August 8

We were out of the slip at Chipman’s Point Marina by 7:15 and headed up the lake on flat water.  The mountains on the New York side rise up out of the water abruptly leaving no possibility of stopping along that shore. So we committed to the VT shore for the time being. There were no winds to worry about anyway. 

I watched the shapes of the mountains gradually disappear in the haze as my puddles reached their vanishing point astern.  Rowing unobstructed with no worry about other boats, buoys, or obstructions is a sculler’s dream.  I almost fall asleep swinging along in a mesmerized state.  Two hours of non-stop rowing went by before I decided to rest my seat and lie back on the pile of boat cushions and PFDs I had built as my resting place. A nice new bumper we had purchased at the Schuler Yacht Basin was positioned perfectly as lumbar support. The folded oar bag was my pillow in the bow. With my fisherman’s hat set on top of my face it was possible to doze off completely for a few minutes.  Such rests became more frequent as the day went on, the temperature climbed and my endurance between rests decreased.  Consumption of water and Gatorade also increased. My tan is getting about as dark as I ever remember it being but I am not burned.

I had called Margaret Carothers, Executive Director of the Addison County Habitat Affiliate, to alert her that we were approaching. She had agreed to meet us, help us retrieve the car and take us in for the night at their farm in New Haven, VT near Middlebury.  We called from the boat to tell her that we would be at the Chimney Point boat ramp near the eastern end of the Champlain Bridge. She arrived shortly after we did and took me off to find Chipman’s point and the car. She gave me directions to Nash Farm where she and her husband, Peter, lived.

After picking up Heather and the boat, stopping for a huge homemade ice cream at the not-to-be-missed Bridge End restaurant, we drove the half hour inland to find Nash Farm.  It was a really charming old farmhouse, beautifully landscaped and positioned on the side of the New Haven River a clear stream we immediately found ourselves swimming in. Lolling in the current holding onto a snag of wood was great therapy for an over heated body. Toby and Ruby, their two dogs joined us and swam for the sticks and stones thrown out for them to retrieve.  The healthy smell of the cornfields and farmland around us was wonderful. This countryside was very different from our New Hampshire home but I must admit, almost as nice.

We returned to the house to help with the preparation of an excellent and elegantly presented meal of steak and homegrown vegetables.  We met their son who ran a landscaping business and nursery on the farm.  His lively and healthy attitude toward life was refreshing and reminded us of our own children who we hope are as happy with what they are doing as he.   He feigned not being interested in joining us for dinner but piece-by-piece finished the portion he would have been served as we talked to him. I was very impressed by the relationship he had with his fine parents.  As the conversation progressed we discovered that we shared very close friends, Happy and Clark Griffiths, as well as many interests. Peter is a consulting engineer who is an internationally recognized expert designing systems for the recovery of methane gas from landfills, coal mines and the like and gave me some interesting insights into the economics of recycling this potential source of energy. I have had an interest in the systems used in China and India for digesting human waste and producing energy to light and heat homes for some time. This seems to me a far more sensible solution than what we do in the U.S. with our sewage.

We spent another hour or two in conversation before retiring to our elegant quarters for a fine night’s sleep.