A little more Wawbeek ....

taken on New Years Eve  a few years back.

 Happy memories of  New Years Eve with family and friends at our "home away from home". We strapped on snowshoes and wandered through the woods, down to the lake, only to return back to the main lodge and sit by the fire. Wilson, the owners chocolate standard poodle, came wandering through , checking out if everything was in order. If we would leave our room door open, he happily meandered in to pay a visit.

The leather couches with the warm wool blankets were perfect for a snooze or looking through any number of Adirondack books that were just waiting to be picked up.  Nothing like sitting in a "great camp", reading about the "great camps"! At least now, we had all the creature comforts!  I'm not sure that I would have loved some of the rough life experiences. Unlike my two brothers, I'm not drawn to "roughing it"!  No running water (let alone hot water), no lights, heat, coffee maker .... hummmm... nah.  I'm even more grateful now to be ushering in 2012!!!

 

Happy New Year!!!

Santa Fe ...

... an inspiration for anyone who loves art.

It's hard to describe what happens when you set off on foot through Santa Fe, New Mexico. A quick jog around a neighborhood is the hors d'oeuvres to the "full meal". (Canyon Trail will be its own post!). These beautifully carved wooden, bigger than life angels were particularly captivating. Their expressions and colors seemed to keep your eye roving over the detail the craftsman shared.

Walking to another section of this beautiful city, the bronze statues emerge. It's hard to find words to describe these incredible pieces. I wonder what it feels like to be the artist looking at the cold metal that has come to life.

 Some of the work shows up in surprising places.  The fact that it catches you off guard grabs your mind a little bit more. I want to be in that artist mind at the moment that the creation takes form!

  

I wonder, does the power of the statue come through the artist? Is it a spirit from within? I have to think so.

And, here the spirit from within has found it's way out ... happy and content, in a city that is unique and beautiful!

Saranac Lake .. and a jouney back ....

 ... to growing up in this wonderful little town.

Ahhh .... the beauty of the Adirondacks looking out from the back side of Mt Pisgah. 

I don't think there is one person who grew up in Saranac Lake, New York who doesn't have memories of Mt Pisgah. This is where I learned to ski - torturous as it was at the time, I made it through the tears and conviction of NEVER doing this again; only to emerge as a possessed teen with the need to be on my skis, looking for that special someone to blow in my mittens to warm up my fingers. Night skiing was the best .. the lights, lightly falling snow, the T-bar pulling us up the mountain and I do believe that I recall hearing music.  After a couple of runs, we would put our skis in the stand up holders, go buy some popcorn and sit by the potbelly stove to thaw out.  All such wonderful memories! Hummmm, and, I do believe there is a very special ring lost on that mountain.

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And, here is St Bernard's School.  No childhood is complete without wearing the Catholic School uniform, complete with white blouses and Patty Pan collars!

The town hall holds such wonderful memories of the teen canteen dances, Winter Carnival events  .... and it was where my Dad worked as a policeman.  Now the fact that he was a policeman in the town that I was TRYING to grow up in is a story in and of itself!

This was the lake that I grew up on.  If you could see the shoreline on the left, you would find our "big House" and the 5 cabins.  I recall standing on our dock on Sunday mornings and hearing the friars sing - in that big building half way up the mountain. 

This was the motel and small pond that I walked by each day on my way home from school or hanging out downtown.  I never tired of this view and always stopped to see the water run under the road, looking for frogs and fish.  Such a simple pleasure.

 

 I use to love to ride my bike along McKenzie Pond Road, passing by the pond and knowing that ahead there was a an uphill stretch to contend with.  No dilly dallying here! Just whiz on by!

Much like Mt Pisgah, no child could escape the allure of  Mountain Mist.  Anyone recall the custard dipped in the red cherry shell?!  Oh man .... messy but so wonderfully delicious.  That, alternated with the sprinkles ..... happy memories.

I never made it into Robert Lewis Stevenson's cottage .... because all I wanted to do was get the the animal farm just beyond it.  It was tiny but I loved putting my money in the machine to get the pellets to feed the animals. I just loved it there.

The library was such a cool little place.  My memory of childhood was going there, sitting at the little table and reading the Edith and Mr Bear books!  Even today, I still read them to my granddaughter, just as I did to her mother! 

Everyone who came to town to visit had to be brought to "The Little Red" Schoolhouse.  It was so cute.  But ..... turn around from "Little Red" and the picture below is what you would see.  Who could ask for a better town to grow up in?!

The incredible Alaskian Native ...

... art of beading and the making of fur and leather parkas is an art form that has been passed down for years. 

The beading is beautifully done with vibrant colors and tight design. On display were many different pieces of clothing.... jackets, boots, mittens.  I recall that the technique utilizes two strings of thread so that if one string breaks, the beads remain secure with the other.

I wondered how long it would take to make a jacket like this or a pair of boots ... I could expect to receive them "next year".  And, the next natural question was, "And, how much would it cost me?" Although I don't recall the exact amount, I do remember thinking that it was well beyond what I could afford. However, after watching a coat being made, I seriously doubt that there is anything that we could by in a store that would provide the beauty, warmth and wind protection that these beautiful pieces would provide.

The Alaskian Native home utilzes the natural resource of grass. The beautiful color of the lush grass against the hand cut logs is a stricking contrast. Smoke billowing from the smoke stack coming through the grass roof had a beauty of its own.

Food was stored in this elevated cabin that was also used to hang the pelts to be dried.

The end result of this delicate art of beading and using pelts for clothing was a magnificent jacket. I felt that I had been given a special gift to watch the beading and to "experience" the results.  My breath was taken away when this beautiful woman raised the hood over her head.  Just stunning!

A funny thing happened .... in Aruba.

Ahhhh ... there is nothing like the feel of the tropical sun, the fine white sand shifting through your toes, the tropical winds blowing across your skin and sitting by the water's edge with you brain in neutral. 

 And, those wild and crazy scampering lizards are about a foot and a half long.  They love to share your space at the outdoor restaurants, which are filled with people eating breakfast.

Walking the board walk, returning from purchasing the morning Double D coffee, you get to do your major reading of the day. This is about all your brain can handle; and, perhaps it's too much as we had to return each day only to read it yet again!

Sunset are beautiful, turning the sky into the most magnificent colors imaginable.  It looks surreal.

There is great beauty in the cactus plant but it's certainly not what  you want to wrap your arms around any time soon!

 One of my favorite afternoon activities was to visit the butterfly exhibit.  Here is the tidbit that makes it so interesting - if you go in the afternoon, the butterflies put on a special "show".  Apparently, they just love to drink the fermented juice of the oranges and by afternoon they are "drunk". They can barely fly and do some amazing acrobatics.  You have to be careful where you step in order to protect them from their demise.

 After visiting the butterflies, it's appropriate to head to the hut bar for an Arubian Balashi beer. Ahhhhh that Balashi beer is a wonderful treat! It becomes perfectly clear why those butterflies like the fermented fruit!

 Do you think that perhaps the problem with my husband's sneakers is due to the Balashi beer? I laughed hysterically when we noticed the problem ... at the beginning of our vacation!

Memories of the Wawbeek Inn ....

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.... are hard to put into words; but, I am going to give it a shot!

The feelings of pure excitement were hard to contain driving on the woodland road of the former Wawbeek Inn near Tupper Lake, New York. The short drive from the main road into one of the old Adirondack Lodges, always promised to reveal the enchantment of this historic part of the Adirondacks. 

Walking or snowshoeing around the property always brought you to yet another special piece of what made up this old great camp. The outdoor lights were beautifully draped in the newly fallen snow, enhancing their color combinations that created their own "glow".

The snowman, regardless of whether it was winter or summer, was just another happy spot on the property. He sat by the beginning of the trail that took you down to the waterfront.

Each one of the lodges had breathtaking views. Even with sub-zero temperatures, you couldn't help but linger on the porches to catch the ever changing scene as the lighting changed with the day. Winter couldn't even prevent the call of the mountains and the lakes. They were mesmerizing.

The entrance to the restaurant was "guarded" by the welcoming snowman. The restaurant was small but filled with warmth, laughter, wonderful staff and food.  After dinner, you would climb the split staircase that surrounded the walk-in fireplace, to the second floor. Ahhhh, and here was where the day ended in a room with a small bar, many comfy leather couches, small game tables and live music that just made you stay even longer. All this and the crackling fire ....you just knew you were "home". 

The sleigh was one of those special spots to drift to with coffee in hand.  It sat just outside one of the cabins and it clearly represented years gone by when families would arrive at their camps ..... never to imagine that many years later, guests at what was then their home, would only dream about what it must have been like to "live" here..

This view from our room, the crackle of the fire and its sweet aroma, waiting for my cousin and his wife to join us .... was a moment to cherish.

But, the visits had to end and the road inevitably had to lead is back out. Most times, we knew that it wouldn't be long before we would return.  The last trip out, before the property was sold and later torn down, was very sad.  But, the memories of the Wawbeek Inn are solidly in place.  Now, if I can just make sure that the aging process doesn't disturb them!