Author Archives: Sparky
Winding down the marina season
The marina closes October 15, but business has been very slow since Labor Day. Once the kids are back in school the lake is used mostly by fishermen – and now duck hunters. But very few pontoon rentals. So a day at the marina consists of minor chores and hours of reading, doing Sudoku and … Continue reading
Montreal, Quebec
Montreal is in an entirely different country, yet it is less than 2 hours from our place on Lake Champlain. We could drive to Montreal in half the time it takes to drive to Boston. And, on a Thursday a couple of weeks ago, we did. We left at 8:30am and returned at 4:30pm. We … Continue reading
Plattsburgh NY
By most measures – including “as the crow flies” – we are closer to Plattsburgh, NY, than we are to Burlington, VT. When we Googled the nearest Walmart we found that it was in Plattsburgh. But we never went to Plattsburgh, despite its proximity. Until two weeks ago. Why? Because it is a ferry ride … Continue reading
Sierra surgery
Way back in June I was informed that my 2005 GMC Sierra pickup truck would need a new head gasket. For those of you who aren’t familiar with internal combustion engines, the head gasket is a large, complex gasket that fits between the engine block and the “head” – the piece that caps the cylinders. … Continue reading
Burlington, with friends
Thank God for family and friends. We might have never seen Burlington this summer had we not had guests. I have already reported on the visit by Jett’s sisters. More recently we spent a very pleasant afternoon with my college roommate, Roger, and his lovely wife Nancy. It was a day when Jett was feeling … Continue reading
Champlain Valley Fair
Jett and I like street fairs. We like county fairs. We like state fairs. So of course we went to the Champlain Valley Fair when it was in town in August. The “Champlain Valley” encompasses several counties in northern Vermont, but not the entire state, so it is somewhere between a county fair and a … Continue reading
The ever-changing view from the marina
Even on a dreary day the view from the marina office is pleasant. On a sunny day – or a stormy day with sunny breaks – the view can be absolutely breathtaking. I particularly like the marina when the sun gets low in the sky and long shadows mix with bright boat profiles.
Bored at the marina
The marina was very busy this summer, except for those few days when the weather was bad. But even on those days I had maintenance chores to keep me busy: power-washing the pontoon boats, replacing worn boards on the docks, etc. Now, post-Labor Day, business has fallen off the cliff. On Sunday the wind was … Continue reading
RV water torture. the continuing saga
Our fresh water overflow problem is back. After mysteriously disappearing two months ago, it reappeared after I (belatedly) replaced the anode rod in our hot water heater a couple of days ago. To perform that little task, I had to turn off the water supply for about 20 minutes. A few hours after turning the … Continue reading
Headstone hunting
As you may know, I have been spending a large portion of my free time researching Jett’s ancestors. One branch of her family lived – and died – in Vermont. According to my records, six of them were buried in the Pine Grove Cemetery in North Springfield, VT. Despite it being the permanent resting place … Continue reading