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ADK Oasis Highlawn: Looking West (Source: Julia Rebecca Photography)
If you’ve ever wanted to visit the Adirondack Coast, I have some good news for you. Late last year we decided to purchase a new property north of Rosslyn, and as of last month we’ve launched an AirBnB that we’re calling ADK Oasis (www.adkoasis.com as well as www.airbnb.com and @adkoasis). (Updated in 2019 to ADK Oasis Highlawn to distinguish it from second adjoining vacation rental we’re calling ADK Oasis Lakeside.)
Susan and I have been variously involved in the vacation rental market for a few years. I developed a luxury property called Maison Margaux in Paris’s Faubourg Saint-Germain almost two decades ago, and Susan and I launched Adobe Oasis (www.adobeoasis.com) is Santa Fe, New Mexico’s Historic Eastside in 2013. We’ve come to believe that the distinctly authentic and immersive travel experience made possible with well designed, well located, and well maintained vacation rentals is one of the best concepts in travel accommodation. And given the somewhat slender “bed base” in our region, we’re hoping to provide an alternative for visitors eager to discover the Adirondack Coast lifestyle.
ADK Oasis Highlawn
Commanding a panoramic view of Lake Champlain and Vermont’s Green Mountains, this totally private vacation rental is nestled into into lush landscape on seven lakeside acres. Renters rave about the revitalizing rhythm as much as the view. And the fire pit in summer, fire pit in winter. With a well stock, open plan kitchen, you’ll love chef-ing up locally produced ingredients. With kayaks, paddleboard, snowshoes, and all sorts of revitalizing activities waiting for you, we’re hoping that you’ll fall in love with ADK Oasis, your very own Adirondack sanctuary on the Adirondack Coast.
Here’s a sneak peek at our ADK Oasis Highlawn vacation rental.
ADK Oasis Highlawn (Source: Julia Rebecca Photography)
ADK Oasis Highlawn Firepit (Source: Julia Rebecca Photography)
ADK Oasis Highlawn Pebble Beach (Source: Julia Rebecca Photography)
ADK Oasis Highlawn Pebble Beach (Source: Julia Rebecca Photography)
ADK Oasis Highlawn Living Room (Source: Julia Rebecca Photography)
ADK Oasis Highlawn: Deck View (Source: Julia Rebecca Photography)
ADK Oasis Highlawn Master Bedroom (Source: Julia Rebecca Photography)
ADK Oasis Highlawn: Workspace (Source: Julia Rebecca Photography)
ADK Oasis Highlawn: Looking West (Source: Julia Rebecca Photography)
ADK Oasis Highlawn: Looking West (Source: Julia Rebecca Photography)
Ssshhh… We’ve been keeping a little secret. Very, very soon we’ll be launching another vacation rental on the Adirondack Coast. A little north of Rosslyn and directly adjacent to our existing ADK Oasis Lakeside vacation rental we’ve been working on an exciting project that we call ADK Oasis Lakeside. With four bedrooms (max 8 people), 3.5 bathrooms, a super accommodating kitchen, window filled living room with a handsome stone fireplace, a dedicated office, an outdoor hot tub overlooking Lake Champlain and sooo many decks (and a master bedroom balcony), our visitors will be pampered from the moment they arrive.
We’ve been beavering away since last summer, 2-3 shifts of contractors daily, often 7-days a week, to meet an ambitious timeline. And we’re down to the final weeks!
It’s premature to share photographs yet, but I will soon. Until then, enjoy these renderings by our friend and architectural draftsman extraordinaire, Tiho Dimitrov (www.dimitrovdesignstudio.com).
The first / top image above shows you what awaits you when you descend the private treelike driveway. Just before you arrive at the shore of Lake Champlain, you’ll pull at at a gravel circle in front of this welcoming property. The second / lower image is looking back up at the property from the lakeside lawn. Intrigued? We hope so!
Leaf Stain Art, Detail: up close and personal with the delicate leaf stain art that will add character to our new grape deck. (Source: Eric Crowningshield)
“Leaf stain” usually refers to unsightly dark marks on pool and house decks, sidewalks, patios, etc. caused when leaves that have fallen from trees are allowed to sit long enough to discolor the surface. However the delicate silhouette of a leaf or leaves is sometimes attractive and intriguing like a fossil discovered in a stone wall or patio. In this case leaf stain needn’t detract from the beauty of exterior surfaces. Sometimes the delicate silhouette of a leaf or leaves is so beautiful that it deftly sheds the nuisance mantle and assumes the found art mantle.
It’s a matter of perspective. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, right?
And so I was pleased with I received a message and photograph from Eric Crowningshield yesterday.
Leaf Stain Art, Detail: See the delicate leaf silhouette? (Source: Eric Crowningshield)
“Just wanted to check with you before sanding this off? […] This must have been a leaf that sat on the deck. Not sure if it would stay after staining or not but definitely cool if it did.”
Of course, we kept it. It’s exquisite!
We’re grateful to Eric for noticing and preserving the leaf stain, a subtle gift from nature that will hopefully remain visible after the new garapa decking is oiled. I presume that you see the leaf stain in the first photo in this post, but can you see it in the second photo? What about this larger perspective?
Leaf Stain Art, Location: Can you spy the delicate leaf silhouette several paces from the bottom of the stairs? (Source: Eric Crowningshield)
That’s a little trickier to discern. But if you look carefully, more-or-less in the middle of the photograph, you’ll see the leaf stain. It’s eight decking boards to the left of the black grate. See it? What about in this perspective?
Leaf Stain Art, Location: Can you spy the delicate leaf silhouette several paces from the bottom of the stairs? (Source: Eric Crowningshield)
From this perspective the location of the leaf stain is eight garapa decking boards to the right of the black grate about 2/3 up from the bottom of the photo. It’s pretty well camouflaged, but I love the idea that somebody, some time will notice it. A little surprise. Like the many fossils that are hidden (in plain site) in our stone walls, it will be be fun when friends and family happen to note the natural art.
Oiling the Grape Decking
Although Hroth Ottosen finished installing the of the garapa decking a couple of weeks ago and Eric’s team wrapped up installing and sanding plugs more recently, the final step of this project is to seal the garapa decking with oil. Here’s the progress so far.
Oiling Garapa Decking: sealing progress is being made on the new deck, and the color/grain are popping dramatically. (Source: Eric Crowningshield)
What magnificent color and grain the oil brings out! That is almost exactly how the decking looks after a soaking rain, so we’ve been able to get a preview several times during installation. And this is actually a sort of IRL déjà vu from the winter of 2008 when the deck was installed for the first time. In fact, despite the exciting freshness of the redecking project, this is actually a repeat of the installation that marked the final significant project in our original Rosslyn rehabilitation. I’m planning to compose another post soon that highlights the original decking project, and another that showcases this summer’s 2022 redo. (If you’re wondering why the first deck only lasted about fourteen years, you’re asking the right question. Answer will be forthcoming soon, I promise.)
Redecking Gratitude
This is the third project that Eric Crowningshield has worked on for us, the most ambitious of which was his first, a 9-10 month epic remodel of ADK Oasis Lakeside. When we decided to purchase and remodel a second vacation rental adjoining ADK Oasis Highlawn in the middle of the pandemic, everyone thought we were nuts. How in the world did we expect to transform this property during such challenging times, especially given that we’d be in Santa Fe for many of the most challenging months of the remodel?
No sense revisiting that monumental undertaking here, but suffice to say that it never would have happened without the able leadership of Eric Crowningshield and Pam Murphy. Underpromise. Overdeliver. Every time. These two are a formidable team in and of themselves, but this summer we were even more fortunate to bring in three close friends to transform this overdue, languishing, pain in the @$$ project into a success story. Susan’s cousin, David McCabe, a carpenter/contractor in the DC-area brought decades of experience. Ed Conlin, a high school friend of Susan’s who quickly became a close friend to me (and everybody else he’s ever met) over two decades ago brought decades of construction experience. Our friend, Hroth Ottosen, a skilled carpenter who has worked for us on some singularly unique projects at our home in Santa Fe, signed on to captain this crew through the redecking project. Tony Foster, who joined our team during the ADK Oasis Lakeside project, brought his perennially flexible, impervious-to-hard-work-and-scorching-heat endurance, and upbeat demeanor to the redecking project. And Brandon, our savvy problem solving electrician rounded out the team. Actually, I’ve failed to mention some of the hardest working members of the team, the carpenters that work for Eric: Matt, Justin, Jarrett, Jason, and Andrew. But I’m getting ahead of myself…
I didn’t mean to get in so deep on the re-decking crew, not yet, but my enthusiasm got the better of me. I’ll be dedicating a full post to this dream team soon, so I’ll abbreviate this postmortem for now by acknowledging that we’re profoundly grateful to work with such conscientious, communicative, creative people. Such GOOD people. Great work ethics, but also just decent, caring, people with integrity and positive demeanors. Thank you, all!
Septembering: grapes sweetening in the vineyard (Source: Geo Davis)
September 1 should logically be indistinguishable from August 31. But it’s not. Seasonality along the Adirondack Coast is irrefutable, and possibly no season-to-season transition more apparent than the one we’re now experiencing. “Septembering” is neither sly nor subtle. Hot and humid yesterday. Crisp and chilly today. There are nuances aplenty to anticipate and enjoy in the weeks ahead, but this moment is our reminder. Summer is in retreat. Autumn is advancing.
Septembering: grapes sweetening in the vineyard (Source: Geo Davis)
Septembering Haikus
There’s something ineffable about Septembering, but anyone who’s dwelled a spell in the North Country is familiar with this shift. Temperature and barometric shift are obviously part of it, but it’s also the changing light, daylight duration, and the abundant harvest. So much colorful harvest to tempt us. And that magical sweetening of fruit in the orchard and the vineyard. Best step aside and let sparse haiku convey what I’m stumbling over.
•:•
Seasonal surreal:
autumnal art, alchemy,
tart transformation.
— Geo Davis
•:•
Dusky zinnias,
harvest-ready to welcome
arriving houseguests.
— Geo Davis
This time of year we harvest fresh bouquets of garden-to-vase blooms to welcome our guests to ADK Oasis, our lakeside vacation rental. These colorful zinnias offered this afternoon’s new arrivals a cheerful invitation to unwind and revitalize! There’s something almost garish about zinnias, the decadence of color, the abundance of petals. They are the quintessential child’s illustration of a flower in my opinion. An explosion of colorful petals to balance the creeping autumn umber.
Septembering: grapes sweetening in the vineyard (Source: Geo Davis)
Grapevines too offer a sweet is slightly surreal portrait of seasonality. Days ago these bursting fruit were too tart too eat. I’ve been tasting. And puckering. But cool night catalyze the sugars as if awakening deep memories of what grapes might taste like. This morning I ate dozens of grapes. The perfect play of tart and sweet.
Septembering: grapes sweetening in the vineyard (Source: Geo Davis)
Rosslyn’s deck has been the spring, summer, and autumn epicenter of sooo much living and laughter. This was the vision when we developed the original design program back in 2006-7, and it’s proven to be one of our best choices. A huge deck on the private west side of the house, imagined as an extension of the living room, screen porch, bar, and basically the downstairs living areas. Breakfast. Lunch. Dinner. Grilling. Cocktails. Working under the umbrella. Hanging out, socially distanced during the pandemic. Dumping wetsuits and bathings suits to dry in the sun. Hanging out with friends, dogs, birds,…
We completed construction of the deck just shy of Christmas 2008, and it symbolically concluded the most significant phase of our Rosslyn rehabilitation project. It wasn’t the finish line, not by a long shot. But after two and a half years of major salvaging, preserving, rebuilding, and rehabilitating, the house was *mostly* livable (if not 100% complete).
Demo complete! (Source: Geo Davis)
So, if completing the original deck less than sixteen years ago was so momentous, why rebuild?
Long story short, the original deck failed. Not the garapa decking which performed admirably year-after-year. But the substructure. Given our proximity to the lake, we opted to use an *innovative alternative* to pressure treated lumber that promised weather resistance and longevity without releasing noxious chemicals into the water we drink, swim in, etc. Innovative in theory, but not in reality. The lumber started to check, shake, and twist before we even installed it, and it suffered premature rot within the first couple of years. (NB: I’ll be posting an update soon-ish about repurposing the original garapa decking!)
Lumber delivery (Source: Geo Davis)
Deck Framing Culprit
Rather than dwelling on the achilles heal that lamentably undermined the integrity of three critical substructures — Rosslyn’s house deck, boathouse gangway, and waterfront stairs — I’ll just say that all three experienced premature decay and rot of the structural lumber. And all three began to fail within a few years of construction. I’ll defer to other perspectives rather than bogging down in bad news.
And the following is actually the supplier who supplied the lumber to us.
“It’s totally rotted out within four years. I’m talking rot. Total rot.” The lumber retailer in this case—Vermont’s Planet Hardwood—indicated that it stopped selling TimberSIL over increasing customer complaints and issues dealing with Timber Treatment Technologies. “… it became problematic,” said one of Planet Hardwood’s co-owners. “… we were starting to hear complaints that it was splitting in the field.” Of the firm, she said, “It was a nightmare dealing with them (Timber Treatment Technologies) and we ended up losing tons of money,” she added, according to The Daily Hampshire Gazette. (Source: TimberSIL Wood Product Tied To Allegations – Parker Waichman)
And from the same source:
A 2009 study conducted by the Oregon State University’s Department of Wood Science Engineering found that TimberSIL was “only slightly resistant to decay and would not be suitable for exterior exposures.” (Source: TimberSIL Wood Product Tied To Allegations – Parker Waichman)
Starting to get the picture?
30 homes in New Orleans’ Lower 9th Ward constructed by the Make It Right Foundation—perhaps most well-known as Brad Pitt’s rebuilding effort in the wake of Hurricane Katrina—need to have wood replaced to the tune of $150,000 over six months, as some of the homes are rotting on their outdoor steps and front porches. The product in question, TimberSIL, was specified as a chemical-free alternative to conventional treated lumber, and it came with a 40-year performance guarantee. According to TimberSIL’s website, the treated wood is a fusion of southern yellow pine and sodium silicate that is a “Class A Fire Retardant, insulator, unaffected by seawater, unaffected by heat, [and] barrier to rot, decay or insects.”
The problem at hand is that just three to five years after installation in homes constructed between 2008 and 2010, the TimberSIL is showing signs of rot… “It was unable to withstand moisture, which obviously is a big problem in New Orleans,” Royle said. (Source: When Good Intentions Go Bad | ProSales Online)
The concept of a chemical-free, glass infused alternative to conventional pressure treated lumber won us over. And regrettably it accelerated failure on all three locations that we used it.
Because the substructures began rotting virtually immediately after construction, we spent a decade and a half chasing the problem, scabbing in new lumber, etc. But within the last few years the failure was beginning to outpace our ability to provide bandaids and we scheduled replacement. And then rescheduled due to unforeseen circumstances. By last summer we’d scheduled complete demo and replacement.
Starting the new framing, July 2022 (Source: Geo Davis)
Deck Rebuild 2021
The adage “best laid plans” comes to mind. And since this chapter of Rosslyn’s deck rebuild story is shrouded in disappointment, I’ll offer only a tidy, relatively benign abstract and then get on to the good news (as there’s much more positive progress to celebrate!)
During the summer of 2021 we allowed a carpenter to sweet talk us into entrusting him with the three previously mentioned problems. Although we initially informed him that our confidence was wavering given his subpar communication and organizational record during the planning and scheduling phase, we ignored our misgivings (and the warnings of many) and allowed him to persuade us that we had nothing to worry about. He planned to start by tackling the boathouse gangway and waterfront stairway in September/October, and then he’d move on to the house deck. We’d be so impressed, he assured us, that we’d then hire him to rehabilitate the icehouse. If only he built as well as he talked!
The waterfront project was supposed to get underway last September and be finished by the end of October. Unfortunately, the contractor’s repeat mistakes, delays, unkept promises, non-communication, etc. rendered the boathouse virtually inaccessible and dangerous, but no closer to completion. Despite repeatedly reassuring us that the project would be complete on or before May 1 — yes, many months after the original deadline — he AWOL’ed in late April. After months of strained relations, the carpenter threw a temper tantrum with our property manager via telephone and then unceremoniously quit. Zero communication with us. And he never responded to my request for clarification on whether or not he was in fact abandoning his commitment or honoring the May 1 deadline that he’d repeatedly promised in recent weeks/months that he would “meet or beat”…
Multiple contractors reviewed the abandoned project, but they all concluded that he’d made so many mistakes that they’d have to undo most of his work before they could continue. And, of course, everybody was absolutely slammed. Finally, a couple of weeks from now (and smack-dab in the middle of the original project timeline one year ago) a new team will begin to undo his damage and complete the project properly.
Live and learn…
But what about the deck? As explained that stalled because the preceding project stalled. So in late spring we asked Eric Crowningshield to have his team undertake a partial demo of the worst area to see if we could shore it up for the summer and then rebuild it in the autumn. Unfortunately, exploratory demo proved how pervasive the rot.
Deck framing July, 2022 (Source: Geo Davis)
Deck Rebuild 2022
With this lengthy prologue behind, let’s look at the good news.
Once we concluded that shoring up the deck temporarily (to get through summer 2022) wasn’t an option, Susan and I weighed disrupting our short summer in Essex with construction against putting everything on ice until autumn. We decided to wait. Minimize risky summer entertaining, avoid the gaping hole in the deck, and keep our fingers crossed that we would have better luck in the fall.
That was our decision. At first. Until it changed.
Deck framing July, 2022 (Source: Geo Davis)
In a peculiar twist of fate that I’ll relate separately, our friend, Hroth Ottosen, a skilled carpenter with whom we’ve worked in Santa Fe decided to come east to discover life on Lake Champlain while tackling the deck rebuild. There is much to say about Hroth and about how this “crazy idea” came together, that really deserves its own space. Stay tuned.
Deck framing July, 2022 (Source: Geo Davis)
And in another twist of good fortune Susan’s cousin, David McCabe, slotted for a weeklong family visit mid summer opted to extend his stay for about a month to join the deck rebuild team. David’s worked as a carpenter/contractor in the DC-area for decades, so you can you see where this is going.
David McCabe framing (Source: Geo Davis)
Susan’s high school friend, Ed Conlin, has been a frequent presence for sixteen years as we’ve rehabilitated Rosslyn and lived, laughed, and celebrated at Rosslyn. He decided to head up to the Adirondack Coast to join the burgeoning deck rebuild team, bringing to bear several decades of his own construction experience.
Deck framing complete (Source: Geo Davis)
When these three decided to make it a work holiday, we knew we needed to be all-in to make this deck rebuild a success. Fortunately we were able to coordinate several of our local all stars into the mix.
Suffice to say that it never would have happened without the able leadership of Eric Crowningshield and Pam Murphy. Underpromise. Overdeliver. Every time. These two are a formidable team in and of themselves. (Source: Leaf Stain Art – Rosslyn Redux)
Add to the mix Eric’s reliable, skilled, and hardworking team: Matt, Justin, Andrew, Jarrett, and Jason. Several of these guys had already helped with the early exploratory demo, and now they were ready for a full deck rebuild.
And, last but definitely not least, Tony and Brandon Dumas.
Tony Foster, who joined our team during the ADK Oasis Lakeside project, brought his perennially flexible, impervious-to-hard-work-and-scorching-heat endurance, and upbeat demeanor to the redecking project. And Brandon, our savvy problem solving electrician rounded out the team. (Source: Leaf Stain Art – Rosslyn Redux)
I’ve blathered on pretty long already, so let’s change things up and showcase some of the photos and videos I’ve posted during the deck rebuild. (Note: I’ll publish another post soon that just focuses on the garapa decking since that’s a whole different adventure…)
Garapa decking delivery (Source: Geo Davis)
Photo / Video Essay
The following Instagram posts offer a glimpse into the deck rebuild process. I’ll try to add a few more videos soon.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cf9pOJ4A4T0/
That little video betrays my exuberance in the early days of this project!
https://www.instagram.com/p/CgJ1KioufYE/
A little further progress, although the early steps were gradual, taking time for precise measurements and sound structure since it effects everything that comes afterward.
I collaborated with John Brookhouse of 1o’Clock Multimedia on a “long winded” but amusing Google Search vignette which was part of Redacting Rosslyn v1.0 at The Depot Theatre in Westport, New York in August 2011. Although I concepted the content and story arc, and even most of the search queries, Brookhouse was the video maestro who morphed my vision into a far more creative story than I could have managed on my own.
Google Assisted Renovation
The idea of a digital story about the role the interwebs played in Rosslyn’s renovation had been with me for a while. Google, above all others had been my constant companion, mentor, coach and materials source. I’m certain we couldn’t have successfully undertaken such an ambitious project with such limited experience, etc. in the pre-interwebs dark ages. Or even in the pre-Google days. Do you remember those days? Crinkly paper with sepia images locked up in libraries far away just when you need them most. Bleak.
Google Search Stories
Google Search Coupon: 1 FREE Google Search (Photo credit: Bramus!)
So the vision for the story had been composting in piles of typed words until I saw the inspired and inspiring “Parisian Love” video which was an instant viral sensation.
Finally I had a way to tell my story! I experimented with the Google Search Stories tool, creating a slew of clunky Rosslyn search videos. Soon I realized that I needed a collaborator with more sophisticated videography chops. Brookhouse was a patient and enjoyable collaborator. We’ll continue to work together in the future. Not only did he produce the clever video above for me to use in my performance, he helped educate me about video storytelling. At the time I was a video rote amateur. Now I’m just an amateur, in the French sense, a lover of video. Though I’m still a largely unskilled lover of video, I’ve begun to appreciate its nuances, limitations and unique storytelling potential.
Multimodal Storytelling
I’m especially intrigued with the interplay of traditional (oral) storytelling, print/text storytelling ,and digital storytelling. I believe we’re entering a time where we’ll see further and further blending of multimodal storytelling. This is especially exciting for me in the case of Rosslyn which includes years of photographs, drawings and a vast cast of engaging if somewhat eccentric characters. The opportunity to dilate this narrative beyond the limits of pages, books and oral storytelling is compelling. The opportunity for a more interactive storytelling matrix invites collaboration among many instead of one solitary writer scribbling away from the limited crow’s nest of his own head.
Thanks for diving into Rosslyn’s story. Together we’ll do her proud.
It’s time to evict our friendly nocturnal neighbors from Rosslyn’s cozy attic and soffits. We bid fond farewell for now. Bye-bye, bats.
A Jeroboam of gratitude to the the Nature’s Way Pest Control team for painstakingly and humanely remediating our “bats in the belfry”. With a keen eye to supporting our threatened Chiroptera population (white nose syndrome) and acting as responsible wildlife stewards, we scheduled around the breeding and maturation habits of the bats. Only once the young were grown and fledged did we proceed with sealing the entry points and installing one-way exit baffles to ensure that all of the beds would safely leave when they became hungry, but would be unable to re-enter. This method was, per assurance of Nature’s Way Pest Control, meticulously premeditated in the interest of preserving a healthy bat population. Hope they are right!
Although the term “pest control” rubs me wrong — after all it’s invariably subjective since one being’s pest may well being another’s pleasure — bat remediation had become a necessity and we were grateful to have an eco-friendly alternative in our region of upstate New York. The rise in white nose syndrome, a fungal disease that has decimated a significant portion of our native North American bat population, has heightened our awareness of bats and the vital roll they fill in our ecosystem.
If everything goes to plan, the bats will completely evacuate the attic and soffits, and the one-way exit tubes can be removed, securing the spaces for the future. Sorry to be inhospitable, insect-feasting nighttime acrobats. You’re welcome to move into the carriage barn, and next spring we will build you a bad house.
This handsome bobcat (Lynx rufus) was photographed with game camera in one of our meadows on January 2, 2016. Friend and Essex neighbor John Davis mounted the camera about a month ago. In addition to photographs of deer, turkeys, and rabbits he discovered four images (from two separate occasions) of this healthy bobcat. In fact, he thinks it might possibly have been two separate bobcats.
“What joy to have such lovely creatures on our lands!” ~ John Davis
It truly is absolutely wonderful. I can’t believe that this sly feline has been slinking around in our back woods/meadows, and yet I’ve never one spied him/her. Not even a footprint. Here’s the sequence of three consecutive photographs as the bobcat walked past the trail camera.
Bobcat photographed on Rosslyn trail cam January 2, 2016.
Bobcat photographed on Rosslyn trail cam January 2, 2016.
Bobcat photographed on Rosslyn trail cam January 2, 2016.
I look forward to other surprises over the course of the winter. Thanks, John, for another Rosslyn safari installment!
Bobcat Behavior
Wondering about the elusive, rarely witnessed but apparently [increasingly] common bobcat? I did. I do. How does Lynx rufus traverse our wild (and not-so-wild) places without being more frequently documented?
The bobcat is crepuscular. It keeps on the move from three hours before sunset until about midnight, and then again from before dawn until three hours after sunrise. Each night it will move from 2 to 7 mi (3.2 to 11.3 km) along its habitual route. This behavior may vary seasonally, as bobcats become more diurnal during fall and winter in response to the activity of their prey, which are more active during the day in colder months. (Source: Wikipedia)
[Update: I revisited this post on the Essex on Lake Champlain community blog with a few ruminations and evolutions.]
Crepuscular is a cool (but decidedly un-onomatopoetic) word for the gloaming. Twilight. Cocktail hour… And this, neighbors, might have something to do with the bobcat’s invisibility. Although cocktail hour also seems to be the most oft reported Champy sightings, so maybe my logic is off! Maybe the peripatetic… behavior of Lynx rufus is a more likely explanation for infrequent sightings. Always on the move. Sly. Stealthy. (Source: Lynx rufus (Bobcat) Sighting in Essex)
Hoping to learn more about the habits of our local bobcats, and possibly (fingers, arms, and eyes crossed) we’ll even get lucky and report another bobcat sighting…
I’m slowly catching up on a backlog of game camera photographs from last winter. Today I’d like to share new bobcat images from January 2017, though I’m not 100% certain when the handsome cat prowled our meadows because I failed to reset the time/date stamp when I installed the camera. (Note that the default date shown in the images is incorrect.)
Unfortunately these more recent bobcat images didn’t turn out quite as nicely as those from last winter’s bobcat sighting (see best photo below), but the cat sure does look robust and healthy.
One of the new bobcat images captured on trail cam, January 2017
It fascinates me to think that these toothy predators occasionally visit us, and yet I’ve never laid eyes on one in person. Some day…
2016 Bobcat Visitor
If you missed last winter’s bobcat sighting, then here’s the highlight photograph.
Bobcat Sighting (January 2, 2016)
This handsome bobcat (Lynx rufus) was photographed with game camera in one of our meadows… I can’t believe that this sly feline has been slinking around in our back woods/meadows, and yet I’ve never one spied him/her. Not even a footprint. (Source: Bobcat Sighting)
More Local Bobcats
Wildlife Trail Camera: Bobcat walking through snow (Credit: John Davis)
Bobcats in our area like rocky hills for dens and sunning places, woods and meadows for hunting rodents and rabbits, swamps for hunting Muskrats, and frozen ponds, for patrolling edges where small rodents may appear. They can live fairly near people but generally avoid getting too close to us. Perhaps because they’ve evolved a fear of tool-wielding bipedal mammals, they are most active at night and dawn and dusk…” (“Lynx rufus: Our Resilient Bobcat”)
Wildways scout John Davis has written multiple articles on the Essex on Lake Champlain blog about local wildlife, including these two about bobcats: “Lynx rufus: Our Resilient Bobcat”and “Why Bobcats Should Be Protected.” If you want to learn more about our wild neighbors read through his accounts!
Plain as cuspid skull, winter’s lumbering bandit, furred, furtive, no more.
Sometime poems, even haiku, compose themselves. Or nearly so.
When I reached out to ask if anyone recognized the skull that appeared mysteriously behind the carriage barn recently, I received several helpful responses. Joel (@mountain_man_fur) and Heather (@evergreen_lakeside_living) were the most prompt and the most decisive. Raccoon. The skull was once the proud noggin of a raccoon (Procyon lotor). Some quick research cross referencing visuals, and I agreed.
This sent me digging back into our trail cam photos and videos from last fall, winter, and spring.
Rosslyn Raccoon (Source: Geo Davis)
I included a mini video on Instagram. Portly raccoon swaggering, lumbering into and past the camera.
At root, this is a memento mori, of sorts. A reminder of the fleeting gift of mortality. Won’t dwell in that further now. Instead I’ll close with the first visual to confirm the raccoon hypothesis.
Seasonality might strike you as a strange menu for organizing a blog (and an even stranger way to navigate a narrative.) But in many respects it may well be the *only* useful way to structure a circular story that’s slim on plot, chronically achronological, and deeply immersed in the poetics of place.
Summer’s End
As if on cue, rain, frost, acrimonious wind summon summer’s end. — Geo Davis
I often romance sunrise and to a lesser degree, sunset, powerful circadian rhythm markers. There are likewise singularly potent seasonal markers along our Adirondack shore of Lake Champlain that punctuate notable transitions, from summer-to-autumn, for example. Some are relatively fluid such as hauling and winterizing the boats, removing the docks, and the colorful drama of our much anticipated fall foliage. Each of these examples are determined approximately by the calendar but more precisely by weather changes, prevailing temperatures, the scheduling particularities of our protean paths through life, etc. Less fluid examples of seasonality during this same period include harvesting ripe apples in the orchard, first hard frost of the autumn, and the mysteriously consistent Labor Day weekend meteorological shift. With respect to this last marker, most years we enjoy a lengthy “Indian summer”, but Labor Day — with startling predictability — plunges us into chilly, usually rainy weather as if on cue.
Seasonality: Winter (Source: Geo Davis)
What Is Seasonality?
The concept of seasonality is often cited in the context of business (i.e. financial market and sales forecasting) and healthcare (i.e. patient and virus fluctuations), but let’s consider the idea of seasonality in a less confined context. Let’s look at the root of the word, for starts. Season. I imagine we’re all pretty clear what we mean when referencing the annual rhythm of the seasons, the periodic ebb and flow of monthly rituals, and even their fluctuations in variations. Seasonality is those periodic patterns, variations that recur at predictable or semi predictable intervals year after year.
Seasonality: Spring (Source: Geo Davis)
Rosslyn Seasonality
Our mind easily conceives of seasonality’s periodic points, references for rhythm and repetition, but I think we might need to do a little more work to grok the idea of seasonally recurring events and transitions at Rosslyn, so let’s push a little further.
In keeping with my goal to curate and convey the narrative of our Rosslyn years I’m essaying to distill and disentangle, gather cohesive collections, often thematically tied, sometimes chronologically structured, and often enough coalescing around seasonality. Excuse the clunkiness. It’s a work in progress.
I have remarked elsewhere that Susan and I aspired to recalibrate our lives when we moved from Manhattan to Essex. It was a desire to embrace the art of a slow living. Part intentionality and part immersion in the here and now. We yearned to savor the unique gifts of each passing period of the year. It was a comprehensive paradigm shift away from our habitual efficiency and productivity and busyness, and it wasn’t an easy shift. It was a paradigm shift toward creativity not only in the most active sense of making, but also in the embrace of essentialism. A mindfulness focused on learning and appreciating and investing ourselves in the many microscopic moments of homeownership and rehabilitation and adaptation and outdoor living and gardening and sporting recreation and… living fully and intentionally all of the magnificent processes of our new existence. Yielding to seasonality meant rebooting our lives and our work from New York City to upstate New York, from the quintessential metropolitan hub to its veritable antithesis. It meant homemaking in the North Country, only 5+ hours away by car but a world away in terms of the rhythms and rituals, and even many of the values.
So, what sorts of seasonality, what specific rhythms help punctuate our Rosslyn lifestyle?
I will try to jumpstart your navigation through Rosslyn seasonality with prior posts that offer glimpses into precise instances of seasonality. I will continue to update this post as I revisit and revise older posts and as I compose new ones. If you’re inclined to seasonality as a way of organizing your own experiences, please bookmark this post and reference it in the future as a window into our Rosslyn adventure. (And if you find the idea too contrived or too procrustean for your taste, rest assured, there are a great many other ways for you to navigate this mosaic-memoir.)
Seasonality: Summer (Source: Geo Davis)
Try These Posts
Consider this an evolving outline of my posts explicitly or implicitly treating the topic of seasonality. I will revisit and update when helpful.
December 2014: “In recent years December has given us our first real blast of winter. A premature blast usually because early December snows have usually melted by Christmas…”
De-Icing the Duck Pond: “Let me start by saying that we don’t have a duck pond. We have a lake. Lake Champlain. And although it pains me slightly to say it, we also don’t have any ducks. Not personally, at least. Lake Champlain, on the other hand, has plenty of ducks. And when the lake freezes and the ducks run out of water to swim and eat, we offer them a small “duck pond” in front of Rosslyn boathouse to tide them over until spring.”
Winter Wonderland 2019: “Winter storm warnings wander across our radar often enough this time of year that we become a little meteorology skeptical. Not cynical. Just suspicious that promised snowstorms won’t quite measure up to the hype. Sort of a wait-and-see approach to meteorological forecasting…”
February Swim in Lake Champlain: “February swim, anyone? In Lake Champlain?!?! Griffin, our now almost nine year old Labrador Retriever, was thrilled to chase some throw-toys in the chilly lake today despite the fact that it’s February 19 and the water temperature is exactly three days above freezing… 35° of mid-winter swimming bliss!”
Spring Dance: Coyotes and White Tail Deer: “One trail cam. One location. Three months, give or take. Deer. Coyotes. And the transition from winter to spring in the Adirondacks’ Champlain Valley.”
Spring Meditation 2018: “Welcome to springtime in the Champlain Valley, a glorious but slightly schizophrenic transition — sun, rain, wind, hot, snow, sleet, etc. — when springtails make way for dandelions.”
Moist May 2017: “The Lake Champlain water level is ever-so-slowly dropping, but it’s premature to rule out the possibility of hitting (or even exceeding) flood stage. At present, there’s about a foot of clearance between the bottom of Rosslyn boathouse’s cantilevered deck and the glass-flat water surface. Windy, wavy days are another story altogether.”
Spring Soggies & Blooms: “The rain has stopped. At last! It’s a misty, moody morning, but the sun is coming out, and the rhododendrons are blooming. Life is good.”
First Peaches: “It’s but a month and a day after Independence Day and we’re eating our first peaches of the season. Eureka! So memorable a moment each summer when I savor the first bites of the first peaches of the season that I’ve begun to wonder if we might need to create a floating holiday. It’s hard to conceive of a better cause for celebration.”
Septembering: “September 1 should logically be indistinguishable from August 31. But it’s not. Seasonality along the Adirondack Coast is irrefutable, and possibly no season-to-season transition more apparent than the one we’re now experiencing. “Septembering” is neither sly nor subtle.”
Undocking: “Once upon a time undocking referred to a boat pulling away from a dock, a ship disembarking from a pier. At Rosslyn we also use the term to describe the annual autumn removal of docks (and boat lift) from Lake Champlain…”
Waterfront Winterization: “There comes a time each autumn when summer has faded and winter is whispering over the waves. Or when work, travel, something eclipses the languid stretch of fall boating and watersports. Sometimes earlier, sometimes later, and as inevitable and bittersweet as fall foliage, waterfront winterization is an annual ritual that braces us practically and emotionally for the North Country’s frosty November through February.”
Autumn Aura on the Adirondack Coast: “An autumn aura is descending upon the Adirondack Coast. Autumn colors, autumn lighting, autumn sounds (think southward-flying Canada Geese), autumn textures (think crisp leaves eddying and frosted grass underfoot), autumn smells, and autumn flavors…”
October Wind, Canada Geese and Essex DNA: “Despite the on-again-off-again Indian Summer that we’ve enjoyed this autumn, there have been some bracing days, many like the one captured in these photos. Picture perfect. Bluebird skies and sunshine. But crisp. And windy.”
Year End Yearling (Photo: Rosslyn Wildlife Camera)
This whitetail deer yearling (or a precocious fawn perhaps?) is as curious about one of our wildlife camera as the camera is about her. Okay, I’m not 100% confident this year-end yearling is a doe, but those eyes, those eyelashes, that movie star gaze. She’s beguiling for sure!
Whitetail Deer Yearling
Year End Yearling (Photo: Rosslyn Wildlife Camera)
A whitetail deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in its first year is considered a fawn, and until it turns two years old it is considered a yearling. A “year-end yearling”, if born in late May or early June as whitetail deer in the Adirondacks typically are, would be about eighteen months old.
She’s one of several adolescent and mature whitetails that have been mugging for the camera lately. And plenty of Eastern Coyotes too, so a year-end yearling like this beauty had best keep herself alert and energetic at all times!
