May 10: One glorious day to open the house to spring! J.
May 24-26: Memorial Day Weekend
Poppop’s 80th birthday party(s)!!!
A not-quite-surprise surprise b-day party for Poppop at Lakehouse I (two weeks ahead of the real date so that it wouldn’t conflict with Lucas’ graduation) with all the relatives in attendance. the surprise guest of honor was a new blue Ford tractor – Poppop’s best toy yet – delivered in the middle of the afternoon. But we all got the last laugh when all the Shunk friends truly surprised Poppop by arriving in a motorcade at 7:00 for a second party.
Mommy, Daddy, Sarah, Nina, Jason and Lucas drove up from Philly in two cars for a weekend of seeing long-time-no-see relatives and friends partying and eating, including a truly elegant brunch this morning produced by Ann and Bob. We New Yorkers can’t stop drooling over how quiet and peaceful and green it is up here. (where are the garbage trucks at 1:00 am?) Hope to be back for another visit soon this summer. Nina.
Great to see long-lost friends such as Ladds (has it been 10 years?) and Harts & old distant Baumunk relatives. Pop-pop is as vigorous as ever! There was a twinkle & a gleam in his eye when he saw his new “toy.” He set about pushing dirt piles around right away. Lots of vittles & volleyball. Beautiful Canada goose family & goslings. Sarah
July 6, 1986: July 4th weekend
Joanne, Ken, Nina, Lucas (Adam had to stay in Philly). Great weather. Good gatherings, just not long enough! Dancing & fireworks at the Wheel.
July 20: Joanne attempted the great poliwog catch. No success.
Aug 1: Budd & Florence Mitchel, Fred Richards here for lunch.
Aug 1–3: Gennyfer Davenport, Michael Henry
Aug 1–3: Kevin O…
Aug 1–3: Katherine Houghton Thanks for the weekend!!
August 1–3, 1986: Kim Karpinski
Got here at 6:00 p.m. in the stormy rain. Went canoeing and Mike & Jen went swimming. – Had a jolly good time. We played trivial pursuit & Kat & Kevin won (because they found all of the hard questions). Later we all went stargazing in the canoes and were swallowed by the mist. Saturday night Kevin kept us up with his constant jibber-jabbering and then when he stopped Jen began snoring – LOUDLY!
Saturday morning – went hiking, found Kat a chameleon and then Kim was drowned by Mike. We all trekked to Buttermilk Falls and Kevin & Lucas climbed up the waterfall. We came back to home base and spotted 2 – absolutely – adorable deer. After dinner Jen felt better (she didn’t make the falls) so we all went canoeing again. A campfire was created as the sun finally went down and thousands of little bugs plunged to their death as we made s’mores. At night, Jen told us a story about purple-people eaters and Kim told the story about the princess and her magical ball.
Sunday morning – Adam volunteered to make blueberry pancakes for 2 hours straight! Jen, Mike, Kevin, Kim, Mom & Dad went to the meeting and came back just in time for lunch. Everyone played Risk (except for Mike who was catching some zzzzz’s on the hammock) and Lucas & Kim found a fungus and we all signed.
We all decided to play some game in which we’d capture the other team’s (person’s) boat and everyone was beat so Kat, Jen, & Kevin sat around while Lucas, Kim, Mike, Russ, & Adam drowned each other in the canoes. For dinner we had yellow watermelon and then we were threatened that we had to leave (cuz our parents would kill us otherwise).
Thanx so much for the invitation and great hospitality!!! (Can we come again? Please!!)
July 31 to Aug 4: A nice long weekend and needed break from the work, heat, and liquiidity of the air in Philadelphia. Russ and i drove up here on Thursday and we are about to leave right now. (It’s Monday afternoon) Poppop is building a boulevard out behind the lake! Adam
COSIGNED – Russell Conwell Goudy Jr.
Paul 26 July
Dan 27 July
Aug 17: Does two years in a row make an annual event? I hope so.
Dan, Suzanne, Paul, Chris, David M. & Ken and Joanne somehow managed to pass the time euphorically despite the lack of sunshine. Highlights of this idyllic Shunk weekend included instruction in folk dancing from Ken and Joanne, play reading, late night and daytime canoe riding, canoe battles (only 1 person remained dry), hiking (with the capture of an enemy orange chameleon), & images made; even jOGGING for said writer, who could convince NO ONE ELSE to go along. I left out the RISK game, with only 1 loser.
As usual with this annual event, I feel unbelievably sad to be leaving.
I learned to play poker & owe Dan $220 payable in analytic hours, & owe Joanne & ken for the hospitality, $priceless.
Also, there was loud music, rockdancing which Paul, a famous exhibited photographer, did not participate in because he forgot his knee pads for breakdancing. The only weekend problem was that we were starving the whole time, due to Joanne’s negligence. Jan
Jan said it all Thanks again, Fords.
Chris & David
August 25: Yes I showed up here for one day this summer. Nice place, as rural places go. Jason Ford
Aug 20–26 1986: Kolm’s visit: Elizabeth & Henry arrived, without children on Thursday via Navajo (400 … 1500 …, 2 miles in rain, fog). Cold front cleared the air after 3 days of rain and TS’s. henry’s back fixed by chiropracter; he can swim again, and he did, every morning, with gratitude for his health.
[Kolm family news]
Juliet married Dave Gibbs on June 1st; Edna is spending summer with Michael Quinn in Dover NH working on her first job (surveying); Cornelia is living with John Cesari in S. Ryegate VT, waitressing and waiting to start tour of duty in Navy (she dropped out of UVA); Margaret has just become unemployed due to Master Software folding last week.
[EML news]
One year after joining Kaman family, EML is expanding at a furious rate: We have Navy contract to build catapult prototype, DARPA/Army contract to build coilgun A, two subcontracts from Air Force Eglin (one on opening switch which was tested successfully up to 960,000 Amperes!!). We just got two new contracts: one from Wright Patterson to build cryogenic disk alternates for space use, the other from DARPA/Army to build first electric anti-tank gun with 9 megajoule muzzle energy, complete with helicopter turbine and disk alternates.
EML is … a major recruiting effort, and just succeeded in hiring Marcel Goudreau, prime leader of the MIT Tara team. We are building office space at 625 Putnam Ave and looking for expansion side on 128 or 495 West. Juliet has her hands full!!!
From here we fly to Washington to meet at the Kaman Rosslyn office to plan strategy for two new efforts: space launcher and magneplane system. QWe will stay with Chloe and Peter Wentz, and Peter will get a ride in our Navajo.
[PEPI news]
PEPI is recovering from bankruptcy of its Cadillac Cable subsidiary, and has been profitable since January 86. Hopefully stock has bottomed at 1/8. (ughh!!!). Henry
Elizabeth and Joanne visited, saw Ann’s new house, talked, picked berries, chatted, did assorted errands, gossiped, admired Baumunk’s new garage & tractor, gabbed, made music by 2’s, 3’s and 4’s, giggled, made several failures of desserts, caught up on news, cooked, discussed our families, walked around the lake, reminisced over our March trip to England, and – – let’s see – – oh yes, we chattered together! – – A fine visit.
8/23–8/26: Caroline
Going to Albuquerque TVI studying electronics – about to start 2nd trimester of 4. Working part time as receptionist at Moses, Dunn, beckley, Espinosa, & Tuthill, Attorneys at Law.
8/15 – 8/26: I intended to spend two weeks here (after my great experience as Teacher/naturalist at Awbury Arboretum) but, alas, I must go to jury duty tomorrow. —then on to my new job as teacher at G.F.S. 6 children have been here. Many blackberry pies. – Mary is off to Australia soon for a ~ 2 yr. stay.
Joanne
9/28/86: Wet and beautiful – carpet of red leaves. Fabulous project to provide new underpinnings for the house carried out by L.L. Baumunk Construction Company. Incredible artistry.
9/27/86 may have been the first night ever that Joanne and Ken—and only they—were in Lake House II together.
Off to Philly and New York.
Oct. 4, 1986: Sarah & Jonathan & Elettra (3 years old) & Tomaso. (cousin, 6 years old) drove Fri. from NYC in only 7½ hours (ARG!). Joined by John Fisher & Sally from Baltimore. Rainy weekend (sunny today, Sunday, though) – good for soggy jogs & lots of trivial pursuits. This is a great “kid” house – toys everywhere. Lots of room to run even on rainy days.
The leaves got battered by rain off the trees before we got here, but it’s still beautiful autumn colors & brisk autumn breeze. Huge flock of Canada geese. Saw an owl, a loon on the lake, 2 bears (mama & baby), and lots of deer. Also a woodchuck and, well, squirrels.
It’s a castle here – with a real live moat all around, we had to walk the plank to get in – (Pop-pop’s dug it, & the cement gets poured Tues. so by the time Nina & Jeremy get here next weekend there will be no more moat) – We’ve left a legacy of artwork (courtesy of Tomaso & Elettra).
Thanks for a relaxing weekend by the fire!! We’re almost ready to face NYC tomorrow!
Jonathan, Elettra & Tomaso
Oct. 11–14, 1986: Jeremy and Nina came down for fall break from Cornell in Jeremy’s new (old) car – a 1972 VW wagon. We were well-stocked with books and spent most of the time in the big armchairs in front of the fireplace reading Karl Marx and Walter benjamin and assorted other revolutionaries who probably made their first appearance in Shunk (or Sullivan County!) this weekend. The woods are beautiful now with their fall colors and we were kept company by several flocks of geese on the lake. Poppop is still working on the moat but it looks like it will be filled up soon.
Now back to Cornell loaded down with new lilac quilt from guess who! as well as several jars of canned things. Nina
No bear, but plenty of deer & a house full of mice & a viscous cricket which interrupted our fire-side reading. I think we arrived one week too late for the very height of fall, but the woods still look beautiful. Now, back to what would be the country from any other perspective – Ithaca…
Jeremy
Sunday, October 26: We enjoyed crisp “November weather” at the end of October & subtle fall colors as we hiked through the woods and canoed on the lake. Joanne & I put in some ferns & a tiny hemlock to hide the levelled look at the front of the house. ~ Henny
Dec 25, 1986: Many “firsts” this holiday: first Xmas at the lake, first time all 7 Ford children were assembled (for awhile anyway) …
Lots of good eating & sleeping & more eating.
..oh, I forgot, another first: first time many of us walked on the lake. Nice to spend Xmas w/the Baumunks & hendersons! Another first: 1st time I was here in snow! Hope it’s not the last. “Camping” has been fun (only water source: hose in sink; going to bathroom involves dumping bucket of water in toilet to flush it). Tomorrow morning I’m off to Dallas then to Mexico w/the Wiedemann’s—so I get 2 extremes, season-wise. (so excellent) Sarah
Dec 27: Wonderful Christmas with all the family present—Today we celebrated Joanne’s 54th Birthday – It is great to have them here for Winter fun – Grandma
Dec 27, 1986: Joanne – Looking forward to having you help me celebrate my 54th birthday! Lots of love (Today you’re twice my age!) Steven
It is still the 27th and we’re all leaving tomorrow. The Ice tag and Sockey (Hocker? Hoccer? Soccey?) were exhaustingly hilarious, among other big words, but the 4-wheeler was not available as it was “too dangerous.” I’ll have to come here in the middle of winter sometime again… as soon as i find someone to bring along. Goodnight. Adam
Dec. 28: Lovely B. day party – Thanks to all my wonderful family. Back to Philadelphia today. Joanne
Dec 28: Lake froze. It’s cold. Risk game last night. Paul won. Walked on ice. Am leaving. It is possible I might return. – Jason
Sunday DEC 28: Nice visit. Drove 682 miles from Chicago. Arrived Wed (24 DEC) night. Next stop Philly, then back to Chicago for New Year’s Eve parties. It rained all the way here and I was worried there’d by no snow. Fortunately the rain broke, the cold moved in and we got a couple of fine days of skating. The boys (Adam, Jason, Paul, Jeremy) engaged in a couple of rambunctious games of ice tag (without skates) at night. The house lights shining up through the branches of the leafless trees seen from the lake make a fine sight. Last time I was here in the winter was January 1978. Won’t be so long … the next visit.
Paul