May 12, 1998: easter Weekend
Ken & J. overnight. Water in all the riverlets and rils. Phoebes have already built new spring nest. Many woodpeckers around. 3 pairs Canada geese. Flowers: 4 in. Hellebores
Spring beauties (Claytonia Virginana)
Adderstongue leaves
Colt’s foot flowers
June 27, 1998: K & J arrived – for the summer.
8 July 98: Elizabeth & Henry came for traditional week – having missed 97 due to Henry’s stroke – first missed year in 36. henry is 95% recovered from total paralysis of left side. Flying career ended after 35 years commercial, instrument, multi-engine land, single-engine seaplane. Navajo Chieftan sold. First time we came on land in last 18 years. re-learning to walk and play piano. Vision blurred, but can read and drive. Going to Iceland in Aug., Bermuda in Sep, Africa in Nov.
Cut down some trees and bucked logs, read Ken’s book about Wheeler, Iceland books. Slept a lot. New barn is terrific! Total Success!
Joanne has stomach upset (gall bladder??). – the only blemish on a perfect week! – Henry.
Such fun using the pedal boat, cruising lazily about the lake. Jig-saws, crosswords, recorder music, knitting, and much talk (and seeing the Baumunk clan, 4 generations strong) – some things never change! Isn’t it a wonderful thought? We really love it here…
July 22nd, 1998: From big tree to lake house – 17 minutes! Charlie
July 24th, 1998: Marshmellow Rap
Marshmellow, Marshmellow
Nice and Chewy
Get it on your fingers
You get all gooey
Chorus
Out of the bag
Onto a stick
Roast it all night
’Til you get sick
Marshmellow, Marshmellow
Don’t be bad
Catch it on fire
And your parents get mad
Chorus
Marshmellow, Marshmello
Start a new business
Your product is hot
But your sales volume isn’t
Chorus
THE END
Written by: Ian, Barbara and Charlie
25 July 1998: Saturday
PAUL WENDY NATE COLIN SUSIE & INIKI depart after a wonderful one-week stay. Arrived last Saturday at 11:30 PM after an all day drive from Chicago. Paul’s 41st b’day on Sunday. Highlights of the week include trip to Rickett’s Glen, hike to the Hogobone Norway Spruce, collecting rusty railroad parts on the grade, Nate & Colin picking blueberries along the lake, Nate’s walk around the lake, discovery of crested (or Clinton’s) fern at head of lake, Nate & Colin in the sand pile, evening bouts of scrabble and spades, the ping pong tournament, the grand dinner with all Baumunks & Fords except for Brian & the Ford-Monroes (and Bill). Adam & Paul collected a hefty amount of turning blanks for D.C. White, lugged home in rental U-haul trailer along with a pile of miscellaneous rocks for our garden at home. An action packed week! Could write much more but it’s time to hit the road (10:20 PM). We’ll drive part of the way tonight and the rest tomorrow, hope to get back to Chicago before dark.
Addendum: Must mention sighting of 10 turkeys by the Wigwam
July 27, 1998: heading back to Washington for upcoming battle with the Federal Government. Spent four days of R and R here. I’ll be back in a few weeks with a crowd of friends.
One thought about Shunk this year: I saw Thomas and Charlie playing with their second cousins, Lindley, Joel, and Rachael, I can’t even name any of my second cousins. This lake insures the extended family stays in contact, and probably will continue to do so over the coming generations.
– Jason
July 28: I was here for almost a week, coming from Providence with cat Clio, and supply of Starbucks. Nice to have most of the family – and nephews – together. I slept in the new Cadillac of a treehouse for a couple of nights. Picked blueberries, engaged in athletic contest, participated in reading group reading Daddy’s new book. Many blueberries by the lake. Many laptops in the house.
Nina
THOMAS AGE 5
July 31, -1998: If i didn’t have this job hanging over my head, i’d just stay here, but i’ve gotta get on back to NM abd get to work or my boss (Wendy) will flip out. A total of 8 full days spent here, with a long drive on either end. teco enjoyed himself as usual, and we spent a couple of nights in the barn, one in the new treehouse, and the rest in the boys room. I did a little bit of path maintenance and repainted the BAUMUNK FORD sign. Also sailed, canoed, swam, paddled, and played lots of cards and Scrabble.
July 31, 98: Enjoyed going with the flow of pregnancy and doing whatever felt right – sleeping & eating … … … …, swimming, and being part of abig clan, yet in a … … quiet environment. Two more months!
Barbara & baby
I haven’t written in here for about ten years even though I’ve been here many times – I haven’t had anything to say. I am not a person who needs vacations since I live life in a way I like it and don’t need to leave it. It is more relaxing to stay home than to come here, since at home I have a sense of peace and belonging, and I can get on with the things I like/want to do in life. There is a great deal of stress and frustration in having to deal with family … dynamics and falling into old roles that no longer fit. I keep returning anyway to visit Gramma and because it reminds Barbara of the climate in Austria (and there aren’t cars everywhere—a sore point about Albuquerque). Also it is very enriching to play with the children and see them growing up. I will miss them, but still I am looking forward to returning home – Ian
Thomas flew out here with Pop 3 weeks ago to spend a week alone with his grandparents. Charlie & I arrived a week later. Today Thomas & I fly home, leaving Charlie here for two weeks by himself! Logistics!!
I’ve greatly enjoyed my two weeks here. relaxing, peaceful, quiet, stressfree (unlike Lucas). I’ve enjoyed hikes, swimming, canoe, paddleboat, pingpong, games, reading, playing piano, visiting, listening to old favorite records, walking through the woods (on Adam’s great path!), campfires, s’mores, pies, too much food, the fantastic treehouse, watching the boys play like we used to play here, the gorgeous scenery, great weather, meals on the back porch, trampolining, running free, catching up on magazine reading (I brought ½ a suitcase full with me—none are returning with me), doing the humongous jigsaw puzzle with Adam, staying up late, talking, ferns, moss, revisiting Bible School (it’s much more casual), seeing Gramma, eating Paul’s blueberry pancakes, cooking kid-friendly dinner, having my boys & their Ford-White cousins together, thinking about life, driving the rural roads, wishing I lived in a rural place, playing the player piano, eating chocolate, taking pictures, driving Gramma & Marion Frey to Troy, wandering through Ben Franklin’s, sleeping in my same old bottom bunk, making a playhouse in the barn, building two futons all by myself, …
Caroline
From games last night to lunch today with ice cream & coffee (& before & after each), this has been a memorial visit! A great time & continuing THANKS! Paul A. (aged) Wilhelm
8-11-98: Dick & Betty Drachman
August, 13 – 1998: Charlie – 9½
This year I learned how to canoe and I kept busy doing a lot of things like: swim, sleep in the treehouse, go to buttermilk falls, Rickets Glen and Hoagland Branch. I also played with Joel and Lindley and had fun in the paddleboat. I played 3 monopoly games with Pop and practiced piano 2 weeks. I played ping-pong and devolped a big tournament. I sailboated with Pop twice and Ian once. I read a whole LOT of comic books and had fun in the hammock and sandpile. I walked around the lake twice. I definitely had a whole lot of fun this year!
– CHARLIE
8/16/98: This year was incredible! Erik and I had a chance to take each boat (2 canoes, 1 paddle, and the sail) for a tour around the lake. We hiked, “circumambulated” the lake, played “Taboo” & “Scattergories”, and YAKed (much to Erik’s & Jason’s chagrin!). Abby, Erica, Rebecca, Beth, Erik, Jason, and Audrey were here and will now, regretfully, leave.
Things to distinguish this year from others: Pies (lots of them), the absence of Sean & Clinton, no sun (well, not much), bat observations (for some of us), blackberry picking, a reading of J’s play (OK, so we’ve done that)
We are getting older. It’s interesting as we all reflect upon prior experiences here, who we were, and where we were in our lives at that time. It’s amazing how we mellow! What is vital to us now is not the same as it used to be. Illusions fall away. We let go of things. We’re hitting the introspective, navel contemplating thirties as we strive to define ourselves (or perhaps redefine ourselves) in adult terms. But this life is a work in progress. We will never fully “get it” or be finished with the process of growth. But that’s the joy of living, isn’t it?
– Audrey R… M…
8/16/98: 10th consecutive year I’ve brought friends up here. My nephew Charlie can beat me at ping-pong, which is a good thing. My friends read my play – – it needs work, but it’s getting there – – maybe. … the … weather cooperated, … blackberries were ripe, and I’m … reinvigorated before I go back and deal with the beaurocracy.
– Jason
8/18/98: I discovered that swimming in one’s clothes is much more fun than the traditional baiting suit method. After a hot summer in N.J. this was a lovely cool break. I saw a single meteor zapping thru the sky. I had fun rowing the boat even though I was unanimously voted worst steerer in Shunk’s history.
Abby Kay (F.O.J. → friend of Jason’s)
8/16/98: Thank you for a wonderful visit at your family lake. I greatly enjoyed the natural beauty of this special place—so pleasant and soothing. The people were also great….
Abby with her love of laundary and Shunk spirit;
Audrey with her enthusiasm and excitement for all living creatures;
Eric with great culinary skills including making a supendous blackberry & raspberry pie;
Erica with her external niceness & helpfulness;
Rebecca with her sharp wit and lust for chocolate;
and our wonderful host Jason with warm, dignified, and knowledge, responsibility and hospitality.
Highlights of my few days here include:
Our group of seven wondering the woods & braving thorny thickets to pick over two quarts of blackberries;
Finding the freshly cleaned bones of a deer in the woods;
Laying on the dock watching a meteor shower;
Playing ping-pong with Charlie, Jason & Rebecca;
Helping Jason clean water lily plants out of the lake (I have never weeded a lake before);
Canoing around the lake;
Hikes around the lake, and
Reading Jason’s play.
I especially enjoyed hiking around the lake.
“The Trail around the Lake”
Simple natural beauty of Adam’s trail;
The dark evergreen woods with patches of bright feathery green ferns and glimpses of blue gray lake & bright blue sky through the dark trunks of this woods;
Sounds of the wind rustling through the trees, crickets and occasional bird;
The marshlands at the far end of the lake with blue-purple & brown dragonflies;
Glimpses of the shimmering water constantly peaking through the trees;
The splash of fish jumping in and out of the lake;
The hip-high grasses with patches of yellow golden rod and purple, white & red flower tops on the old road on the other side of the lake;
The distant echoing shouts and laughter of rebecca and others in the lake—sounds of summer innocence—
The cool breeze and warm sun on my face;
An untouched natural, yet well-maintained place of Pennsylvania woods, fields and water in a 1.5 mile walk around the lake
Thanks again,
Beth Lachman
8/16/98: I am always surprised of how relaxing and invigorating for days at Shunk can be. I almost feel ready to go back to work tomorrow. Then I can continue to be relaxed by knowing that places like this still exist in spite of the ability of humanity to not care about the world it lives in. Thanks to everyone who makes it possible for me to share a little bit of this haven!
Rebecca Nielsen
8/16/98: Met & had fun w/ Jason’s nephews, (or approximately nephews), Charlie & Joel. Saw beautiful lizards. Had a great time reading Jason’s play which makes me laugh now as it inspires me to “write smarter not harder.” Discovered that if I ever want to go back to perming my hair, I just need to grab some plants out of the lake. Smartly writing & hardly working in Shunk…
Erica Buhl
Aug. 25, 1998: I’m the last of the summer birds to take flight – It was a wonderful summer with most of the family here on the Reunion Days; Charlie here for a month & Thomas 3 weeks. Mother, at 90, enjoyed sitting on the dock watching the great grand children swim – day after day. (Never, in memory, has the weather been so swimming perfect!) I swam daily too.
New tree house! Erected on ol Lucas & Barbara platform among the hemlocks – hidden from view. The three “nines” – Charlie, Lindley, & Joel – slept there a couple of times. The second floor of barn has been finished with 3 coats of polyurethane (?), built-in closets & shelves. Not mouse proof! Stone wall and steps were built by Mike Myers – in the manner of JBF! Adam contributed needed kitchen items as well as path & road work.
New well drilled.
Ken wrote “Geons, Black Holes, and Quantum Foam” – A Life in Physics – John A. Wheeler. First reviews were good! All family members recieved copies.
Tham wrote 4 “Dit & Dot” stories. Good reviews also! He also had an outdoor sculpture garden showing his (& others) wooden hammered pieces.
Hannah Louise Ford-Monroe, 7½ lb., arrived Aug. 21, 1998 in Del Mar, CA. C-Section. Sarah & Nick doing fine. hannah reported to be beautiful.
Now, off to Santa Fe to meet Ken from CA – for a few days of Packard Foundation meetings.
Sept. 21: Joanne here → to mow grass, water trees – to look for the Blue …tion. Not found. Too dry?
October 8–11, 1998: After 5 years and again on Columbus weekend I returned to this wonderland … Shunk, to admire a new addition: A beautifully built BARN! And to spend together with Joanne 3 lovely fall days under grey, rainy, foggy and sunny skies, getting to know and to see more of the charming, colorful surroundings, driving to Canton for shopping (apples!) and for lunch with Joanne’s mother, the noble senior of the Baumunk flock. Also doing some walking, playing Scrabble, a little dancing and a lot of chatting (until the … hours of the mornings!) along with nourishing ourselves (pretty constantly!) on delicious meals around the cosy lively fireplace. … … … … for this enjoyable time. Trude
September 25, 1998. Masha Katerina Ford
Born in New Mexico
daughter of Ian & Barbara Ford