4/16/06: EASTER SUNDAY
Arrived here from Vermont with a camperfull of stuff and both dogs.
– Adam
4/26/06: Off again. heading west. – Adam
5/23/06: Back again. The grass needs mowing. – Ad
6/5: Rainy weekend, but bright and sunny this morning. Cold. Lots of work for the chipper to do — picking up all the remains from the trees that had to be cut during the winter. (Mel Lewis cut them.) French drains need to be refurbished on the end of the new porch.
Sarah, Jasper, Hannah, and Toby are here for a few cool days. Much fun.
May 28, 2006: Jason and Abby Cara Lewit wed in Alexandria, VA in the Officer’s Club at Ft. Myer. Great celebration! Four day wedding! All the cousins, all the family, (200 in all), & friends gathered for this great event!!
June 5, 2006:
Sarah, Jasper, Hannah & Toby had a wonderful & special visit to Shunk (the lake rather) with Pop & Gramma, & Adam (in residence). Highlights included seeing Robin’s eggs (or thrush’s?) this morning, a long hike or two, seeing a deer & finding deer tracks, watching fledglings take flight (S. & Joanne), paddle boat, tree house, hammock, … & TRAMPOLINE! MC Toby loved playing Adam’s keyboard. Jasper & Toby got to play ping-pong w/Sarah. We visited w/Lucy & with the Wilkens yesterday & toured the house for the 1st time. It wasn’t done when we were last here — 4 years ago! Jasper remembered the lake, Hannah does a little. This is Toby’s 1st visit! The cool weather is a nice break from the humid heat of D.C. (for Jason & Abby’s fun wedding) & Philly. Back to Phil. today, Wed. a.m. we take a train to Boston for S’s 25th Harvard Reunion. This has been a big vacation.
Sarah Jasper Hannah
06/05/06
How wonderful to have Sarah, Jasper, Hannah, and Toby here for a few days. Cool fireplace weather. KWF
6/8/06: Thanks for your hospitality and sharing your “Walden Pond” with us!
Stan Sulak
6/8/06: Thanks for being our motorcycle pit stop. I am the first (of many) Okemite here!
Aaron Sulak
6/11/06
I came & saw & had a great time
And now a note that this book I should sign. It is, as always, a great plan to relax, and in a few months, look forward to coming back.
Blame Adam Ford for the bad poetry. Thanks, as always, for a great trip! – Sean Blinn
Thanks again for the hospitality! Shunk is where we go to find ourselves.
Daniel J. Elsmere
Mrs. Ford was here! Joanne, it’s nice to share a name. We had a great time with Adam. Love being with Jason
Abby Ford
I’ve been here many times. This time, however, I can say something I’ve never said before:
I brought my dear wife with me!!!
Anyway, great to be here as usual!
Jason
June 30, 2006
Tom Fisher and Evelyn _______ here for dinner.
July 7 & 8 & 9th 2006.
Eric Edgerton, Denise Takahashi & Melina (15), Jendy (12) and Quinn (6)
Wow! We had so much fun catching frogs, toads, snakes and salamanders. Did lots of birdwatching and hiking. Turned two bowls on the lathe. We saw the beginnings of Adam’s tree house. Lots of kayaking on the lake. Perfect weather!
Thanks for the great visit Adam! – Eric
Great to see you, Adam. Sorry we didn’t keep M & J in toddler form to stay true to your last memories of them. It’s been a really fun, relaxing visit. Thanks for all the choc. chip cookies!
Denise
See you in Seattle next time you’re out west.
Grt. spangled fritillaries, red-eyed vireos w/ 2 nestlings in small maple just off the kitchen door.
It was fun staying up here. Your tree house is really cool, even w/o a 2nd level & a ladder. Thanks! – Melina
I really liked staying with this house. I liked fishing off the dock and the kayak. I also liked the new tree house, and catching frogs by the water –Jendy
Quinn
July 16–19, 2006
This wonderful land and lake, and its equally wonderful residents, Joanne and Adam, offer treats and treasures galore – cool breezes, warm waters in the lake, delicious food, pink and grey sunsets, blazing stars, botanists’ delights, vistas, books and Scrabble, hikes and naps, and friendship of the very best sort. Thanks – Donna Wilhelm
July 28–30 2006
Finally, after all these years of trying to get me to come up for a visit I am here. thank you for the great vacation & experience. EVERYTHING is beautiful! We had a great time. We will definitely come back again.
Don, Dylan, Ethan
July 26–Aug 9
Well another good year at the lake. I swam, hiked, took a jog – and now I’m not forgetting to sign the log! Had lots of Scrabble fun and great ping-pong with Bug. His treasure hunt was amazing! (I cannot reveal the treasure!!) Thanks Gramma & Pop for letting me stay here and enjoy the wonderful company! Charlie (Senior)
Aug 6–14
This year for me was slightly boring only because it was just me and Gramma & Pop, but I still had a lot of fun boating, hiking, and swimming. Bug’s treasure hunt was awesome! Thanks Gramma & Pop for another fun year with just three of us!
– Thomas
Tues. Aug. 22
Isaiah, Gramma, & Pop packed up and left for Ithaca, NY. Nina & Mark will spend the academic year at Cornell. Beautiful day!
Mon. Aug 28, ’06
New porch edition, one new tree near barn – service berry –, new magic tree house (see Adam), & lots of pruning of new mature hemlocks. Always reluctant to leave. Good summer.
Joanne & Ken
Sunday (?Monday am) Sept. 3rd
Once again I have felt like this is a zone with restorative powers – I’ve slept, eaten & played well. Time seemed to slow down but now that I am soon to go home it seems to have gone by very fast! I’ve had fun hanging out with so many cool folks & feel inspired to hike @ home.
Abby Kay – friend of Jason (originally via Rebecca now in my own right)
Sunday Sept 3rd
I had a wonderful time, as always. Thank you!
A’ndrea
Sunday, Sept 3 –
The sun is out and after a rainy week I realized how lovely it is! I’ve had a wonderful time reading, playing games, taking hikes, swimming (brr!), even taking a jog (yay me) and signing the log.
It’s been lovely – a beautiful place, in both quiet and in company. Thank you for everything. D.
Monday, Sept 4.
Largest Shunk group ever – 15 people! Adam did his treasure hunt – we played “How to Host a Murder Mystery” for the first time – baby Mort Eaton makes his first appearance, eight months old. Anyway another fine trip!
– Jason
First Shunk w/ a Murder Mystery. May it become a tradition
Daniel J E….
Tus Sep 5th
Even with this rain, I had a great long weekend up in Shunk. And I saw some beautiful … I hadn’t seen before.
Rebecca Nielsen
This was my first time here. I really enjoy what a great & relaxing place this is.
Shannon …
Spent a rainy labor day wekend but had a great time on the treasure hunt and enjoyed the one day of sun. Canoed, kayaked, hiked, etc.
… …
Another wonderful, relaxing Labor Day weekend, even in the rain. Adam’s treasure hunt was a lot of fun.
Sharon Nielsen
This was, as always, a wonderful place. Lots of fun with great people.
Sean Blinn
P.S. Adam – No, I didn’t forget.
10-23-06: Another long summer here, although it went by too fast. I built a couple bridges and a cool treehouse, designed a treasure hunt, worked for a couple weeks at the hardware store in Philly, and finally, after years of cajoling, got a couple of my friends to come up here to visit. Off to vermont again, this time maybe to buy a house and get all my stuff out of storage. teco and Seera are sad to go, as usual.
Adam
10/27/06
A new long bridge in the hemlocks! Surprise. New log benches–maple. (and rope rails!) All the leaves are down except low beeches. I always like the new light patterns through the trees.
Sad happening: On Wed. Oct 25, ’06 David White, Wendy’s father, was killed in a car crash in Knoxville TN where he and Sandy live. A very great loss. As Wendy said, “Even at age 77, he was at the top of his career.”
I’m leaving the heat on in hopes it doesn’t freeze before Mr. Eby drains the water for the winter. I’m always in a state of panic that we’ll wait too long!!
Joanne