October 21st: More fun in Vermont

When I went kayaking with Christopher I had told him to stay after and I would make some salmon with dill sauce for supper. He said that sounded great. He told me he was the only one in his family that liked seafood so they didn't make it at home. It turned out great and we both enjoyed it. 

I suggested we have a seafood extravaganza at the cabin some night, clam chowder, swordfish appetizer and lobster.  In our planning we found that only Christopher and I were in for the lobster. No problem, Chris would make some specialty burgers on the grill for the rest of our group. Terri said she would try my grilled swordfish appetizer. I use a honey, butter, garlic, ginger and soy sauce marinade when I make it. I assured Terri she'd like it. Plans were confirmed for Sunday.

Annika, purple headband, center

We received word Friday afternoon that Annika's COVID test came back negative, so she no longer needed to quarantine. That meant she could play in her soccer match and we could cheer her on. I am learning it is very difficult to get good soccer pictures given the size of the field and where we sit. This is the best I have. It again was a beautiful day and we enjoyed the match. They almost won!

Owen - 2nd from right

In addition, I got to watch Owen in a basketball game. I had better success with the basketball pictures. At least you can really see it's Owen even though no action shots. Owen played very well and his team won. It was fun getting to see him play. 

Owen - Left

Deck and Grill - Owen

We gathered at the Lake house for the seafood/burger extravaganza and fun. Christopher, Scott, Annika and I enjoyed the clam chowder. Then we made the grilled swordfish. There is a very nice deck and grill overlooking the lake. Christopher grilled it perfectly. It was very good swordfish and came out tasting wonderful. I cut it into appetizer sized pieces and I was glad I decided to buy two pieces instead of one. Terri said she couldn't stop eating it. That was fun. There is a very nice deck and grill overlooking the lake. Next came the burgers and lobsters. It was quite the feast!

Stephanie provided dessert

Stephanie said she would provide dessert. She really knows how to go all out. The picture doesn't really show how great everything tasted. It reminded me of Kailyn's multiple birthday cakes, cupcakes, giant chocolate chip cookie cake, etc. Must be a family Skill? Addiction?

Left to Right - Steve, Scott, Owen,
Teresa, Annika, Stephanie & Terri

When we were in Lincoln, I introduced Terri, Scott, Christopher and Stephanie to "Up and Down the River". Christopher said he thought his family would enjoy the game. There is a great table in the Lake House for game playing. We played a couple games and had a fun time. I can't really remember who won so we'll just say we are all winners!

Chris unloading 3 kayaks
No help needed, just stay
out of the way!

The weather was still amazing so we planned another kayak visit to Stephanie's lake. Fortunately, Chris and Annika were able to join us. Chris did the heavy lifting and brought three kayaks so Terri, Stephanie, Annika, Chris and I would all have kayaks.

From left: Stephanie, Terri, Annika & Chris

The lake was perfect for kayaking. 

Chris towing Annika and fishing

It was a long ride and Annika decided to get towed by Chris while she read. It reminded me of the numerous times I towed Linda through some strong winds or currents so she could come along. Once I got us moving I hardly noticed I was towing her.

We went all the way to the south end where Christopher and Terri said the best chances were to catch fish. Chris and I both caught a nice bass. Chris also caught a nice sized Pike. 

Chris' Bass

The picture of the pike in the net just didn't look like much so here's the bass. 

I also caught a nice sized perch, but only one, or I would have been tempted to make a perch dinner.

Stephanie's house with the osprey pole

On the way back, we passed Stephanie's house again. The lighting was better than last time so I got a better picture.

Frog

When we got back to the dock we were getting the kayaks out and Stephanie said, "I didn't even see it sitting there." I looked and still didn't see anything. Finally I noticed a frog just sitting in the water on the other side of the dock. See if you can spot it.

So another great kayak cruise came to an end. Probably my last before going home. The winds were supposed to pick up. I wanted a tour of Stephanie's property. I'd seen it but hadn't yet walked around. She replaced a horse corral with wildflowers. They looked great and were attracting bees and birds. It was a huge area and Stephanie, Terri and Scott all worked to rotor till the area and plant the wildflowers.

Stephanie's back yard looking toward the house and lake

Stephanie's wildflower back yard

Parasol mushroom

Top view

While we were walking through the back yard we came across this unusual mushroom. It had a long very thin stem with a round flat top. Terri used her identification App and discovered it's a parasol mushroom. Appropriate name.

The view from the house gives you a good idea how large the wildflower area is.

Terri & Scott's foundation

Having moved permanently to Burlington, the Scotts decided to build. Nothing they liked was available. The setting is very nice. So far it is just the foundation but I have heard from Terri that the framing has started. Hopefully, I can visit again in the Spring and stay in their new house. Stephanie tells me Spring is the best time to see birds.

Monday Chris was playing a championship tennis match at his tennis club. If they won, they were the champions for the year. Terri, Scott and I went to watch. Christopher and his partner played very well and became the club champions for 2021.

As you can see from the chart I saw in the clubhouse, Chris has been a frequent winner!

Snapping Turtle laying eggs

The previous owners of the property told Stephanie that snapping turtles came up from the lake, (quite a long way!) to lay their eggs. She saw numerous turtles in the spring.

Newly hatched snapping turtle

At some point during my visit, Terri and I received a message from Stephanie. She found a newly hatched snapping turtle in her back yard. She sent these very cute pictures. She saw numerous turtles in the spring. We don't know why these eggs were hatching so late. 

Stephanie decided that between the crows and the osprey this little turtle would never make it to the lake. She got him on her shovel and delivered it to the lake. He immediately swam away! Amazing what instinct can do for you! She no sooner got back to her back yard and there was another one. Another trip to the lake.

Even with this good camouflage, it could be a long dangerous journey out of the water.

Burlington City Marina

Terri and I talked about what to do next, before I flew back home Wednesday. It occurred to us that I never made it into Burlington or Lake Champlain. Turned out there is a nice hike along the lake that ends in downtown Burlington. Sounded perfect. Plus there was a great breakfast place. 

Burlington City pier & Restaurant

The weather again was wonderful. We had a good hike and a great breakfast. The Burlington waterfront on Lake Champlain is very nicely designed. There is a long walkway along the lake with numerous porch swing type benches. There is a nice very well protected marina and a fun little pier with a restaurant and viewing area.

I'll end this post with a couple really fun pictures. The first is a spectacular reflection in the water taken on one of our hikes. The other is a typical sunset at the Scott Lake House. 

The second is a typical sunset at the Scott Lake House.