A parallel project being worked on, at the same time as the barn floor, was the new patio and table. This has been a years-in-the-thinking project. I know about the winds on the mountain (living close by) and nixed every idea my brothers originally had about a table and umbrella. A table, chairs and umbrella would inevitably go flying if we were not there to batten down the hatches. Somewhere along the line, they came up with a hand crafted cement table that would hold the um

The barn floor was not on our bucket list…until dancers from two events last summer made it evident the barn floor needed repairing or replacing. We went with replacing. My brothers planned it, ordered the materials and set about putting in a new barn floor. Each board was edge sanded before it was installed. We “roughed it up” before they created a custom stain to give it a weathered look. As long as we were doing the floor, we decided to knock out some structural pieces tha

It’s hard to say that the best days of summer are behind us when summer has just begun. But when family defines the best days, they have come and gone. Three glorious weeks. The best days of each year. I am forever grateful to have siblings who accept our differences, honor our individual quirks and love us all the same. That’s the thing about siblings. We share a common history to the point when we all diverged and followed our own paths in life. The boys headed west, my sis

My siblings will be the first to tell you of my addiction to sunsets. I’ll be in the middle of a conversation, but then must have a commercial break, when I dart out of the room and head outside to check out the setting sun and the clouds. They are awe inspiring. I have thousands of pictures…and I know my brothers and sister wonder why I must take more if I already have so many. No sunset is the same. I guess it’s my gratitude for the wonders of the world, the stunning beauty

Meghan and her family have been coming to Squabetty for 8 years. The folks who come back year after year are like family to us. They “get” this place and we feel blessed to have families like Meghan’s return again and again. And like us, Squabetty gets into their blood. Meghan recently shared with us a precious story: My 5 year old daughter asked for a Barbie for Christmas last year. My stepbrother bought her a "Camping Barbie" but printed out a picture of Squabetty, tinted t

Spring is a fickle thing here in the north country. I get itchy for warmer days, more sunlight and the world greening up. I try to be patient. It ’s been a long. cold and snowy winter that started in early November, and has only recently loosened its grip. A couple days of gorgeous intermittent sunshine and temps above 40° and then today: high temp 35° ish; feels like 32°…and snow on and off all afternoon. Snow showers tomorrow, with a high of 37°. Thankful for Saturday when

When we were growing up, hiking the mountain and walking the many trails, we occasionally collected large tree funguses - Artist’s Conks, the "canvas of the forest." It is shelf like and has a hard brown upper part and a soft, white underside which darkens when marked on. These became common places for us to record special events - hikes, illustrations and historic events of that time. So we have a collection of dried fungus on a shelf in the living room. One documents the

It's been a quiet year wind wise... a consistent consideration when one lives on the western slopes of the Green Mountains. With down-sloping winds, winter storms have left a long history of damage. And one is not to forget unlikely, but possible, hurricanes that come up the eastern seaboard. The most damage we have ever gotten in our ownership of Squabetty was the early September 1940 hurricane when the barn roof caved in/flew off. While we doubt that will happen again, we h

It has come to my attention, that my blog post about the Bogue School, was timely indeed. Word on the street is that the old school house is to be torn down this summer. Another piece of history vanishing.

The Bogue School, 1857 Wallings Map The Old Schools, PART TWO Ever wonder about those old schools? The families and kiddos had vastly different experiences than today’s world. Running water and plumbing did NOT exist. Privies for boys and girls were used. Heat was by a wood stove, which left you hot if you were near it, but cold on the other side of the room. By the early 1900’s Vermont rules stated that all children age 8-15 MUST attend school. Children over the age of 12 c

The Bogue School 1844-1920...still standing Located on Pleasant Valley Road, near the intersection of Deane Road, the Bogue School was in use from 1844-1920 and had a large attendance. In 1845, 76 students attended–boys for 3 months during the winter and girls for 3 months in the summer. This was a “fractional school” as children from nearby Cambridge attended as well as Underhill students. The building was used for various community functions, including a dancing school in

Our mailbox is large, old and dilapidated. It’s at the end of the drive - some 1.65 miles from the house. When my aunt spent summers at Squabetty back in the 70s and 80s, her mail was forwarded and she used the mailbox regularly. Not so much anymore. In those days, we had a Cambridge address. We look in the old box about once a year - and retrieve phone books and flyers that were left there months ago. The spiders like the shelter, safety and peace. It was much to our surpri

The Pleasant Valley Cemetery is at the bottom of Deane Road. It is where I want to be buried – knowing this land and mountain which is so dear to my heart will be near me forever is of great comfort. My mother and father, and Aunt Ginnie are there. I sit with them periodically throughout the year. And even when I don’t stop and walk in, I say a few things to them as I drive by. The cemetery has old, old stones. The land was first deeded by the Shanley family in 1813. Some ar

Running to the sea... The seasons change and the beauty of this place changes as well. Draped in blankets of snow, it soaks in the southern sun when it decides to appear. The sun sets in a totally different place; the long shadows at 4 in the afternoon remind me of the short days of winter, even though that too is changing. It’s bitter cold, still and silent, until you get to the bridge and you can still hear it…a whisper on its way to the ocean. Still moving, heading down a

This isn't a new phenomenon, this watching out for others, which I wrote about in my January 30th blog. Decades ago, in 1975, a neighbor out for a ski, reported to our caretaker Roger, that smoke was coming from the chimney at Squabetty. He knew we weren't in residence. The next morning, in the very early morning darkness, Roger snowshoed up to the house through the woods. He crept in, found chopped up furniture by the fireplace, the place definitely “lived in.” . He crept

Like so many in northern Vermont, she hibernates, biding her time for warmer days and the buzz of activity. Today, all is still and quiet, save for the chickadee calling. The sun gathers height with each day…the winter equinox behind us. The sun warms the stone patio, slowly melts the icicles and loosens the snow on the roof panels, so it slides down and plops on the stairs and the flower beds. For us, the late fall and winter is the season of planning. We think about openin

Every time I hike, snowshoe, or ski up to Squabetty in the winter, I go foremost to see my old friend. I miss her. I check to make sure she’s doing okay in the snow, ice and wind that Mother Nature throws our way. Sometimes it’s a bluebird sky and there is no better place to be. I check the house, the barn, the sauna and other outside spaces. I looking at windows, screens, siding, and the chimney. I look for the note my twin brother left me in the window of their workshop yea

Moonrise over Mt. Mansfield Squabetty is a unique wedding venue, especially suited for the outdoorsy kind of folks. We know this. There are no limits to how one wants the day or night to transpire. Some people plan pretty traditional weddings and receptions. But others take the day (or week) to a whole other level. One adventurous couple this fall ‘took the path less traveled by’… “ We spent the whole week there, connecting with friends and family for several days before hav

It never ceases to amaze me when this huge world we live in, with billions of people, that serendipity still happens. A couple were married at Squabetty last September. They booked almost two years ago. There was the normal back and forth emails as the date approached. About a week before the wedding the groom asked us if we happened to be related to Mary McLane, who lived in Acton, Mass. Indeed, we were: she was our aunt who lived in a co-housing community in the late 1990s

One aspect of owning land is being a good steward of that gift. We have had a forestry plan for as long as I can remember, making sure we were taking care of the tract for the health of the flora and fauna. For me, this land is my church. I often hug the trees and speak quiet thanks as I walk the trails and bushwack through the woods. I thank the animals for sharing their home with us. I feel honored and blessed. When the Emerald Ash Borer was found in Michigan in 2002, it wa