Save Our Schoolhouse

Another word or two about Star Lake's 2012 Save Our Schoolhouse fun run. We participated again this year.

 And we were able to add to our collection of trophies.

One thing was different this year. They had another nice commemorative tee shirt.

But this time our name was on the back.

 

Back from the North Country

My spent much of August in Star Lake, NY again this year. We went to Montreal from there for a day at the American Cheese Society Conference and to attend the Festival of Cheeses. This year over 1600 American made artisanal cheeses were on display. See the photos here.

Meg, Pam and James came. We ran in the Save Our Schoolhouse Fun Walk Run. Russ came in second to Gary in the men's 60 to 69 age group, but both were beat by classmate Bonnie. She, Gary, Russ and the others in their class celebrated having graduated from Clifton-Fine High School 50  years ago.

Larry and Donna visited. Well actually they came to see Jake, but we enjoyed their company too.

We saw Cousin Charlene, who looks wonderful and laughed at all our jokes. Russ's mother's friend Agnes, who is now well into her 90s, had us over for lunch at her house in Carthage. Gary, Tracy, Aaron, and Kayla were there.

What a great trip! The lake was even warm enough for non-teenagers and good-old dogs to swim in.

Labor Day Weekend in Star Lake

Labor Day Weekend has brought a mini-crowd back to Star Lake for an end of summer get together. We had dinner at the Twin Lakes Hotel Friday night with 8 friends and at the Windfall Restaurant on Saturday night with 18!

Windfall is a crossroads three miles off Route 3 with a handful of houses. It is named for a huge blowdown of trees cut by a tornado in 1845. At Windfall is a chef-owned restaurant, by the same name, featuring local foods…to the degree possible in this region where the growing season is really, really short. It is at the crossroads of the Tooley Pond Road, with its six waterfall hikes in 12 unpaved miles, and the road to Newton Falls, where the paper mill that was closed for years recently reopened...despite which, the town continues to look quite ghosty. The place seems an unlikely location for a successful restaurant, proving that reality can beat likeliness in the Adirondacks.

In the bar, folks played darts and a jam session was getting started. A frosty mug of Stella or IPA cost $2.25. Better yet, we got “premium mystery beer” for $1. The first two bottles were a Red Stripe and a lemonade-flavored beer (not quite as bad as it sounds, sort of like a wheat beer.) The next round included Sam Adams and Yuengling. Good food too. Go chef!

To counterbalance the beer and food, we have been hiking. Here are some pictures from along the Oswegatchie River trail between Inlet and Wanakena, and on the Old Wanakena Road to the Big Fill.

Dog Days of August, Adirondack Style

Even though it is too cold most days for the water to tempt a Floridian in for a dip, getting on or near the water every day has been part of the North Country adventure. We have been kayaking and canoeing on Star Lake, watching fall color arrive along the Little River Falls and Heath Pond, scaring the loons despite best efforts not to, and walking to Save Our Schoolhouse.

Dinner at Longview Farm

Dave and Liza were the most wonderful hosts. They fed us at the end of a long day of learning about cheese farmsteading. We feasted on a chicken from their farm and salad from their garden. We had a marvelous dinner table conversation about the growing and consuming of food. We met their goats, learned about their cheese, and hated to leave.

Visiting 3-Corner Field Farm

This was the largest farm we visited so far, and the first sheep farm. Hundreds of acres, pastured-fed sheep, cheese, meat, wool…an amazing enterprise to see.

Visiting Nettle Meadows Goat Farm

I never knew how much fun a porch store could be for browsing. You have to have the right porch, which we found at Nettle Meadows Goat farm. The goats and cheese makers were fantastic hosts. You should try Kunik and Honey Lavendar Frommage Blanc for sure, and Crane Mountain Chevre is hard to pass by.

Adirondack Authors Night

Hoss’ Country Corner in Long Lake has an annual Adirondack Authors Night. Hoss and family throw a picnic for all the authors and their families at the big pavilion over looking Long Lake. The cool mountain breeze assures the hot dogs and hamburgers will be winter cold the minute they jump from the grill to your bun…no cold ketchup needed to help the process along. But you also need not worry that the mayo on the potato salad has been warming for too long. Great party! For dessert we each get a double-dip of ice cream from their stand back down on Main Street.

The event runs from 7 to 9. Several hundred people come through the tent and talk to the 70 or 80 authors who sign books for them and tell stories about their writing. People pile on more sweaters as the sun sets, but no one leaves. This year we drove back to Star Lake after the event ended. The clear night sky held the sun’s light until moon shadows began falling on the hillside trees.

Visiting Farmstead Cheese Makers near Canton, NY

While we are here, we are interviewing farmsteaders for our Cheese Project. We had a wonderful visit to County Meadows, winners of many awards, including the 2004 Overall Champion Cheese at the New York State Fair.

This farm home seems to qualify as a “third place”—a welcoming and neighborly place where once can always enjoy good company. As we sat at the kitchen table drinking coffee and learning about goat farming and cheese making, neighbors stopped by, poured coffee and joined the conversation. Our hosts shared the story of their farm and their cheese. It was a new story for us.

“Are you doing this because you love cheese?” we asked.

“No, we love raising the animals,” they replied without hesitation.

The neighbors added pieces of the story of farms and cheese in the area. One of them had worked for Kraft cheese in nearby Ogdensburg until the factory closed fairly recently. Another told us about the impact of consolidation of farms in the area. Lands merged, but homes and barns were sold off so that a return to smaller, more family-centered farms seems impossible now. This neighbor had been a state trooper and knew Russ’ uncle Charlie, who was the oldest trooper when he retired and the oldest former trooper when he died a few years ago.

The conversations were open, friendly, and welcoming to us Florida strangers. It was a fantastic morning for us.

We visited the barns, met the Nubian ladies, and tasted their cheese and milk. Our hosts sent us back with samples of chevre and feta. The dill chevre was a particular hit at “happy hour” with the camp neighbors that evening.


Notice how in the special cooler, cold water flows onto the cans of warm milk to cool it quickly.

Our hosts could not have been nicer. What a way to spend a morning!

Kayaking

Peg and Pam had two kayaking adventures while she was visiting during our first weekend here…adventures because the clouds were threatening both times. We borrowed the neighbor’s kayaks. The first time, we paddled along the shoreline staying close to camp. The Adirondacks have had their rainiest summer ever and the rains didn’t stop when we arrived. But, the second day had clear skies and we ventured farther. We were chased back by a storm that caught us…happily not on the water, but, as we climbed the hill back up to the camp.

Rock Hunting

Pam wanted some Star Lake rocks to use in her landscaping back home. Here we are gathering them.