vtskihouse – Lake Rescue Chalet

May 26, 2021November 26, 2021

Eagles are on the Nest

I had a fascinating encounter with the bald eagle family of Lake Rescue this morning. They live there year-round, and have been residents for years, entrancing the human residents of this lovely lake in southern Vermon

When I came around the bend in my kayak at 6:45 AM, the mother eagle was waiting for me in a tall tree nearby. Can you spot her?

Mother eagle, perched on a branch on the north end of Discovery Island. The nest is in a cove just beyond the south end of the small island.

I checked the nest: empty.

Then the baby popped up.

Mom immediately flew over to him.

She landed on a nearby branch and the two interacted for a long time.

It’s so awesome to start the day with this!

November 2, 2020November 2, 2020

Winter is Here … Early

It looks like winter has arrived in the Okemo Valley — early, as usual!

It’s only the second day of November, and we have four inches of snow and temperatures in the high 20s.

We tried to go kayaking and the wind and snow beat us back, though we did see a couple of our duck friends swimming in the cove.

We retreated to the fireplace inside Lake Rescue Chalet to watch the flakes fall in cozy comfort. It sure is lovely, though!

I’m sure Okemo and Killington are both thrilled to be bathed in the white stuff, with cold enough temps to turn on the snowmaking machines on the mountains. I don’t think I will brave skiing during the pandemic, unless it’s cross country, alone. Both mountains have restrictions and procedures in place to keep skiers and snowboarders safe. You can read all about it on our COVID-19 skiing page.

October 31, 2020November 18, 2020

Loon Migration on Lake Rescue

I kayaked Lake Rescue in 29 degrees to see how it looked with its trees, some still fall-tinged, dusted with a soft early snowfall, and encountered an astonishing 25 loons swimming together back and forth in the south end.

I assume they were a migrating group that came from the Adirondack lakes and were gathering up others on their way to the Atlantic coast.

They made no sound, just swam together, occasionally craning their necks or ruffling their wings.

In the end, they took to the air, flying together in three or four glorious circles around the lake, sometimes, right over my head, before heading off to parts unknown.

Goodbye, loons. Safe travels. Thanks for the memories. See you next year!

(Addendum: Turns out they were not loons but white-winged scoters. Still stunning!)

September 27, 2020September 27, 2020

Spiffing up Lake Rescue Chalet, Part 2

The back deck was just the beginning. ARyk and Bob set to work on the front deck and steps next. They got a little help from kaylee the cat as they stripped, sanded and stained the deck a beautiful mahogany brown.

Prep Work: Stripping and Sanding

The boards were naked and unprotected by the time Bob and Aryk were done powerwashing, then sanding off the old stain. Kaylee the cat helped.

Staining

It’s a big deck and took several days, but the stain was a major transformation that woke up a tired deck.

The finished deck

The finished product. Isn’t it beautiful?

Footnote: Escaping Disaster

Bob wadded up the used rags from staining and tossed them together under the deck, by the wood pile. We were disturbed by a horrible burning smell hours later. We searched all over for the source, but then a neighbor knocked on the door frantically, crying, “Your rags are burning!” We quickly put them out, and discovered that the linseed oil in stain can cause spontaneous combustion in wadded-up rags. We learned to always lay the rags out flat to dry. We are lucky we didn’t burn the house down! Lesson learned: Always read the can for safe disposal information.

Up next … Part 3, Repainting the House

September 19, 2020September 27, 2020

Spiffing up Lake Rescue Chalet, Part 1

(A story in 3 parts)

Bob and Aryk, with a little help from Lisa, spent August and September spiffing up Lake Rescue Chalet. We’d like to share the transformation!

First we restained the enormous front and back decks at Lake Rescue Chalet. Then we restained the entire house!

Let’s start with the back deck, where we like to hang out or before-dinner drinks and early morning (and sometimes evening) hot tub soaks.

Before

This is the back deck before we started. As you can see, the previous stain had largely worn off.

Hard at Work on the Back Deck

Bob and Aryk power washed the deck, then used a sander to remove the remaining stain. Finally, they painstakingly applied a lovely mahogany stain.

The Lovely Results!

Isn’t it lovely?

Coming next … the front deck transformation, with a little help from Kaylee the resident cat.

August 25, 2020August 25, 2020

Early Morning on Lake Rescue

It may seem bizarre to intentionally get up at 6 AM when you’re on summer vacation. That’s supposed to be your time to sleep late, right? But you could be missing out on the best stuff Lake Rescue has to offer! Setting your alarm that early can reap some incredible rewards, if you want to start your day with meditative peace and serenity. The lake itself presents a striking tableau, with a contract of dark mountains, clear water and, and clouds and mist.

For birdwatchers, daybreak is a bewitching time when birds are active but most humans are not. Some of the birds I have quietly watched this summer include great blue herons, snowy egrets, a variety of ducks, a loon couple, and a bald eagle family.

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