Back to the North Woods

This first week of July we’ve been vacationing at Boyd Pond. You might remember that we were here in mid-May; that was a “pre-visit” for this week-long stay. Although it has been hot, and very muggy some days, it’s much cooler here than in Syracuse.

It’s been quiet too. As I write this, silence surrounds me, save for the distant conversations of wrens, blackbirds, and the occasional mourning dove. The loons are out patrolling, their soulful calls echoing off the pond. (Trivia: did you know that you will find only one loon pair on any given body of water? They are very territorial.) These loons are much tamer than the ones we see in other places. I was able to get quite close and they allowed me to take some nice photos. There were a couple of days when we saw only one and I wonder if perhaps the other was minding the kids, but most days they come as a pair, swimming a lovely ballet across the mirror-calm water.
Each day is much the same. I spend my morning writing while Charlie does some early-morning fishing and takes a run and/or bike ride. In the afternoons we hike along rural roads and trails for an hour or so. A short nap generally ensues. After supper we go out in the kayaks, Charlie to fish, me to simply enjoy the flora and fauna.

There are several camps around the pond. Most days a pontoon boat or two meanders across the water. There’s a ski-doo that makes regular appearances, a couple of small motor boats, and a family on paddleboards with their dog.

The fourth was considerably busier as families and friends partied. There were fireworks that evening, a modest display that was entertaining nonetheless. We were happy to hear the quiet return on Friday morning.

Friday afternoon was spent at Higley Flow State Park. We swam. We picnicked. We took the short drive to Pierrepont where Charlie’s ancestors are buried. It was nice to see that the graves had recently been cleaned of moss and lichens.

We had dinner Friday evening at a country restaurant, GT’s Family Diner, that we discovered only a few miles from our cabin. I had some of the best, sweetest, flakiest fried haddock I’ve had in ages.

Most of the time the weather has been in the high-seventies to low-eighties. Yesterday in particular was very humid and we’ve kept the window fans going at night to keep things cool. We’ve had two days with rain. One, a brief downpour lasting only a few minutes, the second a bit of rainfall overnight. The back deck is wet this morning and the air is hazy. We’ll see if the sun manages an appearance today.

We’ll be heading home on Monday, stopping for breakfast at the Silver Leaf Diner in Russell where they make a killer western omelet. Then home to Syracuse where JB the cat has enjoyed a luxury vacation of her own: a week without the dogs! Magenta and Georgie will come home from the kennel at five, and the household will be reunited until our next adventure.