Embracing the End of Summer: A Journey Through Boating and Beyond

Cherishing Every Moment

As summer winds down, we’ve been savoring every last bit of it—on the water, on the road, and at home.

One of the highlights was joining fellow boating enthusiasts for another group run on the lake. The water level is the lowest we’ve ever seen. It’s so drastic that we cruised under the Main Street bridge with both flags flying. Earlier in the season, we had to take the windshield off just to make it through. That contrast says it all.

Discovering New Places

Work took us west near Albany, NY, where we discovered a peaceful Boondockers Welcome stay. The rig was parked on a quiet lot beside a small home, looking out across a wide-open cornfield. Not a bad view to call home for a night on the road. We love our traveling condo, and we enjoyed chatting with our BW host, who is also an RV traveler with dogs.

Battling the Drought

Back at the homestead, the drought has been relentless. Despite daily watering, the gardens are more dust than soil these days. Projects slowed under the weight of the heat, but we kept at it—watering by hand and carving out time where we could. We have not been watering the grass, as the effort would be futile. Look at this scorched earth, wilted Hosta, and bare lilac trees, which all dropped their leaves in the dry conditions.

Not everything was hard work. We enjoyed a pancake breakfast in the barn, with the return of “Mr. Coffee” lending a hand to repair a rotted foyer corner. Life in an old house always comes with its share of surprises, and this summer was no exception.

Closing the Boating Season

We closed the boating season in true vintage style, with each of our boats joining the opening ceremony course run at the Vintage Race Boat Regatta. The regatta comes to Wolfeboro every other year, and being involved is always an honor. Taking part in the opening ceremony run—surrounded by so many beautiful, antique boats—is a thrill and a privilege that never gets old. (Video link below if you’d like to ride along.)

Both boats are out of the water now and put away until next year—much earlier than usual. With the lake so low, they were literally scraping bottom in our area of the lake. Getting wooden boats out is no small task. There’s a lot of work involved in hauling them onto the trailer and winterizing them. By “work,” I mean Whiskey does all of it. It’s a full production with ladders, tools, and endless trips in and out of the boats to get everything squared away.

As for me, I stick to my specialty—preparing the cooler with cocktails and snacks for the boating season. When it comes time for the real boat grunt work, I’m usually checking other things off the list back at the homestead. I secretly keep hoping this wooden boat fad (of 27 years 😂) will fade and that a simpler fiberglass boat might be in our future. First-world problems, I know—but with all that ladder climbing and varnish work, fiberglass still sounds pretty appealing.

Farm-to-Table Experience

Right after hauling the boats, we also picked up our half of a butchered cow from a local farm—pasture-raised and grass-fed. Absolutely delicious. As we sorted, stored, and started cooking, it reminds us of how much of a gift it is to have this true farm-to-table experience. That half a cow will feed us for the year, and we’re grateful to our local farmers—and to the cows—for making that possible. Meals taste a little different when you know exactly where they come from.

Preparing for Fall

Now, as the days shorten and the evenings call for whiskey and wine by the fire instead of in the Barn Lounge, we’re ready for fall. We’re wrapping up summer and moving into autumn with a long to-do list. But before tackling that, we’ll sneak away to Virginia for a conference and some exploring—including a stop at Mount Vernon. Once we’re back home, it’ll be time to stack firewood, put the gardens to bed, and head back into the kitchen for sourdough and comfort foods.

As always, I thank you for following along. Enjoy the next season that is upon us.

Videos this month:

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