The Writing Chair

For me, one of the great pleasures of the Adirondacks is quiet time to be creative. On different days, I find myself inspired to photograph, design, draw or write. When I find myself inclined to write, I always head for the Writing Chair, secluded in a clearing within a particularly dense patch of White Pines and Hemlocks. By mid-Summer, the ferns there grow to waist-height, and the Writing Chair seems to float among them. It is there, perched at lakeside, that I can write for hours on end, inspired by the surroundings and views of the lake.

Read Full Post »

The Perfect Little Balcony

This is the balcony in our camp’s guest suite, which we call the Hideout. The Hideout balcony is small but it works well for its intended purpose: a place to look out at the bay on Fourth Lake, to have coffee in the morning and read the newspaper. French doors lead to the balcony, so guests can open the doors and have a breeze and enjoy the view. It feels a little like being in a tree house, to sit on the balcony or rest on the bed just next to the doors. The chairs are from the Sundance Catalog, but have been discontinued. The balcony floor is made of fir. Shingles are cedar shakes, stained by hand in Evergreen. The pulley in the corner of this photo was used by our stone mason to haul granite up from the ground as he built our chimney. We try to set up as many opportunities as we can for our guests to appreciate the views, the silence, the air. This is one place they – and we – love to enjoy.

Read Full Post »

Living in the moment

Among the greatest gifts of the Adirondacks are those moments that are as beautiful as they are unexpected. I’ve found that many of these occur during autumn evenings, a time when summer gloaming slowly transforms into a time so golden and fleeting that I find myself ill-equipped to capture it. This photo is of a vase and gladiolas, taken on our dining table at Nina’s Camp at precisely one of those moments. (In case you’re wondering, this image hasn’t been photoshopped at all.)

Read Full Post »