It was the first place that we heard a whip-poor-will. It was the first place that we caught a fish. It was where we learned how to swim, canoe, build a pot belly stove fire and hike in the forest. It was the summer cottage of our Mom-Mom's family in the Adirondack mountains. Jane loved to go "up the lake", as we all did. Everyday was an adventure, from the scented giant waterlily's in Huckelberry Cove, to the picnics on the Gemini Islands past Spruce point. There was always magic in the air. Jane was a "girly-girl, she loved the color pink, and she loved to polish her nails a dozen different colors, as she sat on a lounge chair reading magazines on our little white beach. Jane also loved to cook home made (hand picked) berry pies, waffles and pancakes, but......Jane could and would bait a hook and take the fish off of it, climb trees, and explore the caves nearby for quartz's (some of which I still have). The old cottage had been in our family for over 90 years, and was beautiful and quaint. We had a wood burning stove in the kitchen, and a pot belly stove in the main room. We also had to "rough it" when we were there, as we had to use an out-house and a water pump, that was way down the path by our cousin Merle's cottage. The cabin was filled with memento's of our family, books, records, antiques and many hand made goods, as our family were true Adirondackers and crafters. We were all very proud of this, and I still have many of my great grandparents (and their ancestors) personal things. We all had huge collections of comic books, which grew over the many summers spent on the lake, my favorites were "Hot Stuff" the little Devil and "Casper", Jane's favorites were "Archie" and "Betty and Veronica". The Adirondack cottage had white pine paneled walls, huge goose down filled comforters (home-made), and the cabin smelled of moth balls and cedar wood which we loved. There was a Yellow shafted Flicker (woodpecker), that would hammer every day on the metal covering of a pole by the cottage, as well as tree swallows and purple martins that nested in all the many bird houses that I built. Jane loved to look at the evening primrose and hollyhocks that our Uncle Hank and Aunt Minnie, grew along the path of their cottage next door. Jane would often help Aunt Minnie take care of her many gardens too. Years later, Jane would paint her kitchen in Bayonne the same color scheme as The Grime's cottage on the lake, yellow with red trim.
It was only because of our Mother's sister, our Aunt B, that we could spend so many summers on the lake, as both of my parents were working, and could not stay with us there. I spent many summers with my cousins on the lake, and we got along very well. I don't think that I ever had one argument with them, they were all very intellectual and open-minded young kids. They we very mellow and kind, and never put me down for my "off-beat" interests, like bird-watching, botany, rock-collecting and deep love of nature. The forest surrounding the lake was gorgeous, mostly made up of white pine, birch, hemlock,spruce, oak and maple. We hand fed chipmunks and red squirrels, and our attic was often invaded by nocturnal flying squirrels and bats. It was a real wilderness area, as we were surrounded by the Adirondack state park. We heard and saw rose breasted grosbeaks, cedar waxwings, scarlet tanagers and colorful warblers all day . Barn swallows built mud nests on the boat house ledges and eaves, and winter wrens nested in the old wood pile under the cottage. We would catch northern pike, pickerel, several kinds of bass, bullheads and perch for dinner. We picked blueberries, raspberries, blackcaps and chokecherries for pies and snacks. The lake was clean enough to drink out of, natural, spring fed, and over 500 feet deep in some areas. We were very lucky to have this time in our lives. I will always remember that cottage with love, and I will always remember my beautiful sister Jane when I look at these pictures and reminisce about our childhood there. Thank you for reading my post today. Light and Love to you.
