Give your Strawberries a Straw Coat

If your winters a similar or even colder than ours here in Vermont it is time to mulch your strawberries. The plants are very susceptible to cold injury and can die if you don't provide adequate protection. You won't have a hard time remembering what to mulch them with. Several inches of straw will dress them appropriately for harsher climates.

Comes spring, remove the mulch from the strawberry plants when about 25 percent of the plant are producing new growth. New growth will be white or yellow in color.


Happy Gardening,

Claudia

About Tyler Place Maintenance

Dave Vanslette (or Nature Dave) tells us that the most frequent question he gets asked by far is about our off-season maintenance. With all the acreage (hundreds), guest accommodations (70), staff housing (19), public buildings of one sort or another (18), how do we keep up with the painting, repairs, refurbishment, roofs, septic and other ordinary maintenance? As homeowners, guests consider what one home property involves to maintain, multiply that 100 fold, and shake their heads. Additionally, guests who have returned for several summers are aware that not only is the TP meticulously maintained, but that every year they find many improvements and new “goodies”.

How is it done? Primarily the credit goes to “Archer” Dale and the crew of 15 year round maintenance staff – who cover an amazing amount of ground (much of it frozen) over the eight months between seasons. Recently Nature Dave’s son joined his father and uncle making a fourth generation of Vanslettes building our resort.

Next newsletter we’ll give you some specifics of “What’s New at the TP” for the summer of 2012, our 79^th season.

(So, who recognized Dale with the facial camouflage he always adds for the hunting season?)

Make Mulch with your Lawnmower

Don't know what to do with all the leaves in your yard? Why not bring all your efforts of raking to a good use making your own mulch.

A bed of autumn leaves can take a while to decompose. Before you  use them as mulch, shred them. Run your lawnmower over recently raked piles of leaves and spread the mulch in your garden. In spring, these shredded leaves can simply be turned under to become rich, organic matter in the soil.

Happy Gardening,
Claudia

How Hurricane Irene Welcomed Us to The Red Clover Inn

By Julie Tyler

Quint and I were so excited to move into the beautiful 1840's farmhouse next to The Red Clover Inn in Mendon, VT. Needless to say, that was an adventure in and of itself with an 8 year-old and 5 year-old.  Two days after we arrived on August 27, we purchased groceries and unloaded many of our belongings so as to be prepared for a “tropical depression” (according to weather reports.) Quintin went on his way Sunday morning to go back to Tyler Place.  Little did we know that he would be one of the last to leave the area.

The power went out around 2:00 pm and it continued to rain all day.  The kids and I listened to the radio for our news as it continued to report on the damages around us.  I realized that the situation was becoming serious.  That evening we went to bed in our new home by candlelight.  The next morning we ended up stuck at "the culvert" which was our road, broken in two, with a culvert down the middle.  We weren't going anywhere by car.

As we met our neighbors (what a way to meet them!), the news (and bottles of water) came in by bike and 4-wheelers of how badly the flood had damaged the area. The neighbors were teasing us about just moving in but we felt blessed that even with a flooded basement and a few leaks in the house, we were ok-- with Red Clover Inn’s restaurant right next to us! Quickly our neighborhood "mayors", as they were affectionately called, organized.  We had no power, but one of the houses in the neighborhood had a generator and we were finally able to charge our cell phones. Frankly, I was scared thinking I only had one bar left and no car charger (which I found in a purse after the storm).

Quintin, being the resourceful Vermonter he is ,was determined to find a way to us.  I knew that if anyone could get in, it would be him. On the following Tuesday Quintin came in by bike with a backpack on his back. My knight in shining armor! The power came back on too!  Ben and Char had made some friends at the culvert with one family in the neighborhood and we were so thankful!  The neighbors had figured out a way to hike "to the other side” of the trailhead, so it became possible to get the kids to school.  On Wednesday, Ben's first day of school, he hiked out with his Dad and the neighbors to a car caravan. What a way to go to school; we were so proud of him!

On that same day, Charlotte was playing with her new friend and broke her arm riding a tricycle. Just the thing you want to happen during an emergency, with helicopters flying overhead and no way of getting her to a doctor! I quickly turned to my neighbors for help; I was sure that she didn't have a broken arm, but thought maybe the chiropractor I had just met could come and take a look.  So he did, as he was leaving (we had decided a splint and ibuprofen would be all we could do for now) a gentleman walked into our living room with a backpack on.  He was fresh off of Route 4 and said, "Hi, I'm an orthopedic surgeon."  All I could think about was how lucky we were.  He examined Charlotte's arm and was 95% sure it was broken.  We immediately called his office and we made an appointment.

The next morning we were going to get a ride over Route 4 to Rutland.  As we climbed over the culvert, Charlotte and I were greeted by reporters from Vermont Life and The Boston Globe (apparently a 5-year-old breaking her arm during a disaster is a good human-interest piece).  We finally made it to Rutland down a dirt road that was once busy Route 4.  One can't properly explain how it looked. Huge sections were totally washed away. Charlotte's doctor visit went well, and she was to wear a splint for the next 6 weeks

Quintin came back in and got us on Friday, and we left by trail to go back to our cottage at Tyler Place. "The Path"turned out to be a beautiful walk through what was a horse farm in the mid 1800's. Journey's End Road linked to another gorgeous neighborhood called Helvi Hill. "The Path" after some work by many volunteers, was a delightful walk and covered by woodchips. Golf carts had been donated as well which made for an easy ride. The people were so kind to open up their land. It was really wonderful.  The kids became spoiled by the daily offerings of candy and drinks along the way and Charlotte figured out that her splint became a good place to stash her goodies. This was truly something we would always remember.  We spent the weekend in Highgate and returned with supplies in tow. We put our groceries in a rolling suitcase and we were off.  Charlotte's first day of kindergarten was the next Tuesday and she happily hiked through the woods with her broken arm and her big brother.  What a big first day of kindergarten for Charlotte!

The New York Times happened to be at the school that morning and the school held an assembly for what would be the first day for all 33 children that were affected by Irene.  At the end of the school day I waited for Charlotte on the path only to see her come out of the woods with the reporter and photographer from the New York Times!   According to the photographer, our daughter had told her the whole story and Charlotte was quoted in The New York Times on her first day of kindergarten.  That is definitely one for her memory book.

The power remained out for a couple of days and The Red Clover Inn donated all of it's perishables to the community. Route 4 became passable in a week and amazingly the road crews had Route 4 open within three weeks so that Red Clover Inn & Restaurant was fully open for foliage season traffic.

Thank you to all the people who helped us in our first couple of weeks in the neighborhood. For some reason, a disaster always seems to bring out the best in people and we couldn't be more thankful. We have finally been able to settle in. Quintin is here and we have worked through what has been a beautiful foliage season.  What a nice place to live; the community is just tops! We have made lasting friendships with our neighbors here in Mendon, and we certainly have a story we will we always remember in our move to the Red Clover Inn.

We would love for all of our Tyler Place friends to visit us at The Red Clover Inn & Restaurant.  Come share the beauty of this gorgeous area (and some fabulous dining!) There are a lot of great things to do around here and we will gladly make suggestions and help you plan.


 

Wintering Over Geraniums

Fall has arrived at the Tyler Place. As I am preparing the grounds for winter, I always have a hard time saying “good-bye”to all the annuals. They usually end up on one large compost pile, but there are a few I just have to rescue. There is no need to buy geraniums year after year in the spring, they can be overwintered quite easily, so you can keep your plants, in one form or another, year-round.

This is a very easy way to keep your geraniums alive until spring, but they will need a light window spot.

• Prune the geraniums back to 1/2 to 1/3 of their original height, and then carefully dig up each plant.
• Place in a 6 to 8-inch  pot, or you can group them in a larger container.
• Water them in well.
• Geraniums prefer cool indoor temperatures with daytime temperatures near 65° F  and night temperatures around 55° F .
• Geraniums become tall and spindly when grown in warm, poorly lit areas. 
• During their stay indoors, water the plants only when the soil becomes dry.
• Occasionally pinch the geraniums to produce stocky, well- branched plants.

You can also store your geraniums in the basement, just make sure it doesn't get below freezing temperatures.

• Pot  your geraniums and allow the soil to dry out.
• Cut the plants back by about half.
• Top each plant with an overturned paper bag.
• Spray your the root areas slightly with water every few weeks.
• Plants kept in containers over the winter are typically larger than most geraniums sold in the spring. This allows you to have a head start on growth and blooms for next year's garden.

Happy Gardening,
Claudia

The Making of the Pirate Pontoon Cruise

By JD (Jes Dean)

Pirates have been a fascination with children and adults alike for many generations. There is something about uniforms, peg legs, eye patches and treasure chests full of precious jewels. Although the theme isn't so glamorous in real life, I think it's safe to say that the innocence of children-at-play lends an excitement and interest in the Pirate culture.

So, how did The Tyler Place Sunday night Pirate Pontoon Cruise tradition come about?

As the co-directors of the Clubhouse in 2006, Jess Lynes and I were looking to spice up the children's schedule with some new activities that would be appealing to the Sr. Midgets and Juniors. It was apparent that Pirates were popular as we saw a lot of action on the Pirate Ship in the front yard of the Clubhouse. The original idea came to me when we were out on a kayak on break and another staff member came by and soaked us with Super Soakers. It was an epiphany and that evening, Jess and I sat down to plan out the logistics. We had some Phil Collins blaring in the background and we knew we were onto something big.

JD (Jes Dean) as Schmeid in 2006.

Jess Lynes as Schmitty in 2006.

After speaking with the Waterfront staff who were very supportive of the idea and putting in an order of Pirate wear, eye patches and tattoos for the campers, the Pirate Pontoon Cruise was born. However, it was nothing like the event you see today. In its early versions, the Pirates consisted of Jess and I dressing up and chasing the pontoon boats around in kayaks. Now, there were many problems with this situation. First, I was not a major fan of kayaking due to a traumatic 16hr sea kayak back in 2004 and am no pro at paddling, steering or other random maneuvers. Not to mention that we had to carry the "booty" and water guns with an extra supply in the single man kayaks with us. Also, not being very sneaky, it was apparent that the guests recognized us within seconds of our arrival. Another "great" idea we had was bringing grapes on the boats that the kids could use as "deterrents" from having the Pirates come close. After a very nice memo from the Waterfront staff who spent hours cleaning up smashed grapes, that fad ended.

There had to be a better way, we thought, so after some brainstorming we gave another call down to the Waterfront to inquire about shuttling us out to the island during the campers’ dinner and bringing us back at the end of group. They agreed and at that moment, a Star was born. Our Waterfront drivers got right into the theme, piloting the pontoons around the island playing East Coast music from Nova Scotia, and maneuvered the pontoons as close to the Island as possible for maximum exposure.

Jess and I spent the rest of the Sunday evenings that summer shuttling down to the lake on our bikes with opaque garbage bags full of costumes, booty, water guns and swords. We shared many sunsets in those days and enjoyed captivating our campers with some friendly Pirate-battling as Schmitty and Schmeid, the original Bandstand Island Pirates. It was also very common for us to arrive back at the Clubhouse and have the children yell “We know you’re the pirates!!” which we didn’t confirm or deny.

As the years have passed by, many other fortunate TP staff have had the opportunity to play this important role as a Bandstand Pirate and have made some wonderful memories on that island. It is my hope that the Pirate Pontoon Cruise remains a staple at The Tyler Place for years to come, and when the day comes that a new activity replaces it, I will think back to the early days and let out my best "arrrrrrggghhhhh Matey".

2011 Pirates

Harvesting Shiitake Mushrooms

By Claudia (TP Gardener)
 

Some of our guests participated in our Shiitake workshop and took home an inoculated log. You are probably wondering how much longer will it take before you see any results, and when and how to

harvest these mushrooms. 

Patience, regular moisture checks, shady location, and more patience are a must. You can tell that the Shiitake spawn has begun to colonize the logs when white fungus-like growth rings appear on the ends of the logs. This happens 4 to 10 months after inoculation. Your first harvest will not be far behind. When the weather is right, small brown buttons will rise from the bark. This is called “pinning.” Mushrooms will follow in a few days if it stays warm and damp; cold temperatures and drying winds can stall them for weeks.

For the finest taste and texture, harvest Shiitakes when the mushrooms are not fully opened. If you prefer larger mushrooms, let them grow until the cap expands completely, a day or two after the veil that protects the gills has separated from the stem. At full fruit stage, the Shiitake has a cap that is maroon-brown and speckled with lovely gem-like dots around the rim. Gently break or cut the stems off the logs and place them in cardboard boxes or paper bags. Once picked, the mushrooms will only stay fresh for a couple of days during hot weather. With refrigeration, they can keep for two to three weeks.

The Tyler Place Duckman Triathlon

By Becky Dean (Adult Entertainment Co-Director)

1/3-mile swim. 8.8-mile bike. 1.4-mile run. All for the glory of charging through the toilet paper, getting your duck keychain and sporting your faded race number proudly at cocktail hour. But for some, the famous Tyler Place Duckman Triathlon becomes more than that. A longstanding tradition, the Duckman was started by Cecile and George “Jigger” Harrington, about 17 years ago as a fun activity for their week. However, word leaked into other weeks and the demand grew. Eventually, the triathlon was added to the weekly entertainment schedule for any of our guests to participate in.

At the Tyler Place, the race begins at the swim dock (or the kayak dock for our gill-less participants!) and the racers swim 1/3-mile out to Bandstand Island and back. But the lake isn’t the only obstacle – often racers will navigate around the big blue floating mat, the death slide and the odd life-jacket sporting kid. After the swim, the racers hop onto their bicycles and ride past all of the farms along Route 7 into the town of Swanton, where they turn around and head back. Many racers admit to abstaining from breathing as they pass some of the more aromatic farms! Finally, once the bike crosses the checkpoint, the racers take off on a 1.4-mile run around Highgate Springs – via Shipyard Road and finish down Old Dock Rd charging straight through our classy finish line of TP.

For some guests, the Duckman was a gateway into participating in other triathlons outside of the Tyler Place. Our current male and female record holders, Mike Long (37:30) and Cindy Hutchings (43:47) both started by participating in the Duckman several years ago as a fun way to get some exercise and friendly competition. However, both of these guests “got the bug” and since have participated in other triathlons, including the National Championships down the road in Burlington, on August 20^th! Although many guests participate all over the country in much larger (but probably less fun) races than the Duckman, many of our racers will admit that this is the most intense race of their year – with their children holding the finish line and family and friends cheering them on!

           

The Duckman has room for everyone to participate, no matter what your skill level or age! We have witnessed guests from ages 6-84 participate and relay teams are always welcome. No matter what, the best part of completing the Duckman is the ability to proudly have thirds from the dessert table. Why not start training now?

Get your Duckman T-Shirt from The Tyler Place Online Store!

             

The International Passport Event

By JD

One amazing aspect of The Tyler Place is the International Staff that come from all over the world to experience life in the United States. Hailing from Bulgaria, Scotland, Russia and South Africa, to name a few, these wonderful employees bring with them rich cultures and many traditions from their native land.Cultural games, songs and crafts are ways to share these traditions with our young campers in an exciting evening activity called the International Passport Event for Junior and Senior groups. At this activity, campers have the opportunity to learn about different countries, participate in songs and play games about the World such as a Landmark Trivia displaying important landmarks located in over 20 countries, Friendship Bracelet making from Bulgaria, Surf Lessons from Australia and our favourite, the Waka Waka Dance from South Africa. Campers design their own multicultural streamer belts and learn the choreography to Waka Waka by Shakira featured in the 2010 World Cup Games to perform as a group. This night is filled with interesting information, multicultural awareness and an uncanny amount of fun!  Watch the video

June Updates from the TP Garden

By Claudia (TP Gardener)

Summer is here. Temperatures are rising, plenty of sunshine, and our vegetable garden is sending out its' rewards. Baskets filled with spinach, radishes, leek, Swiss chard, lettuce, and herbs have made their way into the kitchen, filling our guests dinner plates with delicious, organic produce.

Unfortunately, this is also the time of year where many unwanted critters are crawling or flying in, to sabotage our hard labor and efforts. I am always trying to embrace a more holistic organic philosophy for our gardens by working to create a healthy ecosystem in which plants thrive while pests and disease are held at bay.

Companion planting is a great approach to keep pests under control. For instance, planting onions with lettuce will keep the bunnies away (a fence will do, too), radishes between cucumbers fight off cucumber beetles, tomato plants between asparagus diminishes the invasion of the spotted asparagus beetle.

“Killer Spices” are another great alternative to end pest harassment. Oil extracts of thyme, rosemary, and mint are easy to prepare, and are potent enough to penetrate the brain cell membranes of bugs, which will literary “fry “ their nervous system. Sounds quite cruel, but on a positive note these essential oils also allow for a more fragrant solution of pest control.

And then there is Otto the rooster, our first animated insecticide. Otto arrived with the beginning of our opening season of 2011, made his home in our vegetable garden, and has already been promoted to our new department head for pest control. As he is patrolling the rows of our raised beds, continuously on the move, he picks up bugs and weed seeds with nearly every peck he takes. He seems to enjoy his new territory and assignment; he loves to mingle with our young guests, and sublets his coop to a little chipmunk.

There are many other organic procedures, tricks, and recipes to keep those pesty intruders out of your and our garden. I will make sure to share some more in future updates from The Tyler Place Garden. Until then, “Happy Gardening”.

Let's All Play S.P.U.D.!

With nine separate children's groups we play a lot of games each week and throughout the summer and we want to share some of those with you to play at home or just to warm-up before your Tyler Place vacation.


How to Play:

Spud, not just a hot potato but a game of chance that everyone can enjoy!

You need 3 or more people, a ball and a large playing area free from obstacles.

S.P.U.D is a game that is simple and always a good time. Players are numbered and one person, "it", stands in the middle of everyone else in a circle. The "it" tosses the ball into the air and calls out one number. The person with that number runs into the middle of the circle and catches the ball, becoming the new "it" while the other players run as far away from the circle as possible.

Once "it" catches the ball, he/she yells S.P.U.D at which point players must freeze in one spot. The "it" gets 3 giant steps towards other players and attempts to hit players below the knee. If one is successfully hit, that person becomes the  "it" and the thrower in the middle of the circle. Additionally, that person gets a letter, "S" then "P", etc, until someone gets all four letters to spell S.P.U.D. Any player with "S.P.U.D" is out.

Now Let's Play!

The Colors of Spring

By Claudia (TP Gardener)

The snow and ice are now a distant memory and everything is green and colorful at the T.P.  Trees are leafing out and the springtime bulbs show their floral faces to the sun.  The bright yellow daffodils, vibrant red tulips, and patches of snowbells and crocus have reminded me of my days in England and Germany.

Although our guests will miss our spring flowers, early summer flowers have made their appearance through freshly mulched areas, and fiddleheads are turning into ferns, sending their first long shadows in the sun. 

As families arrived Memorial Day weekend our lilac trees were in full bloom, followed by irises, lily of the valley, peonies, poppies and many more.  The vegetable garden is showing its growth.  The raised beds, earlier covered with fresh stable manure, still steam in the early morning hours.  The vegetables frames are sown in rows - celery, cucumbers, peas, squash, lettuce, kale, radishes, peppers coming up in green ribbons, the radishes racing ahead.  Asparagus, the spears pricking through early in the month so you could watch them growing inch-by-inch, are in full season.  Ted, Chad and Hector made short work of the first of the crop.  As the Inn kitchen is getting ready for the season, so will the asparagus stalks find their way into the hands of our creative chefs. 

Click for more photos!

Shiitake Mushroom Farm

By Claudia (TP Gardener)

Last spring we introduced the new raised bed gardens and this spring we have been working on a new addition: a Shiitake Mushroom farm. The Shiitake farm is located down by the hillside of the Clubhouse. Once the wood is fully colonized mushrooms will spring forth from cracks or channels in the wood.

Long-valued for their culinary and medicinal properties, Shiitakes are low in fat, high in protein, vitamins, and minerals. Fresh and dried Shiitake mushrooms are used nutritionally to fight cancer, fibrocystic breast disease, high blood pressure and viruses, to strengthen the immune system, improve circulation, and reduce cholesterol.

Our guest will have the opportunity to participate in our Shiitake workshops to learn more about the cultivation process and benefits of this gourmet mushroom.

The photos show the inoculation of  our cut logs and stumps with mushroom mycelium.

Winter Storm Turns to Spring

By Gen Morley 
(Children’s Program Director)  

The largest storm of the season was just a few weeks ago on Sunday March 6th, 2011. Big, heavy flakes fell steadily into the next afternoon. Snowfall rate was about 2-3 inches an hour and total accumulation at The Tyler Place was near 20 inches. Snowdrifts created by the lake winds came to over four feet in places.

Most winters our maintenance staff spends some serious time out in the Vermont snow and cold. The guys know to be ready each morning for a full day of work outside. There are days they spend on remodels and repairs inside, but the weather often dictates a day’s work. I came upon the crew one sunny, but intensely frigid day, while they were clearing off cottage rooftops. Commonplace here, but certainly not so in most of the country, roof tops that don’t clear themselves have to be cleared by hand because accumulations of snow of several feet or more simply weigh too much for the structures to support for very long. 

The day I met up with the guys, temperatures were in the teens even without considering the wind-chill coming off Lake Champlain this time of year. Despite my heavy winter boots, a down coat, and decent pair of gloves, it was very cold out there. The guys were just fine. I managed to get some good winter photos of the roof clearing process for everyone to check out before the process digressed into a snowball fight. Working outside in the Vermont winter has its perks.

At this point, the snow has pretty much melted away, leaving the ground moist and ready for the spring green to move in behind it. It’s amazing how quickly the seasons change around here; we all look forward to that, largely because it means we are that much closer to the 2011 Tyler Place season. With the approach of the upcoming season comes the anticipation of making new friends with guests and staff alike, and seeing all of our old friends from many years gone by.

Back of the Inn

 Nature Dave & Lachlan Tyler         Geoff Tyler, Tyrell &Nature Dave

Tyrell                                                       Blake

Reflections from a T.P. Childhood in the late 1930’s and the 1940’s Winter (#4)

By Ted Tyler

Come spring (the ice usually went out about April 20^th or so) there was often a contest among my peers as to who had the courage to jump in the lake first.  The first sunny day after “ice out” we would gather at some good jumping-off place and egg each other on.  This has left me with great admiration for participants in polar bear clubs.  It’s a shocking experience.  My recollection is of hitting the water and almost running on it to get out again as quickly as possible.

(Conversely, at the other end of the year we tested the ice with every freeze – to see if it would hold our weight.  Often it wouldn’t, but as well as I can remember, no lives were lost.  For the most part we were sane enough not to test it where we would have been over our heads.)

“Ice out” on a river could be quite spectacular and a spectator event going back to my Grandfather’s day in Enosburg Falls (on the Missisquoi River) – and no doubt considerably prior to that.  At some point day or night the spring thaw would reach a tipping point, unleashing snow melt and taking the ice out with it.  Huge slabs of ice would float down, frequently snagging on a rock, bridge or other obstruction and creating ice jams behind which volumes of water would accumulate – until the pressure reached a point where water and ice roared down river once again.  Sometimes dangerous and destructive, but lots of fun to watch. 

“Ice out” on Missisquoi Bay was generally a less dramatic experience.  (Those in the know would have removed their ice shanties, generally by the end of March.  The two species fished in winter at our end of Lake Champlain were yellow perch and northern pike.)  The rivers, fed by snow melt, would open up first.  Channels in the ice would appear leading from the main mouths of the Missisquoi River, and increasingly from so-called Dead Creek, proximate to the T.P.  At some point a heavy west wind might coincide with the break up and the Old Stone Dock covered ten feet deep in crystalline, disintegrating ice.  Other years, one day the ice would still be there – and the next, gone.  Depending on snow accumulation in the mountains and weather conditions, high water occurred sometime in April or May – often six to eight feet above the summer/autumn low. Flotsam and jetsam – including the remains of duck blinds and fishing shanties unretrieved by their owners – washed ashore. The local fishing turned to bullpout by light at night at river outlets (Rock River bridge was and is a favored site).  At the very start of open water, woodducks and a couple of other locally nesting duck species examined suitable lakeshore tree cavities (we now supplement these with nest boxes). 

Previous to ice out came sugaring – usually starting in February – with “sugar bushes” with a southern exposure and lower altitude having the initial sap runs.  It was all buckets and horse teams then – no plastic piping. And the evaporators were all fired with wood.  My cousins and I tapped the many maples in the immediate vicinity of the Old Dock Road, the Kingfisher Bay and Point cottages south to Shipyard Bay and boiled the sap to syrup in wide pans over an open fire – which resulted in a product with a lot of ashes in it, but delicious nonetheless.

Winter in the late 1930’s and the 1940’s Winter (#3)

By Ted Tyler

Getting back to the lake, block ice for summer refrigeration purposes was a necessity in those days.  In rural areas such as ours, residential use was a small part of this endeavor, although the icebox was the sole kitchen cooling mechanism in the Vermont part of my life.  The major consumer by far was the dairy industry: Vermont’s 10,000 mainly small farms – ours was one – needed the ice to cool down and keep cool for preservation purposes its milk production.  For this purpose Missisquoi Farm had an ice house, cheek by jowl with the milking barn, located where the pool complex is now situated.  Midwinter each year ice was harvested perhaps 100 yards or so west of where the Tyler and Point cottages stand.  A hole was chiseled in the ice and then parallel cuts were made by saw by hand for 100 feet or so.  The saws were similar to crosscut saws and the standing joke was who got to saw from the underwater portion, but these saws had a handle just at one end and were a one man (per line of cut) proposition.  Once the horizontal cuts had been made, cross cuts followed, leaving rectangular chunks weighing 80 pounds or so.  These were pulled from the water with tongs and slid up a ramp onto a truck bed or other conveyance to the icehouse.  Our icehouse was a wooden insulated structure with a bed of sawdust.  The slabs of ice were layered in, one layer at a time, with more sawdust between and on top of each block until the icehouse was full.  Because of the insulation and the proximity of all that ice, even in the hottest August weather the ice remained intact as chunk by chunk it was removed, hosed down to remove the sawdust, and placed in the tank where the 44-quart milk cans were kept prior to transportation to the creamery in Swanton.  If you have fished in northern Quebec and Labrador, you would have seen such icehouses still in use – in places without electricity or where the cost of fossil fuels to produce it is prohibitively expensive.

The men who cut the ice were specialists and they wore cleats on their boots for good reason.  A film of water on ice is extremely slippery, and falling into 32 degree water in below zero weather with a wind blowing was no one’s idea of fun.  While I was watching this operation one winter, my cocker spaniel, Rexy, fell in.  Someone hauled Rexy out and I remember a run with the dog to the house to thaw him out. 

To be continued.

Winter in the late 1930’s and the 1940’s Winter (#2)

By Ted Tyler

In those days we probably had as many outdoor “picnics” in the winter as in the summer.  You can build a fire anywhere in snow (or even on the ice) if you know how to do it.   One of the greatest draws for such a cookout would occur when the rivers that flow into Missisquoi Bay froze over.  Perhaps it would be late December or early January, the ice conditions (except in spots in a protected place like Kingfisher Bay) poor because of snow cover or wind when the freeze occurred or a mixture of snow and freezing rain.  A cold snap, frigid enough to freeze the previously ice-free rivers (usually Rock River in our case), would occur.  We would pile onto a sled or sleds some newspaper, kindling, an axe or saw (dry wood could always be found on-site), a pot and something to cook in it.  Then off we would go, skating as many miles as we chose up the river, hauling anyone too young for the effort on sleds behind.  When the urge came a fire would be built, a stick or sticks or snag on a fallen log arranged from which to hang the pot over the fire – and voila, hot soup or stew or whatever provender we had.  (Advice for the inexperienced: don’t use metal cups or bowls to eat from.  They may be unbreakable, but you’ll burn the skin off your lips.)

The nostalgic odor of that hot soup on a cold day conjures up another family winter activity that has lasted to this day: Fox and Hounds.  The starting point for our version of this game was our house, and it was best played after a new snow.  One amongst us volunteered or was chosen by lot to be the fox, and off the fox trotted, burdened only by a small backpack with some newspaper, matches and a little kindling.  Probably most of you know how this goes: after a wait of 5 or 10 minutes to give the fox a fair head start, the hounds (in our case bearing a pot or two and some comestibles to heat therein) proceed to track Reynard.  Now the qualities required of our Reynard were a fair amount of agility and athleticism, as well as a guileful and somewhat devious mind.  In fresh snow it’s not easy to mislead a posse of trackers, but it can be done.  Backtracking carefully in one’s own footsteps to a place where there’s a bare rock close by – and then a jump (perhaps augmented by a sapling to grab and swing from) can slow the hounds down considerably.  Getting into a patch of neighboring trees and abandoning ground travel at all for a rod or two also works well.  Another gambit is walking around a large circle several times – making it difficult to spot where the fox departed the circle for parts unknown.  One way for the hounds to circumvent these tricks was to spread out in their pursuit – but this often created a problem for them: are these the fox’s footprints or one of my fellow hound’s – or maybe, my own?!  Note the fox spent as much time in the woods as possible – these subterfuges don’t work so well in an open field.

In any event, after a half mile or so the fox would pick a suitable secluded spot, gather some wood and get the picnic end of the proceedings underway by starting a (non-smoky) fire.  Sooner or later the hounds would show up, if only because they could smell the fire.

Fast forward some years to the next generation (we’re talking the sixties here).  I’m the fox.  My kids are the hounds.  After some of the tricks described above, I come back to the house on a cold winter’s day by another door from a different direction, pour myself some cocoa and watch out the window as my offspring struggle through waist-deep snow.  What a meanie!  And didn’t they let me know it!

To be continued.

The Tyler Place Extended Family

By Becky Dean

After spending three summers working for the Tylers, I can say hands-down that I have met my lifelong friends amongst my co-workers at the Tyler Place. And I would have to argue that the staff have just as much fun as the guests, from contributing our (talent?) in Karaoke night, challenging the guests (and Chad) in Celebrities, and strutting our stuff at Dance Party. But our fun doesn’t end in September.

Hailing from all corners of the world, (Australia, South Africa, the U.K, Canada and more), the origins of our staff offers more than just cultural diversity. These are great places to visit and vacation! Since last September, many staff have connected for various college homecomings, rung in the New Year in Canada, Bulgaria and Scotland, backpacked through Australia, the U.K, the U.S.A, Eastern and Western Europe and even packed up and moved to experience winter in another culture. There is something special about the staff that the Tyler Place attracts. Reunions are always a good time.

Regardless of whether or not a particular staffer returns, being a part of the Tyler extended family is a lifelong opportunity for good friends, travel and a lot of good times. What’s next on the staff social calendar? Rumor has it an adventure to a balmy, ocean-side vacation spot, before we hit the excitement of preseason, and preparing for another epic summer at Tyler Place in 2011. Hope to see you all there!