The Tyler Place Family Resort

About Tyler Place Maintenance

2011-11-18T06:07:00.000-08:00

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?)

How Hurricane Irene Welcomed Us to The Red Clover Inn

2011-10-24T12:59:00.000-07:00

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.

The Making of the Pirate Pontoon Cruise

2011-09-23T07:52:00.000-07:00

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

2011-09-23T07:48:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-25T09:39:00.000-07:00

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

2011-07-24T16:00:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-21T10:52:00.000-07:00

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.!

2011-06-21T10:50:00.000-07:00

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

2011-05-30T08:38:00.000-07:00

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

2011-04-25T06:28:00.000-07:00

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

2011-03-29T05:47:00.000-07:00

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)

2011-03-28T11:46:00.001-07:00

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)

2011-03-28T11:45:00.000-07:00

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)

2011-03-28T11:44:00.000-07:00

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

2011-01-20T07:27:00.000-08:00

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!

Winter in the late 1930’s and the 1940’s (#1)

2010-12-15T09:13:00.000-08:00

By Ted Tyler

What do I recall about winter at Missisquoi Farm, the appellation of the future T.P. in the early 1940’s? Well, first of all if school was ever closed for snow days, I don’t remember it. My memory is we waded through whatever nature had to offer.

Living on Missisquoi Bay was central to the winter experience. While it took until mid winter (if even then) for the deep, main lake off Burlington to freeze, relatively shallow Missisquoi Bay, large as it is, iced over early and by Thanksgiving there could be smooth black ice skating parties around Bandstand Island. Depending on snow cover, by January the ice would be two to three feet thick, quite safe for heavy truck traffic. Why was snow cover a factor? Because it’s a great insulator and a dump of snow when the ice was still thin protected the water beneath from continuing to freeze, until high winds or the occasional thaw partially or completely removed this natural blanket.

We skated a lot. If snow covered smooth ice, we would expend considerable energy and time in shoveling ever-increasing streets, avenues and cul de sacs through it. The snow scoop was an excellent device for this purpose.

The quality of the ice depended on wind and ambient temperature. Best were the sudden steep drops of temperature to well below zero F. on a still clear night, with the stars creating all the light needed. Inches of perfectly clear black ice formed quickly and you knew the booming noises all around you weren’t something to be afraid of – just the sound of the expanding ice. In such conditions, before the next snowfall we (and by “we”, I mean family of all ages) could skate all over the Bay, into Canada or wherever the urge took us. So much more fun than rink skating – and if such a thing as artificial ice existed in those days, that was beyond our ken.

Currently the main winter activity on Missisquoi Bay – by far – is ice fishing. There are whole villages of shanties and vehicles, snowmobile and ATV traffic going and coming constantly. I don’t remember very much of that as a kid, although it existed. There was sliding and tobogganing, but not much skiing (too far from a source – only Stowe in those days within our reach). There was snow tunneling thanks to the west facing bluffs – a natural snow fence which would often pile up a 10-foot drift on the lake in front of Bluebill.

So I’ll end this initial reportage on winter activities with a little story about skating and my sister Pixley, 6+ years younger than I. Pixley wasn’t skating – or even walking – she was only a few months old. However, as someone still getting the hang of ice skates, I was using the handle at the back of Pixley’s box sleigh with curved runners as a skating support. It was one of those days previously described – smooth, beautiful ice all the way to the Canadian shoreline – some four or five miles away. There was also a fairly brisk south wind blowing. My system was to give Pixley’s sled a push and then skate up to it and repeat the process. Well, either the wind picked up or I pushed too hard – and off went Pixley’s sled to the north at a pace beyond my capabilities to match. Not a peep throughout out of Pixley, all bundled up with only her eyes in view. The various adults and teenagers within my vicinity quickly caught on to the situation and raced northward – and somewhere around the Canadian border caught up with and retrieved Pixley.

To be continued.

“Apple Sticks and Other Activities of a T.P. Youth”

2010-11-19T05:27:00.000-08:00

By Ted Tyler

As reflected elsewhere in these reminisces of a T.P. childhood in the late 1930’s and the 1940’s, “safety” was not the operative word it has now become. I’m not sure the concept even existed. Seatbelts were unheard of: the back of a pick up sufficed for carting any of your kids considered old enough to hold on (which wasn’t that long after weaning). An uncle provided me with a .22 rifle – at age seven, as I recollect - which I was allowed to use unsupervised. Once out of kindergarten I don’t believe there was any supervision, and even before that, responsibility was delegated to siblings or cousins not much older (or more sensible) than you were. And it was a wonderful life! I remain a firm believer that just as farm kids don’t have allergies because their immune systems are constantly put to the test, you can’t learn how to protect or save yourself unless you get plenty of practice in survival skills from the get-go. So in addition to long swims in the lake without a life jacket, climbs to the tops of 60-foot trees – or along the cliffs (there’s more on the joys of those activities elsewhere), here’s in part how I and my companions amused ourselves:

Apple Sticks. Anyone who has been at the T.P. knows that there are scrub apple trees all over the place. From July until September these were used as projectiles, the smaller and harder the fruit, the better. First you needed to prepare your apple stick, lithe, approximately three feet long, thumb-size at the base and progressively slimmer toward the point. Actually the new growth withes from the apple trees themselves were perfect for this purpose. Your always- present jack knife sharpened the end. Some theorists considered the stick unfinished until the point had been hardened briefly in fire. Next, you collected a bunch of apples and looked for a place out of sight (and out of reach of angry adults) for a launch pad. The roof of the old barn (where the outdoor pool is now located) was perfect for this – its great height was a benefit and you could disappear over the apex of the roof. (I’m not sure adults even knew how - or were slim or foolish enough – to access the roof through its cupola.)

You’d now survey the terrain for an appropriate target – perhaps a cluster of adults enjoying themselves at the waterfront. The next step was to impale an apple on the stick, not so hard it wouldn’t come off, but not so lightly that the apple would dislodge before the full force of your throw. The distance an apple properly flung could travel was amazing. And the distance provided protection from retribution: the bombarded adult (unless he’d grown up on a farm, too) would search only a radius of 200 feet or so for the miscreant – who by this time would be on the other side of the barn roof doubled up in evil laughter.

To be continued.

"Unplugging" at the TP

2010-10-14T06:43:00.000-07:00

By Ted Tyler

How do we balance the modern* demands for more or less constant contact with the work world – with the reasonable interests of those to whom the nearby use (while on vacation) of a cell phone, Blackberry or even laptop is anathema? Following the Golden Rule principle of the T.P., clearly the former should not take place within the hearing of the latter. Ideally, it shouldn’t occur within eyesight, either, because we have all become so conditioned to feeling guilty if we’re not catching up our work – or doing something useful for our children – that even just seeing someone else on one of these electronic devices is a downer.

The T.P. really doesn’t want to add to this guilt – or drive still more guests to a computer – by creating some sort of a computer work area found in so many establishments. We are quite successful in keeping the kids happily divorced all week from TV’s and electronic devices – why not their parents? However (in spite of our rural location – and all the big trees that block signals), we have increased the number of locations where there is wireless access, and we respectfully ask guests (where possible) who communicate electronically to do so from their accommodations.

*It wasn’t always this way. Forty years ago (heck, in most cases ten years ago) a vacation was sacred and not to be interrupted by anything or anyone. (The Tyler Place assisted this principle – and still does – by choosing to omit telephones and TV’s from all its accommodations.) What a downside the electronic revolution hath wrought! Instantaneous communication in quantity unlimited by cost of transmission has somehow kept us all hitched to the plow, if I might be allowed a ruralism appropriate to our fair state. Why no insurrection has occurred against what this has done to peoples’ lives is a mystery to me.

Want to be a TP Blogger?

Everyone loved our first guest blog post "Nature Dave Meets Nature Boy." Now we want to hear from you! How about sharing one of your "family-friendly" Tyler Place stories or memories? All submissions should be sent to facebook@tylerplace.com.

Guest Blog: Nature Dave Meets Nature Boy

2010-09-20T10:54:00.000-07:00

By Elaine Chase

This year marks our 2nd Annual Chase Family Reunion at Tyler Place. And yes, we are hooked and booked for next year, 2011!!!

Speaking of hooked, that is exactly what our 6 year old son is when it comes to fishing and nature exploration with Nature Dave. Blake has always been interested in the outdoors and Nature Dave has helped to foster this interest, especially when Nature Dave nicknamed Blake,” Nature Boy”, this year during the pond exploration field trip. Blake’s enthusiasm was contagious!

After our 1st year at Tyler Place, Blake spoke of the “2lb small-mouth bass” that he caught until we returned to Tyler Place this year. Now he has marked a page in his photo album that contains his favorite photograph, a photograph of himself with the “biggest catfish ever!” Coming in a close second is his Dad, Chris, with a small-mouth bass.

Blake enjoyed these fishing adventures with Nature Dave so much that he would beg his Grandpop to take him to the dock to go fishing before heading to the Clubhouse. Luckily Grandpop is an early riser! In the following photograph, sharing his enthusiasm are his cousins, Natalie and Ella.

Thank you Tyler Place and Nature Dave for reeling us in each year for awesome times and everlasting memories!

Check out our website for more information about planning a family reunion at The Tyler Place.

If you want to be featured as a guest blogger submit your blog ideas and stories to facebook@tylerplace.com with the subject "Guest Blog"!

TP Tradition: Staff vs. Guest Softball

2010-08-18T07:25:00.000-07:00

By Sam Tyler

Here at the Tyler Place we keep this most American of traditions alive with our weekly Staff vs. Guest softball game at the TP diamond. Every Thursday afternoon, dozens of Staff and Guests from across the TP assemble to compete in this timeless event. Kids of all ages cheer for their parents and play catch along the sidelines, while Moms and Dads alike square off against the young men and women to whom they have entrusted the safety and well being of their children. As the fielders squint in the Northern Vermont sun, and the first guest steps into the batter’s box and squares off, the pitch is thrown and the game is under way! For the next two hours, the world shrinks to a couple of acres of sand and Kentucky Bluegrass in a remote corner of Franklin County. Tense minutes of silence, as beads of sweat begin to form across the brows of the competitors, are interrupted periodically by the sharp metallic cling of a clean hit and the roar of a crowd shouting instructions. Bare feet pound across the grass as the throw launches into the air, heading for second and the third base coach yells “Down!” A cloud of sand and dust erupts, closely followed by the dull ‘thwack’ of the ball striking leather. “Safe!”

It’s moments like these that make the summer what it is. As we approach the end of the season, the past weeks’ memories begin to take on the glow of a time not soon forgotten. I know that in three weeks’ time, today’s softball game will be added to the long line of summer games staged over the last 22 years of my life. Memories of my father helping beat the Staff, while I hugged the fence with my Mom, unable to sit down or look away. Of five years later, when I was old enough to understand the game and had begun to play in Little League back home. I manned the score board and brazenly called plays -- always in favor of the Guests. Of another five years, down the line, when I could finally join in, and despite a defeat at the hands of the Staff, I could walk away from the pitch knowing that I’d made no errors and brought in 2 RBIs. And then the memories of the last two years, when I joined the ranks of the TP Staff and was able to play, not just one hallowed game a summer, but every week for 13 straight weeks.

Win or lose, softball has remained one of the highlights of my summer. How could it not? Staff and Guests uniting over a friendly competition, enjoying a national pastime, reveling in the camaraderie and the rivalry, and later swapping stories over an evening of music and drink at the Inn. I would be hard pressed to envision a more perfect climax to any week. Though this summer’s season will soon join many others in the recesses of my memory, I know that I can look forward to seeing you all back on that diamond in a few short months.

The Family Show

2010-08-09T09:34:00.000-07:00

By Becky & Jes (JD) Dean

There may be 16 Tylers and Hills working at Tyler Place this summer but there are some other families represented amongst the staff. This post is from JD and Becky, our favourite look-alike sisters.

Did you see JD leading the Highgate Loop bike ride? Or, Becky answering phones from behind the desk? Well, don’t worry. You’re not the only one who confuses us. On a daily basis, guests either use the wrong name, think we’re twins or become convinced there is one very busy person doing it all. It probably doesn’t help matters that we switched jobs this summer. Good thing we don’t mind being confused for each other. The most common question: which of us is the older sister?

We hail from Ontario, Canada where we grew up going to a family resort similar to Tyler Place. We are the middle children, with an older brother, Eric, and a younger sister Alex (TP ’11?). Our fondest childhood memories are jumping off the dock in the lake, playing in the woods and going waterskiing (Hmm… starting to sound familiar?). During our “resort days”, our friends (the owner’s children) would sneak us behind the scenes, where all the magic happened.

After JD’s second year of university, she couldn’t resist applying to work at another family resort, Tyler Place! She is currently on her fifth summer (and counting) and has worked as a counselor, directed the Clubhouse, put in a year with the grownups, and now works as a co-director of the Inn and on the front desk. In between it all, she regularly runs down to help out at the Red Clover Inn, our sister property in Killington.

After three summers of hearing about all the fun JD was having at the TP, Becky joined the team and is currently on her third summer. She began as a lifeguard/cocktail server, worked one summer as a counselor and fitness instructor, and this summer is a part of the Adult Sports & Activities team.

While we may look alike and have identical mannerisms, we have very different interests career-wise. JD has a degree in business management, and one in recreation and leisure studies. Meanwhile, Becky is in the last year of a kinesiology degree and on her second year of a mechanical engineering degree. (Our mother is currently starting her fourth degree so we are just trying to keep up with Mom.)

We plan on going into business together someday. Until that day, we are enjoying every magical moment in beautiful Vermont, meeting new people at the Tyler Place and creating confusion for staff and guests alike. We encourage all of our new friends, staff and guests, to keep in touch! (And, if you hadn’t guessed, JD is older.)

Yummy Desserts

2010-07-21T11:01:00.000-07:00

By Misha Lebell (TP Pastry Chef)

I like white nectarines, dark chocolate, dill, meatballs, hot sauce, quail, cinnamon toast, browned butter, and ice cream.

Baking at the Tyler Place is a demanding yet rewarding experience. All the hard work is worth it when I hear that a piece of my cake made someone’s day, when I finally get a finicky recipe just right, and when everything that could go wrong does and I’m able to keep a sense of humor about it. Desserts make people happy and it makes me happy to be the one dreaming up and baking sweets that will bring people joy.

The Tyler Place is a unique baking job for several reasons. I get to make a variety of baked goods from muffins to cakes to bread, which is relatively rare in the pastry world and keeps me from getting bored. I also have a great deal of creative freedom; I can pretty much bake what I want as long as ya’ll seem to enjoy it. We try to use local ingredients when possible including butter, flour, milk, rhubarb, and strawberries to name a few. Like the rest of the Tyler Place staff, the kitchen staff is largely international, which adds to the kitchen environment in interesting and fun ways.

I hope you find the baked goods delicious and memorable this summer. Feel free to contact me with feedback/suggestions/questions by visiting my personal blog at http://mishapiece.blogspot.com/.

Misha's Key Lime Pie

Servings: Serves 8

Ingredients:

Graham Cracker Crust:

2 cups ground graham crackers
2 Tbsp. honey
1/3 cup butter
1/4 tsp. sea salt

Filling:

4 egg yolks
1 can (14 ounces) condensed milk
2/3 cup fresh Key lime juice
1 lime , grated zest

Topping:

1 cup heavy or whipping cream , chilled
2 Tbsp. confectioners’ sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

To make graham cracker crust: Preheat the oven to 325°.
Break up the graham crackers, place in a food processor and process to crumbs. Add the melted butter, honey and salt and pulse until combined (or mix by hand). Press the mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch pie pan, forming an even layer on the bottom, sides and edge. Bake the crust for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the crust to cool.

To make filling: While the crust is resting, in an electric mixer with the wire whisk attachment, whip the egg yolks and lime zest at high speed until fluffy, or 5 to 6 minutes. Gradually add the condensed milk and continue to whip until thick, 3 to 4 minutes longer. Lower the mixer speed and slowly add the lime juice until incorporated.

Pour the mixture into the crust and bake for 15 minutes, or until the filling has just set. Cool on a wire rack, and then refrigerate for 20 minutes.

To make topping: Whip the cream, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla until nearly stiff. Evenly spread the whipped cream on top of the pie, and place in the freezer for 20 minutes prior to serving.

Edible Flowers (updated 6/24/2010)

2010-06-21T12:01:00.000-07:00

By Claudia (The TP Gardener)

As you stroll around the Tyler Place you will pass many areas of flowerbeds and cross many grassy patches. Did you know that some of the plants are edible? Here is a list of the edible flowers you could find right here at The Tyler Place (or even in your own backyard).

1. Nasturtium: Leaves and petals have a distinct peppery taste and are a great asset to any salad. Leaves are best picked and eaten when still quite small and young.

2.Daisies: the petals are edible and look lovely scattered over a salad. These flowers are perfect for a wonderful flower soup.

3. Roses: the petals are edible, though the white base of the petal tends to be bitter, so is best removed. Rose petals are really lovely when iced and used as decoration on top of birthday cakes or summer flans. Red rose petals are the tastier ones.

5. Sunflower: we all knew that the seeds were edible and delicious, but the buds are also edible, as are the petals which have an interesting taste somewhere between bitter and sweet.

6. Dandelion: Leaves, roots, flowers and buds are all edible. The leaves can be used in salads or brewed into a tea, the flowers and petals used for garnish and in salads. Pick as fresh and young as possible, as they taste more bitter with age.

7. Violas and Pansies: the flowers and petals are pretty when sprinkled on top of salads - or even as decoration on top of fairy cakes.

8. Clover: The whole flower is actually edible and a high source of protein - though better digested when boiled lightly for 5 - 10 minutes. Rabbits and guinea pigs love to eat clover it too.

9. Lavender: really an herb so it is not surprising that the flowers are edible as well as the leaves. The flowers can be used in a similar way to the leaves (needles) and are especially recommended for adding to lamb before cooking. Flowers look beautiful and taste good too in a glass of champagne. But another great thing about lavender is that insects and slugs don't like the scent, so spreading a stem or a few flowers around the deck or picnic area can help to keep annoying gnats away!

11. Peony: In China the fallen petals are parboiled and sweetened as a tea-time delicacy. Peony water was used for drinking in the middle ages. Add peony petals to your summer salad or try floating in punches and lemonades.

12. Impatiens: The flowers have a sweet flavor. They can be used as a garnish in salads or floated in drinks.

13. Geraniums (not the lemon-scented variety), carnations, and the blossoms from apple, cherry and pear trees are also edible

Warning: Before eating any flowers be sure that you can identify what the flower is and that it is indeed safe to eat. People with allergies such as asthma or hay fever are better off avoiding eating edible flowers as it can set off a reaction.

Pre-Season

2010-05-18T06:37:00.000-07:00

By Sam Tyler
(one of the third generation)

(Sam is from Boulder, Colorado and will be a Senior at St. Lawrence University majoring in Philosophy and Outdoor Studies. He’s Cam and Karen’s Tyler oldest son, and this will be his second year as one of the Adult Entertainment & Sports staff, another is Becky, JD's sister.)

The lawns are glowing green up here at the Tyler Place, and the pre-season 2010 staff are arriving to take our place next to the 30 year-round staff and family members who’ve been renovating, roofing, decorating, purchasing, program and menu planning, planting, pruning (you get the idea) since last fall.

There is something definitively special about being here to open up the resort before everyone else arrives, a bond that is built between you and your fellow pre-season staff that lingers through the rest of the summer. This past week we groomed the bike trails. “Groom” does not quite cover the clearing of 40 major tree falls, the 11 shin-deep puddles, 2 broken bridges, innumerable mats of matted leaves and sticks, 1 broken pair of clippers, and 15 miles of hauling a chainsaw, 5 gallons of gas, a backpack blower, signs, nails, hammers, and rakes that have pretty successfully put us in our place next to Mother Nature.

But hey, nothing like some good old manual labor to bring in a little team bonding right? Every black eye from taking a branch to the face (thanks Becky…) makes our team a little tighter. Every bruise and pulled muscle hauling the docks into place, or sunburn earned assembling the climbing wall adds a certain measure of pride at our part in prepping and polishing the myriad of details that prepares The Tyler Place for our opening Memorial Day Weekend.

This weekend the rest of our pre-season staff arrives and the buzz around the resort will quickly turn into a dull roar. Staff members have begun to roll in from all over the United States—and the world. You can’t help but feel the energy building. This year we will have the largest number of returning staff the TP has ever seen so prepare yourselves for a lot of familiar faces along with some good new ones. We’ve all been in contact throughout the off-season and have some great new ideas and activities planned for you along with all the old favorites (don’t tell anyone I told you this, but karaoke’s going to be back and bigger than ever). But for now, we’ll enjoy the quiet, the hard work, and the smell of Brett’s BBQ wafting up Old Dock Road. And man, if I could get a dollar for every time Becky Dean said “I freaking love pre-season!” I’ll be a wealthy man by the time you begin to arrive in two weeks. Can’t wait to see you all then!

Spring & Summer Vegetables

2010-05-12T06:43:00.001-07:00

MORE REFLECTIONS FROM A T.P. CHILDHOOD By Ted Tyler

Claudia’s new raised beds garden (west side of the clay tennis courts) brings back memories of the late 1930’s and early ‘40’s when the T.P. was still Missisquoi Farm. (It’s been that long since we’ve had a real vegetable garden contributing seasonal herbs and produce to the table.) In those days a large garden occupied the area between the barn with its out-buildings and Old Dock and Shipyard Bay roads, subsequently displaced by a horse/pony riding ring and now by the soccer field southeast of the Pool Complex.

No one born since World War II can fully appreciate the mouth-watering succulence of each crop of vegetables as it matured in a rural area. In those days Boston, New York and other cities received some produce as vegetables ripened in more southerly states, but these didn’t percolate to the “sticks”. Vermonters’ tomatoes, properly tended, provided the real thing into October, but for all intents and purposes the only fresh vegetables after that month until the following June were root vegetables kept in sand or otherwise in the cellar. Of course everyone “canned” in mason jars, but preserved green beans (or pretty much anything else) versus the real thing, freshly picked, offered no comparison at all.

The earliest spring “vegetable” was horseradish. As far as kids were concerned, this was not considered a plus. An earlier entry for those who knew to dig when the ground had just begun to thaw, but not too late, was parsnips, amazingly sweeter than if they had been harvested and consumed in the fall. However, the first real green vegetable was asparagus – hugely delicious and available in early May, a good month before anything but the salad vegetables (chives, lettuce, radishes and the like). And then that marvelous feast: the peas had come in! Plate after lip-smacking plate, unadorned except with salt, pepper and plenty of butter.

By late June and for the rest of the summer, life was good. Green and yellow beans (limas took the whole summer to mature) picked young and seedless. Summer squash. Beet greens with young beets attached. I smack my lips in recollection. The two best came midsummer and were the subject of substantial competition: who could bring in the first sweet corn or ripe tomato before August 1st? To this day at any price I’ve never found a tomato in the off-season that tastes like a tomato. And in those days (unlike today) corn-on-the-cob was overripe (or absent) with the exception of two months – August and September. August had meals with just one entrée – corn (plus butter and salt) - and finishing off eight to ten ears at a meal was no major feat.

I’ve excluded from this exposition the produce of the land – which was a major supplement in the decades referred to. Fiddleheads (yum!), cattails, young dandelions all were part of the spring larder, as were strawberries, cherries, red raspberries, black raspberries and blackberries in the summer, and puffballs and butternuts in the fall.

So getting back to 2010 I hate to give away Claudia’s secrets, but here are some of what you may find in her new garden: asparagus, beans, beets, cherry tomatoes, carrots, celery, cucumbers, eggplant, garlic, herbs (many varieties) flowers (for dining room), lettuce, onions, peas, peppers (a variety), potatoes, radishes, summer squash, tomatoes, zucchini. How sweet it is!

Do you know the Ropes?

2010-04-19T11:43:00.000-07:00

If you've ever tried the TP Low Ropes Course you know it takes focus, teamwork and some trusty sidekicks. To keep the activity fresh, Children's Program Director Gen Morley, along with Chad Tyler, enjoyed a Low Ropes training class a few weeks ago at the Petra Cliffs Group site in Burlington. The program featured acclaimed presenters Mike Anderson, M.Ed, Jim Cain, Ph.D., and Jen Stanchfield, M.S., who’s years of experience in teamwork and teamplay taught our TP twosome a few new tricks of the trade!

Gen & Chad participated in twelve activities. "Everything they did was new to us," says Gen who gained a few fresh strategies for the kids program. From detangling ropes to carry cans on their feet, the class offered strategies for how to promote problem solving exercises and fun positive play, with something for everybody. So check out the newest features of the Low Ropes course this summer. “It’s so fun,” says Gen, “The biggest danger is that you might pee your pants laughing!”

Fung Shui Anyone? By Chad Tyler

2010-04-13T05:59:00.000-07:00

It looks like our housekeeping staff are keeping their towel origami skills sharp by creating an Andy Goldsworthy sculpture using the books in the sunroom. We have just touched up the lobby and lounge and this is what I found after Lori (our head of housekeeping) came through to clean. Who knew most book spines came in six basic colors? What would be really interesting is to see if the content is similar as well. Maybe some enterprising couch potato amongst our guests can do the research.

You too can be the Big Kahuna! by Quintin

2010-04-09T09:55:00.000-07:00

Last summer, Sean “Captain Sand” Hutchinson (one of our waterfront instructors from South Africa) took a dinged adult kayak paddle and cut one of the blades off. He proceeded to spear on a tennis ball as a handle and started using this newly crafted, extra-long devise in a strange way. Sean would hop on a big windsurfing board without the sail, stand up and paddle all around the resort’s shoreline. We would look at each other, scratch our heads and say: “What is he thinking?” Well we now know. He was doing what has become increasingly popular back home and around the world, stand-up paddleboarding.

Here at the Tyler Place Family Resort, Kingfisher Bay may soon be nicknamed Waikiki Bay. The stand-up paddleboarding craze has hit our shores! Sean, who is coming back this summer, will be glad to know the Tyler Place has purchased a couple of new Liquid Shredder paddle boards. These are large and soft and have a no-slip surface. You can go alone or take your kid along for a ride. A child can even get his or her own small paddle.

Get the feeling of walking on water (and a great work out) as you explore about. Be one with the turtles and ducks as you glide across the surface. The stand-up stance gives you a unique perspective, with a good view of the landscape above, as well as the schools of minnows (and perhaps a northern pike) lurking below in the shallows. On a windy or big wave day, see if you can catch a ride. Being swamped by a huge Mastercraft wake will never be so much fun. Yes, you too can be the Big Kahuna!

Sardines

2010-03-31T06:51:00.000-07:00

More Tales of a Tyler Place Youth
By Ted Tyler

Sardines are not to be found among the eighty-odd fish species in Lake Champlain. Nonetheless they, or more accurately “it”, was a frequent nighttime presence (and pleasure) from my early childhood on.

Sardines is a game – played inside and after it is quite dark. Like many games, it started with a deck of cards. Highest card drawn had the privilege of being the first hider.

The approved venue was a large house, the more floors and rooms and closets and nooks and beds to crawl under, the better. One with two sets of stairways and a fireplace with a smidgeon of light – perfect. In those days Farmhouse Up and Down were one unit occupied by the Wristons – and that was often the locus, Farmhouse West being included in later years. When the Old Inn (the Franklin House) was purchased near the end of World War II – four stories including the huge attic, staircases at either end – it was baptized with a (completely terrifying) game of Sardines.

Getting back to the rules of the game, almost all light in the building was extinguished. Everyone but the hider would retreat into a bathroom and stay there, giving the hider (who after all, had to navigate in the dark) sufficient time to secrete herself. After three minutes or so, the group would stumble forth.

Now as you have surmised, this game was like hide and seek in the dark, but there was more to it than that. True enough, whoever found the hider first got to be the hider for the next round – so it was quite competitive. But when the hider was found, you didn’t announce it. Quite the contrary, you ever-so-quietly slid under the bed (or wherever) next to the hider and waited for the next searcher to find the two of you, and so on and so on until one poor soul might be left wandering around the house wondering where everyone had disappeared to. Actually this last happened rarely, because by the time six or seven people were crammed together under the bed, the giggling got sufficiently intense so only the stone deaf couldn’t find you.

Three short anecdotes of “Sardines games I especially remember” – in chronological order:

1. Like many of our games, Sardines was “family” and for all ages. Once when I was five years old or so, I was the hider. My six foot plus uncle, Deke Wriston, assisted me in hiding and placed me seven feet up on top of a large wardrobe. No one ever found me.

2. At law school age we played a game in the old Inn where the rooms had twelve foot ceilings. I dreamed up a perfect place to hide – on top of a door in one of the guest rooms where there was enough space to crouch and (because the door was in a corner of the room) I could balance myself with a hand on each of two walls. Searchers could enter and leave the room (as long as they didn’t close the door completely shut) and I could simply swing with the door. It worked great – but (there must have been some connection) an hour or so later I was being driven to a Burlington hospital at 70 miles per hour (that was fast then) with my first and only kidney stone.

3. Fast forward to just twenty years ago and the stone house in Swanton. Cathy and I had recently begun our relationship. My niece Pixita’s connection with Luke was new as well, or at least we didn’t know each other well. It was Christmas time and a game of Sardines had been underway, from which Cathy and I snuck out and went to bed. A short while later Luke opened the door, felt around a bit and got in bed with us. We chatted a bit (quietly of course). Luke became silent for a moment and then said, “You aren’t playing this game, are you?”

Springtime, Maple Syrup, & Salad Dressing! by Quintin

2010-03-25T12:16:00.000-07:00

Hector is on his way back from his winter gig in Los Angeles. Tasney is busy sending out staff employment and housing contracts. The rush of warm weather has Tyler Place flowers tentatively poking their heads out their winter beds. The last fishing shanty is off the lake. And, of course, maple-sugaring season is in full swing.

Lots of Vermont dairy farmers cheerfully supplement milk production with this seasonal “gold rush” from their maple

tree groves. Many have invested in complex mazes and networks of tubing, new-style plastic taps with valves for more output, reverse osmosis systems that remove much of the water from sap before boiling, and large, gleaming, gas or oil fired evaporators that produce barrels (not quarts) of maple syrup daily during the fickle sap run.

Other entrepreneurs go at it the old fashioned way of tapping trees with metal taps, and hanging those iconic galvanized-metal buckets with the roof-like covers for daily collection. Yes, some still use horses drawing a sleigh with a collection tank, but realistically, most use a trusty tractor towing a wheeled wagon tank, (much more effective when the track turns from snow to dirt). And of course, many still stoke the ‘ole fire from a massive pile of seasoned firewood. (I suppose some of that burning wood is actually maple, so there is a cyclic thing going on?) Upon initial appearance, some of these more primitive set-ups, located in tucked away places, with sap tanks, fire and distilling, sort of resemble a moon shining operation, only legal.

Some folks sort of do a mix of all harvesting options, as is the case with the Reed Farm in Sheldon, a nice blend of new school and old school. My daughter’s pre-school took a field trip there to get at first-hand look at one of Vermont’s prized assets.

And to get your really in the mood for some Maple Syrup deliciousness, here's a favorite TP recipe!

Tyler Place Balsamic Salad Dressing Recipe

In a pint jar, combine:

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

3 tsp. dijon mustard

2 tsp. oregano

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

1 heaping tbsp. finely chopped garlic

Add 1 cup good quality olive oil to jar. Screw on the lid tightly and shake like crazy!

Hector Explains Nei Kung

2010-03-17T11:15:00.000-07:00

One thing I always loved about growing up around the Tyler Place—and later working there—was the wide range of different things you found yourself doing. One moment it might be teaching someone to water-ski; the next it was building a bonfire. It could be leading a bike trip or mixing up a mojito. Ask Chad or Q or Tasney or anyone else in the family and I bet there’s not much they haven’t done at the TP. I don’t know what their first gig at the Tyler Place was, but for me it was when "Mrs. T," our grandmother, ‘contracted’ me out as a cigarette-butt-picker-upper. Going rate for said job? 10 butts earned you a penny. Now, in health-conscious 2010 a 7 year old kid would be hard pressed to make even that first penny. But the late 70’s? Let’s just say I was able to make more than my share of candy runs up to Martin’s Store.

The past couple summers I’ve added another gig to the list. Nei Kung. For those of you who haven’t signed up for this Sunday morning workout, here’s a brief description to hopefully tempt you into joining me…

Nei Kung is a yoga-like workout consisting of 10 forms. Some you simply hold a pose; some you move slowly in a manner similar to Tai Chi. There are no weights and very little cardio, but the workout can be strenuous. By aligning your body in certain ways, it gets the chi, or energy, flowing and really gives the body a great kick start to the day. It addition to strengthening the body, it also can be meditative and leave you (after the hard work) with a general calm. For guys that haven’t done anything like this before, I know you may be a little dubious. But take it from a longtime basketball/baseball/football guy…it’s a great complement to other workouts.

Some of you would probably prefer your Sunday mornings sipping coffee and plowing into Chef Jeremy’s tasty breakfasts. Hey, I don’t blame you. But if you’re up for something new to start the week, drop on by. You can always make up for it at lunch…

Ted's Reflections from a T.P. Childhood

2010-03-03T12:29:00.001-08:00

The following is the first in a series of reflections from Ted on life at the Tyler Place during his youth in the late 1930's and the 1940's. Following posts will include reflections on various topics from hunting for ducks, skunks, games like this one and Arrow in the Air, The Tyler family and more.

Ringalevio

Ringalevio, a more exciting cousin of kick-the-can and Capture the Flag - played over a wider terrain, both horizontal and vertical. "Out of Bounds" consisted of the lakeshore (note the bluffs and cliffs along the lake was legal); the Shipyard Bay Road and its extension east to Route 7 on the south; the west side of Route 7 north to the Raake Road; and the Raake Road to the lakeshore near where we now have the Monday night bonfire. I mention "vertical" because any place in or on the huge, old barn (where the pool complex is now) was in bounds, including the rooftop (with its cupola). (When we only had an hour or two for the game, the eastern boundary became the Old Dock Road.)

Like most of our games, Ringalevio was designed for participation over a wide range of ages. Teams were chosen in the usual way: two captains alternately picked team members from whoever was present - the oldest, fastest and those with the most wind power being the first choices - without qualms on anyone's part: if you were the youngest, you knew that your day would eventually come.

One team (I'll refer to them as Team A) would then enclose itself in the silo or milk house or some other small space while the other team dispersed or hid. Here were the two alternate strategies for Team B: if you were fast and could keep up the pace, you might not even try to hide, but just count on outdistancing your pursuers on Team A. If you were slow or small, hiding was your best bet - and here is where a really young participant could get his or her revenge for being picked last. There were games that petered out at suppertime because a 6-year old had holed up somewhere that no one else had thought of - or could fit into.

As you have no doubt surmised, the "finder" team proceeded to find or run down the members of the opposite team and bring them back to the jail. Once touched, a member of Team B was duty-bound to go to "jail" and stay in physical contact with it. Once all members of Team B were jailed, that round of the game was over and the teams switched positions.

The choice of the location of the jail (perhaps a tree stump or a boulder) needed to be carefully considered. Ideally it was out in the open, approachable from all sides - but with some sort of "cover" (woods, a building, or the like) available at a reasonable distance from several directions. This was because if one uncaptured member of Team B could touch the jail and shout, "Ringaleveo" before being touched by the jailer, all captured members of Team A were free to run and Team B would have to capture them all over again. This meant that a strategic part of the game was Team A's choice of a jailer. On the one hand you wanted someone fast enough to be able to catch an incoming runner from Team B before he or she could reach the jail; on the other hand, this same person might be required to assist in running down some speed demon on the opposing team. (Jailers could be changed in the course of the game as strategy required, but one important rule was to allow no member of Team A - besides the jailer - to come closer than 25 feet from the jail. Outside that 25 foot radius, any member of Team B was fair game for any member of Team A.)

As you can imagine, a great deal of ingenuity was used in finding places to hide. Likewise, there were some marvelous "chases", often hand over hand, along the cliffs, or races along the beams high above the barn floor, or chases well up into some pretty tall trees. And even the fastest and most indefatigable runner could eventually be cornered by a pack of members of Team B.

Greetings from Hector: Get Your Order In

2010-02-26T11:05:00.000-08:00

Things apparently don’t change much from generation to generation. Reading Quintin’s post reminded me of the days all us cousins used to pile into Ted or Pixley’s car and head up to the mountain for a Saturday of skiing. I’m going to have to take some credit though for Quint’s kid-wrangling abilities on the slopes. Believe me; the guy had plenty of practice with me. One time (up at Jay I think), I took a digger off the chairlift as he and I got on. Being the good cousin he is, Quint leapt off the chair from about 15 feet in the air so as to not leave me behind. His mother was probably doing a double take as she stood in line watching her 9 year old son jettisoning himself from a perfectly good chair. But, in a sign of things to come, Quint of course nailed the landing (probably worthy of a 9.5 in Vancouver) and skied back to drag his cousin out of the way before I could get noggin-ed by a stray lift chair.

Maybe THAT-- my apparent aversion to chairlifts--is why I now find myself spending the winters sans snow in sunny SoCal and not in beautiful NoVer. Whatever the reason, each spring I can’t wait to get back for the summers in Highgate. There’s nothing like leaving Los Angeles traffic and its insane number of people and setting up camp at the TP for the summer. I park the car, bust out the bicycle and pretty much forget what it’s like to drive (save for a ski boat maybe) for the next 4 months. Add to that the fact I get to hang out with family and all the fun guests and life doesn’t get much better than that.

See you all Saturday at 5:30 for the cocktail party. Put your drink orders in now…I’ll have ‘em mixed, chilled and ready for the start of a great week…

DadBlog: Off Season Fun by Quintin Tyler

2010-02-22T08:08:00.000-08:00

The Tyler Place in winter offers many recreational possibilities. Sledding, skating, snowmobiling, and ice fishing abound. Yet we, on most Sunday afternoons, have been leaving to take our children skiing. The kids (4 & 6) have been making gradual gains each time we go. My son made the breakthrough and is now skiing on his own, and my daughter is on a leash. The ‘ole lower back is thankful I don’t have to ski hunched-over, with either of them between my legs anymore.

As much of a thigh-burner snowplowing behind your child can be, it’s not the actual “peak” moment of caloric inferno. That moment occurs during the process of lugging everybody’s gear from the parked car up to the base lodge.

Earlier on in the season, my wife Julie, (whom you may remember as the Playhouse Director), would start them off at the top of the magic carpet lift, a sort of uphill-moving walkway. My job was catching them at the bottom of this short run. The goal was to have them do turns and hopefully stop on their own. We have since graduated to a chairlift on the uber-beginner trail, with the six-year-old telling me exactly when it’s time to lower and raise the safety bar. He likes reading the safety signs.

The fact that one child is now on his own, leading the way down for our safety-harnessed daughter and me, frees my wife up to take a couple of exploratory runs from the bigger chairlifts. She’s been having a ball getting these few laps in on her own.

A really rewarding part of all this is going inside after to warm up. A little hot chocolate and a few nuggets later, the kids are in heaven running around with other children. Usually there is another family or two there we know, also in the early stages of skiing with their little ones. Sometimes I think the skiing is just a formality, with this being the favorite part of their day.

It won’t be long before the Tyler Place summer season is in full swing. We are all looking forward to teaching a different sort of skiing: the kind on water. No hot chocolate required.

Winter Snack

2010-02-12T06:37:00.000-08:00

Even squirrels love TP's delicious dining options! Chad Tyler caught a snapshot of this little fella the other day enjoying a winter snack in front of the Inn. Just another peek at all the activity that happens at the Tyler Place when the chilly winter season is upon us.

Sail Away with Us!

2010-02-04T08:45:00.000-08:00

Well, taking the family out for a sail just got roomier. We just purchased a 21 ½ foot sloop that seats 6 adults comfortably, has a small berth to stow jackets or a picnic lunch, (or to take a nap in), and has a forward deck to catch some rays.

The boat is made of thermoplastic with foam backing making it durable and quite seaworthy. It should be able to be sailed straight into the dock, or collide nicely with a moored pontoon boat, with only a small surface scratch!

The boat has an internal rudder system located in a pod which allows you to raise the rudder part way as you get into the shallows without leaning over the back of the boat to do so. This rig also has a 500 pound weighted centerboard making it very stable and able to recover from one of those mega-wind-blasts that frequent our area. There is a hydraulic lever pump system that raises it without having to strain the muscles as you glide back into Kingfisher Bay.

It’s perfect for taking the grandkids out or having a family sail. Or, pack a picnic lunch and have a nice cruise before picking up the kids from group. Perhaps head out with some friends and explore. See some nice mountain and Quebec views and maybe spot a Bald Eagle or Great Blue Herron winging in towards the National Wildlife Refuge. Its performance will pique the interest of a serious sailor, and its maneuverability will have the amateurish tacking and jibing with ease.

- Quintin

Welcome to our blog!

2010-01-21T10:19:00.000-08:00

Sure we like to keep summers nostalgic, but that doesn't mean we're not techno savvy! We decided to create this little blog as a more interactive way to stay in touch with you and future guests.
Bookmark this page for fun updates, interesting stories, photos and more all about TP.

All the best,
The Tyler's & Staff