Springtime, Maple Syrup, & Salad Dressing! by Quintin

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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