Lake Champlain Islands

August 21, 2009

Gail Yocis gets ready to take a dip into Lake Champlain on the shores of Isle La Motte in the 1950s. Gail and her husband spend summers on the island to this day.

April 19, 2009

A century ago, during the 1909 camping season, Camp Abnaki received a permanent name in honor of the Tercentenary. Enrollment rose from 21 to 75 boys and campers began calling owner Clark by the nickname "Dad." Facilities at the camp were rough, boys slept in tents and a common consequence of misbehavior was a swat from Dad Clark. Note the chef made liberal use of Swift's Silver Leaf Lard. (Courtesy of Tracy Giroux.)

Alburgh Creamery

March 26, 2009

In 1934, the Milton Co-operative Dairy Corporation established a milk station in the town of Alburgh to service island towns with access to larger markets for their commercial dairy products. The corporation's 1935 annual report said, "This service to the remote patrons was a great convenience and a money saver. It gave them as quick service as those who lived near the main plant and saved the twenty-five cents per hundred pounds formerly paid for.” The Alburgh Creamery Yard is a hub of activity in 1945 as farmers deliver canned milk in trucks and wagons. (Courtesy of the Alburgh Historical Society.)

Oops! Batiste Errata

March 23, 2009

This lovingly hand-copied poem found in the Isle La Motte Historical Society archives was found in Batiste's collection of works. It appeared to be an example of his work, compact enough to feature in the book. It turns out, Batiste had a fondness for Alfred Lord Tennyson and recopied the poem, "Crossing the Bar," for his own use.

The error will be corrected in a future edition.

Signing at the Champlain Islands Farmer's Market

March 21, 2009

I'll be at the Champlain Islands Farmer's Market on Saturday, April 4the from 10:00am until 2:00pm behind St. Joseph's Church in Grand Isle. It's my first official signing, so stop by and say hello!

Rejected Cover: Houseboat

March 20, 2009

This one didn't quite make it onto the cover of the book, but it was a close contender. I was enthralled by the story of houseboat residents cutting ropes to set each other adrift and committing other acts of sabotage to get the best position along the shoreline.

This looks like a sturdy, no nonsense group -- they run a tight ship, laundry's done and the ladies (at least) are trim and tidy.