Let the Adirondack Bells Ring

This bell has been hanging on the exterior of the main lodge at Penwood for as long as I can remember. At least since the 60's, but probably before. I think it was meant as a dinner bell - to call the loungers by the water, at the dock and at the beach to come up to the house. Last summer, we rejuvenated it by adding a strip of knotted leather as a pull with which to ring the bell. We don't use it any more than we did before, but we could, and it looks rustic and - well, Adirondack. The Old Forge Hardware sells strips of leather cheaply. (They also sell a lot of other great things, from books to yarn, furniture, Adirondack souvenirs, and games. The last time I visited, there was a great selection of heavy iron puzzles, the kind you can put on a coffee table and let the guests go to it. Anyway, if you have not been there, you should go: the Old Forge Hardware is on Main Street in Old Forge.) Ding!