The Duck Family, Fourth Lake

There is a natural rhythm and pattern to life in the Adirondacks. You notice it everywhere. The loons call out for their mates, the lone loon left behind calls out in desperation. The ducks appear every year with a new brood, visiting us on our beach. When our house was finished, the animals seemed curious and came to the house to visit us, check out the new place. We had not just ducks but a baby bear, too many deer, and birds of every sort. We even have an eagle, though we have never seen it. The eagle's nest is high up in the tallest tree in the property. It looks like a giant football perched firmly on a strong branch. The mail boat stops and points it out to tourists, as the new duck family drifts past them.

When Taxidermy is Tasteful

We aren't big fans of taxidermy. Dead, stuffed animals are not our thing. But sometimes, but rarely, we find that it works. This is our baby bear, killed accidentally by a car. He stands watch, looking out a window that can be seen as you approach the front door of the house. Which is amusing for guests and other visitors. Tasteful taxidermy happens by chance; it is never sought out. We happened to inherit this bear for the winter season last year, when the main lodge was closed, and he stayed with us all summer, and now into the fall. Many great camps, including Penwood, have deer feet that are used as coat or hat hangers. We can understand that. But not this: we had a brush with the worst kind of taxidermy when we were looking at newly constructed homes in the area to get ideas for our not-yet-started home. One of the homes was built by a local hunter and included more taxidermy than you see at a North Country taxidermy store -- including, very unfortunately, a fetal deer curled up on the staircase ledge. Yes: taxidermy of the unborn. Don't go there. We got the hell out of that place, and fast.

In an Adirondack Garden: Hydrangea

It's an odd thing, gardening in a forest, trying to impose human will and design, order, on a landscape that will never be tamed. But we try to add color, order, more beauty all around our house. The deer stayed away from our hydrangea this year and the plants flourished. We cut them each week and put an arrangement in the guest room in a simple Daum crystal vase. The River Birches we planted also did quite well this season, but the hydrangea beat out everything for resilience and beauty. The flowers kept blooming, right up through October and Columbus day weekend. Plant hydrangea in your Adirondack garden and enjoy the color and fresh cut flowers throughout summer and fall. We have a long row of them as you approach the house and they are the perfect way to welcome our guests. They look as great in the woods as they do on our table.

Blackie, Our Baby Black Bear

Black bears are a part of life in the Adirondacks. We just don't want them in our garage eating packages of Hostess "donuts" left around by the caretaker. This little guy visited us briefly and scared the hell out of my little brother Rob. On another day, the bear and his mother visited Penwood, took a bag from McDonald's from a tractor and ate french fries while watching the workmen build our house. Still, I like them far better than the deer, which love to eat our plants, and are beginning to push me over the brink. My father had the grand idea of putting a salt lick out on an old tree stump to feed the deer. Now they think they own Penwood and have been tearing through the plant life like crazy. We'll take a baby Black bear over deer any day.