In a Galaxy Far, Far Away

Photo Credit: Mark Burstein
As soon as the cold hits the Adirondacks, the sunny days on the lake are gone. It becomes a different world, quiet and cold, remote, solitary. The summer days, like this one, are energetic and warm, full of possibility. The world outside is inviting and sometimes it seems dreamlike. The winter season has such moments, too, but fewer of them. The quality of air and light is different once the snow comes. This is a perfect view on a perfect day in the Adirondacks.

Furniture for the Forest

The new snow in the Park this past week has gotten us thinking about our outdoor furniture, like these two simple Adirondack chairs. Every homeowner should think about his or her outdoor furnishings as carefully as they consider their indoor furnishings. Chairs, benches, tables - they can do more than serve a utilitarian purpose: they can invite guests to share a view, visit a special spot, take a break, look out at the lake. They can also be sculptural - punctuating the forest, decorating and enhancing it. We love Marston & Langinger for garden and outdoor furniture.

In honor of Daylight Savings Time in the U.S.

While I am personally partial to Autumn, many Adirondackers believe that Winter is the most beautiful time of year. It is a time of crystalline light and endless silences, when the land is cast in white. Sometimes, it seems that the Adirondacks are at their most forbidding in Winter, but they are also at their simplest. It is then that the dizzying species of flora and fauna lay dormant, and the land is reduced to ice, snow and wood. The sun, low in the sky, is so enfeebled that one can almost gaze at it in a manner that would be unthinkable in Summer. By January, the lakes freeze to a depth of two feet and thus become terra firma, to such a point that locals are known even to drive cars on them (not that I would ever dare). I do go out on the lake with my snowshoes and enjoy walking out to its center, where I am surrounded by nothing but the purest white.

Penwood Main Lodge in Winter

When it snows in Old Forge, it snows! Here is a view of the main lodge at Penwood in the middle of Winter 2005. The house is covered in snow and the woods are eerily quiet. There is a lone snowmobile in the distance, barely audible. The house is about 100 years old and has its own personality, its own stubborn soul. You can't recreate such character, at any price. It's a member of the family.