Final Days at Geneva Point

September 4, 2015


The leaves are starting to change in the New Hampshire woods at Geneva Point Center, and we will be starting back down the road on Monday. Three more days and nights of running the ice cream shop before we shutter it up for the year. Our original commitment was until the end of October, but we are moving on as the last guests leave on Labor Day. This is the compromise Greg and I made in the middle of the summer.

Ice Cream in its native environment

Greg napping in the Man Cave

Greg's silent utility vehicle - ideal for the music camps.

The last time I posted was almost seven weeks ago. During this time we hosted more groups, including the second week of the Summer Acoustic Music Week, had over 450 guests on campus one week, served a lot of ice cream, Greg repaired a lot of stuff, including many toilets(!), and we squeezed in a few trips. I took Ollie and my newest 15 year-old worker, Abby, to Portland, Maine for the day. We also took Ollie to Burlington, Vermont then on the ferry over Lake Champlain to New York state, with a quick glimpse of the Canadian border and back across northern Vermont to New Hampshire.

Summer Acoustic Music Week - musicians parading to the music hall

Four of the Ice Cream Dream Team at the staff dinner

Lover's locks on a fence in Portland, Maine

Piece of the Berlin Wall in Portland, Maine

Gigantic rose hips at the Portland Head Lighthouse

Abby and Ollie at the Lighthouse

Burlington, Vermont sculpture of "Champy", the Lake Champlain sea monster made from recyclable bottles.

Taking the ferry to Plattsburg, New York

Ollie on the ferry

Enjoying Main Street Burlington with Ollie

We enjoyed the all staff dinner at The Common Man restaurant, and took the Ice Cream Dream Team to dinner at the Country Kitchen. Lots of laughs at the second dinner!

Jesse, Ollie, Hunter, and Abby defend Kathleen from the bear

The Ice Cream Dream Team and Greg (the primary moocher)

Our last week on campus we hosted our nephew Jon and his girlfriend Rebecca for an overnight in the Lakeview Cabins. The next day we all kayaked and canoed on the lake. Greg and I finally got out on the water. We had a good time canoeing, but then decided to try the kayaks. Easy and fun!

Jon and Rebecca

Kayaking at Geneva Point

Test driving a canoe

The kayak was better

 

Fall is coming

Dragonfly catching his breath on the canoe

 

Woodpecker holes

Our camp bear checking out the compost pile

Cool fungus!

Greg's sister Pat and her husband Ed stopped by on their way to Maine. They got to meet some of the staff at a lakeside cookout and we experienced a beautiful sunset over the tranquil lake.

Our last three days the campus hosts a wedding and a large family reunion. Over 230 guests and not much staff. A few of the “oldsters” have left and most of the international staff. There is a small crew left to handle everything, but by early next week, the “youngsters” will be gone, following the staff that left earlier, either to go home or on their travels across the United States. We part ways with Ollie on Monday, who leaves for a month to travel, but meet up again in DC, and later in New York. We'll take him to the airport for his flight back to Scotland.

Greg's sidekick, Francisca, a few days before she headed back to Hungary

Late season flowers

I haven't had much time to prepare the rig to leave. Last weekend Greg discovered a dead battery in the truck that needed to be replaced. Too much sitting, and not enough running the engine from time to time. Learned our lesson. I need to dig out all the padding for the dishes and remember how we used to stow articles for travel. We've been living in a stationary house for the last almost 4 months. Now we need to think like nomads again and make sure anything that can fall or break is secured.

Enjoying the glacier-sculpted granite at the point.

 

I am still processing this experience and want to share what we have learned. The work camp experience was not what we anticipated, but every life experience has a mix of good and bad. On my next post I'll share my insights about this unique experience, and also hope to give some practical tips for others looking to work camp. Adios for now!

Update September 8 - We left Geneva Point yesterday morning and are now back in Maryland to visit family and recover from our “summer vacation”!