A Good Walk Ruined

We shortened last week by leaving home on Thursday after work and rendezvousing with Dan and Liz Manz at the Cottage that evening. This was the beginning of our annual (but possibly not the only time this summer) gathering of the Morris-Manz-Swenson adults.

Liz had made gazpacho for dinner and along with a couple of glasses of wine had a cool, early summer dinner. The loons even started laughing at us as the night went on.

We didn’t make it a late evening. Everyone—correction everyone but Liz, did I mention that School was out—had worked this week and combined with the travels and a little vino we were all ready for an early evening.

Waking up early Friday morning I looked out to fog covering the lawn down to the lake. By the time a pot of coffee was made—French Roast…some of what coffee is all about—it had lifted enough that I could see the dock. Within a half-hour, and half of the coffee, the opposite shoreline was taking shape. This was a great time to enjoy the quiet of the morning, a good book, and the view of the lake.

It didn’t take long for the coffee aromas to reach Dan out in the van—Dan and Liz were trying a new form of ‘roughing it’ by sleeping in the conversion van instead of in a tent on the lawn. As is their custom, Dan came in and got a cup of coffee to take to Liz before she even got up.

Dan and I were soon out of the Cottage and heading for Lochmere Country Club to meet James and my brother Bill (Art) for an outing of golf. Dan and I walked the course and found that the course professional was exactly right when he warned us that it is a very tough walk. Bill played well, Dan played well, James played very well and I, as Mark Twain would put it, spent my time ruining a good walk—one of the absolute worst rounds I have played in years, and that says a lot.

We did cut the game short by two holes since Bill had an afternoon appointment and we needed to get back to the Cottage and pick up our ladies for a night out. Fortunately we got back to East Andover in time to take a quick swim in the lake and then get get ready for the evening. Gail Tuscany joined us at this time and we all squeezed into James and Stephanie’s mini-van for a trip to Conway.

Our first stop was at Cafe Noche for a bite of Mexican before the show. We figured that the combination of margaritas and filling food would set us up well for the evening’s performance.

Just prior to the show the effects of the margarita had a little effect on James and Stephanie—who had both seen the show earlier in the week. But they both were fully alert by the time the curtain went up.

Thomas, seen to the left, was a leading character in The Secret Marriage a comedy opera. Fortunately for all of us the opera was in English and the translation managed to keep the humor. In addition, some liberties were taken to bring more current phrases into use. Thomas was, as usual, in excellent voice and performed with outstanding diction. Everyone’s acting was great and we all enjoyed the performance.

By the time the show ended, we congratulated the cast and traveled back to the Cottage it was getting late…even for us. So it was off to bed and leaving a light on for Thomas to come in later—he did quietly come in a couple of hours later without bothering anyone…including our campers in the van and even his mother, and mothers always keep an ear turned to hear their children.

The next morning was clear and beautiful. I took a hint from a picture Jessica had text-messaged to me the previous day from Florida and included a bit of myself in the picture of the morning view.

It was another one of those quiet, comfortable mornings alongside the lake. Once everyone was up and about the Manz’s packed up and headed off to meet their children, significant others, and some of the parents of significant others for a few days of camping in Queechee, Vermont.

James, Thomas and I headed out to the Country Club of New Hampshire for another attempt at this game they call golf. This time everyone played well, including this writer. I played one of the best games that I have in years and had some good witnesses to verify it.

Back at the Cottage we were soon joined by Dad, Nana, and Papa for some cocktails, swimming and beach time.

The afternoon was filled with crackers, boursin cheese, guacamole, salsa and various snacks to tide us over. While we enjoyed the afternoon I placed a couple of large pieces of pork loin on the grill to slow-roast. The previous afternoon I had injected the pig with a marinade of watermelon, jalapeno and midori liqueur to give the meat a distinctive flavor—pigs cooked with watermelon, how much more southern cuisine can you get! In addition, I had sliced up potatoes and onions that I slathered with olive oil and some spices, wrapped in aluminum foil and placed on the grill. Cheri had sliced some summer squash and they got the same treatment and heat applied.

The meal turned out great, although the low temperature slow cooking kept the potatoes and onions from getting fully cooked to a soft stage—that just made them perfect for frying up to have with omelets that I made for everyone for breakfast. Everyone enjoyed the unique taste and we agreed that this is something we should try again…just in case the first time was a mistake.

Later in the evening we played some games, read and told some of the usual stories. It was then off to bed to get ready for another day.

As mentioned we woke up to more fresh coffee, pan fried potatoes and onions, omelets, and Cheri cooked up another pig’s worth of bacon. We did have a visitor down on the raft and soon after he flew off, so did all of us. After packing everyone else off we packed, cleaned, re-made beds and got the cottage ready for the next weekend.

Another adventure well enjoyed.

A moment of Zen (and Thomas)...ckick on the photo below (and imagine it rotated 90 degrees)...

From MMS Weekend at the Cottage