This post is dedicated to Anne Hollingsworth, a fascinating woman and delightful friend. Here's the family cottage with a peek at the lake. That log keeps cars from parking too close to the drop-off.
This parking area is just off of Terrace Road, but it's a steep enough hill down to the back porch of the cottage so these days I drive down the hill and park by the back door.
Woodacres is the name of the cottage. Griffin was my mother's married name. My son, Griffin, thinks it's cool that the name signs specifically say his name: Griffin Ballou. Bryant is my sister's family.
Keeping things neat requires a bit of organization. Recycling can on the left, garbage in the center can, and returnables on the right. I don't buy soda and beer so the Bryant side of the family takes care of cans and bottles that can be returned for a nickel. Unlike France, our recycling puts everything together, even glass doesn't get separated out.
It would have been impossible to have two refrigerators in the kitchen so the Ballou side of the family chose to have theirs on the porch.
For many years the small round table was in the living room on the other side of this pass-through and the big round table was on the screened porch. We seldom have big crowds anymore so the small round table is on the screened porch and the big one is on the unscreened porch. Now we sometimes pass coffee or snacks through the pass-through when playing Rummikub in the living room.
Sometimes it's easier to have breakfast at the table in the kitchen. That's a big closet in the corner.
With the hot water tank right next to the sink, there's no problem getting hot water! To the left of the stove is a hallway. First door is the bathroom. It's just on the other side of the kitchen wall.
Right into the bathroom, left under the birch arch to the living room, next door on the left leads to the attic and beyond that is the "middle" bedroom. Across from that is the "bunk" bedroom and the open door at the end is my bedroom. The bathroom is the most modern room in the cottage (smile).
Middle bedroom above. Bunk bedroom below.
And then there is my bedroom...
The only outlet in my bedroom is on the far wall so I use an extension cord to have a lamp where I can reach it upon entering the room when it's dark. At night the breeze comes down the mountain so I don't have to use the fan very often. The inside walls are actually the inside of the outside walls.
Instead of walking down the hall, turn left to enter the living room. There's the side of the big stone fireplace. This house was built in 1904. My grandparents weren't the first owners, but last year we celebrated our family owning the cottage for 100 years.
You can see where Mimi and I spend most of our evenings, over there at the card table playing Rummikub.
My grandmother and sister played the piano. I wish Brian would spend more time there.
Off the living room is the fourth bedroom, called the "front" bedroom because it looks onto the front porch. The "front" of the house is not what faces the road, but is what faces the water.
This is the room where we discovered mice were living inside the bed's box-spring! Not anymore!
The screened porch area has the small round table, two cots, 3 rocking chairs, and the smallest round table for daytime Rummikub.
This is where I have my morning coffee, with the morning sun rising over the mountains across the sparkling lake. On the table is the "lazy Susan," a wooden turntable that allows everyone to reach for the food serving dishes. It's essential to have screens in the Adirondacks, but part of the porch is open for the days when bugs aren't being miserable.
Here are views of the cottage when approaching up the road...
Way over on the right side of this picture a corner of the tent platform is showing.
And I did mention the most modern room in the cottage as being the bathroom, so here it is!
The tub and shower are on the right.
It's a high step into the tub to take a shower, so these days I use the kiddie step that the youngsters once used to be able to reach the sink.
Here's the view when you get beyond the tub.
Compared to the old bathroom, this is heaven.
Rotting wooden floor was replaced before the linoleum was laid so we no longer worry about disappearing into the cellar!
And so far the plunger has been for looks only.
Now you've seen it all.
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