August 2022
Posted 30 April 2023
Excited to be in northern New York to celebrate mom’s ninetieth birthday, things didn’t quite work out as planned.
First Beth, then my sister Brenda, and finally mom all celebrate their birthdays in August. We gathered at Fern Lake to celebrate mom’s big nine-o.
Brenda has been doing lots of repairs and serious upgrades to the family camp, that Mom & Dad bought in the early 70’s. She let me tag along on a visit to a lumber store, where we stopped to visit a favorite spot, the Old Jay Covered Bridge.
Brenda looks out from the bridge we’ve been visiting since we were children. Built in 1857, it is one of the few remaining covered bridges in the Adirondacks.
Now restricted to pedestrians, the bridge spans the pretty Ausable River. Water has smoothed the rocks on the upstream side, providing a fun place where we would, in younger days, sit and slide through a natural flume.
If you are into fishing for trout, you may have heard of the Ausable. The West Branch of this cool river is one of the best streams east of the Mississippi for fly fishing.
Back at Fern Lake we enjoyed a few days of projects, good food, and evening boat rides.
On the morning of Brenda’s birthday, we all heard a yelp, and then a thump, from mom’s bedroom. She had been making her bed when one ankle gave way and she fell to the floor.
She was in pain, and the ankle didn’t look good, so we loaded her into the car and drove to Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital in Plattsburgh. It wasn’t a great experience, as they had to try more than once to get the ankle set and cast.
Coincidentally, this was a return to the hospital where Brenda was born on this same date a few decades ago.
Taking turns being with mom over the next couple of days, I had a chance to walk around town visiting childhood memories.
We lived close enough that mom walked to the hospital, volunteering at the snack bar. She made a great chocolate shake.
This is the Cape Cod style house that was a wonderful home.
My room was upstairs and had a dormer along with closets in the eaves that made fun play areas.
Plattsburgh was the perfect size city for kids, as we could walk or ride bikes all over town.
From my window, I could see Plattburgh State University’s Hawkins Hall, where my dad taught art education.
We never had to ride a bus and could walk to every school we attended.
The Campus Pond was our neighborhood playground and Hawkins Hall was our castle.
Being adjacent to Lake Champlain we had access to beaches, ferry boats, and views of the Green Mountains in Vermont.
Walking back to the hospital took me past the Vilas Home. Built by Samuel F. Vilas in 1888 as a home for aging widows, new construction is expanding their mission to assisted living for any seniors. The home is a wonderful example of Queen Anne style architecture.
Mom was a real trooper, tolerating multiple attempts to reset her ankle far better than I would.
Back at Fern Lake, it was time to give up our spot by the shore and head south. Mom needs an ankle specialist and there are more available in the Albany metro area. Luckily, Brenda’s year-round home is there, so Mom will have a place to recuperate.
Driveway camping was convenient while mom underwent surgery.
Note: Check the driveway rating before settling in for a visit. I felt terrible that our 8,200 lb. van left indents in the recently repaved driveway.
Despite the ankle misfortune, Mom’s big day did arrive.
It wasn’t where or how any of us planned to celebrate, but we were all thankful to be together.
Happy 90th Birthday to Mom!