Autumn arrived at 9pmish on Thursday and with it the rains. It is good to see the brook (pictured above) run with water again. Leaves are coloring, nights are lengthening, the air is not as warm as it used to be. Colleen and I defrosted the freezer and tidied up the basement respectively on Friday for our Autumnal Equinox Potluck and Sauna on Saturday. I filled the hot tub for the first time with 125′ feet of hose and a pump in the stream in the gorge and when it was about 2 feet deep it began to leak!
Of course it does my design is flawed. I sealed all the seams with sealant, tape and mortar, backing board, mortar, grout and grout sealer and still water finds a way. The leak was not prodigious; about an inch an hour. I checked again at 11pm and still an inch an hour. I figured I could manage the leak with frequent topping offs so on Saturday I filled it full, 4 feet deep, 100 cu/ft of water, about 700 gallons and 5600 pounds and noticed the leak increased to about 4″ an hour. Still doable. I topped it off every hour adding 10 gallons to the tub. Only took a few minutes. I fired the stove at 4pm and realized my lumber was too long and scrounged to find smaller wood. My mentor Holly Perdue arrived and told me my fire was not nearly big enough, “Fill the fucker up” she told me.
As more guests arrived and noticed the leak speculation began. I knew that the tile on the floor, being so thin and weak had cracked and was most likely allowing water to seep through and when I mentioned the bigger the leak the more water in the tub my friend Neal said the weight of the water was forcing the water through at a higher pressure. It took 6 hours to heat the tub and all the guests had left by the time I plunged in at 10pm after my solo dance party and to my utter amazement it was hot, not warm but Hot. Colleen & Christine joined me we soaked for an hour. I opened the stove up and blazed the fire and we felt the water get hotter. It was so sweet. A hot tub in the trees with star views and steam rising off the water.
The rest of the party was nice, Kuenzi, Anders, Yarrow, Joan, Kate and Gaia were there from FTY past and present along with neighbors, Terri Page and her family and the Makers. The sauna was enjoyed by some and the food was delicious.
It’s Autumn, time for fall foliage and the Autumn Onion 5K in 30 days. Look close and you can See Ambiana in the poster from last years race.
There she is up close in her rainbow unicorn onesie.
I came into possession of a trove of family photos this summer between South Carolina and my mom’s stuff and Massena and Aunt Julie’s stuff and have been scanning them . Above is my paternal grandmother’s family The Demos around 1914. My grandmother, Nanny is the little girl in front in the middle. Her brother Sam who built the camp on Lake Ozonia is in the back row on the right. My great grandfather, Benjamin Demo, seated in front on the left was the chief of police in Massena when the St Lawrence Seaway was being built.
On a different note my football team, The Miami Dolphins are 3-0 and for the first time in 37 years may be a contender. Pictured above is me as a 10 year old Pop Warner football player in 1975 in Webster NY.
We’ve had JB for 2 1/2 weeks now, he is growing fast and endearing himself with everyone but Jakobi who isn’t used to being a big sister and sometimes JB exasperates her with his enthusiasm and exuberation especially when she is trying to sleep.
