Vermont Public radio did a show about Lake Champlain Boating Culture. I sent in a note, and they discussed us on the program. You can listen to the podcast (about 25 minutes long) here or you can use your podcast app using this link..
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
Tarwathie on VPR
Vergennes, VT
Vermont Public radio did a show about Lake Champlain Boating Culture. I sent in a note, and they discussed us on the program. You can listen to the podcast (about 25 minutes long) here or you can use your podcast app using this link..
Vermont Public radio did a show about Lake Champlain Boating Culture. I sent in a note, and they discussed us on the program. You can listen to the podcast (about 25 minutes long) here or you can use your podcast app using this link..
Monday, August 11, 2014
The Lost Generation
Shelburne, Vermont
44 25.420N 073 15.001 W
We are anchored in Shelburne Bay at the exact spot where our favorite photo was taken. It is an especially beautiful place. Last night we watched the "super moon" (the next full moon will be September 9, a day when we might be at sea heading south). This morning the dawn was spectacular as the sun rose behind the Green Mountains.
We get emails from high school classmates keeping us up to date on news and events. Recently, the news has been filled with an alarming number of death notices. Knock on wood. But it makes me think about our generation.
Libby and I were born in Nov/Dec 1944. We belong to "the lost generation." The boomer generation began a year later. I never heard that term until recently. I thought we belonged to no generation at all; neither "greatest generation" nor "boomers". That doesn't mean we weren't generation aware.
We greatly admire "the greatest generation." Growing up, talk of the war and the depression dominated everything. I even felt as if we were of the WWII generation, but that wasn't because it was true, but because of immersion in the culture of our elders.
All through our lives, we have been made intensively aware of the boomer generation following at our heels. Every school I ever attended closed its doors as soon as I graduated to be replaced by a brand new bigger school for the boomers.
In our college years, students wore butch cuts, joined ROCT, volunteered to go to Viet Nam, and never saw nor heard of marijuana or any other drugs. Oh yes, one more thing, we also missed the sexual revolution by a year. I remember looking at a Playboy spread about co-ed dorms in 1967 and thinking "damn, it sure wasn't like that when I was there."
I also recall shock reading about on-campus anti-war protests and hippies in 1967 after graduating in 1966. Holy mackerel, the turn-around was so complete and so rapid that it felt as if the boomers were an alien species. Since then, that cultural divide never disappeared. We constantly hear of and are reminded of differences between us and the boomers.
We are used to being ignored in the media. In any given week I can read about the problems of retired people (10 years older than us) plus a flood of articles about boomers about to retire. Nary a mention of our generation. I can't recall a singly news story in any media in any year that focused on (or even mentioned) "the lost generation." I only learned the term lost generation by a Google search that took he to this page on Wikipedia.
There were also benefits. We had the great privilege of growing up in the 1950s during the years when the "golden years" were at their best.
A legitimate reason for making "the lost generation" lost is that we are few in number. Remnants of the depression and the war caused the birth rate to drop dramatically in those years.
A practical consequence that persists is that in the past year we note a substantial increase in the number of cruising boats. Retirement of the boomers may have been delayed a bit because of the 2008 recession, but it is in full swing now. We fear that many of our favorite places might become overcrowded in the the coming years. In that respect, retiring early plus being part of a relatively underpopulated age was a great benefit. The window for that benefit may be closing.
(Sombody else can analyze and explain the even lower birth rates post-boomer.)
44 25.420N 073 15.001 W
We are anchored in Shelburne Bay at the exact spot where our favorite photo was taken. It is an especially beautiful place. Last night we watched the "super moon" (the next full moon will be September 9, a day when we might be at sea heading south). This morning the dawn was spectacular as the sun rose behind the Green Mountains.
We get emails from high school classmates keeping us up to date on news and events. Recently, the news has been filled with an alarming number of death notices. Knock on wood. But it makes me think about our generation.
Libby and I were born in Nov/Dec 1944. We belong to "the lost generation." The boomer generation began a year later. I never heard that term until recently. I thought we belonged to no generation at all; neither "greatest generation" nor "boomers". That doesn't mean we weren't generation aware.
We greatly admire "the greatest generation." Growing up, talk of the war and the depression dominated everything. I even felt as if we were of the WWII generation, but that wasn't because it was true, but because of immersion in the culture of our elders.
All through our lives, we have been made intensively aware of the boomer generation following at our heels. Every school I ever attended closed its doors as soon as I graduated to be replaced by a brand new bigger school for the boomers.
In our college years, students wore butch cuts, joined ROCT, volunteered to go to Viet Nam, and never saw nor heard of marijuana or any other drugs. Oh yes, one more thing, we also missed the sexual revolution by a year. I remember looking at a Playboy spread about co-ed dorms in 1967 and thinking "damn, it sure wasn't like that when I was there."
I also recall shock reading about on-campus anti-war protests and hippies in 1967 after graduating in 1966. Holy mackerel, the turn-around was so complete and so rapid that it felt as if the boomers were an alien species. Since then, that cultural divide never disappeared. We constantly hear of and are reminded of differences between us and the boomers.
We are used to being ignored in the media. In any given week I can read about the problems of retired people (10 years older than us) plus a flood of articles about boomers about to retire. Nary a mention of our generation. I can't recall a singly news story in any media in any year that focused on (or even mentioned) "the lost generation." I only learned the term lost generation by a Google search that took he to this page on Wikipedia.
There were also benefits. We had the great privilege of growing up in the 1950s during the years when the "golden years" were at their best.
A legitimate reason for making "the lost generation" lost is that we are few in number. Remnants of the depression and the war caused the birth rate to drop dramatically in those years.
 |
| US Birth Rates by year. |
A practical consequence that persists is that in the past year we note a substantial increase in the number of cruising boats. Retirement of the boomers may have been delayed a bit because of the 2008 recession, but it is in full swing now. We fear that many of our favorite places might become overcrowded in the the coming years. In that respect, retiring early plus being part of a relatively underpopulated age was a great benefit. The window for that benefit may be closing.
(Sombody else can analyze and explain the even lower birth rates post-boomer.)
Thursday, August 07, 2014
The Pleasure of Company
Vergennes, Vermont
We love having company on the boat. We just concluded a visit from Bob & Sandra and their dog Mattie. We were able to take them on a dinner cruise out on the lake to see the famous sunset from Burlington's view. (See below)
The next day we also did the Church Street Marketplace in Burlington which is also fun. We also went hiking on the lakeside trails in Shelburne.
It was a pleasure to have them. Any other friends who would like to visit; we would love to have you. Just send an email.
We love having company on the boat. We just concluded a visit from Bob & Sandra and their dog Mattie. We were able to take them on a dinner cruise out on the lake to see the famous sunset from Burlington's view. (See below)
The next day we also did the Church Street Marketplace in Burlington which is also fun. We also went hiking on the lakeside trails in Shelburne.
It was a pleasure to have them. Any other friends who would like to visit; we would love to have you. Just send an email.
 |
| Seen from Burlington, a few days before the visit. |
Monday, August 04, 2014
Not a Selfie
Shelburne, VT
44 24.412 N 073 14.317 Wt
Tonight is special, we're going to have onboard visitors. Bob & Sandra and their dog Mattie are coming by for a couple of days for a visit. The weather is not the best, but we'll have fun anyhow.
Below, here's a rare picture. It's rare because it shows both Libby and I in the dinghy. Jen took the pic for us. Thank you Jen.
p.s. We stayed at Jen's house over the weekend. Winds were light, so I felt safe leaving Tarwathie anchored in Burlington. The solar panels would keep the batteries charged for us. When we returned to Tarwathie this morning, the batteries were almost dead (11.9 volts). Further investigation showed that the thermostat on the refrigerator went beserk. Everything was frozen, even our bottle of milk and a head of lettuce.
Luckily, there was enough left in the batteries to start the engine, so we recovered. I'll order a new thermostat today. Until then, we'll have to turn the fridge on/off by hand to regulate temperature.
44 24.412 N 073 14.317 Wt
Tonight is special, we're going to have onboard visitors. Bob & Sandra and their dog Mattie are coming by for a couple of days for a visit. The weather is not the best, but we'll have fun anyhow.
Below, here's a rare picture. It's rare because it shows both Libby and I in the dinghy. Jen took the pic for us. Thank you Jen.
p.s. We stayed at Jen's house over the weekend. Winds were light, so I felt safe leaving Tarwathie anchored in Burlington. The solar panels would keep the batteries charged for us. When we returned to Tarwathie this morning, the batteries were almost dead (11.9 volts). Further investigation showed that the thermostat on the refrigerator went beserk. Everything was frozen, even our bottle of milk and a head of lettuce.
Luckily, there was enough left in the batteries to start the engine, so we recovered. I'll order a new thermostat today. Until then, we'll have to turn the fridge on/off by hand to regulate temperature.
Sunday, August 03, 2014
In Praise of the Lowly PBJ
South Burlington, Vermont
Libby and I are fond of something sweet in the late evenings. Ice cream used to be our favorite. Unfortunately I had to lay off the ice cream because I connected it to gout. Eat a generous helping of ice cream 2-3 nights in a row and I would get hit with an attack of gout for the following week.
On the boat, we now resort to cookies as our favorite nighttime snack.
But last night at Jen's house we had no good cookies at hand, so I made myself a peanut butter sandwich. It was so delicious I had to make a second one.
As the legendary food for American small children, the PBJ sandwich gets no respect. It deserves better. It is a superb and (I think) healthy treat. The jam need not have a lot of sugar, most of the flavor comes from the peanut butter.
In Sweden, the favored snack was Wasa bread (Americans call it crisp bread) with butter and a slice of cheese, and a dab of Kalles Caviar on top. That was very good, but I think I like the PBJ better.
Hip hip hooray for the P B J.
Libby and I are fond of something sweet in the late evenings. Ice cream used to be our favorite. Unfortunately I had to lay off the ice cream because I connected it to gout. Eat a generous helping of ice cream 2-3 nights in a row and I would get hit with an attack of gout for the following week.
On the boat, we now resort to cookies as our favorite nighttime snack.
But last night at Jen's house we had no good cookies at hand, so I made myself a peanut butter sandwich. It was so delicious I had to make a second one.
As the legendary food for American small children, the PBJ sandwich gets no respect. It deserves better. It is a superb and (I think) healthy treat. The jam need not have a lot of sugar, most of the flavor comes from the peanut butter.
In Sweden, the favored snack was Wasa bread (Americans call it crisp bread) with butter and a slice of cheese, and a dab of Kalles Caviar on top. That was very good, but I think I like the PBJ better.
Hip hip hooray for the P B J.
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