Well Alex and I made the last run of the season here at our new home in Rye, New Hampshire. We launched at Odiorne State Park Witch Creek and rowed through the anchorage in Little Harbor and beached Thistle at Odiorne State Park for lunch. It was a brisk 50 degrees out which made it even more special because the only other boats on the water were a few kyaks and one work boat near the Wentworth Hotel Marina. Lunch was great and we explored the beach for a while before heading back. We shared our sandwich with a gull and headed out.
9 comments:
Chris, I was absolutely enchanted to read the 2007 account of finding your Peapod! Because my sister and I used to row that peapod when we worked for Alida Camp! I remember it well, with much affection. We worked for her from 1978-81, and besides getting to sail with her on her gorgeous Concordia Yawl, Thistledown, she gave us free rein to row in the peapod anytime we liked. We were landlubbers from the mountains, but the peapod (it never did have a name) was so easy to learn in, we became very good rowers, rowing all over the cove in Morgan Bay in E. Blue Hill. Jeff Torrey, the handyman, used to row it standing up, facing forward. And I even took my Siamese cat rowing in that peapod; I have pictures of it!
Also, since you named it Thistle, did you know that Alida Camp named Thistledown after HER father's much bigger boat, Thistle? Her father was Dr. Seth Milliken. And, you can find records of Thistledown (#62 Concordia Yawl, built in 1958) online, if you google it.
I had just been wondering this morning who got Thistledown after Mrs. Camp died in 1998, whether her children kept it or sold it, and so was doing research online. Turns out she is now owned by one of Mrs. Camp's friends, Jean Becton, of Englewood, NJ. But, finding that, I saw your blog about the Peapod, and was so excited!
And, I recognized Matt Camp from your blog---he was a tanned, handsome blonde boy of about 10 when he came to visit his grandmother, at the time I worked there. I never knew he ended up living in Brooklin.
I loved your description of your search, and of Brooklin, it's perfect. I know it well, Naskeag, the Boat Yards, The General Store, Flye Point....I was so happy when you DID end up with Mrs. Camp's Peapod! (Although, I wish I had it!) Who'd think it was languishing in storage all that time?
I have pictures of it from 1981, also of Thistledown, and Mrs. Camp. Are you interested?
Susan Paradis
I spent many summers with Baca on Thistledown with her extended family and friends. I cherish those days dearly! I spent my 'core' times at Blueberry Hill from c. 1978 through 1985. During grad school, I'd get up to Blueberry Hill periodically, spending summers at The Cove (a small discreet 'inlet' near her main property), in an old boat house, we called it The Boatyard. Mrs. Camp had 4 children and had built this boatyard for the customization of sailboats specifically built for her 4 children! I have since forgotten what the name of those boats were called. Days and Nights on Thistledown, in land locked Morgan's Bay. It was the End of an Era when she passed away....Truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience, spending time with Baca at Blueberry Hill...oh! Did I say Blueberries? ;) Thank you Susie for your post! We must've met, I was working at a restaurant in Blue Hill for a couple named Beth and John, they had an excellent little place called, The Firepond. I loved working there every summer. Cheers !! ~Janice E. Montecalvo, Newport, Rhode Island USA.
Janice, how great you saw the blog! I MUST have met you during that time, but Mrs. Camp had so many guests, I just can't remember them all. And, of course, I remember the Firepond---I got to eat there once, but usually was too poor to afford it! I'm happy to hear that you had such good memories of Blueberry Hill. Do you remember William Parr, her chef/butler? He's out in Calif now working as an artist. Susan Paradis
Hi Susan, Janice here! I most certainly remember William! He was awesome, I have some funny stories about "how nobody would tell me what the good soup he made consisted of" as one time, Alida's eldest grandson, Fred, tricked me into eating turtle soup! (I am vegan!). I loved the entire property, especially Tall Timbers, where in later years during the 1980's, Alida's children (the 2 daughters and families) built homes, one right in between her main home and "The Boatyard" (the Cove) and one at Tall Timbers! Fred was my boyfriend for many years and to this day I am in constant touch with Nicko (Alida's eldest *adopted* son) as well as Fred's younger sister, Elizabeth ("Cookie"). Ahh....I know that we MUST have met, Susan, I must go through some of my Blueberry Hill photos and take a look at everything again...!! Do you remember Fred (and Nicko's) sailboat, "Surprise"? I believe it's dry docked inside the Boatyard building right now. I miss Baca, and the fun times we had in "The Playhouse" as well as visits during the winter and staying at "The Peter Rabbit House." :) If you are in touch with William, please give me my regards, he'd remember me as "Fred's girlfriend, Janice." :)
Janice! (Sorry, Chris, to be using your blog to reminisce with Janice)--how cool, I would love to hear what's up with Nicko, Fred and Elizabeth now! We served them as guests the MOST, and Elizabeth was the closest in age to us of all the guests that ever came to BB Hill, so we were interested in her. I remember Fred had a girlfriend, but I don't specifically remember meeting you, altho memory is not so good the longer away it is! I do remember "Surprise" and I have a picture of a boat called "Reliance" that I have captioned as being Nicko's boat. Thank you for reminding me that Mrs. Camp's boathouse was called the Playhouse, I could NOT remember that, but I knew it was something different. I never saw the houses that Cate and Susan built. And my sister and I were the two maids in pretty little dresses, that served dinner with our hair up....my sister left in 79 and another girl named Polly came to work with me. William left there in '85, to work for someone in California and fell in love with the state. He has a website now called, "blackandgoldsf.com" advertising his art. I will definitely tell him about talking to you; we correspond or text now and then. He likes to hear about the old days at Blueberry Hill. Susan (susie.jacuzzi@hotmail.com)
My apologies too, Chris! In closing, thank you, Susan, my email is: twenty9pearsenator@gmail.com, and Elizabeth Camp Gattine is living in Westbrook, ME and IS on Facebook, I'll let her know your email address and I am sure that she would be thrilled to hear! I do remember you, I LOVED your dresses you wore and YES those years between 1978-through-1985 (esp. 1979-1981) were my 'prime' years there (even after William left, 'not quite the same without William, his charisma and his AWESOME chocolate soufflé, made especially for me when he knew I would be 'coming to dinner'!). I'll check out his website too. :) "Reliance" was a massive/masculine vessel, and Nicko donated the prototype which now resides in Bristol, RI, at the Herreshoff Marine Museum! I do hope that the boating info is of some interest to you, Chris, my apologies for 'crashing' your thread/blog, I was not aware as what caught my attention was my research on Thistledown! Thank you to you, Susan! WE can reminisce anytime you like! ~Janice in Newport, RI~
twenty9pearsenator@gmail.com doesn't work!
Susie: it's twenty9pearlsenator@gmail.com, my bad, *typo*, so sorry!! :)
I was thrilled Susan that you reconnected with a friend on my blog, small world.
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