Baseball Season’s Opening Day Begins Today…

All 30 clubs are scheduled to play on the official Opening Day… however, the 2024 MLB season really bagan last week in Seoul, South Korea—a two-game series between Los Angeles and San Diego, marking the first MLB games ever in the country.

Let us introduce Graig Kreindler—The Painter of The American Pastime. Graig’s award-winning work has appeared in museums across the United States and has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Sporting News, Fox News and National Review, just to name a few. The painting above is Wrigley Field on October 10, 1945—the last time Wrigley Field hosted a World Series game. The Chicago Cubs lost 9-3 to the Detroit Tigers in Game 7.

“No other sport embodies the relationship between generations and the sense of community like baseball.”

Graig Kreindler

See More in Our March / April Newsletter!

 

 

Our Eggs—Straight From the Nest!

That’s Kay holding a basket of five-dozen eggs.

Our chickens live a great happy hen life…

A chicken’s instinct is to forage provides essential nutrients they get from the grass, weeds, grubs and small insects they find…

Unwashed Winter Eggs from Our Neighbor…

“The Rooster” Watching Over His Hens… That’s 43 eggs over four days!

A clutch of eggs on this early spring day… with a couple of Easter Eggers in there!

Our farm fresh eggs come from pasture-foraging chickens raised by our neighbor and from one other local farm where they spend their entire lives outside eating all the good things that nature provides. Our eggs are known for having rich yellow yokes, and firm clear whites. In autumn, our chickens are fed pumpkins, and the yokes become a seasonal deep orange. Our eggs are served only days after being gathered from their nests. Pond Mountain Inn only sources the finest ingredients available…

See Our Complete Breakfast Menu

 

Take a Tour at Hildene The Lincoln Family Home Manchester Vermont

We often visit Hildene; Robert Todd Lincoln built this Georgian Revival mansion in 1905. The estate sits on 412 beautiful acres that overlooks both the Green Mountain and Taconic Mountain Ranges from just behind the home. The formal gardens are a must see along with the 1903 Pullman Palace Car Sunbeam. A delightful way to spend a few hours in Manchester and just 35 Minutes from Pond Mountain Inn.

See our Dorset / Manchester • Day Trip Itinerary for more exciting places to visit.

Advice from the Big Kid

Advice from the Big Kid • Babe Ruth, November 29, 1924

Opening Day for the 2023 season will be March 30, with all 30 teams scheduled to play. Barring postponement, it will be the first time since 1968 that every MLB team opens on the same day.

This is only one of my favorite paintings by Graig Kreindler. It’s not only an extraordinary painting, but it just feels good especially during this holiday season. His award-winning sports work has appeared in juried shows and museums nationwide.

When discussing this painting, Graig says, “It’s hard to think of anybody other Norman Rockwell when looking at an image like the one this painting was based on. In that regard, I think one needn’t look any further than the subject matter: a ballplayer interacting with kids. It’s a motif that’s often a winning combination, and something that Rockwell utilized often in his work.”

Graig’s dramatic realism and exquisitely lifelike portraits will fascinate audiences for a lifetime! Additionally, Graig’s historic narratives that accompany each piece are as detailed and impressive as the paintings themselves. We’re both privileged and delighted to share his work with you this holiday season.

Title: “Advice from the Big Kid” | Subject: Babe Ruth, November 29, 1924 | Medium: Oil on linen | Size: 38″ x 28″

http://www.twitter.com/GraigKreindler | http://www.facebookcom/GraigKreindler

We’re always sharing something interesting from Pond Mountain Inn.

French-Style Omelettes at Pond Mountain Inn

Dakin Farm Big Link Smoked Sausage and Shredded Pan-Fried Potatoes with Seasonal Garnish.

Today’s Omelette Interior has Chestnut, Lion’s Mane and Oyster Mushrooms.

Freshly Foraged Sautéed Chanterelle Mushroom Omelettes

In Vermont, as in France, Chanterelles are Treasured in a Simple Omelette…

Our signature French crêpe-like omelettes may be the best farm-to-table omelette you’ve ever had. We only use freshly harvested mushrooms from a local farmer, while all our omelette ingredients are locally sourced. See our menu to read why our guests return year-after-year for Chef Kay’s omelettes, and all our exquisite collection of breakfast dishes…

We found a treasure trove of Chanterelles on our property. Chanterelles are as rare as a Bigfoot sighting—chanterelles run for about $224 per pound. Just to compare, we spend upwards of $20.00 for local mushrooms from “our mushroom guy.” Our guests, who identified these mushrooms, had Sautéed Chanterelle Mushroom Omelettes the next morning! 

See Our Complete Breakfast Menu

 

Who was Augustus Saint-Gaudens?

 

 

 

 

 

 

In 1905, President Theodore Roosevelt felt that United States coins are symbols of our Nation’s pride and America’s spirit. By 1905, America had become the most powerful nation in the world, and Roosevelt wanted our coinage to represent America’s pre-eminent position. Roosevelt shared his vision with Saint-Gaudens who eagerly joined his quest to design the finest coinage in the world. Saint-Gaudens was terminally ill with cancer, yet he began his last artistic quest to re-design America’s coinage, beginning with the obverse of the $10 Eagle and $20 both sides of the $20 double eagle.  Saint-Gaudens promised Roosevelt, that the coin would be made a “living thing.”

The Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle $20 gold coin is widely thought to be the most beautiful coin in the world. Featuring a full figure Lady Liberty striding forward with an olive branch and a torch in the other hand. On the reverse side is an eagle flying in front of the sun to complement the obverse side. The motto In God We Trust is along the edge of the sun at the bottom.

Please visit the Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park in Cornish, New Hampshire. The home, gardens, and studios of Augustus Saint-Gaudens are beautifully preserved. One of America’s foremost sculptors, this was his summer residence from 1885 to 1897, his permanent home from 1900 until his death in 1907, and the center of the Cornish Art Colony. And, less than 90-minutes from Pond Mountain Inn.

Much of the abbreviated content was taken from the Saint-Gaudens National Historical Site.

 

 

Today is Opening Day!

The 99-day lockout does not affect the 2022 season—the 162-game season begins only a week later and missed games will be made up later in the season—look for lots of doubleheaders! Today, The New York Yankees will host the Boston Red Sox at 1:05 PM. This is Opening Day at Yankee Stadium 99 Years ago, on April 18, 1923.

J.H. Forge Custom Knife Maker • Pawlet, Vermont

These knives are awesome, but wait until you see them in person! Several of our guests have purchased custom knives from Jim, and we have too. And, many others simply visit the website and buy online.

Read our amusing short blog about the custom oyster shucker we had made, the five-inch handle is made from black walnut, and we also have a matching black walnut handle bread knife that we also couldn’t live without! See how Ferdinand Magellan makes his way into the story.

Jim Hurlburt, the owner, not only creates custom knives, but a variety of other tools. Jim is incredibly interesting and has a full machine shop on Route 30 in Pawlet, and a few years ago Jim built a 1930s era 30’ Chris-Craft Mahogany Runabout.

 

 

 

Stunning Beauty of Historic Crown Point

Soldiers’ Barracks, Officers’ Quarters and Lake Champlain

We hadn’t planned on visiting Crown Point on this beautiful spring-like day in Vermont; we were just out for a drive with our guests. Then, the Lake Champlain Bridge appeared in the distance—a modest, yet impressive bridge traversing Lake Champlain between Crown Point, New York and Chimney Point, Vermont that we had to cross. On the other side we discovered the Crown Point Historic Site located on stunning grounds that strategically overlook Lake Champlain—perfect for an afternoon picnic! The ruins of two standing barracks uniquely illustrate the differences between the officers and the soldiers they commanded. Equally as impressive are the remains of earthworks—earthworks are artificial changes in land level, typically made from piles of artificially placed or rocks and soil. The mounded walls encircle the fort reaching heights of fifty feet or more!

In season, visitors can explore the preserved ruins of the fort, tour the museum, the historic Crown Point Pier, the Champlain Memorial Lighthouse and the walking paths on either side of the Lake Champlain Bridge offer incredible views of Lake Champlain. The photograph was taken at the at the highest elevation of the fort.

Crown Point is just over an hour from Pond Mountain Inn. Within a very short drive from Crown Point is Fort Ticonderoga / Mount Defiance and Mount Independence on the Vermont side of the lake. This is an incredible day trip – for more, see our Fort Ticonderoga / Middlebury Day Trip Itinerary.

The Birdseye Diner Main Street Castleton Vermont

The Birdseye Diner is a 1940s Silk City Dining Car manufactured in Patterson, New Jersey. Just had to get in the New Jersey reference… Jersey is everywhere in Vermont – it’s hilarious! There are a few other interesting spots in Castleton… The Village Store has a very good wine selection, and the Blue Cat Bistro has a good menu. All of which are less than thirty minutes away.

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