July 3rd - Fort Ann and Schroon Lake

When you are downstairs beneath a movie theater on July 4^th weekend, it is difficult to tell if the booming going on is the movie (Super 8 on this weekend) or patriots celebrating in advance. In the far distance is the muffled pop of a string of some kind of fireworks, so that has to be the celebrators.

I can’t ever remember being in a small/resort town in the mountains, in any state, for such an occasion. I was in Western Maine once, but Kezar Lake didn’t have any fireworks that I knew anything about. As I have been to Schroon Lake a number of times now, I know some of Liz and Larry’s neighbors/business owners and get to listen in on their conversations about how the summer is going and all. It gives one a different point of view, to be sure. Many of us are struggling in these (and other times), but in a resort town, if you don’t make money during those weeks of summer, you are out of luck.

The tenor of the town changes somewhat, too. Even I can tell the difference between the locals and the tourists.

Larry and I jumped out of our respective beds and headed out to Paradox Lake for breakfast at Jean’s before we went to Fort Ann. And let me tell you, there are some nice antique stores. We had a lot of fun. And I was the one who got tired.

One store we went to was chock full of linens and fabric and clothes and all those things I so lust after. There were so many things that I couldn’t decide on one small item, so I left without anything. 

Here's some shots from Mr. P's Mountain Smokehouse. Look and weep.