The Lampshade Lady Blog

Conserving The Summit of Haystack Mountain in Pawlet

(photo credit George Bouret Photos)

A year ago Susan Sargent came to me and others to brainstorm about conserving "The Top" of Haystack Mountain. The top 65 acres of Haystack are held in private hands. The majority of the mountain and land around the mountain was under or in the process of conservation with The Nature Conservancy or The Vermont Land Trust.

We formed a group to see what would need to be done to get the project off the group. We called ourselves Friends of Haystack. 

Here is our gang! (photo credit: George Bouret)

We then formed a 503c non profit status with the generous help of local lawyer Rob Woolmington. We also recruited our friend Alan Calfee with Calfee Woodlands to help guide us through the process.  Thank you both to Rob and Alan. We would have been years behind without your help!

And then the fundraising began! And continues... hence my blog post:) We've had a few events- recently Mark and Margaret McChesney generously hosted a very successful Pig Roast/Silent Auction at their restaurant, The Barn Restaurant. We had a huge turnout and received an outpouring of support from the community members and friends.

We need to raise $130,000 before Dec. 31st to purchase the top + an endowment fund/expenses, etc. with a total of $150,000. We are close to making  the purchase, but need a little more help!

Susan  Sargent was one of the original foundersThe Metowee Valley Land Trust in conjunction with The Vermont Land Trust. The Trust conserved the majority of farm land through and around the Metowee Valley, right through RT 30. I moved to this area in 1985; their nonprofit was formed soon after that time. Many moons ago I help found a highend craft show at The Equinox Hotel and The Metowee Valley Land Trust was our non-profit partner with my friend Jacki Lappen and volunteers.  We are all thankful for the insight of conserving this beautiful land; I can't imagine not driving out of Dorset and seeing the working farms and open land.


Haystack Mountain (photo credit: George Bouret)

Help make Haystack Mountain YOUR legacy for our generations to come! You can contribute though our Pay Pal site on the website, http://www.friendsofhaystack.org or send a check to Friends of Haystack, PO Box 201, Pawlet, VT 05761

thanks for reading,

xo,

judy lake

The Time just after Labor Day and before The Leaf Peekers Arrive

    I am super happy to announce that The Station Restaurant is making a come back. It is expected to open in the next couple of weeks. No one is happier than me! The restaurant has been closed for the past 3 years and had been looking pretty ratty. I give huge credit to the owners of the property for their hard work repairing the septic and retaining wall after Flood Irene.
You may have remembered that the last restaurant here was MIOS, a French Bistro. We are all very happy that it will once again become The Station- to be open for breakfast and lunch. The building had been a train station in Wallingford, Vermont and then moved to Pawlet Village. The man that brought it to town also owned my building. One of the highlights of the past Station is coming back; all the locals have their own mugs!
This week I have been dusting off my shop with a new coat of paint. I can't rave enough about the luxurious quality of the paints from the fancy Fine Paints of Europe in Woodstock. omg, it doesn't drip and goes on thick and creamy!  I sort of enjoy painting; instant gratification. I was too impaitient to wait for a crew to come paint and the weather last week was perfect. It was much too nice to stay inside. I swear there was more paint on the building than me, except to the new streaks in my sunbleached hair.
I went as high as my ladder would take me... no way I was headed any higher.
New retaining wall and new siding at Machs. Great job Gib and Deanna and crew!
The view from between my shop and the restaurant to The Barn Shop. Marion Waldo McChesney and Dona Friedman will be opening The Barn Shop for a pop up Gallery during the foliage season. Marion had Pawlet Potter in the village for over 30 years! Welcome back.
And a little work on this sad sight. Town is sprucing up and dusting off after the flood but something tells me it will always be a little rough around the edges which might not be a bad thing. Dorset we ain't!

I've been having a great time selling from my Etsy Store: Lampshade Lady! Now that the shop painting is behind me  I am back to making new shades for the shop and getting them listed on Etsy. Fun to play at being a photo stylist!

so I must admit....I did this blog yesterday, just finished.... blah, blah, do- do brain, the power/internet kicked off and blog post gone. WHAT....shit. I hadn't named the post and it was .... gone. I had done this once before.... what a bummer. GONE,  drats. dumbo. NOTE to self- always name a blog something.......first. Here's a post it I keep by my desk!

I hope you'll make it up to Vermont for the beautiful foliage. It's bound to be great this year.... hope so.

xo

judy lake