July 15th: Dez Stone Menendez and Emmett Smith

 

Dez & Emmett rolled into town for a night.  They exchanged an all inclusive weekend in the Thousand Islands region, which I redeemed 2 weeks ago.

There are 1,800 islands in the Thousand Islands.  On a tiny island called Comfort, The Clark mansion still stands.  Built in 1882, it is now in disrepair. 

An uninhabited bedroom on the second floor of the mansion.

The mansion was the summer home of Alson Skinner Clark (b. 1876), a painter known for helping to bring the French- Impressionist style to the US.  His crumbling frescoes still adorn the walls.

In one corner of the house, faded polaroid portraits were tacked to the wall.

On we went, circling Boldt Castle which was built in 1900 by a millionaire named George C. Boldt.

January 25- 31st: Dez Stone Menendez & Emmett Smith

Dez and Emmett just bought this boat named The Dreadnaught, which they are restoring into a houseboat which will sleep 6 people and can travel along the St. Lawrence River.

        They live in Clayton, NY, where Emmett is the curator at the Antique Boat Museum.  This is what people do in Clayton NY.  Among other items, they traded a thick slab of bacon from a smokehouse in the Adirondacks which was insanely delicious.