Getting Started

Misty Morning

After a long drive up to Brooklin and a relatively long day overall, I had made the decision to try to sleep in on Sunday morning. This is easier said than done. As I told you earlier, the sun is up very early in that part of the world - between about 4:30 and 5:00 AM. With no curtains on the window, the light is streaming in. Also, when it was light, the seagulls and the occasional loon would be up and calling. Looking back, I cannot recall a day where I actually needed the alarm that I set to wake me up.

Coming downstairs, Jane and Bill were getting some breakfast and Bill was working at one of his new hobbies on the front porch - learning to play the guitar. Not long after, Ted Moores and his daughter (who was up taking a class in Seamanship the week before) came down to say goodbye. After a while talking with them, I got a quick shower and went in search of some breakfast. The morning was cool and a bit foggy.

I should say something about the food at the school. It's really very good, wholesome and hearty food. It's served buffet style and quality, variety and portions are quite generous. Mountain Ash is the larger of the two rooming houses for both students and staff and contains the kitchen and dining room where breakfast and supper are served. On a bulletin board in the dining room was a sign-up sheet for your choice of sandwich lunch - usually 4 options with 4 choices of bread! Lunch is served either at the workshop or wherever your class is held. The only big variation is for Friday night - a lobsterbake is served either at the waterfront if the weather is nice or at the pole barn near the waterfront if the weather is uncertain. At the WoodenBoat school, Saturday breakfast is a continental affair and there is a lunch served at Saturday noon for those whose class lasts until that time. From noon on Saturday until supper time on Sunday, there are no meals served. There are, however, leftovers loaded into the refrigerator up at the Mountain Ash House.

One thing about Mountain Ash house is that it is a bit remote from the rest of the campus - about a mile towards the center of Brooklin. People generally walk, bike and carpool between the main campus and Mountain Ash House. I had brought a bike to get back and forth and to help me get in shape. I rode my bike up the hill to go to the Morning Moon Cafe for some breakfast. By the time I got to the cafe, my heart felt like it was beating out of my chest. It's uphill all the way from the waterfront to the center of Brooklin where the cafe is located. One of those hills that's amazingly unsteep when you're driving, but not when you're pedaling.

One deceptive hill...

After a late breakfast, I got back down to the shop to continue to prepare materials for my class. I really have no idea where the day actually went. Along with me in the shop were the folks from Grain Surfboards who were going to be teaching a class building wooden surfboards in the loft. They were definitely working very hard. Students sort of came and went through the shop as they arrived.

I pedaled up the hill to dinner and was greeted by Kim, the school's Business Manger was filling in for Rich, the school's Director greeting students and guests and doing the orientation after dinner.

My students and I went down to the shop and had a quick orientation from Mike, the shop manager. My class then met for about a 1/2 hour for me to hand out course materials and to get to know one another better. Have to have a little homework, you know...

Tomorrow things begin in earnest!