SAILING & G. and S. in VERMONT with the KENDALLS

​SAILING & GILBERT AND SULLIVAN WITH THE KENDALLS
 
         I have visited Calvin and Ellie Kendall in Vermont and Minnesota for many years. Their Vermont home is located on Lincoln Gap Road in Warren—a delightful log cabin built by Ellie’s father years ago.
         Inside this home are paintings by Ellie’s mother and Calvin’s father and a variety of photographs of their daughter, Kay, and son, Ned, both of whom I have met when skiing with the Kendalls in Lutsen, MN.
         My friendship with the Kendalls goes back 60 years when he and I entered Bowdoin College together and Ellie entered Duke University. I taught Cal how to ski and he is guiding me as editor of my books.
 
         We met again in Warren one week ago. The sun was bright and the wind was blowing just about right as we headed to Lake Champlain for a super sail on the Kendall’s Pearson Ensign. I remembered our sail years ago on Lake Minnetonka in a boat built by Cal and their son, Ned.
         We picnicked as we sailed. I cherish these sails as most of my boating these summers is on my motorboat in Maine.
 
         A special treat with the Kendalls this summer was viewing a terrific production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s Pirates of Penance at Peter Boynton’s Barn theatre. I have seen lots of shows at this wonderful theatre and I love Gilbert and Sullivan’s music. Cal and I sang in the Bowdoin College glee club and I once sang in the chorus at the Clemson Little Theatre’s production of G &. S’s H. M. S. Pinafore.
I enjoyed hearing Cal humming the tunes of P. of P. along with the wonderful singers in this show, and thought back to the Bowdoin glee club concerts we sang together with Mount Holyoke, Connecticut College for Women, etc. Those were fun days. Ellie was a music major at Duke. She plays the piano and has always loved music.
 
Cal and Ellie are planning to join Pat and me in Maine in September for what has also become an annual tradition.
 
This week, Pat and I are in Washington, DC at the Annual UFDC Doll Convention. We’ve also watched the Democratic Convention and enjoyed the outstanding speeches.
In a few weeks, we head to Seattle to visit Tina and her family. Another busy and wonderful summer!