Adirondack wedding

Julie and Scott

Jay and I spent last weekend back on the east coast! We came back for the wedding of one of my two oldest friends (they are twins, so I can't say I've known one longer than another). Julie Lockman got hitched to a great man, Scott Geiger, at the Great Camp Sagamore in the Adirondacks. It was lovely to be in the Adirondacks again, I grew up going here with the Barber and Lockman families. I think we all dreamed of getting married in the Adirondacks and Julie did it! Yeah!

The Main Lodge

Jay arrived earlier than me and spent a few days with his family on the Cape and in Boston doing some coral research. I came later and went straight to Christina and Sara's house so I could spend a little time with Henry and Jackson because they were not coming to the wedding. I played with trucks and trains and built some coral reefs in their sand box for them (the coral was promptly destroyed by John Deere tractors). =) We even went to Puffer's Pond for a little swim. And hey! It was summer! Back in WA I had been bundling up and freezing my bum off. Summer seemed like a distant dream. But back east it was hot, humid, and lovely. I could walk around in shorts. So, I blinded the world with my pasty white legs and went for a dip in the lake.

Here we are with our bouncy nephews - Jackson and Jay and Julie and Henry

Jay and I left for the Adirondacks on Thursday and arrived in time to head out to a pub on Fourth Lake with the Lockmans and friends. We got to stay in the cabins we have stayed in for years and years (Willis Lodges). They are crappy little cabins (rustic is one way to describe it) on a gorgeous lake (Seventh Lake), so we keep coming back to them. In an odd way, we love those cabins. Every year we say we are going to switch and then we never do. The Willis cabin spell? Who knows.

Dad - looking like he belongs in the Adirondacks

It poured Friday morning and we spent the morning ferrying wedding stuff from one cabin, to another cabin, to a car, in an attempt to keep things dry. It was actually quite fun because it was pouring out, there was thunder to make things even better, and lots of soaked Lockmans, Barbers, and one Dimond. No one wanted it to rain on the BBQ that night, but typical of these thunderstorms, it had to pour and get it out of its system - it was gorgeous the rest of the weekend. The rain couldn't have had better timing! Plus - I have no idea when I've been in a thunderstorm last. It was awesome.

We all checked into the Sagamore in the afternoon (in the sun). What a place! I've toured Great Camp Sagamore a number of times as a kid with the Lockman and Barber families. But we had never slept there! I felt so lucky to be able to sleep in this historic place. We shared a room in the main lodge with Christina and Sara that turned out to be the old master bedroom for the Vanderbilts. Neat! The camp had a swimming spot, complete with a floating dock, and canoes that we could take out on the lake. Sagamore Lake is totally undeveloped minus the camp, so it was lovely to look out over the lake and see nothing but trees, loons, lake, and the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains. The BBQ was lovely that night - I had never seen so many bottles of beer in my life and the best part about it - none of the beer was from huge companies! Yeah for the little microbreweries! The evening ended with a bonfire and then star gazing in Adirondack chairs outside this old historic lodge. Lovely.


On Saturday morning Jay, Christina, Sara, and I headed out on a walk around the lake. This ended with a big dip into the lake and lounging on the dock with Katie (Julie's twin sister) and Julie and friends. Jay and I got to help out with decorating the barn for the reception. I love decorating and I loved Julie's friends that helped decorate too. So that was fun and, if I do say so myself, it looked awesome when we were finished. Their wedding was lovely! I'll let the pictures speak for the ceremony and reception. We loved every minute of it.

Around Sagamore Lake

Lounging with Katie (Julie's sister)

Lockman parents - Bob and Bobbie

Julie, looking gorgeous

Sunday was a great day, but sad too. I had to say goodbye to Christina and Sara early in the day. Because of my deployment dates to Antarctica, I'm not sure when I'll see them again. I may or may not be back in time for the holidays.... thus, this was a tough goodbye. Once they left, Jay and I took off in a canoe with Mom and Dad in another canoe next to us. We had a lovely paddle down Sagamore Lake and up a little inlet. It was a true Adirondack paddle, complete with a loon at the end. My Dad attempted his best imitation at a loon call. The loon didn't respond.

Mom and Dad in an Adirondack moment

We left on Monday after enough time for a quick dip in my parent's wonderful pool and some time to relax in summertime weather. I miss everyone already....

Pictures of the weekend can be found here: http://picasaweb.google.com/globalscents/July_August_2010#
You need to scroll down through July 4th photos to get to the wedding photos that are below the first round of pictures.

YEAH!