It's been a while since I entered a post, and please forgive me. I will try to make up for that. I do miss my weekly updates - they seem to keep me honest and I also know better myself what's happening. I may reconsider - but for now....
The photo at the side of this post is of the Sherwood Inn when it "burned" last week. I was in the office, enjoying my late afternoon social hour with Lisa which we seem to have more and more since her return from North Carolina. We were constantly interrupted by sirens and we knew something major had occurred somewhere, just not where. Chris Evans, one of our RE/MAX agents, called in and said that the Sherwood was on fire!
Of course then we smelled the smoke. Opening the door we saw the smoke rising over the Old Stone Mill. I took my camera and walked the short block (past Doug's and Bijou and the newsstand) to the corner of Jordan and Genesee. The block going west was closed off and sure enough, there were firemen on the roof. A woman went by me as I stood on the corner taking it all in - she said she worked there, and this was the second fire in a week.
It was easy to go up and take pictures - even the firemen were doing it. It was "only" a chimney fire and soon under control. But I was reminded of comments old friends told me before I moved in years ago. They were informed (unofficially of course) that if their lovely home was on fire and the Sherwood caught on fire at the same time, that the firemen would leave their home and go to the Sherwood. They understood.
The next day all was as usual, at least outwardly, by my evening walk. The dining room was filled, the tavern where the fire had occurred was open and filled as well.
The Inn is old and contains so many memories for so many people. It's where Alex and Rachel were married and held their reception. My old professor from Mount Holyoke College who taught James Joyce came every summer for a week to Skaneateles and stayed - always - at the Sherwood. As a kid my friends and I would come over from Otisco Lake and sit on the porch (when there was a true porch) on summer nights.
So let's honor the Inn (http://thesherwoodinn.com), and eat their wonderful salmon, and think just for a minute what Skaneateles would be like without it.
