Finally some sun on the mountain! 

Killington residents and visitors today were quaking in fear as the sky appeared to be on fire early this morning. A bright yellow orb hung over the Killington Basin, replacing the dark overcast and torrential rains of the last several weeks. The sun was shining!

I have not been good updating the blog this summer, and I apologize. Typing one handed has been a drag, but that is rapidly coming to an end as I complete my first round of physical therapy to heal the shoulder surgery I had a month ago. I doubt I will be swinging golf clubs this season, but I will start strength training for my shoulder in about 2 weeks.... so we will see.

I have been spending most of my time in my office working on the details of next weekends Killington Wine Festival. The festival logistics planning is just about complete. The festival did get a small write up in todays Wall Street Journal. ...Next week will be interesting as we watch ticket sales to the event grow every day. Last year we had close to 500 people on the mountain. Keep your fingers crossed about this year.

Of course, now that the sun has returned, get out and enjoy summer.... and don't forget your sunscreen.

2008 Check Presentation Ceremony at the Birch Ridge Inn. From l-r....Team Killington member Dr. George Lyons, Birch Ridge Innkeepers Bill Vines and Mary Furlong, Team Killington Organizers Dick and Noel Gluck, and Team Killington member Charlotte Lang. 

For the fourth consecutive year, the Birch Ridge Inn at Killington will host a special Sunday Brunch to benefit "Team Killington" and the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation. This year, the Brunch will take place on Sunday July 5th. Each year, local residents Dick and Noel Gluck organize Killington area residents and guests to form "Team Killington" to participate in the Komen FoundationÕs Vermont "Race for the Cure". The 17th Annual Komen VT-NH "Race for the Cure" takes place on Sunday July 26th. The innkeepers of the Birch Ridge Inn, Bill Vines and Mary Furlong, will donate all proceeds generated at the brunch to Team KillingtonÕs efforts in support of the Komen Foundation.

For this special day, Chef Stephen "Frizzie" Byrne brings back his legendary brunch menu. Brunch favorites made famous by Chef Byrne, such as "Eggs Sylvie", "Schnitzel ala Holstein", and "Hunters Toast" will be paired with additions from the award winning Birch Ridge Inn restaurants' menu. The "Team Killington" Brunch will be served at the Birch Ridge Inn on Sunday July 5th from 11:00 AM to 1:30 PM. Seating is first come, first served.

In addition to this special brunch to benefit the Komen Foundation, the restaurant at Birch Ridge as re-opened for Killingtons' summer season. During the summer months, dinner is served Wednesday thru Saturday evenings starting at 6:00 PM. For additional information about Sunday Brunch at Birch Ridge, or for summer dinner and lodging reservations, call the inn at 800-435-8566, or 802-422-4293, or go online to www.birchridge.com.

We hope to see you on Sunday in support of Team Killington and the Komen Foundation.

The Killington Wine Festival returns for the eight year July 17th 

The weekend of July 17th would be a great time to visit Killington this summer. This weekend coincides with the 8th Annual Killington Wine Festival, produced by the Killington Chamber of Commerce.

The Killington Wine Festival is a signature event for the Killington region each July. Last year over 300 wines were available to be sampled by the nearly 500 people who attended. This year, Vermont wine distributors partnering with the Killington Chamber of Commerce will once again be presenting wines from around the world with the Green Mountains of Vermont and Killington Peak as a scenic backdrop.

Tickets for the Estate Wine Tasting on Friday evening July 17th, and the Grand Tasting at 4241' on Saturday afternoon July 18th are available by calling the Killington Chamber of Commerce office at 802.773.4181. Tickets are priced at $50 per person for each of these events.

Reservations for other events associated with the Killington Wine Festival including wine dinners at local restaurants, and "Wine and Nine" at Green Mountain National Golf Course, are priced separately and can be made by calling the respective business directly. Many local establishments will also be hosting wine parties during the festival to round out the weekend.

The Birch Ridge Inn will be hosting a wine dinner associated with the Wine Festival on Saturday evening, July 18th. Reservations for the wine dinner is a must, as it sells out each year. Call the inn at 800-435-8566 or go online to www.birchrdge.com for more details.

If you would like additional information about the Killington Wine Festival, or would like to purchase tickets, please call the Killington Chamber of Commerce office at 802.773.4181. Additional information about the Killington Wine Festival can also be found at www.killingtonchamber.com in the "Area Events" section.

Get out and enjoy summer.... and don't forget your sunscreen.

Mary in the front gardens on the Killington Road. 

A cool, mild, version of summer has arrived early to Killington. All around town, flowering trees and gardens are in bloom. The tree canopy in the forest is extremely dense for this time of year, probably running 2-3 weeks ahead of normal. In a word, the Green Mountains are "Green".

What this means for the rest of the summer is uncertain, given the variability of New England weather. But, If I were to make a guess, I would think that the summer should be a cool one on the mountain, as sunshine is now effectively cut off from supplying any more heat to the ground by the leaf canopy.

It's now been just a week since my shoulder surgery. Life is slowly establishing a new normal. I have been cleared to use my left hand to type for instance, so I am no longer doing hunt and peck at the keyboard. Physical therapy begins next week. The goal for the next month is to be able to move my left arm through a full range of motion by having someone externally assist me, or by using my right arm to move my left. The doctor wants to minimize shoulder and biceps muscle contractions for the next month to allow time for the muscles to heal. I am a long way off from swinging a golf club.... but maybe by the end of the fall.

Wherever you may be, get out and enjoy summer.... and don't forget your sunscreen.

Sling et al 

I don't want to remember Day 1.

Thursday at 10:45am I underwent arthroscopic surgery under the skilled hands of Dr Mel Boynton of the Vermont Orthopedic Clinic in Rutlnd VT. Surgery lasted approximately 1 hour. I addition to repairing severed rotator cuff tendons, Dr. Boynton also repaired a "shredded" biceps muscle and some minor bone damage.

Since the surgery, Mary and I have learned quite a lot in a short time. For instance...
- all my pants have buttons at the waist... Think about that for a minute as you try to learn how to do everything one handed over night.
- who knew touch typing was an essential skill?
- how come every time you get marginally comfortable, the bathroom calls? and it's corollary
- if there is a flat surface around the inn, try putting a sheet on it and let me know if it is comfortable,
- tell me again what the difference is between "IT F@#%ING HURTS!" and Pain Management?
- how come they put on childproof caps on you pain prescription bottle, even though they know you only can use one hand?

All in all, it has not been too bad. Mary might have a different opinion as I have been in and out of a narcotic haze caused by the pain medication for the last 3 days. But she seems to be holding up ok.

It is going to be an interesting week as I learn how to temporarily live with one hand. I should be in the sling 4-6 weeks with physical therapy lasting right thru to the fall. I'll try to hunt and peck out a few updates as we go along. So it goes...

A little patch of snow is still visible at Killington 

It is definitely between seasons at Killington...but that does not mean it is quiet. Multiple events came together on Wednesday highlighting both the old and new Killington.

On a somber note, Wednesday was Jeff Hadley day at the Green Mountain National Golf Course. Club members, local residents, and guests all came together to raise money in Jeff's memory to support research into finding a cure for ALS. The weather did not cooperate, raining out the golf tournament. But Jeff's spirit still watches over Green Mountain National.

On the new side of the aisle, PUD wars returned. PUD of course for anyone fallowing development at Killington stands for Planned Unit Development. SP Land brought a permit request for a PUD to the Killington Town Planning Commission on Wednesday evening to construct a village at Killington. There are 28 different criteria to evaluate PUD requests. In addition, there was some controversy over what the Planning Commission was reviewing... Was it a Conceptual Master Plan or a Planned Unit Development. The hearing lasted for almost 3 hours before it was recessed. It will resume again in 2 weeks, after the Town Planner and a Land Use Consultant for SP Land have a chance to put there heads together on the project. Of course this is but a baby step along the way to actually beginning construction. There are quite literally hundreds of permit documents that will need to be filed before any construction would be approved. And that does not even begin to contemplate the Act 250 process that the project must go through with the State of Vermont.

But a baby step is still a step. And as they say... you need to learn how to walk before you can run.

Shoulder Update....by the time you probably read this, I will have undergone surgery to repair the rotator cuff on my left shoulder. While my arm will be immobilized for a while, and golf is out for the summer, I know things will work out. The medical care for these sort of things in Killington is world class. In the last couple of months, I have spoken with dozens of people who have had the same injury. They all say that the recovery period is no picnic...but the physical therapy people in the area really know their stuff.

Sometimes I have felt like a one armed paper hanger in the past. Running your own small business can be like that. Of course, this summer I really could be a one armed paper hanger. How is that for a paradox. So it goes....

Where ever you may be...keep it in the fairway... and don't forget your sun screen.

Memorial Day thanks 

Memorial day weekend, if not the "official" start of summer, generally gets people in the mood to think about the warm months ahead. But the weekend should also be a time of reflection, to pay respects to all of those who have given everything to allow the rest of us to live our lives in relative tranquility in the United States. To those I say "Thank you".

Where ever you may be this weekend, may your fairways be short, and your putts roll true.