DAY 53 CHIPOSIT AKA DEPOSIT NY

HUGGIN COUSINS
Saw cousin Chip in the city at the SS reunion in NYC and we had been threatening to visit his "farm" one of these days.  He drives 3 hours most every weekend for the past 10 years to his farm in Deposit, NY.  Deposit?  The town name was derived from the deposits of logs made by lumberman, prior to forming rafts to float down the river.  The town originated in 1880 and the census of 2000 claimed 1,687 folks live here.

Technically, Chip is my second cousin (we have the same great grandparents).  Ah, relationships with our cousins-double cousins (2 siblings reproduce with 2 siblings of another family), double second cousins, third cousins, double fourth cousins, half-cousins, 1 1/2 cousins, step cousins, cousin-in- law and the ever favorite first cousin-twice removed.  I really adore my many cousins- closer with some more than others.  And of course there's a few whackadoos in the mix.  Can you imagine their take on Boca?   What is your relationship like with your cousins????  Oh and for those of you sleeping with your cousin (not uncommon)-ewwwwwww!

Chips Farm, BROOKHOLLOW, has been a work in progress from day one-bricolage.  Starting with jacking up the house and putting in a new foundation for starters.  He has done much of the work himself with some help from friends and his Dad, God rest his soul, Uncle Bootsie.  Uncle Boots grew up with my Mom and gang on my Grandfathers farm in Green Bay Wisconsin.  Maybe this farm thing is part of Chips DNA?  I am so thankful he and his Dad spent many hours, days and weeks working side by side on a lot of the renovation.

Bubba says "this is my kind of place- how long can I stay?"  Since Bubs sold his "farm" in South Carolina a couple years back he has been itchin to dig in the dirt.  Poor Bubba, been surfing the net routinely looking for a little something somewhere so he can get back to riding his tractor.  He rents out cheap for plowing your dirt...hell, he'll pay you!

His house is 90 years old, located on 370 acres.  This beautiful bucolic mountainous  area is just the perfect anecdote to life in the city.  Chip and his partner have a lighting business and I would guess could get a little intense at times.  So the weekend farmer was therapy I guess.

Bubba always found going to his farm and doing physical labor was very therapeutic.  Boca found the grape therapy to be beneficial.  The "garage" was even moved...oh so authentic.  Lots of deer, porcupines and even a neighborhood Bear!!

Chips very own Walden Pond.  Ah a place to relax and think a bit..
This is a spot to write the great American novel- our very own transcendentalist and philosopher Chip Thoreau....LIFE IN THE WOODS  with Chip.  This place is really off the grid.  He pumps in his electricity via generator.  It's a 2 mile drive from the road to his house.  It was a little scary driving out there the first night, in the dark.  Boca rolled down the windows and listened for Banjo music.....

OPEN HOUSE IN DECEMBER
This is Chip's post Obama business venture...a coffee house in Deposit.  Coffee House- an establishment which primarily serves prepared coffee or other hot beverages.  A bit like a bar?  A bit of a restaurant?  A bit of a cafeteria?  From a cultural point of view, coffee houses can serve as centers of social interaction- a place to congregate, talk, write, read, entertain each other or just past the time.  The coffee house originated in 1555 in Constantinople (now Istanbul) right up to today's billion dollar coffee house Starbucks.  I suggested to Chip he could name the shop in Honor of Bubba,  PERMANENT ADDICTION or in Honor of Boca BEAN AROUND THE WORLD.  No he is sticking with BUTTERFIELD.   But he did promise to name a special brew in Boca's honor.  Excellent- how about....WIRED ON BEANS or BOCA'S ATOMIC GRINDS, BOCA'S IT'S A GRIND OR PAM'S PREMIUM EXPRESSO or BOCA'S JUMPIN JITTER and my personal favorite  BOCA'S DIURETIC DELIGHT.   And your vote goes to?

Hell, by the time I got done with the town tour I had Chip running for Mayor and signed up for the Chamber of Commerce and and and..

Besides being so smart Chip is also talented and can work with his hands- and doing a lot of the work on his soon to be open shop.  He will be open for the Christmas Holidays.  All you coffee lovers show up please.  Chip and Bubba mug it out on the back patio.  Ah yes, I can see Bubba enjoying a cup of Java out here.  And there is an apartment over the shop just for hunters.  Perfection!

Of course a visit to the local farmers market is a must.  Pleep was very entertained by the goats.  He begged the Bub to buy him one as a goat would be a lot more fun than Sis or Lulu.  It was no easy task explaining how a goat on the intercoastal would not work...."just wait till I get my farm Pleepmeister, we're gonna have all kinds of fun".

So who knew Brussels Sprouts grew in a row?  on a stalk?  Boca thought they grew one by one on a Brussel Bush.   Oy.  Those cute little mini cabbages, oh so healthy, but oh so smelly.  So Boca justifies drowning them in cheese of course.

Sasha the great hunter brought Boca her farewell kill.  EEka Volts!  Time to go Chip...Bubba will be back soon I am sure.



ol'Chip lets them hunt the property just like they did for many many years.  Chip, you can pick Bubba up at the Newark Airport - hunting season in New York is just around the corner.  As Bubba said, IT'S 3 HOURS AND A MILLION MILES AWAY FROM THE CITY".  Thanks for such a great visit COUZ.  XXXXXXXX