The 2011 HGTV Stowe Dream Home

Fran and I toured the Dream Home at Stowe Mountain Resort this afternoon. It was designed by architect Paul Robert Rouselle, and built by Brendan O'Reilly, owner of Stowe's Gristmill Builders. The tour price-of-admission benefits Mt. Mansfield Winter Academy.

With the winner's identity having been leaked earlier this week, it felt a bit wierd knowing in whose home we were together with a bunch of strangers, without the new owner who doesn't know any of us. I'm sure you've seen the home on HGTV and an abundance of photos taken by the more than 2,000 visitors who've already toured it. Here's my iPhone-photo perspective:

 

Mudroom Cubbies

Living Room to Mt. Mansfield

Mt. Mansfield view

Living Room towards Driveway

Dining Area & Eat-in Kitchen

Kitchen Island

Kitchen counter detail

Stairs to the Lower Level - looking out to the Driveway

Stairs to the Lower Level - looking inside

Master Bedroom with Mt. Mansfield views

The "Dorm" - 8 built-in bunks

The "Dorm"

The "Dorm" Bathroom - 3 sinks

The "Dorm" - 3 showers

Lower Level - from the "Dorm" to the Family Room to the Guest Suite

Guest Suite on the Lower Level

If you didn't win, I can help you find yours!

Write or call 802.730.4343

Photo of the Day - February 17

Autostitched from 3 iPhone Photos

Mt. Mansfield Panorama from Spruce Peak
Color corrected, straightened, and cropped

Panoramic Photos with Autostitch

Here are 3 iPhone (horizontal) photos I took at the Mountain, from the top of West Run, last week. I took the middle shot first -- you can see how it doesn't convey the reality of Mt. Mansfield's presence. So I shifted left for another shot; then, I shifted right for one more.

Left                                           Middle                                             Right

Then, I used the iPhone App, Autostitch, to create a panoramic photo. From my iPhone's Camera Roll, I selected the 3 photos above, and pressed "Stitch." In seconds, it produced this panoramic photo:

Autostitch has a built-in crop function that automatically selects the largest possible complete crop. You can select your own crop points manually, too. I used the auto crop, which produced this version: 

Autostitch is unbelievable fast, amazingly accurate, and easy to use. It's only $2.99 at the iPhone App Store. Get it. 

Learn more here.

Meet Gary Gendimenico

Gary is the Lift Operations Manager at Stowe Mountain Resort. I took this photo, at 7:59 a.m., while I was waiting to ride 'line check' on the Easy Street lift. Gary was just about give the top operator a ride on his snow machine, to the lift terminal at the top of Easy Street.

Photos of the Day - March 25

Season 7: Last day -- and what a beauty it was. We had lunch on "the beach" at our patrol station: hamburgers and hot dogs on our charcoal grill. With that wonderful grilling aroma wafting between our station and the top of the Sensation lift, we were the envy of our guests!

My last day just before 1st line check

Butternut Mountain Farm, March 20

Lucy and Dave Marvin finally built the addition they'd been wanting to at their certified organic and kosher Butternut Mountain Farm Sugar House in Johnson, VT. To celebrate, they invited their friends to join them for a ham and baked beans and "Sugar on Snow" feast around 5:00 p.m. And, every guest received a quart mason jar of just-produced syrup. We had the best time -- we learned more about sap running and sugar making than we imagined!

One vial per barrel of maple syrup produced,

from the first of the season through today, March 20th.

The second row looks like it's Grade A Fancy.

Here's Dave showing us how the sap runs into the 2nd floor

of the Sugar House. The round 'tags' are wooden disks,
and indicate the sections of the sugar bush from
which sap is running.

The Butternut Mountain Farm Sugar House.

The new addition is the "2nd building back."

Be sure to visit the Marvin's Country Store on Main Street in Johnson, VT, right next to the Johnson Woolen Mill. Open 7 days a week, year round - except for the usual holidays.

Wow: you can buy Butternut Mountain Farm maple syrup at Amazon and  Williams-Sonoma, too!

St. Patty's Day Photos

7:16 a.m. - on my way to work

From the Sensation Catwalk looking south to Stowe Village

Mt. Mansfield from the Sensation Catwalk

Looking up the Catwalk to Sensation top

Photo of the Day - March 8

4:15 p.m. - All lifts closed

Photo of the Day - February 25

Building a feature on West Slope for an upcoming 'big air' event

Photos of the Day - February 22

Toboggan ready to roll

Inside my station

Waiting to start Sweep

Photos of the Day - February 10

I was scheduled to do an early line check for races schedule to start at 8:00 a.m. This Piston Bully was still hard at work at 7:27 a.m.

Photos of the Day - January 21

Frosted Sunset

*prior to sweep*

Diagonal Colors

*during Sweep*