Hendrick Suydam:  

Hi! Been trying to write a brief story for two weeks, keeps turning into an autobiography - so here's a quick shot: Struggled through college and graduate school, settled in rural Vermont in 1977 after working in Boston for four years. Spent 20 years working for a mining company, then eight years for an explosives company. Really loved both jobs. Have a son, Todd, just turned 33, and a grand-daughter Mia, 7 1/2. She is the love of my life! Living together with my son, his delightful wife Jennie, and their daughter Mia. Currently working for Sturm Ruger in Newport, NH. The world of machining is totally new and fascinating to me. Thought of retiring, but like working too much. Always had mechanical interests, helped my son with a lot of car stuff. He spent a while as a mechanic on the North American Rally circuit, I got to crew at times (mostly run for beer and ice). Got hooked on the rural lifestyle, love winter and lots of snow. It is so peaceful when it's snowing. Trying to sort through some photos, will post soon - nothing special, just some of the better moments in life. Oops, 4:30 AM already (working 3 PM 'till 2:30 AM), guess it's time to say goodbye! Lots of Love, Rick January 2011 update Christmas and New Year's were very special this year. Had time to enjoy them, unemployed again! Got the time to devote to my grand daughter, the one thing that I really wanted. Now I get to wait with her for the school bus, take her to activities, the things that really matter. Decided to retire, only way to survive in this area and economy. Probably look for part-time work in the spring. Finding enough to do around home to fill the days right now, just wishing for a good snow storm to play in. The 16" day after Christmas is all but gone. I hope the reunion went well. Wishing everyone a happy and healthy New Year, Rick Labor Day 2011 I'm sure a lot of folks have heard the news, seen pics from the flooding up here. My immediate area was cut off for only a couple of days, there are other areas still isolated. So many people have lost their homes, businesses flooded out. Roads that are "passable" are pretty scary in places, need a truck or SUV with high round clearance to get through some sections. Managed to get to my town of Cavendish last Thursday, almost got stuck on the way back. Fortunate to have another way off the hill towards Rte. 91 and Claremont NH. We're used to losing a few roads from heavy thunderstorms occasionally, losing power a couple of days happens. No one could have imagined having almost every road impassable. Neighbors with a bulldozer and backhoe fixed our roads enough to get out, totally cut off from the Town Garage for days. Sobering to see a 100 ft. chasm where a main road was. With all the hills, so many roads are at the edge of, or close to a stream course, so many homes and businesses on flood plains. It's a really strange feeling to be isolated like that, meeting people in your area on foot, exchanging offers of food, water, any news from outside. I wish it could be like that all the time, but not because of any calamity. You tend to tread a little more carefully, the voice in the back of your mind whispering "don't get hurt". For days, it was difficult to get useful information. You had to talk to someone who had seen a particular stretch of road to know the status. People on ATV's, armed with chainsaws, were the first to get around a bit. The National Guard from Burlington arrived in town fairly quickly, dropping food and water by helicopter, setting up base in our elementary school. Seeing them landing in a helicopter was awe-inspiring. It was like seeing the entire NY Yankees and Boston Red Sox and Bruins land to say hello. These guys are the true celebrities, and all the volunteer firemen and police that helped people. We had volunteer firemen dropped off by ATV, hiking up over steep hillsides to check on people. As paths were cleared, they brought water and supplies to people farther up, where the one-lane concrete bridge is now an island, surrounded by cobbles and boulders. The main push is to get roads passable before winter hits. It will take years of course to rebuild. We were lucky where we live, no damage at all. Kicking myself for not getting my winter wood delivered yet, always some reason it comes late. Fortunately have enough out back for the taking, getting a little old to cut my own wood like I used to. My heavy equipment consists of a chainsaw and wheel barrow! Hope you are all doing well, Rick December 22, 2011 Well, fall was very nice, lot of work getting ready for winter. I'd forgotten how many trees it takes to make a cord of wood! A lot different than having a truck load of logs dropped off in your yard to gnaw on. Figured I was saving close to $400 cutting a couple of cords myself, still had 3 left over from last winter. Then an itsy-bitsy spider crawled up under my T-shirt and gave me a nip - guess it didn't like being disturbed. Almost a week of flue-like symptoms and a growing circular rash until I went to the Doctor. $ 445 later, not much to show. Finally cut and split a solid cord, called an old friend, and got two more delivered. At least I enjoyed the work, satisfying to know I could still do it. By Thanksgiving, the two "main highways" around me were open. The National Guard were awesome, worked tirelessly hauling rock and gravel, rebuilding road bases. Took a little getting used to, driving down the main roads without detouring here and there. Now, if we could get some snow, it would really help the economy. Green grass again, at least it was a little white for a while. Hope you all have a very nice Holiday Season! Rick Can't believe it's summer of 2014. Reading my post above, seems so long ago. Retirement was great until winter set in. Nice to get out and play, but too bored. "No what do I do". Well, I've worked all my life, enjoyed the pace and interaction with people, luckily landed a job right in Cavendish at Mack Molding. Mostly I run plastic injection molding presses. I was always fascinated by heavy equipment, this is the indoor version! Have made many new friends, look forward to work each day (when I haven't over done it at home). My days seem to be taken up by work, chores around home, and the usual day to day stuff. Worked second shift from mid December to June, glad I got off for summer. Too hard to get things done at home. Colder winter than we've had lately, went through every bit of 7 cords of wood. And many late night hours of Call of Duty, my favorites are the older ones. I think I learned more history from those games, which included actual newsreel footage and statistics, than I did in high school. At 66, just glad I get up in the morning and can put in a good days work. Past few weeks, have realized I have to pace myself, can't marathon the home chores like I used to. I was amazed at how tired I got cutting wood for a short period of time, and how taxing it was digging up a large stump a few weeks ago. Looked into riding mowers and stuff, but...not practical here, just have to divide up the tasks into smaller bits. So hard to see August on our doorstep. Always have these grand plans of what I'll accomplish each summer, basic maintenance seems to chew up all the time. Well, can't complain, it's very beautiful around here, and I'm not 50 anymore! Hope everyone is enjoying the summer! Rick Love you guys, seems like only yesterday - can see all your faces, just can't remember what I did yesterday! Guess I have to follow Chuck Yeager's advice - never give up - if you can't do something anymore, try something different. Looks like the riding mower is a given, hope I can still do all the other stuff around. Work is getting harder, guess that's the way it's supposed to be. Maybe time to swap the Husqvarna for a smaller saw, something easier to start. Embarrassing when you you can't pull it fast enough to get it going right away. Thought this winter, "don't know if I can do this much longer", but spring is near, easy to forget the past. Wish it would stay colder longer, my dirt road today was a challenge to get home. Hope I make it out tomorrow in the dark! Hard enough when you can see the road ahead. Ahhh, back roads - have to love them. Past couple of months been taking all the back roads to work, avoiding the blacktop. So much fun, especially when you beat the plow truck. So many good corners. Thought of setting up a video cam to record the "daily commute", like we did on the hill climbs, as usual, great ideas never see fruition. Hard to run the wood furnace this time of year, keep the drafts open, run it hot, and have the doors and windows open. Nothing like a cool breeze flowing through, and being warm at the same time. Eventually, will have to let it die out, fire it up every few days when it gets too cold. Awful easy to just turn on the gas furnace, just not the same. Guess I'm just babbling on, time to say God Bless. Rick August 28, 2015 Had several profile visits this month, prompted a little more story. Looking back at the years in Middletown, definitely a late bloomer. Wish I could have gotten more out of it while I was there. I see faces, remember people as if it was yesterday. What carefree times! Where did the summer go? Had some really nice weather, could have used a little more rain. Vermonters get nervous when it doesn't rain for 4 or 5 days! As usual, way behind on my project schedule, but I've gotten out to socialize more this summer. Think I've earned the title of "Hermit on the Hill", rarely come off on weekends. The best thing about going back to work - the folks I've gotten to know, and can count as friends. When I was fully retired, I was busy until winter set in. Snow shoeing a lot harder than it used to be. Now what? Am I going to spend the rest of my days ...Expand for more