AMENITIES ~ FIND IT! ~ ALPHABETICAL GUIDE TO VERMONT COTTAGE'S AMENITIES

A cottage guide for Vermont Cottage Lake Amherst. It has every question we have ever been asked. It will tell you where things are. We may not always be available due to cell service or maybe we are in a meeting. We don't want you to have to wait for a question to be answered. ......."Where are the oars!?"

INFO ABOUT THE HOUSE

In alphabetical order with some redundancy to ensure you find it!

This is a compilation of questions over the years. It is NOT a rule guide.

We just keep adding to it to be sure we’ve covered it all!

Airbnb folks- we have listed this home in a variety of configurations on Airbnb to accommodate a variety of group sizes at varying times of the year. Therefore, if you have rented 2, 3, or 4 bedrooms downstairs, you will find extra bedrooms. Please use only the number of bedrooms you booked and not more. When you write your review, please only comment on the option of # of rooms you rented. We had one person rent 3 rooms, but commented on the 6 bedrooms and that was confusing to future guests. If you have any questions, please ask. Thank you!

We have also posted our property for rent as a 3, 4, or 6 bedroom cottage on HOUFY.COM (House For You). What is Houfy? Houfy is an up and coming new rental site that was built by an owner who saw the writing on the wall about sites that charge booking fees and he decided to do something about it.

Vacation Rentals, Homes, Condominiums & Apartments, for Rent & Sale - HOUFY

Houfy is an online network that enables its users to advertise properties, discover accommodations or find real estate for sale, and share or connect with their clients as well as make new connections on its social platform.

https://www.houfy.com

ALPHABETICAL GUIDE

ACCESS - You will either find the cottage unlocked because the cleaning crew was just there, or Alecia will send you the location of the key. Please let us know if you are uncomfortable with it being left open for you. We only do this when we expect you at check-in time 4pm. Please advise if otherwise and we will decide the best option for you. Point of entry door is weather dependent. It could be front porch door or back door. We will let you know.

Front Porch Door

Back Door

AMENITIES - The cottage is well equipped. Please use whatever you wish while you are staying. For consumables (anything that gets used up) we have a “take & leave” system. Use what you need and replace with equal or greater value before you leave. It’s worked great over the years.

BABY FURNITURE - We do not have any baby furniture available for use. Please bring your own baby items.

BADMINTON COURT - Summer only. Rackets & birdies are in the woodshed.

BATHROOM DOOR - Why is there a door from the bathroom to the outside? Two reasons- 1) We put the door in because someday we will put a hot tub in that corner and we want people to be able to take a shower before entering the hot tub. 2) Being a home focused on outside activities, we did not want to have our kids tracking in dirt every time they had to go to the bathroom.

BATH TOWELS - Bath towels are set out in the bathrooms as well as the downstairs bedroom linen closet. Wash cloths are in each bathroom. Extra towels and washcloths can be found in the small bedroom closet off the living room. Place towels in hampers provided. Beach towels will be in a basket in the living room in the summer.

BEACH - Summer only. We did have a lovely rock wall on our beach. Unfortunately, kids seem to love to move rocks in the water. We just had someone come and rebuild the wall this summer. We ask that you not let children move the rocks. Instead, we suggest they search for cool flat rocks and build cairns on the beach.

BEACH TOWELS - Beach towels will be in a basket in the living room in the summer.

BEDS - We’ve strived to have a variety of firmness to softness. “Too hard, too soft, Just right!”
The “Companion King” upstairs is a REAL king bed. A king bed is two twins put together. Ours was custom built and the mattresses handmade. They are very much like a futon mattress. Put together with a king topper, they can convert into a king sized bed, just like that on cruise ships.

BEDDING - Depending on your contract, you may have elected to bring your own for a reduced rate (only available for whole cottage rental) or maybe you have elected to use the linens at the cottage. Pillows & comforters are goose down. Let us know if there are allergies to down, we have alternative fiber-filled items we can put out. Extra pillow cases can be found hanging up in the closets.Extra blankets & pillows can be found in bedroom closets or dresser drawers. Upon leaving, we ask that the beds be left as they are. We had past confusion about what goes where for cleaning and it’s just easier for the cleaning crew to do it vs sorting out comforters from sheets, blankets, and mattress pads.

BOATS - Summer only- Memorial Day until Labor Day Rental kayaks must remain up at the cottage when not in use. If you rent boats, we will have separate instructions about those. Keep cottage boat locked to the beach (chain around tree or dock) when not in use. Think like a thief and lock it up smart. Life jackets are located in the woodshed. The key to the cottage boat is hanging in the downstairs living room between the pantry hallway and middle bedroom. The oars are on the far side of the woodshed hanging up.

Children under 12 MUST wear life jackets and adults have to have them with them. There are hefty fines for disobeying this law. We had a guest who got a $150 fine from the game warden.

Please be sure to lock the boats up after use and store boats right side up if no rain or on their sides and not upside down as it tears the seats. Please bring rental kayaks back up to the cottage overnight. Unfortunately, the boat thief is out there and worked the area last summer.

Be careful to not get sand in the lock. I recently had a very hard time getting the lock unstuck due to sand. The lock should be kept off the ground at all times. If that happens, there is W-D40 on the fireplace mantel and a few good sprays into the lock should fix it. Bring oars and equipment back to the woodshed and hang them up on hooks around the side of the woodshed. Please hang up life jackets in their proper places.

BOAT RENTALS - We are trying out something new this year. We are offering rentals for extra kayaks, canoes, and paddle boards. A college student has approached us to provide this extra amenity. We wanted to make it super easy for you, so we arranged with him to have the rentals at the cottage prior to your arrival. We prefer that boat rentals be arranged prior to your stay. Last minute requests, see below. In general, they will need to be arranged and paid for prior to your arrival. We have sent you a price list prior to your visit. This is all new to us and we are experimenting with the best way to do this. We did not want you to have to hassle with arranging and picking up extra boat rentals. Therefore, if you want extra boats please let us know what you would like. We have already learned that rentals are final upon decision with a signed document and full payment prior to your arrival; preferably one week prior to arrival. There are no discounts because the boats are already priced below all other competition to avoid the discount question. Boats chosen are final as there may be no time to exchange boats during your stay due to busy schedules. Boat rentals are not refundable due to weather. BOAT CARE-We’ve been asked that if you rent boats they must be locked up when not in use. Please be sure to store boats on their sides if raining and not upside down as it tears the seats. Be careful to not get sand in the lock. The lock should be kept off the ground at all times. If that happens, there is W-D40 in the woodshed and a few good sprays into the lock should fix it. Bring equipment back to the cottage when not in use. Please hang up life jackets in their proper places on hooks at the woodshed and not on the ground. LAST MINUTE rental requests can be honored based on schedules. The Tyson Store also offers boat rentals.

BOCCI BALL - Summer only. Is located in the woodshed. Oops, sorry. Kids left the balls on the lawn and the mowers didn’t see them and destroyed them! No Bocci ball this summer 2020.

BULLETIN BOARD - In the hallway, across from W/D you will find the bulletin board!

CELL PHONES - Use Wifi as much as possible.Your carrier may offer Wifi calling (Verizon offers it for free) but it will use your data. Skype and Whatsapp are two other great ways to Wifi call or text for free. have boosters for AT & T and Verizon. We are in a lake valley, so this was necessary. If you have AT & T, please let us know ASAP because we will need to add you to the system. Verizon connects automatically. Please let Alecia know about AT & T phone #s as soon as possible before your trip. We are finding that the AT & T site is often under “maintenance” and can’t be accessed, sometimes for days! We know, it’s ridiculous. You will need to provide #s to Alecia prior to your trip. Otherwise, we cannot set up your #s in time. Thanks! There is always Wifi calling you can access on your phone.

CHAIRS - LAWN & BEACH - Summer only. Beach chairs and extra lawn chairs are located in the woodshed.We ask that all equipment be brought back up to the house if you are not going to be down on the lakeside beach for an extended period of time. Everything should be brought back to the house at the end of the day. Items may disappear overnight if left on the beach. There are 4 plastic Adirondack chairs down on the beach and they can live there.

CHILDREN - If there are young children, the renter named on a given contract is responsible to ensure safety and behavior of the children. Young children under the age of 12 are to be supervised at all times by a responsible adult. We had one 2 y.o. (supposed to be watched by grandparents while parents skied) pull a drawer out from a nightstand and now it’s lost…..? We have had some problems with children eating candy, snacks, juice and getting it on the furniture, lighting matches in the closet, throwing game pieces around the bedroom, marbles in the fridge! We ask that children not be allowed to run around the cottage with such items. Also, our home has crushed stones around the perimeter of the cottage. Please do not let children throw stones and get them on the lawn as it kills the grass. And last, there is a stone wall on the beach and children often want to move those stones. Please do not let them move any stones on the stone wall.

CLOTHESPINS - There is a jar of clothespins above the clothes washing machine. The clothesline can be hung between the kitchen window and the tree across the yard. We leave it down so as to not obstruct the master bedroom view of the lake. There is also a line on the porch.

COFFEE MAKERS - We have 3. There is a Cuisinart, a Keurig, French press, and a coffee grinder. There is a tea kettle for the stove top.

COMPOST - Vermont requires composting for non-dairy/non-meat items. No food is to go into the garbage.

Summer - The compost pile is between the garage and volleyball court. Please be careful not to put compost in the garbage bins. Raccoons love this and will come and party and make a mess; they are very clever! It also stinks and we don’t like putting stinky garbage in our car if we have to transport it out before the next garbage day, which is Monday. Tops of garbage pails must be secured tightly with 2 crisscrossed bungee cords provided. Please do not put any meat in the compost (we don’t have rats and we don’t want any)……. if there is leftover meat, wrap it tightly in plastic bags and place in the freezer; we will take care of it.

Winter compost- Place in compost barrel under the carport.

Be sure to secure the lid or our raccoon friends will come over and bring their friends.

COOKING - The kitchen is pretty well stocked with all the gadgets you need to make almost everything you want. We don’t supply any food items, although there is a cupboard there with herbs & spices. We have a take & leave system….use what you need and replace with same or greater value. Just to list a few items we have: coffee makers, toaster, electric grill, baking muffin/bread/cake and cookie sheet pans, cooling racks, mixer, food processor, Margarita machine, blender, pizza stones, full set of pots and pans. Steaks to cakes. The stove is gas. We have a gas stove at home as well and even we have to gauge the difference. Be sure to watch your food cooking until you get the feel for how this stove heats. Sometimes the left front burner in particular will not light. This is usually because it got wet during cleaning or some Comet may have cloged the element. Light it with the lighter provided and it will burn off and should work. It’s just one of those quirks. We try to check it, but sometimes forget.

COOLING - Naturally - Summer nights tend to be cooler. Leave French doors open to the living room and kitchen with hall door open. The cool night air will cool down the cottage. In the morning, close the doors to the bedrooms, close doors to back of the cottage from living room and kitchen, close the curtains in bedrooms, keep the fans on and they will stay cool all day. Even when it is 85 outside, the cottage can remain at 65.

CROQUET- Summer only - There is a modern croquet set in the woodshed. Please do not use the antique set which is in the cottage. It’s now as a piece of art.

DAMAGE & LOSS - if something gets lost, broken or damaged, please tell us.

What is considered damage?

Examples……

• Broken specialty items like the hand-painted platters.
• Wet mattresses. We must replace any wet mattresses.
• Lost floats
• Lost or damaged lawn games
• Damaged furniture. Please do not allow children to jump on the beds. We had to replace the two box springs in the middle bedroom one summer.
• Broken windows, pushed out/damaged screens
• Lost keys
• Clogged pipes due to toilet misuse.
• Pet soiling
• Smoking odor, cigarette butts (this is a non-smoking property)
• Stained upholstery, rug stains
• Broken decorative items
• Excessive mess that takes longer than 4 hours to clean
• Destruction or loss of property
• Professional cleaning required due to smoking, vomiting, soiling
• Any cost incurred due to misuse and or loss

We do not charge for broken plates, bowls, glasses; they fall and break……it’s part of life. If you want to donate towards their demise, it is generally $5/glass. That would be a good-will gesture and appreciated.

Please do place any broken item(s) on the red tray on top of the kitchen fridge.

What is loss? Causing the loss of something that was there and no longer is.

Past losses: drawer to bedside table, float, game items. cook book,…..

This way, we know what to replace….and Alecia can go shopping!

True Story Examples- Kids threw game pieces all over #4. Five (5) marbles found in fridge!

Kid must have used croquet mallets as bats. Brand new set smashed to pieces. Balls left on lawn and lawn mower people mowed over them and ruined them. Not their fault! Parents fault for not properly supervising and teaching how to care for items and others property.

Blown out matches under beds in dorm after children stayed.

True Story Example- We once had a frantic renter call on a Monday mid-morning (arrived Friday night) that they had no hot water. We were at work, so were unable to attend to it ourselves. Thinking it was a malfunction, we called the oil company. It turned out that someone in the party went into the basement (marked private) and turned off the oil burner by mistake, thinking it was a light switch. The bill came to $123 for the service man to find the problem, which was simply flipping the switch back to on. We will not assume such costs due to misuse. Insurance won’t cover this. Please use common sense. The guest complained about the charge, “It’s a no-brainer” and they said we should have asked them, “Is the oil burner switch on?” Well, it never occurred to us that any mature adult would turn off a RED oil burner switch located in the cellar way and labeled “EMERGENCY SHUT-OFF” Please use common sense. Thanks! This is one reason why the basement is now monitored by cameras. Fair warning: any place marked “Private” is under surveillance.

DIAPERS - Place in trash for pick-up on Mondays (before 9am) & Saturdays by 11am.

DISHWASHER - We have one. Soap is under the sink.

DOCKS - Summer only - There is a floating dock out in the lake. Take the boats out to swim in deeper water. There are also many cozy places along the lake shoreline to hang out under the trees. The lake is shallow until you get about 400 feet away from shore, then it drops off. The shallowness is the good news and the bad news. You can always stand in 3-4 feet of water until about 10 feet before the floating dock. So, kids and older folks can always just put their feet down. The water bottom is soft, so if you are sensitive to texture, wear water shoes or Tevas. Despite a private sign and no trespassing sign on the float, other boaters and swimmers tend to help themselves to the use of these. We’ve maintained a “neighborly” attitude, but if you want to use the dock and raft, do politely ask them to leave.

The dock from the shore is a really nice 9 x 9 floating dock. The water where it sits is very shallow so do not attempt to dive from this dock. Use the dock that is anchored out in the lake.

Our beach dock is 12 X 12 and is anchored to the shore. It’s simply wonderful to sit on it with morning coffee or afternoon tea or cocktails.

DOGS - Please have your dog(s) bathed and groomed prior to your stay. Owners are responsible to keep dogs off the furniture and to pick up droppings on the property. We do have some covers to put on furniture just in case. Covers are located in the master bedroom in an Adirondack basket. We have a doggie photo album that is a lot of fun. Bring pictures of pooches to add to the album. We have some fun art supplies to make a great page.

DYSON – Hot & Cool units - They can be controlled manually by holding your finger on the button. The temp will go up and then once it reaches its peak, it will then go back down. Continue to hold your finger on the button until it sets it to desired temp. The control for the Dysons is on the Guest Board in the kitchen. It will operate all of them.

ELECTRIC BOX - The electrical box is located in the basement. Go down the stairs and turn left, the box is on the wall in front of the oil tank. This shouldn’t be a problem, but just in case. This is one time you can go into the basement. Flashlights are in a basket in the pantry, top shelf and there is one in the cellar way if you need it.

ELECTRICAL OUTAGE- & EMERGENCIES

In 2011 Vermont experienced a devastating flood. My brother and sister-in-law were at the cottage and were stranded for 3 days without electricity or communication to the outside. Nancy told us, “It was a good thing I was hungry when I went food shopping!” Floods are not common and given that a major flood seems to occur 40 years apart in Vermont, we think the stats are in your favor. However, it doesn’t hurt to be prepared. Electrical outages are more likely to happen. This is a somewhat common thing for Vermonters, and they usually last less than 2 hours. Our family is always little bit bummed when the power comes back on because it gives us an opportunity to huddle, cuddle, and tell stories.

So, let us guide you in an electrical outage.

We are located in a heavily wooded area. While power outages are fairly rare, they do happen. Usually a tree will have fallen on the power lines and knocked out power. This has nothing to do with the property as it is not a direct consequence of the property itself. The power company, Green Mountain Power, will work judiciously around the clock until the power can be restored.

During a power outage, it will be important to not use the water as it is an electric water pump. We have stored gallons of drinking water, some food staples, candles, & battery powered lanterns in the pantry. Do not use or let children play with or use the lanterns at any time other than a power outage. These items must be kept in working order in case of an emergency. There is also chlorinated water in jugs labeled for flushing toilets. They are on the floor in the pantry in Clorox containers and labeled.

Simply pour the prepared water into the toilet and it will flush from gravity. Remember, the water pump is electric and will not work, so don’t use it by trying to get water from the sinks. Drinking water is in jugs on the bottom shelf in the pantry along with all the other emergency items.

We encourage you to light the candles provided in baskets on the floor under the steel shelving on the floor. Start a fire if it is cold, and sit tight. The power will come back on.

If this should prove a hardship for you, you have the option to leave under the “act of God” and disabled property clause in your contract to leave. You must vacate the property and not return. You will have to find alternate housing at your own expense and we will refund an hourly prorated rate to you for hours used and unused based on arrival time of 4 PM on one day with departure at 11 AM the next morning. Any part of an hour is considered a full hour.

Green Mountain Power # is 1-888-835-4672. There is a RED notebook on the desk with all this information.

QUICKIE SURVIVAL CHECKLIST FOR POWER OUTAGE

• Monitor all children at all times-do not let them have candles!
• Build a fire in fireplace if cold
• Light candles in fireproof containers provided- top shelf in pantry above microwave
• Do not run water from taps, showers or flush toilets-use emergency water as labeled
• Use emergencies supplies only as necessary
• The gas stove top can be lit with a match-light match, hold close to burner and then turn on burner. Remember, it is gas!
• Sit tight, the power will come back on
• Enjoy the adventure

FIREWOOD - Summer - There is wood for fires piled in the woods by the fire-pit. The wood keeps getting stacked on a continuous basis. Use the grayer wood first as it is driest and will give you a better fire. There is plenty of wood in the woods around the outside fire pit to use for campfires. It is perfectly fine to gather wood in the woods around the house to use.

The wood in the woodshed is for indoor fireplace use only.

FIRE - In case of- there are two ways out of every room in the house. Please have a family meeting about your escape plan should anything occur. We hope it doesn’t and the statistics are that it will not, but better to plan.

FIRE EXTINGUISHERS - There are fire extinguishers throughout the living areas in the house. They are located in the following locations: porch, hallway, either right or left of the stoves, beside the fireplaces. Every room except the kitchen has a smoke detector. Please familiarize yourselves with the location of fire extinguishers.

FIREPLACE - The fireplace in the living room is in working order. It may be that you get a cool night and will want a fire. Please leave the ashes and unburned logs in the fireplace and we will dispose of them. Do not pull a hot log out and leave it on the hearth or anywhere in the building!

Like we found here.

Wood for fireplace is in located in the woodshed. Please don’t use fire pit wood (stacked in in the fireplace. A) It won’t fit and B) it causes creosote.

If we get a lot of snow and nobody has used the fire pit, it will get covered up with snow and possibly unusable. FIRE PIT - Winter -

Winter Fire Pit in Caldron.

FIRST AID KITS - There are first aid items hanging behind the hall door in a shoe bag.

FISHING - You can fish in the lake. You will need fishing licenses and they can be purchased at the Tyson Village Store 2 miles down the road. We do not supply fishing gear. That is not to say that you won’t find poles (maybe) hanging around in the woodshed. They tend to come and go. Feel free to use them if you find them. Try not to leave them tangled. You can buy fishing gear at Tyson Store.

FOOD - Extra food- Please leave any unopened food that you do not want to take home in the fridge or freezer downstairs. We’ll donate unopened items to Turning Point Recovery Center Transition House. Please do not put extra food in the garbage. Please compost non-dairy/non-meat items and freeze anything else in shopping bags provided; leave in freezer. We will take care of the extra food in the freezer. We have to be “picky” about this because we don’t want rodents and cute raccoons, chipmunks, and squirrels who have a knack for finding food to move in. If you leave food or even crumbs on the porch there is a high chance you will attract raccoons. It’s best to put everything away and clean up any food debris.

GARBAGE - See Trash & Recycling.

GARBAGE DISPOSER - Please do not put extra food down the disposer, please compost it. What comes off of dishes is fine, of course. Regular use of the garbage disposal is not good for the septic system.

GARBAGE DISPOSAL - Vermont will require composting by 2020. We have always composted and continue to do so. As part of your contract you are required to compost food items too. We make this easy and educational. Do not put food down garbage disposal. It will stop working and clog the drains. Debris that comes off dishes is perfectly fine…..of course. There is a reset button on the bottom of the disposal. GRILL - There is a gas grill and a charcoal grill for your use outside. If you like charcoal, you may need to purchase it. This is a take & leave system. Use what you need and replace with equal or more value. In the winter the grill will be (should be) under the car port. It is up to you to clean the grill after you use it each time. Do this by keeping the heat on to charcoal anything on the grill, then shut it off and scrape it clean for the next use. Once cool, it’s a good idea to take a paper towel and soak it with oil, then rub it on the grate so that it doesn’t rust and removes any wire brush fibers that make have come loose while scraping. Be sure to repeat this before cooking your next meal. We do not use chemicals on our grills. The method above is the most popular and if you don’t agree, then use the charcoal grill and not the gas grill.

GUIDE TO THE COTTAGE - A notebook will be on the desk.

HISTORY OF THE COTTAGE - Alecia’s grandparents built the cottage in 1934. It started out as just a tiny place with just the kitchen, half the living room now, half the porch now, and the original bedroom above the porch. There used to be a pull-down staircase to access the bedroom in the kitchen. The grandfather, “Poppy” kept adding on to the cottage and it became quirky and fun. The quirks still remain and are part of the charm. No cookie cutter designs. Because it is a lakeside cottage, the taxes are high. Keeping up a 3500 square foot property on 2.5 acres of land is costly. So, we decided to turn some weeks into a vacation rental so that we could keep it. However, we would like guests to feel like they are visiting a friend’s vacation lake cottage and not feel it is a “business.” We are truly grateful for those who do choose to spend their family vacations at the cottage. Every cent goes back into paying the bills and making upgrades and improvements. The cottage is as we like it. It’s a labor of love and continues to be a work in progress. Therefore, we guarantee the quirks and charm are included. So this leads us to REVIEWS- see reviews

KEYS - Keys you will need during your stay. The keys are hanging in the downstairs living room on a hook between the hallway and middle bedroom. Please be sure keys are left hanging up there upon your departure.

HAIRDRYERS - There is a hairdryer in each bathroom. Some will be in a burlap bag…how Vermont, huh?!

HAMMOCK - Summer only - There is a hammock set up on the front lawn. It should be on the front lawn.

HEAT - There are a couple of heat sources. We have a fireplace, an oil furnace, a wood furnace, a propane heater, and new electric wall units upstairs. In the downstairs living room there is a propane wall heater (like that in hotel rooms) so that you can heat just the living room and kitchen by closing the doors to the bedrooms. It heats up very fast if you set it to 70. Down the hall there is a hallway leading to the back of the house. To the left you will see two thermostats. Use the one marked “oil” to heat the larger part of the house. Turn heat down to 55 if you are going to be away for the better part of a day. The maximum the furnace will go to is 72. Use only the up and down arrows to increase or decrease the heat. We had someone pushing all the buttons and it turned the heat completely off. If you want it warmer then utilize the fireplace in the living room. The cottage is designed to have more heat in the living areas and the bedrooms cooler for cozy sleeping under blankets and down comforters. Upstairs we have two new Fijutso heaters which are controlled by controllers attached to the window sills by each unit. We aren’t crazy about the esthetics of these, but the energy efficiency won out.

HAMPERS - Are located in closets. Place used towels in the hampers.

HEAT GUIDE & HINTS - This is how to most efficiently heat up the cottage. Close all doors to the bedrooms and hallway by the kitchen and living room. Close the door to upstairs. Close the master bedroom door. Close the door to the middle bedroom by the back door. Turn up the furnace in the laundry room. Turn on the propane wall heater in the living room. The living room will warm up in less than 10 minutes. Start a fire in the fireplace. Each zone will then efficiently warm up. The bedrooms will remain cooler for comfortable sleeping under down comforters. Once the cottage is warmed up, open the doors between rooms and the airflow will be efficient.

To keep things naturally cool in the summer time, open doors & windows at night to let fresh cooler air in. In the morning, shut all doors to the back of the cottage and the rooms will stay nice and cool. We once had someone ask if the Fijutso air conditioner could be turned on because it was 74 in the cottage, but it was 62 outside. Simply opening a window to let the cooler air in would have been a good solution. This was a June evening. We aim to use natural heating and cooling whenever we can. The cottage is actually very energy efficient if you follow our directions.

INTERACTION BETWEEN OWNER AND GUESTS - After we have sent you all the info we have, we will leave you to enjoy your time in our family’s home. We will leave it to you to contact us. If you need anything, please do not hesitate to contact one of us; we will be more than happy to help you. Because we work, we have created this home guide. We will not always be immediately available and chances are what you need to know is in here. It’s all listed alphabetically.

INTERNET - Username is: cottage Wifi and the password is: scoutcamp

IRONING - There are two ironing boards and two irons. 1) located in master bedroom and 2) upstairs in queen bedroom closet.

JUMPER CABLES - There is a set of jumper cables in the woodshed. Use only at your own risk. If you do not know how to use jumper cables, then don’t. Batteries can blow up if not done correctly.

KITCHEN PANTRY - The kitchen and pantry are well equipped. Look around and acquaint yourself with the location and set-up of things. We have a cupboard with some tea, spices, herbs and sugar etc. If you’ve forgotten anything, please feel free to use anything. Please note that this is a take and replace system. Replace anything you use with the same or greater value as a standard of measure.

Please use cutting boards to cut food and not directly on the counters. Please do not place hot pans directly on the counter or on the cutting boards. There are ceramic hot plates provided for hot pans.

KITCHEN GADGETS - This is what we have set-up and should be available, if something breaks and we aren’t told, it may not be available, but do call us and let us know, chances are we can get whatever it is to you within a day. Blender, Cuisinart Food Processor, toaster, Kitchenaid Mixer, hand mixers are in a basket in the pantry along with rolling pins, slow cooker, Margarita drink machine, fondue pot, hand can openers, waffle iron, electric grill, plenty of cooking pots, pans, sheet pans, utensils.

LAUNDRY ROOM - The laundry room is in the hall. Take and leave system applies here too. Use what you want and need and replace with same or greater value.

LAWN CARE - CLEMENT IRRIGATION takes care of our lawn. They will be there during your stay to mow the lawn. The lawn needs to be mown. The crew are all family friends as this is a family business and they have been friends with us forever. Please be nice to them!

LAWN GAMES - Badminton, croquet, whiffle ball, basketball hoop, volleyball.

LEFTOVERS - Raccoons are on to us, so the proper disposal of food waste is essential. We compost non-meat and non-dairy items. Meat/dairy cannot go into the compost, so leave it in the freezer in a plastic grocery bag, we will take care of it.

LIGHTS- PORCH - There are 2 overhead lights on the porch, but the switches are in different places. Don’t ask me…..There is one switch in the living room left to the French doors. If light does not come on, leave the switch on and check the pull string attached to the light. The other light switch is the right of the French doors in the kitchen a bit high up on the wall. If that does not come on, pull the string attached to that light. To get the outside flood lights to come on over the stone patio and the side of the cottage with the cedar tree, be sure porch light is on and flip the switch by the porch door.

LIFE JACKETS - Summer only - We have a variety of sizes and enough for each boat. We don’t provide infant/toddler life jackets, so be sure to pack yours. All children under 12 must be wearing a life jacket in any boat. Adults do not need to wear them, but must have them in the boat. There are hefty fines for violation. We had a renter get a $150 fine one year.

LINENS - Extra sheets can be found either in a dresser in that room or in a closet. We have left plenty of extra sheets should you need them. Upon leaving, we ask that the beds be left as they are. Don’t strip the beds. We had past confusion about what goes where for cleaning and it’s just easier for the cleaning crew to do it vs sorting out comforters from sheets, blankets, and mattress pads. Place towels in hampers provided.

MEDICAL - Ludlow Family Medicine- 802-228-8867.It is not long-distance, so just dial 228-8867.

MICE - Sometimes in the fall a mouse will try to move in and may even be successful. We do our best to keep them out. However, if one decides to join you (usually in the fall) please let us know and we will take care of it. They are harmless. Please please please keep counters, tables, and stove wiped down to prevent mice and bugs from . moving in. Thank you!

MOWING - Summer only. The maintenance person will generally be at the cottage to mow the lawn at some point during your stay. Please keep children away for safety.

MUSIC - Bring your own music and player to be sure you can enjoy your music. We have Bose bluetooth on the desk. The cable TV does have several music channels.

PETS - we are a pet friendly property and have had people come with their dogs. If you do have pets you bring with you, please be sure to clean up after them. We ask that your dog be bathed and groomed before your stay. We have never had problems with pet odor. We have provided covers for furniture if you pet insists on being on the furniture. They are sheets no longer in use with paw prints drawn on them.

We also have an album for dogs. Please bring a picture of your dog and put it in the album. It’s fun to look at past guests!

OARS - Oars to the boats are on the far side of the woodshed facing the bank.

PHONE - Local and long-distance (within the USA & Canada) are included.

RECYCLING - Vermont is a recycling state It’s a good experience and we think we make it pretty easy, if not educational. Please rinse all recyclables; don’t promote the fly population…….plus sour milk is yucky. Use paper product to start your campfires. Place plastics, glass, tin, cardboard, & returnable containers in the designated bins in the recycling area by the stockade fence. Remember to rinse all containers and remove all caps. Non-meat/non-dairy leftovers can go to the compost pile. There is a compost container provided for peels etc. We want compost as we turn it into soil and use it on the flower beds. Place leftover meat products in a plastic grocery bag and leave in the freezer, we will dispose of it properly. Trash & recycling pick-up is on Monday before 9am ……..usually. If staying for longer than a week, the maintenance person will take any frozen meat leftovers off your hands and will dispose of it properly. Winter compost- Place in spinning compost barrel under the carport. Be sure to secure the lid or your raccoon friends will come over and bring their friends. Don’t use this barrel in the summer. Thank you! The summer compost is located in the woods between the garage and volleyball court.

RECYCLING

The most important thing for you to know!

Recycling is Vermont law.

It’s a good experience and we think we make it pretty easy.

If you have any questions about this, please do ask us!

Basically

Remove all caps

Rinse out well with tap water

Sort into red designated bin provided outside

These steps keep everyone & the property safe!

We are currently working on this guide.....