Keeping with Kipling

The graduate class I'm enrolled in now about the publishing industry is one of the most darn enjoyable I've ever taken, for several reasons -- not least among which is that there's only ONE major assignment due over the course of the entire semester. I can certainly get by alright with that kind of workload! The assignment in question is to thoroughly research an already-published "children's book," and then try to re-pitch it to a modern 2016 audience as if it never existed. Having just read them for the first time over winter break, Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Books were the first thing that sprang to mind, and so I've been spending a fair bit of time with Mowgli and company over the past few weeks.

In my best impersonation of a 60 Minutes investigator, therefore, I took advantage of this week's February school vacation to make the scenic drive up to Brattleboro, Vermont, to visit Kipling's residence there. I can happily report: for anyone with even a passing interest in Kipling and his works, or those familiar with the addictively-catchy 1967 Disney cartoon, or even those history buffs among you fascinated by Victorian culture, this place is an absolute MUST to check out.

History lesson time: Kipling, an Indian-born English writer, moved to Vermont during the first year of his marriage while awaiting the birth of his first child. There, he constructed his dream estate: Naulakha, a Hindi word meaning "priceless gem." Everything about Naulakha was designed for comfort and privacy; it's a long, narrow house, only wide enough to fit one room and a staircase across, with all the rooms stacked longwise and facing outward on the slope of a hill to catch the light (and, more importantly, the views), elevated an entire floor off the ground to keep away from curious eyes.

Everything about Naulakha today is EXACT to how it was during Kipling's ownership: the furniture, the room layouts, the floorboards, even the piping has survived intact over the last century, making Naulakha a sort of time capsule into privileged life from the 1890s. Even cooler, it functions today as an honest-to-God resort house -- seriously, you and seven friends can rent it out and spend a night eating on Kipling's table, sleeping in his bed, & showering in his bathtub (I'm struck all of a sudden by how some things sound much creepier on the page than they do in my head). It's a pretty penny, absolutely, but I still think it's kinda cool to have such free use of a historical literary site in this day and age.
And speaking of literary history...

Kipling's actual study, the original work space where he cranked out each of those works listed on the plaque above, remains intact, and just that one solitary room made the entire drive up to Vermont more than worth it.

My personal version of heaven looks an awful lot similar to this, if I had to guess.

The resemblance is uncanny, no?

Also, they had hats. Very cool hats.

Kipling would sit at this very desk every single day from 9am-1pm and just write, write, write. So, just to conveniently sum up, that's
Andrew's dream spot:✓
Andrew's dream job:✓

There are several artifacts like this scattered around the estate, testifying to the happy outcome of those writing sessions

I've never felt such an urge to smoke a pipe in my entire life

One anecdote in particular pricked up my ears during an already-fascinating tour: while at Naulakha, the Kiplings hosted all sorts of international dignitaries and members of the writing elite. Frequent among these was a dear friend of Rudyard's from England -- a certain Scottish medical doctor who dabbled from time to time in "charlatan" mystery stories, by the name of Arthur Conan Doyle. Now THAT'S a writing club I wouldn't have minded getting in on...
Doyle, a consummate Scottish sportsman, brought several of his favorite pastimes across the pond with him during these visits, and so Naulakha boasts the first tennis court in the state of Vermont. Doyle even strong-armed Kipling into a few rounds of golf on the nearby snowy hillsides (with red-painted golf balls for visibility purposes), thus their official status in the Professional Golfers' Association as the inventors of "winter golf" in the United States. Gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "the game is on!"

Speaking of those snowy hillsides, the grounds surrounding Naulakha are pretty breathtaking. Amidst sprawling fields that offer views of the Green Mountain foothills, the Kiplings planted their own tree corridor and made some pseudo-Grecian ruins for decoration.

"Gardens are not made by singing 'Oh, how beautiful!' and sitting in the shade." 

“Otherwise, he would be far away in the jungle; tasting, touching, seeing, and feeling new things.”

And finally, the other Lord of the Jungle (and the ace photographer behind all these shots), taking in some new ideas for a home expansion project

An absolutely unforgettable outing, of the stuff lit. buffs like me only dream of! Happy readings!

Go the Distance: 2016 Disney Marathon

So how did last weekend's Disney Marathon go, with my dad and I representing our Avengers colors, on a beautiful course filled with lots of laughs and equally as many characters and photo opportunities? In a word:
AMAZING.

I owe it to you all right now to offer fair warning right at the outset: the 2016 Disney Marathon ranks among the most quintessential Cook family events that's ever happened, and we've got the pics...lots of them...to prove it. If you're looking for a shorter post, turn away now, or maybe just scroll real quick through this FRACTIONAL chronicle from last weekend's epic run. So, without further ado, to quote from the start of the race, "3...2...1...GO!"

Avengers Assemble at the starting line! The Disney parks are all still fully operational the day of the races, and the powers that be want runners well-underway by the time the sane, non-running public shows up -- which means a very, very early wake-up call

In terms of race emcees to set us off at the starting line, I guess Mr. M. Mouse himself ain't a bad one, all things considered

Cap, making his charge towards the Kingdom gates

Ironically, you're unlikely to find stranger characters anywhere inside

"The sky's falling!! The sky's falling!" 20 miles later, our dehydration-addled minds would probably be concocting similar scenarios

One's the Pumpkin King of Halloweentown, another's Jack Skellington

What would cause people to smile like idiots at this hour of the day? Running right down the middle of Main Street, U.S.A., is one surefire way to do it

Getting a SERIOUS boost from all the spectators, already out on the course at 6:45

He's late, he's late, but we're the ones running to make up for lost time... that's Wonderland logic for you.

We ain't under the sea, but sweating in race day's 93% humidity kinda felt like we were swimming, I'll be honest

No one runs like Gaston

Ladykillers. That's us.

Being from New England, the cold never bothered us anyway

Storming the castle

For all my Inside Out people, this one definitely falls under the Joy category

A special congratulations to this new couple, who had their own Joy moment with just about the most fairy tale engagement I've ever seen. Wishing you both a happily ever after!

Here there be dragons

Spoiler alert!

She was practically perfect in every way, until us sweaty runners showed up on the scene

The bestest chEAR squad in all the kingdoms

As the sun came up, it really did feel for a while like we'd detoured into Hades

Luckily, Elsa (and about a hundred water stops) were on hand to keep us Frozen

It wasn't Gatorade she was brewing, I'll tell you that much

Turns out you really do have to be as swift as a coursing river to defeat the Huns

You definitely know you're on Stranger Tides when you see CAPTAIN Jack Sparrow and Barbossa out there

Dang. An overwhelming majority of the characters we met up with were of dubious moral fiber, now I see them all together.

Ohhh I just can't wait to be done!

Andy, Woody, & Buzz. We go waaaaaaay back.

HALFWAY THERE

We made friends with these guys during essentially a miles-long game of tag between water stops and character lines. If either of you see this somewhere out there in the wilds of Paradise Falls the Internet, thanks, and I hope you had a great finish! "Adventure awaits!"

This may just be me, but I just don't see vultures out on the course as a good omen

Mom and Heather would have won the entire race with Kaa here slithering up behind them

Running's bear necessities for this guy

Socializing with some grim ghosts - they didn't grin much, though

This seemed like a fantastic idea until I had to stand back up again afterwards

I generally try to give this guy a wide berth

Like the person before us said -- if we had to stop for ONE photo on the entire course, it was gonna be this one

Goof's a Patriots fan, we all know it

Cap, Iron Man, and Gronk -- SMASH

Like any Avengers fan knows, "there are no strings on me"

There were an estimated 40,000 runners for the weekend - that's impressive numbers even for this Boston veteran

"A good soldier never leaves a man behind"

Cap got some moral support from his loyal troops

As you hit the runner's wall, it's important not to let Terror get the best of you

"We can be heroes, just for one day"

The scariest part -- we've still got three miles left to go!

Mile 23, they see me rollin'

Civil War -- whose side are you on?

At this point, we were ready to trade in all three (or is it a collective six?) of our wishes if this guy could bring the finish line any closer

That "THE FINISH LINE, AT LAST" feeling!!

TRULY an epic run, one that's gone down in the history books as one of our best ever. Dad, it was an honor and a blast to run the whole 26.2 miles step for step with you, Civil Wars and all. The fact that we walked around the parks all day afterwards just shows how well the training we put into this paid off, and I'm already looking forward to the unspecified but guaranteed date in the future when we'll make a triumphant return outing. 

Now if only we had some triumphant, Disney-themed song about embarking on a long journey to wrap up the post with...

I am on my way

I can go the distance

I don't care how far

Somehow I'll be strong

I know every mile

Will be worth my while

And I won't look back

I can go the distance

And I'll stay on track

No I won't accept defeat

It's an uphill slope

But I won't lose hope

Till I go the distance

And my journey is complete