As Todd remembers it, “For the Baldecchis’ first
Thanksgiving [2012] at Scarlet Gate, they invited the four
of us over. One of Erin’s sisters and her family were there,
too, so there were 13 or 14 people in all. It was such an
unseasonably warm and sunny day that we decided to
pick up their dining room table and carry it outside into
the courtyard and set it up there. We brought all the chairs
out and had our Thanksgiving lunch in the garden. Since
there were so many of us, we put all the leaves in the table,
extending it as far as it would go. None of us will forget
that for a long time. It was a lot of fun.”
Another year, Chuck’s family came for the holidays,
and the Baldecchis called the Morrisons fairly early
one morning to come over right then. Because of the
Baldecchis’ longtime Maryland ties, they were serving
Chesapeake Delight – a superb oyster dish – for
breakfast, along with champagne.
In a stage whisper, Todd confides, “We always know
when Chef Baldecchi’s cooking because the smoke
alarm goes off … but that’s okay.”
It’s no surprise to hear that Snow Days are pretty
exciting for anybody at Scarlet Gate. Todd says,
“Chuck does the drive around the neighborhood,
and I check out school walkways to get the salt
and plows going. No matter how bad it is, I have
to assume we’re having school, because by the time
Chuck returns from his rounds, if I’ve waited and
if we do have school, that’s not good. Regardless of
the temperature, if it snows, Chuck and the kids
are outside playing, even if it’s 5 degrees. When the
wind chill is at minus 20, I look outside and there’s
Chuck, pulling the kids down the driveway and all
over the place in an inner tube. It was so cold that
day you didn’t even want to go to the mailbox, but
there they were, with Chuck leading the way, and the
kids loving every minute of it.”
No matter what season, those living in both
houses on the delightful Scarlet Gate property might
not concur with Robert Frost’s saying, “Good fences
make good neighbors.”
“Regardless of the temperature, if it snows, Chuck and the kids are outside playing, even if it’s 5 degrees.”
—Todd Morrison, TLS Buildings and Grounds Superintendent
Previous Page: Bella and Sarah
share a neighborly hug on Sarah’s
graduation day. Above: It’s a Snow
Day for Mr. B, Cade, Alex, and Bella.
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