October 2, 2026
Comfort Island
Dear Gregor,
As you know, I’m a huge fan of “Make Your Own Pizza” night. You can pre-prep all the toppings, and you learn quite a bit about someone by watching what they put on their pizza and how seriously they take the whole process. It is ALWAYS a hit and Conor and I decided to do it last night for dinner. Joshua from St. Lawrence Boat Restoration came over and we talked about wooden boats and the renovation of Comfort.
He had never been here, so I took him on a tour of the house and then shared a book I created recounting the 8 years of building and re-building of the property. You don't really appreciate how much work we did until you see the before photos. The rot, the bat infestation, the decayed infrastructure, the 35 barges of trash. My niece Madeline pointed out, shortly after I closed on the house, that it was featured on CNBC’s “Scariest Houses to Buy.”
I wonder if I had known that would I still have gone through with the purchase? Probably. Despite the warnings from friends and family.
Now, thanks to Paul Milsap and his team, it’s a showplace and a perfect home for entertaining and enjoying the river. Even today, when it’s raining and dreary.
Stephen