From The Road: Exploring Vermont

September 18th

When we left you last time we were heading into Vermont. I spent three days there with my cousins, talking over old times and laughing until we couldn't talk. We have a close bond, being daughters of sisters, and all living together during World War II while our fathers served overseas. It was hard to leave, but I took with me lots of warm fuzzies, 2 forks, and an armload of books.

From White River Junction on the east side of Vermont we meandered along with brooks and through beautiful old villages, up and down dale, to Burlington, on Lake Champlain. This is a happening place, with lots of young people, outdoor activities (for example, sailing on the lake), and the home of The Intervale, an organization of organic farms, a wildlife preserve, community gardens and food sharing groups, and the largest compost pile in the country, especially sweet with the rinsings from Ben and Jerry's ice cream churns. From Burlington Peachy and I headed south to The Shelburne Museum, a truly impressive place. It encompasses many acres, and contains old buildings moved there for preservation and display, artifacts, fine art, and changing exhibits. It is easily worth a whole day of wandering and looking. I lucked into an exhibit of Shaker furniture, another of exquisite contemporary quilts, and something totally unexpected. In the cool lower level of the huge old round bar was a display of modern chandeliers. Since it was a really hot day, I went down to take a look.

These were innovative interpretations of house lighting, and two spoke to me. One was made from 3,000 ping pong balls, surgical tubing, and fishing line. The star of the show, however, was a sphere of brilliant crystals held together on an armature of stainless steel that could be taken apart into sections and cleaned in the dishwasher!

There are also collections here of carriages, a whole circus performance and parade of hand-carved wooden figures, old carousel animals, tools, a steam train with several cars drawn up at a station (complete with schedules), and the Ticonderoga, a 220 ft. Lake Champlain steamer, rescued from oblivion and hauled overland during the winter to rest majestically on a bed of gravel near the train.

It really was a very hot day, and after a warm night in the upper bunk, I broke camp and we headed for the ferry to take us to New York.

Brooks and lakes: here we are talking about water again. We all need it! According to the U.S.Army Corps of Engineers it takes:

+ 4 gallons of water to process a pound of hamburger
+ 9.3 gallons of water to process a can of vegetables
+ 39,090 gallons of water to make one new car

Are you ready for more license plates?
Y B BROKE (on a BMW)
2 CENTS
2TH FRY
WANNABET

Shalom