tales from a gypsy: ...and there was Vermont!

finally, all that talk, and I ventured to Vermont...Nov 18-21

The drive up was a long one as we hit traffic on the NJ Turnpike. Gas station stops were particularly nice because people spoke English and the bathrooms were free to use, so pumping your own gas seemed as small price to pay for their kindness. We took 87 up straight through NY, and as soon as we crossed the border into Vermont, I was distracted by the stars. They were so brilliant and so seemingly close I had to stop the car. People passing by must have been miffed by the "stupid tourist who has to stop to look at the stars." We stayed up quite late chatting away and catching up...


The morning started bright and early with a hike up to the clearing, which was beautiful. The girls (Stella & Meadow) played nice with sticks. It was such a clear morning, but no pictures :o(

Then, we headed to Burlington.
We took a detour and visited the quarry:



We hung out at a nice coffeeshop and walked around. I was so excited to get a map of the area with a red star on it from the nice woman at Old Gold:


We spent some time paling around the next day as the snow fall was pretty heavy.
Peanut butter parties so Meadow would take her medicine:



"kitchen dog!"

Stelly in the Sun. she didn't seem to like to have her picture taken.


Meddy on the porch with snow on her nose - how cute!

Despite the snow, Megan took us on an adventure that started with seaweed salad, olive chips (they are soooo good), and garlic hummus, oh, and of course, some apple cider vinegar (gross). We ended up in Middlebury which turned out to be really nice, and we checked out the Vermont Soap Factory and Soap Museum. We picked up some great soaps and shower gel, and made our way through Middlebury. We bought some overly expensive maple candies, hot drinks, and VT jam, and headed home before the roads froze over. Just before home, we stopped in a General Store, where I had a nice long chat with the owner and was able to buy Orville's Light popping corn that you can 't seem to get anywhere nowadays. Megan showed me the first half of making lotion.

The last day, Thanksgiving Eve...what a day to travel: rain, sleet, and snow!
We finished the lotion. We hiked beside the water until we realized Meadow looked too much like a deer, and the little orange tie wasn't going to do much for her!








On the way down the hill, we took some great pictures of us sliding down, but they didn't come out :o( I even wiped out!

So, then came the challenge of getting down the hill without slamming into the guardrails that just looked way to small to help keep us from swimming in the river.

We made it though! Little did I know that was a small feat compared to what was to come.

Meadow & I adventured all through Vermont: we visited the Bowl Mill (Granville), where wooden bowls are carved. There was a little old man who seemed overjoyed at having a visitor! The bowls and cutting boards were gorgeous. Then we went across the street to Michael Egan Glassblowing Studio & Gallery. Michael blows glass as he talks to his visitors. We continued up VT-100 N , stopping at Moss Glen Falls:

We headed up North on VT-100 through Warren. I looked for Warren Falls, and I thought I saw the entrance, but it was too cold and too wet to take an unsure adventure. We drove on Covered Bridge Rd

We found a potter studio / store on the side road. Warren Village Pottery maybe? I parked and ventured up ot the house. No one was home, but I let myself in and looked around. There were instructions for how to purchase items and run the credit card machine, but I did not see anything that I fell in love with. Next, I parked at the municipal area, and visited across the street at The Creator's Shop, where I found my pottery purchase. Everything the store sells is crafted by local artists. Of particular interest were these maple leaves made of porcelain that looked like real leaves. In fact, I asked if they were real before I touched them. When I learned that they were not in fact real, I thought, "What a dumb question." Then the store keeper said that everyone asks that, and no, he was not patronizing me! They were beautiful, but I was trying to be realistic - I don't know anyone who puts things in their windows. So, I guess worth the mention, but not the buy.

I passed this sign on a tree and had to take a picture, too cute:


We pumped our own gas and headed toward Waitsfield to stop at the health food store, Sweet Pea, in the hopes of getting more seaweed salad - no such luck, so we picked up the all important dog treats, and other snacks. In fact, I bought these Chia cracker things that were pretty good. They kind of tasted like sweetened cardboard, but they were good enough that you wanted another one...

...and they're all gone, so that says something!

So, we headed up on 17 North, which looked like a major highway on the map. Instead what we discovered was a ginormous mountain that we had to climb with ice and sleet and snow and limited guard rails. Then, halfway up, when there was no sign of turning back, I realized we would have to make it down the hill, which I did not think was going to be possible. I saw a hitch-hiker on the way up, and I had a fleeting thought to pick him up - maybe he could help me? maybe he would kill me? Either way, I was too afraid to let the car stop moving! so I said a prayer, please God let somebody pick that poor guy up b/c he looked pretty sad when I passed him by. Downhill, I really thought we were not going to make it. I took a picture through the windshield, without focusing, in case we didn't make it. I think this was it:



Staring down this mountain, I kept thinking how is the car not sliding out, but we made it to the bottom, and I felt the need to take a picture: the "we made it" picture.


We made it to the "bottom," and we were still in a big cloud!





Onward on 17 to Bristol, but there was another detour! I had this address written down, but not the name of the place, and the road we would be traveling on had parts of it that were marked as not safe for traveling / closed in winter...Since we had made it down the mountain, "What could be worse?" I thought. The road was bordered by a river and some more falls and of course another covered bridge. We drove & drove until we arrived at 220 West River Road, which was Lincoln Pottery -- another unoccupied home.

We drove back out westward to Bristol. I popped in Honeylights to check out this beeswax candle making place, but I couldn't stand the smell of the beeswax. I felt bad because they were nice, but I headed straight for the door! Then I went across the street into a little knick knack store where I picked up some chutney that was absolutely delicious! Off to Middlebury, again. This time I popped in to Yak Adventure which sells some interesting items from the East, including Tibetan singing bowls. Then I got some fancy sort of chai tea (at Carol's), loaded it up with cinnamon, and took Meadow for a short walk.

Carol's Hungry Man Cafe
Happy silk chai that I can't pronounce
Fogged up windows with hearts
you can see through
Plans for a band
and peculiarly strange strangers
It's all granola, here.

Then I checked out Vermont Beads & Fibers, which was pretty cool if you have money to spend &a project in mind & less un-completed projects at home & knew what you were doing with knitting needles. On the way out, I hit up ****where I got this really cool lip balm and freshly made jam.

Next we headed south, through Brandon and Rutland, taking Route 7 all the way south to the outlets at Manchester Center straight through to Bennington, and then across to NY. We stopped at a bunch of places on the way. I attempted to find Candles & Things Gift Shop, but Horton Street was hiding from mew, and I wasn't going to fight the rain and fog and thanksgiving day traffic. Another lost cause was Sara's Scribbles in Brandon - I found 16 Carver Street, but the house really looked like a home, not doubling as a store/studio/home.

I also stopped somewhere in some state to return some Kohl's items that I had in my car...

Me & Meddy in the car :






Best of all, I got to spend some quality time with an old friend and our dogs. Oh, you are so special!

I think this one was Vermont, too:



1/10/08 - And I just found these babies:

I placed these on the Franklin Stove to warm them up...and they burnt :o(