We traveled all the 'old fashioned' roads this time as we drove up scenic old Route 100 and some other cross over roads to reach Bristol, where we found friends to spend part of the day with. After a nice visit and a great dinner at a favorite restaurant of theirs...good foodies too... we spent the night in their yard, camping in the Gypsy. We were awakened at midnight by the rain on our roof, a welcome sound as we are really needing the water here. And a good rain it was for a few hours. By morning it had passed, leaving part of the world a bit greener and happier looking. The sun was slow to peek out but finally showed up through the rising fog as we headed out, easterly, across the state.
Our friends and a view from their back patio
This rock with the Lord's Prayer on it, is on Route 116 as you leave the village of
Bristol, VT. The story has it that a man carved it here thinking it might cause the
team drivers to use better language when urging their teams on as this was a place
where they seemed to really curse and swear at them.
We took Route 17, a route we had never done before up and up and up some more through lots of hair-pin turns as we went over the mountains and passed by Mad River Glen Ski area and through the Appalachian Gap on down, to wind our way northeast to Woodbury. Here we found some more good friends above the lake there. What a treat to tour their garden! Just full of great veggies and flowers. Also had a tour and admired the new chicken castle...large and roomy, cozy and safe from the fox.
Finally leaving, we backtracked a few miles and set off to Chelsea where we had a great little lunch at Dixie's II, a folksy place with good down home cooking. The fresh homemade corn chowder was something to brag about! After filling the tank and our tummies, we headed over the hill to Vershire to make a quick stop to visit our friends on Darling Hill before heading on home.
It was good to get home again after a wonderful little trip, traveling these secondary roads. The weather was cooler, the breeze warm as it wafted in the open windows allowing the sweet scents of late summer to please the senses and stir old memories of other summers, of other years. Seeing how these strong Vermonters have worked to fix up the devastation after Tropical Storm Irene visited us a year ago to the day, brought satisfying feelings. Seeing the yet to be fixed places, a reminder that we need to be so thankful that we are still here to enjoy another summer. Things seemed a bit greener in the north and middle of the state than here in the southern end. Lots of cornfields and haying still going on. More farms and cattle too.
As we entered our little valley between the mountains and the river, we thought the good rain had made it a greener place than when we left it a couple days before. Miss Lizzie was glad to see us and either welcomed us back or scolded us for taking so long... hard to tell which, but by the sound of her purring, I think she was pretty glad to see us.
The garden was ready to pick again today, yielding even more zucchini, some pole beans, finally, and cucumbers. I picked the red tomatoes and made a couple jars of Tomato Spice Jam which is a favorite of mine. Enough beans for supper tonight and I pulled a big beet with it's greens to cook as well. The zucchini will wait till cousin Natalie comes to make some relish with me. She has lots of zukes too so we will make a fun time of making some relish.
Leave with a thought that seems like a good way of life and I'm sure you've heard before.... but it is still good to think on this.
A lovely bouquet of Glads
Live Simply...Love Generously...Care deeply and Speak kindly...For we walk by faith and not by sight! Enjoy each other and this lovely end of summer weather.
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