Montpelier Halloween
You have to admit, for a tiny town, Montpelier, VT, (pop. just over 7,000) knows how to do Halloween. From the the Vermont Dance Alliance zombie takeover of State Street…
Tacoma to Tacoma
Back in June, my brother, Joe, and I drove a 2011 Toyota Tacoma pickup from Pennsylvania to Oregon to deliver it to my son, in Portland. So, it wasn’t quite…
Bird Banding at the North Branch Nature Center
Over the summer, staff at the North Branch Nature Center in Montpelier, VT, have been meeting just after dawn every week or so to band birds. The idea, says NBNC…
Across the Winooski: the Cross Vermont Trail Bridge
Workers from CCS Constructors in Morrisville, VT, bridged the Winooski River Friday with the latest link in the Cross Vermont Trail. The steel bridge was fabricated in Minnesota, trucked in…
The Return of Amtrak
Amtrak is back. At least in Vermont. The first post-COVID (?) passenger train rolled through Montpelier Junction Monday morning, heading for Washington, DC, and was greeted by hundreds of rail…
Middle Saranac Lake, ADK
The Adirondacks are close to home, but we don't get there as often as we should. Thanks to Dave Jones's persistence and planning, I did get to spend a couple…
At the Brewery
The scene at the Deschutes Brew Pub brewery in Portland, OR: The brewer, left, is my son, Jim. That's my brother, Joe, at right. Joe and I drove a pickup…
Purple at Night
I was relaxing next to a little lake near Cooperstown, NY, at dusk when these colors happened and this guy paddled by. It's a lake that is relatively high in…
Bristol, RI
I happened to be in Bristol, RI, very briefly a couple weeks ago. Southeast of Providence, southwest of Fall River, Mass., it was a beautiful spot to see spring arrive…
Middle School Track Meet
Last week, about 200 kids from 10 middle schools showed up for one of the first track and field meets to be held in Montpelier for a long time. From…
Ashes to Ash (or Ash to Ashes)
Because of the impending visit of the emerald ash borer, we felt we had to take down a big, straight, beautiful ash that was close to the house. Down it…
Earth Day, Ski Day.
Not so often that you can ski on new snow on Earth Day, April 22. But it happens. Up to a foot on Mount Mansfield, VT, last week, much of…
They Fixed the Road …
And it looks like Mud Season's over. The big waves and troughs are scraped and buried for another year. And it's a bit early because of a surprisingly warm April,…
… And Signs of Spring
Part of the scene at the Burlington, VT, waterfront, on Lake Champlain, over the past weekend. Lots of people out after a long winter.
Vermont Teachers Protest Pension Reductions
Vermont public school teachers gathered at the State House in Montpelier last week to protest proposed changes in pensions for teachers and other state employees. The state legislature, which had…