The Green Mountain State

Growing up, I didn't travel much.

Going to the Great New York State Fair was one of the biggest yearly events of my young life. This changed as I grew older and God swept me off on a couple of adventures. The fact remains, though, that I still have seen sadly little of the land I call home.

I'm pleased to say, though, that I can now count Vermont among those states I've traveled to.

A good friend of mine--a lovely friend, a bright friend, and a brave one--is going solo as she works on her doctorate in physical therapy in Vermont. She and her sister (another very fine friend, indeed) and I all traveled there this spring to visit the college campus, check off a gravely long list of to-do's, and generally enjoy each other's company. Wanting to make the most of the jaunt, we found a quaint Austen-esque bed and breakfast to--well, to bed and breakfast in.

It was stunning. The woodwork turned a honey gold in the sunbeams, the antique furniture looked like it had grown into place, and our host and hostess were as lovely and homespun as they come.

This was the crown jewel of the place. A piano over a hundred years old (I'm not sure how old, exactly) that had been passed down from one generation to the next. I got to play the beauty, and she sounded as mellifluous as springtime.

The breakfast part of the whole experience was wonderful. I only snapped a picture before the food arrived, so imagine this picture but ten times better and you'll know what we woke up to.

There were trails and acres of wide-open space behind the house, and we were told we could run free. So we did.

It'd be a pity to not be able to see some green mountains in the Green Mountain State. Charcoal-gray mountains proved almost as nice.

Sunset.

[If you haven't yet noticed, I have a fascination with taking pictures of plants that make them look like nature's skyscrapers...]

On the ride home after a productive trip with lots of time for words to germinate inside our heads (and sometimes worm their way outside them when the mood struck), we stopped to enjoy the wind.

Thank you for a fine introduction to Vermont, my friends!