July 20-27, 2026 Most Recent Posts:
Moose River Campground Enjoying My Weekly Routine
St. Johnsbury, Vermont Town Forest and Observation Knob
Started this week out on Monday with a hike in the Lyndon State Forest. It was one of the first lands purchased by the State of Vermont They paid $2 an acre in 1912. The land was in a state of agricultural abandonment, completely devoid of vegetation due to overgrazing of the sod layer. The state began reforestation, mostly pines and spruce. Now it is known for being a mountain bike place mostly but billed as “multiple use”. I don’t go on week-ends because many of the trails aren’t really wide enough to share with a bike speeding downhill.
The trails aren’t well marked but there is this one street sign and map if you are lucky enough to go by it.
I always like to do my climbing first if that’s possible and finish going down hill. In this case it brings me by the river (stream) where they have built a new bridge. Bridge building on trails seems to be “in” this year.
On my hike I crossed paths with this handsome fellow.
If you know what kind he is, let me know.
On Wednesday I went paddling at Harvey Lake.
This has definitely been the year for eagles.
Amazingly I was able to follow him with my camera and he appears to have caught something he’s eating though I can’t tell for sure.
The loon was definitely complaining about the eagle but I couldn’t get it on a video unfortunately.
I’m into small spaces these days so this looked like a lake front possibility.
The loon with chicks was at the upper end of the lake. When I paddled further down I found a group of 5. I’ve never seen an actual group of loons. I wondered what it’s called. When I asked google it said an asylum, a raft or a water dance. I think I’ll just stick with group, certainly not asylum.
I took this video of the group hoping one of them would call.
Things started looking a bit gray over the mountain. The wind picked up and thus the waves but I was too far down the lake to do much about it.
I saw several of these raised docks. I guess that means the folks haven’t been back since winter when the lake must freeze.
Another trio with the chicks a bit older. Dark heads.
One last look at the eagle. Beautiful feather designs.
On my way back to the campground I stopped at the Barnet library. I had met the librarian Dylan while paddling last week and told her I would stop by as I love libraries.
Main Street in Barnet Vermont population 1885. But that’s the Barnet area. The specific village area has 127 people.
Everything is close by, the town hall is across from the library on Main Street. Doesn’t it just looks so New England?
Barnet Public Library
Dylan is as friendly and enthusiastic as a librarian could possibly be. The library has more programs for its patrons then the much larger St Johnsbury Athenaeum and is hosting a Smithsonian Exhibit later in early August. I hope to go back and see it. When I asked why it would be held at this much smaller library she replied that you have to apply and it’s not that easy.
There is a vegetable garden on the right hand side of the walk way and a flower garden on the left. I didn’t do a shot of them both because it would be too far away to get them both in the picture. But you have to love a library with a vegetable garden.
That evening I attended the monthly library book club at the St J library where
there were over 20 people gathered to discuss Fault Lines of the Constitution a very interesting and easy read especially for anyone who thinks the constitution is dry subject. It’s actually funny in parts but serious in discussing the “fault lines”. The discussion was quite lively and could have gone on for hours or at least several more sessions. The big topics were the electoral college and gerrymandering.
And there were snacks. Cheese & crackers, apples and cookies which whetted my appetite.
So I stopped at Milk House which I had to drive right by as it is on the way between the RV park and the library. Two scoops in a waffle cone was actually too much for me. So much ice cream the cone is splitting.
On Thursday I got my steps walking out of the RV park and up a nearby road.
Vermont actually still has family farms and I wish I had stopped at this one’s farm stand.
I know they must have been selling eggs as I saw this interesting coop and hen yard.
T
Those of you who have followed me for a while know that several years ago when I was keeping Winnona in Charlottesville over the fall, some joy riding, I assume kids, shot out all the windows in my living room with a BB gun including the ones by the driver’s seat. It took months to get it repaired and that was after I refused to let the man the insurance company sent me to do any more than the one window in front of the driver’s door which leaked ever since he did it.
I finally found someone to redo the entire window including recut the glass which hadn’t been done right. Of course I had to pay for it. But Granite State Glass, about a mile from the park, did a super job.
When the window on the other side started leaking and looked like it needed to be completely resealed I called them again and they came out and did another great job. Really glad to have someone so close by.
Later in the afternoon I played Cone Toss with other longer term campers. All of us were either “seasonals” (May-Oct) or here for the 3 months of the summer.
That’s Ernie and Joanne on this end and Johnny and Ashley on the far end. Murphy is watching closely and keeping score.
On Friday I took the hour drive north to Lake Parker which I’d been wanting to do for a while largely because it’s an excuse to get pizza at Parker Pie company.
The water was a bit rough as you can see in the pictures above and below. Maybe the wind grounded the gull. First one I’ve ever seen at a lake and he wasn’t doing any diving.
I was surprised to see a sculler in the distance.
He was moving right along. But like rowboats, how does he see where he’s going. I’d hate that.
I did make it to the end of the lake when the wind died down unlike earlier this week at Harvey Lake when the winds were too strong for me to want to go all the way down and back.
I admit that I was motivated here by this opening in the grasses.
Here’s what I found beyond the grasses. Another opening to lure me on.
I doubt I’d have been able to go this far if it had been last year when the area had a pretty serious drought.
But I reached the end of the line and had to back out not knowing where that bridge went from and to.
On the way out I saw a group of ducks with some young ones playing but by the time I got there the last one was entering the reeds.
This is a large lake and I’m sure on the week-ends is very busy with the residents and their power boats. Lots of cabins on the shore as you may have noticed in previous pictures.
Pretty sure none are full time homes.
And then Parker Pie which is in the rear of the E.O. Randall General Store where gas is $6.209/gal and they have a great propane tank.
I was so disappointed in Parker Pie that I probably will not return given the drive.
The pizza was great but on their menu it said $20.50 for a medium. When I went to pay she said it was $23. When I questioned the menu listing she said oh taxes and stuff I guess. You know local and all that. When I signed the receipt the bill was $25.07 with $2.07 clearly listed as the tax. There were too many people lined up to order for me to be willing to press the point but I later looked up local taxes for the town and county and there aren’t any. Not sure what was going on but it left a very bad taste in my mouth despite the fact that the pizza was good. If the pizza was listed on the menu as $20.50, why was I charged $23?
When I got back, the campground was all abuzz about this Newall Motor Home. I had no idea that a “Newall Motorcoach” is a custom built, ultra luxury Class A motorhome priced around $2.7 to 2.8 MILLION DOLLARS. WHAT????
We all agreed, they were seriously slumming. There is no way they could have thought Moose River was an RV “resort” if they’d paid any attention to the web page.
Use the link and take a look.
On Saturday I did my trip to the farmer’s market and walk around town where I saw this interesting pair with boa constrictors around their necks.
This week’s spotlight home on my walk. Not for sale. But look at those details.
Front
Side
St J is nothing if not a place with interesting people.
I’m very proud of myself to be posting this at the end of the week it is describing.
And to top it all off the weather has been fantastic!
