Last Days of Summer in Vermont

August 12 – September 5, 2024                               Most Recent Posts:
Moose River Campground                    Having a Wonderful Time and Then…
St Johnsbury, Vermont                          Parker Pond, Pie & Littleton N.H.

MY FINAL BAND CONCERT

I got Covid for the first time in the 4 years since it began. 

The night before, I had gone to the band concert and had the yummy free ice cream while listening to the music and watching the children’s parade.   I felt fine.  But the next morning I woke up with a 101 degree fever and total exhaustion.   

I thought maybe it was just a 24 hour something so I took tylenol and did nothing but read and drag myself up to get some food.  But it was still there the next day though with Tylenol the fever was lower.  So I got out the Covid test and sure enough.   I sure hope I didn’t infect the people I talked with at the concert.

I had no other symptoms and after day 4, the fever and exhaustion left but it took me until day 12 to get a negative test.   Boy did I have cabin fever.  I spent a lot of time on the river front reading in my sweet little hammock. (see previous post)

BEAUTIFUL HARDWICK LAKE

By the time I could get out and go, it was late August and my time in Vermont was coming to an end. 

What a waste of over a week and a half.

The day of the negative test I headed out to Hardwick Lake to go kayaking.   It was a great day on the lake as you will see.

I had never seen this bird on any of the lakes or ponds I had kayaked in Vermont. 
I’m thinking maybe he’s a young Sandpiper but I’m not sure which kind since he didn’t have any marking.  Maybe Laurel and Eric can help.

Colors are just starting to turn in late August.

Such a gorgeous day!

I watched several Green Herons.

The pictures don’t do them justice.

On ALERT!

At a couple of spots along the shoreline their are inlets.  They always draw me in.  I want to know what’s down that channel.

I didn’t get to go all the way and find out on this one.  I assume beavers are responsible for this obstruction that I could not get around.

So back I went.  Cat tails lining my route.

I’m thinking this is a juvenile wood duck.  Again, I’ve never seen one on the many Vermont ponds on which I’ve paddled.

But I have seen the wonderful Loon on every Vermont pond I’ve paddled.

Heading back to the dock, I just love this long tunnel view with the reflections.

SHADOW LAKE IN GROTON WITH CINDY AND GAY

Earlier in the summer, at Molly’s Pond I had met two women who were paddle boarding.  We struck up a conversation and have kept in touch.  We had made a date for me to come kayaking at the pond on which they live but I had to postpone it when I got Covid.   So today was the day.

They have a house on Shadow Lake in Groton.  I drove over to the public boat launch and they paddled over to meet me. 

We paddled around the lake and then went to their dock and up to their house.
I wish I’d gotten a picture of the house.  But I’m finding it increasingly uncomfortable to pull out my phone for a picture of people and their private spaces.

I did have Cindy send me a  picture of their deck where we had a wonderful lunch.  What a great place to spend your summers.

When they retired, being from Chicago, their solution of how to deal with avoiding serious cold and serious heat was to have this lake house and  a place in Florida not too far from Koreshan State Park where I hope to be this winter for two weeks if it has reopened from the hurricane damage by then.  Hoping their place has also not been damaged and we can meet up again.

LYNDON STATE FOREST

My last hike of the summer was a return visit to Lyndon State Forest.  Since I had done a post on it earlier in the summer (link to June 24, 2024 hike),  I didn’t intended to post it again and didn’t take any pictures at all.  But then in my 4 mile hike I came upon this darling little set up.   I’d sure like to meet the person who did this. 

I’m also sure I’m not the only person who had a big smile on their face seeing it.

FINAL FRIDAY STREET FAIR

On the last Friday of every month Saint Johnsbury has a street fair.  They close off Railroad Street, the primary business district, and it fills with vendors of all kinds.  Free popcorn, Free ice cream, food trucks, music.  A little bit of everything.

You could decorate your hands with henna.   It was fun to watch but I passed.

Side walk chalk art – draw your favorite vegetable.  Not sure what these two were working on.

As you’ll see in this Street Fair Dancing video, there is a band set up in the background.  When they took a break someone played ballroom dance music and these folks took to the make shift floor in the street.

And free bags of popcorn.  You can bet I had one (or two).   Really sorry I didn’t get any pictures of the free ice cream.  I visited both places that were offering it and they were big scoops.  SWEET!

Good bean bag toss game between the guys and the girls right in the middle of the street.

I did take a picture of this little marching musical group as well as this video if you’d like to see them.

and that was it other than the labor day bingo and potluck.  It was pouring down rain for both.

LEAVING VERMONT HEADED SOUTH

I pulled out of Moose River the day after Labor Day.  The leaves had begun to turn and the Moose was still guarding the entrance when I left.

Three days of pretty much non stop driving and I pulled into the barnyard for a fall visit to the farm.