Sunday, September 29, 2024

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


20240812_202031

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.

IMG_3278




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!




IMG_3306



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.


IMG_3308




IMG_3310



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.


IMG_3314



So back I went.  Cat tails lining my route.

IMG_3315




IMG_3331



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.

PXL_20240825_132036289.MP




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.

PXL_20240827_161339247.PORTRAIT


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.


PXL_20240827_155227368


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.


Cindy & Gay's Deck



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.


20240829_14310720240829_143119














FINAL FRIDAY STREET FAIR


20240830_170625On 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.


20240830_170835

20240830_170849




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

20240830_171042



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!

20240830_171341



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

20240830_171402


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

20240830_171919


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.

20240818_14110520240818_182345












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



GMF distance 2022




20240905_130017

23 comments:

  1. Loved the pond with all the reflections and the birds. Vermont was good to you this year in spite of a couple of glitches, aka floods and covid. But you could get covid anywhere. So glad it wasn't long lasting. Laurel and Eric are "ok but things are awful around here" so she may not be reading blogs for awhile. Glad to see you home safe to the farm and hoping that the awful rains and flooding have missed your part of Virginia.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much for your comment Sue. I'm glad you heard from Laurel I wrote to her but I did not hear back. I feel like I had rain all summer long in Vermont and now I have brought it back to Virginia. We have had some flooding but nothing devastating just what seems like an everlasting never-ending rain.

      Delete
  2. Your kayaking makes me bright green with envy. Kayaking was a nice part of my life for many years until my balance got too iffy a couple of years ago. So I had to quit biking and yakking since I want to be around to agitate the grand kids for a while yet. Thanks for the pictures from the yaks. I appreciate your efforts.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Barney how wonderful to see you in the comments. Kayaking is one of my favorite activities and I am so sorry you can no longer do it. I wrote about my various kayakings on all the lakes and ponds in Vermont this entire past summer.

      Delete
  3. Home sweet home! A summer to remember for sure! Before you know it, you’ll be on the road again heading south vs north this round! Here’s to safe travels and many new adventures! 👍

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And do you two as well. You'll be heading South and I'm sorry we won't probably be meeting up.

      Delete
  4. Welcome Home Sherry. You have such a nice home base. Does it really get too hot and humid to spend Summer there?
    We stay home a lot now and take four to six-week vacations. This year it was a river cruise from Poland to Germany on the Danube. Then, we spent two weeks in the Alps at the Military Resort. The weather was perfect and the sights amazing. It was my first time in Europe. Kathy has been there often. At home, the leaves are falling and the tourist have departed. So it is classical music concerts, lawn mowing, and putting things away, before a hard freeze. Yeah, just normal life.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love hearing about your life Tom. I'm afraid the funds available to me as a widow would not permit me to travel in the wonderful sounding ways that you do. It was over a hundred frequently this summer with humidity to match in Virginia. I lived with the Summers and the winters here for many decades but they have both gotten more extreme.

      Delete
  5. Hey Sherry! Justin here. Love the lake pics as always. Envious of all your kayaking, which is some of the best quiet time on earth. Seeing the Winona at the farm brought a big smile to my face. So many good memories. Lots of love - hope you’re well!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Justin how great to see you here in the comments. You are right about kayaking and hiking too is a wonderful quiet time to appreciate this magnificent planet. Come on down to Virginia and you can take a tour of Winnona in the barnyard

      Delete
  6. Justin beat me this time! Lovely post. I kept thinking how beautiful those lakes must be in the fall when the trees all turn. Colder temps, but no doubt beautiful. Just like the Farm in fall. Glad you got to enjoy some more outings after covid and before you had to leave. Love you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I always think that too but they tell me that the full color does it generally really arrive until early October and I can't stay there that long. Thanks for your comment sweetheart. Love you too and happily I'll see you soon.

      Delete
  7. I bet you miss Vermont already. Hopefully the places you are going in Florida haven't been hit too hard.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm hoping that too about Florida. Right now many of the parks that I have reservations at are closed. Keeping my fingers crossed.

      Delete
  8. Our paths were meant to cross again!!!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Free popcorn and free ice cream? Now that's a welcoming street fair. I know that you are missing beautiful Vermont, but what a summer. I love all of the pictures. Thanks so much for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're very welcome Pam and thank you for commenting. I think C'ville could use a street fair like saint J has. Would love to see you now that I'm back.

      Delete
  10. We just got back from a family reunion in Cleveland and 3 of the family got covid. Such a drag. Luckily Ted and I didn't get it. Maybe because we had gotten the new vaccine a couple weeks earlier. Hope to see you in cville.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Glad you guys didn't get it. I think my problem may have been not realizing there had been a new vaccine every year. I'd gotten the first several which apparently protected me but hadn't gotten one in 2023. Let's get in touch.

      Delete
  11. Not a Sandpiper, the bird is a Mosspiper. A species known for its ability to stand on moss covered rocks for hours. :cD
    Paul (who else?)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Of course Paul. I should have recognized it. :-) So glad to have your expertise.

      Delete
  12. Oh dear, so sorry you had to spend so much of you last Vermont weeks with COVID! It's definitely showing up a lot again. I continue to knock wood, grateful I've dodged it thus far. Love you time on the water, so very peaceful. Too bad you couldn't stay for the fall colors, but you're probably ready for different views :-)) The farm looks so lovely.

    ReplyDelete

Your comments help me in more ways than you can know. Thanks in advance.