Vermont Fall colors

Some of the fall color in and around Waterford. The first pic is the city water lake and Fairbanks Mountain.














This is the road from our house to the highway. Actually, there are three roads to the highway. This picture is typical. The dirt road is only about a mile, and as I've said before, it is well maintained year round














A meadow along the road to the highway














These last two are the front and back yard views from our house

Signs of the Changing seasons

Yesterday was the autumnal equinox - the official first day of fall - and the official end of summer. The shortening daylight has been obvious here for the past two weeks, just one more sign that the summer is really coming to an end. The early a.m. temps are now in the 30's, but summer is not giving up without a last effort. Temperatures for the weekend may reach 78 degrees in St. J, perhaps 75 here on the hill top, so a few more warm days remain to be enjoyed. I'm told, btw, that this will not qualify as a a true 'Indian summer'. That requires the temps to drop below freezing and then warm up to 75-80 degrees.

But there are other signs of the fast approaching fall. With the lower temps, leaves to begin their annual color change. While the woods are not 'ablaze', they are orangish, and individual trees are already outstanding. On a more personal level, it is wardrobe change time, as the shorts and t-shirts are relegated to the basement and the back of the drawer, while the sweaters, fleece, and jackets are now front and center in the closet. A lot of this winter stuff I've picked up at thrift stores, or had from old camping days. I did have to 'invest' in a pair of winter boots. Nothing in Louisiana comes close to the foot protection needed here. Other fall preparations have included painting parts of the house that had flaked badly. Next week, I'll be removing the window AC units, swapping door screens for storm glass, and putting away most of the outdoor furniture. It reminds me of the "little golden book" story A Year on the Farm, which I memorized with my kids some 25 years ago (and for myself more than a half century ago).

This weekend we spent Saturday at the Kingdom Colors festival in St. Johnsbury. Events were spread all over town, and we made to several of them, including craft booths, the soup lunch, rummage sale and a 90 minute train ride. Unlike BR bread and circus festivals, this is much more a fund raiser for local groups, who take advantage of the large number of tourists here for leaf peeping.

The highlight of our day was the  hour+ train ride to McIndoe (mac in doo) falls, about 15 miles south of here. The train itself was a vintage diesel model, with passenger cars from the first half of the 20th century. It only comes out occasionally for events such as this one. The train followed the Passumpsic River Valley and passed through many areas that are not visible from the main highways.

The pictures below are typical of the scenery, when the trees and hills didn't close in round the tracks and block the views.

Naming the hoodoo

All summer long, our smaller dog, Lucy, who is a Corgi and knows no fear, has been barking at the "hoodoo" in the woods behind our house. As of last night, the hoodoo has a name - it is a porcupine. Just before bedtime, Lucy went out and got after it. She ended up with over 50 quills stuck in her snout, mouth and front paw. I never did see the porcupine, but my guess is that Lucy lost the match rather badly.

Although they are not fatal and do not generally get infected, the quills are very uncomfortable. They also are hard to remove because their tips have tiny scales that act like anchors. Using pliers, I successfully pulled most of them out, but still a dozen or more were stuck so deeply, were in sensitive parts of her nose and mouth, or had broken off and were too short to grab. So we spent most of Sunday night's wee hours at an all - night vet 60 miles away getting the rest of them removed (along with a $200 removal from my checkbook - they may be country vets but they charge city prices).

Two days later Lucy is tender but feeling better. For her sake and mine, I hope the dog has learned that porcupines are a "look but don't touch" curiosity. Oh... the joys of country living.

Dog Mountain and Dog Chapel

Vermont is home to any number of quirky, if not unique unique attractions. One of the most remarkable and enjoyable is the Dog Mountain and Dog Chapel founded by the late artist Stephen Huneck. As an artist who had a unique love for dogs, you may have seen some of his art work (see more at http://www.dogmt.com/chapel.php ). One of his best artistic expressions is his dog chapel. Here, as the sign says, "all breeds and creeds welcome - no dogmas allowed". The chapel is not religious, but it is spiritual - especially about the spiritual bond that exists between dogs and their persons. The walls are covered with snapshots and notes by which owners remember and celebrate the memory of their pets. Every breed and mix are represented - present, really - and for anyone who has ever lost a pet, it is a sad, but uplifting experience see that we are not alone in our feelings.

Surrounding the chapel are several acres of meadows and gentle mountain slopes, with ponds, trails and tranquil areas. All are open to dogs, which are encouraged experience the place by running free. Occasionally during the summer, there are special days when dozens, if not scores of dogs come together for a 'romp'. Such times are truly entertaining, upwards of 100 dogs all checking each other out, playing alone or in small groups, swimming or just enjoying the warm sun and cool breezes without the confinement of a leash. When on common ground, even dogs that are protective of their home territory (like one of mine) manage to get along quite well without human supervision. That is a big part of why the place is so relaxing and restoring. Makes me wonder if dogs can do it, why can't we.