[katy_kate]

One of my favorite stories to tell about small town Vermont is about a trip we made to Barton a few years ago. At the time we were considering a move back and looking at some properties up that way. We went to the town clerk's office for some information and it was closed, but across the hall was the library and on the door was a sign that read "The FBI has not been here yet"

After spending some time with the librarian inside learning more about the community and whatnot, I inquired as to what the sign was for. She explained that the Patriot Act prevented them from telling the fellow towns people if and when the FBI was to show up wanting information on anyone who used the library. So they put up the sign. That way if the folks saw that the sign was removed they would know that the FBI had been there.

[chaz longue]

Originally Posted by katy_kate

One of my favorite stories to tell about small town Vermont is about a trip we made to Barton a few years ago. At the time we were considering a move back and looking at some properties up that way. We went to the town clerk's office for some information and it was closed, but across the hall was the library and on the door was a sign that read "The FBI has not been here yet"

After spending some time with the librarian inside learning more about the community and whatnot, I inquired as to what the sign was for. She explained that the Patriot Act prevented them from telling the fellow towns people if and when the FBI was to show up wanting information on anyone who used the library. So they put up the sign. That way if the folks saw that the sign was removed they would know that the FBI had been there.

Great story. I know a few librarians - they are pretty tough to intimidate.

[pabear]

Between the nice weather and these wonderful posts...It has been a pretty good day. Thank you all for keeping us connected to VT while we are putting our time in here in PA

[chaz longue]

We went to Lake Morey, in Fairlee VT today. We'd been wanting to try "Nordic Skating".

Perfect Spring skiing weather, which would more accurately be called perfect Sugaring weather: cool last night, and sunny and warm this morning, and into the afternoon.

The fellow we met, went to Canada and Europe about 9 years ago, saw what people were doing with Nordic Skates, and has been the pied piper here in VT since. He's imports (and sells) skate blades …and ordinary xc boots, and introduces people to Nordic Skating.

Lake Morey has the longest Nordic Skating track in the country, and there are only 3 larger - or of comparable size - anywhere in North America - One is in Ottowa, of course, where the famous "Winterlude" is a focus for people from all over the world, skating on thier very scenic canals...

Lake Morey offers a groomed 7 mile loop for skating. It's free, too. The Lake Morey Inn maintains the ice for guests, I believe. While there were people using all sorts of gear (figure skates, hockey skates, ordinary light hiking boots on the walking lanes and areas - even a Finnish kick-sled, which I'm dying to try...) the best tool seems to be ordinary XC boots with high tops, (I usually use them with my touring XC skis), and these "Nordic Skates": Imagine a longer than usual skate blade, attached to a modern XC ski binding. You just click into them with your XC boots, and off you go. They are simple, inexpensive, and very easy to use. With little effort, you find yourself gliding along silently about twice as fast as you would on ordinary skates. That's because they are sharpened differently than figure or hockey skates and offer less resistance on the ice. Being longer and beefier, they are more stable too. I saw a few people raise thier hands when asked if there was anybody who had not skated at all before, and in about 3 minutes they were grinning like mad and gliding along.

There were a lot of people there on the lake with dogs, on leashes, and the snowy lane, near the one we skated on, seemed custom made for the dogs. They were happily trotting along on their own track, never seeming in the way. While we were there a couple of small planes landed and took off again. It’s a big lake. Beautiful too.

Since I have the xc boots, I'll look forward to getting some blades/skates, and I'll be able to just walk down to Waterfront Park in Burlington, drive to The Colchester Causeway in Malletts Bay, Hero's Welcome in North Hero and any number of other places when the conditions are right... When the weather's just right (warm and sunny, like today!) We'll go down to Lake Morey and skate there.

[unconscious]

t storms on a hot july afternoon.then the rain stops and the sun is out again. warm nights at the lake.we dont have warm nights its always light. fireflys in the hay fields at night.we used to catch jars of em. oh how bout maple syrup going through the sugar maples with horeses drawing the tank we dump the sap in we go to a dumping station set up in the bush and goes all the way to the sugar house.the arck burning hot boiling sap.behind small gates that separate the large tank into small ones. maple syrup,snow&donuts ok. but were does the dill pickel come in .crazy vermonters.wild life gazing.if u take your spotlite out at night u can spot lots of deer&other such wildlife.how bout the fall.ive been everywhere and the leaves are what they say. piles to play in. the fresh fall air.all the harvesting going on pumpkins.i liked that people would walk out in the field to get thier owen.but we still had orders to fill & truck up over the notch.i dont think i have to even mention the lovley winters u get to enjoy.the cold the snow wind ice storms u got to love it.

[chaz longue]

Yesterday, I gardened and Alpine skied in the same day, and had perhaps the prettiest drive I can remember. Today I had some young friends over for an Easter egg hunt in the back yard. The grass is greening up quickly. The lake is the color of lapis. I'm enjoying the deck - particularly without a bug in sight.

[expatvermonter]

To quote MUSTARD: "If the REAL Vermonters woke up they would realize that to love living at a slower pace, love nature, and love having a small-town community are not values unique to REAL Vermonters. These values exist in all 50 states, most of which have areas bigger than all of Vermont that support this way of life."

This is true.... But in the south you have the religious zealots and Gestapo Police tactics. In states like CA, NJ, NY, MA, IL you also have many such rural areas, but the government is so intrusive and overtaxation is the RULE of thumb.

Here in Vermont we have our freedom from religious bible thumping, brutal police and the state/county/mun gov't sticking it's nose in everything you do.

The problem is not the people from NJ, MA Etc. It's the fact that they want to fix every injustice with their form of government/police. Vermont is the closest to utopia for the freedom minded. Move here and enjoy it without "suburbanizing" it and controling every thing with your ultra liberal politics!

One example that comes to mind is the big furor by the "do gooders" was that Vermont was "too white". The push was on to bring diversity to VT. Instead of bringing a dozen screened families from Somalia they dumped hundreds in Burlington, many of them violent criminals. Or instead of trying to attract white collar African Americans to fill posts at IBM, they spread the word that free welfare was available in places like Springfield MA, the South Bronx Etc. Guess who showed up with drug pipelines in tow! No if you hang out in front of Second Floor (Burlington) at 2 AM you will hear every woman on the planet being called a worthless "hoe".

Leave Vermont ALONE! It was utopia until you came to "fix" it!!!!

[Erma]

I love Vermont, it's small towns, the beautiful scenery, the food and even Isabella the pig who supervises Curtis at his bar-b-que wagon!

[mustmove]

Originally Posted by expatvermonter

To quote MUSTARD: "If the REAL Vermonters woke up they would realize that to love living at a slower pace, love nature, and love having a small-town community are not values unique to REAL Vermonters. These values exist in all 50 states, most of which have areas bigger than all of Vermont that support this way of life."

This is true.... But in the south you have the religious zealots and Gestapo Police tactics. In states like CA, NJ, NY, MA, IL you also have many such rural areas, but the government is so intrusive and overtaxation is the RULE of thumb.

Here in Vermont we have our freedom from religious bible thumping, brutal police and the state/county/mun gov't sticking it's nose in everything you do.

The problem is not the people from NJ, MA Etc. It's the fact that they want to fix every injustice with their form of government/police. Vermont is the closest to utopia for the freedom minded. Move here and enjoy it without "suburbanizing" it and controling every thing with your ultra liberal politics!

One example that comes to mind is the big furor by the "do gooders" was that Vermont was "too white". The push was on to bring diversity to VT. Instead of bringing a dozen screened families from Somalia they dumped hundreds in Burlington, many of them violent criminals. Or instead of trying to attract white collar African Americans to fill posts at IBM, they spread the word that free welfare was available in places like Springfield MA, the South Bronx Etc. Guess who showed up with drug pipelines in tow! No if you hang out in front of Second Floor (Burlington) at 2 AM you will hear every woman on the planet being called a worthless "hoe".

Leave Vermont ALONE! It was utopia until you came to "fix" it!!!!

Sorry but conservative native Vermonters surrendered without a fight. Too late to cry about it now, but know who blew it and who is to blame.

[OhBeeHave]

Originally Posted by mustmove

Sorry but conservative native Vermonters surrendered without a fight. Too late to cry about it now, but know who blew it and who is to blame.

The problem is -- if the conservatives you cited complained, they would have been labeled RACISTS. Rev. Al Sharpton and his band of merry marchers would have been marching down Main St like white on rice. (Is white on rice considered racist?)

Blame has to be placed with those who created the problem, the do-gooders. Out of curiousity: are those do-gooders imports from other states? If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Some folks welcome diversity, some folks want to live amongst people who are like them -- be it race, economics, political or religious views.

Live and let live.

Despite this cchink in the armor, I love Vermont.

My road is an utter mud disaster -- roadblocks, cones and the grader pushing foot after foot of mud off to the side. It has given me reason to pause in my busy life to enjoy the finer things which nature has blessed us with.

I know that while the mud is drying, I will see little buds on the trees when I look up to the blue skies which spring have brought. I can hear the brook roaring, birds singing.

I felt joy when the phoebe came back to repair her nest over my front door. This is the 4th consecutive spring the phoebes have returned to my door

A single, sluggish bat appeared on Friday evening, ingesting the occasional insect which had the misfortune of being in it's path.

A scheduling conflict has made it impossible for me to participate en masse with the state on Green Up Day, so I made my own Green Up Day and picked up whatever I found when I was out.