Vermont Day 4

Both Nic and Kristiina had to work today so mom and I were on our own until about 3:30. We had a leisurely morning then decided to tackle some of the boxes that have been hanging around here. Not the full ones... we wouldn't know where to put things. But the empty ones. They had a TON of empty boxes all over the place that they just haven't had an opportunity to take to the basement yet (the move required hundreds of boxes which has been overwhelming). They're not discarding them because they'll burn them come winter! So we stacked them neatly downstairs making a 10' X 7' wall of broken down boxes. After lunch we decided to take a walk.



We went down their street then circled around to the service road for the farm so we could see the yard behind their house. This is the perspective of the farm and the mountains from below.



Check this out! I'd have been ecstatic to find these as a kid in Syracuse! Okay, I was a bit excited to find them today... but I restrained myself from picking them and sending them sailing into the wind!



Northern weeds are so pretty. We actually picked some and brought them back to create a lovely weed bouquet! We found quite a variety.



Now we've reached Nic and Kristiina's yard. I'm standing in the shade of a HUGE tree that's on their property. That horizontal branch you see will make a perfect rope/tire swing!



And turning in the direction of their house... here it is. There's about 40' - 50' of yard before you get to that steep hill. Nic is going to build stairs so this lower level of yard is easily accessible from the top. Right now there's a path, but it's pretty steep. That open window on the right is the guest room mom is staying in.



Heading back home, we saw some Queen Anne's Lace - also reminiscent of Syracuse!



We're approaching Nic and Kristiina's house. Visible over the neighbor's green fence.



Here we are. I thought it would be fun to paint their fence while we're here, but Kristiina said that too much of it has to be replaced to bother. They'll just live with this "rustic" look until they're ready to do that. It's not at the top of their long project list.

It was such a pleasant afternoon, we really enjoyed the walk (about 2 miles)... the sunshine, the breeze, the fresh air. We decided to go out to dinner tonight, then came back and watched a movie... it was a good, relaxing day.

Vermont Day 3

Nic had to work today, but Kristiina, mom and I did a little more exploring - stayed more in the vicinity of Windsor.



First, we stopped at Kennedy Pond which is right around the corner from Nic and Kristiina's house. She said it's where they'll swim in the summer (if they're brave enough to withstand the chilly water), and where they'll ice skate in the winter.



Then we went into town... or the village. It's so quaint. Lots of little shops and places to eat. And lots of old brick buildings.



There's also lots of charming homes. The lady in the antique store asked if we had seen "The Gingerbread House." We had to walk over and check it out.... adorable, isn't it?




Everywhere you look, people have placed flowers in their windows and in planters on their porches. I guess when winter is so long and cold, they relish spring and summer!

After meandering around the village for a while, we went to the Harpoon Brewary for lunch. Mom and I tried Rasberry Beer with our sandwiches. It sounds weird, but was surprisingly delicious. While we were there, we also checked out the Simon Pierce Factory (glass and pottery) and watched some guys blow glass for a while. That was interesting.





On our way home, Kristiina wanted to show us this old barn she found. It's huge... with several buildings on the property. Unfortunately, it's abandoned and decaying but it was interesting to wander around it.



It's definitely seen better days.



Here's another charming Windsor house. Joe really liked this one when he was here. It's on Nic and Kristiina's road.


This is also on Nic and Kristiina's road. Built in the 1700's, it was an old tavern. Then in 1777, the Constitution of Vermont was signed here and it has become known as the Old Constitution House - the birthplace of Vermont.


It's twilight as we head back to their house. Here's the entrance to a property that's up the road from them. Charming... I use that adjective a lot - but it's fitting.

That's all for today... g'night.

Update to Day 2

Scroll down below the Big Birthday Blog for the puppies... I was finally able to upload a few pics from yesterday (which is directly below this one, titled It Could Happen to You).

It Could Happen To You

This comes as a word of caution... When you're at a place in your life where you find yourself with an "empty nest," your child(ren) having grown up and gotten married; and you realize that you're eagerly awaiting the wonderful announcement that your first grandchild is on the way... When that happens, don't let your dog get pregnant!

You'll have the best of intentions about "finding them good homes," manning the operation much like an adoption agency, with a long list of criteria to be met and references to be checked. However, when they arrive, you'll marvel at what amazing little creatures they are. You'll watch them sleep and you'll coo, sing and rock them when they fuss (seriously, you will). You'll get up in the middle of the night to make sure Mama heard their little cries for milk and is tending to their needs. You'll nearly cry with joy when their eyes finally open and you'll bust with pride when you see them take their first wobbly steps. You'll spend hours and hours just watching them grow... you'll just find them fascinating! (What?!... I did.)

Then your husband will mention it's nearing the time to think about giving them away... GIVING THEM AWAY! And you'll look at him like he just asked you to harvest your beating heart and serve it to him on a platter; but you'll gently respond with, "I'm not ready to talk about it yet" (and you really won't be). So, 8 weeks will turn into 10 weeks; and 10 weeks will turn into 12 weeks; and 12 weeks will turn into 14 weeks. Then, finally, no more talk of giving them away... they're yours forever! (Cuz he got hooked, too.) And you'll be thankful she only had 4 when it could have been closer to a dozen!

They'll turn your world upside down. Your pool cage will lose it's screens because energetic pups ran straight through them. Large portions of your yard will turn into a sand pit because it's their favorite place to play and wrestle. You'll always have at least a mild dusting of dog hair on your tile floor. You'll say "no barking" and "be gentle" as often as you used to say "do your homework" and "eat your vegetables." And you'll find that you don't entertain as often as you used to because "you have a mess of dogs!"

But you'll find that you're spoiling them (just a little)... raising them with a milder hand than you did their mom, dad and "uncles." You'll find their antics entertaining and even precious! You'll find it both delightful and intriguing that in each of them, you can pick out varying physical traits and peculiar habits of their parents. You won't mind stepping over and around them in the kitchen while you're preparing dinner... cuz they just want to be where you are. Your heart will melt when they compete with each other for your affection. And you'll find yourself smiling a lot, realizing that grandchildren of the furry variety bring a whole lot of joy! (While still anticipating the announcement of the "flesh of my flesh" variety.)

Happy 1st Birthday to our Four Fabulous Furry Ones!

In the order of their appearance...


This is Riley. He looks just like dad.




This is Emma ... the Divine Miss Em!



This is Blaze... our Big Boy! He looks just like mom (though she's extremely petite and he has become the largest dog of our bunch).



And our sweet little peanut, Sara (her "middle name" is Cuse, i.e. Syracuse...!)

Remembering the earlier days...

They're just hours old here.

Riley has had enough to eat and just wants to snuggle (he often scooched to this location near mom). Poor girl looks tired.

Emma's tiny foot next to her mother's.

Blaze was always scooching under the blankets... he did this himself.

Sara loved to snuggle her mom.

Riley has grown a bit... about three weeks here.

Oh, sleepy Emma!

This is what I meant about rock them to sleep... I hated when they got too big to do this!

Sara's eyes are beginning to open!

Yes, they're enchanting!

They're growing! What a funny position for nursing!

They're big enough now to try puppy food softened with a bit of water (though they also still nursed for a few more weeks).

Riley close up at about 4-5 weeks.

Emma close up... about the same age.

and Blaze... (don't you just want to squeeze him and smell him?! Mmmm.)

and Sara... she's so little and cute!

Emma would like to have dad's ball.

Riley says, "I'm gonna get you!"

Mama plays with Blaze and Sara.

This is what I mean by "be gentle." It looks ferocious, but they were just playing (and the red in Sara's mouth is just fuzz from a toy).

Playing outside - 10 weeks old.

Mama has her figure back! I wish you could sit on my patio for about an hour and just watch these two play (oh, and that's dad, Bruiser)! They are so entertaining... and Zeila is an athlete like I've never seen before. Her speed and agility are amazing!
Our neighbor, Luke, is a bull mastif/boxer mix. He wishes we had a doggie door in that fence so he could come play, too. He's such a good boy.

Look-a-likes... Riley sees something interesting outside. His dad has noticed it, too.

Look-a-likes... Blaze and Zeila. Looks like Blaze caught a whiff of something.

Look-a-likes... Sisters, Emma and Sara share a piece of bark.

Oh my, Zeila getting bombarded by her pups (all of whom are now bigger than her). She loves it - she's a pretty, pretty princess who plays like a tomboy!

And Bruiser is eager to give Joe a kiss!

And if those weren't enough photos to look at... there's more!!

Vermont Day 2

After breakfast we went to Woodstock/North Bridgewater to "The Project" that Nic is working on.



Here's Kristiina at a doorway that has a peak of Mt. Ascutney. They live "in the shadow" of that mountain in Windsor.



This is The Project... a 13,000 sq. ft., $9,000,000 log cabin!
Nic is the Project Manager. (Kristiina is so proud of him.)



This is just below the cabin. Still on the property, it's the pavilion and pond.




Geez, that's a big nail!



A better look at Mt. Ascutney from the cabin.



After we left The Project, we had lunch at the Farmers Diner in Quechee, Vt, where Kristiina is now working.


Here's the outside of the charming little diner. It's in a neat tourist area.



After lunch and perusing the "tourist traps" for awhile, we headed over to Quechee Gorge. We took pictures from the bridge, then decided to trek down to the water.



Here's a view of the gorge from the rocks below. You can see the bridge where we started. I ventured out into the middle of the river... rock hopping.

It was a fun day. We were happy to see where Nic and Kristiina both spend their days. The sights all around us were spectacular, and the weather is delicious! Crisp, clean air... jacket weather. Love it.