Late afternoon yesterday and on into the night we had a lot of wind. It almost took our awning but Gene was right there and prevented damage, then rolled it up. Reminded us of the gale we rode out in Galveston last October. The temperature dropped a lot and so we used both heaters, one at each end of the camper.
I tried out television, an almost foreign concept, and found a show on Vermont Public Television about preserving old barns. It showed several designs and discussed the renovations and current uses. There are grants from a trust one can get to do this. Many present day farmers could not afford new barns and therefore would not be in business were it not for the old ones. There are so many and some are quite unique.
The second barn picture is to show how they attach the house and barn so as to be able to tend to the animals in the winter without going outside. We think that the center two structures were the first house
and barn, then as they prospered, a larger house was added at one end and a larger barn at the other. Upon closer inspection, we found that this is a bed and breakfast. However, the shed visible in the back is full of dairy cattle and the aroma is, shall we say "pungent?" Gene notes that one would not know this until you arrive and it is too late.
Today we toured a sugar maple house and Cabot Creamery. The process of making maple syrup only takes place for 4-6 weeks in the spring but we saw the equipment and photos of how they do it. The syrup is very expensive. We did not realize that Cabot is a Co-op of up to 600 farms. It was started about 100 years ago when farmers had more milk than they needed in the spring and got together to market it at greater distances. Gradually they experimented with other products. They have about 30 products now and three "company stores" in the state. They offered extensive tastings and their products certainly do ta
ste good. It was interesting to see how the cheese is made, packaged and stored.
In search of lunch we went to a place called Rainbow Sweets in the next town which Gene had seen a brochure on at the creamery. When we walked in, the proprietor/chef looked up from his customer and asked "Two for lunch?" When I nodded he indicated a spot at the counter and said, "Stand here, don't talk and I will explain your options." When he finished, he showed us what he had cooked for the day, rather exotic fare, then toured the pastries all while doing a soft of comedy routine. We chose our food, he then pointed to what chair I should sit in, because it faced the pastry counter. He pretty much kept up his banter most of the time touting his wares and joking around. He has been there 34 years. We had something from Morocco and good but unusual. We also got two pastries to go because you pretty much were not going to get out of there without. The tariff was really high for lunch...you do not know the prices in advance, but like Gene said, the entertainment was worth it and he recommended a good place to eat where we are going next. Since we were alone with him for awhile, he just chatted with us about where we were from and where w
e were going.
We explored more of the countryside on our way back to the campground. The terrain is very pastoral in nature consisting of rolling hills with farms nestled into them and green, green pastures for dairy cows and a backdrop of dramatic mountains. My father's mother's family are from here, a town called Northfield, just south of Montpelier. We visited there on our last trip and visited the family cemetery plot. It only hit 70 today and it on it's way into the 40's tonight but heat wave coming after this. Forgot to say we got up early this morning and were at the rec hall before 8:30 for the wagon ride with the Belgian draft horses, only to find it was canceled. Don't know if I am up to trying again tomorrow.
I tried out television, an almost foreign concept, and found a show on Vermont Public Television about preserving old barns. It showed several designs and discussed the renovations and current uses. There are grants from a trust one can get to do this. Many present day farmers could not afford new barns and therefore would not be in business were it not for the old ones. There are so many and some are quite unique.
The second barn picture is to show how they attach the house and barn so as to be able to tend to the animals in the winter without going outside. We think that the center two structures were the first house
and barn, then as they prospered, a larger house was added at one end and a larger barn at the other. Upon closer inspection, we found that this is a bed and breakfast. However, the shed visible in the back is full of dairy cattle and the aroma is, shall we say "pungent?" Gene notes that one would not know this until you arrive and it is too late.Today we toured a sugar maple house and Cabot Creamery. The process of making maple syrup only takes place for 4-6 weeks in the spring but we saw the equipment and photos of how they do it. The syrup is very expensive. We did not realize that Cabot is a Co-op of up to 600 farms. It was started about 100 years ago when farmers had more milk than they needed in the spring and got together to market it at greater distances. Gradually they experimented with other products. They have about 30 products now and three "company stores" in the state. They offered extensive tastings and their products certainly do ta
ste good. It was interesting to see how the cheese is made, packaged and stored.In search of lunch we went to a place called Rainbow Sweets in the next town which Gene had seen a brochure on at the creamery. When we walked in, the proprietor/chef looked up from his customer and asked "Two for lunch?" When I nodded he indicated a spot at the counter and said, "Stand here, don't talk and I will explain your options." When he finished, he showed us what he had cooked for the day, rather exotic fare, then toured the pastries all while doing a soft of comedy routine. We chose our food, he then pointed to what chair I should sit in, because it faced the pastry counter. He pretty much kept up his banter most of the time touting his wares and joking around. He has been there 34 years. We had something from Morocco and good but unusual. We also got two pastries to go because you pretty much were not going to get out of there without. The tariff was really high for lunch...you do not know the prices in advance, but like Gene said, the entertainment was worth it and he recommended a good place to eat where we are going next. Since we were alone with him for awhile, he just chatted with us about where we were from and where w
e were going.We explored more of the countryside on our way back to the campground. The terrain is very pastoral in nature consisting of rolling hills with farms nestled into them and green, green pastures for dairy cows and a backdrop of dramatic mountains. My father's mother's family are from here, a town called Northfield, just south of Montpelier. We visited there on our last trip and visited the family cemetery plot. It only hit 70 today and it on it's way into the 40's tonight but heat wave coming after this. Forgot to say we got up early this morning and were at the rec hall before 8:30 for the wagon ride with the Belgian draft horses, only to find it was canceled. Don't know if I am up to trying again tomorrow.
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