“Vermont is the most hygge state in the nation.” —Livability magazine
After a winter with very little snow, more than 24 inches fell in a single day in late March, then even more over the last two days. We are currently without power or internet (I’m writing from King Arthur Flour’s café in Hanover, about a half hour way).
Welcome spring!
The newly arrived robins looked mighty confused, as did the buds that were intent on blooming.
“There was a foal born in your barn named April Storm,” said our neighbor Brenda. “We sometimes get snow late in the season.”
Just last week the air smelled like spring. Small buds were beginning to emerge. The birds were returning.
I walked onto our pasture across the road and turned on Merlin Bird ID. Within sixty seconds, the app had picked up the sounds of a Blue Jay, Carolina Wren, Black-capped Chickadee, Mourning Dove, Dark-eyed Junco, American Robin, Downy Woodpecker and Northern Cardinal. A few hours later a Pine Siskin, Golden-crowned Kinglet and Brown Creeper joined the avian cacophony. I need to start a list to see how many different birds visit in the coming months.
Yesterday morning at about 6:30 a.m. David was downstairs drinking coffee and yelled, “There’s a red fox in the yard!” I rushed downstairs to see the skittish critter trotting away. It had been munching on birdfood on the ground. Brenda told us it was probably a female getting ready to give birth. “When Bill and Lee [the previous owners of this house] lived there, they could see the kits jumping and playing on the pasture.” I’ll be on the lookout. Good thing we don’t have chickens…
On Easter Day we joined friends Dan and Carole (cousins of my friend Anne in Berkeley) for a hike, then ventured to an annual gathering of Mad River Valley folks for a holiday celebration. I decided to make pastel mochi (Mochiko rice flour) muffins for the occasion.
In years past, there were gaggles of little ones, but the population has grown older, so most of the kids were away. The hosts had prepared candy-filled eggs for an egg hunt and were debating whether or not to go ahead with it. I suggested we rekindle the children in ourselves, so they announced that whoever wanted to could go search for eggs.
I still remember how much fun it was playing all the Easter games when I went to a friend’s birthday/Easter party when I was in kindergarten. Somehow, I won every one and was awarded with a troll doll with purple hair—a thrilling prize!
My dad came to pick me up in what looked like the fanciest car ever—a boat-size convertible (I think it had been my grandfather’s). All in all, a very good day for my five-year-old self.
I don’t think I’ve hunted for Easter eggs since then, so I was game, especially since there were some gold-colored ones, which of course made me think of Willy Wonka.
I gathered three golden eggs then wandered around with another middle-aged egg hunter, who told me that she and her husband had built an affordable housing community in nearby Waitsfield. One of the hosts, Bill Maclay, author of The New Net Zero, is a leader in renewable building/architecture. Many of the folks in attendance were architects, sustainability/renewable energy experts, and green builders. A very impressive community.
David suggested we give our Easter eggs to Everett, the four-year-old son of the organic dairy farmers up the road, so we ventured up there the following afternoon. We were greeted by the family’s dogs, along with Everett’s mom and grandmother, who were both busy milking cows. I learned that Quantum (number 666), who spent last summer on our property, is due to have a calf of her own in about a month. (If it’s a bull, he could be named Son of Satan.)
Everett proudly introduced us to his very own cows, including Cookie, a black-speckled white heifer, who ambled towards him like a puppy when he called her, and Singsong, who was just born a couple weeks ago. She looks like she’s wearing a cap on her head.
After having an egg hunt and playing hide-and-go-seek with David (whom Everett calls “my Dave”), Everett decided that he wanted me to help him create an imaginary popcorn stand. I pretended to paint a sign, cook a large vat of popcorn, then I gave him a bag (it was a dog waste bag, but I didn’t point that out) and we gathered “popcorn,” i.e., rocks, which he proudly presented to his mom. I’m sure she really appreciated receiving a poop bag full of rocks while busy milking 72 cows. If Everett only knew how often I make real popcorn, and lots of it… I’m sure he’ll find out soon enough.
Once a month, for the last few months, I’ve taught a free writing class at the local Tunbridge Library. The experience of sharing stories instantly creates connection in a deep, meaningful way.
One participant actually took the time to make halva brownies from scratch and bring them over, along with a hand-painted card, a most unexpected and uplifting surprise. Even more than the gifts, I felt so happy to learn I’d made a positive difference.
Another student in my last class was convinced prior to coming that she was neither creative nor a writer, despite being brave enough to attend. After writing together she wanted to continue! There’s incredible healing power in writing, as well as discovery when we allow ourselves to let go and just follow the pen.
David, too, has embarked on a creative venture—a weekly radio show at the local South Royalton Community Radio! He’s decided to call it Sonic Antidote, and has a regular slot every Wednesday from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. EST (for the link above, scroll past the first minute-plus). David’s always loved music and has wide-ranging, eclectic taste, so he’s sharing his passion with the greater community. You can tune in live, too!
We were invited to dinner by a local artist and longtime Vermonter whose interior flooring and cabinetry were built, in part, with trees from the family’s historic Woodstock property. A cousin of hers joined us. He told us about his acquisition of White River Junction’s former firehouse and turned the storefront into a museum, which allegedly houses a jar filled with Elvis’s gallbladder. Each Friday he hosts a public gathering with wine and music from his player piano. “People just bring me things,” he said, when I asked how he amassed his collection of player piano rolls, which now exceed 10,000 songs, the biggest collection in the U.S.
As we sat around the dinner table, I felt honored to be welcomed into this family home, one filled with generations of local history and memories, beauty, warmth and a sense of groundedness. I left feeling truly nourished.
Monday is the long-awaited eclipse and Vermont is along the “path of totality.” We plan to join Brenda, her friend Deb and family on her Chelsea hilltop for viewing. Hopefully the weather will cooperate so we’ll actually get to experience this once-in-a-generation event.
According to the forecast, it’ll reach 60°F this coming week. Maybe it’ll start looking like spring after all.
As always thanks for reading and staying in touch,
Elisse
Elisse! I love this. Slowly but absolutely surely you are making yourself an important part of the community. That writing workshop! Yay! Also, I’d love for my son to connect with the green builders/architects there. Beautiful photos! Thanks for giving me such a sense of the landscape and community. 💕
A beautiful read! I use Merlin Bird ID also! Do you mark “this is my bird!“? That will keep track of when you see the birds so you don’t have to create a separate list.