Year 2, back at it
During Christmas we encouraged our adult children to consider visiting the Green Mountain State. “If something should happen to us, at least one of you should know how to find our place.”
When they all unexpectedly take us up on the offer, we scramble to figure out where everyone will stay. Once again, family steps up and offers space. We take on meals, shuttle services, and house cleaning to keep from wearing out our welcome.
Having the kids here is great. Moments after turning them loose on the property they scatter in different directions to explore the house, brooks, forests, meadow, well site, and outhouse. We reassemble on the screened-in porch to address questions and discuss plans. They all want to help, but we think it’s important to familiarize them with the area in hopes they will better understand why we’re spending their inheritance here. We make all the local, and not-so-local, stops associated with iconic Vermont elements including covered bridges, maple creemees, craft breweries, farmers markets, and idyllic small towns with local shops, along with a few tourist traps.
The time is going by quickly. Since we still haven’t decided the fate of our little farm house, we turn our collective attention to the land and begin clearing a persistent patch of trees that is blocking the view.
This is a great example of how challenging it is make a difference here. After as many as nine of us worked for several days, it’s difficult to see much improvement. The view is still obscured but we can now see daylight through the base of the stand where there are far fewer tree trunks.
On a lighter note, one attraction generated a lot of unexpected enthusiasm. After working up a good sweat, we empty all the kids’ water bottles. We take our still-thirsty children to a nearby neighbor’s spring to refill their water bottles. Apparently having cold, clear water flow from rock is both fascinating and refreshing. From that day, our city mice offspring spoke with great glee of “the place with free water.”
