Sunday, August 29, 2010

Catching up on Things

It's been several months since my last blog, due to many reasons. Life sometimes gets in the way of plans. Work, family, schedules, responsibilities and so forth all contributed to my lack of updates. I also have decided to dedicate this blog to mostly Vermont and snowmobile related things, and have actually started another to cover other adventures-or misadventures! See the link to the side.

So at last write, we were recuperating from a minor accident. I am happy to report all is well, a minor concussion with lingering vertigo for several weeks, but back to normal. In the weeks after, the weather took a turn on the wrong direction, and the snow started disappearing in a hurry. By the First week of March trails were pretty much closed except for the northern most high elevation trails.
We went to the "Sno-deo" in Stewartstown, NH, as they still had snow, and there was the opportunity to test drive the new model snowmobiles. They also had lots of antique snowmobiles, racing, and other vendors. First up when we arrived, the antiques. So many types and vintages to see, from a Model T, to Polaris Ski-Doo, motorized toboggans, and many, many more.Considering there was very little snow at our place they more than made up for it here. After the antique exhibit, we went to test drive the Ski-Doos. A big difference from our older ones to be sure. Next I went over to the the Yamaha booth, and was able to try the "Cadillac", a 4 stroke with power steering-very sweet! I tried to test drive the new Polaris but the line never shrank. Too bad as it looked like a nice ride- and my favorite name-a RushAfter looking at all the vendors, we headed back home, and the next day traveled west to try and check out Champlain College. The trails out there were not any better than in our neck of the woods.We arrived at the college, but alas they has just departed for spring break, so a tour was out of the question. We walked around a bit the headed to the harbor of Lake Champlain. The day was crisp, and a thin coating of ice was creaking and could be seen rising and falling with the waves.The harbor side was beautiful, with some amazing granite statues and a huge compass rose.>April saw a last minute trip to Philadelphia (See Philly Whirlwind on the other blog). May turned out to be very interesting, with a trip to Jamaica, which Karen won from a radio station (See Yea Mon Jamaica!-coming soon) June was a quiet month, mostly working due to staffing constraints and application roll out. I did however take a little time up north to build our guardian of the property- July was a little time to kick back and get a new toy! We purchased an ATV or Quad (whichever you prefer), to help with the chores up north and to possibly pick up some other seasonal trail riding too! Apparently most of the Class 3 and 4 roads(dirt) are also considered trails, so riding can be very abundant in our area. August was a busy month at work but we found some time to get away and do some chores. I purchased another item that will prove invaluable for some time until we build a house. After my purchase I spent some long hours cleaning, scrubbing, and disinfecting. We packed it on the trailer and brought it up, and met my sister and family up north for a long weekend. We picked up the remaining supplies at the local hardware store, and spent some time digging holes fore poles, installing gravel base, and removing stubborn rocks. When we were finished, we had an outdoor solar shower, and a rest room! We had a smaller, camper toilet we have been using, but this one is a little more roomy and I can have it cleaned on a regular basis, so less carting for me. I even added a Solar powered light for those night time excursions! After all that work, I took off for a quick 20 mile jaunt down the scenic back roads and trails to cool off just a bit.Everyone else hung around for a bit, and we had a nice dinner, and lit a great fire to sit around later in the evening. Nothing like a fire on a cool evening, when the sky is clear and the stars are glistening above. The next day we all travelled to the other side of town, and did The Great Vermont Corn Maze. The corn maze covers 8.5 acres with around 2 miles of trails, lined with 10-12 foot towering walls of corn (as described on their website)The object of course is to get to end. With a number of trails to choose from at the start, we picked "Moe"Traveling through the maze we came across several bizarre items. There were punches located in various parts of the trail, and they would help you figure out the path you took once you finished. There was no map handed out, so it was trial and error. First we came across a boat, and later a huge tunnel. Around the halfway point, we came across the "Bell of Frustration". Part of the goal in reaching the end was to ring the bell signifying you reached the end. Well hidden in the middle was another bell Onward we trudged through the maze searching for the elusive path to the end searching for the "Bell of Success". Winding through the maze, we finally reached the end! And you could leave the maze and say- And that brings us to the end of the update....for now. Fall is coming and that means cooler nights, fairs, and getting the snowmobiles ready for winter. I hope to volunteer to help with the trails a bit as well, In the meantime from us to you, enjoy the rest of your summer!!

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