Jon's Birthday

Today we celebrated Jon's 30th Birthday. Where does the time go? He requested Sausages with Green Peppers and Onions, homemade French Fries and a Peanut Butter Pie for dessert. All the kids except Jim and Cathy were here and we had a really nice day. As usual on the kids birthdays Jim got me a beautiful bouquet of flowers from him and Jon.

Preparing The Garden

Saturday I decided to get our vegetable garden weeded out and ready to plant. Since I hadn't weeded at all this year it was quite a job. Note , Jim provides me with a chair and water so I don't have an excuse to take a break in the house and possibly not go back out and finish. Isn't he thoughtful!!

Baby Alex

Today Jim and I went to Watertown to see Mom and Dad and we had a chance to meet our new great-nephew, Alex. He was 3 weeks old on Tuesday and he's just adorable. We were able to coax a small smile out of him.

Tree Removal

Jennifer had a tree fall into the creek behind her house during the winter so today she and Jim removed it. It was a bigger job than they had anticipated and even harder in the near 90 degree heat.

N.Y. State Troopers Memorial Ceremony

Today Jim, Jennifer and I attended the Troop D Memorial Ceremony held at the headquarters in Oneida NY. After a brief program the deceased trooper's family members who are in attendance are called up to place a rose at the base of the memorial stone. The ceremony is followed by a catered luncheon at the headquarters.

Iris In Bloom

The warm weather we've been having has really caused the flowers to burst into bloom. About half the Iris are open and the rest aren't far behind.

Vermont Day 6

Wildflower Store

Vermont Teddy Bear Factory

Lake Champlain Chocolate Factory

Today is our last day in Vermont. We started at the Lake Champlain Chocolate Factory with a tour and free samples which, of course, caused us to want to buy some to take home. Next we went to the Vermont Teddy Bear Factory where we had a tour. Really cute bears. They are guaranteed for life and there is a "hospital" at the factory where they repair or replace damaged bears. Our last stop was the Wildflower Farm but it was too early to see any flowers yet but seeds were available. We ended our week with a delicious dinner at "The Olive Garden" and then headed back to the resort to pack and get ready to leave in the morning.

Vermont-Day 5

Vermont Country Store

King Aurtur Flour Store

Simon Pearce Glass Factory

Today we drove to South East Vermont-about 80 miles away-and went to the Simon Pearce Glass Factory and watched the glassblower make a wine glass. Next we went to the King Arthur Flour Store. They have a baking school here too but don't offer tours. We got some sandwiches and pastries and ate lunch at the picnic area. Next we went to Weston to see the Vermont Country Store. They have unusual things here and things from years back like Teaberry Gum and BlackJack Gum. We got back to the Resort and managed to set off the fire alarm while cooking bacon. Now all the neighbors know us.

Vermont-Day 4

Today we had an unexpected problem. We were hearing odd noises in the back end of the car yesterday so Jim went to the Hyundai Service Station and found we needed new brakes and roters. They finished up the repairs about 2pm so we spent the rest of the day enjoying a cozy fire and reading. Tonight we'll play cards after our supper of pizza.

Vermont Day 3

Quarry

Von Trapp Home

Hope Cemetary Monument

Ben & Jerry'sIce Cream Factory

Busy day. Toured Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream, The Green Mountain Coffee Co., The Rock of Ages Granite Factory includng the stone quarry, drove through the Hope Cemetary where many of the unusual monuments made at Rock of Ages are displayed and stopped at the von Trapp home.

Vermont-Day 2

Old Red Mill

SnowFlake Museum

Ethan Allen III

Today we drove into Burlington and took a cruise on Lake Champlain aboard the Ethan Allen III. The ship will hold over 400 passengers and today there were 18 of us ( kind of like a private cruise). Yesterday was the first day of the season so business is slow right now. We also stopped at the Old Red Mill and saw the Snowflake Museum. Another great day.

Vermont-Day1

Melody Brook Reservoir-Smuggler's Notch
Power House Covered Bridge
Cambridge Covered Bridge
Our Condo-Smuggler's Notch Resort

Today was a beautiful, sunny day with temps in the 60's. We drove to Jeffersoville for breakfast so we could taste authenic Vermont Maple Syrup. Nxt we checked out a couple of the numerous covered bridges in the area and then came back to the resort where Jim and Bob hiked a couple of the many trails that run through the resort.

Shooting Bench

Jim got tired of trying to shoot using the rickity old kids picnic table so he went on line and got some plans to make a shooting bench. He used some of the wood from the barn we took down last year and added wheels to make it easy to move the bench the different distances from the target when shooting. Of course , he had to try it out.

Mother's Day

On Sunday we celebrated Mother's Day. Jim and Cathy couldn't be here but they sent a beautiful bouquet of Tulips and Iris. All the kids went together and as a combination Mother's and Father's day gift they renewed Jim's and my subscription to NetFlix for another year. We had a really nice day and Jennifer made the beautiful Ice Cream Cake. She's so talented!!