We interrupt this fiber blog....

To bring you pictures of Vermont and a little surprise at the end. Anne asked for pictures of our little worlds and so I took some on the way to run errands. Here's what I see walking out the front door:

This is our property just past our house, if you're driving south to miss downtown "traffic":

Here are some random requisite Vermont-picturesque-fall-foliage shots along the way:

Here's the feed store, where I went to get dog food and where I pick up chicken food and turkey food and another kind of food, but you'll have to read to the end to find out what kind....

 

This picture started me thinking about what I like about Vermont. What I like, for one thing, is that this is not PetSmart. (We have one an hour away, but I don't go there.) We have mostly small businesses here, and the town is small enough so that people know your name and your kids' names and I don't believe you can go into any store and not know (or be related to at least one other customer or employee).

I included some random shots of the approach into town. This is nothing spectacular, but this is my life. Click to see the spelling on the flashing sign. (The same road crew, perhaps, who stenciled all the N's backwards on the turn lanes where the word "ONLY" appears.)

My second stop, the post office:

 

A view of Main Street from the PO. You'll notice immediately a lack of SUVs on the road compared to places that probably need them a lot less. Vermonters, I have found, are too practical as a rule to waste good money on a gas-hogging vehicle (unless it's a truck, which is for use, not show):

Here's my favorite store in town:

Greg's Meat Market. Owned by Greg and his family. Run by Greg and his family. Why I shop here instead of at the two other supermarkets in town. Let me count the ways:

1. The help all know my name and my daughter's name.

2. My daughter once drew a picture for the dairy guy, and he taped it to the milk cooler.

3. If you forget your wallet, you can charge your groceries.

4. If you buy more than you can carry out, a bagger carries or wheels your groceries out for you, at no charge.

5. If you want a product Greg doesn't carry, he orders it for you.

6. Greg carries a lot of local produce, including spinach!!

7. There are four registers and if there's a need, they're all open. In fact, if you are the second person in line at the only open register, they'll open a second one just so you don't have to wait.

8. The store is small enough so you can grab what you want and be out in under 5 minutes.

9. Once, when a woman I know was having a party, the bagger overloaded her bags of wine and stuff and they ripped when she took them out of her car, breaking her wine bottles. She called to complain and in response, Greg himself delivered replacement groceries to her house.

10. The prices are not much higher than the supermarket and in fact are much lower in some things, like milk and cold cuts.

I could go on and on, but that's enough for now. Here's our alternative to Starbucks:

They carry locally roasted coffee.

Even our bank, the National Bank of Middlebury, is local:

I was discussing this with a friend the other day and we were trying to think of all the chain restaurants in our town. Dunkin' Donuts. McDonalds. That's it. There's a rumor that an Applebees is coming to town and I heard someone say they can't wait because, get this, you can order the ribs anywhere in the country and they always taste exactly the same. This is exactly why I don't want an Applebees in our town.

So anyway, that errand-run was Friday, but Saturday the husband and I took a special trip and I made him take pictures:

Eventually we got to our destination, a place that happened to be selling pumpkins the Vermont way, on the honor system:

It actually made the police log in the paper when someone's cash box got stolen from their unattended farm stand a few weeks ago. For shame!

So what's the surprise and the special trip? Well, we went to add something to our menagerie. Two things, actually:

Peahen:

Peacock:

Aren't they stunning?

And then we came home. Our house is on the right, behind the telephone pole and the locust trees.

Comments

[Manise]

Beautiful pictorial of your part of the world- thank you! And the peacocks? Gorgeous! Are they settling better than runaways Ginny and Buster? I hope so.

[Annette]

Jessie what beautiful photos. I feel like I have just been on a holiday in Vermont. Thank you!

[Carol]

"Spectacular" living is WAY overrated. I'd say you're the one with the spectacular life! Can't wait to hear what you name your 2 new family members!

[Lindy]

I was expecting sheep,
but, love the peacocks!
What are their names?
Your town looks wonderful
and the autumn colours are gorgeous.
Jessie you take wonderful photos.

[heather]

That was really neato. Thanks! I now wanna be your neighbor.

Those "peabirds" (what do you call more than one?) are so cool. When I was a kid I had a friend who had an uncle that had a bunch of them, and we would always go visit. I loved the way they sounded like a herd of cats "MEOW". Plus, they are so beautiful!
I hope they stay in the yard. ;)

[lisa]

My DH so wants peacocks. And Alpacas, and llamas. But he really wants peacocks. He'll have to settle for pictures of your pretty birds. They are stunning critters.

[Michelle]

Gregs meats are the best! I used to get all the meats there when I lived in Weybridge. The coffee place is new to me. I agree with you on Applebee's. They're ok, but better left in the malls. I know of a couple of other road stands that go on the honor system, never heard of anyone stealing it! Thats not right.

[Carole]

I feel like I know a lot more about your world, Jessie. Thanks for sharing it and good luck with the peacocks!

[Rachel H]

Interesting new additions. Apart from the obvious beauty, what made you bring them home? I too was expecting sheep.

[Paul]

Thanks for the Vermont pics! They're really lovely, as are you new additions to the menagerie!

[scoutj]

Heeee. Good ole Vermont. See, I loved growing up there BUT as soon as I moved away and got used to having everything within 5-10 minutes of where I lived I got spoiled. It was so hard going back and having to drive an hour to the closest Target! It sure is beautiful there though.

[Claudia]

Ohhh so wonderful!! Thank you, thank you! I live my in-my-dreams-vermont-life through your blog! Thank you!

[Cynthia]

Stunning!

We want to settle somewhere similar, where the coffee is real and the people are, too.

(BTW, aren't peacocks/hens a bit loud?)

[radmama]

Pretty! I didn't know that Vermont looked so much like NOva Scotia. The town looks grander, but the grocery store is the twin of ours. :-)

[chris]

What a beautiful place to live - I agree on small towns where everyone knows you and small businesses - nothing is better!

[Anne]

Wow!!!! Thank you so much - this is exactly the sort of thing I had in mind...

Only problem is that now I want to move to Vermont...

[Amanda]

Peacocks! Yay! They're beautiful I love seeing the peacocks at our zoo because they let them roam free and you never know when you're going to see one. :)
You're cementing my love of Vermont with every post!

[jillian]

Gosh, that was fun. I see why you love it so...it's heartening to know that there are still towns like this in the US and not every single place has been gobbled up by chains and big box stores.

Peafowl!! They're gorgeous!

[CindyCindy]

Thanks for the ride and tour. Enjoyed it immensely. We have a peahen (I haven't met the peacock) in our neighborhood. I must say, Dylan Thomas is intrigued, but wary. She's always been very polite with me. Can't wait for the shot of the tail.

[Kate]

Middlebury isn't much different than where I am. Sometimes small town life is so wonderful!! We also have a Paris where we get our dog food and Dunkin Donuts is the only chain restaurant in town and boy did the locals put up a stink with that addition.

I do however choose the non-local grocery store over the local one (both are in our town) because the local grocery store is gross, high priced and the employees hardly even say "hi" to you when you check out.

[trek]

So when will you be having peachicks?

[Dorothy B]

Peacocks! So pretty! Are they as loud as I have heard that they are?

I love your drive into town. I wish our town was as friendly as your is.

[Judi]

Beautiful town, beautiful pictures, great peacocks! Do they get a peacock barn?

[Jessie]

Great photos that give a real feel for a day in the life. Thank you for sharing them. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go find a realor in Vermont.

[Leah]

Thank you so much for sharing! The photos are beautiful and just serve to reinforce my notion that I'd like to live in Vermont someday. I like all the things you highlighted. If only more people thought this way, the WalMarts of the world would have a harder time of it. Again, thanks for the photos and the commentary.