OLD NEWS
Letter from Ali in Vermont
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Hi friends.... Yup, It's Ali in Vermont! ...and Wally, Travis & Casey, too! :-)
We've been up here for a month already & still there's no end to the boxes & unpacking!Before leaving New York, we had major yard sales & dumpster ditching (not to mention the fact that we downsized living space to 1000 ft), but the amount of stuff still boggles the mind! Also, we've taken a weeks long camping trip to the Adirondaks since moving, & I just got back from the Gathering of the Vibes jam fest this past weekend which definitely helps stem the flow of the unpacking ritual. (Bob Weir & Mickey Hart were playing Dead style...nice with thunder & the rain pourin' down...but the personal highlight there for me was Burning Spear under the hot sun kicking it Reggae style!) In the meantime, I have been meaning to get the good word out to you ALL that we've settled in, but this is the first chance I've gotten to check in. I opened my long overdue E-mail box to find many g'bye's, well wishes, & how's it going up there's.... so, here's the Green Mountain update. :-)
The weather has been surprisingly cool, but GREEN is the color up here & the sky so blue, which has inspired many lovely hikes & treks to find the best local spots & swimming holes. The West River (a smallish, but fast moving tributary off the Connecticut) has many great spots to cool off all along Rte 30 North out of Brattleboro. Also, there are amazing rounded slate river stones lining the banks...several with Garnet in them. I have to struggle to let them lie & not drag as many as I can to the trunk of my car to build a wall back at the Silo. Then, a surprise discovery a bit further up 30 off to the left is a wonderful running creek/waterfall that has natural dipping pools & butt slides for the kids :-), as well as gentle tinklings perfect for closing your peeps & catching a creekside nap in the dappled sunlight. And, the SECRET spot of the area (known only to the locals & nestled deep in the back woods of Guilford) is the Green River Bridge & waterfall. It's a classic New England covered bridge...and at it's base is the coolest natural pool I've ever seen. Someone took great care long ago to dam up the river stone by stone beneath the lovely falls (which you can stand under) & the "pool" is clear & deep & olympic sized. The kids have dubbed this the favorite place to go 'round here, & I will show you where it is when you come to visit...(if you promise to keep the secret safe!!!) Oh, there's a nudey spot somewhere around called "the Cliffs"...still looking for that one! (Woo-Hoo!) :-)
We are only a few miles from the Connecticut River itself, which runs up through Connecticut (Hartford, in fact) then continues North and splits the boarder b'tween VT & New Hampshire running all the way up into Canada. I understand that besides the mighty Mississippi, it's the longest river in the country. (I'll check on that!) This lends itself to adventure for sure! We happen to have two kayaks, a canoe, & killer vintage 16ft 1960 Glasstron motorboat (looks like a seaworthy corvette!) with a 85 HP outboard. We haven't done a proper explore YET...we'll let you now what we find! :-)
As far as the dry land & mountains & the Silo... Autumn is 'round the corner & the leaves are thinking of turning anytime now (remember that we are a few weeks ahead of you!). I can't wait to see the explosion of color that's promised the come. We have a great view growing out of our windows of the ridge across the way, as we cut down some tree's around the house. (Don't worry, there will be PLENTY left!!!!) We need to clear the land some anyway for the Barn & conventional house we will build in time. Well, conventional is not exactly what Wally will build, but it won't be the wooden barrel that we live in now! The "4 stories in a tube" give a great vortex feel, but the stairs are challenging when running for the phone...(we WILL be getting more - one for each floor!) And, we have already learned that you NEVER go up or down without asking yourself what else you can grab as you go. :-) Besides a Chicken coop for the girls so they won't be cold this winter, the first thing to be built, however, is the deck. Well...we NEED a place for the Hot Tub, ya know! (Mmmmmmm) Snow is on it's way (so sorry to remind you!!!!!), but we are not losing sight of THAT fact! We can't wait to strap on the snowboards & hit the slopes. You will come up & join us, won't you? Mount Snow is 30 minutes away/Stratton is 45) Open invite! :-) Also, Wally plans to get a few snowmobiles to complete the Vermont sport package. 1000's of square miles & maintained trails criss-cross the state & beckon... :-)
We've been up here for a month already & still there's no end to the boxes & unpacking!Before leaving New York, we had major yard sales & dumpster ditching (not to mention the fact that we downsized living space to 1000 ft), but the amount of stuff still boggles the mind! Also, we've taken a weeks long camping trip to the Adirondaks since moving, & I just got back from the Gathering of the Vibes jam fest this past weekend which definitely helps stem the flow of the unpacking ritual. (Bob Weir & Mickey Hart were playing Dead style...nice with thunder & the rain pourin' down...but the personal highlight there for me was Burning Spear under the hot sun kicking it Reggae style!) In the meantime, I have been meaning to get the good word out to you ALL that we've settled in, but this is the first chance I've gotten to check in. I opened my long overdue E-mail box to find many g'bye's, well wishes, & how's it going up there's.... so, here's the Green Mountain update. :-)
The weather has been surprisingly cool, but GREEN is the color up here & the sky so blue, which has inspired many lovely hikes & treks to find the best local spots & swimming holes. The West River (a smallish, but fast moving tributary off the Connecticut) has many great spots to cool off all along Rte 30 North out of Brattleboro. Also, there are amazing rounded slate river stones lining the banks...several with Garnet in them. I have to struggle to let them lie & not drag as many as I can to the trunk of my car to build a wall back at the Silo. Then, a surprise discovery a bit further up 30 off to the left is a wonderful running creek/waterfall that has natural dipping pools & butt slides for the kids :-), as well as gentle tinklings perfect for closing your peeps & catching a creekside nap in the dappled sunlight. And, the SECRET spot of the area (known only to the locals & nestled deep in the back woods of Guilford) is the Green River Bridge & waterfall. It's a classic New England covered bridge...and at it's base is the coolest natural pool I've ever seen. Someone took great care long ago to dam up the river stone by stone beneath the lovely falls (which you can stand under) & the "pool" is clear & deep & olympic sized. The kids have dubbed this the favorite place to go 'round here, & I will show you where it is when you come to visit...(if you promise to keep the secret safe!!!) Oh, there's a nudey spot somewhere around called "the Cliffs"...still looking for that one! (Woo-Hoo!) :-)
We are only a few miles from the Connecticut River itself, which runs up through Connecticut (Hartford, in fact) then continues North and splits the boarder b'tween VT & New Hampshire running all the way up into Canada. I understand that besides the mighty Mississippi, it's the longest river in the country. (I'll check on that!) This lends itself to adventure for sure! We happen to have two kayaks, a canoe, & killer vintage 16ft 1960 Glasstron motorboat (looks like a seaworthy corvette!) with a 85 HP outboard. We haven't done a proper explore YET...we'll let you now what we find! :-)
As far as the dry land & mountains & the Silo... Autumn is 'round the corner & the leaves are thinking of turning anytime now (remember that we are a few weeks ahead of you!). I can't wait to see the explosion of color that's promised the come. We have a great view growing out of our windows of the ridge across the way, as we cut down some tree's around the house. (Don't worry, there will be PLENTY left!!!!) We need to clear the land some anyway for the Barn & conventional house we will build in time. Well, conventional is not exactly what Wally will build, but it won't be the wooden barrel that we live in now! The "4 stories in a tube" give a great vortex feel, but the stairs are challenging when running for the phone...(we WILL be getting more - one for each floor!) And, we have already learned that you NEVER go up or down without asking yourself what else you can grab as you go. :-) Besides a Chicken coop for the girls so they won't be cold this winter, the first thing to be built, however, is the deck. Well...we NEED a place for the Hot Tub, ya know! (Mmmmmmm) Snow is on it's way (so sorry to remind you!!!!!), but we are not losing sight of THAT fact! We can't wait to strap on the snowboards & hit the slopes. You will come up & join us, won't you? Mount Snow is 30 minutes away/Stratton is 45) Open invite! :-) Also, Wally plans to get a few snowmobiles to complete the Vermont sport package. 1000's of square miles & maintained trails criss-cross the state & beckon... :-)