ramshackle charm

After an unseasonably hot and humid summer,

we've been blessed with some really great weather!

The perfect way to end a summer -

and we've been taking advantage by getting out on our bikes!

Among our many photo stops this past weekend, was this ramshackle beauty.



I suspect it has seen better days

But it sure is in a pretty setting!

I am joining Tricia at Bluff Area Daily for Barn Charm

 

Thanks for dropping in!

cycling through cavendish

Views from Cavendish - Part 2

As I mentioned earlier this week, Greg and I managed to get out on our bikes for a ride through the countryside.

The sky was overcast, threatening rain.

We headed out anyway...



This sugar shack was one of my first stops.

There are lots of little shacks like these tucked throughout the Vermont countryside, and I'm a bit fascinated with them - which I'm sure has nothing to do with loving just about anything maple.

This one has a little stone structure underneath which I'd never seen before.

Well, hello there!

Snort, snort, oink!

The ride began with an eight-mile climb

- which didn't seem like much of a climb - even to me.

I suppose that might have had something to do with all the photo stops...

I'm really not sure what this building is

- but it sure is charming.

Most definitely worthy of another stop.

and then, ofcourse, farmhouse porches need a closer look...
I really love the bicycle / planter out front!

When we arrived at the little village of Reading, we bought some sandwiches and found a picnic table outside the town library.

But then, it started to sprinkle

 - and thunder.

Good thing the library had a covered porch, too.

I thought we could just stay there, but Greg thought otherwise.

So...

Yep - we got soaked!!

And, as we were riding through the pouring rain and I was praying for shelter,

a man stepped out of a barn, waving to us.
"Come inside, get out of the rain!"

Ironically...

My camera was tucked away and I forgot to take pictures!!!

We chatted with the man and his friend for a while,

letting the worst of the rain pass by.They offered us beer and a place to sit - which we politely declined as we had another ten miles to ride.
- but -

Thank goodness for the kindess of strangers!

And this is Lucy,

another kind stranger who greeted us as I was taking photos.

She was just so sweet!

For the cyclists out there, I'm including the map for this very pretty ride.
Do you notice that downhill part after the climb? Weeeeeeee!!!

I'm joining Nancy for:

Thanks for dropping in!

cycling vermont farmland

Last week, we took a much needed break from the daily grind and headed up to our Vermont getaway for a week of  relaxing, exploring and all those vacationy things that people do.

Now I'm back in my office where I was greeted by piles of papers that need to be pushed around -
I guess into new piles...

It's what I do.

I think I took a few hundred pictures while in Vermont - and to put it mildly I'm a bit

o-v-e-r-w-h-e-l-m-e-d!!

Anyway...

I'd like to share a bike ride that Greg and I took through the beautiful farmland of Vermont.

I'm calling it farm fascination part 2



Heart of Vermont Bikeways

I found this ride on the Champlain Bikeways website (click the link above).

We also added the optional 10 mile round trip to Mount Independence.

This ride is rated "moderately strenous", but I think for an avid cyclist, it would be pretty easy.

 I'm a little behind in my cycling this year, so for me - it was rated just about right.

So hop on my bike with me as we pedal through the peaceful Vermont farmland on a sunny summer afternoon.

(edited in PicMonkey using Focal Zoom - can't you just feel the breeze on your face?)

Ethan Allen gathered his men here before capturing Fort Ticonderoga

I love taking pictures of cows!

I felt a little silly (city-girl cyclist) taking so many photos of these bovine beauties. I could imagine the farmer snickering to himself - not that I would blame him for that!

Time for a rest stop

A man got out of his truck and watched me as I snapped some photos.

His curiosity got the better of him and he asked me, "What are you seeing here?"

Oh my, don't you know you live in one of the most beautiful places on earth? (I thought to myself)

I smiled and told him that I loved the flags that lined the street and that the village was so pretty.

Apparently satisfied, he nodded and went on into the store.

As you can imagine, with all this stopping for pictures, the 30 miles took us most of the afternoon.
I actually have many more, but I'll save them for another day.
I hope you enjoyed the ride!

I am joining
Nancy at A Rural Journal for Rural Thursday

Thanks for dropping in!

green mountain cycling

We're gearing up for another season of cycling and I’ve been going through photos of previous cycling trips. Greg loves cycling for the sake of cycling (you know - how far and how fast can I go?). I’m more of a touring cyclist – for me, the journey is the destination.

Last year, we took a week-long cycling trip through the Northern half of Vermont with Adventure Cycling Association – 375 miles (or so). This trip roughly follows their Green Mountains loop.

Adventure Cycling Green Mountains Loop



 Our friends think we’re nuts, but this is our favorite type of vacation.

Warning – there are lots of photos in this post. I guess I should also warn you that I lost my camera on this trip, so most of these were taken with an iphone - quality isn’t outstanding.

Here are a few of the many reasons that we came to love Vermont.

The “country store” is alive and well in rural Vermont.

The suburban Bostonian in us loved the "ammunition" sign.

I brake frequently for maple creemees (yummmm!)

thank you ladies!

And you know how I love farms!!

lots of rivers to cross, too

and bridges (no covered ones on this trip – but I’ll do a whole post on that one of these days)

This is probably the world’s cutest post office

Lunch break on a town common

And - just so you don’t think it was all fun and games -
we cycled through lots of rain

And less than ideal road conditions

But no complaining here – it’s still better than spending the day sitting in the office!!

What these pictures don't show is the camaraderie and friendships that develop. (I'm not really sure what the protocol is for including pictures of people, so I'll err on the side of caution)

We’re hoping to do lots of cycling around the back roads of Vermont this summer (you should probably take that as another warning)

Thanks for dropping in!