Vermont adventures

We spent two wonderful weeks in West Dover, Vermont with my dad and brother Jim. Brother Bob, wife Judy and children Marisa and Gregory live three houses down. Dale worked with Jim and dad on his final house. Dad is a builder and has been for 60 years. He is now 89 and ready to retire. But, for years and years he has said, "just one more year". I think he is finally ready.
While in Vermont Dale and I drove north to the little town of Wheelock. Dale's mom was born and raised in Wheelock on a 260 acre homestead. The home is still there with 60 acres. It has been passed on, first to the six children who are now all gone, Dale's mom the youngest died one year ago August. It continues to be kept carefully in the family, maintained and used by many family members. This is way past rural. The house is one story with a large open attic. The six children slept in the attic. The parents had a bedroom downstairs. No electricity, no phone, low ceilings for heat conservation, no insulation, no neighbors. The children rode to school in a pony cart. This is northern Vermont. It is cold and snowy. Now there is a propane frig and stove. Then it was wood stove only. They now have some propane lights in the kitchen and dining area. The others areas are lit with lanterns.
With only two days notice Dale's cousin Carolyn got the local cousins, the four Gadapee boys and wifes together, cooked a wonderful turkey dinner and just overwhelmed Dale with love. The dinner was brought to the homestead where Dale and I spent the night. I am not on my own computer so I can't show the pictures of this wonderful place of memories.
We spent the next day searching out the places of Dale's childhood. His first homes, the graveyard's of his relatives, the hospital where he was born. We bought maple syrup at the Danville farmer's market from a cousin Gadapee. We did a couple of hours of "history detective" to find the now closed 12 bed hospital in Hardwick. It was a great day for Dale....except for.....
The cousins were once again going to meet us at the farm for dinner and we were to spend another night. In rural Vermont many of the roads are not only dirt, they can turn in 4 wheel drive, not a Yaris road. We were a little late trying to find our way back. The GPS was leading us down a road we knew was 4 wheel so we tried the next road. About a mile in the road forked and we did not know which way to go. Dale chose the right fork, drove aways up a hill and discovered we were in a driveway. He turned away and started out. We started to hear screaming, I told Dale to drive fast, he did and a fellow was screaming and screaming running after us throwing fist sized rocks. Even though we were on a poor dirt road, I said drive faster and faster, that guy was going to come after us. We bounced down the road and finally came to a newer built house with the garage door open and vehicles in the driveway. We swerved up into the driveway and I ran to the door banging for help. A pickup truck was careening down the road, past this house and slammed on his brakes turned around and fishtailed back up the road. He had come after us.
I was shaking and finally after talking with the homeowner we were given directions back to the farm. We were going to stay another night, but after we had dinner and all the cousins left, Dale said he would take us back to my dad's, about 3 hours away. I was to frightened to stay. So I say don't drive up JILL HILL ROAD in Wheelock, Vermont. We know if that guy had a gun at the ready he would have shot us.
We arrived in Effort, PA Sunday. Another cousin lives here and we are visiting her. Dale is once again busy, fixing, pruning and enjoying helping take care of things she cannot do for herself. Linda's husband died in 2004 and taking care of a home for a widow is a challenge. This is Dale's joy to be able to use his talents for others.

Home to Vermont

Grandparents Cathy and Stan

Grace, Hope and David grandchildren

(our great neice's and nephew)

Cullen and Heather (our nephew - Cathy and Stan's son and daughter in law)

Coming Home
We spent a short two night visit with Dale’s sister Cathy and husband Stan in Amsterdam New York. They are a VERY busy team entertaining and teaching in a wide variety of settings in the Northeast. We were very happy to be able to spend even a short time with them and while there, spend the most delightful afternoon and evening with our nephew Cullen and family. He and Heather have the cutest and most delightful little family. The girls Grace and Hope look like little dolls come to life. David the family namesake at 2 is a precious and busy little fellow.
We arrived in West Dover, Vermont Friday August 29th. My brother Jim cooked the most fabulous lobster dinner for us. He is a wonderful cook and has been providing the most tasty meals. This is a talent we did not know about and when he once again visits us in Virginia this fall…he will be doing the cooking!
My family moved to West Dover in 1962 when I was a youngster. We lived a mile from Mount Snow and the five of us children grow up skiing and enjoying winter sports. Well the boys enjoyed them more than I because I never liked being cold. I attended high school in Brattleboro and actually lived there during my junior and senior years. There are many, many memories here for me.
Aaron and Susanne were born in Brattleboro. We lived in one of the first houses built in West Brattleboro, an farm house my dad and Dale renovated. Nothing much had been done to it over the years and it had no indoor plumbing or kitchen to speak of. The upstairs swayed. It was a wonderful place after the fix up and we enjoyed that home more than any other we have owned since. The memories are bittersweet.
Brattleboro is a beautiful Vermont town so different from the southern style of building. The villages are quaint mostly from the middle 1700’s to 1800’s. A town common or square is not unusual, with the village being built around it.
We are visiting friends we have loved and not seen in many years. Friends so close it is difficult to visit because the time is so short. Vermont is where my roots are and they run deep. It is a time of memories. My mother is buried here. I visited her grave and felt the loss. So many memories, I could stay here a month.