Forest walks

I haven't posted many pictures of our weekly forest walks this year, mainly because they are a bit repetitious.  How many photos of a small group of walkers do we need to see?  Tuesday morning walks started in June, and there are only two weeks left before I hang up my boots for another year.  We have two new "regulars" this year - Nancy and Bruce - and some drop outs from previous years.  I especially miss Lois who moved to NC to be closer to family.  She especially loved the walk to the Empire Lookout, mainly because six years ago we could still see her old house from up there.  Now the trees have grown and hidden it.  At any rate, I always think of that route as "Lois' walk."

Last week I led a small group of college kids and two adults on a short walk.  It was a beautiful day.  Two of the kids were from out of state (CT and NJ) while the other five were from Vermont.  Before lunch at the forest, they had toured the active Rock of Ages quarry, but they had not had time to watch the video at the Visitor's Center.  

Starting at the kiosk with its map, I told a little about the history of granite quarrying in Barre (I do take horrendous pictures!).  They were very attentive and seemed to enjoy themselves.  Their instructor said that they came to explore “what is the ‘social imagination’” — i.e. what are the things we (humans) do to evolve our ideas to fruition? Friday, September 6, we found ourselves immersed in nature and it felt like a trance — even students who were reluctant to hike were snapping great group photos and taking selfies.  The walk was persuasive and put us all in a good mood. 

After the walk, they were heading to Bragg Farm by way of Hope Cemetery.  The VT kids told the out-of-staters that they had not really experienced Vermont until they had had a maple creemee (soft ice cream).

Free as a Bird

This week's Splendid Sampler 2 block is entitled "Free As a Bird," and I finished it (except for a bead eye and embroidered legs/feet) today.  The blocks come out on Thursdays and it always takes me a day or two to pick my fabrics.  I may add a button for the center of the little flower.

It was full of lots of fussy little pieces.  Those leaves were a bit fiddly, but my trusty round toothpick helped me roll the points under smoothly.  What will I do if I lose it?  I can't remember which restaurant it came from...

We've had some busy days and this week the busy-ness continues with a library board meeting, a Democrats meeting, leading a nature walk, yoga, picking up a quilt at Dee's shop,volunteering at the Vermont Historical Society, and serving as my friend Guy's campaign treasurer again as he runs for state House again.  But at least that will end in early November after I file the final report.  More immediately, my brother and his wife are coming Saturday and leaving sometime Sunday.  So, whenever I can, I'll be cleaning and straightening in advance of their visit.

But after today's library board meeting, my term will officially be over.  I'll do the last minutes, and then go back to being "just" a Friend.  Phew!  It is hard, being a trustee.  Then on Friday, will be my next to last volunteering morning, as the personnel is being shuffled to have Diane work at the reception desk rather than in her other office.  She will handle visitors in the place of volunteers some of whom are admittedly aging and not as sharp as in the past.  So I will be "free as a bird" myself in a few weeks with less of a schedule.  I'm trying not to fill it immediately, too, so that I'll have more time to work on UFOs and to travel.  We'll see how that goes!