In all fairness to Vermont, I'm told that Maine is just as cold right now. Steve's at home dealing with frozen pipes the likes of which we haven't dealt with since our very first (very cold) winter in our house. I hear by text and phone calls home that the house is chilly. Very chilly. I'm hearing all of this from a hotel room in which I can set the temperature to precisely the number I want and it responds by making the room that temperature. How wild is that? I didn't share that with anyone at home. But oh my gosh, it's been a cold weekend to visit this lovely city! It's been quite a while - longer than I care to admit (okay, does it give my old age away too much to tell you that the last time I spent this many days in Burlington, it included a visit to Nectar's to see Phish? Or was it Flynn's to see Ani Difranco? A long time ago, let's just say that).
It's been a lovely stretch of days, here for a bit of work in the Taproot office and also some time at NOFA-VT on the UVM campus. It is always lovely to connect and visit amongst the farmer and gardener crowd. Lovely and hopeful. My time was mostly spent at the booth, but when I wandered, the talks I attended varied the spectrum from pest management on the homestead to queer farmers to school gardens. Such thoughtful and enriching discussion all along the way, and so much fodder for future Taproot issues to be sure!
And in the in-between moments, I've been able to spend a little bit of time in the goodness of Burlington. I think I've hit the trifecta - local coop (Onion City, for the win!), local bookstore (Phoenix, you're something special!), and local yarn store (Nido, dreamy you are!). I realize now that that's my formula for visiting a new town - local library, food coop, and yarn/fabric store. Yes.
I have just a little more time here in Vermont. And then I head east towards home. I'm happy to be here, and simultaneously so very anxious to get home, home home. I hear there is snow coming. Quickly to be followed by some very cold temperatures. Well, then. I suppose that's how this winter will go!
