Back to the Rink

Today was our first day back at the rink this fall (it just opened late last week). Vivace and I had the place to ourselves - all of it. Fresh ice, one hour, two dollars... we had a blast. I do so enjoy it, though it will take me a couple weeks to get my "ice legs" back. We are looking forward to this time together once a week from now until April!

Soccer for Two

Two of our kids wanted to play soccer this fall. Vivace and Constance are both signed up for the six-week rec league. It's fun, and both are on teams with good friends (two different teams, playing back to back times), which is a nice thing. So far, the weather has been fantastic. We are looking forward to enjoying lots more fresh air watching them run around after a ball - really it's quite fun, at least for me!

First day of school Fall 2011

Off to school again - this time everyone goes!
Wow how time flies.

Flooding on the Winooski - part 2

Here are some pictures of the local farm stand, August 29 after the remnants of Hurricane Irene blew through VT. It was the highest they have EVER seen the river rise. The fence was in the water! Just click on the pictures to see a larger version. The water was still rising and topped out just shy of the bottom of the gray "roof" of the stand.
And yes, those are fields - fields full of herbs, flowers, and many, many crops. Our farmer had to throw out $70,000 worth of contaminated produce, not to mention the damage to the stand and its contents. They raised everything to shelves about 4' high, having never seen anything like this before, never dreaming that wouldn't be high enough. The water was at least twice that high.

Locally, we saw little damage except a few branches down here or there - with the exception of the Winooski rising to completely unexpected heights. As you can see, there's some "drowned corn".

Upriver, not too far away, it was a different story, with the same record heights deluging the main streets by feet of water, and debris everywhere. Our state is a mess and these pictures are about some lost crops, not about destroyed roads, bridges, homes, and infrastructure. I cannot even think of trying to share that story - only that my heart aches for the loss sustained by my fellow Vermonters.