ctyanky is here and is driving me crazy! :)

[ixl]

She's on her way up north for her annual Vermont shenanigans and was nice enough to stop by for a short visit. We're having fun so far.

She had me sign her copy of Vermont Life. It's nice to be a celebrity, if but briefly.

There are bunches of deer around here right now and ct was suitably impressed each time we saw them. We went out for dinner and spotted several groups milling about on our way back.

The color here is still very early in the valleys, middling higher up. I've been away for 2 weeks so I haven't had a chance to drive around much but it looks like a mostly late year. What's odd is that the color that is, is mostly red... not a lot of yellow and orange. Usually it's the other way around. But still plenty of time to see how things shake out. Ctyanky reported a lot of reds and burgundies in the route 9 corridor around Wilmington.

Tomorrow am she will be off to continue her adventures in Vermont. As for me, I just finished an intense 6-day photo trek in southern France so I probably won't be doing a foliage trek this year (low on vacation days). Hope you all find lots of good color! I'll send report if I can.

[ctyanky]

Hello everyone! I'm here in North Benn with ixl and his lovely wife and son wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy out in the woods! I got to use my new LLBEAN lantern to find my way to the car to get some clothes for tomorrow! It's pretty spooky out there but I survived. I found his road fine but 200 yards away my GPS sent me to some long driveway of some other neighbor! I was sitting there for 15 minutes and realized I still had a ways to go!

Anyways, my drive up here was so lovely. Route 2 Mohawk Trail is showing some nice early color and then I took scenic route 112 to 100. A beautiful winding road through farmlands and hamlets. I was only starting to unwind at this point and had my country music blaring and felt so happy knowing I was about to enter Vermont! Wilmington was not busy at all. I pulled into a parking lot and had some snacks. As I continued on route 9 through the highlands, there was an abundant display of reds and burgundies in Searsburg and Woodford. It was like night and day up in the higher elevations. Took the new Bennington Bypass 279 wihich offered beautiful views of the mountains in the distance.

We had a fantastic dinner at the Publick House with views of the Bennington Monument. On the way home, so many deer! The best part was when i was in Charles' kitchen and saw a whole family of deer who just stood there and let me take many photos. I felt like I was in the Wild Kingdom!

Tomorrow I head to Woodstock to see bm. We are starting out at VINS in Quechee for the raptor showing and then to an Apple and Pumpkin Festival in Billings Farm. Then shopping in Woodstock! bm is foaming at the mouth, child free, to shop to her heart's content. We hope to meet Minnesotaman for dinner somewhere if time allows. I think I may have forgotten one activity. Hmmmm.

It was beautiful here today, but I think it has just started to drizzle. Can't wait for all my adventures with bm, Carol and whomever may come our way!

Special thanks to Charles and his wife for their hospitality and amazing dinner. I just hope I find my way out of here to route 7 in the a.m. Chow.

[ixl]

Was really nice to have CT here. She is now off on new adventures, having fun in northern Vermont. Hope to see here (and more of you) all again sometime soon.