In which we find ourselves in another part of the world
New England Center for Circus Arts
We went to their fall session recital yesterday. Fun! Although all the real talent was clustered in a few young flexy people like this one, they’ll teach anybody who walks in the door (and writes a check). I can already juggle and ride a unicycle, so who knows?
Shopping in Brattleboro One of the things we love is the eclecticism of our little downtown. Saturday errands yielded a programmable thermostat and a gutter end cap from Brown and Roberts hardware, some great old John Carter of Mars paperbacks (including two Ace editions) from Brattleboro Used Books, and beautiful sterling earrings from Earth Designs to give as Christmas presents. And all within walking distance.
Fallen crane after the crafts fair.
Just say no to negativity.
Children’s Craft Fair at River Garden:
1 for $1.75
As our neighbor put it, “The crafts are marginal but the kids are adorable.”
We still found one more Xmas present.
This year’s theme for Christmas shop windows is supposed to ‘Gingerbread Houses.’ This lovely example conveniently overlooks the fire that has the Brooks House shuttered for at least another year.
Hot time in the old town tonight
We went to Brattleboro’s Gallery Walk tonight and stopped in to Metropolis Bar to hear the syncopated stylings of the Butterfly Swing Band. Real cool, man
Today we ventured far afield… a dozen or more miles north to Putney and Westminster West. It’s the 33rd annual Putney Crafts Tour (http://putneycrafts.com/). Our good friends BAD-Co came up from Connecticut, and we really enjoyed tromping around on this nice, albeit chilly and muddy, fall day. Much to be thankful for. We bought some artisanal sheep’s milk cheese from Vermont Shepherd Cheeses, and had hot soup in Westminster West’s UCC Church. We were especially intrigued by the ceramics of Ken Pick and Edel Byrne’s stained glass.
Now that we’re home and warming our toes on the radiant floor, I re-read the article in the paper about the crafts tour, which features an interview with participating glassworker Caitlin Burch. I quote directly from the Reformer:
As she was pondering what to do with her degree in social thought and political economy, her Dad suggested she try glass blowing.
Quite a sentiment from the Dad who had probably paid for a good bit of that degree, but it seems to have worked out just fine.
We are “fortunate” to be able to “acknowledge” the winners of the state spelling bee this Thanksgiving season. More than for their orthographic achievement, however, we are grateful to live in a neighborhood where a group of actual flesh-and-blood kids could possibly be named Onaia, Zoie, Wendeline, Jillian, Sage and Fairen.
Brattleboro has more than its share of quirky vehicles. Here’s an old Honda CB-360 with a duct tape and baling wire sidecar, a bunch of spare tires, an opaque windscreen, and a couple of jerricans.
Living near train tracks gives you a whole new perspective on world economics.
I read the other day that half of all Vermont timber is exported to Canada and then reimported as finished lumber.
Here’s a freight train going south full of Canadian lumber and other goods.
Once on a vacation in Monte Carlo (ah, the good old days) we watched a helicopter make dozens of trips to clear construction debris off a rooftop.
Today on our way back from our River Garden storage unit, we saw how non-tycoons do it. Three guys and some yellow tow straps, a giant dumpster and a logging crane… What could possibly go wrong?
The Retreat Tower
This morning we walked up to the Retreat Tower, built in 1887 by the residents of the then Brattleboro Asylum. We can see the morning sun hitting the tower from our living room windows.
Now, we’re trying breakfast at the Elliott St. Cafe, which also happens to be the HQ for the local 350.org chapter.
Sisyphus has traded his rock for an environmentally friendly electric leaf blower.
Brattleboro Adventure – the Auckland Edition 