July and August (mostly) in Vermont

Rowan is a happy toddler with a lot
of teeth!

Rowan gets his new bathing suit!

He really enjoyed the water, after the first few
minutes!

We had three exceptions to our hope of staying home this summer: Saratoga, NY, Cornish & Lebanon, NH and Bel Air, MD. The first two were RV trips to get closer to various concerts and the last was to visit my sister Paula in the hospital after her stroke.  We spent just two nights at the Saratoga RV Park but packed in lots of activities. We had tickets to Cosi Fan Tutte at the Saratoga Opera with an elegant dinner beforehand at 15 Church St. Then we took a boat cruise on Lake George with perfect weather all weekend! 

Zoe and Sean at the Fourth of July Party

James, Kolya and Morgen

Next we parked Baby in Wilgus Vermont State Park on the Connecticut River for 10 days while we attended two Operas at Opera North, Post Modern Jukebox at the Lebanon Opera House and a Chamber Music Concert at the Marlboro Festival. In between these events we returned home for a visit from the Dave & Leslie Silverstein, dinner at our friends and neighbors, Kristi & Sandy Bragg, my Book Club meeting and a few Board meetings (Scott). 

The view from our campsite at Wilgus State Park
on the Connecticut River

Post Modern Jukebox - a favorite group of ours'
at the Lebanon Opera House

Our last away time was unexpected when my sister Paula had a stroke. Our son James was amazing and visited her many times during the next month. We met him at the hospital with Morgen and Kolya. Scott and I stayed down for 3 days visiting her and meeting with the staff at her Nursing Home in Maryland. She was able to return there with Hospice care and was very comfortable over the next weeks until her death in September. Although I didn't get down there again before her passing, James arranged video calls with her each day and that was wonderful. Paula was my only sister and we were very close so it's a very sad loss for all our family. More on the funeral at my next post.

There were two weeks in a row of heavy 
rainfall in Vermont with our Northeast
Kingdom getting hammered. But our stream,
although raging, stayed in it's banks

Kolya and I working on drawings during our 
visit down to Maryland in August.

But there were lots of good times right here at home. First was our Annual Fourth of July gathering. It was mainly a family affair this year with James, Sean and Zoe all coming. The former two with their families and Zoe on her own - but staying 10 days. Larry and Zuzia came for the weekend as did Marty & Jenny Wolf and Scott Silverstein and his family. The weather was wonderful and we spent a good part of every day up at the lake. 

Heather, Scott, Julie & Peter at one of our many
meals out - here at the Long Trail Brewery,

Next guests were Julie & Peter Gowan taking the train from Toronto. They are Kiwis now living in Australia and here visiting their son and his family. We were buddy boats together one season in the Bahamas. They sold "Anything Goes" a few years later. We visited Woodstock and the Billings Farm Museum one day and another full day at the Precision Instrument Museum and Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site. We were out every evening (that's what it's like in Vermont in the summer): Shrewsbury Concert Series, Library Street Dance, and Opera North's Into The Woods. During the week they helped us plan next year's trip to New Zealand and Australia!

Scott, Brent and Wilma at Hubbarton Battle Site

Heather & Brent enjoy the view at the Taconic
rambles State Park Japanese Garden.

Scott's brother Brent and wife Wilma came for a week in August too. We had some great times with them - a trip to Taconic Rambles State Park and the Hubberton Battle Site, a Shrewsbury Singers Concert and Scott and Brent's first cousin Eric came over one night for a visit with us all. And through it all were stints volunteering at Pierce's Store, the Library, my work with the Rutland Garden Club and Scott's (endless) Board meetings! It's non stop fun here! But that's enough for this post - next and last for awhile - the Fall!

Kolya's Graduation from Kindergarten 

Picnic lunch up at the Lake,.

Shrewsbury Concerts up at Center Shrewsbury -
sorry, hard to see the band down there but good
 view of our Church and Meeting Place

Scott, my cousin Joanie, husband Kent and another 
cousin, Jane and her husband

Peter and Julie at the Shrewsbury Concert

Jane, Joanie and myself