News from Vermont # 241--A Day Off the Farm

Hello again Maple People,

I'm suffering from a drought of creativity this morning as the rain comes pouring down on yet another day...what in the world should I write about this time? S'pose I could simply call it a vacation and "blow off" my deadline two weeks from today but I'm not very good at vacations. Speaking of days off, I'm off the farm today playing music starting with a 10:00 AM parade way down in Walpole, New Hampshire...hmmm, by golly, I think I've got my title: "A Day in My Life Off the Farm".

Before I get started, Betsy envelopes me with a huge raincoat, seals the front Velcro like a Ziploc bag and finishes with a stern pat..."now don't leave it anywhere like you have all your travel mugs!". I say goodbye and walk to the car carrying my horn and accessories plus a full, uncovered cup of coffee. "Keep the raincoat on till you finish that coffee" she hollers. I pile all my stuff in, drive off, and as County Road's frost heaves and pot holes kick in I think, "God she's smart"!

I twist and turn through an early morning Montpelier using my favorite short cut for I-89. The wipers make an annoying "shhhhishhh...KLUURBB...shhhhishh...KLUURBB...shhhhhishh...KLUURBB" leaving only a tiny fan-shaped hole that I can see out of way down low. I scrunch down and kick myself one more time for not replacing those blades. At the cloverleaf I-89 south, I glance to my left and there, standing high on the unmowed bank, is a group of Black-eyed Susans. Even at my ripe old age of 63, Black-eyed Susans symbolize the beginning of school to me and school just ended a week ago...what's going on with nature these days? I merge with the traffic, turning my thoughts to Buttercups instead, the true "end of school flower" (and to be fair, the Vermont world is full of Buttercups these days). As I get close to Randolph, the billboards warn: "Sharon Southbound Rest Area Closed, I-91 Hartford Southbound Rest Area Closed". Even though that coffee hasn't started "speaking" to me yet, I stop at the Randoph Rest Area. As I enter the small, well appointed building, I think it a pity that the economy has caused the shutdown of so many public rest areas...the economy of bladders...I chuckle at the thought! It seems in Randolph, the State is allowing the emptying of bladders southbound but not northbound. Just down the road in Sharon, it's just the opposite with the lavish Vietnam Veterans Welcome Center on the northbound side right across the highway from a demolished southbound center. Before I leave Randolph, I draw a cup of the Green Mountain coffee that's always available at these Vermont facilities and stuff a dollar bill in the donation box...rest areas may die but hospitality lives on!

By the time I get to White River Junction, the coffee has definitely kicked in. I get off the highway, head directly to McDonalds, and rush for the Mens room. On my way out, that same old "economy of the bladder" leads me to the counter (rest rooms need to be paid for in one way or another you know). "Number four with OJ please" I say to a sleepy looking counter girl thinking of it more as accounts payable than food. It does, however, taste great as I head out on the final leg of my trip to Walpole. Contrary to Central Vermont, Walpole is blessed with sunshine and is bustling with flags, folks in uniform and an expectant public starting to line the streets. I go to the elementary school and find East Bay Jazz Ensemble's Gerry Grimo somewhere in the confusion of a parade forming up. Gerry has hired me for three different gigs that day starting with a Dixieland quintet aboard a Ford Ranger pickup. After the parade, we join Gerry's full big band to play a concert in Walpole's village park and then another one ten miles down the road in Westmoreland, New Hampshire.

The concerts are over by mid-afternoon. I pack up my horn, say goodbye to the guys, and head north. Most of my trip home is accompanied by southern New Hampshire sunshine but rain rejoins my day as I approach Central Vermont. That's OK though...the music, as always, has brightened my attitude and I'm ready to go back to work on the farm. As I turn toward Montpelier at Exit 8, I glance to my right...yup, the rain's pouring down but that's just part of life, a life full of flukes and short summers where even Black-eyed Susans and Buttercups can both blossom at the same time on the same roadside bank.

We're canning syrup like mad these days catering to all the folks who are going to our new website, www.morsefarm.com. Yup, they not only like our syrup but they like our website, too! We'd love to add you to the list of people who love Morse Farm Maple Sugarworks in these sweet ways. It's pure, it's natural, it's easy...thanks for your support!

While you're at the new www.morsefarm.com, follow the Facebook icon to our Page (which we also updated!) and please make a comment...we love your comments!

Bye for now,