Vermont

I drove from Rochester, NY through the Adirondacks to northern Vermont, and just as I crossed the bridge at Crown Point I got my first whiff of fall breeze - molting leaves and peat moss mingled with cow's breath and the cool smell of fresh-picked apples. This state is beautifully rugged, with vibrant colors that pop out in the warm sunlight and far enough north that the threat of moose crossing the road is not taken lightly.
My first stop was The Bee's Knees in Morrisville, VT north of Stowe, where I ate some incredible food and imbibed local beverages before performing a laid-back set of acoustic music in a cosy atmosphere. I know this is going to sound like a write-up for a travel company, but somehow that doesn't deter me from trying to convey the sense of homeyness and friendship that I felt in that place.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DabSvfB88s

So it was natural that the girl behind the counter, on discovering I didn't have a place to spend the night, offered me her lean-to while she slept over at a friend's house. What a great night to spend in my sleeping bag out in the woods! The following morning Karen gave me a tour of the CSA (community supported agriculture) farm that friends of hers run, near Morrisville, and of course that meant meeting a bunch of great folks and eating fresh carrots, among other things.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEsE3TZ66e0

They directed me to Cold Hollow Cider Mill, Cabot Cheese, and Ben & Jerry's ice cream factory (all just down the road), and I went on my way well-fed by a true Vermont experience.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZqB9-ZXJ4o

Vlog Day 59 - Goat Fence

I helped Duane put up the goat fence today. It was pretty windy - I had to wear my knit cap to keep my ears from freezing. Beautiful day though. It's been rainy, but it hardly rained at all today. The goats will be coming next week - they're planning on milking them and making cheese.

Vlog Day 58 - Ithaka Fellowship

I slept in today, then got up and went with Duane, his son Calvin, and his father to pick up some things from Normal - fence for the two dairy goats they are getting next week, the PA system for tonight, and some bricks and mortar for repairs around the house. We drove four across the front seat through mile after mile of fields that are empty, waiting for the rainwater to drain so that the fields will be dry enough for planting to begin. Duane's dad is full of knowledge about the area and the process of farming, so I learned a lot on the drive.
On the way back we drove part way on Route 66, which goes right through here on its way south to St. Louis. Then we made preparations for the event tonight, and at 7pm people started arriving. Here's a piece of the event - my car song 'Steer Into the Curve'.

Vlog Day 57 - Illinois

I drove to Illinois today, through Springfield to Gridley where some friends of my friend Tom Becker live. Duane and Julie host monthly talks and discussion groups in their home under the name of Ithaka Fellowship. I am their speaker this Wednesday, and was able to meet them tonight for dinner with some friends who live down the road that spent a couple years in Ghana, of all places!
Gridley is in the middle of farm country, where corn is king. Duane is the 5th generation of farmers, and moved back to learn farming from his father, who has a lot of knowledge about the land and how farming has changed over the last thirty years.

Vlog Day 25 - Micanopy

Uncle Warren and I woke up early this morning to meet with some men in a bible study in Daytona beach @ 6am. Really great guys seeking to grow closer to God. I miss this kind of regular study, and it was great to be invited to join fellow believers. I was pretty tired though - too little sleep in the last few days - on the trip over to Micanopy I was nodding off and had to munch on a few Jolly Ranchers (thanks Trip Beans!) to stay awake.
Warren took me on a mini tour of the Micanopy area when we got there. This is a part of Florida I had never seen - far from the hectic pace of Orlando, in farm country, the roads are hemmed in by tall trees covered in hanging spanish moss. Peaceful, with cool breezes, shady and relaxing. We stopped by Evinston to visit the Post Office - which combines mail with fresh vegetables and a country store. It's a one-of-a-kind place. I sorted through their record collection and picked up a few childrens records for my friend Phil as well as a couple jazz LPs that I look forward to listening too. They are a bit scratched up, but shouldn't affect the playability.
We then stopped by Mosswood Farms - down a dirt road to visit some friends of Warren who own a horse training farm. They use the natural horse training method, in which horse and rider develop a relationship based on the way horses behave in the wild. I first came across this when I spent a semester in Tanzania and took a horsemanship class with a British lady. It seems like a really good method - horse whisperer style.
I'm looking forward to resting the next couple days. I play music on Sunday, but that's all I have scheduled for a while. We're staying with Mike and his wife - friends of Warren and parents of Matt, who was with me in Norway (you can look back at last May/June's blog entries to meet Matt).