OCTOBER 7, 2015
MY STORY CONTINUES as we prepare to leave Vermont in the morning. Even though we’ve “packed-up” hundreds of times, I always
kind of dread the “chores” attendant to “breaking camp.” Everything must be stowed so it won’t slip or break as we drive down the road. The “patio furniture” and Weber grill must be put away, the slide-outs and satellite dish must be retracted, the hookups must be detached and put in their “bin,” the route must be plotted on the GPS and a station to get propane and diesel fuel often needs to be located. Oh, well. The inconvenience of “moving” is a very small price to pay for the opportunity we’ve had to “live” in so many different beautiful and interesting places during the last couple of years.
GOODBYE TO VERMONT. Since arriving in New England last June, we’ve visited Vermont on two separate occasions and spent a total of about three weeks in the state. We’ve enjoyed every day of our time here. Rolling hills, red barns, sugarhouses, farmstands and covered bridges. Lake Champlain, the Shelburne Museum, Brattleboro, Wilmington, the Green Mountains…there’s not only lots of early American history here to absorb, there’s also lots of gorgeous countryside to explore. The fall foliage is definitely changing color and we’ve been able to get some good photos, but we’ve not yet experienced the colors at their “peak,” so that experience will just have to wait a bit longer. We won’t be leaving New England for about another week, so I should be able to post some dramatic pictures soon. And, with a little luck, we’ll also have a chance to see autumn colors all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico where we’re scheduled to arrive on the first of November. Here are some final pictures of Vermont I’ve taken in the last few days.
Taken from the top of Hogback Mountain in Southern Vermont. Look at all that pink and purple foliage. The Vermonters I’ve met tell me that the leaves in this photo are at about 50% of “peak.” It’ll soon be spectacular!
Reflections on a pond near Ludlow, Vermont.
Expert photographer at work.
A trail just made for our Jeep.
Bears eat apples and berries. Whenever I see one of these signs I chuckle. It just seems to me that a huge bear would need lots more than a handful of fruit for dinner.
These leaves hardly look real, do they?
I drove down this country road “just because.” I’m glad I did. After a couple more miles, we came to a magnificent lake, and we had it all to ourselves. I’ve never seen such bright blue water.
Here’s the lake we found. I saw a boat ramp, but not even one boat on the lake. And the weather couldn’t have been nicer.
We met a guy at this bridge today who had a way-cool radio controlled drone with a high-resolution camera. One of these things is going on my Christmas list for sure! Keep reading.
PHANTOM 3 PROFESSIONAL DRONE. At the bridge pictured above, we met a guy with one of these drones. Now, I’m not selling these things. I don’t work for the company that makes them. You can purchase one at the Amazon widget on the sidebar of this post. I get no commission if you buy one, here or anywhere else. But they are absolutely way-cool and I think any guy my age who wants one for Christmas ought to find it under the tree on Christmas morning, right? All kidding aside, can you imagine the vantage points you could get for your photos? The “flying time” is about 30 minutes and supposedly after a little practice you’ll be able to fly with impressive precision. By inserting your iPhone into the hand-held cradle which is included with your drone purchase, you can “see” what the camera “sees” and take any picture your heart desires. Technology allows 720 HD digital streaming of live video directly from the drone, and you can even share the video using the drone’s advanced phone app. And the best thing is that one can be yours, with all the accessories you’ll need, for a mere for a mere $1,700…a bargain!
DJI Phantom 3 Professional Quadcopter Drone.
The pilot “hovered” his drone so I could take this picture of it. No matter what angle the drone is flying, the camera remains level.
The pilot flew his drone about 50 yards down this creek bed and then right back to us. Amazing!
OUR UPCOMING PLANS. So, that’s the drone. And that’s the end of our time in Vermont. Tomorrow morning, we’ll head back to New Hampshire and stay at the Concord Marriott again while we have some maintenance done on our coach. While that’s being done, Florence and I will drive to the White Mountains. Remember my post last August about the Kancamagus Highway, New Hampshire Scenic Route 112? We’re going to drive it again and take some “updated” pictures for you. With a little help from Mother Nature, we’ll have some freezing nighttime temps in the next few days and that will turn the leaves on the Maple trees to brilliant red and purple colors! Then, by mid-October, we’ll put New England in our rear view mirror, drive through the mid-Atlantic states and head to Gulf Shores where we’ll spend the winter at the beach on the Gulf of Mexico. Lots of adventures await. Check back with us again soon!
AND I’LL CONTINUE MY STORY NEXT TIME.
