I realized in uploading all these photos how many great things happened in September...
My Aunt Jeanne and Uncle Joe came through Burlington on their way to a bike trip around Maine. Jeanne just battled her second round of cancer and is rocking a sweet shorn haircut and still has more energy and zest for life than I can manage!
We took a boat cruise on Lake Champlain and it was wonderful to pull out into the water and see my little town nestled on a hill on the banks. Fun facts learned:1. Benedict Arnold fought a naval battle on Lake Champlain during the Revolutionary War before becoming a traitor!
2. The Abenaki creation story concludes with the Odzihozo, he who creates himself, turning himself into a rock (Dunder Rock) which juts out of Lake Champlain.
3. The tallest building in Burlington is 11 stories. Which is also the tallest building in Vermont.
This was my Labor Day haunt...me, the Lake, moccasins, letter-writing, mountains, last summer sun, sailboat-watching. 
2nd Annual Visit to...
The Champlain Valley Fair!
My culinary heaven. Fried.Dough.Powdered.Sugar.
Watching people on the rides.
The main thing we hoped to see...PIG RACING!
It did not disappoint.
Hambone won.
Giant Alligator! Alive!
It was "ladies night" at the balloon pop game! For serious.
So we all won a pink dolphin.
My goals for the fair this year:
1. Eat funnel cake.
2. Ride the Ferris Wheel.
What can I say? I'm an overachiever. I aim high.
Unexpected find at the fair? Award-winning Southern BBQ.
Delicious!! And should keep me at my pork quota for months.
The Record Setting Pumpkin!p.s. There is a Pumpkin Regatta this weekend, in which teams race IN these pumpkins in Lake Champlain. For realz.
Blue ribbon carrots!
Homegrown tomatoes.
My latest crush:My CSA (community-supported agriculture)
I get a basket full of fresh produce from local farmers every Wednesday.
It's like Christmas! With vegetables!
The first thing I did was simply throw everything into a salad...arugula, onion, tomatoes, sweet corn, olive oil, salt & pepper.
It was so simple, I thought it might be disappointing, but
it was MIND-BLOWINGLY DELICIOUS, people!
I just...every bite...amazing...speechless.
Next up: checking out the eggs I get every other week.It poached beautifully.
Mesclun salad, tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, Red Door Bakery Honey Oat bread, CSA egg!
Coffee Cake baking.
I own 2 bundt pans.
Camping!
We got yelled at by the ranger.
Twice.
This was the extent of the rowdy we got up to. Ridiculous.
Rugby games on gorgeous fall days!
And rugby nights...still wearing rugby day clothes.
Apple picking at Shelburne Orchards!
Happy fall and October!
Hot damn! I am in serious need of a trip to an excellent state fair. Maybe I'll give N. Ga. another go this year, it has been a very long while... September looked AMAZING for you! I love the ferris wheel pic, and the GINORMOUS pumpkin! Please tell me you're going to watch the pumpkin regatta...
ReplyDeleteI know, state fairs always make me think of you. :) And yeah, Matt saw the picture of the pumpkin and was like that's how much the pumpkin weighs?! So I think we might check it out...I'll post pictures...obviously.
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