Exploring VT.

After graduation on Friday afternoon we went site seeing. Our flight wasn't until Monday so we had a couple of days to explore. I had done some exploring on my own during the week but believe it or not I didn't take pictures. I would drop Gene off at school at 8 in the morning then I would have to pick him up by 4! Short day to explore. I am not a morning person so I would have to go back to the room to get ready for the day! I did get to drive around and see the sites. But that will be in the next post. When we went up to VT a friend of Gene's told him to look out for Moose. He said they would just walk out into the road. Well I kept looking and the only thing I saw was Deer! One poor man hit a male deer with a full rack and it tore his poor car up he was okay but the car and the deer bite the dust!

Driving around VT we kept seeing these Moose crossing signs. I made Gene pull over to the side of the road so that I could take a picture of the sign because I knew people in NC wouldn't believe me about the signs. We never did see a live Moose!

Here was another interesting Road sign. Yes I took the picture and Gene had to pull over so I could take it, no we never saw a live bear, not that I didn't keep looking. I don't know what I would have done if I saw one! But I kept looking.

This is a picture of a meadow with sheep grazing. There was white sheep, black sheep, brown sheep, multi color sheep, All I could think about was the beautiful roving and yarn they would make. The sheep hadn't been sheered yet. Gene told me not to get any ideas. I just looked at him! He was reading my mine. I wanted to go find the farmer to see if he had any fleece for sale. No Gene would not go look!

Gene decided we where going to take a short cut we where not going any where in particle, just looking. He had no idea where we where going. The roads where so twisty and small! Two cars could barely go up or down the road. I think I had white knuckles the entire time we where on this short cut. The short cut took us up one side of a mountain then down side then up again. We saw a beautiful waterfall but couldn't stop to get a picture. We thought we might get a picture when coming back. If I had my way we where going to find another way to go back to the hotel! After driving up and down my ears where so plugged up they hurt. I tried drinking water, chewing gum and nothing worked. The mountains where beautiful the trees where in full bloom. I couldn't believe that VT had a bad snow storm just 6 weeks before we got there and it was freezing. They told us it was very unusually for it to be so hot and humid this time of year which was the middle of June.

After about and hour and half of driving and not finding any place to stop so Gene could go to the restroom, not even a gas station! We found this pullover! This is a picture of a marsh that had lots of birds, I saw a turtle but I don't think you can see it. Gene went into the woods! I just prayed no one came by!

This is a picture of a rock with some wild flowers, there was a bunch of butterflies which you can't see. It is strange at home this year I haven't seen many butterflies. I got a butterfly feeder this year for my birthday from Matthew and they still didn't come. I hope next year I can plant a butterfly bush and maybe they will come.

This is just another picture of the rock and butterflies and flowers. It was a beautiful site, so quite!

This is the same marsh I don't know if you can see the beaver damn in the background.

Here is Gene's covered bridge! We drove around for hours looking for a covered bridge. Our directions where not very good. We didn't find the one he was looking for but we found this one. The Covered bridge was in good shape they had done some repairs on it. Gene took about 10 pictures of just the bridge!

Beside the cover bridge was a damn and a bunch of rocks. The water was moving really fast I thought it was neat

Here is a side view of the damn, those are office buildings and a restaurant. I don't think I would like a business there!

this is on the other side of the bridge, the water was calmer, the rocks made it look really nice.

This is a picture of the sky, Gene thought I was crazy for taking it but the clouds where very fluffy and making shapes. I like to watch the clouds and see what shapes they make. I could watch the sky for hours,it is a peaceful feeling.

This is where we stopped to eat. An old timey diner. I got a grilled cheese with tomato sandwich with a frosty root beer. That was so good! Gene got the same thing except he got tea! Oops no sugar!

There was a bunch of shops where we stopped so we went walking through them. Gene had to take a picture of me with this moose. I enjoyed the shopping.

Finally we found a moose or two, made of wood but that was as close as we where going to get to a moose.

here is Geneo smiling finally with the same moose!

Not to bum anyone out but i thought this was a very nice Vietnam Memorial we found at a rest stop in VT!

This is it for this portions. I need to close Hope you enjoyed our little journey. Next I will so into our visit to Fort Ticonderoga and the battle of Carillon. they where having a French and Indian War Celebration when we where there. The Fort is located right of NY. Thanks for stopping by till next time.

Stepping back into time to June

I am back again. I finally was able to get some pictures of Gene's graduation at Norwich in June of 08" on the laptop. I found the camara card and the pictures where still on it so I was able to download the pictures from there. I am dividing the VT trip up. This part is going to be just school week and graduation. I post pictures of our site seeing next. To begin:

We stayed in a very nice bed and breakfast just outside of the college it took maybe 10 minutes to get there from where we staying if the traffic was good. I did pretty good driving there. Here is Gene on day one, I told him to smile but he wouldn't his mind was else where he said.

He is a picture of the middle of Norwich where the band practice and people hang out. The building is a dorm. Don't remember which one though. The trees where beautiful up there and the grass was soft and thick to walk on.

Here is Gene standing in front of the class building where he went to listen to different people's presentations. He is standing in front of a statue of Alden Partridge. Not sure who he was I was probably told several times but he has something to do with the school!

Here is Gene and a fellow student, Joe Mann. Joe is active Air Force. Joe lives in WA state. Gene and Joe where in many seminars together. Joe was in Korea for part of the class! Just a tidbit

There is a neat musem attached to the library at Norwich. He has alot of neat stuff in it all of it pretaining to the school. This is some special jeep from wwi I think, Gene was in love with it. We must have 10 pictures of just this machine. I don't think I would want to ride in it. It didn't look too comfortable. They only made a few of these and the Army stopped using them. Again I was told all about this jeep but I seem to have forgotten! OOps.

Again here is Joe and Gene posing in front of this Canon. I think this canon was from the civil war. Don't hold it to me, it has some cravings on it and I think it was suppose to be used to defend a post where the school use to be before it came to VT. The think around Gene's neck is what I called his school dog tags. He couldn't go anywhere without it and he hated wearing it. Then so did everyone else. As you can tell I was the camera person. But then it was Gene's week!

Thursday night was Karkoe night. At first we wheren't going to go but then he decided we would and he had a ball that night. Here is Gene and Joe and some fellow classmates. Gene is drinking an Odel's Nonachol drink, Joe on the other hand was partaking of an Adult brevage, the glass next to Gene's was mine, That might have been my second Cosomo, over ice of course. These guys where a hoot.

Okay where are you Mona, You would have loved this shirt. The back was the same as the front. This is Dr. Wintermeu. I doubt if I spelled that right. He was one of the teachers for Military History and he loves Elvis and is something else.

It took some pushing and encouraging but here is Gene, Joe and Tom singing Karkoe, they where sing a Jimmy Buffet song. I laughted till I cried. This is way and I mean why out of character for Mr. Gene. I love Buffet music, Gene on the hand can take it or leave it mostly leave it but he is slowly coming around. It was good seeing him come out and enjoying himself for once.

Here is Gene getting what they call his Hoodie for Military of History. It was this white drape thing, one side was white for history the other side was marron for Norwich, which is the school's color. He is getting ready to shake the Dean's hand and next to the Dean is Dr. Broome. Dr. Broome is a very neat person, he is scholarly but yet he cares for his students and enjoys having fun.

In front of the Unknown statue is the 3 guys. The one on the end is Mike, he is in the Army also and was working on another Master Degree while he was up there so he didn't hang around much. Joe and Gene where smiling ear to ear, Mike was tired. Should be.

After class on Wenesday the guest speaker who was also the speaker for graduation was General Richard A Cody. The General was the Vice Chief of the Army. General Cody retired a few months ago and was from the town Norwich was in. Gene use to serve with the General before he became a General. Gene was surprised the General remembered him and the General gave Joe and Gene one of his special coins. That's a big thing from what I am told! General Cody gave two very good speeches. They where from his heart and I really enjoyed listening to him.

Getting down to the wire now. Good thing my brain is going and my fingers keep hitting the wrong keys. This is graduation day. This was the front they had flags from all over the worlk around the American flag along with all the state flags. The building was hot as you know what, no air, no air condition! We had our programs for fans! Once all the students got in there it was horrible. I had gotten there 3 1/2 hours early to get a good seat, when it was over I was soaked! I had a sleeveless dress on but it stuck to me! At least I had my knitting with me and got all sorts of weird looks but I kept knitting away! The service lasted about an hour and a half 2 hours! Too long for us all. The poor students had their gowns on!

Here is the Man of the hour smiling for once. I told him to take a short sleeve shirt but he was afaird it was going to be cold! They happen to have a heat wave the week we where there. He couldn't wait to get it over. He had been at the school since 10 and graduation wasn't until 4! Long day.

And here are the boys, we couldn't find Mike. They are holding red tubes that their dipolmas where in. Two very happy fellows and Me! After this I went outside to cool off, find some water, then we went to this nice Italian restraunt in town. Good wine! Good food. Long line.

This ends the saga of graduation. I had many more pictures put I couldn't post them all and it was hard to pick out which ones to post. Hope you enjoyed seeing the pictures. Gene worked very hard to get that dipolma and I am very proud of him. Now he is on to get his PH.D. Thanks for stopping by. Will post another part of the trip tomorrow.