So today began like all mornings this week, up and out to the doctor.  After which we were going to do some sightseeing.  I guess, though, the early morning hour sort of got to us, we forgot to take our lunch!  Oh well, we knew we would find something along the way.

First stop then was the holistic chiropractor that I have been seeing every day this week.  She truly has been able to work miracles on this old beat up body of mine.  Were it not for her, we would not have even a slim chance of getting in any sightseeing.  Just one more answer to prayer.

Appointment over it was now time to do some sightseeing.  We made two stops today, one of which I’ll share with you tonight and the other in tomorrow’s blog.  Tonight we’re going to Hope Cemetery.  Now I know what you are probably thinking going where?  Why?  Stick with me.

Hope Cemetery in Barre, Vermont is like no cemetery we have every visited.  Located on a small hillside just outside of Barre, Vermont, the Granite Capital of the World, the Hope Cemetery stands as a magnificent tribute to the stone cutters and artisans peacefully interred among their very own creations.

Hope Cemetery was established in 1895. Originally, it contained 53 acres. Since then, it has expanded to a total of 65 acres. Edward P. Adams, a nationally known landscape architect, created the original plan for the cemetery. There are over 10,000 monuments made of Barre Gray granite. 

As we entered the front gate we passed by two granite

 

sentries, forever watchful over their abode. From the moment we arrived it was obvious to us that this is no typical resting place for loved ones gone by.  It is truly a gallery of splendid artwork, in the most unusual of settings. Within the cemetery are really awesome works of art.  Each a credit and monument to the artistry of the people who created them, as much a memorial to the people who buried within or under them.

So, let’s begin our tour.   We begin with the Biplane.   Both Leo and his wife, Caroline, were civil air patrol pilots; the headstone, which took three months to create, was carved by Leo’s brother-in-law, noted Barre granite artist Giuliano Cecchinelli.  The bi-plane has broken through the clouds. The American flag rests in a stand available only for veterans of the US military.

Next is Joey Laquerre Jr.’s No. 61 racecar.   (the 1:4 scale-model monument even has a carved axle underneath.)  The young man was an enthusiast of fast cars.. He died at 28 years of age.

Here is the elegant and creative monument for the Bernasconi family: Two rectangular pillars are connected by eight chain links in an arch, each link carved with a name of a child. We learned that it was no easy task to carve those links from a single piece of granite — a perilous process, since a mistake or crack would ruin the whole chain. We also learned of the chain’s lovely symbolism: two close families and their children are linked together forever by marriage.

Continuing, here is one of the cemetery’s most engaging figures done by the gifted Italian sculptor Louis Brusa.  It is that of a youthful, sitting angel whose head, adorned with curly, flowing hair, rests on an open palm; her elbow perches on casually crossed legs. Is she pondering life and death? Is there a hint of a smile? Was she a wife, a mistress, a friend? Her face is beguiling, and her eyes seem to return the gaze of a captivated visitor.

Then there’s the tragic story of gifted Italian sculptor Louis Brusa and the controversy his monument incited. Brusa fought to force the granite sheds to install dust exhaust systems, even as he was dying of silicosis. The Vermont Legislature passed a law mandating the safety measure in 1937 — too late to help Brusa, who expired the same year. The monument, which he partially carved himself to honor victims of silicosis, caused its own tension in Barre. It depicts a dying Brusa in the arms of an unnamed

standing woman, whose shapely backside was apparently too much for some prim and proper Vermonters! A prominent doctor had his own (future) gravesite moved so he wouldn’t have to stare at the blatantly pornographic statue for eternity.  Observing the figure’s slender granite form with 21st-century eyes, however, you can only marvel at how times have changed.

We move on now to the grave of Elia Corti.  This gentleman died after a political meeting got out of hand and he was fatally shot in the stomach.  The marker for Elia Corti was crafted from a single block of granite by the brother of the deceased. The outstanding hand carved life-size figure sits quietly contemplative for an eternity to come. The detail of the clothing almost bring this figure to life.

Next is the Soccer monument .  The Davis grave contains the body of a young man believed to be a soccer enthusiast. The monument includes the names of his parents.

One of several remarkably eerie but emotionally touching tombs we found was shaped like a bed.  William and Gwendolyn Halvosa are shown sitting up in pajamas, holding hands, their tombs stretched out before them. No doubt, preparing for what will be a very long night of sleep. 

We also have the Virgin Mary holding the dead body of Christ after his crucifixion, death, and removal from the cross, but before he was placed in the tomb.  This is a replica of Michangelo’s Pieta. 

This next was rather unusual to say the least.  It is the graves of T. Paul Martel and Janet M. Martel.  Not only unusual in its style, but by the fact that there are inscriptions on each side of the cube.

We have Giuseppe Donati’s stone, a raised relief depiction of a soldier smoking a cigarette, while the face of his wife or person close to him floats in a wisp of smoke.

There we have the graves of Daniel Morrell Vrooman and Jane Elinor Vrooman in which they caution one and all about the risks of ignoring the spiritual nature of humanity.  These markers are engraved on all sides with messages from the Vroomans and passages from the Bible.

Then there are several others for which I could find no information but which I found absolutely fascinating.   Take this one depicting a large bass fiddle.

Man on a motorcycle while his wife/mother watches him go

This one of Jesus praying

Finally the grave of a child.

I believe you will agree with me by now that this is no ordinary cemetery.  What an unusual place to find such beautiful and fascinating works of art.  We are so glad that Dr. Pam, the chiropractor, had told us about this cemetery.  Tomorrow, we’ll bring you the place where most of these works of art were sculptured which is the Rock of Ages.  Using stone from their own quarries, their in-house artisans are the ones behind these awe-inspiring handcrafted monuments.

Till then, day is gone and night is once more upon us.  We had an absolutely fascinating day of discovery.  As always, made better by the fact that we did it together, traveling along, singing our song, side by side.  We thank you for taking the time to come along with us.  We also hope that your day was a truly great one as well.  Now, in closing, a thought for each of us to ponder:

As always,  if you are coming to the end of your day with concerns and worries, let me suggest that you turn them over to God.  After all, He is going to be up all night so why not let him handle them for you.

Time now for our evening prayers and eventually some shut-eye.  Till tomorrow.

These are the voyages of  Graybeard and it’s occupants, four paws and two humans.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have not been before

When we went to bed last night the forecast was for rain throughout the night and the next day.  They were right on!  I don’t believe we have had such heavy rain since we left Florida.  I mean it poured hard throughout the night.  As I laid in bed, I got to thinking of the November 1927 flood that wiped out the town of Marshfield.  I was also glad to know that we were on high ground.  The rain finally let up just a little after noon on Thursday and now it is starting to get hot and humid.  Oh well, it is what it is.

So today began, as the last several days have, with yet another visit to the holistic chiropractor.  Day by day I can begin to feel myself coming around.  Not completely there yet but giving thanks for the small steps that have been made.  I’m sure by the time we leave here I’ll be fit as a fiddle.

Today we also decided enough is enough and were going to do some sightseeing.  Not much, but enough to get us back in the swing of things.  Thus, after my morning appointment, we were off to discover the ins and outs of maple syrup.

But before we share, with you, our visit today, some interesting general facts we learned about maple syrup and Vermont Maple Syrup:

• It Takes Roughly 40 Gallons of Sap to Make 1 Gallon of Maple Syrup. And get this, the sap actually runs up from the roots of the tree.  It will take the annual sap output of four mature Sugar Maple trees to produce one gallon of maple syrup.
• Maple Syrup is the only food made from the sap of a tree.
• 100% Pure Vermont Maple Syrup has the same calcium content as whole milk. Take that Elsie the Cow.
• 100% Pure Vermont Maple Syrup has only 40 calories per tablespoon, unlike corn syrup which has 60 calories per tablespoon.
• Maple Syrup is rich in minerals such as calcium, potassium, manganese, phosphorus, and iron, and is good for you!
• Vitamins B2, B5, B6, niacin, biotin, and folic acid are all present in 100% Pure Vermont Maple Syrup.
• Vermont has its own four grades of maple syrup which breaks down into the following categories: “Golden Color with Delicate Taste,” “Amber Color with Rich Taste,” “Dark with Robust Taste,” and “Very Dark with Strong Taste.”
• Vermont is the #1 producer of Maple Syrup in the US and produces 5.5% of the world’s maple syrup (remember who is #3? Right, Maine!) However, today about 80 percent of the World’s Supply Comes From Canada.
• Brands like Aunt Jemima and Mrs. Butterworth use such ingredients as high fructose corn syrup, cellulose gum, caramel coloring to create an inexpensive substance which only somewhat resembles the genuine article. Thus, their bottles are usually labeled “original,” “breakfast,” or “pancake” syrup

Now for our visit.  We went to a local maker of Vermont Maple Syrup, the Bragg Farm.

Coming up into the parking lot this is what we saw , the sugarhouse and gift shop.  The gift shop is to left and the actual sugarhouse where they make their syrup is to the right.

This is a picture of the gift shop that has just about everything and anything related to Vermont Maple Syrup.

 

And some items I just don’t know how they got in there.  Do Dragons like maple syrup?

Back to Vermont Maple Syrup.  Maple syrup is produced from the sap collected from the Sugar Maple tree. Maple sap is clear, watery and contains only 2-4% sugar. The season

begins in late February with all hands on deck.  The season actually begins with the tapping of the sugar maple trees.  A hole is drilled into the tree.  A spout is then driven into the hole.

Examples of them are pictured below.

At the Bragg Farm, buckets are still hung to collect the  sap. The sap begins to flow when  temperatures begin to rise above freezing during the day but fall below freezing at night.  Maple sap is a clear fluid and resembles water. The collection amount may vary.  Some days  only a small amount is collected and other days the buckets will overflow if not emptied.  The typical sugaring season lasts from February into April although there is no “set” time to begin. The length of the winter, temperature and snowfall amounts are variables that affect the timing of the start of the sap running and how long it will last. The best condition for the sap to begin its run is freezing nights followed by warmer, sunny days. As soon as a few of these days pass, the harvesting process is set to begin. The annual run lasts until the nights are no longer freezing and the trees begin to bud., usually early to mid- April.

The sap is collected into gathering tanks and brought to the sugarhouse to be boiled in the evaporator.  This is a picture of the actual evaporator used at the Bragg Farm.

A number of methods are used to heat and boil the sap but at the Bragg Farm wood is still used.  It takes a cord of wood in the arch for every 15 to 18 gallons of sap.

This is what the evaporator looks like when it is in operation.

Finally, we come to the finished product.  Drawing off the pure maple syrup.  The Bragg Family has been producing Pure Vermont Maple Syrup in this fashion at the Bragg Farm Sugarhouse for 8 generations!

Putting it all together here is a summary of the process used to make maple syrup.

How much, indeed, would you ask price wise for a gallon of pure Vermont Maple Syrup?  Highly labor intensive.  Very short season.  Success of each years production extremely dependent upon the winter weather.   I can’t help but wonder what is the effect of climate change going to have upon this industry.

Of course, no tour is complete without an opportunity to do some taste testing.  So we had an opportunity to taste the four grades made.  I like the lightest myself.   Of course, we came home with some wonderful products as well.  Like a delicious chocolate chip Cooke made with Vermont Maple syrup that I’m enjoying this very minute!

That was our day today.  Slowly easing back into the swing of things.  Hopefully, more attractions to visit tomorrow.  We take it day by day according to how my back behaves.  But never doubt we are far from down and out.  Like I’ve been saying this is just a minor bump in the road of retirement.  Onward we go singing our song, traveling along, side by side.

So day is done and night is descending upon us.  I’m sitting in the solarium marveling at how the clouds are slowly engulfing the mountains surrounding us.  One minute they are there and then they are gone – well, not actually gone but no longer visible.  What a wonderful world God has created for us.  If only we all could take the time to just look out and enjoy its every unfolding wonders.  I hope you take the time to do so.  I shake my head at how much I missed in the past because I was just too busy trying to make a living but never stopped to take the time to make a life.  Don’t let it happen to you.  In closing, a thought along those lines for each of us:

As always,  if you are coming to the end of your day with concerns and worries, let me suggest that you turn them over to God.  After all, He is going to be up all night so why not let him handle them for you.

Time now for our evening prayers and eventually some shut-eye.  Till tomorrow.

These are the voyages of  Graybeard and it’s occupants, four paws and two humans.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have not been before

So today was another appointment day.  Slowly, ever so slowly I’m coming around.  I’m just, now, beginning to get feeling back in my left foot, I’m finally able to sit for more than 10 minutes at a time, and I’m once again beginning to feel sort of like my old self.  Still a long way to go but I’m getting there.  Thanks, of course, to my wonderful wife who is the best caregiver in the world – at least in my humble opinion.

Thanks also to the Healing Center and Dr. Pamela Milosevich who is a holistic chiropractor.  So once again off we went to see the good doctor.  This is the entrance

to her office and here is a picture of the doctor herself, who came in today on her day off to treat me.  She is adamant about getting me back to health before we leave this area.

Her approach to treatment is a holistic one.  That means according to her:  The word holistic stems from the Greek word holism, which means total, entire or all – when applied to the practice of chiropractic care, a holistic healer will always seek to treat the human body (and mind) as a whole organism that is far greater than the sum of its parts.  Suffice to say, whatever she is doing it is beginning to work and I can’t thank her enough!

Since we haven’t been able to do any sightseeing, how about a little history regarding Marshfield where the Meadowcrest Campground is located.  After that I’ll give you an idea of some the local attractions we’ll be going to within real soon – hopefully.

The independent Republic of Vermont chartered the Town of Marshfield in 1790 and named it for Isaac Marsh, one year before Vermont became the 14th state to join the United States of America. Located in the northeast part of Washington County, the 44 square mile town of Marshfield is bisected by the fertile valley of the Winooski River on its 88-mile run to Lake Champlain.

A village center evolved where the stagecoach roads to Cabot, Danville, and Montpelier converged with the small industries along the falls of the Winooski River. A network of roads linked the widely dispersed farms to water-powered grist, saw and wool mills in the village center.

In the early 20th century the old stagecoach road along the Winooski River, known as the River Road, was paved in 1932 between Plainfield and Marshfield and given the designation U. S. Route 2. Automobile travelers vacationed overnight at five private tourist cabin locations along the highway. Electric lines reached local houses and barns in the late 1930s, and in the early 1950s bulk milk tanks were introduced to the dairy farms. The bulk tanks, milking machines and pasteurizing equipment led to the demise of many marginal farms that could not afford the new technologies.

The fires of 1905 and 1909 destroyed many buildings in the village, the devastating flood of the Winooski River in 1927 and the national depression of the 1930s made it difficult for the town to recover economically. Later in the 1960s, the population began to increase with a back-to-the-land movement that attracted new residents from urban and suburban living to Marshfield’s countryside.

Marshfield has evolved over time from an almost self-sufficient agricultural and small manufacturing economy to a more complex mixture of economic activity. The town in the 70’s introduced zoning and planning to encourage responsible growth while maintaining the historic rural character of the community.   The town of Marshfield today is a small, rural, primarily residential community characterized by a population that is both economically and demographically diverse.

OK, upcoming attractions.  Before we leave this area we hope to visit the following:

• Rock of Ages – guided quarry tour takes you to an overlook of the Smith Quarry. At nearly 600 feet deep, it is the largest operating deep-hole, dimension granite quarry in the world.
• Hope Cemetery – a cemetery in Barre, Vermont. The city calls itself the “Granite Capital of the World”, and the cemetery is known for the superb granite craftsmanship on its memorials and tombstones.  They are awesome!
• Goodrich Maple Farm – can you say Pure Maple Syrup!  All Natural, No Preservatives, No Additives
• Cabot Creamery – a video tour of the cheesemaking area, (actually MORE up close than the walking tour!), as well as a look at the history of the co-op.  Time also to sample cheese, and chat with the wonderful staff.
• Braggs Farm – our visit will include a free guided tour of the family operated maple farm, where traditional sap buckets and wood fires are still used to make 100% pure maple syrup. And if we are up to it, we can even walk through the nearby wood where they hang our 2000 buckets to collect the raw sap!

So, we may be down but not out.  For whatever reason, the good Lord has seen fit to slow us down a bit.  He has His reasons.  We just need to keep the faith and we’ll be back at it soon enough. Most importantly, we’re still even in slow motion traveling along, singing our song, side by side.

I’ll say good night for now.  The rain has started and promises to keep coming through the night and tomorrow.  As always though Graybeard is keeping us warm and dry.  We thank you for sharing our day with us.  We trust your day was a good one.  In closing, a thought for all of us as we awake to a new day tomorrow:

As always,  if you are coming to the end of your day with concerns and worries, let me suggest that you turn them over to God.  After all, He is going to be up all night so why not let him handle them for you.

Time now for our evening prayers and eventually some shut-eye.  Till tomorrow.

These are the voyages of  Graybeard and it’s occupants, four paws and two humans.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have not been before

 

We were up at 6 am this morning because I had a 7:15 am chiropractor appointment about 20 to 30 minutes away.  By no means our usual waking hour that is for sure.  But finding a chiropractor who will see you when traveling is no easy feat so you take what you get in terms of appointment times.   So we were up and out of the house by 6:30 am with a packet of forms already filled out.

We made it on time and I ended up staying there for over 2 hours and came away with my wallet considerably lighter than when I went in.  Nope, this chiropractor does not work with medicare nor supplemental insurance.  They will fill out and submit the forms for you but you are on the hook until reimbursement comes.  I have visits each day this week also out of our own pockets.  Now if she worked a miracle and I could say I was 100% better, I don’t think I would be so upset.  Unfortunately, I am only so so, I still have my good moments and my really bad moments.  Time will tell.

What really has me discouraged is that I’m not allowed to do a thing for the next couple of days.  I can’t do maintenance, clean the windshield, wash the bugs off the front, check tire pressure, clean the lockers, vacuum – absolutely nothing.  It is not in my nature to just lie around all day reading books and watching movies on Amazon Prime.  We can’t even go sight-seeing because I still can’t sit for long periods of time.  Oh yea, I’m about ready to flip out.  Or scream.  Maybe both.  The only one keeping me grounded right now is my loving wife.  Without Barbara helping me get through this I would be absolutely miserable.

However, for the next couple of days I’ll keep up the blog.  I have some notes about this area, its history, etc.  that I’ll share with everyone.  There will, though, be nothing big and earth shattering in terms of discoveries.

For now I’ll call it a day.  I hope everyone is having a great week and having no major issues.  Let me leave you with this thought that is now ever so much on my mind:

 

As always,  if you are coming to the end of your day with concerns and worries, let me suggest that you turn them over to God.  After all, He is going to be up all night so why not let him handle them for you.

Time now for our evening prayers and eventually some shut-eye.  Till tomorrow.

These are the voyages of  Graybeard and it’s occupants, four paws and two humans.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have not been before