Lovely Autumn Days

 We have had absolutely lovely fall weather for the past several days - perfect for the annual Fall Foliage Festivals scattered throughout our area. It all began Saturday in Cabot with tours to scenic spots in the morning and a big Cheese & Culture event on the Cabot Common in the afternoon. The turkey dinner that evening sold out - they had to set up tables inside the church to accommodate more people. Diane and I were there at about 5 o'clock to pick up dinners, and the common was alive with vendors and visitors. Burtt's Apples just outside of town had cars parked in fields on both sides of the road with lots of people visiting their store, orchards, and the newly opened walking trail. And by the way, the turkey dinner was exceptional - large portions and absolutely delicious. I actually didn't have mine until last night - we also got chicken pie suppers from North Danville that night, too, so we had chicken on Saturday and I had turkey on Monday - and Tuesday. I couldn't eat all at one sitting, so I'm looking forward to another great meal tonight - that I don't have to cook and doesn't come out of a package!

It seems to me that the foliage hasn't presented the brilliant colors we've seen some years, at least in this immediate area; but there is impressive color showing on distant hills, and I'm sure leaf peepers are happy just to have the sun shining and warm breezes blowing as they travel through the area seeking photo ops.

Mary Whitcomb visited Burtt's Apples this past weekend and sent me some photos she took. This really nice shot taken from the hiking trail at Burtt's shows how the Maple Glen farm has been turned from dairy fame to productive fruit orchards and maple production. Years ago, Maple Glen was the home of A. M. Foster who invented the Foster sap spout. At that time it was a dairy farm with one of the largest maple orchards in town. I have written here about that before, how they had wonderful sugaring-off parties each spring and dozens of people came to enjoy sugar on snow.

When I was growing up, the farm was owned by Payson Walbridge, and it was a truly lovely, well-kept farm. I don't have any photos of it in the 1940s, but I remember the buildings always being well maintained, the house painted white with flower boxes and lilacs. There was a big sign on the red barn, Maple Glen. Eventually the farm was sold to Bob and Barbara Davis and was operated as a dairy farm and maple producer for several more years. 

When the Davis's left Cabot, the Burtt family bought the property. I don't know if they operated it as a dairy farm for a while or not, but in later years Greg Burtt and his dad, Keith, have developed the hay fields, pastures and maple woods into highly productive fruit orchards, maple production, and grazing for beef cattle. They have cleared land beyond what any of the previous owners had, to expand their endeavors, built a modern sugar house, large storage facility, and maintain very busyseasonal farm stand.

From the upper fields above the orchards, there is a fine view of Cabot's West Hill, the Bothfeld farm, and the quarries in Woodbury (photo right). Thank you for sharing your photos with me, Mary.

This photo of Maple Glen was taken in 1979, and I'm not sure who owned it at that time. The hay field in the foreground is now home to apple trees, the farm stand building, parking lot, and children's activities area.

This morning I had an email from Laura Prothero, Dirctor of Development at the Vermont Center for Ecostudies in Norwich, Vermont. Eric Hansen did a presentation recently in Peacham, I believe it was, and Laura sent a recording of the event. It has a lot of very interesting information and great photos - some by the late Ray Richer, who, with his wife Evelyn, watched over our early loon recovery efforts. To see Laura's message and see the presentation, click HERE.

Enjoy these beautiful autumn days, be safe.