It didn't rain and we did play the farmer's market gig. As expected, there were many fascinated dancing children and it was a great time. It was also hot and muggy. I had trouble playing because my hands were so sticky I couldn't form chords or slide up and down the guitar neck. Things improved toward the end and our final set was better than the first.

Happy Meg's musicians:

Happier Meg's musicians:

Although the plan was to play with sand, bricks, septic tank and chipmunk destruction in the afternoon, all things change. I got up early and had the septic tank recovered before breakfast. Having gotten the worm, so to speak, Charlotte and I decided to go for a ride in the PM. I had lunch at the farmer's market, which was a plate of very tasty jerk chicken (I've been told it's appropriate for me to eat jerk food) and curried rice and we left soon after I returned home. We decided to go visit Queechee and maybe stop at a large antique mall there to do a little window shopping. We don't need anything, but it's fun to look.

I decided to take the back road from Bethel to Woodstock (Rte 12) instead of the interstate, which actually takes you about 10 miles south of Queechee Gorge where the mall is. A small detour on the way down took us down River Rd which is on the opposite side of the Ottouqueechee River from Woodstock. The Billings Farm is on this road, as well as several other beautiful and obviously well funded operations.

Billings Farm manager's house (Photo from web site):

The main house

Frederick Billings established the farm in 1871 and, as a conservationist who was concerned about the lack of forestation in VT, he planted over 10,000 trees in the Woodstock area. The billings farm, now a farm museum, is still run as a farming operation and is also a successful tourist attraction. There is more at Farm History

The Miller place, down the road.

Maplewood Farm further down the road - many horses, lots of white fencing:

Once in Woodstock, the rain was still holding off so we walked around for awhile and had ice cream at a local parlor where it is made in small batches. The downtown area of Woodstock is full of architecturally beautiful buildings and houses. Much of this is due the the influence of John D. Rockefeller and his grandson, Laurance. Laurance was responsible for burying all of the towns electric power lines underground, where they remain to this day, and he endowed 550 acres to the National Park Service for the new Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller Park which was opened in 1998. More at: Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park - History & Culture (U.S. National Park Service)

Downtown, there is a beautiful town square surrounded by equally beautiful buildings.

The Norman Williams Public Library:

The Woodstock Inn (taken in April - no leaves yet). This building was replaced in the late 1960s by Laurance Rockefeller who determined that the original 1889 building was no longer salvageable. I was in high school in South Woodstock at that time and seem to remember a fire at the original inn after which it was purchased and rebuilt by Mr. Rockefeller, but I could find no such information on the web in a brief search. The Inn now looks like it's been there forever and has a 6 foot wide fireplace opposite the front door which has huge 6 foot logs burning all winter. It's quite an inviting greeting on a cold day.

The front lawn:

Of course, there was a wedding:

After wandering around downtown,

we went on to Queechee Gorge.

The gorge is 165 feet deep at the bridge, upon which I stood to take these. As you can see it was by then pouring rain, and we decided to skip the antique mall.

The rain soon stopped, but by then we were on our way to West Lebanon for a quick stop to TJ Max, which we seem unable to avoid if we are within 100 miles of one. From there, it was a quick trip home.

All said and done, a very enjoyable day.