It’s about Tim

A great weekend in Vermont

Tim under a sign during a hike.

This past weekend, Ashley and I drove up to Vermont to spend the weekend with some friends at their place in Manchester Center.

We got in Friday afternoon and decompressed pretty quickly. I took a look out Pam and Ellen’s back window at the view and felt my blood pressure drop immediately. Over a marvelous home-cooked dinner, we asked and were told the story of how they came to be the owners of such a fantastic place. It was a story involving bats and near back outs (the real estate agent convinced them to look at one more house when they had decided to go condo). At any rate, it is a wonderful place that in some ways reminds me of Ashley’s parents’ lake house in Virginia. I feel very fortunate to have both places on my list of visits.

On Saturday Pam took Ashley and me to Okemo Ski resort for some fun in the snow, while Ellen stayed back and knocked out some household projects. Ashley and Pam skied while I did something that resembled snowboarding. Since they knew how to ski they took off and left me to enjoy my second time ever on a snowboard. I did three runs on the lower lift runs and spent most of that time on my back or belly.Worn out, I decided to have some Gatorade and a brownie at the lodge. On the way back to the slopes I ran into Ashley and Pam coming in. So, I joined them for lunch and a beer. Afterward we headed to the  top for one more run before going home. Ashley and Pam offered the end of their ski poles at various times so that I could either pull myself up or get myself moving as we came down a fairly steep and icy run. At one point, to Pam and Ashley’s amusement, I managed to fall into some trees (thankfully no one had a video camera). Eventually we reached the bottom and headed home; me complaining most of the way about the bruises I would soon have.

Back home, joined by Ellen, we sat in the hot tub with frozen precipitation falling on our heads. We had some beers and talked politics and philosophy, then went in for showers and another excellent dinner. Later we played various games on the Wii. Ashley managed to do better than the rest of us in every event from bowling to hula hoop, although I gave her some serious competion in the hula hoop department (again thankfully no video cameras). I guess all that med school competitiveness stays with her wherever she goes.

On Sunday the four of us went for a nice little hike at White Rocks Overlook then went for lunch and beers at Laney’s in Manchester before heading back to take naps before returning home. The drive home was horrible - dark, with crummy weather - making me wish that we could have stayed another week. Hopefully we will return soon.

Thank you Ellen and Pam for your hospitality and kindness, you make the North a much warmer place for Ashley and me!

Oh I only got a few decent photos - Pam, I hope you have better ones!