Chester Chatter: Taking the roads less traveled

By Ruthie Douglas
©2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC

In the sweet old Vermont countryside, it is time for shunpiking — a time to hit the back roads of rural Vermont, a time to kick up dust, gravel, stones and some rocks all to take in the beauty of the green, very green foliage, the hillside views and some wildlife scampering across our miles upon miles of dirt roads.

This is Vermont at its best, far from fast moving cars on the highway, and with little views to enjoy. It is just fine to get a little lost as you discover places and people you have never seen before.

These are indeed the roads less traveled. Sometimes on what is known as Twenty Mile Stream I have in fact gotten lost. I knew however that I will come out somewhere, sometime.

Shunpiking brings the beauty that is Vermont right into the car. I love to travel, I love the islands and the people, but I am always glad to come home once again.

I do not want to live anywhere but Vermont.

Out and about

Thank you to Zander Hamilton for your donation to the Chester Recreation Dept.

Steve Harrington of New Jersey, formerly of Chester, last weekend played in the Bellows Falls Country Club Men’s Members Guest Tournament with friend Pat Gordon.

Judy Henning and John Clark are home after visiting John’s sister Jody and her family in Tennessee. The group also spent a couple of days in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Brian Decatur and his wife Penny have been visiting his father Lee and friends around town. Nice to see you Brian.

They are from left,  Sarah Foster, Jean Laughlin, Lindsey Wagner, Jake Mayer, Aubrey Thies, Jasmine Morrow, John Sison. Photo courtesy SERVE.

Don’t tell me that today’s youth are useless or misbehave. Some 30 high school students from King of Prussia, Penn., and part of a group called SERVE, which grew from a project of the Hope Community Church in King of Prussia, spent time helping me this past week, painting my garage and cleaning up the landscape.

They brought flowers and homemade bread, a lovely thank you note for my storytelling of old Vermont and a wonderful photo all of us together. They were hosted by the First Congregational and Chester Baptist churches. Thank you all!

 

  • Answer to last week’s trivia question: Rainbow Rock is located off the Green Mountain Turnpike just east of the Springfield Road,
  • This week’s trivia question:  Where was Time Out?

Street Talk

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Filed Under: Chester ChatterCommunity and Arts Life

About the Author: Ruthie Douglas is originally from Springfield but has called Chester her home for 58 years, and has been writing the Chester Chatter column for more than 40 of those years. Ruthie is also a longtime volunteer throughout the community.

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