Thomas Hunt

BIG news for little Whiting, Vermont:  The Whiting General Store opened Friday, January 31, at the historic building (also housing our post office) at the corner of South Main Street (Rt 30) and Leicester-Whiting Road. Whiting had been without a general store for some years, since one a bit further down South Main Street closed. The store's Day 1 offerings included coffee, snacks, grocery / home essentials, holiday cards and treats. Many goods are from Vermont producers. (I picked up a Sap! maple soda.) The building, which first housed a general store at least 150 years ago, is bright and clean with antique charm. It is decorated with old time photos and grocery containers. Among the Day 1 visitors was a descendant of the family that long ago ran the Whiting General Store. He reminisced about the old store layout. Proprietor Garrett Law says he's hoping to hear suggestions about how to best serve the community. Business hours are weekdays 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sat 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.,...

We were treated to a special show about 7 a.m. on December 29, 2022. Rippled clouds near the Green Mountains horizon showed up as tightly packed layers of magenta and orange light, while pink cotton candy puffs filled the rest of the sky. A 14-second video, scanning the sky from northeast to southeast. Apparently, the spectacle wasn't limited to the Whiting area. TV news in Burlington shared dawn photographs taken around the state of Vermont.

I recently received this as a gift. It was probably acquired through an auction in the Shoreham, Vermont, area. History of the Wright Family , edited by William Henry Wright and Gertrude Wright Ketcham, Copyright 1913 by Gertrude Wright Ketcham. It is an extensive genealogy and history of the Wright Family "who are descendants of Samuel Wright (1722-1789) of Lenox, Mass., with lineage back to Thomas Wright (1610-1670) of Wethersfield, Conn., and showing a direct line to John Wright, Lord of Kelvedon Hall, Essex, England." According to the book's introduction, the genealogical research began with a great-grandfather, Andrew Wright of Shoreham, Vermont. It was learned that Andrew Wright was a soldier in the Revolutionary War and left his home in Lenox, Mass. to settle in Shoreham in 1785. The physical book seems a product of considerable labor and expense. The cover appears to be suede or some similar soft material with gold lettering. (I do not know ...

Living here in our old* Vermont farmhouse has provided unique exercise opportunities. Each morning, I get up and take a long walk up and down and across several significant hills, and that's just to get from the bedroom to the bathroom. Yes, the interior terrain has been challenging. When we first moved in, I noticed that I was rolling out of bed in the morning far too literally. So we moved the furniture against different walls. Now, I can't get to sleep because I fear the bureau falling on me. (And the recliner doesn't seem to recline nearly as far as it used to, though setting it upright performs a useful dumping feature for the occupant). Of course, I'm exaggerating a little here. There are hills and valleys in our old wood floors. But they're nowhere near as bad as some of the homes we considered buying. One house actually came with several sets of alpine gear to help you get from the kitchen to the dining room. (* - The building is "old" by our...