Vermont

May 27, 2013 tiffany
6 Comments
Australia

**A note on why this weeks post was later than usual.**
In true Vermont fashion, on Memorial Day, only a few days before June, we had a snow storm. The power went out, the lodge was running on the back up generator and (gasp!) the internet went down. So thanks to all who sent emails asking why the heck there was no Monday post. The sun has now come out, the snow is mostly melted, the peas seemed to survive, the internet is working again and here is this weeks post. 

Sitting around in bathing suits on the remote island of Taveuni in Fiji, we were casually conversing with other travellers about what we each do to earn money when working back in our home countries. We responded  “We’re Park Rangers with Vermont State Parks.” The onlookers mouth paused with an envious look and the eyes go wide as the typical response is, “Wow, that sounds like the coolest job ever,” often followed by a slight pause, a raise of the eye brows and a softly spoken, “So do you get to catch bears too?”

While we’ve been away in Australia and the South Pacific for the past two years, we always had a feeling we would come back to Vermont and indeed that has happened. As travellers with the goal of living on all seven continents and exploring as much of the world as possible, returning to the same state over and over again seems counter-intuitive. I know at some point when we live in America, we will eventually branch off to living in new states again, however, we have learned the lesson that when we find something we truly enjoy, keep it going. We share the same sentiment as many of the people we meet that working with Vermont State Parks is one of “the coolest” jobs you can find.

Adding a twist to the job this season, fate has brought us to be the Inn Keepers at Seyon Lodge. Nestled aside Noyes Pond at the end of a dirt road, Seyon Lodge is a unique gem in Vermont State Parks offering overnight accommodation with breakfast, lunch and dinner served. It is Vermont’s only public fly fishing pond and is a prime location for both individual and group getaways. Our days are filled with cooking meals, cleaning the lodge, planting a garden, advising fisherman on which wooly booger fly they ought to use on the pond and fending off the Groton Black Flies.

Here’s a look at life in this new role.

Within 48 hours of arriving back in the state we went and got a long awaited cremee.
So did everyone else.
A cremee is a Vermont speciality, first introduced to us by our dear friend Agnes whom was the first person we ever met in state.
Agnes is a true testament of Vermonters being super friendly and accommodating – just like this sign.
This is me with so many wonderful treats of  home-made fudge, cookies and my cremee. And no, a cremee is not soft serve ice cream. There is a finely crafted milk to fat ratio that makes cremees distinctly different than soft serve. And now that I have told you how it is we must never use the two comparisons in the same sentence again.
Although we got here mid-April, we arrived during a snow storm and our tyres spun up the dirt hill to the lodge. Our friends came by earlier in the day to turn up the heat, turn on the pilot light for the stove, give us welcome notes and leave the light on for us.
Warm fuzzies.
We kept finding welcome signs all over the lodge.
We met our friends for dinner and ice cream shortly after arriving back.
They were so excited to see us, they gave us a welcome back present which was a 1000 piece puzzle.
I then dropped it all over the capital steps – but – I did not drop my ice cream.
I did however scrape my hand in the process.
At least Jess offered to help to pick up the pieces. Chris and Shanell simply laughed, pointed and took pictures. Jess was pretty stoked because the piece she was holding was like ten pieces in one, so that expedited the pick up process quite a bit.
And then, after two whole days of exploring the lodge I was sitting up in the reception area and next thing I know I hear Chris from downstairs, “Tiff…you won’t believe what I just found!”
“Oh yeah? What?” I was rather busy checking my emails and didn’t think it would be anything of particular interest. I imagined some stick figure drawing of a Star Wars character eating a cheese burger or something.
“Worms!”
My head perks up and I am at full attention as I shout back, “Worms!?!?”
“Yep.”
I went running down the stairs tearing into this storage room and there were two big bins of worms.
If I had any previous doubt about this season, it was removed. Any time I move into a house and there are already worms established I know I am in the right place.
This is our back yard. We live at Seyon Pond in the distance as part of the 27,000 acre Groton State Forest.
The Inn is at the far end of the pond.
Ironically we’ve gone from sharing a small van to now living in this big, three story, eight bedroom Inn. Instead of a two burner stove and no fridge we now have a six burner stove, two ovens, three fridges and two freezers. I wear an apron and my butterfly hairpin to greet guest and help them feel at home aside Noyes Pond for a few nights of their life.
We have many places around the world that we call home and Vermont is one of our favourite.
It’s great to be back.
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6 Responses to “Vermont”

  • Jim
    11 years ago

    Seyon Inn looks like a great place for you two to ‘hole up’ for a while (all except the end of May snowstorm). I’m sure you’re going to be busier the ever…

  • Laura
    11 years ago

    beautiful pictures! the lodge looks gorgeous set in the mountains like that. i can just see tiff busy in a project, not wanting to be bothered by chris and what he found until he said worms. then i can just imagine tiff perk up, like a dog when you sat treat, get so excited and then run down to see them. this is the same couple that kept worms in their kitchen in colorado.

  • Samuel Jeffery
    11 years ago

    Ooooh, those treats look so delicious! Those are the kind of delicious mid-afternoon snacks I need to avoid for the time being 😉