Between Visits

Awareness improves observation. On the way to my yearly visit at Dartmouth Hitchcock Hospital, traveling a road I have driven on many times, I suddenly noticed a covered bridge I had never seen before. It is right near Downer's Corner.

The overhang keeps snow and rain from rotting the ends of the wooden bridge.

We have had chilly weather. Since my nose likes to run in the cold, I had left some Kleenex in the glove compartment of my car. When I reached for the Kleenex, I discovered that a mouse had been visiting. He or she had left behind the beginnings of a winter nest!

 A Canadian company wants to build a pipeline for fracked gas into Vermont and under Lake Champlain. I think using fracked gas is a horrible idea, obviously putting profit ahead of the planet. I learned that a protest rally was to be held in Montpelier and decided attending was worth the 2 hours to get there and the 2 hours to get back home.

This is the capital building in Montpelier

That's Norton from Norton's Gallery holding the sign with the dead fish. I had emailed them that, because of our conversation when I had been there with Elisabeth and Mary, I was going to be at the rally. It was the one evening they were going to have to relax, but since I was going they felt they needed to be at the rally too! The big sign in front of the capital says "No New Fossil Fuels."

The people "in" the bus are on the Public Service Board that approved the pipeline as well as our governor. When the people at the rally marched to Shumlin's office, right next door, there were people who got under this bus so it could be in the parade.

This was a clever way to illustrate the pipeline we were protesting.

These streamers hang outside my living room window to keep birds from flying into the glass.

It was a cold day, but the silver ribbons sparkled with color in the sunlight.