Vermont vacation, painting trip

 Setting out for Vermont last Saturday morning it was with more than a little trepidation.  The 'storm of the century', or the 'frankenstorm' as it was dubbed in the media was coming, and it preoccupied our thoughts. I was heading to Stowe with 2 friends for a week and was planing on  painting...preferably outside in the hills of Vermont, en plein air. I have to admit, I'm a fair-weather painter, not a dedicated plein air one.  But we were lucky.  The first two days we were there was definately the calm before the storm; we had sunshine and nice warm temps.  But on Monday night the gusting winds began and the rest of the week was  pretty unsettled, although thankfully we had no power outages or storm damage. The hurricane skirted Vermont. We were all very grateful!  I  painted, although more inside than out, on account of the wind, and we enjoyed our trip.  The "hills were alive"!  We stayed at a chalet with spectacular views, on the property of the Trapp Family Lodge.  Wonderful! I would definately recommend this spot for anyone who loves nature and an active lifestyle.

During the week, we found time for a little sightseeing, browsing and sampling Stowe's highlights.  We went in a fantastic artisan crafts and design gallery there which Sherry and I especially enjoyed.