A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....07-11-03...Welcome to "Les Verts Mont"

Mama_Bear

[Mama_Bear]

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day

Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997.   Over 100,000 people have registered for posting privileges on Free Republic, and the forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world.

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day was introduced on June 24, 2002. It's only a small room in JimRob's house where we can get to know one another a little better; salute and support our military and our leaders; pray for those in need; and congratulate those deserving. We strive to keep our threads entertaining, fun, and pleasing to look at, and often have guest writers contribute an essay, or a profile of another FReeper.

On Mondays please visit us to see photos of A FEW OF FR'S VETERANS AND ACTIVE MILITARY

If you have a suggestion, or an idea, or if there's a FReeper you would like to see featured, please drop one of us a note in FR mail.

We're having fun and hope you are!
~ Billie, Mama_Bear, dansangel, dutchess, Aquamarine ~

Please join us as we tour
"Les Verts Mont"

What comes to mind when you think of Vermont? Great skiing? Maple syrup? Covered bridges? Maybe, if you are a history buff, Ethan Allen and the "Green Mountain Boys"? Well, Vermont is all this and much more. When I set out to discover Vermont, I realized that I knew practically nothing about this state. Now, having done some exploring during my travels to some interesting Vermont websites, I am ready to pack my bags, go for an extended visit and see this beautiful state for myself.

A bit of history.....
(the condensed version)

Vermont is the second smallest state in the Union, with fewer than 1 million people. Originally populated by various indigenous peoples of the Algonquin, Iroquois, and Abenaki nations, the land now known as Vermont was first seen by European eyes in 1609, when the French explorer Samuel de Champlain sailed the lake that now bears his name. The French must have paid their visits during the warmer months, for when they gazed upon the mountains that form the spine of the state, they named them Les verts monts, 17th century French for the Green Mountains. As happens with language, Les Verts Mont became Verts Mont, which then became "Vermont". And as happened with explorers, Champlain claimed all he saw in the name of France.

In 1763, England was granted the area via the Treaty of Paris, which ended the French and Indian war. Locally, the land was at various times claimed by both New Hampshire and New York; however, Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys put an end to that, and by 1777 Vermont had achieved independence. In fact, Vermont remained an independent republic until 1791, at which point it joined the United States as that fledgling nation's fourteenth member. Nonetheless, to this day Vermonters remain fiercely independent.

State Motto: "Freedom and Unity"



So, who were the
Green Mountain Boys?

They were a citizens' militia founded in Fay's Tavern in Bennington in 1770. This militia could be called up to protect, by force if necessary, the ownership of the land in the New Hampshire Grants. Ethan Allen was its first, and by all accounts very charismatic Colonel-Commandant. Some of the methods of coercion used by the Green Mountain Boys are questionable at best, violence and intimidation often occurring as they defended their lands against the hated "Yorkers". However, this group of Yankee Vigilantes was very instrumental in resisting New York's claims to land in what is now Vermont. It is worth noting that the Green Mountain Boys took no lives.

Ethan Allen demanding the
surrender of Fort Ticonderoga


Today's "Green Mountain Boys"...

.......
the 158th Fighter Wing
of the Vermont Air National Guard.


Facts and Trivia about our fourteenth state...

Did you know that the world's largest granite quarry is located in central Vermont? It is. At the "Rock of Ages" quarry, where granite is mined and memorial stones are manufactured, sheer cliffs descend 600 feet to the quarry floor below. Tours are available during the summer months.



Also in central Vermont is what is believed to be the world's ONLY "spider web farm". No kidding. Will Knight, maker of collectibles and fine woodenware, noticed he had an abundance of spiders on his farm. Each spider wove it's own individual web design. Will began collecting these webs and making unique web items from them. He also devised an ingenious method of encouraging the spiders to weave just for him. He harvests them through a painstaking process and mounts the delicate, silk webs on wooden plaques and jewelry boxes.


Mr. Knight says, "Our spiders hunger for their work and provide us with genuine masterpieces of natural art. Enjoy the beauty of a silky spider web without the spider. Admire the precision and the perfection of the orb weaver, araneidae, preserved and protected as a work of art."

Another interesting fact ~ Robert James Waller's novel "The Bridges of Madison County" could easily have been set in Vermont rather than Iowa, with a slight name change. There is no "Madison County" in Vermont, but there are many beautifully restored covered bridges. In fact, Vermont has the largest concentration of covered bridges in the United States - a total of 114 in this tiny state, many of which are still in use.

One of the covered bridges in Vermont
and a bit of folklore surrounding.....

"Emily's Bridge"

Located in Stowe, Vermont
(John N. Smith, c.1844) (Photo © Dave MacKenzie)
Howe Truss, 50', spanning Gold Brook on Gold Brook Road.

There are at least three dramatic stories about how the name "Emily's Bridge" came about:

- In the 1800's, Emily was jilted by her fiancé and hung herself
from the rafters.

- In 1925, homely Emily fell in love with Donald, who got her pregnant. When Emily's father insisted that Donald marry Emily, Donald killed himself here. After the birth of twins, Emily followed suit.

- (Date unknown) Emily died after her horse threw her here; she was on her way to her wedding.

Whatever the truth behind the name, there are numerous "eyewitness" accounts of continued haunting of the bridge, supposedly by Emily's ghost.

Click HERE for a complete presentation of photographs
and historical information on Vermont's Covered Bridges.

Last but not least, this profile of Vermont would not be complete without mentioning their world famous maple syrup. Vermont is the largest producer of maple syrup in the U.S.

The first American Sugarmakers were early Native Americans of New England who called their delicious maple syrup, "sinzibukwud," which translated means, "sweet buds." The world is forever in their debt for teaching their Sugarmaking trade to the first American white settlers. Read more about it HERE.

A Vermont Maple Syrup Recipe
and Harvest-time Tradition
Sugar On Snow

-Vermont Fancy, Grade-A Light Amber Maple Syrup
-Pure white snow
-Sour Pickles
-Donuts

Boil syrup to 255 degrees Fahrenheit. Scoop snow into large bowl or pan. Drizzle hot maple syrup lightly over snow. Use forks to eat the sticky top layer. Follow with a bite of your favorite donut or a sour pickle. (I am not making this up. LOL!)

The heated syrup will form a lace-like pattern across the top of the snow and quickly harden into a delectable confection. Build a fire pit, round up a few avid maple sap gatherers and you have the makings for a.........

"SUGAR ON SNOW PARTY!"



"These Green Mountains"
Diane Martin - Composer
Rita Buglass - Arranger

These green hills and silver waters
are my home. They belong to me.
And to all of her sons and daughters
May they be strong and forever free.
Let us live to protect her beauty
And look with pride on the golden dome
They say home is where the heart is
These green mountains are my home.
These green mountains are my home.

On May 22, 2000, in a ceremony at Twinfield Union School, Governor Howard B. Dean, M.D. signed Act 99, which designated "These Green Mountains" as the new state song of Vermont.

I could not find a midi of this state song,
but I did find this: "Moonlight in Vermont".










Thank you to the following websites for information and graphics:
The Ethan Allen Homestead and Museum
Vermont, the Green Mountain State
Vermont 'Sugar Shack Facts'

Thank you for joining us on our trek through Vermont.
Have a nice FRiday and a great weekend!

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 07-07-03...Military Monday 07-08-03...FRPets - iceskater's Bubba/Lucy 07-09-03...Things I've Learned in Life 07-10-03...JH2 - "Is Iraq Another Vietnam?"

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' The guy's good, folks!

Thanks, Mixer!

1) Click on the graphic to open the Calendar.
2) Once there you can click on any month and even click to the right to go into next year. Once you are in the month that you joined FR you will need to click on the number in the calendar and then an add item screen will come up.
3) In the next box enter your name in the "Calendar Text" field and then click on submit.
4) If any of the screens fail to load simply click on refresh in your browser and that will usually fix it.
5) If all else fails or simply if you want me to do this for you send me an FReepmail and I will gladly do it for you. ~Mixer

[Mama_Bear]

Thanks Aqua. Have a pleasant evening. Good night and sweet dreams.

[Mama_Bear]

Louie finds the most adorable graphics, doesn't he? :-)

Good night, again.

[jwfiv]

Just went throught the Daily thread for Dubya, found these beautiful pics and have to post 'em....)

G'nite, Freepers...sweet dreams...may you all be safe and as frivolous as allowable this mid-Summer weekend.

May God Bless America.

[longshadow]

(I think I know where the doctor practiced, but I cheated a bit and did a quick Google search.) :-)

It wasn't Bennington.

[Mama_Bear]

Was it Stockbridge?

[longshadow]

Was it Stockbridge?

Negative.

[LadyX]

"Go to Google, then type in the search: weapons of mass destruction. Don't press Search!! Next click the "I'm feeling lucky" button - read the whole error message carefully."

Received this from Race Bannon yesterday, and from my son in Ft. Lauderdale this afternoon!!
LOLOL

[Mama_Bear]

Well, then probably everyone else has seen it too. :-(

[Mama_Bear]

Was it Stockbridge?

Negative.

Well, so much for my Google search.

I give up. I'm a California bear, what do I know? LOL.

[dutchess]

Hi Lori...Just getting here...what a lovely thread today. Have always wanted to visit Vermont...you just pushed me over the edge! Have a wonderful weekend!

[Mama_Bear]

Hi dutchess! I said good night quite awhile ago, but I'm still hanging around. Glad I caught your post.

You have a nice weekend too, Sis.

BTW, I promise, this weekend I will get those pictures of the convention to you. :-)

[MeekOneGOP]

LOL! There were several threads about that Google humor posted here on FR around the July 4th holiday.

Do the same thing keying in "Bill Clinton's women". Get creative and try others too. Funny !!

Google helps GWB find WMD
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/940228/posts

Weapons of Mass Destruction as Defined by Google
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/943279/posts

[.30Carbine]

.30Carbine, I am happy to hear that you have a Governor that you can respect and support.

That we do!

(click pic)

His name is Jim Douglas and he has already balanced our budget, calmed our populace, brought us into the age of the internet, activated the Amber alert system here, relieved our businesses, lowered our property taxes, and brought as back into a surplus...after one year in office. He has let us know that there is much more that needs to be done in our state, much more of what he spoke of on the campaign trail that needs to be passed through our liberal House and Senate, and so he will run for a second term! I pray for him daily.

He and Brian Dubie, our Lt. Gov., make a great team. They knew they had to be bridge-builders to the radical left, re-uniting our state around common goals and directing our energies into united purposes, and they have gained great ground. School choice, lower taxes, and less regulation - business and enviromental - are the topics of discussion around every Vermont kitchen table now!

He is admired by even the Democrats here, known as a man of even temper, with laser-sight objectives on reasonable goals. His reputation is sterling, and he is the best thing to happen to this state in 20 years or more.

[.30Carbine]

...let's all go to Vermont!

I wish you would...and register to vote!

There was so much more I wanted to add to the thread, so many more people and places and histories to share with my fellow FReepers about this great state. I would've if I'd had the time.

I agree with Mama_Bear that much about Vermont is not worthy of this thread, and why discuss the bad when there is so much GOOD about my home state to praise and laud!

There are the three covered bridges in a row in Northfield Falls that I didn't tell you about...two are in sight of eachother and the third is right around the next bend, over a neat swimming hole: very picturesque!

There's Camel's Hump, a 3-mile hike to the best vistas in the state, which gets like an escalator in summer and fall there are so many tourists on the trail!

There are the Falls of Lana, Moss Glen Falls 1)in Stowe, and 2)in Granville Gulch; I wouldn't have left out honorable mention for Texas Falls, where TigersEye and I went skinny dipping on our honeymoon!

There's Moosalamoo campground in Goshen and the hiking trails all through the state forest there, our favorite swimming holes, the new cross-country ski center at the Morse Farm Sugar Shack, and the Trapp Family Lodge to include!

I would have loved to have told you all about our Take Back Vermont movement - with links to threads right here on FR! I wanted you all to know about our wonderful new Conservative news sources, and there are many - the Dwinell Political Report online and True North radio program with Laurie Morrow just for teasers!

There just wasn't time to praise this state like she deserves.

[.30Carbine]

Joseph Smith religious leader, Sharon

On Christmas Eve last year TigersEye and I drove down to visit the Joseph Smith birthplace and see the forest of Christmas lights! It was so lovely; really indescribable. They had hooked up to a local radio frequency so that as you drove through the park you could listen to angelic music and the entire Christmas story and Gospel of Jesus Christ! They also had a live manger scene. We drove through three times, then parked and walked it, loving the sound from hidden speakers in the trees, and the chill of the winter wind in our faces. Too, too lovely.

I'm sorry I couldn't find a winter picture online for you.

[.30Carbine]

Stephen A. Douglas politician, Brandon

My dad owned a home on Pearl Street right around the corner from the tiny building that commemorates this famous American.

[.30Carbine]

John Deere inventor, Rutland

My Dad still owns and rides the John Deere tractor he bought in 1972! Nothing runs like a Deere!

[.30Carbine]

Vermont has changed a lot in the last 25 years

That is certainly true. There remains that slippery something, though, in the "Real Vermonters" who have stayed here, watching the "flatlanders" take over: it's a steadfastness and a willingness not only to endure but to triumph through difficulty. We know that the battle does not always go to those who scream the loudest, or wave the most banners, but rather to the ones left standing when the smoke of every explosion clears.

Even that description doesn't quite capture the reality. It's just there. We take it for granted. Many call it "Fierce Independence," and that, too, comes close, but doesn't say it all.

[.30Carbine]

This too shall pass. . . . hopefully.

Well there you go! That's it in a nutshell!

[Mama_Bear]

I want to thank both of you Fine Vermonters for everything that you've added to this thread. That is exactly what I had hoped would happen when I present a Finest State.

I am convinced that I must experience Vermont for myself someday. Spotlighting your state was a pure pleasure.