Yesterday was a big day for us. We had a wedding in Pittsfield , VT and making that drive was a sobering experience. The devastation at Mother Nature's hands was mind boggling. There were people out cleaning up their homes, hauling furniture out, digging out mud and rocks- and, this is two weeks post Irene. Cars were still embedded in the river and complete homes sat right in the riverbed. The sun was shining, but you could certainly feel the absence of the carefree summer that just departed.
The town of Pittsfield was one of the hardest hit towns. The roads leading in were still marked "Local Traffic Only" but the wedding was held at a place called Amee Farms and it sits high on a hill across from the river, so the wedding venue was untouched. They used a local caterer and they said this was the first wedding event since Irene that they were able to do- everyone seemed glad to be back to work. They had all been personally affected by the storm but the mood was upbeat and hopeful.
We also had a small fundraising event for Grady Chaltain- a Hanover High School graduate who recently underwent brain surgery and is bravely recovering. The process of recovery is long one for both Grady and his family and we were happy to raise money to help out. The van was parked outside the opening Dartmouth Football game against Colgate ( in the Hanover High School parking lot) and it was a beautiful sunny day. The Colgate fans had a group of young kids who dressed up in full football uniforms to cheer their team on and they seemed particularly happy to buy a cupcake on their way home. I wish I had my camera- they were all so cute impersonating their big football heros. It was a cheerful way to end the day.
We hope to be able to have the van out in the Hanover High parking lot for more Fall events while we raise money for Grady and his family. Look for us there on the weekends in the near future!
Next weekend we head over to the Vermont 50 in Ascutney, VT. I'll give more details as that date approaches....
