Capturing the Moment

  Looks like Fenna and I will have the place all to ourselves. Sterling Pond. Vermont is a wonderful place to hike, but today I discovered a new layer of joy - hiking with Fenna the dog by my side. This was her first real hike, and I wasn't sure how she would do. I took her to the Sterling Pond Trail, which is on the shorter side, but with a 1,000ft elevation gain and tricky trail conditions, it would be a challenge for us both. Fenna was already excited, just from the windy, windows partially-down drive up through Smugglers Notch. Once we hit the trail her dog nose was on full exploratory mode. We parked at the Smuggler's Notch visitor center, and the Sterling Pond Trail hike starts right across the street. We got their pretty early, and the notch has just recently reopened after being closed all winter, so the trail was very uncrowded. That's what I was hoping for. Being her first hike, I kept Fenna on a leash. Even though Vermont laws say a dog must be on a leash in most...

  A beautiful country scene from my walk through Stowe, Vermont. There is a pathway that winds along, next to a river through the picturesque Vermont mountain town of Stowe. Located on the slopes of Vermont's tallest mountain, Mount Mansfield, this path is perfect for bikers, hikers, strollers, skaters, and even horse back riders. But today, I had a different purpose, I was a photographer. I wanted to get a feel for the Stowe Rec Path, and capture all the Spring vibe along the way. The path winds for a little over five miles, from an old covered bridge, to the historic town of Stowe. The entire time you are next to cascading West Branch River, until it meets the Little River just in back of town. Corn farms, red barns, and green mountains provide a wonderful cozy feeling as you walk along. And several restaurants are located just off the path if you feel like stopping for a quick micro-brew of slice of pizza. Today that grass was brilliantly green, after finally seeing the sun afte...

  Aerial shot of Smugglers Notch from my DJI mini 4K drone. Beavers have created a wetlands area in the foreground. All of the trees that look bare are popping out tiny new leaves for spring. These will turn yellow, red, and orange during the peak Autumn foliage season later this year. Spring is here in Vermont. I am waking up to bird noises in the mornings, and the trees are sprouting new leaves. There is still a touch of snow near the tops of the Green Mountains, and a patchwork still left on the slopes of Stowe Mountain Ski Resort. Otherwise, the hikes are opening up, and the forests are waking up. This is a quiet time here in Stowe, Vermont. The rush of the ski season is past, kids are back in school after spring break, and now folks are waiting for summer break to start really traveling again. Hotels and restaurants are taking the reprieve to close up and renovate, and the road workers have the same idea. Today I wanted to head up into the mountains above Stowe, where the famo...