The Autumn Gold of Vermont

Vermont is a unique state with a unique past. Almost everyone knows that it is somewhere in the New England region, but it is often confused with its Eastern neighbor, New Hampshire. The two states have very similar shapes matching each other the way two pieces of a rectangle match if separated by a diagonal line. This similarity of shape, size, and proximity is every forth graders geography nightmare. It is in the 4th grade that school children across America are usually learning the names, capitals, and locations of all the states. And without fail, there is the evitable quiz involving an outline of the United States on which children are supposed to label each state and draw a circle or put a point in approximate location of the state’s capital. The trauma of this single event might, and I emphasize might, explain why so many American, perhaps half, never leave the comfortable confines of their home state borders.

Vermont is the 43^rd smallest state; however, if you exclude the part that is water, it falls to the 45th smallest state, so it’s not hard to appreciate why excluding the water part is so abhorrent to them. It is the 2nd least populace state, coming in just behind Wyoming and it was the 14th state to join the union. Originally the Native Americans Indians thought the area belonged to them. That silly, although probably unimpeachable, notion lasted until 1609 when the French decided that, more than likely, it belonged to them. The British, after many years of thoughtful reflection and a long bloody war briefly took possession in 1763. In 1777 Vermont declared itself a free Republic and remained that way until it joined the union in 1791. The constitution of Vermont was one of the first constitutions in the Americas and was clearly the first to abolish slavery and provide for male suffrage. On examination, many of the parts of the Vermont constitution seemed to have been incorporated into the final version of U.S. constitution which would be drafted ten years later.

With Vermont’s history behind us, it is time to turn our attention to the best part of Vermont, its color. Both Vermont and New Hampshire can, perhaps equally, claim to be the fall foliage capitals of America. Vermont has a mainly rural history and beautiful dairy farms still dominate the landscape, a landscape unaffected by the ravages of overpopulation, deforestation, or industrialization. Each year starting, in September, the countryside begins to change. The days are a little less warm and the nights start getting slightly nippy. The leaves of the oak and maple trees begin there magnificent transformation from the deep green of the warm months of July and August to the fiery blaze that heralds the coming of winter. It’s not only the leaves that change, the countryside is also littered with pumpkin patches and as the days of September fade into the days of October, children start to become anxious for October 31st, when the pumpkins are carved and Halloween and trick-or-treat arrives.

There is no place like autumn in New England, with its white and red painted farm buildings; little, old steepled churches with their disproportionately tall spires; three-beam wooden fences, some painted, some not; covered bridges that continue to stand in complete defiance of their age and the passage of time; and the color, the incredible colors of autumn.

So on your visit to Vermont make time for a long drive in the country. Pack a picnic and enjoy lunch in a cozy roadside park. Afterwards, find a small restaurant, chat a while with the waitperson, the owner, and some of the locals, have some warm cider and relish the delicacy of a hot slice of freshly baked apple or pumpkin pie, alamode if you prefer.

Last week’s film question: Who starred in the film Groundhog Day?
Answer: Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell.

Trivia question of the week: Of the 44 U.S. presidents, Obama being number 44, how many came from Vermont?

Glossary

• confused – popletený
• matching – shodný, srovnatelný
• rectangle – obdélník, čtyřúhelník
• nightmare – noční můra, strašák
• evitable – vyhnutelný (zřídka)
• supposed – pravděpodbný, údajný
• approximate – přibližný
• emphasize – zdůrazňovat
• abhorrent – nepřípustný, neslučitelný, odporný
• thought to be – považovaný za
• unimpeachable – nesporný, spolehlivý
• possession – majetek, država
• abolish – zrušit, anulovat
• slavery – otroctví
• suffrage – hlas (volební), volební právo
• equally – stejně
• deforestation – odlesňování
• nippy – chladný, řezavě studený
• oak – dub
• maple – javor
• littered with – zaneřáděný
• pumpkin – dýně
• patches – políčka
• fence – plot, oplocení, ohrada
• cozy – útulný
• cider – mošt, víno
• relish – pochutnat