Photos by Nanci Blog

The third weekend of July sees the annual Vermont 100 mile Ride and Run; a horse and ultra-marathon race that weaves it way around West Windsor, Woodstock, Pomfret, Reading and Brownsville. The race proceeds benefit Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports. This year was the 24 th Annual Ride and Run with 290-100 mile runners starting the race at 4 AM on Saturday morning. This year also saw the inaugural 100K race with 35 runners making the 8 AM race start. The horse race consists of a 100, a 75 and a 50-mile endurance ride. Race organizers have lots planned for the 25 th anniversary next July including a T-shirt design contest that could land the winner a free race registration. More images on the Vermont Standard Gallery: Vermont 100 Ride and Run Design the 25th Anniversary T-shirt  WIN either a FREE Race Entrance or a Swag Basket!! Racers Thank the Vermont 100!! Follow Photos By Nanci at: photosbynanci.com  Photos by Nanci Blog SmugMug Ga...

Even the 90 degree heat couldn’t keep folks away from the Hartland Farmer’s Market Friday the 13th. Plenty of local vendors on hand with flavored iced teas and lemonade for folks to quench their thirst while shopping for fresh locally grown produce and homemade breads, spreads and pastries. The Market is open every Friday through October on the lawn in front of the Hartland Library. More images on the Vermont Standard Gallery page: Hartland Farmers Market . Check out the newspaper too! Follow Photos By Nanci at: photosbynanci.com  Photos by Nanci Blog SmugMug Galleries YouTube Twitter  Facebook  

On July 21, 2012 Red Sox Nation gathered at Fenway Park to Thank their Captain #33 Jason Varitek for 15 years of what maybe the last CLASS ACT of a Red Sox Player. Tek was apparently born to play baseball as seen by his career beginning in Little League straight through his years with the Red Sox. I think Red Sox Nation can collectively say "Thank God for Heathcliff Slocumb!" In 1997, in what some say was the MOST one-sided trade in baseball history, Slocumb was traded the Seattle Mariners for Jason Varitek and Derek Lowe. Tek and Lowe went on to make multiple All-Star Teams and were major factors in the Sox winning the 2004 World Series. For Tek the 2004 Series win was long over due, in 1984 his Little League Team lost to South Korea 6-2. In 1994, along with former Sox Teammates Nomar Garciaparra and Jay Payton, Tek and The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets lost the College World Series to the University of Oklahoma. Tek is the only Yellow Jacket...

The image I captured of the Bowers Covered Bridge being placed on the new concrete abutments is in a Vermont Photo Contest Buildupvt.com I could use your vote and your friends and family votes too, so spread the word! THANKS Gov. Peter Shumlin launched  ‘Build Up Vermont’   Thursday to encourage residents and visitors to share their views of the state – using their cameras. The emphasis of this initiative is to showcase photography of communities and destinations within Vermont in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Irene, celebrating the recovery efforts since the Aug. 28 storm. The centerpiece of Build Up Vermont is a website that will allow people to post their pictures, view the growing photo gallery and vote for their favorite shot. “What better way to reflect the hard work and remarkable spirit of Vermonters than by promoting images of the progress we’ve made in the last 11 months,” the Governor said. Build Up Vermont is a collaborative between the Governor’...

MoonRise Farm in Taftsville hosted a multi-faceted event on Saturday. It was the farm’s 10 th anniversary, they opened their Equine Playground and hosted a benefit dinner for scholarships to their Therapeutic Riding Program specifically for the Vermont Adaptive Riding Program . The dinner featured food donated by local farms and chefs and featured barbequed chicken prepared by Taftsville resident Robert Maynard. Robert is a cowboy from Florida who now lives in Vermont. He volunteers and horse trains at MoonRise Farm and brought his special secret “goat sauce” to the barbeque. More images:  http://thevermontstandard.smugmug.com/2012-July/MoonRise-Farm-fund-raiser/24228269_75gtLV#!i=1971397867&k=Z6p8wbj Vermont Standard Video of the Event: 2 nd  Annual Dinner to Benefit Vermont Adaptive’s Therapeutic Riding Program MoonRise Farm 10 th  Anniversary and Opening of the Equine Playground Taftsville VT July 14, 2012 Copyright ©2012 Nan...

Bowers Covered Bridge Brownsville VT July 14, 2012 Copyright ©2012 Nancy Nutile-McMenemy http://www.photosbynanci.com For The Vermont Standard: http://www.thevermontstandard.com/ Image Galleries: http://thevermontstandard.smugmug.com/ Following many delays, Saturday saw the Bowers Covered Bridge get one step closer to re-opening to motor vehicle traffic.  The Miller Construction crane arrived Friday set the I-beams and cables and do a test lift. The neighbors gathered for Brownsville General Coffee and donuts in the Ouelette’s side yard on Saturday morning and the move from the reconstruction area to the bridge abutments went smoothly. More images:  http://thevermontstandard.smugmug.com/2012-July/Bowers-Bridge-Placement/24222321_kQvvgw#!i=1970881287&k=fVtSGqK A dedication ceremony is slated for the evening of July 28 at the bridge. It should be quite a town celebration. Follow Photos By Nanci at: photosbynanci.com  Photos by Nanci B...

The North Springfield Bog formed over 10,000 years ago at the end of the last ice age as the glacier receded. The bog catches water, like a bowl, and has no inlet or outlet. It is a wetland that has accumulated a thick layer of peat--dead plant material that does not decay because it's always wet. The water is acidic supporting many types of acid soil loving plants like blueberries. Pitcher plants are the most readily identified plants in New England bogs. They are carnivorous plants that grown on the peat mat. Their leaves form a tube and collect rainwater. As insects land to collect fresh water they become trapped by the downward facing hairs on the inner surface of the leaves. The plant releases enzyme that digest the insects and and the plant uses the nutrients released by the insects to supply itself in the nutrient poor environment. I visited this bog today with my friend Grace. Our next bog trip will be to the: Eshqua Bog in Hartland Vt The ...

This weekend horses and runners from all around the US and Canada (and even someone from New Zealand #173 watch for her!! check out the entrants list ) will arrive in at Silver Meadow Farm, West Windsor Vt for the 24th Running/Riding of the  Vermont 100  to benefit Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports These ultra-runners will endure the heat and humidity, or cold and rain, whatever the Vermont weather has in store to run either 100 miles--in under 30 hours or 100K--in under 20 hours on the shamrock loop course that both climbs and descends 14000-15000 feet! Weather Forecast | Weather Maps | Weather Radar The race Start and Finish are at Silver Meadow Farm in West Windsor Vt. Directions Map There are many places for viewing the race and I urge you to get out and see these amazing athletes and horses. One spot in particular that is always interesting is the Margaritaville Aid Station, run by the Vermont Parrot Heads, The Frozen Fins  around mile ...

August 28, 2011 Tropical Storm Irene Hits Vermont Bowers Covered Bridge in Brownsville Vt gets carried downstream and rests in a neighbors yard. Today the Bridge returns to its home. The bridge restoration began over the winter with Brownsville resident Stephen Bodley working diligently  to restore the bridge to its original design. FEMA documented the move of the bridge back upstream http://www.fema.gov/medialibrary/media_records/7006 March 19, 2012 the framing of the Bridge Begins... More Images from March 19 are on the Vermont Standard Gallery:  http://thevermontstandard.smugmug.com/Category/Bowers-Bridge-Construction/22029176_hrCBbW#!i=1757792574&k=tcFmm8n Beginning at 10 AM today a crane will lift the bridge and place it on its concrete abutments. The Town of West Windsor is planning a big celebration honoring the return of their town treasure. Images and video to follow later this week.  Follo...

Today in Wilder VT 4-5:30 PM Jed and Dave at the Local Legends 2009 Jed Dickinson and Dave Clark perform and will demonstrate Harmonica playing for children ages 5-12. Location: The Wilder Club and Library 78 Norwich Ave. The event is free, for more info call 802.295.6341. MAP Today   in Hartland VT 4-7 PM Farmer's Market 153 Rte 5 from 4-7 PM ERIK BOEDETKER & JOHNNY O perform Map SATURDAY in West Windsor 10 AM The Bower's Covered Bridge Returns Home Following the destruction caused by Tropical Storm Irene in August 2011, the Town of West Windsor has been restoring their beloved covered bridge. The ceremony to place the bridge on its concrete abutments, after much delay, will take place this weekend. Photos by Nanci began coverage of this story back in March and hopes to close the story out this weekend. Bowers Covered Bridge Restoration For the  Vermont Standard Image Gallery Bible Hill RD Brownsville VT  March 19, 2...

On a beautiful Summer Saturday evening, the North Pomfret Congregational Church hosted its annual Strawberry Supper. The group has been holding these suppers for at least 70 years and some say as long as 90 years (the North Pomfret Ladies Circle plans to research the events history this winter using old diaries and possibly the Vermont Standard.) Three seating times allow the 300 plus community members, friends and vacationers to enjoy a family style volunteer baked dinner of ham, potato salad, baked beans, dinner rolls, deviled eggs and of course Strawberry Shortcake. One of the volunteers and her husband spent all day Friday baking 500 strawberry shortcake biscuits. In addition to the dinner the Ladies Circle holds a bake sale, a crafts sale and a raffle for the Circle’s hand made quilt—winner to be announced at the Fall Harvest Supper. More images at the  Vermont Standard  Photo Gallery:  http://thevermontstandard.smugmug.com/2012-July/Pomfret-St...