Photos by Nanci Blog

Weathersfield News September 23, 2015 Nancy Nutile-McMenemy photosbynanci@comcast.net After our endless summer, there seems to be a crispness in the air. Fall is coming! This coming Sunday Sept. 27, the 23rd Annual Vermont 50 Mountain Bike or Ultra Run takes place at Ascutney Mountain in Brownsville. This sold-out race is a benefit for Vermont Adaptive, which got its start at Ascutney back in 1986 and has since move to Pico and a few other mountains in Vermont . One of the weekend highlights for me is the Kid Free Fun Races held Saturday Sept 26 beginning at 3:30 p.m..  These races are open to all children, so if you know kids who love to run, sign them up. The kids' races are held to encourage children of all ages to have fun and get some exercise. Following the races, the younger children get to hunt through hay bales looking for buried treasure. It makes for quite a fun fall afternoon. More information about the race weekend can be found at www.vermont50...

Saturday September 19, 2015 Windsor VT Venison and moose lasagna, smoke rainbow trout bruschetta, roast moose, grilled domestic ham, Swedish moose and venison meatballs, game stew, corn chowder and a whole lot of delicious homemade pies-this is just a small sampling of what was on the menu Saturday night at the Coon Club Hunter's Club Annual Wild Game Supper. Over 100 people lined up to enjoy these mouth watering dishes prepared by Coon Club Chef Jim Theetge (who is also the chef at Simon Pearce Restaurant.) This was the 17th season that the Coon Club has hosted a Wild Game Supper. The meat and fish served are donated by area hunters and fishermen and also by the Vermont Game Wardens. Dinner was served buffet style from 5-6:30 p.m. and a live Auction followed. The live Auction (with items donated by area businesses, club and community members) raised over $1000. Some of these funds will sponsor two area Jr. High School youths for a week each at the Green Mountain Conserv...

Weathersfield News September 16, 2015 Nancy Nutile-McMenemy photosbynanci@comcast.net Just back from a music festival in Burlington Vt. The 5th Annual Grand Point North took place on Saturday Sept 12 and Sunday Sept 13. Twenty bands in two days. WOW it was a blast. Grace Potter and Higher Ground host the event. Benny Yurco and Grace Potter The Snaz , a band out of Brattelboro The Flaming Lips asked The Snaz to help them out during their set. Yup, That's Wayne Coyne the lead singer for The Flaming Lips in a giant hamster ball in the crowd Grace Potter closed the festival both nights. Images from the weekend:  https://photosbynanci.smugmug.com/Grand-Point-North-2015 I thought the summer was crazy busy, just look at all the fun things to do in and around Weathersfield over the next two weekends. I'm exhausted just listing the events here. But you know me, I'll rally and hit as many as I can, I hope you do to so get your calendars o...

Weathersfield News September 9, 2015 Nancy Nutile-McMenemy photosbynanci@comcast.net I hope you all had a very nice and safe Labor Day weekend. I remember when we used to go back to school the Tuesday after Labor Day. It seems now most schools start the week or two before the final holiday of the summer. I've hear folks say it's a nice way to slowly transition the children back into the long days at school after the freedom of summer at home or camp. I guess that would work; having never experienced it I cannot really comment but it is what it is. I have fond memories of all the kids on our street hanging out on Labor Day evening talking about the next day when the school buses would be picking us up to take us to our various schools. Who got new sneakers and who got new lunch boxes. I suppose this still happens just a week earlier. I also remember dying to see friends that lived on the other side of town. This was before social media, only telephones (and later ...

Weathersfield News September 2, 2015 Nancy Nutile-McMenemy photosbynanci@comcast.net I have some great news to report. Glenn Selwitz and Alicia Jenks have a new home! Last January I covered the fire that destroyed their home at the Green Dragon Farm in Weathersfield. And for months as I drove by on my way to other newspaper assignments and events, I'd get all choked up and teary eyed at the burned out shell, then the bulldozer, then the pile of broken bits and chunks of stuff. But just as summer was beginning to recede, the rebuild activity started to take place. First came the cellar hole, next up the concrete truck appeared in the driveway, then last week as if by magic the house is back. I'm not sure what the family cows thought of the process but I was surely in awe. One day nothing, next day a home (just the opposite of that awful night in January.) This is a good thing. Happy Home to you both! The children are back to school so watch for the school buses...

Saturday August 29, 2015 Billsville House Concerts Manchester VT A band from Connecticut, a house in the foothills of  Green Mountain National Forest, a Super Moon, potluck foods and handmade "Feel The Bern" t-shirts all came together last Saturday night for a wicked good time. Doug Hacker and his wife, Caroline Schneider, converted their front yard into a natural amphitheater for the evening. But first you had to get past the guy at the garden path, were you on the list? Doug and Caroline's son, Kai, checked his iPad and if you were cool, he would let you find a spot on the lawn. The couple’s older son, Ethan,  manned the sound board for the night. Ethan even got a shout out from that night's band- Parsonsfield . To paraphrase, they said he was doing an amazing job, even better than professionals twice his age. The band took the stage very close to 7 p.m. making use of the slowly setting sun. They weren't always called Parsonsfield (the band st...

A new business is flourishing in Reading Vermont. Garden inspired scents are used to create a line of handmade soaps and candles right in our backyard. In 2012 Bill Bakker and Stephen D'Agostino decided to move out of New York and head east to Vermont. After looking at many properties they found one listed in Reading that met all their requirements: some land-not too big-something that was manageable; and a secluded, older house but not a fixer-uper. They saw a former ranch style house that has been expanded on it typical Vermont Farm house fashion on Jenne RD in Reading online and fell in love with it. They made the move in December 2014. They brought with them their love for making gifts and soon Grosbeak Gardens taking over their basement. While in New York the two had been making candles for a couple years as Christmas gifts. Stephen started with a pure cucumber scented candle, "because its so hard to find straight up cucumber scented things" said Stephen, "i...

Saturday August 29, 2015 Killington VT The 15th Annual Killington Classic was held last weekend at The Foundry on Killington Mountain. The four day event boasts being the biggest motorcycle rally in Vermont. It features all kinds of things to do: a poker run, a scavenger hunt, guided rides through the mountains and back roads, riding contest (where the slowest bike wins) and more. Bikes of all shapes, sizes and styles were on display. Lots of vendors and fun for everyone. One of the events was a BMX Stunt Bike show featuring the guys from Dialed Action Sports Team . These guys were catching some pretty serious air. There were even a few motorcycles there that sure didn't look like bikes.... More images from the rally:  https://photosbynanci.smugmug.com/VermontStandard/September-2015/Killington-Classic 15th Annual Killington Classic Killington, VT August 27-30, 2015 Copyright ©2015 Nancy Nutile-McMenemy www.photosbynanci.com For The Vermont Standard: http://...