February 12, 2015


I remember when we first moved to Peterson in December of 1979,
the snow was deep and the county rarely plowed Morgan Valley Drive.  It was not unusual for us to drive down the lane with a foot of snow on it and out on to Morgan Valley Drive, it not having been plowed.  The snow would pack down over the months and it would be beautiful, white and slick.  I always felt it would be fun to have a horse drawn sleigh to take advantage of the packed snow on the roads.  Spring and the thaw however would make the roads full of icy potholes and very hard to drive on.  

The roads here in Vermont  snow pack and ice very fast.  Each time it snows it takes a while for the plows to get out and get the roads plowed.  It is white and beautifully treacherous.  Driving up Dairy Hill  Road to the visitor center would be very hard if we didn't have all wheel drive. There are some cars that try and don't make the steep incline.  I do prefer the white to the sand and salt they use to keep the roads driveable. The cars in Vermont are very dirty during the winter.

LDS Lane after a snowfall

We have taken some drives recently that have taken us to some beautiful little towns.  We went to Tunbridge, a very prominent town in the early history of Joseph Smith Sr. and Lucy his wife.

There are many covered bridges in Vermont.  Tunbridge has several.  I often wondered "why cover the bridge?'  I can see that it might be because of all the ice.  They are very sturdy in structure.

Covered bridge in Tunbridge, Vermont

I am sure that when spring comes we will enjoy the green of this Green Mountain State.

We have enjoyed the town of Hannover, New Hampshire, the home of Dartmouth College.  It is a fun town.  I love the old architecture of the buildings and the beauty of the grounds.

One of the buildings at Dartmouth College

Just across the Connecticut River is a little town called Norwich. It is quaint and has some Churches that remind me of the song the "Little Brown Church in the Vale."  

Little Gray Church in Norwich

The day we were here was especially fun.  We were looking for the last home that Joseph Sr and Lucy's family lived in before they moved to Palmyra.  Diana was on the phone with us and encouraged me to post some of these pictures on Instagram.  So I did.  She stayed with us while we tried to find the roads to be on and while we made several turn arounds, it was truly fun to have her with us in that car that day.

We did find the house.  The front is original.  They have built on in the back; most houses in Vermont do build on.  It is still rural and they would have farmed the surrounding property. A very fun find.

This is the rented home that Joseph Sr. and Lucy Smith lived in for three years before moving to Palmyra NY 

I took a picture of it in the snow but found this one and it showed the house better.

We have had some amazing experiences here.  Most of them having to do with feeling our Father in Heaven's spirit. This is a blessed place.  I know it.

When  the sun shines after a snow storm the air is extremely cold.  This day it was -15 degrees.