Friday & Richmond, Vermont

Hello. Today my workplace celebrated Employee Appreciation Day! The four-hour celebration consisted of 1950's themed games and outdoor exercise. The department I'm a part of (communications) decided on a group costume theme of the Beatnik poets of the 1950's. Berets were purchased for each of us, and lacking a black turtleneck and dark pants, I opted for a somewhat-50s style of dress. It was a sunny and hot morning, and we all struggled to keep the wool berets on in the heat. When it was time for the costume contest, we gathered together. My supervisor strummed the guitar and I played the bongos as a co-worker read a passage from Kerouac's On the Road. The presentation was enjoyable and comical for all of us.

We were sadly missing a couple of employees, the department is a bit larger.

With extra berets available, they were passed between departments. :)

 

Afterwards, I headed north to Burlington. Recently choosing to embrace the exploratory study-abroad spirit I once possessed, I've decided that I hope to treat this upcoming year as a chance to continue to explore, take risks and experience new activities, ideas and places. I'll be busier, but I know how beneficial it will be if I continue to discover and learn from the area in which I live and realize (as I did last year) that I'm faced once again with a one-year period of time. Roughly ten miles south of Burlington, I pulled off the highway to explore Richmond, Vermont. It was 1 p.m., the weather was beautiful, it's early August and while Quebecois tourists currently dominate this state, Vermont has plenty of space and I didn't sense the small town as being too crowded in any sense. I had visited Richmond once previously in March 2012. I photographed the town's annual 'Town Meeting' day as a photojournalism extra-credit project and I remembered that when entering Richmond, all signs seemed to reference 'The Round Church'. I drove by it that Tuesday in March of 2012 under gray skies and stale and snowy roads and didn't have time to stop on either trip past it. Today though, was different. Richmond is naturally beautiful already. The tiny main street is friendly and bright. A large sign advertising the law offices of David Sunshine make the town seem even more inviting. Rolling hills, nearby mountains and brightly colored steel bridges frame the path to the Round Church. As for the church, a festival for its bicentennial will be celebrated next week (period dress encouraged!) and the first view of it is breathtaking in a historical, structural way. It appears behind a curve in the road and it's Puritan meeting-house look is quintessential New England.

I parked and found a spot on the grass across from the church to eat my supermarket-made California Rolls lunch. As a large family had just entered the church, I embraced my California Roll-solitude and thought about life before wandering into this antique shop, positioned conveniently behind the Round Church.

 

Upon entry, I was greeted immediately by this:

It was beautiful. I'm not the largest dog-fan, but I hold an immense love for corgis. These two were affectionate and so, so friendly.

The shop was small and Quebec tourists were in the process of navigating the sea of corgis in an attempt to exit when I arrived. The shop owner, an elderly woman, and I spoke for thirty minutes. She was so sweet and we immediately were able to relate so well. She told me all about her corgis, how she became the owner of corgis, what attracted her to corgis, the corgi diet both are on, as well as the lives of her eight grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. The shop was quaint and unique.  I settled upon a small card, said goodbye and departed for the Round Church.

Inside, the Round Church was a little bit less impressive but beautiful tones of gray and white covered the simple walls and seats.