July 2026 – Page 2 – Roadkill Crossing

Vermont Scenes

The iconic view of Stowe, VT, without the fall colors. Photo by Bruce Stambaugh

Before visiting friends in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, my wife and I enjoyed the eye-pleasing scenery of the Green Mountain State.

After a stop at Cabot’s Cheese, we visited Stowe, Vermont’s tourist magnet. Despite the excessive heat, we weren’t disappointed. The young lady at the visitor center helped us make the most of our limited time there.

The Little River flows behind the Stowe Community Church. Photo by Bruce Stambaugh

We walked through part of the town to photograph the iconic church with its towering steeple and to find the recommended restaurant for a refreshing salad and hydration. We found both.

After lunch, we took the Stowe Hollow self-guiding tour and found some incredible scenes even in summer. I can only imagine these vistas decked out in fall’s brilliant, warm colors.

Even with fifty shades of green all around, we found the countryside surrounding Stowe stunning. From unique barns and homes with views to covered bridges and the Green Mountains as the backdrop, we left Stowe amazed but ready to fellowship with our friends.

An Oddity on the Way to New England

The world’s tallest filing cabinet, Burlington, Vermont. Photo by Bruce Stambaugh

When friends in Ohio learned we would be staying overnight in Burlington, Vermont, they suggested we check out an oddity.

After a smooth drive from the Pocomos to Burlington, my wife and I went looking for a good place for dinner. Our Ohio friends said we should check out the world’s tallest file cabinet. So we did.

I’m not sure how they knew about this unusual landmark, because no signs mark the way to it like other touristy places. There’s not even a sign explaining why, how, or when this “monument” was installed.

Thanks to Google Maps, we found it with ease. This amazing structure stands like an unmarked grave in the corner of the parking lot of a nondescript local business.

Best of all, the restaurant we chose was right next door. I enjoyed my monster smash burger and Vermont maple lemonade to wash it down.

The loaded smash burger. Photo by Bruce Stambaugh

Starting a Vacation With a Bang

My wife and I are in the last leg of our vacation. Yes, retired people take holidays, too.

We started our two-week trip off with a bang. We gathered with our son and his family, our daughter and her husband, and our granddaughter in a cottage on a lake in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountain region on July 4.

The community where we stayed shot off its fireworks display from the dam of the lake we stayed on. Of course, neighbors around the lake preempted the real show with their mini-pyrotechnic displays. They couldn’t hold a candle to the sponsored ones, however.

At 9:45 p.m., the fireworks began despite the overcast skies and intermittent drizzle. The show must go on, especially on the country’s 250th celebration of independence.

I stood back and captured our families watching the fireworks. With the low clouds and the misty haze, the sparkly colors echoed off of the atmospheric elements.

In this photo, the brief time-lapse created a glowing red glow all around just as the second burst flashed brilliantly white with a double boom. It was a great way to initiate our time with family and friends on our jaunt into New England.

Fireworks in the Poconos. Photo by Bruce Stambaugh

Spent

On my morning walk, I spotted these spent fireworks cartridges standing in a neighbor’s driveway. In celebration of Independence Day in the U.S., the fireworks did their job the previous evening.

A palette of patriotic colors and occasional booms filled the sky over the street. They wisely left the used containers of mayhem to stand overnight. I’m glad I was able to capture the photo before the spent containers were whisked away.

It Must Be Summer

Rows of Hollyhocks greet me on my morning walk. Photo by Bruce Stambaugh

My morning walks in our suburban neighborhood reap several rewards besides exercise.

I enjoy greeting other walkers, runners, and dog walkers. Though it has lessened recently, I still enjoy hearing the birdsong as I make my way.

Song sparrows, Northern Cardinals, Carolina Wrens, House Wrens, House Finches, American Robins sing away, while the Blue Jays and Common and Fish Crows signal with their various alerts and caws.

As the bird calls grow fewer, the many flower gardens send forth a rainbow of colors from season to season. Summer, of course, is the climax of this natural colorful abundance.

I enjoy the Knockout Roses, Irises, Tulips, and other floral displays that, week by week, transform spring into summer. Of all these beauties, Common Hollyhocks are my favorites.

Their mostly pastel colors welcome me as I turn the corner for home. From deep burgundy to pink to white, they stand tall between the street and an iron fence that keeps a pair of Brittney Spaniels in their spacious backyard.

Each time I see those beds of Hollyhocks, visions of watercolors flash before me from my elementary school days. I remember those lovely illustrations in our reading books from the “Alice and Jerry” series.

With all the troubles of the world swirling around us, it’s nice to be reminded of simpler, less troublesome times.