Abracadabra Coffee
We seek out Abracadabra Coffee, as we're told it's the best coffee in town. They used to operate out of a trailer in a central location in town, but now they are on the outskirts, and cleverly, they still operate out of their original trailer which now is housed inside a building (to allow for space for roasting beans, for people to enjoy their coffee and apparently take video calls).
I stick with my Vermont routine: maple latte with oat milk.


VINS (Vermont Institute of Natural Science)
A visit to VINS is another recommendation from our Stowe hosts. VINS takes in injured wild birds that need care and rehabilitation, and when possible, release back to the wild.
We join a live session on songbirds. They say that crows, ravens, and blue jays are songbirds, and can learn to imitate sounds they hear (including ring tone as well as the sound of a prey bird to intimidate other birds). We learn that there are two types of song birds: ones that are born knowing the songs from birth (and therefore their repertoire is more limited), and others that learn to develop their songs (or imitate sounds). I've only heard the crow make one sound, and I think I wouldn't mind hear a different sound from a crow once in awhile...
We also join a session on raptors.


It's hard to believe this cute little bird is a raptor - but apparently it can fly up to 70 mph and it's prey never know what hits them.

My favorite is the barn owl. I'm thinking of setting up an owl housing in our neighborhood so it can hunt for rodents to its heart's content. And besides, how cute they are!!


Fable Farm's Rumney Session
My local Woodstock friend Kristen has given me many great recommendations, including this one: a live music session at a local farm. They serve food from hyper-local ingredients, and pour their own produced wine, cider, meads, and co-ferments.
To get there, our map directions take us onto a dirt road for miles. I start to worry, because I once followed a navigation system onto a dirt road in Oregon and it ended up being a fire road that was muddy, and I came across a downed tree that was much too large for me to move. And the road was too muddy for me to turn around and get the car up the hill that I just came down. There I am, stuck on a muddy road in a forest in Oregon. But I shake off these uneasy memories, and eventually we get Fable Farm.
Lesson quickly learned: it's rare for either of us to have any cell signal outside of the main parts of town. My navigation will stick with me so long as I have signal when I start it. So we make it to our destination without any incident. But as the evening goes on, I begin to worry about how we'll get back to our AirBnB. So the real lesson is to remember to save the directions for the trip home - before leaving home.
The evening at Fable Farm is wonderful! Thankfully it's held inside (it's a rather chilly and windy night). Drumstick Bossman performs with special guest Ira Friedman. The description is spot on:
Drumstick Bossman is bringing their energetic fusion of funk and reggae to the Rumney Sessions stage with special guest Ira Friedman joining on keyboards. Get ready for a night of infectious grooves and great vibes!

To accompany the lively music, some warming soup and a glass of Fluxion (a barrel-infused cider) are a perfect match.
Fluxion's description from Fable Farm:
With faith in flow, we merged multiple vintages of cider aged in an assortment of wood barrels to create our fourth iteration of Fluxion that awaits you. Made in the traditional method, maple syrup was added to kick-start a secondary fermentation in bottle. This cultured blend of cider is the sparkling counterpart to Stillpoint--itself a delightful, still, apple wine. Fluxion is defined as “the act of flowing; the matter that flows.” On the quantum level, matter is composed of vortices of energy in continual spin. As we move as a society into a post-materialist worldview, we offer you Fluxion in acknowledgment of the primordial and continual flow of energy spiralling within and throughout all that is. Enjoy with feasts, merrymaking, and intimate conversations. Dry with refreshing acidity. Batch VI: 207 +2018
About the drive home..
Fortunately Mike has a tiny bit of signal while at Fable Farm, so we're able to enter our destination and get started. It takes us on an alternative route, so more nail biting and stress (more dirt roads, very few homes along the way, a strange route, and no cell signal to call for help). But obviously we make it home safely. and without incident. Whew!
Dirt road facts
According to the Vermont Agency of Transportation, there are more Gravel and Graded Earth roads combined (6077 and 1477, respectively) than there are Pavement roads (7226) in Vermont. Why does this matter? It gives me a little bit of comfort that, when driving on a dirt road, I'm actually on a commonly-used road and not on an abandoned logging road. It also helps to come across a beautiful home periodically while driving on these dirt roads.
You seemed like such a natural I forgot to prep you for the dirt road and no service (but wifi at Fable!). Ah! Love this blog so much!