You've probably seen lots of press about Vermont lately, thanks to Bernie Sanders, and have some impressions rattling around inside your head about what it's like here. Before any impressions get a firm hold on you, however, I thought I would throw a couple of curveballs, stuff you won't hear in the media. (1) We are not a radical socialist state, we just have some sensible traditions, like town meeting once a year where democracy in its original form still thrives, and we support our neighbors regardless of political affiliation because we need to have each other's backs to get through mud season and -30°F nights in the winter. (2) We have a (surprise!) very popular Republican governor who deserves credit for keeping our little state a model of correct COVID-19 response and the lowest rates of infection and deaths in the contiguous U.S. (and most of the world) (3) Everyone has guns, conservative and liberal, cuz if nothing else, it's the only way to keep woodchucks out of your garden.
That's enough for now. Just a little window on the world that Blue and Will (from Vox Oculis) are growing up in—and also a little window on the world I write in. Literally. The picture at the top of this page is the view from my writing desk.
Enjoy life and stay safe!