Our New Back Yard

Ah...some peace and quiet.

There is something about the gentle sounds a river that calm the mind. These pictures come courtesy of the White River, just in front of the Vermont Law School in South Royalton. It's a far cry from the hustle and bustle of Washington, DC - our former home, but it is clearly a better fit for the two of us.

The little town of South Royalton can be measured in blocks rather than miles, but during our visit we scratched the surface of a rich history. In the center square there is a monument titled, "South Royalton Honor Roll," which lists the fallen soldiers of South Royalton from the 1st and 2nd World Wars, Korea and Vietnam. The most amazing feature about this granite monument is the 200 or so names that are carved on its surface. For those of you who have seen the Vietnam War Memorial and have experienced the silence that occurs as people view the seemingly neverending list of names, this monument does not create the same awe, but it has a similar moment - the last names come in multiples.

Multiple people from the same family in this small New England town would fall in the same war - as many as 5 or 6 - brothers, fathers, and sons. Then, as our eyes scanned to the next war, the same last names would appear - names from the next generation. It's really something to see...

Kate and I are extremely excited about our move to Vermont. We've found a beautiful little home to rent that overlooks the green mountains and gives us a look at western New Hampshire (pictures to come...).