Coolest. Day. Ever.

Today started with tree climbing and ended with llama walking. It was definitely a day to remember!

So here’s the thing about working at the newspaper – it keeps getting better!

A few weeks ago, they asked me to put together a special summer section that will stay on the shelves for about two months. Apparently it’s usually a kind of last-minute deal that represents extra work for the reporters. Instead, they chose to hand it over to one person – me!

The summer section is highlighting cool things to do in our area…and I’m getting to go do them so I can write about them!

There is a tree climbing school in Danville, VT. Seriously. A tree climbing school. You wanna know why I’m so excited by this? Because I’ve NEVER CLIMBED A TREE IN MY LIFE!!! As a kid, I never just hopped into the branches of a tree and pulled myself up. Never once. Today I got to go to Twin Pines Tree Climbing School and take a mini-class and climb a tree!

Seriously cool. Seriously! Check it out: http://www.newenglandtreeclimbing.com/vermont.html. Al was a great teacher and I got to climb with his amazing 9-year-old granddaughter, Azia.

Al also has a 200-foot zip line which ain’t too shabby either. 🙂

As if that weren’t enough, then I went to the Agape Hill Farm in Hardwick, VT and got to hang out with a bunch of kids who were walking llamas through an obstacle course and playing on the farm. I love how comfortable and attached they were with the animals. The llamas are the big draw there, but the kids were having just as much fun with the chickens and pigs. Not to mention their felting projects that they were doing with llama wool. So, so cool. And I love the owner, Nancy – she’s the kind of woman I could have stayed and talked to all day. I love that she didn’t start out intending to have a llama farm, it just sort of happened because she listened to the voice in her head.

Actually, that voice in the head was a recurring theme today. Both Al and Nancy told me similar stories – neither of them meant to do what they’re doing, but they both heard loud, unmistakable voices telling them to buy the land they’re now on. And the rest is history. And today I was the beneficiary.

I’ll leave it at that. There are big thunderstorms blowing through with all sorts of warnings, so I really shouldn’t have my computer plugged in. Here are a couple of pictures.  There are more on Facebook – click here to see them.