OK, I've been told that my little joke of yesterday was too subtle and went right over peoples' heads, so I'll confess. The "mystery mounds of Addison County" are in fact septic system leach fields. See, it was a joke ... there's a lot of clay soil in Addison County and so most people have to put in a "mound" type leach field to compensate.

But I really am thinking about doing the tongue-in-cheek guidebook for "flatlander" tourists who come to Vermont. Seems like a fun idea, and it will give people a reason to visit Addison County and take pictures of something besides foliage.

Bert called yesterday from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. He and Janie are anticipating being back in the northeast US in about two weeks. They'll catch the high-speed Cat Ferry from Yarmouth, NS to Maine, and then rendezvous with us in Massachusetts or Pennsylvania.

Adam called yesterday as well. He and Susan are flying west to pick up their Airstream Class C and drive US Rt 50 through Nevada, Colorado, and Kansas. We've driven a lot of that route and it is a terrific (if occasionally lonely) trip.

Rich C called from Florida -- he's stuck there for at least a month, probably more, but at least he's feeling better. And we're still here, watching the Fall weather and frantically trying to get our stored stuff under control before it really turns cold and windy. Eleanor and I are heading up to storage again today to pull a few Adirondack chairs out and donate them to friends and family.