Vermont, Day 3: Michael's Family Owns a Farm- ee i ee i o

First and foremost let me answer the questions from your comments yesterday. Team Eliza, you asked "what the heck was so special/secret about the upstairs! Why is it off limits? " Here's the big reveal: 3 bedrooms and a storage closet. It was so boring and normal I didn't even take a picture up there. Chelsea, you asked "Did Michael go upstairs with you? What was upstairs?" Yes, Michael did go upstairs with me. He was just as bored as I was.

I have been secretly speculating, for years now, that a 9th sibling was chained to the wall up there. I secretly wanted it to be Sloth from The Goonies. No such luck. I have absolutely NO idea why upstairs is so taboo. Maybe it contains a portal into John Malkovich's brain. I think, more likely, that nobody remembers why they weren't allowed upstairs but it has been the family rule for so long that nobody questions it. Except the whipper snapper girl from AZ who married into the family.

Day 3. We started the day with a trip to the grocery store. I was the idiot tourist taking pictures at the local market. But, really, how could I not? Look at all the glorious fluff. Can someone please explain to me why I can't buy this in AZ? And look. Raspberry fluff. I totally bought some.
Spencer hitched a ride in a cool cart. We may or may not have pissed off an old guy who was waiting to buy some frozen goods.
After the food supply was replenished we went for a little walk. Just a little stroll through Aunt Sandi and Uncle Ruggie's back yard.
Because, you know, most back yards include a creek.

Michael's dad built a bridge/damn (the first time I wrote that I said damn bridge. Ha ha!).
Spencer and Papa went wading.
Then we picked some more "weeds". Whatever, Michael, these are the prettiest weeds I've ever seen.
Here you are seeing the only nap Spencer took while we were gone. Crazy kid loves laying like this on whatever bed he is in.
The nap was necessary because we spent the evening at the farm. Specifically the farm owned by Michael's aunt and uncle. They are dairy farmers. They might provide some of the milk that makes Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream. I don't actually know that, but it sounds good, huh?

Spencer was over the moon excited about meeting the cows.

How bad ass is this tractor?

Spencer and his 3rd cousin Carson pretended to drive it.

Do you see that big brown patch? Manure. Just thought I'd mention it.

I am in love with this dog. Her name is Ellie and I came very, very, VERY close to smuggling her home in my luggage.

Spencer, Cody and Carson (Cody and Carson are brothers and they are the sons of Michael's cousin Pamela. I really should have done a family tree at the beginning of all these posts.)

Can I just mention that Spencer found that plastic tube early on in the night and he refused to let go of it. We finally distracted him and hid it.

Michael's aunt is just a bit over the top with her gardening.

Spencer and Grandma

Michael's cousin Pat and his son Brady (Pat and Pamela are bro and sis)

The cousins with their sons

Yeah. We let Spencer play with fire.

He didn't love it all that much so I don't have to worry about him and a life of arson.

Pat's lovely wife/the mommy of Brady, Sarah.

Spencer and a not so lovely dead bear

Spencer and Pamela and a dead deer

Again with my Nobel Prize for sunset picture taking.

Day 3 was the last day of nice temperatures. Day 4 was the beginning of a killer heat wave and no air conditioning. By Day 9 Michael actually said, "I can't wait to get back to Phoenix in July so I can cool off a little bit."