Day 11 - Donna and Leo Constant, Duxbury, Vermont

We arrived at Sandy’s cousin Donna’s house in time for supper. Donna and Leo live outside of Waterbury VT, in a house they recently built on their 135 acre side of a mountain. Sandy hadn’t seen Donna since their Grandmother’s funeral, so there was non-stop conversation that night and the next (We stayed with them 2 nights, using them as a home base – and we really did feel at home!)

Donna is a Para-Educator in a local school working with special needs kids and a union official with the ESP (Educational Support Personnel) Union. It takes a lot of her time, but she sees the value of being involved. Leo works with the local power company and is hoping to retire in the next two years. He goes to work early and works late –that’s the good Vermont work ethic! Leo is a hardy, very pleasant man who enjoys whatever he is doing. (Although he had a hard time getting a word in with Sandy and Donna’s reminiscing and catching up!) They have two grown children: Molly is a nurse in Florida and we hope to see her when we are at her Grandfather Clayton’s house later in this trip. Max will graduate from Sterling College with a degree in Environmental Sciences in May. They also have a 13 year old Pug named Oliver. Oliver waits at the door for Leo every night and has a staircase to the bed.

Their home is so beautiful – all on one level, with radiant heat in the floors so the temperature was constant. The house also has an art studio for Donna. Donna's art work is on the walls throughout the house, she is quite the artist!!! They have a fabulous view of the mountains and Donna encouraged us to come back in the summer when the trees have leaves. When Leo retires they want to do more landscaping behind the house – building a permanent barbeque grill into the side of the mountain, and terracing the ground behind it. They have a camp further up into the mountain that we didn’t’ have a chance to see this trip (there still a lot of snow on the ground here!)

Oh yeah! Both mornings, as we were getting ready to leave, Joe pulled out his pocket trumpet and serenaded the mountains! The mountains make a perfect amphitheater!