They say you can tell a lot about a person by watching the behavior of their pets. On that basis, you’d expect Deb and Randy Ries to be sociable and easy to connect with, an expectation that is borne out in conversation in their cozy living room, with cats and beagles begging for a belly rub. (The humans confined their sociability to telling stories.)

The humans are also way more hardworking than the pets. Deb and Randy run Upper Valley Critter Sitters, a business that goes 24/7, 365 days a year (plus one for leap year). The couple, with some assistance from two regular and several fill-in helpers, provide extensive pet care, as well as house sitting and checking, in Quechee and beyond.… Read More

Sitting alone in his wheelchair at the Veteran’s Administration Medical Center (VA) in White River Junction, a Vietnam veteran watched the visiting dog and panicked shouting, “I’m terrified of dogs!” Somehow, by the end of the visit he was smiling and Regan, the therapy dog, was in his lap.

Quechee resident Patt Taylor and Regan – his 4-year-old Golden Retriever who is a therapy dog – visit the VA weekly. In preparation, Patt did a lot of research into therapy dogs, he and Regan took obedience classes and went through a rigorous evaluation process for Regan’s accreditation through Therapy Dog International.… Read More

What’s better than driving up on a Thursday or Friday evening and arriving in Quechee, says Chris Bunnell one sunny summer morning as he and his wife, Liz, and three sons were about to embark on an adventure to the top of Killington via the gondola for lunch. Chris certainly knew what he was doing when he bought his home on Wheelock Road. His parents Mary and Paul “PD” live right next door. Since his parents bought their vacation home in 2006, Chris, Liz, and siblings have enjoyed many good times in Quechee, and visited as often as they could.

The senior Bunnells moved to Quechee full-time after selling their home in Massachusetts this year.… Read More

Scots like to compete, explains Lezlie Webster, founder of Scottish Arts and organizer of the Quechee Highland Games, formerly known as the Quechee Scottish Festival. This year’s Games will be on Saturday, August 26 at the Quechee Polo Field on Dewey’s Mills Road. Hardcore aficionados should know that solo pipers begin playing for judges at 8am, athletic competitions start at 9, with massed bands playing and parading at noon.

A highlight of the weekend is Highland dancing

The event will include food provided by Salt Hill Pub – it’s a great opportunity to munch meat pies and stock up on shortbread – and musical entertainment by two different bands, not even counting the bagpiping.… Read More

You survive the traffic and the broken pavement on Route 4, and turn gratefully at the blinking light, heading over the covered bridge toward the peace of Quechee. You stop at the T with Main Street, and as you check for traffic, you can’t help noticing – consciously or subconsciously – that you’re facing a tangle of weeds and brush: that opposite bank is a mess. Is this the entrance, the introduction Quechee deserves? “No way!” says a small but industrious group which calls themselves the Friends of the Quechee Covered Bridge.

The Friends began with Dave Duval, Ted York – both past presidents of Quechee Lakes Landowners Association (QLLA) – and Michael Shankman.… Read More

Rebecca ‘Becky’ Whitney is the resident librarian for the wee ones of Quechee. Some might say a children’s librarian is the most important of all types of librarians. After all, who first shows us that libraries are incredibly special and magical places where one can disappear from the busy world into the endless possibilities which bookshelves possess? Libraries can be overwhelming. We all need a guide in the land of enchantment sometimes, especially when we’re still little. While Becky is somewhat new to the position – having been at the Ottauquechee School Library for just under a year – she has enthusiastically taken on the role of being their guide.… Read More

The old Maxham place is Vermont-speak for ‘the farm formerly owned by the Maxham family.’ The farm now owned by Tim Shine and his family has a new name – River Highlands Farm – as well as a unique name for their barn. Tim and his daughter Molly explain why.

Traffic whips right along on Quechee Main Street between the Quechee Club and the Taftsville Bridge. But, at about halfway, there’s a landmark that does more than its share to slow people down. An old farmhouse sits right next to a large barn and a red milk house. It’s the barn that people are looking for.… Read More

Christopher and Andrew Emerson have quite the connection to Quechee. The brothers grew up on Long Island, NY, with their parents Michael (Mike) and Elizabeth Emerson. They skied in Quechee competitively, were accepted into impressive military academies, and continued to both excel in college and ski competitively. I had the opportunity to speak with Elizabeth about her sons as well as her Quechee experience.

Before Elizabeth and Mike met, Mike’s parents had retired to Quechee. While both found it a beautiful place to visit, the commute was five-plus hours in the best of times, and it made it difficult. That changed when the family came for a visit when Christopher was 11 and Andrew was 5.… Read More

If Brad Pirkey isn’t a familiar face or name to you around the Hartford/Quechee area, maybe you recognize his brightly colored food bus. Chef Brad’s CrazySide has been around the area since 2012, and it’s hard to miss. Most recently you’ve probably noticed the colorful addition to Fat Hat Corner where Quechee Main Street meets Route 4. Chef Brad’s bus has moved into the corner, and it sounds like the CrazySide may have found a home.

Pirkey grew up in the Woodstock and Killington, Vermont, areas graduating from Woodstock High in 1980 where he claims his only ‘A’ was for a quiche cooked up for French class.… Read More

From my interview with Kristen Coats, I have no doubt that the Upper Valley Haven in White River Junction is incredibly lucky to have her. The Walden University graduate in public health spent almost six years working for Dartmouth-Hitchcock where she coordinated the Upper Valley Heal program. It was at Dartmouth-Hitchcock that Coats says she developed a true appreciation for the fact that people are healthy if their environments are healthy.

Having been at the Haven for only a year, it’s easy to see that Coats infuses her work with that same passion today. As leader of the nutrition program, she has no problem talking effortlessly about all the different areas in which the program has grown.… Read More