I hopped into the Fiesta and rolled up north to Lincoln today for a little LowBall wiffle with the lads. While we are still a week or so from peak in the lowlands, the mountains of Vermont are rocking epic coverage. Besides being breathtakingly beautiful, it was great to get out on the field and throw some plastic safely secluded from the hordes of leaf peepers.

Check out the Flickr page for the full sized versions, the colors really were unbelievable today.

Last night I sat down with a pair of scissors and finally cut off the admittance bracelet from the emergency room. It had been just under a week since the bracelet had been secured to my left wrist. In my mind, the bracelet came to represent a departure from reality and a quest for adventure. Despite the obvious cheese factor, it was slightly painful to acknowledge the end of the journey.

For whatever reason, many of my more meaningful trips have been marked by injuries of varying degrees. On my first major overseas adventure, 8 months in New Zealand, I managed to severely sprain my ankle within 2 weeks of arrival. Since then I have visited ERs the world over and figured out ways to overcome any ailment in order to maximize the experience.

In the overall scheme of things, a few stitches in a finger are pretty minor. But maybe years later, I will look at that scar and recognize a pivot point in how I approach life. Or perhaps it will just be a reminder of a dam good trip. Either way, the end of this chapter has arrived.

Today the fam and I hopped in the Fiesta and rolled up to Shelburne Museum for the big balloon festival. I suspect it would have been lovely had we not arrived a day late. Luckily the wonderful museum offers a wide variety of exhibits and we were lucky enough to catch it for the Full Throttle motorcycle show. We too often lament not living in a more metro area for the culture while we often overlook the resources in our backyard. Here are a few photos to remind us what is there.