We drive into Jeffersonville for breakfast. The Mix Café and Bakery had a cozy, quaint décor. But the menu on a chalkboard carried limited—and pricey—breakfast entrees. We return to 58 Main, our perennial favorite.
Packed house— a woman with a tattooed arm serves herself coffee
Shelburne Museum. 45 acres of artistic landscapes, gardens, galleries, and exhibits. The cashier informs us twice that our receipt is good for two days, thought we don’t know why. Leaving the giftshop entry, we step back outside.
sunniest day yet— along our path—big round-red barn
The Ticonderoga rests aground. Over 200 feet long with four decks, she was the last sidewheel steamer serving Lake Champlain. We cross a gangway over a ditch to the main deck, pass an antique car and a model horse-and-buggy—as well as various freight—on the foredeck. Walking toward the stern, we pass the stateroom used by officers on our left, the engine control room (with its assorted levers and brass pipe sound tubes) on the right. A vertical shaft that runs through every deck is in the ship’s center. The aft deck features a dining room set with white tablecloths and silverware.
We ascend the adjoining stairs to the saloon deck, viewing the single bed, chamber potted, miniscule passenger staterooms. The double-sized—and full size bedded—staterooms, one of which features a golf bag of a presumably wealthy gentleman, are toward the bow. When we reach the pilot house, atop the steamer, Frankie tries to sound the gong that leads to the control room. He can’t quite get it.
A quick walkthrough of the engineering deck back in the bowels of the ship conclude our self-guided tour of the Vermont legend.
Petunias snapping his photo at Ticonderoga
The Colchester Lighthouse is air conditioned. We lounge under the “Relax” signs before a quick exploration. Then—onward!
Stepping toward archaic village starting to sweat
Photo by Marco Cardinale
first published by Image Curve, June 27, 2019
for dVerse Poets’ Open Link Night #246 (pubtended by Mish)
The pub is open! Come join us!
Frank J. Tassone 
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