Rural Life

Without Fear or Favor of Any Person

Posted on November 4, 2008 by Quill Gordon

When you register to vote in Vermont you must take the Voter’s Oath (also known as the Free Man’s Oath) where you “solemnly swear or affirm that whenever you give your vote or suffrage … you will do so as in your conscience you shall judge will most conduce to the best good of the same, as established by the Constitution, without fear or favor of any person.”

Good stuff. Use your vote for good and don’t let anyone influence you otherwise.

I have been reading about long lines to vote in many places. I think this is a good thing, although when I went to vote this morning I had to wait a few minutes because all three of the booths were in use. It’s a busy day in our little village clerk’s office.

Our Village’s Polling Place

Rock on, people.

Categories: Rural Life, Vermont | Tags: Election, Politics, Rural Life, Vermont, Vote | 5 Comments

I Like Fall

Posted on September 29, 2008 by Quill Gordon

Categories: nature, Rural Life, Vermont | Tags: nature, Rural Life, Vermont | 8 Comments

A Postcard from Quill

Posted on August 15, 2008 by Quill Gordon

Good morning!

We are just over half-way through the season, here at Fish in a Barrel Pond. Just two and a half more months of being on-call 24/7! It’s not like I have to stay awake, waiting for something to happen, but I have to be around just in case. You never know when there will be an emergency like someone running out of toilet paper or one of the kitchens getting ransacked by a marauding band of raccoons. Or someone having a heart attack. Yeah, two someones, each with a very different outcome. You’ll hear all about it after the season ends.

My point is that my work days are very long and entire days off are non-existent. I get pieces and parts of days to myself every once in a while – and nothing personal against you, my seven loyal readers – but there are places I’d rather be than in front of a computer. Like on the pond for example.

Those would be otters.

That would be a loon.

And that would be a toad that did not quite make it across the road. I don’t know why I threw that picture in here.

Anyhoo, Quill Gordon is still alive and well and he hopes you are, too.

Categories: Rural Life, Vermont | Tags: nature, Rural Life, Vermont | 7 Comments

First Trout of the Season

Posted on May 14, 2008 by Quill Gordon

It is a bit of a gamble, declaring the last Saturday in April to be Opening Day at Fish in a Barrel Pond. Not only is it possible that the pond could still be covered with ice, there is also the chance that the cottages will not be accessible or have no running water due to frozen water lines. It is a mad scramble to get things up and running once the thaw sets in.

Some members of the Neverwas Nonesuch Angling Society clear their calendars months in advance, flat-out lying if necessary, to be here for the first day of fishing and the celebration that comes with it. They all know that Mother Nature has the final say but the possibility of postponement is not an option for me. I must plug away as if nothing could possibly go wrong even if it means I am still patching pipes as the last of the lake ice disappears with mere hours to spare. Continue reading →

Categories: Fly Fishing, Humor, Rural Life, Vermont | Tags: fishing, Fly Fishing, Humor, nature, quill gordon, Rural Life, trout, Vermont | 6 Comments

Where the Hell is Quill Gordon?

Posted on May 1, 2008 by Quill Gordon

A Somewhat Disjointed and Not Quite Complete Accounting of My Whereabouts for the Past Few Weeks

The transition from snowbound no-man’s land to lively, functioning, family fishing camp took place quickly this year at Fish in a Barrel Pond. It did not happen in the blink of an eye, or even overnight, but it happened fast, the rapid progress seeming even more so because of the tremendous amounts of ice and snow remaining at the beginning of the month. Small patches of ice remain, tucked up against the north sides of buildings, and snow can still be found in some shady, deep-wood recesses, but no other vestiges of winter are seen. Continue reading →

Categories: +The Neverwas Nonesuch Angling Society, Fly Fishing, Rural Life, Vermont | Tags: Fly Fishing, nature, Rural Life, Vermont | 12 Comments

A Fox, Some Snow Fleas and a Close Shave

Posted on April 4, 2008 by Quill Gordon

It is snowing again here at Fish in a Barrel Pond. No, wait a second, it has turned to rain. Nope, now it is sleeting. We are caught in the middle of a battle between seasons and the incumbent seems to be holding its ground against the usurper. But winter can not stay forever and signs of its demise are beginning to appear. Continue reading →

Categories: Humor, nature, Rural Life, Vermont | Tags: fox, Humor, nature, Rural Life, shave, snow fleas, spring, Vermont, winter | 12 Comments

Quill Gordon Got a New Job!

Posted on April 1, 2008 by Quill Gordon

There’s not much time for this because I must get busy packing for a really big move! Old Quill’s got a new job as a claims processor for a major insurance company based in Newark, New Jersey, and it begins next week.

I will be living in a large 250-unit apartment complex between a major highway and an industrial railyard so no more snow shovels for this kid! Someone else can shovel snow and if anything ever breaks I’m sure the building superintendent will be happy to get right on it, pronto. And if the number of police cars outside the building is any indication, it must be a safe place.

I will have my own cubicle in a climate-controlled environment and I will get to wear a tie every day! They tell me I’ll get used to the humming of the fluorescent lights but I’m just happy I won’t need sunscreen and bug dope any more. My new boss has suggested I get a watch because I won’t be able to tell time by looking at the position of the sun any more. He’s a very helpful guy and I’m looking forward to working with him and the other 75 people in his department.

No more trudging through ice and snow. No more blackflies and mosquitoes. No more glaring sun or sudden cloudbursts to send me scrambling for shelter. No more boats and summer cottages full of guys always asking me to smoke their cigars, drink their booze and eat their food. No more sitting on the porch of the lodge, wondering what to do for the rest of the day and especially no more pesky stars shining in my windows at night to distract me from sleep.

It’s going to be great! I’ll let you all know when I get there.

This brief bit of frivolity has been brought to you by Two Guys and a Truck. For all your construction and deconstruction needs, call Two Guys and a Truck, serving the Upper Skunk Hollow area for more than twenty years. Doing it right because we’re doing it twice. And remember, we do dump runs, too. Satisfaction guaranteed or double your junk back! We may not be good but we’re slow.

Everyone at Two Guys and a Truck would like to wish you a safe and happy April Fool’s Day.

Categories: Humor, Rural Life, Vermont | Tags: April Fools, Humor, nature, Rural Life, Vermont | 6 Comments

Not How it Sounds

Posted on March 26, 2008 by Quill Gordon

Snow and ice continue to accumulate here at Fish in a Barrel Pond even though the calendar says it is spring. In an effort to forcibly evict the remnants of winter from the property I fired up the tractor and began clearing the roads to some of the cottages this weekend. The results of my efforts were not impressive. Digging through the frozen layers and heavy drifts proved to be too much for my little compact tractor to handle and I had to carefully nurse it back to the barn with at least one rupture in the hydraulics hemorrhaging fluid. I give you the following to read while I am in the barn turning wrenches instead of out here playing in cyberspace: Continue reading →

Categories: Humor, Rural Life, Vermont | Tags: Humor, Rural Life, talking dirty, tractor, tractor repair, Vermont | 3 Comments

The Conflagration at Green Damselfly Cove

Posted on March 17, 2008 by Quill Gordon

This story has been taken down, dusted off, and given a good thrashing. There are just too many links scattered among these pages to go through, cleaning them all up, and I certainly don’t want to delete this title and have you run into one of those 404 Not Found notices.

As a result of the thrashing it received, The Conflagration at Green Damselfly Cove is now available in e-book form for both Kindle and Nook devices.

Quill Gordon’s Story Time

Tales of the Outdoors for Anglers and Others

One Story, One Dollar

The Conflagration at Green Damselfly Cove for Kindle (Amazon)

The Conflagration at Green Damselfly Cove for Nook (Barnes & Noble)