to vermont and back

Back in March, our rams took a one-way trip. This made the pasture rotation much easier this summer, but meant that come this fall, we needed new rams.

Our own ram lamb crop, despite being quite numerous, didn't contain one suitable candidate, so off to the internet we went. I located a suitable replacement in Vermont, and started to make arrangements to get up there to pick him up, when it hit me:

It's time to start taking Primo on college tours. 

(It also occurred to me, about the same time, that I am old.)

Ever since we saw the college campus on a family vacation when Primo was 12, he has said that he is going to the University of Vermont. (Geez louise, he has grown a bit since those pictures.) This seemed as good a time as any to take him for another look, as he had a school vacation on Monday.

It was a very quick tour. We left on Sunday at noon. The best part of him getting older (in addition to him turning into a very nice sort of person) is that he could take some of the driving duties. He was only too happy to assist.

We saw lots and lots and lots of these (cows AND mountains) on the way up, especially once we hit Vermont. He was thrilled with the prevalence of both.

The UVM campus is very scenic and lovely, situated right in Burlington on the shore of Lake Champlain. The quadrangle of the campus was originally a sheep pasture, and of course he loved that bit of lore.

We also found out why it is called UVM, and not UVT; the answer is in the arch over his head. The University was originally called Universitas Viridis Montis (University of the Green Mount) before there was such a thing as the VT zip code abbreviation, or in fact, before there was even such a thing as the state of Vermont.

Once we finished up there, it was off to get the ram lamb and then race for home so he could get to bed before midnight. We just made it... but no pictures of the ram, who is still unnamed at this point. Any suggestions for a male name starting with "L"? I'll try to post a picture soon.