Carolyn Bates

"What used to be my chair is now hers. Cats do that. ... Gracie is a bit different - this past she was sitting on a plant table with a window view of outside, where a little bunny was perhaps 6 feet away from the window, perfect view of the rabbit, a normal cat would have been going nuts looking at it, but here's Gracie, swatting at a tiny little fly on the outside of the window, completely … [Read more...]

I got a great recipe from a Caroline St neighbor and wanted to share it with you. This Smoky Black Bean Dip is gluten and soy free.   You can serve with Lime Flavored Tostitos and Endive. Add additional sour cream to reduce "heat". … [Read more...]

MERRY HAPPY HOLIDAYS and NEW YEAR to ALL! Main image: Shelburne Museum’s Ticonderoga Grand Celebration Thank you all many times over for contributing warmth, love and exciting adventures for me!!! Architect Patrick Kane’s Squam Lake House comprised of 4 “wigwam” houses sided with zinc, and his net zero complex at Craftsbury Outdoor Center. Designer and builder Sandy Lawton’s unique, … [Read more...]

Even though it poured rain ALL DAY, taking photos at the Upper Pines Lodge was a fun day. I just grabbed a huge polo umbrella when I was outside.The architect, Dave Sellers, outdid himself once again, with unusual design. By using real trees line up on both sides of the entry hall, the architect was able to take the nature that surrounds this structure and highlight it. In addtion, the diagonals … [Read more...]

Noah’s Song begins with … Have you ever seen llamas wearing pajamas or a dancing cow in a herd? Or a big bull moose atop a caboose? Are all my questions absurd? I was building an ark when I heard my dog bark at a long-haired orangutan. The sight of this ape with a muscular shape was enough to frighten any man! Just the other day while out making hay I saw a vision that made me take heed — A … [Read more...]

This year author Jerry Johnson hosted a Harvest Party at his old schoolhouse and barn. Take a look at some of the photos from this fun event!Photos by Carolyn Bates and Desiree Lopez A note from the Author: A big “thank you” to all who came! It has been quite a year for me that involved selling my farm, moving a lifetime of belongings to the schoolhouse, getting Noah’s Song published, and, … [Read more...]

In the heart of the Northeast Kingdom in the town of East Albany sat an old wood-framed schoolhouse. The year was 1983. It was August, a beautiful time of year to be in Vermont. Summer was winding down and nights were growing cooler. My investigation about the schoolhouse revealed that Erdine Gonyaw was the last teacher to educate a room full of third through sixth graders at the school which had … [Read more...]

In this celebrated book, UP THE CREEK WITHOUT A SADDLE, award-winning poet Jerry Johnson has created a universal memoir of life experiences. Animals, the natural world around us, people, first loves, loss, joy, and so much more breathes in his poetry full of treasured images. The words portray life on many levels, the images stay with you, and there is a feeling of kinship with what is described. … [Read more...]

Take a look at author Jerry Johnson's restored century-old schoolhouse and stunning barn located on a farm in Vermont. Artistically and architecturally, this farm is truly inspiring. Read the story of This Old Schoolhouse by Jerry Johnson here.  Take the Tour of the home & the barn! About the Poet Jerry Johnson lives in a restored century-old schoolhouse on a farm in Vermont’s … [Read more...]

Take a look at this great video on how this Vermont company crafts some of the finest (and delicious) goat cheese locally.   Where does the best food come from? From makers who really care. At Vermont Creamery, Allison Hooper and Bob Reese have been crafting the finest goat cheese from local goats for thirty years--and counting. See the process from start to finish, ending in the Blue Apron … [Read more...]

Hot off the press! Check out the before and after photos from my shoot at Express Appliance, Kitchen & More! Before Before Express Appliance, Kitchen & More 180 Flynn Avenue Burlington, VT 05401wexpressw.com   … [Read more...]

Imagine going to an antique store and purchasing a box of old photographs, then spending the next fifty years trying to figure out who the people depicted in the photographs were as well as the identity of the photographer who took them. That is exactly what Douglas Keister has done. Eventually, he found out that he was in possession of a beautifully rendered visual documentation of a little … [Read more...]

Travel back to Oct. 19, 1864 during the Civil War to St. Albans Vermont. The entire center of the city is now an encampment of soldiers and townspeople with tents, cooking fires, guns, and musicians. Now, 150 years later Vermont is celebrating the anniversay! The story of the St. Albans Raid has all the makings of a silver-screen drama. The northernmost and perhaps most unusual land action … [Read more...]

The River House is a home a la Frank Lloyd Wright. Taking their inspiration from the architect, as the master of design, the clients studied his work. Then they elements to bring in a more sustainable lifestyle to the house. They added latest climate controls, green roof, windows, heating, etc. to bring this house into a net zero residence. Very exciting. Archictect: Maclay ArchitectsMaclay … [Read more...]

Stuart O’Brien hired me to design a book cover for his new book Wildwood. It is a poignant love story about a soldier and his lover. The story is filled with what happens during WWII, their letters, and what she does after the war, with unusual surprises and twists that go on for 60 years. At first he wanted her to be in a misty  scene, walking towards her lover’s grave… then we added woods. … [Read more...]