Vermont Snowflake Research Paper

Vermont’s Snowflake Bentley was both clever and diligent in photographing a singular snowflake before it faded away. He found that no two were alike, as uniquely individualized as us. As fragile as a single snowflake can be the power of team work is never more evident than when they decide to join forces. And it was all too evident that that was happening now with a Vermont born blizzard and by all accounts my very first one to experience. In fact it was the first for the six of us, my three brothers, two sisters and parents crowded into a well beaten woody station wagon all weary from hours upon hours of difficult driving from the much warmer state of Virginia. It was December 28th 1969, I was fifteen and my Father had just been transferred

Since I loved sugar, Maple Syrup was right up my alley. If you think about it, it’s a rare product which you’re able to produce from beginning to end. You can control it all by gathering the raw material of sap, processing it, bottling it and marketing. Vermont Maple syrup defines Vermont not so much by what it is but by those who produce it. One particular sugarhouse in southern Vermont served pancakes and the menu stated “served with real Vt. Maple syrup, Log Cabin $1.00 extra”. Another sugarhouse would gather the busloads of tourists in the gift area and take questions knowing eventually someone would ask “how long have you been doing this”? The response started with, “My father used to milk cows but decided it was far easier to milk tourists”. Sometimes good comedy comes from blunt wording. Vermonters have a lock on that. Their strength in humor is equal to their power of common sense. No better example of that would be when someone decided to use Federal funds to remove the rock ledges in the median area of I89 between Richmond and Montpelier. Whatever the reason, many locals felt differently. Why spend money to chisel perfectly good and admittedly Vermont picturesque rock from medians so it could look like other sterile stretches of pavement? The uproar went beyond letters to the editor or local radio talk shows extending to cars driving by the workers at task honking horns or shouting displeasures. Work ceased and the rocks stand today symbolically representing the strength Vermonters feel they possess when it comes to expressing themselves and getting