fter a solid round of scrabble, it was time to hit the sack. They put me in an alternate room, but soon after 1:00 AM, Samantha came to lay with me for a bit. We cuddled and tlked softly and exchanged kisses from time to time. It was that evening that I finally got up the courage and the nerve to tell Sam about the adventure I would be going on. I would be blazing a new path; and I knew not where I would start, but it would be in Vermont.

Saturday came early and quickly, and I awoke to the smell of bacon and french toast...never a bad thing. Samantha was in the shower when I awoke, so I drifted into "Dreamland" about Vermont. Where would I start? Burlington, Stowe, Killington? All of these destinations had a certain appeal and I would have to do more research to be fully educated prior to liftoff. It was now only five moths away, as I planned to land in Vermont in the middle of September and be there for the first winter snow.

Samantha exited the bathroom and came down the hall past my room humming a tune she had just listened to on the radio. I could see her radiant red hair from my bed where I still lie. She had taken good care to shave her legs and I could even smell the lotion she had used after getting dry. She smiled as she went by in a robe and gave me the appearance of a quick flash; not a full one, but I caught a nip staring at me for a brief second.

It was my turn and I was determined to act quickly as breakfast awaited. I came down the stairs to the country-styled kitchen, complete with what appeared to be an aged cabinetry and counter tops; which was displayed and portrayed as a butcher block.Breakfast was good on the taste buds and Samantha had taken the time to request tomato juice and grapefruits, which she made under the care of the broiler as I had finished brushing my teeth just moments before. I felt welcomed!

After breakfast, he father indicated quickly that we were going for a ride. I had barely finished my coffee and juice when he graced us with the news. Antique hunting at local yard sales would be the start to the morning. One piece that I uncovered at a huge discount was a Tiffany lamp. I bought it unbeknownst to Samantha and had intended to unveil it to her at her dorm room when we returned to Boston. She was in need of a nightlight, and this would do the job perfectly. I took the time to phone Lee in the afternoon. He had gone home to Deep Creek Lake and was spending the first weekend on water skis. Julie, Sam's roommate had returned to Brooklyn where she was from; in one of the last and "tougher" parts of town, but it seemed to be more friendly and chipper around the holidays.It would be a while until Julie and Lee would meet up, but we learned that she had planned to go to Maryland to Lee's homeplace over the Summer.

Evening came quickly, and we ate out that evening at the Cheesecake Factory. Shortly after, we returned home and Samantha and I visited more by the fireplace prior to bed and talked more about my plans. While nothing was solid or set in stone as of yet, I was beginning to formulate a plan in my mind for my "One Winter in Vermont".