Today I volunteered at the Billings Farm in Woodstock, VT and spent a few hours outside in the newly fallen snow - I enjoyed every minute! My job was to greet guests (most with very young children), check tickets, give a short safety brief and then send them merrily on a genuine sleigh ride (pulled by “Luke” and “Lonnie”). My whole shift (from 1030 to 1300) was filled with nothing but joy, excitement and wonder - a perfect combination for this time of year! There were other volunteers checking on me throughout my day and most were wearing special gear and name-tags - I guess they have graduated to Docent level and that was a bit inspiring. When I finished “working”, I learned that I was the 100th person to volunteer at the Farm. This milestone was apparently so important to them that some of the leadership came to talk to me and later gave me a tour of the grounds and outbuildings (I learned a lot about Jersey cows…). I toured the old buildings and got to sample some homemade mincemeat. Capping off my day: they paid me (for my time) in cheese! Reluctantly, I left the farm and drove home so I could finish my day of teleworking. This was one of those experiences that gives you ideas about what you want to do when you “grow up” and the staff told me there were openings if I wanted a job. Nice to have another thought on how to spend my days when I finally retire!
