b'bobalinks swoop in formation over varied grasses.Inone might take a cup of cocoa and read a book by the spring,peeperscometothepond,thenthefrogs.Awoodstove in the master bedroom or, in summer, wake blue Heron might stand waiting for a reckless trout inup with a coffee on the second story veranda, just steps the shallow end, where the ponds stone bottom meetsfrom bed. From that perch one can watch morning re-the sod.In early July, fireflies fill the pasture followedveal the Vermont mountains while robins go about their by Monarch butterflies quitting the milkweed on theirearly chores.waysouth.Meanwhile,inthegardens,peasfollowspinach,followbeansandchardwithaclimaxof T he rhythms of country living in a place like thistomatoes,leeks,andBrusselssprouts.Daffodilsare remind us that were only stewards for the land and followed by tulips andlilies, trillium, and columbine. that the world is much bigger than we are. Its not a Aseatbythepondisaprimeboxatthesymphonyhouse, its a lifestyle and Kidder Farm gives scale to a busy as life unfolds in birdsong, crickets, bullfrogs, and thelife no matter where in that life we find ourselves.Its splash of fish at the surface. One can stroll nearly a milehard to imagine that John Still or Joseph Kidder couldaround the perimeter of the fields and be surprised ev- conceive of a universe in which a paved road comes over ery time by the wonder of nature. the ridge right to the door and high speed wifi covers a property that still sits away from the crowd in such As winter leaves, each evening the sun sets further northperfect balance with the landscape.behindthedistantmountainsandinJunemakesitsreturn trip south for the winter solstice leaving the black- But here it is.est star-studded skies in its wake. In the dark months'