Five New Things We Found About Rutland Today

After two days of rain (and two days of flu for Rut Girl), it was impossible to resist heading outdoors today to soak up the spring-like conditions. It's funny how blue skies and sunshine make people happy, because everyone we saw today had huge smiles on their faces, like they'd emerged from hibernation. Here's five new things we discovered about Rutland today that made us smile:

1. Newly opened Emma T's Take It To Go Buffet on Center Street. Love that they stress the point that it's a one trip buffet. We're happy to have a new lunch alternative but the story in the Rutland Herald implies they're only open Monday to Friday. Wouldn't it be great to see some life on Center Street on a weekend?

2. This house on Lafayette Street getting into the St Patrick's day spirit, putting a shamrock on the door and rolling out the green carpet, which is more that we can say for Two Sheas on Wales Street. We phoned them to ask if they had anything going on for St Patty's Day....the response of the female staff member who answered the phone? 'Uh, I don't think so' in a tone that suggested Rut Girl was stupid for asking. Awesome. We just thought given the Irish origin of the word Shea and all.

3. That we never noticed this George Bush/Queen Elizabeth graffiti complete with RutVegas' catchphrase on the corner of Center and Wales Street. Is this new?

4. That there's a Rutland Magazine. We love that Rutneyland has its own magazine, but what's with this cover image. It doesn't seem to relate to the featured stories, unless it's the one about spring chickens. Our friend Butternut also drew our attention to the dirty shorts the child in the green shirt is wearing. Hey at least he's not inside watching video games.

5. That there's a gun store next to a church on Route 4. Yep, that's the New England Outdoorsman you see right next door to the Church of the Nazarene, an evangelical Christian group organized in Texas in 1908. Just saying.