2015 Winterfest at Ben & Jerry's

I love living only two miles away from the Ben & Jerry's ice cream factory. It is a very fattening delicious situation, despite the fact that we actually don't go there frequently at all. But the dreaming and thinking and stomach-growling between times make up for it.

Last week they hosted their annual Waterbury Winterfest, and we were very happy to attend. We were particularly happy about free ice cream tastes, free factory tours, free festiveness, free cheese samples, and free smiles from cheerful Ben & Jerry's employees. (who wouldn't be cheerful if you got to take home 3 pints of B & J's per day??) There was also plenty of free cold wind going around, which we got to sample while walking to and from the B & J's building and trying to take shivering pictures outside.

 

Seems like Ben & Jerry look a little different these days. 

I'm not sure why we are leaning so far over in this picture. It could have been subconscious, as we prepared to make a flying dash over to the free tasting area. Or it might have been due to the free samples of cold wind. (I fell over dead right after taking this picture) (not really)

By the way, that rabbit/chipmunk/squirrel/woodchuck/whatever-the-sculpture-is was holding a sign that said "Six weeks left [of winter]." Yay for Spring!! And Yay for snow while we still have it!!

Apparently somebody has quite a talent for making snow sculptures!

The tourist crowd around here can be an interesting bunch. A lot of them are from places like New York City or Boston, and many come to Vermont just for a taste of the country. And they always come to Ben & Jerry's. There's a place at the B & J's factory where a large picture of a black-and-white cow is painted on the wall, and as we walked by it, a little boy was tugging at his mother's hand and pointing to it. 

"Look, Mom," he was saying, "Look at that big moose!!"

I love kids. :)