I know better than to generalize or romanticize, but people from Vermont seem to me to often be different than people from other place. I think one reason is that in Vermont, people still pursue callings rather than just work in jobs they hate for security and benefits.

Two such people are Liz Willis and her helper Ian, the grandson of our former shearer Jim McRae, who retired last year. Shearing is very difficult work,  you need a strong will and fit body, Liz and Ian arrived at 8 a.m. and left just before noon, the last hour was spent talking with us about the great American choice: doing what you want or working for your IRA and health plan.

We told them we have little money and no security, we could not be happier than we are in our lives. Working only for money, I argued, is just another form of slavery. Corporate America has persuaded us that we just give them our money all of our lives in order to be secure.

Both of them love shearing and raising sheep (Ian is also a blacksmith and a gamer). We had a great talk, invited them both back, Maria and Liz became good friends before my eyes, I gave Ian some books and we talked about culture and choices.

Oh yeah, they did a great job shearing. It takes strong arms and a very strong back.

Liz charged $130 we paid $200. She drove for  hours, wrestled some big sheep, did a great job. I’m going to do a shearing photo album.