April Arrives

April Showers finally arrived. The Farmington River is rising and moving very fast. I have been working at the Millrace Bookstore which is housed in the Gristmill Restaurant along the Farmington River. The river is moving rapidly along and is wide and beautiful. Farmington River is home to many Chinese ducks and a special visiting Harlequin duck. Many avid duck watchers visited the bookstore this past winter with binoculars and cameras to view the Harlequin duck. The large, white ducks are showing off so badly and are wandering around the parking lot. The Millrace Bookstore, owned by Jan Owens, is a beautiful location to visit. It is located at 40 Mill Lane, Farmington. Jan has current popular books, children's books (including Duck Tape!), and will order any book you desire. The Millrace Bookstore is home to the Farmington River Literary Arts Center, (FRLAC) a nonprofit organization dedicated to the literary arts and promoting reading and writing skills. Visit this bookstore when you next visit Farmington. The bookstore shares its location with the Gristmill Restaurant, which offers a varied menu including pub food. This mill is hundreds of years old and of special historic significance. Mill Lane is off Route 10, near Miss Porter's School. Your Village Store is also located on Mill Lane and was significant in the underground railroad era. To help visualize the beauty of the Farmington River, I present:

Farmington, Connecticut 2010

The Farmington River travels through my town
under two bridges overflowing the ground--
down in the meadows where the town gardens thrive,
and flowers majestically come alive.

Near the quaint restaurants and ancient mill store,
close to the cemeteries of frightening folk-lore--
nearby the meadows where geese rise and soar,
and treasures wash up along the old river shore.

Cherish this river as it roars through the town
under the bridges spilling over the ground.

The Farmington river meanders and bends--
this river from up north that never ever ends.
Follow this river as it flows all around,
under the bridges and into Unionville Town.

Flowers bloom in the summertime heat
as kids march in parades up and down old Main Street.
Bikeways and pathways border on many a farm
each distinctly different with Farmington charm.

Cherish this river as it flows all around--
flooding the meadows near Unionville Town.

The stores and the schools are perched high on the land
while the town village green sits serene and so grand.
Miss Porter's School of worldwide renown
lives on this river on land all her own.

The river and town are an inseparable pair,
and support each other in quiet Farmington flair.
The village and river in a magical way
offers beauty each and everyday.

Cherish this river as it travels all around --
under two bridges near Farmington Town.