“How many Vermonters does it take to change a lightbulb?

Three. One to change it and two to argue over why the old one was better.’’

—Old Vermont joke

“An old man is sitting on the steps of the general store on a fine spring day. A stranger comes along and tips his hat and comments on the beauty of the day. He pauses, searching for something more to say, and finally he says, “Bet you’ve seen a lot of changes around here.’’ To which the old man replies, ‘Ayup. And I’ve been against every one of them.’’’

— From “Pure Vermont,’’ by Edie Clark, in the October 1996 Yankee Magazine.