"Except for the splashy displays of autumn, there is little that is exhibitionist or uncompromising about the Vermont landscape. It encourages moderation and common sense. The mountains are small and of human proportion. In summer -- Frost's time of year in Ripton -- the scenery, at first glance, is all green. But look closely at the lime-tinted undersides of the beech leaves, the pale yellow of the meadowsweet and the hobblebush, the black shades of the fir needles and the faintest intimation of white dotting the 'white pines.' Within this broad spectrum of green is actually a myriad of shadings and subtleties. Inspect and observe, then remain watchful, says the landscape.''

-- From a Sept. 1, 1991, New York Times article headlined "Robert Frost's Vermont''.