One of my favoritite New England stories is of a land survey on the New Hamppshire-Vermont border. The survey had shown that the island that the Buxton family had been farming for two hundred years was actually in New Hampshire rather than Vermont. Being neighbors, Vermonters and New Hampshiremen disapprove of each other on principle and there was some concern on how the Vermonters were going to tell Mr. Buxton that he actually lived in New Hamshire. The solution was just to go out to the farm and tell him. When they got there, the delegation didn't waste any time with small talk. They came right out with the message. "Abner, the land survey shows that you actually live in New Hampshire." Then they braced themselves for the reaction they knew would come.

Abner Buxton thought it over, shook his head thoughtfully and then told his neighbors. "That'll be fine. I don't think I could of stood anuther one of them VER-mont wintahs."

Sourdough