By Polly Lynn
MENDON — On Sunday afternoon Seth Bridge, Jesse Bridge, Nick Paquette, Kelly Paquette and a few other friends and family admired the larger-than-life snowman they had constructed on the east side of Bridge’s Country Store in Mendon.
“Inside are race-car tires to give it support,” Kelly Paquette explained. “They all race, so they had a few extra laying around,” she said pointing to one serving as the hat.
The snowman stands approximately 15 feet tall welcoming drivers on Route 4 in Mendon.
Building the snowman was a collective effort with local families and friends pitching in to help. The heavy wet snow was perfect for building a snowman and this was certainly not the only one build over the weekend; albeit it was the biggest!
Bridge’s Country Store, previously the Mendon Country Store, was purchased by Jesse Bridge and her mother-in-law Tami Bridge a few months ago and, after extensive renovations, they re-opened the country store to serve the community.
“It’s nice to have it back in the family,” said Seth Bridge, whose relatives used to rent the place as a house in the 1950s. The Bridges family has a long history in the area and at one point owned many properties to the north east. Many relatives continue to reside nearby.
“Jesse always wanted to have a bakery or a shop,” Seth Bridge said. “When this place became a possibilities it seemed like the right time.”
Bridges Country Store offers a variety of baked goods, deli items, grocery necessities, as well as crafts made by local friends and family members giving it true Vermont authenticity.