We had an unusual experience this afternoon when Bourne's came to deliver fuel. Our driveway has been fine - no large amount of ice although it has been crispy underneath. The truck backed up as usual. I didn't hear him leave, so got up to look out the kitchen window and there was the truck headed down over the bank part way down our driveway!! Now, this isn't the first time we've had a runaway fuel truck on this driveway. It happened years ago when my parents lived here - pretty much the same thing except I think the driver had to call a wrecker that time. 
     I called to Fred who was busy in the other end of the house and had no idea what was happening. I went out and called to the driver who by then was part way down the driveway, the hose still extended up towards the house. I asked what happened and he said the truck just started sliding. Fortunately, he had finished and shut off the hose and was getting ready to reel it in when he said first thing he knew it pulled out of his hand and he saw the truck moving down the driveway. He looked the situation over and called his office to let them know his situation. Then he told me he was going to "try to drive it out." He said if he couldn't, the office would send a wrecker .
     We have had that experience, too. My eighty-something father once went too far off the end of the driveway and while Fred and I were trying to shovel him out, he called out to us saying, "Just stand back, I think I can drive it right down over the hill." And he did. Slick as a whistle, down over the steep bank and onto the road. The ditch wasn't as deep then, and that year we didn't have nearly as much snow as we had this time - but same scenario.
     I told the driver about the deep ditch that is along that side of the road now, and off he went. He waded into the snow, got in the truck and gunned it. He made it almost onto the road - the two front wheels were on the road, but the left rear wheel was caught in the deep snow that was part ditch, part snowbank from the plow.
     He got out his shovel and went to work, and a few minutes later he was out and onto the road. He churned up some mud out of the ditch, but somehow got that hulking oil truck out of there - no harm done. He looked under the thing to be sure it was ok and off he went.
     I later went out and took pictures of the spot. The truck went over one or two of the little maples we have growing along the roadside, but I don't think it harmed them much. I'll look more closely tomorrow, but other than maybe some skinned bark, I think they will be ok. 
     We were really impressed with the driver's ability to get himself out of a pickle like he did. It took nerve and skill to get out of such a predicament.
     Bourne's will let us know when there's going to be a delivery next time so we can salt or sand the driveway if needed. Our driveway has caught more than one driver off guard - myself included. I've found myself off one side or the other in a snow bank once or twice; Billy Rossi had to have a wrecker haul him out one time, and more than once we've had to shovel and push someone out of the snow - most of these times it has been when the driver didn't have enough momentum and traction to make the hill and had to back down. That's the tricky part - getting too far off on one side of the other when backing. Today the truck just took off front first, sliding. Of course we took pictures!!

Another cold night and cold morning - but we have beautiful sunshine. The sunrise did not bode well, however. If the old seamen's adage, "red sunset at night, sailors' delight; red sunrise in morning, sailors take warning" holds true, our beautiful day will likely end with some sort of weather disturbance. Probably snow for us.
     Fred took the above shot from our living room window this morning as the sun was coming up. A few minutes later he took a picture of our weather station showing a mere 1.6F. The low was -4.9F last night. Now the sun is still very bright and the temperature is all the way up to 19F.
     Some of you no doubt know about the bobcat attack in White River Junction. This is quite unusual unless the animal had rabies or some other disease. Two people were actually attacked, one in Wilder village and the other  in downtown White River Junction. Neither person was seriously injured, but after the Wilder attack, Vermont officials were tracking the animal and Lt. Dennis Amsden of Vt. Fish and Wildlife Department said the animal was being tested and results should be known shortly. 
     Just recently a St. Johnsbury woman posted on Front Porch Forum about watching two bobcats checking out her rabbits in the Spaulding District. The bunnies were not harmed - apparently they are securely penned, but she said it was interesting to watch the two bobcats. They were looking for an easy lunch, I suppose. 
     The Route 2 bridge work west of us near the Goodrich Maple Farm has finally come to a close. Here is the latest, and probably last report until spring:

Proposed Work Schedule, Week of 12/17/18, Cabot-Danville US 2 Reconstruction [Cabot-Danville FEGC F 028-3(36) C/2] 

Project Location:  The 1.4 mile project extends along US 2 from Last Road to Danville Hill Road in Cabot. This is a multi-year project with most of the work occurring in 2017/2018. Completion is scheduled for 2019.


Active construction activities will wrap up this week for the winter shut-down period. Next week crews will cover construction signs throughout the project and the 40 mph speed zone will be removed for the winter. Updates for this project will resume in the spring of 2019 when construction activities commence.

TRAVEL ALERT:  The speed reduction zone of 40 mph will be removed for the winter shut-down period.

TRAFFIC INFORMATION:  Construction signs and temporary speed reduction signs will be covered next week for the winter shut-down period.

Please focus on safety when driving through the construction work zone and remember, it is against the law to use a hand held cell phone while driving in Vermont.

Contact Natalie Boyle, Project Outreach Coordinator, EIV Technical Services, with any questions or concerns in regard to this project at 802-855-3893 or nboyle@eivtech.com

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Natalie Boyle

Director of Communications

EIV Technical Services

www.eivtech.com

The City Lights Building

106 East Allen St., Unit 506

Winooski, VT 05404

cell:  802.855.3893

office: 802.497.3653 ext.1037

Lynn Carpenter

Here is the obituary for Lynn Carpenter who passed away this week. For those of you who may want to send Don and the family condolences, his address is:
Donald Carpenter
P. O. Box 102
West Danville VT 05873

We have to report sad news today. Lynne Carpenter  (Otis Drive) passed away yesterday afternoon. We don't have any details yet, but I will post them as soon as they are available. Lynne had many friends at Joe's Pond and will be very missed. Our deepest sympathy goes to her husband, Donald and their family.