In case you are wondering how our ice is doing here at Joe's Pond, Diane Rossi sent me this picture a few minutes ago.  This at least verifies that the ice is thick enough to hold a pickup truck.  Fella Buttura reported recently that he watched a fisherman drilling through the ice and estimated the auger went down about 18 inches.  We had a report of 14 inches a couple of weeks ago, and in spite of some rain, we have had mostly pretty cold nights.  Last night was in the single numbers, so I guess we could still be making ice.  It isn't spring here at Joe's Pond quite yet.


The weather looks nice today with bright sunshine, but the temperature is still only about 16 degrees, and I think there's a pretty brisk breeze - but again, my wind gauge is frozen, so I can't tell speed or direction.  I can see movement in the tree branches and bushes in the back yard, and when I went out on the front deck earlier, it was definitely windy.  I didn't think to pay attention to direction, though.  I'm going to try walking up Jamie & Marie's driveway this noon, but other than that, I have lots to do here at my computer. 

The West Danville History Committee recently got some very nice photos from some slides Jane Larrabee had, and I've been sorting and working with them this weekend. The top picture is from 1954 when the public beach was opened in West Danville.  Folks are lined up for a BBQ.  Otis Brickett was on hand serving.  

That looks to me like Nate Morrill in the middle picture, but I can't be certain. We haven't identified many of the people in the pictures, but it's interesting to see how everyone is all dressed up for the event.  No shorts or bare feet, many of the men wore hats and suits, and the women all carried handbags.  

This bottom picture is how that same area of the beach looks today.  Sixty years makes a big difference in lots of ways.  Now shorts, jeans or slacks are the uniform for most women and almost nobody wears stockings. Men wear ties and suits for business or perhaps funerals and weddings, but never for a BBQ - unless he happens to be giving a speech, I suppose.  

The beach today is lovely.  There is a shelter and plenty of picnic tables and places for trash.  There are large maples for shade and a grassy area separate from parking space.  The West Danville Community Club oversees the beach area and does a very nice job.  The memory of the boat house, stone shed, ware house, lumber stacks, railway station and tracks that ran parallel to the pond grows dimmer with every year, but there are wonderful photographs and stories to tell to help preserves some of those memories and the history.