Blustery Snow Day!

It is amazing how winter has overtaken us so quickly this year. This week all three ponds became solidly frozen over. No wonder with nighttime temperatures in the single digits! It was a fairly gradual process, with the two smaller ponds freezing and then opening up partially once, at least. Usually, all three ponds will freeze and reopen at least a couple of times before closing in for keeps. Not this year. The big pond finally closed in this week and with more cold weather ahead and no sign of thaws in the immediate future, it appears we won't see open water again until spring.

I haven't measured precipitation since I injured my knee back in September. But now I have had several physical therapy sessions and seem to be making good progress, so I decided to begin taking measurements again, which means getting outside before 9 a.m. to measure snow depth and clean the snow off the front deck. The beginning of December was a good time to start - we've had snow to report daily. I have measured a little over 10 inches so far. Today I measured a little over an inch at 9 a.m., but we are having snow squalls and lots of wind, so there will be more than that tomorrow, I expect.

While my knee is much better and I'm getting strength and range of motion back, I don't trust my balance completely. I find that using a cane is sometimes counterproductive as it gets in my way more than it helps. However, except for my morning snow measurements, I take it with me when I leave the house - unfamiliar territory can be tricky. So far, so good - I have a snow shovel to help me balance!

Yesterday Bath Fitters installed my walk-in shower. That was an all-day job, just like advertised, but it was a really long day. Ryan arrived at around 9 a.m. and left a little after 7 p.m. The plumber, Will, was here only for a little over an hour in the morning, but Ryan worked steadily through the day. It looks great - I'm sure I'll love it. I have to wait 24 hours to use it, so today I'll be putting things back in place and doing a final clean up in there. They left everything spick and span except couldn't do the floor because of the silicone seal. That has to set without being disturbed in any way. I took some before and after pictures - nice low step to get in, but mostly the same footprint as the old shower. I know I'm going to enjoy it. Behind the curtain there's a neat little seat! What luxury - and the shower head can be in high or low location to adapt for the seat. Plus assist bars on three sides!

Now I'm thinking about Christmas decorations - do I want to fuss with them or just hang a wreath on the door and call it done. I'm thinking "keep it simple" because whatever I put out has to be taken down again after New Years. My tired old back tells me less is better.

We have lots of local events going on from now until Christmas - concerts, church sales, and more than the usual number of meetings to finish up budgets and year-end reports. Danville has a big meeting this weekend about school closure issues. I believe you can watch that live on Saturday, December 6, from this Facebook site.  

Roads are not great here right now, so be careful if you are traveling in our region - snow squalls are making visibility poor and also sweeping snow across roadways sometimes hiding black ice. Take it slow and pay close attention to what's ahead and to other drivers. It's surprising how many people still don't have their winter tires on - or who are depending on "all season" tires, which just aren't adequate when the going gets tough. I know - I embraced the new trend of all weather tires at first. Over the years at different stages of my driving, I've carried a set of chains (and had to use them more times than I like to recall) abd had studded tires - usually "retreads." Then new cars came with "all season tires" and front wheel drive. That changed my driving habits considerably. There were many times when I couldn't make a hill or felt insecure on slippery roads, resulting in "white knuckle driving" experiences. There was some benefit when cars had all-wheel drive, but when we went back to winter tires, what a difference! They really do make driving a whole lot safer, and if you live on a back road, it may make sense to have them studded, too. It is rare to hear a car clunking along with chains - but it does happen. I expect it's mostly folks who live on isolated back roads who still carry a set of chains with them. Whatever gets you there safely!

I hadn't intended to delve into my driving history - but it brought back memories of the clunky 1940 Packard sedan (a lot like the one pictured here but mine didn't have whitewalls) that was my first car. It was a big old "safe" used car I bought at Lesnick's DeSoto-Plymouth when I started working there in about 1950. I never liked that car - it began to fall apart almost immediately and if I went through a puddle of water, the engine would die. It was like steering a cow by the tail on snowy roads. I wasn't unhappy when my father offered to take it off my hands and made it into a power unit to run his sawmill. It was a great rig for that and he sawed a heap of lumber with it. Fun to look back on, though. 

Cheers, everyone! Enjoy your holiday preparations.

Thanksgiving Wishes!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! I am always thankful for so many who read my blog, and I think most of us have a lot to be thankful for - even when things seem to be going haywire in the world around us. It's nice to slow down once in a while and just count our blessings. I often think how fortunate I am to live where I do and have good friends and family close by who always have my back. I expect most people feel that the state where they live is special, but I have always felt that Vermont, even in this tumultuous national environment, has an independent and sensible mindset that, no matter what goes on in Washington, we will be ok. I don't always agree with our policy makers, but I still have confidence that working together, we will find a way. I used to have that feeling about our national government, but not so much anymore. It's as if our lawmakers never learned to play together or share when they were kids.

The weather today is quite mild with some ground fog and warmish temperatures. My thermometer is reading 37.6F right now. We had some rain last night into this morning and there are a few bare patches around my place. I was in St. Johnsbury yesterday and there is no snow - actually, Danville has much less than we do at Joe's Pond - and the sun actually came out for a bit as I was leaving the physical therapy building. I drove myself yesterday - first time driving my car since September 13, when I fell. My knee is doing very well and after a full hour of pretty strenuous (for me) exercise at PT, I was ready for lunch and a nap when I got home. I stopped at Marty's to put gas in my car and pick up a few groceries, so I had a roast beef sub for lunch. Something I always look forward to!

I missed Dotty Noyes's birthday celebration last week. They went to the View at Burke Mountain, and due to some confusion by the restaurant  about their reservation, the restaurant was actually closed because there was a convention of some sort going on elsewhere in the building, but they were served - the only people in the whole place, and taken care of like royalty. A totally good experience, and I'm sorry I missed it. They sent me a picture - that's Dotty in the green top, Diane Rossi, and Cyndy Rouleau. 

Now that Thanksgiving is here, we will all be gearing up for the next big holiday - Christmas. Middle son, Bob, has just had a new song published, a Christmas song. You can find it on his website, RickshaRadio.com  This is his first Christmas tune, and it will be interesting to see how it goes. I first heard it a few weeks ago on one of our "First Thursday" outings, and immediately liked it. I hope you do, too. 

I don't do a Christmas tree anymore, but usually have lights on my porch. I will probably do something like that again this year, but I will wait until after Thanksgiving for inspiration to move me to get something out there - or in my living room window. It's nice to have a bit of Christmas around, but the porch has had a coating of snow until this week, so I wasn't about to open the slider and go out there. I think our snow is here for the duration, even though today the warmer temperatures have melted a lot of it.

 This photo was taken on Nov. 25, 2007 from the lawn at our camp at the corner of Barre Ave. and W. Shore Road. It was typically gloomy - November is like that! Not much different from today. Yesterday when I went to St. J. I noticed that the first two ponds are frozen over, but the big pond still had plenty of open water except in the calmer coves. The pond is always dark and kind of menacing this time of year, but it will soon be all white with nothing but snow swirls dancing in the wind out there - until the fishermen come. Then we have an active community again until spring! 

If you are traveling for the holidays, be safe, stay happy, and enjoy. Happy Thanksgiving!

 

 

 

 

Cold Night!

We had a really cold night last night - I had a low of 14.4F and Diane told me there was a lot of ice around the rim of the pond this morning. We had sunshine all day, and the temperature got into the low 30s, so it wasn't all bad. I think tomorrow is going to be warmer, but I doubt that it will be warm enough to melt much of the snow in the mountains. Last report I heard, Mt. Mansfield had 38" at the stake on the summit; Jay Peak reports they have had a total of 66" of snow fall just in the past week - that doesn't mean that there is that much on the ground - it packs down and melts, but the total snowfall this season at Jay has been 93 inches so far this season. That's a lot - but as I said - that is over time. I haven't been measuring and reporting snowfall depths since I injured my knee, but I hope to pick that up again, perhaps after this weekend's rain (or snow) to sort of get a fresh start. At Mt. Washington, the report is 60.4" total snowfall for this month. Killington opened on Nov. 12; Jay Peak will open this Saturday - a week earlier than normal. Stowe is opening this Friday, Nov. 21, and Burke Mt. is scheduled for a December 6 opening.

Deer hunting is going on as usual, and hunters are probably rejoicing at snow, at least if they are hunting in the higher elevations. Lots of places not far from us have no snow on the ground. We won't know the total number of deer taken until probably February or March, but the numbers expected by the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department published really surprised me - over 17,200 deer expected to be "harvested." With 73,000 registered hunters in Vermont, plus visitors from other states, I guess it isn't surprising. I don't expect all 73,000 will be out in the woods hunting deer, but a lot will be. I'm always happy when the season ends. I haven't seen many deer around my house this year, but neither have I seen as many turkeys, partridges, or other wildlife that usually show up at some time. I thought it might be because my pond was so low - I know it is a good watering hole in normal summers, but there were no tracks that I could see. 

As of Monday, I'm cast-free and able to proceed without a walker or cane around the house. I'm signed up for weekly PT for a while - hopefully I'll progress quickly and won't have to do the full eight weeks. I am constantly learning what works and what doesn't, and so far I'm doing pretty well - no pain in my knee as long as I don't push it too far. I was totally surprised at the doctor's decision to let me go cast-free. He had talked about a different cast that would only allow my knee to bend a certain amount and could be adjusted as I progressed; then when I saw him Monday, I was suddenly pronounced "good to go" without the support, as long as I am careful. Whoopee!

Here is a photograph I received from my friend, Mary Whitcomb, last week. She didn't know where it was, only that it was a farm in Cabot. It was sent to her by a friend in California who had connections here in Vermont. I quickly found out it is the Bothfeld farm on West Hill, but I waited to post the picture until I could credit the source. I can't wait any longer. I want to share it - I think it is spectacular. The sky - the setting - just amazing. It was taken a couple of weeks ago, before we got snow. I expect the sky has been just as threatening a few times in the past days - we've had some pretty nasty weather with rain, sleet, lots of wind, and blowing snow. 

Tomorrow I'm off to get my hair cut - it's been well over two months since I've had a professional cut. There were some dicey stairs involved to get to my hairdresser, and I didn't want to take chances, but coincidentally, new stairs have been installed recently, so it should be ok. I have managed - when my hair got too long and began to irritate me, I just cut it off. I know hairdressers hate when I do that, but sometimes I just can't wait. And this was an unusual situation. Stephen has always been very understanding and never complained at having to fix my botched "haircuts". I'm looking forward to my appointment - and afterwards, middle son, Bob and I are going out for lunch at Papa Tirozzi's Bakery. He has great sandwiches, fish plates, and wonderful Italian desserts. Everything is good there, we are never disappointed. Bob was happy to come and get me to get to my hair appointment - especially when I mentioned lunch was on me! We're both hoping for fried clams!

 

 

 

  

 

Sad News

It is always sad when I have to report that someone close to the Joe[s Pond community has passed away. I recently learned that a long-time Joe's Pond summer resident, Joe Muretta, passed away on October 29th. Many of you have known Joe over the years - the family spent many summers at the pond. More recently, Joe, who was 96, visited for special family gatherings at his daughter, Michelle Parker's, on Otis Drive. My sincere condolences to Michelle and her family. I know she was very close to her father and will miss him terribly. Michelle's address is P. O. Box 42, West Danville, VT 05873, if you wish to send her a message.

November is always a dreary month, but this year it seems to have topped all other Novembers - so far. We have had nothing but rain, snow, and gloom for days, it seems. Even if the sun pops out, it's only for a few  hours. We really can't complain, even though there is a blanket of snow on everything. The temperatures have ranged in the 30s and the ground is not frozen solidly so the snow is melting underneath and tradually replenishing the water table. We don't need a deluge of rain and water running off into streams instead of soaking into the ground where it is needed.

I'm happy to see that my pond is coming back steadily. It is still down by 12-18 inches, but that is better than being nearly dry. As I recall, the water depth at the deepest end of my pond is normally about 10-12 feet - so it was down at least 8 ft. a few weeks ago, with nothing coming in. Now there is a steady stream coming in from the auxiliary pond above in the woods.

I am still rattling around with a walker much of the time. Sometimes I boldly step out with just a cane, but I still have an almost-full-length support cast on my leg. On Monday I will see the orthopedic folks and I expect to be fitted with a less restrictive support apparatus. I am also scheduled for an evaluation with physical therapy on Monday. I have been doing my own "exercises" - kind of testing the limits of my creaky joint, but hopefully I will be able to take that a bit further safely after seeing the PT people. This whole process has taken mch longer than I had expected. Son Bob had a knee replacement a while back, and although I think he had much more initial pain than I had with my ligament tear, he moved through the process of healing and getting movement back quicker than I am experiencing. And for once it isn't because I'm old or that my bones are brittle - I admit to being old, but my bones are fine (thankfully). It's the usual protocol for this type of repair, according to the doctors. It can take months to get full range of motion back. That said, when I was at the orthopedics two weeks ago, they said I might be moving ahead more quickly than normal with my recovery. One can only hope. I have paid attention and done as I've been told - but I'm not a happy camper being slowed down this much for so darned long. Better now than when the weather is nicer - always (sort of) a bright side to this kind of stuff! Thanks to so many of you who have reached out to check on my progress. I'm really fine - and I doubt I'd be much more active in this nasty weather even without the injury. But I would certainly be driving, and that is no possible yet.

I will close with the usual cautionary warning: This month and December is deer and bear hunting season, so when you are outside, even walking on our roads around the pond, wear bright clothing, and if you take your dog out, be sure it is on a leash and wearing a brightly-colored vest, as well. Sometimes in foggy or snowy weather, hunters aren't quite certain of their proximity to trails, roads, buildings, etc., and seeing your movement through the underbrush, you could be mistaken for a deer or bear. Hunter orange is great, other bright colors - bright iridescent red, blue, yellow, or green will show up well - but darker colors and white (especially against the snow) are dangerous.I found this adorable doggie vest online - and look at that over-the-top and down-to-your-knees vest for women! I love that - it looks like it would be not only warm, but what a fashion statement! I wish I'd had one of those when I used to walk all seasons, every day, in the woods or on on West Shore Road!  

So dig out your brightest hat, scarf, jacket, or vest, and enjoy our "winter wonderland" safely!

Veterans' Day

Today I have spent a lot of time watching the wind blowing snow outside my window. It has been a quiet day, and  I have been thinking about some of the men and women I have known who served in the military - or are serving now. Many of those I have read or written about as part of Cabot's history. So many wars, so many lives lost, so many dedicated men and women keeping us safe.  

I think sometimes we forget the true significance of special days such as this. Originally, what we recognize today as "Veteran's Day" was "Armistice Day," when the agreement to end World War I went into effect at 11 a.m. on November 11, 1918. That ended the terrible war on the Western front in Europe that had taken such a toll of lives on both sides. Unites States lost over 116,000 men in that war; the total lives lost including civilians was in the millions. November 11th was not officially recognized as "Armistice Day" in America until 1926. Some called it "Remembrance Day."  At the time it was thought that World War I would be "the war to end all wars." That didn't happen. After WWII, Armistice Day was celebrated as "Veterans' Day,"  butit wasn't made official until 1954 when Congress passed a bill that President Eisenhower signed into law. Today there are brief ceremonies, some public businesses close, and some observe a few moments of silence at ll a.m. We remember wars, remember those who have served or are serving, and pray that someday there will be no more wars. Our veterans deserve to be remembered for their sacrifices in defending us and our country. 

 

 

Edging Towards Winter!

We still have snow on the ground left over from yesterday. I think we got around two inches, although I didn't go out to measure it. I've decided to give up measuring for CoCoRaHS until my knee is either fully recovered or at least I'm not depending on a walker or a cane to move around. That is the advantage of working on a volunteer basis - I can take a vacation whenever I need to!

I received this from Gretchen Farnsworth (Sandy Beach Road) this morning: 

 Yesterday a little snow, this morning a little ice in the pond….winter is coming!
Its quiet down here just us and the last of the migrating geese. Our little loon made it thru the summer/fall I’m sure partially due to the lack of boat traffic racing around the islands. Some good from the bad.

Gretchen sent a photo taken this morning when it looked as if we might have a little sunshine. Didn't happen. Thanks for the photo and info on the loon, Gretchen. I haven't had any wildlife at my pond at all this fall. I'm sure any ducks or geese used to stopping here in the past wondered where all the water went. There's been nothing but a puddle there for weeks, and until this week, I couldn't see any water at all from my house, either in the pond or running in from the feeder pond above. Now I can see a small stream running in and finally, the level in the pond is high enough so yesterday I could see it. Still down at least four feet, I think. It will take some time to refill, but with more rain/snow coming this weekend and into next week, it will help. 

I took a few pictures yesterday morning. It's always  exciting to wake up and find snow on the ground. It didn't stick to the paved driveway very long - but it has remained on the ground and trees. It's not quite up to being a Winter Wonderland yet, but that will come. You can just make out the water in my pond - it should increase a bit each day and hopefully will get back to capacity before it freezes over. Or maybe not! I'm surprised Joe's Pond had that skimming of ice - but we have had some pretty consistent cold weather. Last night we had temperatures in the 20s, but today it has been a little above freezing, but not much melting. 

I did "First Thursday" lunch date with middle son, Bob, yesterday. It had been a little while since we'd been able to do that, and it was really fun to get going again. With thoughtful planning, I was able to navigate getting into his truck just fine.It has steps and plenty of room for my stiff leg. We took the scenic route to Littleton and had lunch at "99" - which I always enjoy. For the occasion, I ditched my walker and depended on a cane and Bob! It worked very well. The knee is progressing fine, the process is just taking way too long. I'm pretty sure I could be doing more than the doctors are allowing, but I'm doing as I'm told, not as I want to do. I have my first visit with PT next week, so perhaps from there things will begin to move ahead. PT can be hard work, so I should be careful what I wish for, I guess.

We forgot to take the usual picture by the restaurant sign yesterday. However, we had a great time - went from here to Peacham and then Barnet, around the back side of Harvey Lake where we found they are repaving the road. There was no traffic at all, but we had to wait 10-15 minutes, the only car "waiting in line" with nothing coming through - and finally a work truck came by and then we were allowed to go through. We weren't in any hurry, but it was cold, spitting snow, and the flagman looked like he might have been in his vehicle instead of standing in the cold had it not been for us. He looked like he needed a hot cup of coffee and a hug. We crossed the river below Wells River to Monroe and followed the old route north along the Connecticut River and then took the back road into Littleton. I hadn't been on any of those roads for a long time, and it was fun to see the changes. Good day all around.

We are nearing Veterans' Day - and it's a good time to think about thanking all of our service men and women, past and present, for their service. Military service isn't honored the way it should be, it seems to me - the sacrifices are huge, and the benefits both during and after service are painfully inadequate. Remember to thank them - not just on Veterans' Day, but whenever you can. 

 

 

 

 

Time Change and A Little History

 This has been a chilly, rather dull day. Having to set the clocks back last night made everything a bit topsy-turvey today, I suppose, but so far that hasn't been much of an issue. I've puttered, as best I can, walker in tow (most of the time!) and now I'm taking a little break before setting off to water all my house plants. I really have too many. But they are all like old friends that I treasure. When I brought them int from the porch a couple of weeks ago, I realized how heavy and "needy" they are. Actually, son Bill brought most of them inside for me.

I increased my stock this spring. There were two that had lived in the basement for many years, a very old Christmas cactus and an almost equally old hoya - both had been inherited from my mother, and I believe the cactus had originally come from a plant her father had years ago that got split up among his daughters when I was still in pigtails. Literally. 

The hoya used to hang in my parent's garage each summer, and bloomed there. It had fresh air from an open screened door, but only north facing light. The only time it bloomed for me was when I had it high on a kitchen cabinet. The fragrance was sometimes overpowering. So I put in in the basement when I no longer wanted to use a stepladder to water it in the kitchen. It has sulked and never bloomed since. So last spring I took several cuttings, repotted some of the original sprawling plant, and now have one fairly large hoya, two small rooted plants, and three or four cuttings that have roots but are still in water. I will put them in potting soil eventually, but they seem to be fine as they are. I have a hard time tossing out cuttings from my plants. And so my plant family continues to grow, and none are banished to the basement!

Diane Rossi shared this photo taken by the cemetery on Cabot Plains Road last night as she was coming home from Cabot Village. She said it was raining in the village when she left - but not up on the Plain. Thanks, Dianne - it's really nice. 

I often think about all of the history up there at that spot. From the "T" where Cabot Plains Road turns sharply right and Dubray Road begins on the left, the road follows the path of the old Bailey-Hazen Military Road for a short distance. The old road continues straight north to Route 215, while the Cabot Plains Road turns sharply west to go to the village. But along that stretch of old road, first scratched out as a trail through the wilderness, Revolutionary War soldiers marched, worked, and expected to fight. They never completed the road that was supposed to go to St. Johns in Quebec, Canada, and they never engaged with the British more than one brief skirmish, according to history. But the road opened the area for settlement. Until about 1779, there were few, if any settlers beyond Peacham. Occasionally hunters explored the area, but eventually the hill where the cemetery is now was where Cabot's first settlers built. There were stores, several homesteads, a large tavern called the "Yellow House" and the town's business was conducted from that spot. There was a pound, a whipping post, and stocks. The whipping post and stocks were later moved about two miles south to the geographic center of town, and most of the official town business was conducted at the center from then on. However, stages and teams of horses and oxen regularly came over the old military road and stopped at the tavern - as many as 60 teams a day, according to one historian, Archie Stone. 

Later, the Yellow House became known as the Smuggler's House - during the War of 1812 when trading with Canada was prohibited. There were accommodations for as many as 100 head of cattle there, and they were regularly driven to Canada, along with other contraband goods, including whiskey. Apparently few federal agents interfered. One was unceremoniously given a dunking in a nearby pond by local traders who continued to sell and barter with the British, providing ready cash for local farmers.

One can only imagine those days - lots of whiskey made and consumed or sold, herds of livestock being driven north, providing a lively business for locals. Now, only a few markers tell us where some of the historic sites are. The original foundations long since leveled by prosperous farmers through the years until after WWII when the small farms were no longer viable because there was nobody who wanted to work the land - younger people left the area and one by one the farms disappeared. When I was growing up on the Plain, there were two Stone farms, Walbridge, Maynard, Desmarais, Shatney, Barnett, Ewen, Gamble, McCormick, Harrington, and Timmons farms, in addition to our own large farm. Now, all gone.

It's already dark outside - and only five o'clock. My stomach is telling me it's time for supper. I'm going to water my plants and by the time I finish, I'll be ready to eat and settle down for the evening. It's going to take a day or two to adapt to the time change, I think. Be well and happy!