Is it Spring Yet?

Our weather has warmed up considerably, but it doesn't seem to want to stop snowing. I have no idea how much snow we've gained today, but it's at least another 4-5 inches, I expect. It seems like we can't get a break - it's either cold, snow, or both. I got a report on the thickness of our ice today - 27 inches. I thought it would be more like 48 inches, it's been so cold. However, Bob, my fisherman friend, said it's at 27 and isn't solid, blue ice, but a softer, white ice. This means it will melt quicker once warm weather comes. Old-time ice cutters always looked for clear, "blue" ice that was at least 12 inches thick, as that would last longer in the ice houses. When you are calculating the date on your Ice-Out tickets, this may be important to know. 

When I came into my blog space this afternoon, I discovered the entry I made almost a week ago had not been sent. I'm not sure why - but it is posted now, and you will find it just below this one. It is important, as it has information from Barry Cahoon about the recent meeting he attended at Fish & Wildlife.

And here we are - almost Valentine's Day and then Town Meeting Day, the first Tuesday in March. Spring IS almost here - and maple sugaring season, then mud season, the end of our Ice-Out Contest, and finally, open water at Joe's Pond once again! Can't wait.

Here is something special being offered in Cabot - a Valentine's Day turkey pie supper! So good! Here is the notice:

When: Feb 14, 2026, 5 to 6:30 PM
Where: United Church of Cabot, Common Rd, Cabot, VT

Valentines Day Vermont Turkey Pie Supper ~~~ Feb. 14, 5 - 6:30 pm
Dine-in or Take-out, By Donation
Cabot United Church. 426-3783 

The church always puts on a super-good dinner using turkeys from the Bothfeld farm, and all the trimmings. They do turkey dinners to perfection. I'm always impressed - and always stuffed. Turkey pie is going to be just as delicious, I'm sure.

 Speaking of meals - middle son, Bob, and I did our "First Thursday" lunch last week at the Village Restaurant in Hardwick. Bob had mac 'n cheese with bacon, chicken, and seems like one other ingredient I wouldn't have expected. He said it was exceptionally good. Lots of calories (and cholesterol!), but definitely worth the risk. It was one of their "special" items that day, apparently a trial by their chef. Bob hopes they keep it on the menu. I had a hot turkey sandwich - and it was really good, too, served with lots of gravy and mashed potato. 

We had a riverside table and watched as workers secured suspension cables from an enormous crane to the long footbridge that crosses the river nearby. The bridge has been deemed unsafe due to erosion of the supports for it on each side of the river. I'm amazed that it has lasted as long as it has with the river flooding frequently, ice jams, and general erosion over time. There is a temporary bridge for the workers, but not for the public, we were told by our waitress. The old footbridge was removed the day after we were there, I learned from the Hardwick Gazette. The new bridge and repairs to the supports are expected to be completed by November.

If you intend to vote by absentee ballot, you need to contact your town clerk now to have one sent to you, if you haven't already received yours. Our mail is pretty sketchy lately - some days we don't have any delivery - so allow extra time. I've asked for mine to be sent to me. Also, Cabot Town Reports used to be sent to everyone, but that became too expensive, I guess, so now they are available at the Town Offices and the stores. 

Stay warm and safe - don't drive in this messy weather if you don't have to! Think Spring! 

Still Cold, and More on the EWM Issue, Feb. 6, 2026

We're headed for another frigid weekend. The snow is great for skiing and winter sports, but the cold is bone chilling, and will remain so, even deepening Saturday and Sunday. Next week doesn't show much improvement, but that could change.

We aren't the only ones experiencing cold and snow. Liz Randall (W. Shore Rd), sent pictures taken at their home on Long Island. Liz said part of the bay is frozen and that hasn't happened in years, and they have at least a foot of snow on the ground - and it's cold, so the snow isn't going anywhere right away. She sent these photos. She said John is keeping their house toasty with their wood stove. The sunshine looks lovely and bright there - not unlike what we had yesterday. But even with the sunshine, it was bitterly cold where the wind hit.

Liz is a big fan of the Foster Bridge over by the cemetery on Cabot Plain. She found this photo on Facebook - looks like a time-lape photo with northern lights and the Milky Way by our "famous for photos" bridge honoring the Foster Family who lived nearby and were part of the Walbridge clan. The bridge was built by Richard Spaulding in the 1970s; Dick's mother was a Walbridge, and A. M. Foster invented a popular sap spout in the 1800s. All intertwined - and now all gone from the area, but the bridge remains. The photo of Foster Bridge is by Alice Wack, photographer and graphic design artist.

Many of you knew that our head of Eurasian Milfoil Control, Barry Cahoon, appeared yesterday to testify before a committee within the Department of Fish and Wildlife (DF&W) Board, hoping to impress upon them the importance of putting washing stations ahead of parking spaces on the priority list for Vermont State Fishing Access sites. If you have been following this issue, Joe's Pond Association has proposed installing a boat wash at the fishing access (at no cost to the state), but the DF&W has rejected the request on the basis that it would be at the expense of losing two parking spaces.The access area is already in a wetlands area - installed by the state before wetland laws became more stringent. This makes it nearly impossible to use surrounding land owned by the state as they are now firm about infringing on wetlands. 

Here is Barry's testimony:

Testimony Submitted to the VT Senate Natural Resources & Energy Committee on February 5th, 2026, For the Joe’s Pond Association and for the Ecological Well-Being of all VT Waterbodies
By Barry Cahoon, Water Quality Director/Eurasian Watermilfoil Management Coordinator

    Good morning, my name is Barry Cahoon. I am here today representing the Joe’s Pond
Association (JPA) as its Water Quality Director and Eurasian Watermilfoil (EWM)
Management Coordinator.
    Joe’s Pond is a 400 acre lake straddling the town line between Danville in Caledonia
County and Cabot in Washington County. It is named after an Abenaki man, Joe, who
aligned and guided VT militias in the Revolutionary War.
    Thank you for providing me the opportunity to present to the Committee the experience
of the JPA related to its efforts to collaborate with the VT Agency of Natural Resources
(ANR) to establish a boat inspection station at the state-owned fishing access area.
    Our purpose and goal is to prevent introduction of aquatic invasive species (AIS) into
Joe’s Pond and to avoid export of invasives to non-infested Vermont waterbodies.
In addition, my testimony will include suggested amendments to S.224 as introduced
that will, if enacted, establish AIS spread prevention as an authorized use of state-
owned fishing access areas at a priority level reflective of its vital importance to
preserving the ecological health of Vermont lakes.
    I sent an email this past Monday to each committee member with attachments providing
the text of my testimony today as well as supplementary supporting information.
    Please do not consider that my testimony here today is only about Joe’s Pond. The
JPA’s experience is representative of many other Vermont lake associations’
interactions with the VT Department of Fish & Wildlife (DF&W) relating to this issue of
AIS spread prevention facilities at fishing access areas. The recommendations I offer
here today are intended to address and resolve conflicting priorities in support of the
long-term ecological well being of all Vermont lakes; something that, seemingly, would
be a shared goal of both Vermont lake associations and ANR.
    The JPA has operated a Greeter Program at the DF&W fishing access area for over a
quarter century (absent a boat wash facility). Unfortunately, despite robust staffing
levels and training, the invasive aquatic vegetation known as Eurasian watermilfoil
(EWM) was discovered in August, 2024. The JPA immediately mobilized to contain the
proliferation of this insidious, aggressive and persistent invasive, which has now
infested over 100 Vermont waterbodies. Yet, despite tremendous financial expenditures
and efforts by the JPA membership, contracted harvesting, education, establishment of
a SNUBA supported dive team that expended hundreds of person-hours hand
harvesting, and much more, EWM, at the end of 2025, was more widespread around
the lake than it was at the end of 2024.
    The invasive milfoil infestation dramatically elevated the awareness of the JPA as to the
critical need to prevent the introduction of additional aquatic invasives into the lake. As
well, the association believes it is our responsibility to prevent the export of invasives,
particularly EWM from Joe’s Pond to other waterbodies. A fully equipped boat
inspection station is absolutely essential to achieve these purposes.
    The JPA believed, naively as it turns out, that the DF&W would share and embrace the
critical need to avoid introduction of invasives into, and export from, Vermont lakes by
collaborating with the association to facilitate the establishment of a boat inspection
facility at the fishing access.
    Without getting into all the details of the JPA proposal, I have provided to the committee
members via email, attachments documenting the communication exchange between
the DF&W and the association, including a comprehensive rationale for why it makes
little if any sense to prioritize parking spaces over an AIS spread prevention facility. A
site plan and preliminary project design is included.
    In coordination with Federation of Vermont Lakes and Ponds (FOVLAP), the JPA offers
these specific revisions to the provisions of S.224: Page 11, following line 12, the following provision should be added:  (4) The Fish & Wildlife Department shall work collaboratively and to resolve any conflict with any entity, as defined under Section 1453(2) of this Title, proposing establishment and operation of a boat inspection station for the purpose of aquatic nuisance spread prevention, so that the lake protection facility and other authorized uses can reasonably be accommodated.

    This provision, if enacted, would complement and support existing statutory provisions
in Section 1451 “It is the policy of the State of Vermont to prevent the infestation and
proliferation of invasive species”, and Section1453 requiring that ANR work with, among
other entities, “local interest organizations” such as lake associations, to develop aquatic
invasive species controls.
    Secondly, because the essential priority of preventing introduction of AIS into Vermont
lakes is of paramount importance in long-term protection of fish and wildlife aquatic
resources and associated wetlands habitat, an aquatic nuisance inspection facility listed
in Rules as the lowest priority authorized use of state-controlled fishing access areas,
does nothing to resolve the refusal of the DF&W to recognize this absolute necessity. 
By not collaboratively achieving AIS spread prevention, the day will come when very
few, if any, parking spaces will be required at a fishing access area because of
profoundly diminished and degraded aquatic habitats, native species populations and
natural resources.  When this occurs, the short-sighted nature of disallowing a boat
inspection station in order to preserve a few parking spaces may finally become crystal
clear.
    Therefore, S.224 as introduced, should be amended to delete lines 1-3 on Page 14 and
be replaced on Page 13 at line 8 as follows: 4.1 Approved aquatic nuisance
inspection stations for inspection of vessels entering or exiting lakes pursuant to
10 V.S.A. Section 1454.  With this change, boat inspection stations will become the
highest priority authorized use and will substantively contribute to the lake protection
operations which are most vital to preserving the social, economic and ecological values
of Vermont lakes.
    We live in a far from perfect world. Navigating through life and achieving our purpose
frequently results in conflicts and requires resolution through compromise. That the
inability to accommodate 100% of desired parking 100% of the time is deemed and
drawn as a red line represents a rejection of the opportunity for compromise and
collaboration through which achievement of a higher purpose and a mutually beneficial
outcome becomes possible.
    The most profoundly distressing aspect of the current situation is that DF&W #39;s
resistance to working affirmatively with lake associations to facilitate and enhance AIS
spread prevention, is that it not only represents an abdication of their responsibilities
under 10 V.S.A. Section 1453, but then leaves all the staggering costs, efforts, sweat
and tears associated with AIS containment and management to the lake associations in
perpetuity! Sacrificing a few parking spaces (in the case of Joe’s Pond, just 2) seems
to be not a lot to ask nor a lot to give.
     And finally, the JPA developed a preliminary design for the boat inspection station that
included an approximately 3000 square foot encroachment into a wetland buffer area in
order to minimize loss of parking space. However, the DF&W contended that the VT
DEC “wetlands program would not permit” the prospective encroachment.
    The JPA has performed a brief and partial search of the DEC database of recent
wetland encroachment permit decisions and has found a half dozen regulatory actions,
wherein permanent wetland and wetland buffer encroachments ranging from 6,000 to
over 20,000 square feet have been approved. These projects are all of substantially
greater magnitude than the prospective encroachment associated with the JPA
proposal.
    In addition, these projects provide little or no identifiable associated ecological benefit
particularly in comparison with that which would be achieved by the JPA proposal. If the
JPA proposal for 3000 square feet of wetland buffer encroachment were to be denied,
such action would be entirely and egregiously inconsistent with prior DEC wetland
regulatory decisions.
    The JPA offered to amend our preliminary project design to increase the wetland buffer
encroachment (subject to regulatory review) in order to further minimize loss of parking
space. But this mitigating approach was also rejected by DF&W.
    The same reasoning about short-sighted decision making applies here to minor wetland
encroachments which represent little or no measurable diminishment of wetlands
functions and values, yet can provide immense benefit through long-term protection of
wetlands habitats all around the lake from degradation by introduced aquatic invasives.
    The ANR wetlands permitting data, upon which my preceding testimony is based, has
been provided via email to all committee members as supplemental information.
    Vermont lake associations are the primary stewards of our invaluable lakes and ponds.
Lake associations and their members suffer disproportionately and must shoulder the
burdens associated with the social, financial and ecological costs of AIS proliferation
and management. As the JPA works to discharge its responsibilities to our
membership, to Joe’s Pond, and other vulnerable water bodies, to implement a complete
AIS spread prevention and containment program, we can much more effectively
accomplish our purpose when the ANR is acting as a collaborative and supportive
partner.
    The JPA appreciates the value of public access to Joe’s Pond and all public waters and
recognizes the constraints of limited space. But the current situation begs an honest
assessment of our collective shared purposes and priorities. We hope, through
enactment of these recommended amendments to S.224, that a functional and mutually
beneficial relationship between the DF&W and lake associations can be formed to
minimize the likelihood of AIS proliferation and its associated ecological loss.
    Thank you again. The Joe’s Pond Association urges you to pass S.224 with the above
suggested amendments. 

*****

 I have to believe that after this thoughtful, frank, and well documented presentation, this committee would certainly understand and wholeheartedly agree, therefore will urge DF&W to allow the change to S.224 and then work with JPA to get a wash station installed. It may be too late to protect Joe's Pond from EWM, but would certainly keep other invasives out of our lake (of which there are many), and prevent the spread to other lakes by boats that have been at Joe's Pond.

I did a little research and found that there is a member from each county on that board and Brad Ferland in Hardwick represents Caledonia County; Jon Valsangiacomo, in Barre, represents Washington County. Do you know these men? If so - let them know how important this is, and that is is only common sense. 

Once again, I thank Barry Cahoon for his unrelenting efforts on behalf of Joe's Pond. I have to believe we will be able to save it. It may take a few years, but it will happen - Joe's Ponders are not going to give up. But we all have to make our voices heard. We can't wait for someone else to do the heavy lifting. Talk to your representatives, your neighbors, find out from Barry what you can do to help. It's going to be a long haul.

As you know, I try to remain neutral, at least hear on Joe's Pond Reflections. However, I feel very strongly about this issue. If we don't get better cooperation from the State, every body of water in Vermont will be clogged with EWM or some other invasive. That will mean that nobody will want to spend summer vacations here - who wants to swim, water-ski, or go kayaking in a sea of green weeds? I don't have to elaborate further, you can imagine what it will be like - it won't be a pleasant future. I firmly believe that boat-wash stations should be mandatory at all state-owned boating accesses.

 

Catching Up

 First of all, if you haven't sent your comments about the proposed changes to rules that would eliminate the use of wake boats on more of Vermont's smaller ponds, you still can do that by going HERE. You can sign up to speak at the meeting or you can scroll down to Written Comments and send a quick email. It is important to speak up. From what I've heard, the wake boat community has gathered a lot of support to keep this from happening. If you feel strongly that Joe's Pond would be better without large vessels, even in the present restricted area, say so. Your opinion is important, and legislators need to get information from people most impacted by the outcome. 

Now to everyday stuff - as I sit in my warm house, waiting for the outdoor temperature to show signs of moving upward. Not happening. Not even a little. Going in the other direction, now at only 3 above. I don't think it's been more than 5 above all day. Brrrrr! Nose-pinching weather, indeed. The mailman just brought a package up and the pedestrian door into my garage was frozen shut. I opened the overhead door for him and then went down and kicked the door from inside until it let go. Then the overhead door didn't want to stay down when I tried to close it, so I had to go back out and shovel away some snow that had fallen in front of the gadget that receives a signal from another gadget on the opposite side. Now everything is closed and hopefully will open again when needed. Everything is frozen and creaking in this unrelenting cold. At least we haven't added anything more to our snow pack today.

 We can't help wondering if this being the end of January will also mean the end of this severely cold weather.Seems like the whole nation could use a break from cold weather. At least we still have electricity and roads are open. I truly feel for all the people dealing with enormous amounts of snow AND cold without electricity and unable to drive their cars because roads and streets are iced over or filled with snow. 

Gene Danis came yesterday morning and took the snow off the roofs of my house and garage. It was drifted about four feet deep in spots on the back side - the front gets more wind that sweeps the snow over the ridgepole where it settles on the back side of the roof. Gene worked in below-zero weather but he said he was well layered with wind and water-resistant outer garments that kept him warm and dry. If you need snow shoveled - give Gene a call: Able American, LLC,  802-473-6257. Take a look at his Facebook page. I think you'll agree Gene is a great all-around craftsman and handyman and a good guy to know. I've known Gene for about five years, and he has always been great to work with - shows up when he says he will, and gets the job done well and timely, and his rates are reasonable. I hadn't realized he was available for all sorts of odd jobs beyond snow, but you can bet I'm keeping his number handy.

Above are before and after pictures of my back roof, and this last picture is what I see from my back door and my office window, seen on the right of the photo. I guess I won't be using my back door or the side door into the garage until about June. I hope the deck under that pile of snow holds up. If not, I know a guy who can fix it . . . ! (Maybe the same one that piled all that snow on it!) He knows I don't use those doors in the winter, and I'd already told him not to worry about it. There was another pile almost as high in front of the garage door that he had to move. There's a lot of snow to melt - banks are getting higher just about every day.

Diane and I went to Littleton yesterday. We had lunch at "99" and then we stopped at Walmart briefly before heading home. We were detoured off of I-93, and at the time we had no idea what was going on. Later Diane texted to let me know there was a high-speed chase involving a stolen pickup and the state police that ended in an accident. When we were redirected from the interstate just after leaving Littleton, there was some confusion and we ended up on the road to Gilman. I hadn't been on that road for literally years, so it was a fun adventure. The roads were good and there was hardly any traffic - but it did take us extra time getting home. Neither of us had to be home for anything special, so it was ok - and gave us both a welcome diversion from the normal routine of just following the interstate. Little hiccups like that are usually great fun. We could have turned around and made it to Route 18 easily, but Diane is a really good driver and doesn't get flustered about anything! We weren't sure where we would come out, but it was an adventure. I knew it would be somewhere on Route 2, and sure enough, we landed in Lunenburg. Most of the time the sun was out and it was very pleasant, but by the time we got to St. Johnsbury, we had lost the sunshine - and it was still only a few degrees above zero. We had a good day, though. 

Today had been a quieter day - I needed to catch up on emails and some other computer stuff. Everything I do seems to take more time than it used to - even keeping up with computer stuff. Actually, perhaps I just do more "computer stuff" these days than I used to! 

Stay warm and safe.

 

 

A Bit of Essential Homework

Barry Cahoon recently sent the following message to Scott Beck, Vermont State Senator. Take a look and then here's your "homework" --  draft your own letter or contact Scott by some other method if you agree that the State should rethink their priorities when it comes to the Vermont Fish and Wildlife. 

Ammendments as proposed by Barry Cahoon:

 Specific to the provisions of S.224 and the amendments suggested by FOVLAP: 

 Page 11, following line 12, the following provision replacing the FOVLAP suggested amendment should be added:  (4) The Fish & Wildlife Department shall work collaboratively and to resolve any conflict with any entity, as defined under Section 1453(2) of this Title, proposing establishment and operation of a boat inspection station for the purpose of aquatic nuisance spread prevention, so that the lake protection facility and other authorized uses can reasonably be accommodated.

 Because of the essential priority of preventing introduction of aquatic invasive species into VT lakes is of paramount importance in long-term protection of fish and wildlife aquatic and associated wetlands habitat, the listing of an aquatic nuisance inspection station as an authorized use of a state-controlled fishing access areas listing in Rule as the lowest priority authorized use does nothing to resolve the refusal of the DF&W to recognize this absolutely necessary hierarchy of priorities.  By not collaboratively achieving AIS spread prevention, the day will come when very few, if any, parking spaces will be required at a boat access because of profoundly diminished and degraded aquatic habitats, native species populations and natural resources.  When this occurs, the short sighted nature of disallowing an AIS spread prevention facility to preserve a few parking spaces may finally become crystal clear.

 Therefore, S.224 as introduced should be amended to delete lines 1-3 on Page 14 and be replaced on Page 13 at line 8 as follows: 4.1  Approved aquatic nuisance inspection stations for inspection of vessels entering or exiting lakes pursuant to 10 V.S.A. Section 1454.  With this change, boat inspection stations will become the highest priority authorized use and will help provide the lake protection operations which are most vital to lake associations and ought to be to the DF&W.

 The most profoundly distressing aspect of the current situation is that DF&W's resistance to working affirmatively with a lake association to facilitate and enhance AIS introduction, is that it not only represents an abdication of their responsibilities (and what the public expects of them) but then also just leaves all the costs, efforts and sweat equity at AIS containment and management to the lake associations once the invasive has arrived.  Sacrificing a few parking spaces seems to me not a lot to ask nor a lot to give.

 Thanks Scott.  Your support for these amendments will be greatly appreciated.  Please call me anytime.

 For the Joe's Pond Association

Barry Cahoon, Water Quality Director

Eurasian Watermilfoil Management Coordinator

Bear817@hotmail.com

802-535-0049

Priorities have changed over the years - dramatically, in the case of Joe's Pond where we are in what seems to be a losing battle with Eurasian watermilfoil, if we don't get some backup support. Your letter can be brief or personal - however you want to present your case to Scott. His home address is 93 Overlook Dr., St. Johnsbury, VT 05819, or reach him by email: sbeck@leg.state.vt.us  

Now here's your "homework." Get busy and write your own message to Scott - let him know what we are facing here at Joe's Pond and urge him to use any influence he can on his fellow legislators to do the right thing and make the suggested amendment changes that FOVLAP outlines. It seems to me changing priorities to allow better control through inspection stations at State Fishing Access areas makes sense. Like Barry said, if something doesn't change, we won't need any parking spaces at access areas because there won't be any fishing or boating in weed-infested ponds and lakes. Thank you for taking a few minutes to voice your opinion. We have to work together to save Joe's Pond from being forever clogged with EWM.

 

 

Reminder and Remembering

 I hadn't really thought about snow removal from roofs this winter. The snow has been so light and fluffy it didn't occur to me that shoveling the roof might be needed. However, Jamie had some roofs shoveled - at camp and at his house, and I had him ask Gene, who has worked for me other winters, to stop by and look at mine. He agreed that the snow is light, but said it is on top of a really thick layer of frozen ice and slush created from the rain/snow/ice storms we had just before the temperature got so darned cold. That makes a huge difference. Combined with a couple feet of snow, no matter how light it is, is a lot of weight. Gene is coming on Friday to take care of my roof.  It will be good to get that taken care of. I took this picture from a bedroom window this morning - there is about 2 ft. of snow on the roof, and that isn't the one that has drifts on it!

If you haven't had someone check your roofs here at Joe's Pond, maybe you should think about doing that. If our weather turns warmer any time soon - and it will, we just don't know how soon - that mass of snow and ice could mean trouble.The snow acts like a sponge collecting moisture, getting really heavy, and can put a lot of stress on roofs, especially older buildings and those without much pitch to them.

I saw in the Caledonian Record that a classmate of mine from schooldays at Cabot Plains School died. Theresa Maynard Remick. The Maynard family was large and boisterous. I was in school with some of the younger ones - Frederick and Martin were in 8th grade when I was in 1st, I think. Then there was Kenneth, Theresa, Virginia, and Darcy, all there when I was. Ernest, the oldest son, and three or four older sisters were out of school by the time I was in 1st grade. Ernest went into the Air Force and was the first soldier from Cabot to be killed in WWII. Martin joined the U. S. Marines and later lived in Danville. 

I was surprised that Theresa was the last of that generation. Not mentioned in the obituary is Shirley Maynard, her sister-in-law, who is my neighbor. Theresa was always called "Tressa" when we were in school. I think later she may have preferred being called "Terry." The Maynards, Fred and Julia, lived across the road and beyond a large hayfield from our house. Back in the day it was a picturesque spot. A large porch was on the south side of the house, and a woodshed, chicken coop, and outhouse was on the north or back side of the house.They had an indoor bathroom installed perhaps in the 1940s. A sturdy barn stood a little apart from the house. I used to go to their house sometimes when we were all kids. I remember their large dining room table set with tin plates and cups -  china and glass were too fragile for all those youngsters. I'm sure Julia had nice things that were kept for "company."

Fred and Julia, with the help of some of the older children, took care of the school for as long as I can remember. They saw to it that there was a supply of wood for the furnace, paths were shoveled through the snow, and the inside was kept clean and tidy. Fred was tall and skinny, Julia was sturdy and rounded. They were hard workers and good neighbors. Their children were smart and all good people. 

"Tressa" held onto the family farm as long as she possibly could. It finally fell into severe disrepair - the buildings literally caved in - and she eventually sold the property. The old farmhouse and other structures were removed. By then, the Plains neighborhood was completely changed - no farms, the school was a seasonal home, and any neighbors left were strangers. I'm sure it mad her very sad as she watched her childhood home slip away, with all the memories she cherished.

I remember they had an old gas powered washing machine and every week on wash day, we could hear that put-put, put-put-put, and over it all, Julia shouting directions to the kids and sometimes cursing. She didn't hold back, and we understood. Her life was hard. Fred always seemed to be a very mild-mannered man and I never knew him to lose his temper. Julia, on the other hand, seemed perpetually cross. In later years, after I had moved away, I got to know her differently, and she was kind and jolly, always anxious to know how my family was and where everyone was living. She and my grandmother Bolton had been good friends and both worked to keep the Plains community together for as long as possible. My grandfather had some agreement so that Fred could use some of the Bolton land to pasture his cattle. As far as I know it was that Fred or his sons would help on our farm when needed; however I don't recall that happening often. Perhaps during corn harvesting. But the families were always good friends, and I'm sure my grandfather didn't need to use that pasture.

Here is a photo of "Tressa" and me when we were in some school event in 1938 - dressed in costumes from my dance class. Clara Harrington is in the background - she would have probably been in 8th grade, we were probably in 2nd. I'm sure "Tressa"was overwhelmed by it all - and I was probably pretty bossy. But we remained friends through our grade school years.

Every time I go over the Plain, I have a wave of nostalgia. Growing up there was wonderful. There was still a solid community of farmers throughout most of my school years there, and it wasn't until my parents moved "off the hill" and built the house where I now live, that everything began to change quickly. The school closed in 1948, four years after I graduated from 8th grade there. After that, nothing was quite the same

As the years pass, the ache in my heart lessens a bit as I drive over the Plain. Those were good years, but other good ones followed, and I am happy to remember - and write about those memories. It's sad to realize that there is no one left in that generation of the Maynard family. But gone also are the Stones, the Desmaraises, the Gambles, Barnetts, Harringtons, Fosters, and Shatneys, to name just a few of the families that once made their way through the doors of the school on Cabot Plain. So many good times, so many stories, so many years ago.

Stay warm, safe, and healthy. Remember the "good old days," but enjoy the present. It goes by quickly. 

Lots of Snow!

We now have at least a foot of lovely, light powder on top of a substantial snow base - skiers and riders must be ecstatic if they are lucky enough to be able to get out on the slopes and trails. It is still chilly, but warmer by a lot than it has been, and very little wind today. I's at  13 above right now - about as high as I've seen all day. It is really pretty - trees are loaded with snow, and it is so light and fluffy, clearing it is really no chore at all.I got my whole front deck cleared easily this morning after measuring 15 inches on it. That was an accumulation over the past three days because it was just too darned cold to go out there this weekend with the wind blowing a gale. I decided I'd wait for it to warm up, so when I saw 5 above early this morning and no wind, I knew I couldn't put it off any longer. This is the first time for a couple years that I've had to get out my yardstick to measure the snow. It happens. I think this last storm amounted to just about a foot of snow - the rest was from squalls this weekend.

Here are some photos I took early this morning: top is the steps up to my porch and the back lawn; before I shoveled the deck; and then after Jamie came and cleared the driveway. 

Snow banks are getting getting up there - even though he uses the snow blower to get the snow away from the drive as much as possible.

I have decided I must be jinxed when it comes to computers. It seems every day I have a new problem to solve. This weekend I got a message that I was out of cloud storage. I have put off doing "housekeeping" chores to remove old files, etc, so I decided to concentrate on deleting as much as possible and storing seldom used files on auxiliary USB drives. It was going so well - I deleted lots of old photos and carefully collected precious ones I wanted to keep in a separate file to transfer to the USB drive. After I made the transfer, I decided I should check to see what might be deleted from the USB drive to make room if I needed it, but I got a message that I had to reformat it in order to use it/ I knew reformatting would wipe everything, so that wasn't an option.

So I spent most of Sunday afternoon trying desperately to retrieve the files on that USB drive using AI assistance called "Copilot" in Windows 11.  I tried two different programs, neither of which worked. The  conclusion was that I need a professional help. I've reached out to Seth O'Brien, but haven't heard back from him. The thing is, I had just said to someone recently that I don't worry about losing stuff on my computer because I know it's somewhere - in a hidden file, with a different name, in recycling, or floating in the clouds. But this is different. I might be able to find the files I was loading onto the stick from my computer, but the stuff already there was from other computers, some not even mine, so that is just gone and I really don't know what I've lost until I go looking for it someday and can't find it. 

In the process, I learned that USB drives are notorious for failing. They apparently have moving parts or chips that wear out. I have a lot of files stored on those things - so now I'm going to put all of that onto little SD cards (not the mini ones - they are way too tiny to keep track of!). Fortunately, you can buy special cases (of course) for storing SDs, but I'm not at that point yet - I only have a couple. Each little SD gadget can hold an enormous amount of data so I've decided I'll just give each a number and keep a list somewhere of what's them.That should be fun -- I can't imagine anything going wrong in that process, right?

And so it goes. Stay warm and be safe. 

 

Still Cold -- And An Important Action Item

We are now getting a little snow - it's been pretty light all day, just very fine, dry, squalls moving through. The temperature hasn't moved up much - it was about -11 when I first looked this morning and I don't think it got above zero all day. I'm seeing -3.5F right now.

I had the following message from David Kidney (N. Shore Rd.) regarding proposed changes to the Wakeboat regulations. Here's what he said: 

I am writing to ask for your help in getting the word out that we need folks to weigh in and support the new proposed rule regarding wakesports.  The new rule, if adopted, would prohibit wakesports on Joe's Pond.  We are nearing the finish line and we need one final push to make this happen.  I have attached a document that sets out how people can make their voices heard on this matter.  If you could please publish it in your blog, it would be much appreciated.  The  more people who submit comments the better. Thanks.

David Kidney

 

JOE’S POND : VOICES ARE NEEDED FOR NEW WAKESPORTS RULEMAKING —ACT NOW!

The VT Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is proposing changes to the Use of Public Waters (UPW) Rules, regulating wakesports. DEC has stated that these changes are needed to address safety concerns—an issue not addressed by the 2024 Rules. Wakesports advocates are expected to push back hard against these Rules. Safety should not be compromised to accommodate the few wakesports users. Your support is crucial to protect Vermont’s lakes and to ensure they remain safe for all.

If Adopted, DEC’s Proposed Rule Changes Would Prohibit Wakesports On Up to 13 of Vermont’s 30 lakes Currently Allowing Them By:

● Increasing the minimum wakesports safety zone (WSZ) from 50 to 100 acres

● Requiring a minimum wakesports run of 3,000 feet

● Expanding the safety buffer from other users and structures from 200 to 500 feet

● Eliminating the Home Lake Rule, which reduces spread of invasive species & replacing it with hot-water ballast tank decontamination for wake boats traveling between lakes

 Responsible Wakes for VT Lake’s (RWVL) Proposed Rule Changes to Strengthen DEC Changes:

● Increase the required minimum water depth from 20 to 30 feet

● Increase setback distances from shorelines, loon nests, structures, & lake users from 500 to 700 feet (for more information, see SaintAnthony Falls Lab study & DEC Staff email.

● Clearly state in UPW Rules that wakesports are not a “normal” (i.e., traditional) use of public waters and thus require the rule changes that RWVL proposes.

● Add Precautionary Principle language in UPW Rules to prioritize safety & the environment

 When Writing Your Comments to Submit, Please Emphasize

● The need for a minimum 100-acre WSZ & 3,000-ft run as THIS WILL PROHIBIT WAKESPORTS ON JOE’S POND

● Large wake boat waves can unexpectedly overwhelm boaters, paddlers, swimmers, etc.

● Your own personal experiences with wake boats on Joe’s or elsewhere (super helpful!).

● Your support of DEC’s proposal, but ask that it be strengthened by adopting RWVL’s rule changes.

 - Note: You can reuse your 2023 or 2025 DEC comments, but please update them.

 Public Hearings (In Person or Online) (For details see link in *footnote below)

● January 27: Brandon Town Hall, 49 Center St, Brandon, 5:30–8:00 PM SIGN UP to speak

 ● February 4: VTrans Dill Building, Barre, 5:30–8:00 PM SIGN UP to speak

 Written Comments: Deadline February 20th at 4:30 PM (For details see link in *footnote below)

● Submit using the DEC’s preferred online comment FORM

● For longer comments and/or attachments submit via email: ANR.WSMDLakes@vermont.gov

● Include “Wakesports” in the subject line

 For questions or help contact: David Kidney davidfkidney@gmail.com or 802-522-7775

*For details on public hearing & written comments visit VT Lakes & Ponds Rulemaking webpage: click HERE

 

 If you would like a copy of the above, let me know and I will send it to you in an email. I think I have activated all the links, but if something doesn't work, let me know and I'll try to fix it. I know it may be difficult to work here. Blogger.com hosts my blog, and it gets really obstinate sometimes about what it will or won't accept. It is very fussy about pdf files, so I have to convert them and activate any links. I hope I got everything up and running for you - please either join one of the meetings and speak up, ow write your comments as instructed above. 

 

 Thanks, David, for alerting us about the very important proposed changes.

 

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As I finished this I notice we are at -1.5F now! We just hope it doesn't warm up too much - that will mean a heavier snow accumulation which is more troublesome than the really dry, fairy-dust we get with colder temps. Stay safe and warm! Spring will come!!