Saturday morning.
Whew!
Yesterday morning I posted several pictures about our wood operation and when I published what I'd blogged, everything went haywire, so I started over - a few times. I fussed with it all day and still couldn't get the pictures to display properly. This morning we found out blogspot.com has a problem - but the good news is they told us how to fix it by changing the html codes. That done, I believe things are back to normal - but if there's a problem, please alert me. Things like the obstinate blogging experience kept me inside yesterday, so I haven't helped with stacking the wood. Probably just as well. Neither of us wants to hear this much wood falling down in the middle of the night!


We had all our split wood for 2008 delivered yesterday. Because we are expecting snow this weekend, along with some pretty cold weather, Fred is working hard to get as much of it piled as he can, but there's still a lot left to stack. (Picture taken yesterday as he stacked between delivery of more loads.) We hope this will be more than enough for 2008, but it depends on the weather we get during the year - as you know, some summers here at Joe's Pond often we need a little heat in the house even in July!

Our supply for this year that had been drying out back all summer, has been moved inside where it fills one side of our two-car garage, and as you can see, leaves barely enough room for the car. Fred has just enough room to store the snow blower at the end of the wood pile. We also have wood waiting to be brought in from the woods if we need it - most of it's been drying out there for at least, but it's mostly spruce, poplar or tamarack, and there isn't a lot of it. Mixed together with the hard wood we purchased, it burns well and extends the hard wood. I took a picture of our little stove "insert" that heats our house all winter except when the thermometer dips way below zero, or sometimes at night or if we're away for a long period. Then the oil furnace will take over. The wood fire is cheerful and with oil prices today - it makes sense to have the wood on hand. It's been a great little heater for us, and I like the ambiance.

I was walking down W. Shore Road Wednesday and took this photo looking east towards the narrows. It was quite late in the afternoon and the clouds were beautiful. Just another reason so many of us think this is a great place to live, being able to enjoy the scenery, the wildlife and the quietness.

Ted Chase called yesterday to let me know he has a video he wants to share. He and Fred will be working on getting that onto the web site soon (when the wood is stacked!) and I'll alert you when it's posted. From what Ted told me, I think you'll enjoy it.

Our cat, Woody, was ready when Fred took his picture the other night. Woody is forever tempted to go outside to chase the squirrels, but it's been a little too cold for him and after several tries of only a few minutes outside, he comes in, has a snack, and spends the rest of the day by the fire. Smart fellow. Days like today, when the temperature is sliding into the single numbers above zero, he is smart enough to not even try going outside.

Wishing everyone warmth and joy!

Click on the pictures to enlarge them. It should work ok now!

New wood cycle begun today.

Fred got the first two of seven cords of wood delivered today. No huge log-length pile waiting to be cut up and split this year! Just one heck of a lot of wood all of a sudden ready to stack. We'll both be working at it for a few weeks. It would probably dry ok in the pile, but will do better stacked neatly in rows. We try to go by the rule for stacking it that says leave spaces "large enough for the mouse but too small for the cat." Fred's better at it than I am. I always thought I was a pretty good wood piler, but the first couple of years we cut it in our woods and stacked it, most of my stacks fell over - his didn't. Hard for a farm-girl to take, but most of my stacking experience was in a woodshed where there were walls to stack between. Out in the woods, it all depends on where you stack it, I've found. I thought finding just the right spot between two trees would be good, then you don't need to worry about squaring off the ends of each run, but that didn't work very well. It seems that when there's a good wind, the whole thing shifts when the trees sway and eventually falls over. Now we lay logs down to keep the first run off the ground and go as high as we can reach comfortably, squaring off the ends of each run with a criss-crossed layer - and every night before we leave whatever we've stacked, we brace the whole thing with fence-post length logs. It isn't pretty, but it's a heck of a lot better than hearing the darned pile go down with a rumble in the middle of the night because the ground beneath it heaved with frost. I don't know many folks who have worked with wood piles who haven't heard that dreaded sound at one time or another, although some won't admit to it!

I have just made an updated version of the Joe's Pond Directory available to anyone who wants to buy it in print. Go to "Joe's Pond Association" on the home page and about half way down the menu you'll see "2008 Joe's Pond Directory in print" - click on that and it will take you directly to where you can order as many copies as you want on line. I plan to make the printed version available annually, but there's no need of buying it each year unless you like having a fresh copy because I'll post changes here on the blog regularly and you can pencil them in. My 2003 copy was too messed up, so I ordered myself a copy right away. We'll keep the on-line directory up to date as changes come about, too, so you can always just go on-line and find what you need.

Here's something fun and helpful to people who are hungry. FreeRice donates to The United Nations World Food Program, and the rice is paid for by the advertisers you'll see at the bottom of the FreeRice page. Click on the link below. I played long enough to donate 1,000 grains yesterday and today I did another 2,000 grains in between answering e-mail and other stuff. It's fun, and if you enjoy a vocabulary challenge, you'll like doing this. Great for kids, too!

Link to FreeRice

It's the Monday after Thanksgiving and I've had some nice e-mails over the weekend. Liz Randall sent a picture of sons, Jason and Matt, both students at Lyndon State College here in Vermont, making pies at their parents' home on Long Island. Liz says they are both pretty good help in the kitchen. A couple years ago Jason brought a couple of pies for our Apple Pie Festival in Cabot. He didn't get a prize for his entry that year, but I overheard people who bought slices of them saying it was a really good pie.

Then I got an e-mail and photo from Cyndi Rouleau. Here's what she wrote:

After seeing all of the snow and ice around Joe's Pond, we thought we'd send you a photo of the "young Ray Rouleaus" on the beach on Thanksgiving. Shown here is our son, Ray, Jr. with wife, Barb and the three children, Christian, Evan and Ali.

Ray and the kids made this turkey in the sand. Everyone who walked by it on the beach stopped and commented. It was quite amazing until the high surf washed it away overnight. Cyndy & Ray Rouleau

Thanks for sending the great photos, everyone!

Sunday Walk

We had a nice walk along W. Shore Rd. late this afternoon. It was warmish, about 34 degrees I think, when we started off. There was sunshine, but it was rapidly dropping behind the hills. Fred took this shot to show you where the ice leaves off - sort of mid-way of the big pond - and I think we can expect some warmer weather tomorrow, so the ice may recede even more.

We stopped at camp to see son Bill for a few minutes. As we headed into the driveway, we noticed a very large Canada goose swimming out front. He kept a wary eye on us, but didn't seem to want to leave. Bill told us he'd been there all day, feeding and just hanging out in our boat access. We took pictures through the window, and pretty soon the loon swam by. Before we could get a picture, the loon dove. The goose then seemed to be watching for the loon, too, and what seemed like a really long time later we saw the loon surface far beyond the boathouse, too far away for us to get a good picture. Camera shy, I guess. The goose hung out on the thin ice, pacing back and forth doing a little skating routine with each step. It was very graceful and we wished we could have videoed him. He finally eased into the water again and continued feeding off the bottom. We wondered why there would be just one lone goose. Perhaps he'll take off tonight and join his friends somewhere south of here.

By the time we got back home darkness was closing in and the temperature had dropped below freezing again. Fred put some chunks on the fire and then we noticed the glow of the moon in the sky above the hills across from us. Fred got the picture below from our deck. There are Christmas lights over there, too. Gerry and Crystal Prevost always light up their home early, and we enjoy seeing their lights. We noticed Jeff Downs here on W. Shore Rd. has some decorations up already, too. We will miss the LaPrade's display - Andre and Sherry always had a tree outside, wreaths and candles. I suppose they'll be decorating up a storm in Florida this year.

I guess it's time to toss out the fall leaves, corn stalks and pumpkins and get in some nice fragrant spruce and pine boughs and cones. Fred says I always wait until it's snowing, cold and windy before I put up the outside Christmas lights; but I keep telling him I need the snowflakes and cold weather to get into the spirit of the season - and we do leave them up longer than most. Of course, that's mainly because the extension cords are under three or four feet of snow from December until April and besides, I think it's welcoming to have a lighted tree in the yard all winter.

It's really nice to look across at Gerry and Crystal Prevost's lights, though, and I'm sure there will be others across from us soon. In the meantime, we hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and a safe trip home if you had to travel. Now it's time to finish up your shopping if you haven't found everything on your list - and by the way, if you haven't visited the new J.C. Penney store at the mall in St. Johnsbury yet, you should make it a point to do that.

I hope you enjoy the pictures of the goose. Remember to click on the pictures to enlarge them.

My apologies!

I had an e-mail this morning from Steve and Bev Allen. It seems the pond ISN'T frozen all over. Here's what Steve wrote:

Hi, folks!

We're still here on Meadow Lane while our Camp renovations are going on, but we'll close up in the next few days before we get much more snow. You mentioned on the Blog that the Pond is frozen over - the south east side, from the Milne's on down is still open; in fact up to a couple of days ago the young loon was still out there, but we haven't seen it recently. Hopefully it has migrated by now! Even this morning, at 16 degrees, there's still quite a bit of open water. We thought maybe if it warmed up enough we could win an EARLY ice-out contest, but guess it's not to be!

Happy Holidays!

Steve & Bev

Thanks for the update, Steve. I should have gone down W. Shore Rd. to check before I wrote the blog, but I really thought with the cold nights we've had . . . you understand. I'll try to do better in the days to come and I admit we haven't been walking as much as usual lately. Ice, slush, cold weather, rain and sleet - a postman I'm not, but I need the exercise, especially after Thursday, so will make a better effort in the future! Anyway, thanks again, Steve. If you see the young loon, let us know. Takeoff could be difficult or impossible for him if he waits much longer! I hope he's gone.

Brrrrrrr! Cold night!! There's absolutely no doubt the pond is frozen in solidly again. By my count this would be the second freeze of the necessary three. Of course, it could be that winter is really here to stay and it won't open up one more time to make the old timers happy. Right now I wouldn't bet against this being the start of a long, cold winter. Today has been cold and blustery most of the day, with a few snowflakes, but no real accumulation. With a nice fire in the soapstone stove and Christmas music on the radio, and all the snow and cold outside I was content to stay inside and enjoy leftover turkey and plan for the next big holiday. It was easy to make the transition from Thanksgiving to Christmas literally overnight!

I have some interesting stuff that I'm hoping to get on the web site for you soon - historical notes; but I'll send a notice when it's ready and posted. Today I've been getting Ice-Out tickets ready for mailing tomorrow - there were several requests in the mail when I picked it up this week. All this cold weather has dashed our hopes of starting a new contest, an "Ice-In Contest" that so many folks suggested last year when the pond didn't freeze over until after Christmas.

I'll have more for you tomorrow - and will get it posted earlier, I hope. These midnight postings are just awful, but I got caught up in one of those totally predictable but charming Hallmark Christmas made-for-TV movies and here I am. I know some of the folks who read this regularly like to know what the weather is here at the pond because even the Eye-On-the-Sky weather out of St. Johnsbury doesn't always do justice to the unusual weather here at Joe's, so I like to try to keep everyone up to date. Keep warm, wherever you are.

Thanksgiving Day, 2007 -
This came today from a "regular contributor." After an enjoyable day with friends and family, possibly feeling a little guilty about the amount of food consumed the diet you've abandoned, at least temporarily - or, if you didn't get to share the day with loved ones and need a lift, I thought perhaps you could use a chuckle. I hope your day was a good one.

H APPY THANKSGIVING!!

A young man named Ken received a parrot named "Chief" as a gift. The parrot had a bad attitude and an even worse vocabulary. Every word out of the bird's beak was rude, obnoxious and laced with profanity.

Ken tried and tried to change the bird's attitude by consistently saying only polite words, playing soft music and anything else he could think of to "clean up" the bird's vocabulary. Finally, Ken was fed up and he yelled at the parrot. The parrot yelled back. Ken shook the parrot’s cage and the parrot got angrier and even ruder.

Ken, in desperation, threw up his hand, grabbed the bird and put him in the freezer. For a few minutes the parrot squawked and kicked and screamed. Then suddenly there was total quiet. Not a peep was heard for over a minute. Fearing that he'd hurt the parrot, Ken quickly opened the door of the freezer.

The parrot calmly stepped out onto Ken’s outstretched arms and said, "I believe I may have offended you with my rude language and actions. I'm sincerely remorseful for my inappropriate transgressions and in the future I fully intend to do everything I can to correct my rude and unforgivable behavior."

Ken was stunned at the change in the bird's attitude. As he was about to ask the parrot what had made such a dramatic change in his behavior, the bird continued, "May I ask what the turkey did?"

Happy Thanksgiving to Friends, Family, and those unknown readers of the Joe's Pond News Blog!

This is actually Thanksgiving Eve, but I don't think I'll do much blogging tomorrow. It's been a busy day today - a little last-minute shopping turned into a regular weekly shopping trip so we don't need to go into town again until late next week. We were in St. Johnsbury fairly early this morning - roads weren't really bad, but slushy. The grocery stores were very busy and there seemed to be lots of people in town, probably doing the same thing we were.

We reported yesterday that the pond was completely frozen over. That didn't last through the night. It is still frozen at the north end, as you can see by the photos. The first one was taken on W. Shore Rd. from Gardner's parking area, looking up the pond. Then we stopped for a minute at our camp to get a picture looking towards the narrows. The next picture is the middle pond, looking at Prevost's on the left. The first pond has open water through the narrows down to the dam where the flow is more rapid. You'll recognize the former school in W. Danville, more recently an auction "barn," and the low cloud cover. No sun at all today. The pond is very quiet and not very pretty - but with every change of season, change of weather, the pond changes, too. Everything looked pretty dreary, and traffic was moving carefully. When we got closer to St. Johnsbury, the road was mainly wet leading onto Western Avenue. We are expecting more of the same kind of weather tomorrow, but wet, chilly and bleak as it is, we'll have the company of friends and family at our table, a cheerful fire in our little soapstone stove, and we know we have much to be thankful for.

On the way home, Fred took a very nice picture of the gas prices at Marty's - the highest we've seen there so far.

Since I'll be getting up in just a few hours to put the turkey in the oven, I'll sign off by saying we wish everyone a wonderful day tomorrow, hopefully with friends and family, and if you are traveling, we wish you a safe and pleasant journey.

Snowy morning!
Well, it sure looks like winter this morning! The snow is sifting off the roof of our house and gusts of wind that seem to be mostly out of the south or south west, are attacking our flag with a vengeance. It's difficult to know which direction it's blowing because we are tucked under a big hill overlooking the pond east of us, and that distorts the wind - usually to our advantage. We expect a few inches of snow today and then some rain to make things more interesting.

I had an e-mail this morning from my friend, Dorice Clark, in N. Hero, Vermont. Her next door neighbor, Jane Way, took this picture of Lake Champlain and Mt. Mansfield on Sunday afternoon. It's the view both Dorice and Jane enjoy right from their homes. I didn't recognize it as Mt. Mansfield, but we're more used to seeing it from almost the exact opposite side. I don't think they have much snow in N. Hero yet. Nice picture, Jane, and thanks, Dorice, for sharing.

From Walter Ruf: Hi, I just read your e-mail about Joe's Pond freezing over. Maybe 15 or more years ago I came up to my camp for "hunting season" and saw that I had not taken out my dock. Well I had to get a crowbar and go stand on the ice, chopping around the posts so I could remove the dock. have pictures to prove it!! Happy Thanksgiving to you and Fred. Walter & Mimi.

Happy Monday! -

When I read my email this morning, I had a note from Diane Rossi saying the pond is completely frozen over! That's good news! Puts us right about around "normal" - although those of us who are here year around know it generally takes about three freeze-overs before it closes in for the winter, so we may see open water again this year. We'll be watching for the ice fishermen out there - a matter of days, probably, if the cold weather holds. It always frightens me that they get out there so soon after the pond has ice - but fortunately they seem to be ok.

We have bright sunshine today - temps in the 20's, so not much melting going on so far.

I'm working on my list of cottage names from years past and will have that ready soon. Tom Dente sent photos he had of a map made by E. H. Tillotson in August of 1921 and updated in 1935 and again in 1941. I'm sure when he first drew the map there were only a few cottages; by 1941 he had a total of 169. Elsie DeForge had 237 listed in her book written in 1995. I counted quickly on the map we included in our 2003 directory, and, counting only those with access tn the water, I got a total of 250. There were interesting names on Mr. Tillotson's map, like the Clark family named their cottage "Clark Gables," H. Pigula's was "Piggy's Haven," and the Tillotson's was "The Playhouse." More later.

Good Morning!

The water in the pond has cooled down considerably in the past few days. When Fred got up this morning around six o'clock, the thermometer read 16 degrees! That's getting down there into ice-making territory. A little later (actually about two hours later), I took this picture from our deck. The sunshine is bright today and you can see the glaze of ice on the water in back of the islands. A few more nights like the last one and we could be close to how it was only a few years ago, with the pond frozen over by Thanksgiving weekend.

I had a note this morning from Sherry LaPrade in Florida. She said yesterday it was so cold she woke up thinking she was in Vermont! She and Andy will have a large crowd at their house for Thanksgiving, and she anticipates an even larger group for Christmas. Perhaps she'll send some pictures of everyone!

Fred's brother Tom and his wife, Ellie, are leaving Laconia for Colorado this week. Tom is retired, but teaches skiing at the resorts in Colorado each winter. I think this is his third or fourth year. They will go to Connecticut to spend Thanksgiving with Dean, Sarah and baby Hannah (who has already been out on her first shopping trip with Mom), and then on to Colorado. Ellie's sister is in Iowa, so they spend a few days there. Tom has promised to send photos of their trip this year, so perhaps you'll be seeing something a little different here soon.

I believe this is the weekend that Henry and Thelma Mills are moving up from Long Island to their home on Joe's Pond. They bought Carlyle and Terry Pierce's. Their daughter, Henretta Splain, (my next-door neighbor) said they are excited to be having their first Thanksgiving here. I hope they won't be discouraged by all the snow . . . but I guess they know what we're all about here from visiting Henretta over the years.

What a difference a few hours makes! A little after noon today the sun began to peek through the snowflakes. We had a bit of melting going on, but actually it didn't last very long. The thermometer has been slipping downward this afternoon and right now I have a reading of 25 degrees. I don't think it's going to be very warm for the next few days.

When I saw the sun, I dashed onto the deck to take a couple of pictures. As you can see, in the direction of Walden, there were still some pretty ugly looking clouds and some snow flurries going on; but directly across the pond, looking at Rt. 15, you can see we were enjoying some brightness. The pond and the sky went from gray to brilliant blue.

I took these two photos, but as you know, Fred takes most of them for me. Someone has suggested Fred should be credited for the photos he takes, and I'll do that from now on. We're always happy to have any of you send photos, too - it would be nice to share in some of what you are all up to while away from Joe's Pond. I'll be sure to credit you for them, too!

A few more inches of snow last night, making the total about nine inches here at Joe's Pond. It sure looks like winter - we'll have to wait to see if it stays with us. This storm has left heavy loads of snow on tree branches, and has lots of folks out shoveling paths and decks, brushing snow off their vehicles, or snow blowing their yards. I guess we have to look at it as a "warm up" exercise for what's ahead.

I had a couple of e-mail messages this morning. Tom Dente sent this about Dana Comstock's mother passing away:

Ada A. Comstock
November 17, 2007
BARRE – Ada A. Comstock, 84, formerly of North Barre Manor and Perry Street, died Friday, Nov. 16, 2007, at the Woodridge Nursing Home in Berlin where she had been a resident for the past several years.

Born on March 1, 1923 in Barre, she was the daughter of Pietro and Paola (Cravetta) Sormani. She attended elementary school in Barre and was a graduate of Spaulding High School in Barre in the class of 1941. She was married to Gerald F. Comstock in Barre. They first made their home on North Seminary Street before moving to East Parkside Terrace. They later divorced and she lived on Perry Street and then the North Barre Manor.

In earlier years, she worked at the Rock of Ages Capacitor Plant in Barre. For many years, she was a bookkeeper at the former People's National Bank and until her retirement, she worked in the office at the Spaulding Graded School, both in Barre. Ada enjoyed her sewing club and needlework such as crocheting and knitting. Her other interests were cooking, mushrooming and playing Bingo.

Survivors include her two sons, Dana Comstock and his wife, Joanne and Thomas Comstock and his wife, Linda, all of Barre Town; five grandchildren, Ryan Comstock, Dustin Comstock, Rex Comstock, Emily Comstock, and Robyn Comstock; two great-grandchildren, Ryan and Corey; a nephew, Richard Angelino and his wife, Linda of Underhill and their children, Jim and John and their families; a niece, Barbara Ozog and her husband, Stanley of Putnam, Conn. and their children, Michael and Anne Marie and their families; and two great-nephews, Robby Mitchell and Scott Mitchell. Besides her parents, she was predeceased by her sister, Alba Mitchell; her brother, Libero "Penny" Angelino; and a nephew, Robert Mitchell.

Her funeral service will be held on Monday, Nov. 19, 2007, at 11 a.m. in the Hooker and Whitcomb Funeral Home, 7 Academy Street, Barre. Interment will take place in the Hope Cemetery in Barre. There are no calling hours. Contributions in her memory may be made to the Central Vermont Home Health and Hospice, 600 Granger Road, Barre, VT 05641 or to the Woodridge Nursing Home Patient Activities Fund, PO Box 550, Barre, VT 05641.

I also received the following information about the Cabot Library:

Due to the Cabot Public Library Shelving Project, library services will be available on the following schedule: Library Closed, November 22 - November 27. There will be limited service from November 29 - December 11, when the library will be open only on Tuesday from 1-5 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. In addition, the main library room will be closed and a small collection of books, video and audio books will be available in the computer/reading room. Internet access and Interlibrary Loan Services will be available during the above hours. Stock up on books now! We appreciate your patience while we renovate our library shelving. If you have questions, call Connie at 563-2721, or email at cabotlibrary@yahoo.com.

Some of you may remember the Cabot Historical Society engaged Bern Budd this summer through the Vermont Council on the Arts to present a program about Mark Twain. Mr. Budd is returning to our area with a new Mark Twain program, "Advice to Humanity," at the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum on November 30 (Twain's birthday) at 7 p.m. This is very different from "The Hannibal Years" Mr. Budd did for us last summer.

If you missed the presentation or if you'd like to hear more of Mr. Bern Budd's Mark Twain Talks, this is your opportunity. For more information, contact the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, 748-8291 during regular library hours.

The official "change of seasons" has happened at Joe's Pond.

We have snow. The Town of Cabot plowed for the first time. Fred used the snow blower for the first time this season. The snow boarders and skiers were out at Killington (and probably other spots, as well). Burke Mountain is opening on December 8. Tonight WCAX gave the first ski report. I have yet to see the first snow mobile - I guess there isn't quite enough snow in most places yet, but here at Joe's Pond and in Walden and other high altitude spots, I guess there would be.

I had a request today for 20 Ice-Out Tickets - folks are beginning to get serious about the contest and winning that $4,000+/- jackpot.

I'm not convinced the snow will stay - we haven't had many really cold days to cool the ground enough, but that could change, of course. I still need to put some protection around a couple shrubs here at home, so I'm hoping temperatures moderate a bit so I can get that done. I know I should have done it weeks ago, but the weather was so nice it seemed like I had plenty of time.

We had lots of wind along with the snow today - it looked pretty wintery outside, but actually it wasn't all that cold until later in the day when it got into the 20's. Right now we have a reading of 25 degrees.

Winter May Be Here!

Or maybe not - it depends. We remember last year when winter didn't really get here until January. It sure is pretty this morning, but it's one of those snowy, gray days when everything is unusually quiet. Not much traffic going by, mostly trucks heading to a work site somewhere beyond us or folks going the other way to Route 2 and probably to work in St. J. or Barre o Montpelier. I expect the roads were a little slick earlier in the day, but my scanner isn't working, so I haven't been able to find out what's going on. It's an old scanner - my father's. He liked to have it on when roads were bad. I do the same, then I worry until all the family and neighbors are safely home. I also turn it on when I see emergency vehicles go by either on W. Shore Road or over on Rt. 15. Later today I'll try re-programming the scanner so it doesn't get stuck on Channel 7. (Above, looking down W. Shore Road from our driveway. Right, our apple trees and lower lawn.)

Fred was out pretty early this morning and took some pictures. He was a little concerned about Woody, the cat, as he wasn't in the house and there were no tracks leading to or from his kitty door. Fred went up to see if he was visiting at Jamie and Marie's, but didn't find him. On the way back he saw Woody tracks following in his footsteps to our house and when Fred got home, Woody was fast asleep in his window box. Fred got a picture of the new puppy, Otto. He's growing rapidly - Jamie and Marie will need to upgrade his bed to the next size pretty soon, I think. With some coon hound in him, we're wondering what sort of voice he'll have - could be distinctive! (Right - Otto Pilot Dimick.)

Now I need to get back to work - I have things waiting for me here on my desk as well as household chores that often get neglected while I tap away at the computer. Fred is working downstairs. He learned this week the arrival of his wood supply for 2009 has been delayed a few days, so he doesn't need to get out into the snow just yet. It's still snowing lightly, though, so perhaps by evening he'll have to get the snow blower out for our driveway. We aren't planing to go anywhere, and we aren't expecting any deliveries, and by tomorrow the snow may all be gone! So we're going to enjoy the weather from inside.

Turkey Recipe

(This one missed the Joe's Pond Cookbook!)
NEW TURKEY RECIPE

Your dinner will be the talk of the TOWN!!

You should try this!
Sure to bring smiles from your guests!
Here is a new way to prepare your Thanksgiving Turkey.



1. Cut out aluminum foil in desired shapes.
2. Arrange the turkey in the roasting pan, position the foil carefully. (see attached picture for details)
3. Roast according to your own recipe and serve.
4. Watch your guests' faces...

May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey plump,
May your potatoes and gravy
Have never a lump.
May your yams be delicious
And your pies take the prize,
And may your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off your thighs!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

(I may never look at a roasted turkey the same again . . .
thanks to Cousin Ora in Rhode Island!)

Someone recently sent this link to me - I think you'll enjoy it. We did! (Turn on your speaker!)


Connie on American Idol

That one came from a regular contributor, code name "Peter Rabbit." Thanks, Pete!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWNoiVrJDsE

A Bit of History is Missing from Joe's Pond.
I went to get my flu shot yesterday morning and on the way home saw activity at the Randy Rouleau lot. There was a big back hoe working near the waterfront, and as I breezed by it dawned on me there was only waterfront there - the old cottage that Rufus "Sim" Whittier built was GONE!

I turned the car around and went down to find out what had happened to it - hoping that someone had rescued it at the last minute and it and moved it to some other location, preserved with all it's history, but of course that wasn't the case. The operator of the back hoe stopped the machine to talk to me. He was very courteous and when I asked about the old cottage, he seemed genuinely sorry having to tell me it had been demolished. He knew about Sim Whittier, and he also knew the cottage had been moved on the ice to that location. I didn't want to hold him up from his work leveling the lot, and as I left, we agreed that time changes everything - including humans. Nothing is forever. I felt the sadness, and I think he did, too.

This afternoon Fred and I walked down and took pictures of the "new look" on that lot. At the top of the page is a photo of the cottage on Sim's Island, taken probably in the late 1930's. The next is how it looked about a year ago and one taken today from about the same vantage point on the waterfront. We had taken a picture from the road earlier this year and today took another so you can see the difference in the lot.

The original structure had been changed several times since Sim lived there (see story on the web site under "History of Joe's Pond"), and we've been told it was in disrepair due to neglect over the years. On the lot now is a spacious, new, not-quite-finished year-around home. (See last photo.)

Speaking of changes and things past, I recently had an e-mail from Joe Colombo - perhaps some of you know him. Originally from Barre, he told me his grandfather, Ellis Henry, of South Barre built the cottage on the right just before going east through the narrows. We figured out it now belongs to Mike and Joanne Bugbee. Joe told me it was called, "Camp Forget-Me-Not." I remember seeing that sign as we went by in our boat years ago, but had forgotten. Just about everyone who built a cottage on the lake years ago named it. Most of the names have been lost or forgotten, so I was very happy to learn about it and will add the information to my list. A bit of history preserved. One day soon I'll put my list on the web site along with other history.

We're back!
I haven't posted anything on the blog for a couple of days, and that's because we weren't here. When we got up Wednesday morning and looked out to a white world with an obvious snowstorm off in the hills of Walden, we said, "Let's get out of here!" and promptly left. As we drove away, I was thinking I should have at least let you know we had snow on the ground, but we left in a rush, and in a snowstorm . . . (Our driveway Monday a.m. - we had snow squalls most of the way on Rt. 2 east until about Gorham, NH.)

Actually, we didn't leave quite that abruptly, we had been watching the weather for a few days and knew snow was coming here but that it was going to be nice on the coast of Maine. We have gone there each fall for many years, sometimes in early spring, too, before the "tourists" arrive. We visit friends and familiar places, enjoy sea food and sea air. This time we went by way of Rumford, Maine, where we stopped to see one of my college roommates and her husband. The weather and road construction held us up so we arrived there late and didn't spend as much time with them as we'd have liked. At our destination in York, another friend was waiting, so we felt we had to keep moving.

We stayed at the Union Bluffs Hotel on York's Short Sands Beach. It's an old hotel, not particularly distinctive on the outside, but inside it has lots of charm, very pleasant staff, and great food. It has been nicely updated over the years and is very comfortable. We walked on deserted streets in York Beach village, admired the mostly summer homes along the shore and met a very interesting retired gentleman who makes his home at York's Short Sands Beach, but originally hailed from Lowell, MA. He said he and his wife go to Florida for a while in the winter, but consider Maine their home. He was reading in the sunshine on his deck looking out over the water. We always meet such nice people on these trips.

We also enjoyed the nearly deserted streets and shops up the coast in Kennebunkport. (We didn't bump into any of the Bush family, neither did we go by to check their compound to see if they were there.) The numerous little shops at the port were quiet. Owners and staff were busy updating inventories and decorating for the Christmas season. There was Christmas music playing for inspiration, and while it seemed really early to us, I'm sure they must gather their resources however they can after a busy summer. A lot of them will close after the holidays. We took this picture of the beautiful South Congregational Church in Kennebunkport, Maine; below, deserted streets and shops.

We had wonderful meals at some of ur favorite spots - fish, clam chowder (served in bread bowls) and for breakfast at the hotel this morning before we left, Fred had the largest stack of pancakes either of us had ever seen. The pancakes 12 inches across and stacked about four deep, with bacon piled on top and lots of maple syrup. I've never known Fred to be unable to "eat the whole thing" when it comes to pancakes - never, ever, until this morning. We commented to our waitress about the size of the pancakes, and she just muttered and shook her head. It seems the chef at the hotel gets a little wild sometimes. I ordered two scrambled eggs with bacon and I'm sure he scrambled at least three eggs, or maybe they have extra big hens in Maine. Or, I could have been eating seagull eggs - maybe they're larger . . . anyway, our breakfast was delicious, and we enjoyed watching the surf just across the street, and a seagull that hung out like a lonely beggar, hoping for a handout from each passerby. Some of the hotel staff tried unsuccessfully to chase him away - I guess the management would prefer not to have them bothering the guests. (View from our 4th floor room.)

On a brief trip to the Nubble Light, which we usually walk to, but this trip we swung around in the car on our way to lunch, we found cormorants hanging out on the rocks. We also spotted a loon - we are pretty sure it was one from Joe's Pond - and a flock or two of geese heading south. There's never any shortage of gulls, especially around the Nubble where folks feed them popcorn, french fries, bread or whatever is handy.

When we left the coast this morning, the weather was cloudy and raw. Everyone was complaining about the cold. Actually, it wasn't really that cold - perhaps in the low 40's, but Thursday had been sunny and comparatively warm, so folks were disappointed, I guess. As we got closer to home, through the White Mountains, the sun was nice and showed off the snow on the high peaks. Fred got some pictures from the car - not an easy task when zipping along on the throughway at 65 m.p.h. We arrived home to a stack of mail, including newspapers I'll catch up on tomorrow, and I had a couple dozen e-mail messages. Fred had fewer e-mails, but most of the snail-mail was his so we're both doing catch-up.

It's good to be home. Woody the Cat was happy to see us - well, as happy as cats get. He's kept very close to me most of the evening and is right now curled up on his "bed" on my desk, occasionally stretching out a paw to push a pencil off the desk or to gently poke my arm for attention. He snores! I think it has to do with his sleeping with his head upside down - his mouth opens a little when he's sleeping very soundly and is completely relaxed.

On Monday's blog I told you about Jamie and Marie's new puppy - at that time rumored to have been assigned the name, "Otto." That is the correct name - but, as promised, here's the rest of the story: Jamie was inspired by an auto repair sign he saw on the way home one night so he told Marie he thought "Auto" would be a unique name for the new puppy. Marie didn't think so. So they compromised: the puppy would be "Otto" and his middle name would be "Pilot." So, we now have a new pup in the neighborhood named Otto Pilot. Marie says that's fitting - he's on "otto"-pilot most of the time, wrestling with their cat, "Ricco," and racing through the house. Their older cat, "Tillie" will have nothing to do with either Ricco or Otto. You see, Tillie hates Ricco; so probably no friend of his will ever be a friend of hers. Ricco is a bit of an outlaw, so we can only hope Otto doesn't pick up any bad habits. Marie told me tonight they wrestle together like a couple of bear cubs, so she monitors their playtime closely to insure neither one gets hurt by the other. After all, Ricco was rescued off the streets of St. Johnsbury as a friendly but street-wise "survivor," and Otto is just a baby.

Speaking of babies - we are very happy to announce the arrival of Hannah Prentiss Brown on Nov. 7th. Her Grandpa Tom called us when we were on our way to Maine on Wednesday. Hannah and her mommy, Sarah, are both doing well and her daddy, Dean, proudly sent us a few dozen great pictures. Here's just one - we thought it was a lovely family portrait. She is the first grandchild for Tom and Ella, and I guess that makes her our grand niece! Her Unc Fred and Ant Jane are just so tickled to welcome Hannah to the family!

Snowmobile Safety Course Offered by Cabot Skylighters Snowmobile Club

and Vermont Department of Public Safety

Date & Time :

December 4 ^th , 5 ^th , 6 ^th 2007

7:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Location :

Willey Building Cabot, VT

To enroll call : Rikk at 563-2087 or Mark at 563-2397

Anyone born after July 1983 and is 12 years of age and older must complete and pass a six-hour safety course before they can drive a snowmobile on VAST Trails in the State of Vermont. For rules and regulations, go to: www.vtvast.org


Effective September 1, 2003 all individuals operating a snowmobile, in Vermont on the statewide snowmobile trails system, shall have a liability insurance policy or bond in the amounts of at least $25,000 for one person and $50,000 for two or more persons killed or injured and $10,000 for damages to property in any one accident. In lieu thereof, evidence of self-insurance in the amount of $115,000 must be filed with the commissioner. You must carry proof and be able to display it on demand.

A visit to Cabot Creamery

We went into Cabot this morning to pick up some cheese, pay our taxes, and do some other errands. On the way into town we found a flock of turkeys in the fields above Keith Burtt's farm. When we first saw them they were busy feeding near one of Keith's big beef critters, but when we stopped they retreated up the hill towards the woods. There were at least a dozen of them.

Things were busy at the Visitor's Center. Not like summer and during fall foliage weeks, but there was a steady stream of people coming and going. Fred took some pictures. The women at the counter were really busy with phones, taking orders and answering questions, but they never missed a beat and got things done so we were out in no time. We talked with Archie Hodgdon who works at Cabot. He told us he's been there nine years. He's in charge of ordering all the containers for packing the Cabot products. Today he was buying cheese for a friend he hunts with.

Back at home, our cat Woody was constantly on the move in and out, rain or no rain. When one of us was on hand, he'd ask us to let him out, but if we weren't available at the precise moment he wanted to go, he'd zip down to the basement and go out his kitty door. Then in a few minutes he was back, soaking wet, usually, wanting to be dried off with a paper towel, only to repeat the process again and again. We know the drill. His bed is in the big windows in the living room and from there he can see all sorts of wild life. Yesterday it was some deer feeding on the crab apples, today it was a squirrel. The squirrel stockpiles the apples each year, and there are some on the tree well into the winter. We've watched when another squirrel comes for the apples, there's usually a big fight with lots of noise and scuffles. There is one squirrel who will grab an apple and deposit it in between twigs on the lilac bush, going back and forth quickly to outdo the intruding squirrel and get as many apples as possible as quickly as possible, stashing them in the lilac to retrieve later. After all, what self-respecting squirrel would look for apples in a lilac tree? The deception seems to work, and later we'll see the dominant squirrel dashing back and forth from the lilac bush to the woods with the apples. The good thing about this process is that some of the apples get dropped or fall from the tree as the squirrels climb around on the limbs. Then the deer or the turkeys come by and enjoy a meal.

By lunch time Woody had pretty much given up the hunt and fell asleep. The squirrels around here have gotten wise to him, and take no unnecessary risks, so he's frustrated on a daily basis, but like a lot of human hunters, he keeps trying.

By the way, the new puppy in our family is named "Otto." There's probably a story there, but I don't know it yet.