From Diane Rossi this morning:

I couldn't resist taking these pictures this am. The colors do seem to have gotten much more vivid in the last couple of days.

Thank you, Diane - wonderful photos. The fog over the pond is a great frame for the colors.

The two above are of the south end of the lake along Edgewood Avenue. You can see the matching trees at the far right of the first and the far left of the second. Nice work, Diane. The third photo is the view of cottages on Old Homestead Road on the east shore that Diane and Bill see from their home on W. Shore Rd. I suspect these photos were taken as Diane and Bill were kayaking this morning. Be sure to click on the images to enlarge them for full effect.

A few days ago I had an e-mail from Homer Fitts letting us know he has been diagnosed with multiple myeloma and is being treated in Burlington. He has been staying with his daughter, Ellen, and her family while getting the first treatments. This morning I had this very positive good news from him:

Hi!

After my first six days of chemo etc. I am feeling fine. The meds must be bunched up inside and getting ready to explode?? I have gone to soccer games, out to eat, visits with lots of Ellen's and Cliff's friends that Elsie and I have known before.

I will be going to the oncologist Tues. to get blood etc. checked and if all is O.K. I will be headed back to Joe's Pond. Will be coming to Burlington every Tuesday for blood checks on a regular basis.

This multiple myeloma cancer is not cureable but it is treatable.

Thanks for all the cards and phone calls checking on me. Love you all!

Homer

We are glad everything is going well and look forward to word that Homer is back home here at the Pond. As many of you know, Homer is one of the ever-growing number of year-around residents here at the pond. While there still aren't a lot of those hardy souls, those of us who do stay during the winter months find interesting things to do. While the weather consumes much of our attention and often dictates whether we venture forth or not on any given day or evening, we do get out, get together, and keep in touch. Homer is an avid basketball fan and attends as many of the games as possible, and goes to the Senior Meals on a regular basis to keep in touch with his many friends. He is also our point man for the Ice-Out Contest each spring, hosting the media, fielding questions, and selling tickets. Homer was one of the founders of the contest, so he is also one of our most reliable historians on the contest.

Here is a warning from our Fairpoint Newsletter:

E-Mail Hoax - Fraudulent UPS E-Mails Try to Deliver Malware

Fraudulent e-mails that claim to be from United Parcel Service (UPS) are now sweeping through inboxes so keep your eyes open for them. These e-mails usually contain a phony tracking number in the subject heading, and lead you to believe that a UPS shipment could not be delivered. You're then instructed to open up the attachment to correct the delivery address, print out a waybill or invoice, and pick up the package from a UPS office. See an example of a UPS scam e-mail below: (Click on image to enlarge to read.)

The attachment features an icon that makes it appear to be a Microsoft Word document, but if PC users click on it, it actually downloads Malware—short for malicious software. (This does not affect Mac users.) Malware may disable your firewall, look for and steal credit card and bank account details, or make screen snapshots to allow hackers continued access to your computer.

You can read the official UPS statement about this scam and find out how to check the authenticity of notification messages by visiting: http://www.ups.com/content/us/en/about/news/service_updates/virus_us.html

If you receive a suspicious e-mail like this, delete it and do not open the attachment. This attack underlines the importance of thinking twice before you open an attached file, even if it appears to come from a reputable organization. It may be worth the few extra minutes to check out how genuine an attachment is by contacting the sender by phone or e-mail. If you use e-mail, key in the address yourself rather than using the "Reply'" button. This also serves as a reminder to always keep your Internet security program updated, which offers protection through virus definition updates.

How To Shop Online Safely

With the holidays coming and gas prices high, you'll probably want to do more and more of your shopping online. Here are a few simple ways to protect yourself against fraud and identity theft:

Pay with a credit card
With a credit card, if there's an unauthorized charge on your card, federal law limits your liability to $50. Depending on the circumstances, some issuers (including all VISA and MasterCard issuers) will even pay this amount for you. Whatever you do, don't use your debit card!

Another option is to use PayPal or another third-party escrow service. Paypal Buyer Protection covers qualifying eBay purchases for up to $1,000 at no additional cost, helping to guarantee your purchase.

Check your credit card statements when they arrive
If you find any charges you didn't make, immediately call or write your credit card company. Always dispute charges before paying them. After any sale, be sure to print and save all of your receipts and e-mail confirmations in case of a dispute.

Consider getting "virtual" credit cards for online transactions
Go to your issuer's website to find instructions for obtaining a one-time number you can use for your next transaction. Even though this virtual number is not the same as the one on your credit card, the charge will be authorized and appear on your regular credit card bill. Then if there is a security breach, the person who pirated this number will not be able to make charges to your account.

Shop only at secure site
Responsible online merchants have technology that can scramble private information like your credit card number so that it can be read only by them and your credit card issuer. Your payment information cannot be read or changed by anyone else. Determine if that protection is provided when you are paying online.

• Look for a key or closed lock in your browser window. A broken key or open lock indicates that security is not in operation.
• Check to see that the address on the page asking for your credit card information begins with "https:" instead of "http."
• On some websites you'll see SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) or a pop-up box that says you are entering a secure area.

This kind of security does not work in e-mail, so only send personal and payment information through a secure web transaction.

Bigger names mean better protection
Shop at reputable sites with which you're familiar. If a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is. A low come-on price for a piece of brand-name merchandise might well be an attempt to trick you into giving out personal information.

If you do go decide to buy from an unknown merchant or site, contact them and ask them to verify their privacy policy before you make a purchase. If they don't list phone numbers and only have an e-mail address, that's a big red flag, And if they do have a phone number, call it. If it goes to voice mail, be very suspicious. If you can't get a human being on the phone, shop elsewhere.

A final caution
If you're at the checkout page and the site asks for your date of birth and Social Security number, stop! This combination will give someone enough information to start applying for new credit cards in your name.

Enjoy our beautiful foliage season - in our photos here on the blog, or better yet, come see for yourself. Those of us who are already here enjoy this time of year particularly because of what's in store for us in another few weeks.

Hi there…

There has just been an error spotted in our cookbook. Page 73 Apple Pumpkin Bread

1-1/2 cups sugar

1-cup pumpkin (canned)

½ cup water

1/3-cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

1-2/3 cup flour

1 tsp baking soda

¾ tsp salt

½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp. Nutmeg

¼ tsp cloves

¼ tsp. Baking powder

1-cup apples (peeled cored and chopped)

¾ cup walnuts (chopped)

Combine first five ingredients: sift the dry ingredients, add to the pumpkin mixture; beat until just moistened; fold in apples and juts. Pour into greased 9X5X3 inch pan. Bake at 325° for 1-1.2 hours to 1-3/4 hour, or you may use 3 small 5x2-1/2x3 inch pans.

Thanks… Evelyn

Fred was out early this morning to take pictures. The foliage seemed to have popped over night - the colors are brighter when everything is wet. That's good news for the tourists who may be visiting this week. Perhaps not as pleasant tramping around in rain showers, but generally won't detract from the colors unless there's a downpour.
The top picture is the valley and hills in front of our house, towards Walden. The fog is typical this time of year. In the lower photo, that's a walk-behind plow that was used for many years, and probably at least three generations on the Bolton farm. I remember seeing my father or my grandfather using that plow with a team of horses. It took both hands to keep the plow upright without bouncing out of the ground to turn over just the right depth of sod, so they would tie the reins around their waist to have full control of the plow. The horses were usually well enough trained so most of the time all that was needed were verbal directions. When the plow hit a large stone, which happened often, the horses would stop to allow the plowman to redirect the plow in the furrow. When they got to the end of the field, the horses would turn without prompting, hesitating long enough for the plow to be lifted manually and the share reversed. It took a lot of strength for both the team and man, and a farmer was tired at the end of a day of plowing. And they plowed very large fields - for corn or potatoes, mostly, and a smaller piece for a vegetable garden. I'm guessing the crop fields would be 20 or 30 acres for corn and less for potatoes. I think it was the 1940's before my grandfather was convinced to buy a tractor, a second hand Farmall H that I learned to drive as soon as I was big enough to reach the pedals. I already knew how to drive the old Ford truck. One of the men (my father or one of my uncles) would get it started, put it in low gear and I'd steer, following the windrows with the hay loader hitched behind the truck. If they yelled for me to stop, I had to slide off the seat and push in both pedals at once, putting on the brake and at the same time releasing the clutch until I could shift it into neutral. I only drove on the flat fields, but I really liked riding in the cab, usually with my Uncle Bob. It was hot and the chaff stuck to our skin and itched, but there were no doors and no windshield on the old truck, so air could circulate freely. The photo above was taken later, when I was in high school. The woman in white was a friend visiting us from NYC. The old ford had seen better days, but it was still performing just fine. I don't remember when they finally decided to retire it, but probably about the time they began using a hay baler on the farm instead of storing the hay loose in the mows.

I had asked Evelyn yesterday if she thought the eagles we've seen this summer are a "family" and if so, had the immature one she and Ray saw this summer perhaps been born here. She replied as follows:

I really don’t know… (About the immature eagle’s nesting area)… I know that they are known to return to their original nesting area… but just having a sign of activity in this area that is so frequent is a good sign… the past couple of years the eagle sightings have been quite regular here on Joe’s… I know when we took the train ride out of St. Jay to Wells River a couple of years ago, we were treated to a sighting of two mature eagles in flight just over the river (at window height for the train)… so they are hanging out around here quite a bit… It seems we’ve always spotted them along the Connecticut River Valley, and of course near the Moore Dam… so the population seems to be expanding… We could have a nearby nesting sight…Did you know that the average eagle’s nest weighs about one ton!! Whew!! That has to

I just checked our link from our website to the eaglecam…. And this was the observation from there as of two days ago: (September 24)

“Well, I'm sure that some of you have observed the recent activity at the nest. Notable early this morning. Often during this time of year there is an increased activity near raptor nests. This is thought to be triggered by the particular photo period (day length) -- similar to that in the spring -- which is known to stimulate singing in songbirds during the fall and protection of nest sites and nest activity by raptors in the fall. Hopefully this pair will keep up the good work and reinforce their nest structure to endure winter storms.”

To visit the Eaglecam on Ray and Evelyn's site Click Here

You can learn more about the American Bald Eagles on this site:
www.baldeagleinfo.com

I had a message from Rob Denny letting me know about a change of winter address for him. We are updating the JPA Directory. Rob and Florence have a cottage at 80 Cove Rd. here at Joe's Pond. Rob also sent this great sunset picture taken last night. Great shot. Thanks, Rob.

I went to Cabot Village this morning on Fall Foliage Day business and took a picture of the new house on Cabot Plains Road just before you reach the cemetery. Washington Electric people were out with several crews in that area. It looked to me as if they were not only working to get the new house hooked on, but had also done some cutting underneath the existing lines getting ready for winter. It doesn't take long for the lines to become overgrown with underbrush, and for tree limbs to reach out over the wires which, when loaded with snow can knock out power. I was really glad to see they'd been working on it.
I took a picture of the new house. It's a Huntington Home, and will be very nice when it's finished, I think. Click here if you'd like to know more about those modular homes. Huntington Homes

I gather from the weather forecast we can expect some heavy rain during the weekend. Monday is supposed to be better - good news for the Walden folks for their Fall Foliage Day, but looks like in Cabot we may have some showers to contend with. There are lots of things going on, though - basket weaving at the lovely old Carpenter farm, craft displays at the gym, open house at the lovely old Victorian home of the Wiswell family, now owned by granddaughter Jane and Ferguson McKay, a book sale at the library, historic tours and a tour to local crafters Edmund Menard and Ken Klingler, and to the Richers' on Loon Cove - and the Historical Society Museum will be open most of the day. There are tours all day at the Cabot Creamery Visitors' Center. I was there today to deliver some Cabot oral history books and there were lots of tourists there. A couple things we've planned may get rained out like the hayride and the hike to Nichols Ledge, but I'm sure folks will find plenty to do, and there's the beef stew lunch at the church which will hit the spot if the day turns out to be cool and damp. I hope to see some of you there. I'll be at the gym most at least in the morning, and probably for a while in the afternoon. Stop by and say hello.

This came this evening from Evelyn and Ray Richer on Sandy Beach Road:

We too have watched the eagles… what fun… of course Ray has been preoccupied with his projects and not ready when the eagle swoops overhead… but the other day we had an immature bald eagle just clear the treetops… how exciting! That was the day that there were two others circling very high overhead…This is a ‘grab shot’ as one flew over Joe’s…they were a long ways off… but recognizable… a mature bald eagle… they are a magnificent bird, and we are so lucky that they visit us… of course you probably heard the loons announce their presence… they really aren’t very happy to have them around.

Enjoy the fall… stay dry this weekend as our unbelievably gorgeous weather is leaving us briefly it seems…Blessings, Evelyn

I guess the eagles are competition for the fish the loons want, but it's interesting that they seem to have taken up residence here. Thanks to Evelyn for sending the pictures.

We went to Littleton Chevrolet today to have the car serviced. They have a brand new building there - I'm guessing state-of-the-art. The doors at the service department opened automatically when we drove up and the desk was right there, no need to look for a spot to leave the car and walk through the lot. We simply got out of the car, and went to the customer's waiting area. That's our car, and Fred signing us in at the desk. I was thinking how nice it will be this winter for people not to have to get out in the cold - they can just step out of their car into a warm waiting area. When it was done we did have to walk a few steps to where it was parked outside, but maybe they can work that kink out . . . (just kidding!)

The foliage isn't as far along on the N.H. side of the Connecticut as it is here. The nicest foliage we saw was back home along W. Shore Road - perhaps that was because we were closer to it! There is quite a bit of color, but it's spotty. It's happening rapidly, though. I took this picture of our maple next to the driveway as we were leaving home this morning. I don't know what the rain will do this weekend, but I expect it will improve the color. It should be perfect for Fall Foliage Week that starts in Walden on Monday - Cabot on Tuesday, which reminds me - you should make reservations for the turkey dinner on Tuesday evening. You can call either 802-563-2457 or 802-563-2381; and if you want to reserve a seat for the beef stew luncheon, call 802-563-2715.

Latest report from George Parizo:

4:45 pm Wed. - BIG BIRD seen flying high over Joe's Pond, heading south at the same tine as a flock fo geese were heading the same way at a lower altitude. This is the same direction I saw it heading at the last report.

Thanks, George -
Fred and I were working outside about that time and heard the geese, but couldn't spot them. To learn more about our bald eagle population in Vermont, click here:

Bald Eagles

Some time ago I posted a message about how driving on wet pavement with cruise control engaged is dangerous. Someone just sent me that warning again and I thought with fall and winter weather approaching, a reminder might be in order. Below is the information I found on www.truthorfiction.com
(truthorfiction.com is one of the sites I use regularly to check out some of the messages that are forwarded to me. Very often the message is fiction. You may want to bookmark the site for your own use.)

Here's what they say about that particular "forward" message:

Don't Use Cruise Control when Driving in the Rain-Truth!
bullet Summary of the eRumor
A warning from a driver who lost control of his or her car during slippery conditions and was told by a law officer that cruise control should never be used when it is raining.
The Truth-
We checked with the departments of transportation for Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Washington State as well as visiting several websites of other states and the consensus is clear: Don't use cruise control during winter conditions such as when it is snowing or icy or under other slippery conditions such as when it is raining.

The comments and warnings we found were:

...The cruise control is designed for normal road conditions. It doesn't know when the pavement is slippery. Under slick conditions, you need to be in complete control and monitoring road conditions. You're more likely to notice hydroplaning if you are not relying on the cruise control.
...With some cars, it is possible that the wheels will actually spin faster when the cruise control is on and the car hits a slippery spot. When the tires make contact with firm road again, the car can skid or lose control.
...On most cars, the cruise control is disengaged by tapping on the brake. In an emergency, this adds a fraction of a second to your response time as well as the risk of the braking action itself causing a loss of control on a slippery road.

Looks like we still have an eagle in the neighborhood. I'm beginning to believe the big bird I saw last week was an eagle - here's what readers have reported.
Monday, Sept. 22 -

Greetings Jane

A week ago we were at camp and saw a bald eagle sitting on the big tree on the little island. We got a good look thru the binoculars and I got some pictures good enough to confirm it was an eagle......later, Bob Kimball

I asked Bob Kimball to send the photos if possible, but I haven't heard back from him yet. This morning I heard from George Parizo:

Jane - reading about your sighting of a big bird on the Joe's Pond Blog, I also saw a big bird on the wing earlier this month. It was low and circling in front of the camp (94 Sandy Beach Road) I was able to get it into focus in my binoculars and it was an Eagle (all white head and blackish body) that's not all, several days latter I saw an Eagle trying to steal a fish away from a Osprey in flight, again right in front of the camp. For big birds, both were as agile as fighter airplanes, diving and dodging one another. The Eagle was not successful, and flew off to the south as the Osprey headed north. I also was too slow to get a picture of the encounter in the sky.

George Parizo

Here's a link to learn more about the eagle: Bald Eagle

Here's something going on in Cabot on Saturday that some of you may be interested in. Click on the image on the right to enlarge it.

I took a short walk in our woods at the back of the house yesterday. About 12 years ago we had a lot of the huge old spruce trees cut up there. Our logger, Randy, asked if we wanted him to pile and burn the limbs and other debris as he went along, so I got in touch with a forest agent at the Vermont Division of Forestry and he urged me to leave everything on the ground. He said it would all be gone in a couple years, decayed and nourishing the earth. I didn't think twice about it - I told Randy what the forester had said, and he smiled and went on with his work.

Some of you will remember or at least have heard about the hurricane that swept through Vermont in 1938. It did a huge amount of damage to timber land and buildings. Our farm lost acres of timber on a south facing lot we called the "morning pasture." We salvaged what we could, but there was an area, the "lower new piece," that was so tangled and splintered my grandfather decided to leave it. It was at the far end of the pasture and with only horses to move the big timbers, it wasn't worth the time and energy where there were more important things to attend to, like replacing or repairing buildings.

Life went on as usual, but the tangled mass of limbs and trees remained - for years. My cousins and I were responsible for bringing the cows out of the pasture each afternoon during summers in the early 1940's. Sometimes a cow would wander into the maze of downed trees and literally be stuck there. Cows aren't known for their intelligence, so it wouldn't occur to the stupid beast to turn around and backtrack. Usually she'd simply stand there until she realized the other cows were leaving the area and then, unable to follow and too dumb to turn around, she'd stand and bawl until we went in and rescued her.

It was hard to figure out how on earth that big animal could make it over the logs and through the brush and mud so far and even harder sometimes to figure out how to get her back out. There were three of us, my cousins Herb and Harold, and myself. One of us would take the rest of the herd home through the woods while the other two, hot and tired, had to turn around and head into that dreaded labyrinth. I still remember what it was like. There was no shade. Most of the trees were about chest high on us kids, piled one on top of the other with limbs crushed underneath often hiding brooks or marshy land that were sometimes dangerous obstacles. We usually couldn't find the path the cow had taken to get where she was, so we tried to find the shortest route possible. We'd walk on the logs when we could, balancing like acrobats, climbing over them or crawling underneath through brush and berry bushes that tore at our clothing and skin, all the while cursing the big black and white bovine ahead.

Once we'd reach her, we had to figure the best way to get her out - not always an easy task. Turning her around was usually the hardest part. It would take two of us to convince her to back up and turn. Then she'd usually pick her way out with us urging her from behind. We'd be caked with mud (and sometimes blood) by the time we got onto firm going. I remember how good the cold water of a brook felt on my scratched hot legs and arms. We couldn't take long to cool off and clean up because at the barn, milking would be going on and our wayward cow needed to be there. By the time we got the cow onto the familiar path home, we'd be tired and silly, but it was our job and there was a camaraderie between us that has lasted a lifetime. Harold is gone, as are our parents, aunts, uncles and some of our cousins who weren't part of our summers on the farm, but Cousin Herb in Florida, I hope you're reading this . . .

There is a point to my story: It took years of being left to the elements before those trees felled by the hurricane disappeared. Before that happened, berry bushes, ferns, flowers and vegetation that hadn't been exposed to the sun in years under those big spruces sprung to life. Eventually other trees grew up around the decaying logs, but it took a lot longer than "a couple of years."

I should have known - but as I walked yesterday on our small lot, I remembered the huge stacks of limbs Fred and I piled and eventually burned to create paths when it became evident two years time hadn't made a dent in the tangle of huge spruce branches that kept us from enjoying our back woodlot. I was pleased that now, 12 years later, the remaining tangle of branches left were fairly well covered with moss and grass, but I still had to be very careful not to be tripped by a still tough and slippery extensions of tree limbs. I don't climb over logs or scrunch under them easily like I did in my cow-herding years; and I try never to walk on logs except when absolutely necessary to get across a brook. I cling to my walking stick and depend on overhanging branches to steady me on slippery slopes and always look for the easiest way through a maze of brush. I like to think because I'm older, I'm wiser now.

Cabot Historical Society

Requesting donations for ourSilent Auction, at the

Apple Pie Festival

Saturday, October 18, 2008.

• Things that go well: Collectibles, small antique items, any type of hand-work such as quilted or knitted items. Gift baskets also go well. Baskets containing items related to the theme of your hobby (gardening for example) are welcome. Pick-up can be arranged.

Call Marvie Domey at 426-3281 or Vene Harding at 563-2567

• The Historical Society also requests donations of home-made Apple Pies.

Contact Mary Beth Churchill at 563-2345

• Craft Table Space - $25 or $30 for a spot with an electric plug. Contact Martha Foster at 563-2526
• To Volunteer – Contact Joanne Luce at 563-2723
• Baking contests – Contact Bonnie Dannenberg at

563-3396 bonniesd@Together.Net

• 2008 Apple Pie Festival Chair – Bonnie Dannenberg

We were in West Danville yesterday (Saturday) afternoon to pick up Joe's Pond Association mail - and Ice-Out Tickets! There was a bundle at Hastings Store, and quite a few at Joe's Pond Country Store, too. I have been picking them up so I can deposit any checks that may be with the stubs. We were talking with Gerald Castner on Birch Bound Road, and he was telling us about how pleased and surprised he was to read about our contest in his New Jersey newspaper last year. (That's Garey Larrabee and me on the right.)

I noticed in the tickets I picked up yesterday a gentleman from London, U.K. had bought quite a few - made good choices, too, I thought! Lots of the tickets were from out-of-town visitors, but there are a number of local folks who are already in the game, too. (Here I'm picking up tickets from Jeff Downs at Joe's Pond Country Store.)

The Association of Street Rodders met in Essex Junction this week. We saw one of the sort of elderly cars parked in front of the Joe's Pond Craft Shop. Fred took some pictures - I particularly liked the one of the local folks on the porch at Hastings Store. Can't get much more "Vermont" than that.

I had an e-mail from Evelyn Caufield, a JPA member. Evelyn's granddaughter, Michelle Walker, is getting married in May of 2010 and is starting to make plans to possibly be married at the Joe's Pond Association pavilion. I put her in touch with Tom Dente so she will know what the pavilion offers, but she would very much like to hear from people in this area who have planned a wedding here, as well. Michelle is in Wilmington, NC and wants to know what's available for caterers, bands, rentals, etc., so I'm sure she'd love to hear from not only people who provide wedding services, but from any of you who have had your wedding here at Joe's Pond. If you have suggestions or information that would be helpful, e-mail Michelle at walkem2@gmail.com

Annual Chicken Pie Supper
Saturday, September 27, 2008
North Danville Baptist Church in North Danville!
Yummy, yummy!

Eat In or Order a delivered take-out!

Take-outs must be reserved by Monday, Sept. 22
(Delivered in Danville & St. Johnsbury area only.)

MENU: chicken pie, mashed potato, gravy, squash, cole slaw, rolls, cranberry sauce, pickles, dessert and beverage.

Servings begin at 5 PM, however, you can reserve for 5, 5:45, 6:30, or 7 PM.
Walk ins welcome.

Adults: $10.00

Children 12 years & under: $5.00

Preschoolers: Free

For reservations for eat-in or take-out, call Betty: 684-2183 or Judy 748-8519

Hope to see you there!

The picture on the right is pretty blue sky, right? It was supposed to be a picture of a very large bird - but after losing sight of my subject and then fumbling endlessly to focus and shoot, this is what I got. If you click and enlarge it, there's a small spec in the lower right corner . . . but don't bother. The bird was flying high over Rt. 2 by the time I took the picture. I had been sitting in my favorite chair by the windows in our living room reading the newspaper when something caught my eye just below our house. When I first saw the bird, it was very close, but by the time I got out on the deck with the camera, it was gone. I figured it was a large hawk and, knowing their flight pattern, I focused on the sky north and west of me - but just as I was about to give up, I saw a shadow cross the road by our mailbox. Ah-ha! I whipped around and stared into the sun. Apparently the bird had been circling directly over my head, but probably saw me and changed direction, circling further and further away to the southeast. It was clearly a case of ineptness; I fumbled the gadgets on the camera, turned it off instead of getting zoom, and finally just held the camera pointed in the general direction and snapped it. It was probably a large hawk, but the one good look of it I had showed white on his head and (I think) wings, but with the sun in my eyes I couldn't say for sure. What I do know for sure is I'm no wildlife photographer. Ray Richer (our resident professional wildlife photographer on Sandy Beach Road) has nothing to worry about as far as I'm concerned!

This morning my brother-in-law called. He usually chats with Fred, but since Fred was in Hardwick recycling for us and our neighbor, Louise, we chatted for a while. Tom wanted to know about our weather. He and Ellie live in Laconia, NH in the summer and they move to Colorado where Tom is a ski instructor each winter. It's what he does now he's retired . . . and he reads the blog. He wanted to know about our frosts and how cold it's been.

So, for those of you who are wondering how our miserably wet summer ended, it's truly beautiful here now. We've been having days in the 70's, but it's gradually become more often 60's, and cool nights in the 40's until a couple nights ago when we had our first "killing frost" when temps went into the mid-20's (or perhaps lower up north in Essex County) in some places in the Northeast Kingdom. Here at Joe's Pond, I haven't heard of temps quite that low, but certainly the last couple of nights were cold enough so we had white frost showing on everything. Most of our neighbors either covered or took in tender plants or vegetables left in the garden, and it sounds as if that will be the norm for the next few days. We're expecting day temps in the 60's and nights in the 30's so I expect we'll have scattered frosts from now on, but there is always quite a variation, depending on where you are. One indicator that it's getting colder is that Woody, our cat, hasn't been spending quite as much time outside at night lately. He often comes in around 11 p.m. and seems content to stay by the fire until morning.

With the Fall Foliage festivities beginning on the 29th, we're hoping for more nice weather to show off the leaves. We always plan outdoor activities for Cabot's day to host the visitors (Tuesday, Sept. 30th), which includes a hike up to Nichols Ledge and a hayride to a local sugar house, so warm, sunny weather would be appreciated. I'm not a tour guide this year, for the first time in many years, but I'll be on hand at the Cabot School gymnasium to help folks plan their day and find where things are. I'll no doubt meet even more people than usual and do lots of talking, but I won't need to shout to be heard over the noise of the tour bus, like most years, and may not lose my voice for a couple days as I have in the past. We'll see how it goes. There's a complete schedule of area events on the web site under "Events" where you'll find Fall Foliage and can click on any of the links at the bottom of the page. For a projection of the progression of color over the state, see the Foliage Meter at the bottom of this page: Foliage Meter.

I can't count how many moose I've seen over the years, but this morning I saw my first bull moose with a really big rack. We had stopped to take pictures of the horses in the pasture just beyond our house and were heading up the incline towards home when Fred spotted the big animal crossing the road at the top of the hill. We both saw his big rack against the sky and he stopped for just a moment to look at us and then ambled into the woods on the upper side of the road. We expect he may be the same one Jamie and Marie have seen at their house with a female and calf. He was gone before Fred could get a picture of him, unfortunately. It was exciting to see him, even though he was quite far from us. That makes two moose we've seen this week.

It was chilly this morning when we walked. There was a fairly heavy frost, and the ground was white before the sun hit it. We took pictures of the cows in the field near Deeper Ruts Road, and the frost shows up plainly next to the road where it was still shaded.

The horses were friskier that usual, we thought. The little guy was being particularly fractious, nipping and kicking at the other horses. As usual, they were very interested in us at first, but then went on about their business, ignoring us. One was focused on the hill ahead of us and seemed to be listening intently as we approached. We think perhaps he was aware of the moose way before we saw it.

Fred is finishing up getting this winter's supply of wood under cover in our garage; but we're expecting at least three cords more which will need to be stacked for the winter of 2009-10. The "landing" in back of the house is getting pretty empty, but that will get filled up again quickly once the rest of the wood arrives. Lots of work still ahead, but we'll be nice and warm this winter, thanks to all of Fred's hard work.

This morning he worked on the web site, re-doing more of the pages to correspond with the new home page. Some of the other students who were in this last class he took are watching his progress and offering comments. I think he may tackle the page that lists local services next. We have lots of business cards there and we're thinking that in addition to redesigning the page, we may need to rearrange them so it will be easier for people to find what they need.

I asked our town clerk, Tara Rogerson, about the scheduled proceedings at the Environmental Court, and here is her reply:

You're right.... there are two appeals pending - Jones/Leinoff appeal for
party status, and the appeal of the ZBA decision.  While we've received
court filings, the town received nothing with regards to this scheduled
hearing... which I have corrected for future filings/hearings.

This matter has been appealed to the Environmental Court under Vermont Rules
of Environmental Court Proceedings Rule 5.  All appeals under this rule are
de novo.

The phone conference scheduled for this Monday on both matters is an initial
pre-hearing status conference.  V.R.E.C.P. 2 sets forth what may be
considered at the initial conference, including party status, whether to
advance or combine issues, the necessity of site visits, or even
dismissal/summary judgments.

Of course, any decision of the Environmental Court is appealable (if
distinguishable) to the Supreme Court.  Let me know if I can be of further
assistance.

Tara

I checked the Environmental Court Schedule this morning and I believe the meeting my neighbor was talking about is at the Environmental Court. The parties concerned in the appeal of the cell tower at the Sousa farm are scheduled to meet with Judge Durkin on the 22nd of September. A few weeks ago when I spoke with the court clerk, it was my understanding that the judge's decision will be final. If I find out more, I'll post the information here.

We walked early this morning. It was cool and the sun was shining brightly - a perfect combination! Generally the road was pretty quiet. Most folks had already gone to work and there were workers busy along the way. We saw cement being poured at the Marlynn Rouleau cottage, and further down the road, Rob Keach was working at the Decker cottage. The ladies were gathering at Hamilton's for their morning tennis match.

Fred had started a small fire to take the chill off the house before we left, and when we arrived home, our cat, Woody, was stretched out in front of the stove. He roused enough to tell us "hello" and, with a big yawn, went back to sleep. Cats really do live a lazy life, given the opportunity and plenty to eat. A perfect day for him is to sleep somewhere warm and as soon as it gets dark, he wants to go outside. Sometimes he comes in before we retire and we keep him inside. While he isn't exactly happy with that arrangement, he puts up with his humans very well. I'm sure he can take care of himself, but we do worry sometimes about what other animals are out there, bigger and meaner than Woody. He's really not much of a fighter for being such a big cat.

I'm taking reservations for the turkey supper on Tuesday, Sept. 30th. That's Cabot's Fall Foliage Day. The turkey supper will be at the gymnasium this year. Usually it's at the church and Masonic hall - both small dining areas. There should be much more room at the gym, and lots of you know how good Bothfeld's turkeys are. Servings are at 5 and 6:30 p.m., tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children. You can call me, 802-563-2381 to make a reservation. That way there shouldn't be any waiting time and we'll know better how many to plan on.

There are lots of things going on in Cabot that day. There will be guided tours, an open house at the Dr. Wiswell house, basket weaving at the Carpenter farm, a hay ride from the Bothfeld farm, a hike to Nichols Ledge in the afternoon, weather permitting, crafts at the gym, entertainment on the common at 3:30 and a community sing-along at the church at 7:15. The Historical Society rooms will be open and the library is having a special book sale. Lots of things to see and do. I'll be at the gym registering people and helping them find their way to the events. We look forward to good weather and beautiful foliage to show off our lovely countryside.

We've had a busy day today. This morning Fred went to W. Danville to do errands and to find out more about progress being made at the beach. This spring the old bath house was removed and the West Danville Community Club (WDCC) made plans, in conjunction with the folks at ANR and funds from the GMP settlement, to improve the beach area and construct a pavilion. Little seems to have happened on that project, but Fred learned from WDCC member Diane Jejer that the pile of rocks on the beach will be used along the shoreline to prevent erosion. Larry Rossi will place the rocks.

A new shed has been purchased from Larrabees to store equipment used to maintain the beach, and some trees and shrubs planted. There will be more landscaping done later in the project. Students and their instructors at St. J. Academy have designed a pavilion similar to the one at Wine Gate in St. Johnsbury, and will supply the labor to construct it.

We're glad to know that the project is continuing. The West Danville Community Club continues to fundraise to cover the cost of maintaining the beach.

Late this afternoon, Fred and I took a ride up to Cabot Plain where a neighbor is putting up a Huntington Home. There are six similarly sized sections, and we think it will probably be two stories high. The foundation is certainly not large enough to accommodate more than two or three of the sections . . . Nobody was there, so we couldn't get more details, but they will have a wonderful view across the valley to Rt. 15. The house in in a big field that was part of Howard and Frieda (Maynard) Stone's farm. Howard's father, Hartwell, owned what is now Richard Spaulding's farm; Frieda's parents owned the charming, now vacant old house facing the Cabot Plains School.

As we headed home from there we drove across the flat to the Sousa farm. We were surprised to find horses grazing in the fields above the house (about 18 of them). We were even more surprised to see some puppies frolicking near the barn. As we stopped the car, two large but friendly Shepherd's came to greet us - parents of the pups. The pups went off to play before we could get a good picture of them, but here's what they look like. The owner of the horses and dogs, Joe King, told us the pure bred pups are for sale - he has already sold the males from the litter, but hopes to sell the females, as well. You can reach him on his cell at 802-279-4413, if you are interested in one of the puppies. They are cute as can be and are 8 weeks old, so ready to go. Joe also told us he is leasing the farm and his cattle will be arriving soon. He will be farming organically. It was very nice to see activity at the place.We wish the King family well in their effort to bring the farm back to life.

As we left, we noticed an animal in the big field next to the school house. As it moved, we could see it was a moose. Fred was able to get a couple of shots before the camera began acting up. It was warm and sunny on the plain - and it always brings back a flood of memories when I go there.

I also heard today there will be another meeting on Sept. 22nd regarding the cell tower proposed for installation on one of the silos at the Sousa farm. I'll try to find out more about this tomorrow.