I have sad news again. Barbara Powers, Terry Power's mother, passed away yesterday at age 83. Terry and Ann own cottages on Island Drive. Services will be held on Sunday, March 15 at 2 p.m. at Grace United Methodist Church in St. Johnsbury. Click here for full obituary:Barbara Powers
We extend sincerest sympathy to the Powers family. You may contact Terry and Ann at: 424 Wister Rd., Wynnewood PA 19096-1809.

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I just realized I never told you about the tree that came down across the driveway at Jamie and Marie's, just up the hill from us. It happened night before last. Marie said when she took Otto out for his walk early that morning, she was surprised to find a good sized spruce tree - or at least the top of one - right across their driveway. No big deal, and fortunately it didn't hit either of their cars or fall on the house; but Jamie had to haul it out of the road before they could leave for work. Fred went up later in the day and took a couple of pictures. I'm pretty sure there will be other casualties when we go into the woods next, but for now we feel pretty fortunate we didn't lose power or have any other damage from those winds.

You can see where the top snapped off. That often happens when the wind whips those tall evergreens, especially when it is very cold and they are frozen through. It almost looks as if more than one came down, but I don't think that's the case. It'll be a lot of work to clean up, but Jamie will probably just get it out of the way of plowing and away from the driveway and tackle it in the spring when he won't have to wade in the snow. Right now he's getting ready to televise the annual Kiwanis Auction in St. Johnsbury starting Monday night, so the tree will have to wait. There is lots of preparation to do for the auction, setting up cameras and testing to be sure everything is working properly. If you have cable TV with Charter, you can tune in each evening, Monday through Wednesday, to Channel 7 and bid on some of the interesting stuff going on. Tomorrow's Caledonian Record will probably have a list of items going up for bid. Proceeds from this fund raiser go towards supporting the Kiwanis swimming pool in St. Johnsbury. I couldn't begin to guess how many kids, my own included, have learned to swim there, from little tots on, and also how many teenagers have had summer employment at the pool.

It's been fairly quiet and sunny today; but the temperature didn't get very high. The Rossis and Sherwoods were skiing at Burke today and said it was very nice. I spoke with Diane this evening and she said there was a little ice here and there, and apparently it was quite fast, but she was enthusiastic. She and Don somehow outsmarted the jinx they had on the weather, because after a bit of a soggy start as they were arriving, the weather turned out to be not too bad and this week they got in some good runs. We were thinking their being here would mean we'd have a wet week, which generally happens when they come to ski, and that might bring spring a little closer - but that didn't happen but even so, we're happy they could get one last ski week in this year.