I'm hoping we can help find a place for the Johnson family to rent the first week in August. Here's what they're looking for:

We are looking for a house with at least 2 bedrooms-- there will be two adult couples plus a baby. We are also hopeful to find someplace that has either large beds in the rooms, or two beds in the two bedrooms (and of course a 2nd bath would be helpful). We are very open to a larger house.

The dates-- fast approaching-- are arrival on August 1st (could be 2nd); leaving Friday morning August 7th.

The reason for the last minute search is that our son and family are moving from Waterford to Cabot in July. Our other son, wife and baby are coming from Oregon so we can all visit and help with some house repairs that first week of August.

We are in the Chicago area... and will be in Waterford/St. Johnsbury/Cabot this weekend. I'll have my cell with me: 847-204-1850. Our e-mail is ohlroson@aol.com.

Thank you for your help! Ann and Tom Johnson

Hopefully someone will be able to help. If you know of something, either get in touch with the Johnsons at the above number or e-mail - or contact me and I'll reach them.

*****

A friend sent this link yesterday. It loads a little slowly, but worth waiting to see. I think you'll get a chuckle out of it. Fred and I did, and the melody lingered on . . .

Good, Bad and Ugly

We were in Hastings Store yesterday and Fred took this photo. It isn't remarkable except that sign just says it all. Hastings is our market place, deli, bakery, gift shop, and post office. It is also our Information Center - where not just brochures and and maps are available, but where real country "service" is offered so you can drop off a package or scribble a message for a friend and whoever is behind the counter will see that it gets to that person the next time he or she comes into the store. That's Doug behind the sign. He and Mary, Diane, Garey, Jane are always friendly and helpful and they keep a collective finger on the pulse of the Joe's Pond community. We think of the internet as being fast and efficient, but it can't beat the friendly folks at the general store for hands-on helpfulness.

Speaking of being helpful, the other day Fred was on the roof giving our chimney its annual cleaning. It was almost noon and he said he was concentrating on the job at hand and getting off there and cleaned up for lunch when he heard someone whistling a little tune. He looked down towards the road and it was our mailman, Tim, who usually toots his horn if he sees one of us outside, but we guess he'd spotted Fred on the roof and didn't want to startle him, so he whistled a tune instead, and waved as he went on down the road.

Tim's a friendly sort of guy. He waves at the house nearly every day whether we're in evidence or not just in case we're watching, I guess. He used to leave a couple of tootsie rolls for us in the mailbox now and then, but I think he must be trying to limit sweets or something and doesn't carry them on the route any more because we haven't found them in the box for a few years now.

Lots of folks, especially if they're here just for the summer, prefer to go to the post office for their mail rather than having it delivered, and that's fine. The way I look at it, it's a win/win situation. Either way you get special service and a large dose of friendliness.

This picture is Bill Rossi chatting with fellow Joe's Ponder, Ray Rouleau at the store. Both Bill and Fred were tempted to have an ice cream cone, but Bill maintained he was going to be "good" because it was close to supper time. We watched Doug packing ice cream into a cone for a customer, and it did look awfully good. However, we had other stops to make. Bill had picked up the 2010 Ice-Out Contest tickets at the printer's earlier in the day, and Homer Fitts had called to say he needed some so we were headed to Homer's; tomorrow we'll leave supplies at Hastings and the Joe's Pond Country Store. You can contact either Diane Rossi or me if you want some!