Well, we're finally going to get a stretch of real summer weather for a change. The forecast is for temps in the 80's for the next few days. I'll believe it when I read it on my thermometers - lots of times Burlington, where the forecast originates, gets far different weather than we do here at Joe's Pond. In fact, we seem to get rain when other areas nearby don't, and everyone who winters here knows we get more snow along Rt. 15 at Joe's Pond and over Walden Heights, and on Rt. 2 from W. Danville to Marshfield than other areas, too. So perhaps we'll only get the high 70's and a little rain every night while the Champlain Valley gets the heat. We'll see.

I talked to Tara Rogerson, Cabot's town clerk today. We were wondering if there's news about the cell tower at the Souza farm on Cabot Plain, but apparently the appeal by the neighbors is still in Environmental Court. Hard to believe it could take well over a year to make its way through the system, but I guess that's the way it is. Tara said she'll let me know as soon as she hears anything definite.

We've had a flurry of activity on the Comments Page, in case you haven't checked it out recently. We've put some of the items on Lost and Found, too, so there's a better chance for people to see it. Don't forget to check the Services page, too. That changes from time to time, but when you need help to fix something or to clean or do yard work, etc., that's a good place to begin to look.

I'm really pleased at the response on Ice-Out tickets. After I mentioned it here and sent JPA members an e-mail plea to pick up their tickets at Hastings Store or contact Diane Rossi or me for tickets, I had several people ask for big batches of tickets - a few want 100, and with that we've got a really good start on the 2010 Ice-Out season. It seems awfully early, but each year we seem to have more folks interested in getting their ticket supply early so they'll have them through the holidays. So a big "Thank you" to those of you who have responded. I'll be sending out your batches of tickets later this week.

You don't need to be a member to get your tickets early, either. We'll send them to anyone who contacts us. We've had a few on-line tickets come in already, and Hastings Store and the Joe's Pond Country Store have had tickets all summer, from the end of June on. It's surprising how many tourists ask for them. I guess everyone is talking up our Ice-Out, and more and more folks want to get into the game. Could be the winner of the 2010 contest will get $5,000 or more, and that would be pretty cool.

Fred was gone most of the day, first to recycle in Hardwick, and then to help a couple of neighbors - one who had computer problems and couldn't get her printer to work, and the other who'd just returned from vacation and her TV wasn't operating well. I think he more or less solved both problems, but said he didn't think to take any pictures! That's why I don't have any to post tonight. I guess there wasn't much going on between here and Hardwick anyway. I know it was pretty quiet here. Around 4 o'clock I changed into my paint clothes and made it as far as the tractor garage before it started to rain buckets. I beat it back to the house and put my paint tools away. We had a few rumbles of thunder, but by the time I got changed out of my work garb, it had pretty much stopped raining. Nothing was drying very well today, and I had plenty to do inside, so I didn't really care. Better luck tomorrow. Just so we get it done before snow flies.