We're back into a regular morning walk routine - at least for a while. The weather is pleasantly cool right now, just right for morning walks, but as it gets colder, it's harder for me to get out there and trudge over the frosty road with the bitterly cold wind usually in my face either coming or going. For now, it's a great way to start the day.

We always have the camera with us, and today took some pictures of the pond - very quiet and not very welcoming - in the grayness of early morning. The sun is now beginning to show in fits and starts, but I don't think the forecast is for a very warm day and there are frost warnings for tonight. We escaped last night, but tonight we'll cover the garden and tender plants.

Fred began hauling in wood from the outside woodpile yesterday. This is a busy time of year with preparations for Fall Foliage and the Apple Festival in Cabot. I'm redrawing maps for the Fall Foliage folks - we have handout maps showing the best places to view scenery, the farms and businesses that are open for visits from our guests, etc. Several years ago I made a "Shutterbug" tour that has turn-by-turn directions over back roads for people who want to be on their own rather than join a guided tour. This seems to be the way lots of folks prefer seeing our beautiful countryside, so each year I go over the directions and map to make any necessary changes.

I had an inquiry yesterday as to whether there might still be train rides through our area at this time of year. I was sorry to have to report the train doesn't go here anymore. I looked for other fall excursion trains, but didn't find much. St. Johnsbury had a summer excursion, but as far as I can tell, there's nothing this fall. These were retired folks who were looking for a foliage train, so I don't know if they would be up for hiking on the rail/trail, but I told them about it. With so much going on in villages all over the Northeast Kingdom, I'm sure they'll be able to find interesting things to do and wonderful vistas if they take the right routes.

I don't know if many of you know that Bill Rossi has just about finished his book of photos of cottages around the pond. Each photo is identified so as you pass by in your boat you will be able to easily identify which camp belongs to whom. I've only seen the pictures on the computer, but it's impressive - great pictures and a really nice job - all in color. We'll have more on it later, but it may be ready in a matter of a few weeks. Bill told us last night he still has some tweeking to do before it goes to press, but he's hoping to deliver it to the printer next week. I think it will be a lovely keepsake item.

Fred got this picture of a newt on our driveway a couple days ago. You don't usually see them this exposed, but I guess he was looking for a better location to spend the winter and had to cross the road to get there. I suppose this one is an adult, in which case I think it would be called an "eft" - and it may have been looking for water. I hope it got where it was going. Since they are very toxic, probably there aren't many predators to bother them.

I remember when I was a kid I was warned to be very careful when drinking from brooks and springs in the woods (which we often did on hot summer days when chasing cows though the pastures) because swallowing a newt could mean the end of us. We drank from cupped hands rather than directly from a pool, and only from certain springs along the routes where the water was clear and cold, bubbling out of the ground over sand. The springs had to be off the general path where the cows didn't go, otherwise, we figured the cows had probably contaminated the water. We suffered no ill effects, but I wouldn't do it now unless in desperation.