Such a pretty day today. Fred and I walked on W. Shore Rd. before breakfast and it was pretty chilly, but as the day progressed, it became better. I was working in my garden late this afternoon and there was still a chill in the air. We are concerned about our young maple trees, though. I thought a sunny day like today might perk them up, but tonight they seem to be just as shriveled and withered as they were this morning. Other trees didn't seem to be bothered much by the frost last night.

The water in the ditch at the end of our driveway was frozen over, but things warmed up quickly under the bright sunshine. At around 3 a.m. this morning the temperature here was 27 degrees - not as cold as predicted, but cold enough to do damage, at least to these tender leaves. They are not only curled, but have that transparent look like lettuce that's been frozen.

More people are getting here - Phil and Joyce Rogers, Sandy and Bill Ricker on our side of the pond. There are no doubt others we haven't seen yet and don't know about. The JPA board meeting is coming right up on the 22nd and spring meeting will be on the 29th, and usually there are a lot of people back by then. The first meeting of the season is always fun, even though seeing those beautifully sun-bronzed individuals makes us northerners feel pretty pale by comparison. If the weather doesn't behave better than it has lately, they may wish they'd delayed their home-coming, though.

I saw in the paper tonight that my friend, Blanche Lamore, is turning 98 soon. Blanche lives by herself, and although she no longer drives, she is still very active in the church, our historical society, Fall Foliage, and half a dozen other organizations in town. She loves to fish and has a couple of fishing buddies who take her a few times during the summer, plus she went ice fishing this winter. What she catches she keeps, cleans and puts in the freezer. When she's at home, she's busy every minute crocheting, quilting or baking, and she'll have a good sized garden this summer, planting and taking care of it herself so she'll have a good supply of food for winter. She looks forward every fall to berry picking and puts up preserves.

Blanche learned to hunt and trap as a child with her father. She went to school, grew up, married, and raised her family all right in Cabot and she is no stranger to hard work. For Blanche, "working out" means keeping house or caring for children for someone else to help pay her bills, and she did that well into her 80's. She's about four feet tall and weighs probably not much over 100 lbs., if that, but we all admire Blanche for her strength, stamina and perkiness, and especially her down-home values and we marvel that even at 98 she can outdo people half her age working a church supper or other event.

There is to be a surprise open house at the church on Saturday, May 22nd, from 3-5. Blanche will love every minute. She'll enjoy seeing old friends, and even if you don't know her, you should drop by and meet her. She's what you can truthfully call a "real Vermonter."