We're going to start off summer this year with weekend weather that's hard to beat. Not too hot, not too cold. We've seen many Memorial Day weekends that were too chilly (sometimes with rain or snow!) to enjoy, so it's nice that this one will be warm.

We picked up our granddaughter, Jo-Ann this morning in St. Johnsbury and brought her home with us for the afternoon. After lunch, she and I went to Cabot where she found a card for her dad's birthday (today) and then we went to Amanda's Greenhouse to find plants for my flower boxes and she picked out some to take home for her garden. On the way back through town we stopped at the new ice-cream stand that is set up between Harry's Hardware and the general store. It was their first day open and there was a line of kids and adults waiting to get the soft-serve. It was very good - they had chocolate or vanilla and offered a mix of the two, which is always my favorite. We both got some.

At Amanda's we saw Rose Bothfeld - she's Cabot's fire chief Skip Bothfeld's wife - and she reminded us of the pancake breakfast that the firemen are doing on Sunday, May 30, from 7 to 11 a.m. at the school cafeteria. All you can eat for $5. They're serving pancakes, sausages, bacon, muffins, juice and coffee. Take the family and have a great breakfast, see some of your neighbors, and contribute to this annual fund raiser for the Cabot Volunteer Fire Department. These folks do a remarkable job and we wouldn't want to be without them.

I'm sure most of you know that Memorial Day - or Decoration Day, as it was originally known - began after the Civil War to honor the dead of both north and south, and was to be observed on May 30th. When I was in school Decoration Day always meant that we would prepare a short program that parents would come to watch and sometimes we'd walk to the Plains Cemetery. I remember once riding in the back of a stake-body truck to Danville and joining with other students there for a program and a visit to Danville Cemetery. We all had small flags and flowers to place on the graves of soldiers. Eventually it became known as "Memorial Day" and is now observed on the last Monday of May to give people a nice long weekend. It doesn't matter what day it's observed, the important thing is that we take some time to honor the men and women who have served our country. Many people mark the day by putting flowers on the graves of their loved ones - simply a day of remembrance for all who have passed. There will be picnics and parades, and summer will officially begin.

Another sign of summer is yard sales. Here's a special invitation to stop by one here at Joe's Pond. Jack and Collette Dente are having a yard sale Saturday (tomorrow) and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at their camp at 3504 Rt. 2 West. That's on the middle pond and Collette says come "by land or by sea." Among other things, they have an aluminum raft, kayak, indoor/outdoor furniture, housewares, tools, books, puzzles, a hammock and an air conditioner for sale. Some items are brand new and the used items are in really good condition, Collette said. Sounds like a sale you don't want to miss.

Have a lovely and safe holiday weekend. I hope to see some of you at the Joe's Pond Association Spring Meeting tomorrow - 10 a.m. at the pavilion.