Today started off with bright sunshine and not too cold temperatures. We've lost the sun this afternoon, but the thermometer is staying in the high 20's - not too cold, even as the sun is sinking.

Before I forget, there's going to be a total lunar eclipse tomorrow night. I don't know if we're expecting snow, but if the sky is clear, watch for it, but I think it's going to be sometime after midnight . . . the good news is, after tomorrow, our days will be getting longer. How about that?!

I had a long blog all finished and then the whole thing disappeared, but I'll try to reconstruct as I think some of you will be interested.

I was writing about the meetings this week on the rail trail. At the Morrisville meeting, Greg Backos, an engineer with the project, said that to get everything done will cost $7.5 million. He said more than half of that will be federal funds. He described the upcoming work as more rehabilitation than construction, and said it will be in three stages: (1) ditching and drainage, (2) grading, and (3) surfacing. He said surfacing will cost $2.7 million and also that the trail needs to meet the Americans with Disabilities Act criteria. He said there are 42 out of 52 bridges that need work - some such as one in Walden and one in Wolcott, will need to be rebuilt. The trail also will have to be checked for hazardous materials that may have been left by the original railroad ties. The project needs an Act 250 permit, and Lamoille Valley Rail Trail (LVRT) and Vermont Association of Snow Travelers (VAST) will start the process for that in February.

Some of you will remember that it was originally thought the Act 250 permit would not be necessary because it is on a previously existing right-of-way, but that is not the case.

In a somewhat related article, the Caledonian Record reported that at Thursday's select board meeting in Danville there was great concern about what will happen during the next two years that construction on Rt. 2 will be going on. Traffic through Danville will be limited to one lane and there could be long lines and long waits starting as early as 6 a.m. and lasting throughout the day, which means commuters will have really long days and lots of other people will be frustrated and eventually take their business elsewhere.

Burt Frye suggested one solution might be to use the rail trail from Larrabee's on the west side of Danville to Marty's 1st Stop on the east by using the road leading to the sewage treatment plant by Marty's to reach the trail. There are other access points such as at the old train depot so people could get to the school, bank and other businesses. Burt said he believed because the short stretch of trail involved would be less than 10 acres there should be no need for Act 250 involvement.

The select board agreed this could be a possible solution and they will bring it to the meeting scheduled with Vermont Agency of Transportation engineers on January 12. They will also be questioning if the green can be used for the annual fair and Autumn on the Green during this two-year stretch.

It could be a long, frustrating two summers coming up for all of us who travel east from Joe's Pond. About the only route around Danville would be to go on Oneida Road out of West Danville and then hit some of the dirt roads along Greenbank Hollow and work your way either to Rt. 5 in Passumpsic area or, if you are lucky, connect to one of the back roads leading into St. Johnsbury by way of Crow Hill. There are dozens of possibilities, believe me, but no short cuts, and north of Danville there are really no routes at all to get you back onto Rt. 2 or into St. Johnsbury, even by back roads. Years ago Danville was the county seat and therefore, all roads led directly into town like spokes in a wheel. Personally, I'd say Burt Frye had one heck of a good idea. Rock on, Burt!!