People are wondering what they can do to help those people and towns who have lost so much due to the fury of Irene. A friend sent me some links with views of the terrible damage and ways to help. As she says, help our state if you can, and pass the information on so others may be able to help. video
And this one: commongoodvt.org

Fred may have posted this link on home page. Our sister-in-law, Ella, grew up in Rochester, and I know Fred sent this link to her. Take a look - Rochester, Vermont
This is particularly unsettling since a cemetery was partially washed away.

Here's something a bit different, more upbeat, from Cecile Johnston in Cabot:

The day has come at last! I'm getting a container that will be here for a week:

Sept. 1-11. The Big Day will be Sept. 10 All Day!!! Please join us that day - or any part of that week - in cleaning and clearing the barn!
Cool stuff that you find is yours to keep - first come, first dibs. That includes barn board and beams for everyone who helps get this sucker cleaned up!

What to bring:

• Boots
• Gloves
• Sense of Humor
• Muscles
• Brains (no zombies, please.)
• FRIENDS!
• a Hardhat if you have one
• your favorite Tools O' Destruction! Heavy equipment always welcome!
  
• Music to Raze Barns By

318 Last Rd. Cabot, VT.
Call 563-3255 for any more details, directions, or anything else!! - Cecile

If you're not familiar with Cabot's back roads, Last Road is off of Danville Hill Road which heads west from Route 2, not far from Molly's Pond, but before you get to the Goodrich Sugarhouse.

And this came in this afternoon:

Marshfield: Monday, September 12th at !0:00 a.m. Join us for a Special Story Hour celebrating the addition of  81 new books to the Jaquith Public Library children's collection.  Many thanks to the Libri Foundation and the Friends of the Jaquith Library for making the purchase of these books possible. Come check them out!  At the Jaquith Public Library,Old Schoolhouse Common, 122 School Street in Marshfield. For information call: 802-426-3581 or e-mail: jaquithpubliclibrary@hotmail.com. 

I'm beginning to hear from more friends and family about how Hurricane Irene impacted them. Joe's Ponders, Liz and John Randall on Long Island, fared very well, losing only some fruit trees, but no damage to their lovely old home. Our nephew and family who visited us only few weeks ago, have had to leave their home in Guilford, CT - no telling when they'll get back or what they'll find there when they do.

We are very fortunate here at Joe's Pond. We had high water and a few trees knocked down, but the damage has been minimal. Here is a link to a video shown on WCAX that shows what some of the rest of Vermont has suffered:
Irene Hits Vermont

This is the final update from Washington Electric to its members:

WEC MEMBERS: FINAL TROPICAL STORM IRENE UPDATE

Information on How to Get Help and Offer Help

Wednesday, August 31, 8:00 AM

On Tuesday morning August 30, over 100 WEC members were still without power at several locations throughout our service territory. By mid-afternoon on Tuesday, power had been restored to everyone. If you were one of the many WEC members who were without power at some point during this event, we appreciate your patience and your understanding!

Thanks to all the Co-op’s employees who did what needed to be done, out on the lines, answering the phones, dispatching, keeping our vehicles and equipment running and other tasks too numerous to mention. Thanks also to our tree trimming contract crews and to crews from Hardwick Electric Department and Morrisville Water and Light, who all helped us get the lights back on.

Many Vermonters in other parts of the state are still without power, because utility crews are still unable to reach some locations, or must rebuild lines that were completely destroyed. WEC was not affected that severely in this storm. However, we know that there has been great damage in many of our communities, to roads and bridges, and to homes and businesses.

If you need help, or if you can help by donating money or volunteering your time, there is contact information available at Governor Shumlin’s website as well as at the following location: http://governor.vermont.gov/

To reach Washington Electric: www.washingtonelectric.coop

Nights, Weekends, Holidays, Outages, & Overdue Bills

802-223-5245 800-932-5245

Office Hours: Monday - Friday 7:30 AM- 4:00 PM

24 Hour Automated Account Access

223-4958 888-343-9402

This notice came from Rev. Carol Borland this morning:

Greetings,

I send this to invite you to attend our HeBrews Coffeehouse this Friday, September 2nd from 7-9:00 p.m. at the West Danville United Methodist Church. Our headliners for the evening are Paul and Elsbeth Elisha. There will also be time for hymn-singing, open mic, good fellowship and goodies. Come join the fun! Bring some goodies to share, too, if you would. There will be a free-will offering basket (as usual) to help with travel assistance for our headliners.

HeBrews Coffeeshouse is one "wicked good" experience! Come join in!

Hope to see you there!
Carol

The 4th, Sunday, is our Continental Breakfast at 9 a.m. and Sunday School registration, followed by worship at 9:30 a.m. with a blessing of Backpacks and Other Assorted Bags!

*****

I expect you are watching the news posts Fred puts on the home page of our website every morning, but if not, go to www.joespondvermont.com He surfs for news items and other interesting stuff to keep us up to date on all sorts of things.

It seems a few things are getting sorted out and returned to their owners. Steve Allen let me know tonight that their canoe has been returned by someone - he doesn't know who found it and got it back to them, but he's very appreciative.

Patti Powell Nichols sent a reply (see below) about the kayaks that the Beatties were missing - the green one may have been located at Ginger Erdmann's. Patti said she left a message on their answering machine, but just in case she posted it here and on the website "comments," too. She also said there is a black floatation device, the kind that is used under a dock and looks like a half barrel at Erdmann's. It's under the deck, if you are looking for it. There is a nice set of stairs washed up at the Jacobs' cottage, too. Patti and her sister, Ginger think at least some of this may have come from the big island. The Jacobs cottage is the third one from the JPA boat landing near the recreation field; Erdmann's is the last house towards the rail/trail in back of the JPA pavilion.

Thanks, Patti - and Ginger, too, for securing the stuff that has floated into your cove and for checking your neighbors' for strayed equipment.

Keep an eye out for that orange buoy that belongs to the Joe's Pond Association. If you spot it, please let Jamie Dimick know - 563-2381, or email him at: jamie.dimick@katv.org

Yesterday I showed you a picture of a piece of real estate being moved back to where it came from - the wetlands at the north end of the pond. Tom Conti was at Terry Powers' cottage and was part of the unusual rescue. Terry sent me pictures - and this message:
Jane, here are some pictures taken by Tom Conti, of the activity yesterday at my camp as well as the Silloway's and Ide's on Island Drive. What a time for me to be in Philly. This is what I love about Vermonters, they are always there when needed. Thanks to all. Terry

Here is the slide show: Rescuing Our Wetlands
Now I have to ask the people in Montpelier who are bent on "preserving the wetlands" - what's wrong with these pictures?

To add to Terry's sentiment about Vermonters, I'd like to add that they are there for you even when you aren't here. This has happened over and over during this event - neighbors were watching out for others' property. I had several calls for phone numbers so absentee owners could be contacted by neighbors who were tying up boats and hauling docks back to shore for them.

The pieces of wetlands you see here are only a fraction of what was floating around in the pond during this high water event. There were some chunks reported near Sunken Island, and of course the biggest slice was in the cove below where these pictures were taken, at Lee and Ginger Erdmann's. At the rate we're losing the marsh at the head of the pond, the configuration of the pond will soon be changed - some cottages will have whole new front lawns and there could be another section of the pond opened up along Channel Drive. Perhaps one of those big chunks could be attached to Pearl Island, which is rapidly dissolving.

Thank you for the pictures, Terry. That was quite an operation. We saw some of it, but apparently the troops rallied and we hope they were successful in getting at least some of the land back into the marsh. Unfortunately, as Ginger said to us yesterday, even if she was able to get the huge mass moved from their waterfront, the next rain storm it would probably be back.








On a happier note, Ted Decker sent these nice pictures of our loon family. They apparently rode out the storm just fine. The picture on the left is of the two chicks, and on the right, with Mom and Dad on a family outing.

And here's yet another message, this time from Andy Rudin on Old Homestead - if you are looking for your Sunfish sailboat mast, here it is:

Hello Jane, I found a mast for a sunfish against my shoreline.

Do you know anyone who lost one? Thanks, Andy

This came from Sarah Beattie this morning:
Hello,
Plynn Beattie and I lost a pair of kayaks that were on the shore by Kitty and Able Tolls access from the storm on Sunday. Kitty suggested that I inform the Joe’s Pond association and perhaps a note could be posted on the Joe’s Pond blog?

The kayaks are 120 Pungo’s. One dark green and one royal blue.

If anyone comes across them please contact us:

Sarah Beattie – 802-535-8477

Plynn Beattie – 802-535-9683

Thanks for your help!!! Sarah

I just had a call from Steve Allen on Meadow Lane. Steve wasn't around during the weekend, and when he checked camp today, he found their Grummen aluminum canoe is missing. It is a 16 footer and distinguished by a rust-colored stain on one side. If you have seen it, Steve is presently at home in South Ryegate, so give him a call there at 802-584-3409, or send an e-mail to him at allensnb@together.net

Please be on the lookout for an orange ball buoy that belongs to Joe's Pond Association. Jamie Dimick called to say that it is gone, floating, probably with a cement block attached, or it could be partially submerged. He retrieved the buoy from Sunken Island this morning - it was in the middle pond down near George and Judy Anderson's. Seems like they collected quite a number of things - a couple of pontoon boats, a canoe, the buoy . . . If you locate the orange buoy, give Jamie a call at home, 563-2914.

I was talking to someone this morning who was looking for his dock - said he hadn't been down on the waterfront yet to check, but from camp he couldn't tell if the dock was gone or just under water because the water is very murky. Lots of sediment in it, for sure - it's from runoff and some of the wetlands being dissolved.

We've had a busy morning, and then the camera batteries died so we didn't get as many high water pictures as we'd hoped. However, we have enough to let those of you who are away from the pond know that first, we're all ok up here, just a little soggy and still trying to sort things out.

I've made a short slide show of the pictures we took this morning and there is a little explanation on some of them: High Water, Aug. 29, 2011









I mentioned yesterday that the top of our mystery tree had split - three ways, actually. With the top mostly gone, it was clear the tree would probably not survive and if it did, it would be unsightly, so I reluctantly let Fred cut it. There it is in the two pictures above - Fred is out there now cutting it up to haul it away. Also, when I was out on the deck this morning I noticed the cherry tree (that had also sprung up by itself a few years ago) was rocking dangerously in the morning breeze. I tested it and just by pushing on it a little it moved as if to tip over, so we took that down, too. Fred is pretty pleased - we have a view again; but I know I'm going to miss both those trees. This picture is the top of the cherry tree lodged against a maple that will soon fill the bare space, but not as close to the deck or the house.

The trees made our deck seem like it was a tree house. When I was out there, I could peek through the branches to see people walking or driving by, but I'm pretty sure nobody could see onto the deck. Not that it matters - in a few short weeks we won't be out on the deck anyway.

Woody is complaining because Fred brought him into the house while he's working with the chain saw. Woody likes to be in the middle of whatever we're doing, especially if we're working outside. I'll take him out with me when I go in a few minutes. He is so trusting of us, he wouldn't understand that the noisy saw could hurt him - just as he saunters up to our car without fear, so one of us always checks to see where he is before we move the car in or out. If it's a strange car, he is very skittish, but unfortunately, he isn't as careful when he knows it's one of us.

We're finding out it isn't "business as usual" in some places today. With Charter lines on the fritz over a wide area, many businesses, including banks, don't have internet, and that is not a good thing. It's amazing how crippling no internet service is once you've made it such a big part of your life. But the regular mail came on time and lots of places are functioning very well. Bill called this morning to let us know the family is fine out in Waterford, but they had high water at Thurston and Dimick Auto, but no damage. They'd wisely moved all their cars to higher ground. He said lots of buildings in the St. Johnsbury Center area have water damage, though.

One of my cousins contacted us today to see if we were ok - they had been on a family vacation in Delaware and were told to evacuate on Friday. They made it home to Shrewsbury, MA just fine, and weathered the storm there ok. It cut their vacation time with children and grandchildren short, though.

We're all very fortunate this time. Having earthquakes, tornadoes and hurricanes piling up like this makes one wonder, though - what's next?

Dolly LaGue at 156 Sandy Beach Road has a blue LL Bean kayak on her lawn, if you have lost one.

The cleaning up and sorting out has begun. People are out looking for boats, docks, rafts, and other stuff that floated away; others are calling to let us know they have items tied to their trees, docks or whatever waiting for their owners to come pick them up.

Pat Gardner has a piece of dock about 10 ft. long tied up at their place at 1225 W. Shore Rd. She also has a silver aluminum canoe tied up there. Their number is 563-9994.

Bob Noyes on W. Shore Rd. is looking for a raft - small, blue one, that disappeared during the night. If you find it, give him a call at 563-3227.

Some cottages don't have internet or phone service this morning - Charter is down. So far, we've had no outages of either electricity (Washington Electric) or telephone (FairPoint).

We took a quick ride over to the other side of the pond - Garey at the post office told us there was a huge piece of real estate floating in the cove by Bertolini's and another, even larger one lodged at Erdmann's. We have pictures, and will get them on the blog a.s.a.p. Right now I have phone calls to return and no doubt there will be other lost and found items to post as the day progresses.

There is a fairly large washout by Keenan's and Underwood's on W. Shore Road. The road is about a third gone, but is still passable and it's well marked. There were a few trees down along the road, but those have been taken care of. Other than that, everything looks pretty good. The water in the pond got very, very high, but there are tons pouring out over the dam - more than I've ever seen before cascading over the top. The controls at the dam would be useless against such a torrent - we're just glad the water level even in the big pond seems to be going down a little this morning, which is very good news. Check back later for more news and pictures.

Now begins the cleanup. As usual, things around the pond have floated away - George Anderson just called saying he has not one, but TWO pontoon boats on his lawn this morning. One is a Starcraft, about 20 feet long; the other is a SunChaser, around 16-18 ft., George said. He was able to secure one to their steps, and the other, which is closer to Berwicks, is still floating loose, but he's going to try to secure it so it won't be damaged or float down the pond and go over the dam. If you know anyone who may own these, please let them know where they are.

Sometime during the morning, the top of our tree split. We aren't sure what kind of tree it is - it just "grew" next to our steps in the flower bed, and it offers such nice shade (and grows so rapidly) I haven't wanted to take it down. The top broke off once before - we thought Woody was climbing in it and broke it. He weighs about 14 lbs. and the branches are very brittle. Fred was all set to take it down as soon as the rain stops, but I think I'll keep it. I really don't like that it cuts off our view from the deck - and sometimes from the house - when it's all leaved out, but I like that it chose to live in my garden and I don't really want to destroy it.

We've had reports of power outages at neighbors' but other than that it just seems that there's a heck of a lot of rain and off and on wind. The storm is tracking further west than originally expected, so that seems to be giving us a break here at Joe's Pond, but there is still going to be very high water and lots of flooding near brooks and rivers. This picture above was taken at camp at about noon. Fred and Jamie were at camp at around noon to be sure everything was ok - it was, but the pond is high and right then being whipped by the wind.

I had 1.15 in. of rain in my gauge this morning at 9 a.m. - that is what fell from 9 a.m Saturday to this morning. I went out again at 1 p.m. and had another 1.05 in. in my gauge. I took a picture of my weather gauge about an hour ago, and when I checked it at 5 p.m., I had 2.71 inches in it. I am sending "significant weather" reports every four hours - the last one will probably be at 9 p.m. and then I'll read it at the regular time, 9 tomorrow morning.

I guess everyone has by now tied things down and is as prepared for whatever Irene brings as we can be. We were at camp yesterday and it didn't seem that the water level was lowered at all, but with so few inches of leeway, it's hard to tell. I expect our waterfronts and the wetlands will get clobbered again.

At 9 a.m. I measured 1.15 in. of rain that's fallen here in the past 24 hours. Ludlow, Vermont reported over 2 in. had fallen there, and some of the other southern counties of Vermont were reporting close to 2 in. Our biggest concern will be the flash flooding and rivers overflowing their banks, which could compromise bridges and will certainly add to the highway costs of towns and the state.









When we were at camp yesterday afternoon, Monika was about to take baby Tangeni, or "Little T" as her aunts and uncles have dubbed her, for a walk in the stroller. That's Monika with Aunt Theresa and Daddy Bill - and Little T, who had just started to drop off for a nap when we interrupted. Big sister, Jo-Ann and two friends were already heading up the road for a walk. Everyone had been having a great day in the water, and the adults were clearing the way for Hurricane Irene.

I think I mentioned that middle son, Bob, played a gig at the Peacham church last weekend with a couple of Peacham School buddies from the 70's, Matt Skoller (harmonica) and Gordy Gourlay (drums). Matt lives in Chicago and has become a really great, well known musician. Here's his website: www.matthewskoller.com
Click on Juke Box to hear his band.

Gordy is a really good drummer, too, and has continued to play in bands while supporting his family with 9-5 jobs. Bob and Gordy were in the Peacham School Band together, with Matt's older brother, Jeff, and several other budding musicians. Peacham School gave them space and encouragement to develop their talents. Some, like Bob and Gordy, went on to make their living for a number of years doing their music; others went on to more conventional jobs, but most have continued to play instruments and write songs for their own enjoyment. All have grown up. When I searched for Matt Skoller's website, I was remembering him as a 12 year old on the sidelines of his big brother's band. Imagine my surprise when his home page popped up and again when I heard his music. Way to go, Matt!

Have a quiet, safe day. I'll be checking e-mail and reporting any news that's sent to me, so if you have pictures or events to share, send them along.

Here is an important announcement from Rev. Carol Borland: (West Danville Church)

Greetings,

It is noon and I have been following weather all morning on both WCAX (TV and on-line) and CBS, NBC and the Weather Channel.com at http://www.weather.com/

The forecast does not seem good for tomorrow morning. Here's a quote from WCAX. I posted their news video on my Face book page, and it is also on the Church Face book page as well, thanks to Curtis. Curtis is looking for folks to help him call the families of potential Sunday School children. I am asking each of you to call people you know and let them know about the church service being cancelled for tomorrow. While I really don't like cancelling the service, I think we cannot ask folks o take that kind of risk. If it turns out that it is a sunny water-skiing day - well, then - I'll see you at the lake (Crystal, that is!).

Stay safe. (Catch you next week?)
Carol

Here's the latest weather forecast:

"In our area, winds will increase to 35-45 mph with gusts to 50-60 mph which will likely cause trees to topple and power outages.

There is a Tropical Storm Watch in southern parts of Vermont. Tropical storm force winds of 40 mph or greater will reach southern Vermont during the morning hours Sunday.

There is a slight chance some rain will reach southernmost parts of Vermont late in the day, but most of the rain will overspread the area from south to north, Saturday night into Sunday morning.

Flash flooding is likely, as rainfall amounts are expected to range from 4-6 across much of northern New York and all of Vermont. Be prepared to head for higher ground if you live in a flood prone area, and never drive across a flooded road, it may be hiding a washout."


A message from Town of Cabot:

*SANDBAGGERS NEEDED!*

Sandbags prepared in June have deteriorated in the sunlight. New bags & sand are available at the Cabot Town Garage and your village businesses and residents may need them! Please bring a shovel and lend a hand! Contact Tara at 917-2992 if you have questions/concerns.

Right now the sun is shining, and while there is a bit of haze, it's a very nice day here at Joe's Pond. We are expecting the weather to deteriorate overnight, and by tomorrow (Sunday) there will no doubt be rain and gusting winds, so don't plan to travel unless it's absolutely necessary. We're hoping the heavy rain will not undo all the work that has been done here in the north country to repair the damage our towns suffered from the flash flooding in May - in many cases, repairs have just been completed, but in other cases, towns are still waiting for FEMA money, having no local resources left to deal with that May damage. I guess we're getting a one-two-three punch from Mother Nature this year. The first was the May 27-28th flood, the second was a week later in June when we had heavy rains again that took out any repairs that had been done to roads and other property, and now this storm. Perhaps Mother N will go easy on us this winter . . . ?

All of you take precautions to avoid unnecessary danger (or damage) over the next couple of days. We'll keep posting notices as long as we can, but we'll likely have some power outages along the way. Remember that the only reliable phone service is via land lines. We do have AT&T cell phone coverage, but in a storm, that may be sketchy. I expect it will be put to the test this weekend.

Work Update

Danville Route 2 Project

Project: Danville FEGC 028-3(32)

WEEK OF AUGUST 29^th, 2011

Pike Industries will continue work on the Danville Route 2 project as follows:

All work for Monday is contingent on favorable weather. If work is cancelled Monday the work plan will be adjusted to reflect work starting Tuesday instead of Monday.

Blasting: Crews expect to finish blasting near the post office on Park and Peacham Road Friday 8/26/11, however, if this work is not completed as expected, blasting will continue on Monday 8/29/11.

Rock drilling is scheduled Monday and Tuesday at the corner of Park Street and Route 2.

Wednesday through the end of the week, ledge excavation and rock drilling will take place on Route 2 from the Town Hall east to Walden Hill Road.

Crews will be working on Water line installation from Park Street to Walden Hill Road on Route 2 Wednesday and Thursday.

Ditching and clean-up will take place between Marty’s and Highland Ave throughout the week. This work will allow for two-way traffic.

In observance of the Labor Day holiday weekend, crews will stop working on Friday, September 2^nd, 2011 at 12:00 pm and will not return to work until Tuesday, September 6^th.

Motorists can expect traffic delays from the alternating one-way traffic around the construction zone. Traffic control will be present to maintain traffic flow. Motorists are encouraged to plan accordingly for delays.

Contact Francine Perkins, Public Relations Officer, FRP Enterprises, LLC with any questions or concerns with regard to this project at 802-479-6994 or for a more up to date schedule visit www.roadworkupdates.com.

A joint press release from Vermont electric utilities

Utilities offer safety advice in face of Hurricane Irene -- high winds, heavy rains

Utilities are preparing for Hurricane Irene, and are advising customers in Vermont of the potential for damaging high winds and heavy rain that could cause extensive damage and power outages Sunday. Customers across the state could see widespread power outages beginning Sunday afternoon, though the exact track of the storm is still uncertain. While all utilities are diligently preparing for the storm, customers should prepare for the possibility of being without power for several days, possibly even more, should the storm take a track for the worse.

Utility forecasts for Hurricane Irene include the threat of very high winds and flooding, which could cause significant power outages and structural damage across the state.

Utility crews are on standby and are bringing in outside contract crews to ensure a strong response if the storm brings significant problems. Government officials are also coordinating efforts to assure the necessary resources are available.

Vermont utilities urged customers to be sure to have flashlights, batteries, food and water available in case they lose electrical service, and suggested that friends, family and neighbors check on elderly Vermonters who may need help. Candles are not recommended as light sources during a power outage due to fire risk.

The utilities offered the following advice:

* Before outages occur, be sure you have a phone that is hard-wired and does not rely on electricity.

* Fill a bathtub with water before you lose service so the water can be used to flush toilets when the power is out. PREVENT UNSUPERVISED BATHROOM ACCESS TO CHILDREN.

* Treat any downed line as if it is live. Report the line to your local utility and fire department, stay at least 50 feet away from the line, and keep children and pets away as well.

* If using a generator, read and follow the owner's manual before starting it. Never operate a generator inside any structure or near a structure. Use a transfer switch to ensure electricity is not accidentally fed onto a line where line crews must work.

* Keep freezers and refrigerators closed as much as possible to prevent food spoilage.

* If power goes out, turn off all electrical appliances except one light so you'll know when service returns. Then, turn equipment back on slowly.

* Never use grills inside garages, sheds or other buildings, as the fumes can be poisonous.

Here's a link to a piece my friend, Peter Dannenberg wrote back in March for VTDIGGER.ORG after the earthquake in Japan: Dannenberg: Express to Vermont

The hurricane of 1938 has been on my mind, too, and I expect many others as well. I've watched Irene's projected path on weather maps with a chilling dread as it appears to be on such a similar course.

Peter sent some links about the 1938 storm, too. Here is one of the links he sent: 1938 Hurricane

Understandably, people are taking seriously the possibility Hurricane Irene will impact us in a big way. Here's a message received today about the Danville Route 2 Project:

DANVILLE ROUTE 2
ROAD PROJECT

TRAFFIC ALERT 8/25/11 – 2:00 pm

With the expected arrival of Hurricane Irene over the weekend, crews will be working on completing some drainage work in an effort to avoid the flooding issues on the project that were experienced during the May storms. To complete this work, crews will work on Route 2 past 4 pm.

An extension of work time on Friday past 2:00 pm may also be required if storm preparation work today is not completed.

The contractor will make every effort to expedite the work and open up two-way traffic as soon as possible.

Traffic control personnel will be present on Route 2 to maintain alternating one-way traffic within the work zone. Please expect delays.

Contact Francine Perkins, Public Relations Officer, FRP Enterprises, LLC with any questions or concerns with regard to this project at 802-479-6994 or for a more up to date schedule visit www.roadworkupdates.com.

All along the east coast people are getting ready for this storm, and people here at Joe's Pond should be doing the same. While it probably won't have as serious an impact on us, being inland, as it will on coastal areas, we can expect a large amount of rain and strong winds. This combination does lots of damage, not only uprooting trees and disrupting electrical power, it will likely bring high water and damaging waves on the pond, so people should be sure their boats are preferably out of the water or well secured, and everything under cover or tied securely so it won't get blown around.

I've been in touch with JPA President Tom Dente. He and Camilla are at their home in Connecticut, taking whatever measures possible to secure their home there. Irene is expected to track a bit west of Middletown, CT, where they live, and this puts them directly in the path of the storm with winds there predicted at 75-95 m.p.h. They are on the Connecticut River and have experienced spring flooding - no word on what flooding predictions are that far inland in this storm, but I imagine it could be a big factor.

Tom is also keeping an eye on things here at Joe's Pond. He said GMP is certainly aware of the potential for high water from this storm. They will lower the water level as much as they are legally allowed, but whether that will be sufficient to prevent damaging flooding, we simply can't tell. The best we can do is prepare for high water and damaging winds and hope Irene decides to head out to sea.

We will be putting away deck furniture and removing our flag. I always like to have drinking water on hand in case we lose power, and some extra for flushing the toilet. We have plenty of food - but if the power is out for an extended period, what we have in the refrigerator/freezer could spoil. I decided against bringing in any more garden produce for the freezer. It's probably better to leave it in the garden although some things could get damaged if there's hail. The storm is not expected to hit here until sometime late Saturday, and tomorrow is going to be a fairly nice day - the calm before the storm which we can use to prepare.

I'm wondering how our area towns will do in this storm. Any large amount of rain could be a problem since there's lots of new material in place from the flooding that we had in May, and much of it probably hasn't had a chance to pack down with use or have much vegetation in place to hold it from washing again. It could mean that a lot of that work and material will be destroyed again. That could mean devastating expense for towns and property owners - again.

Fred is working hard to get his wood piled. He'll probably get some braces on the pile before this weekend since there's only one course so far and it would be too bad if the whole darned thing fell over - not unusual for wood piles to do that, of course. All it takes is a strong wind, a minor earthquake, frost, water or gremlins. We usually blame Woody when things go bump around here, but sometimes he's obviously innocent, so we know the gremlins are at work.

We wish everyone well and want you to stay safe - this is not the way we'd like to celebrate the end of summer, but once we have everything secured and preparations made, all we can do is make the best of whatever happens. We're sure to have some nice weather on the other side of this thing.

Today has been another of those "catching up" days. It seems as if we've been busier than usual - doing not much worth crowing about. Well, that goes for me, but not so much for Fred. He's busy at different things, and today part of his wood supply for 2012-13 came. He has this winter's wood already stashed in the garage - snow can come any time except he likes to get the following year's wood piled so it will be dry next year. So part of the two cords delivered today is already stacked. I intended to help, but never got out there. Now I need to go out and pick some of the vegetables that are ready in the garden. Rain is expected tomorrow, so we need to get as much outside work done as possible while the sun shines.

We went to St. Johnsbury for haircuts yesterday, but forgot to take the camera. No problem - we didn't see anything exciting, which is usually the case. Later in the afternoon we were out again delivering Ice-Out tickets and Fred got this picture of a young kayaker. It was a great day to be out on the water.

I heard today from a neighbor who lives on the shore of West Hill Pond - the small body of water that was formed by some of our first settlers when they dammed up the brook that ran through a large cleared flat field on the western border of Cabot. Even before the settlers came here, the Indians planted that field with corn, as the story goes. They'd plant the crop when they traveled through in the spring on annual hunting trips and harvest it when they returned in the fall. According to my neighbor, there's a large rock near the edge of the pond that has a depression chipped out of it and this stone was where the Indians ground the corn. They must have stayed around for quite a while in order to harvest the crop, have it dry and then mill it.

When the white settlers came to settle Cabot and surrounding area, they used the flat open space for hay - and perhaps other crops. The history books mention hay, but it seems logical they might have grown other things there as well. There probably weren't many open spaces, and having that field already cleared would have been a big advantage.

Later on, after the settlers had built homes and cleared land around them, the open field was no longer needed, but they could see the advantage of using the water power along the brook, so they built a dam which flooded the field to a depth of perhaps 10 feet, according to my neighbor who lives there. A mill was built near the dam, and one or two further down the brook towards Lower Cabot.

I had known about the Indians using the field, but had never heard about the stone that is there. One day soon I will go there and get a picture of that stone. I will also try to find out more about it to verify that story. Somehow, history just keeps piling up around me. Right now I must get out to the garden.

Mid-Week Work Update

Danville Route 2 Project

Project: Danville FEGC 028-3(32)

WEEK OF 8/22/11

BLASTING: Crews will resume blasting operations Thursday, 8/25 and continue on Friday 8/26 on the corner of Park Street and Peacham Road – across from the Post Office.

Blasting Schedule (Tentative): Each day between the hours of 9am and 2 pm crews plan to blast 2-4 times per day. Blasting times within the hours of 9am and 2pm are variable and may change each day.

Blasting Signals: Crews will sound a horn as follows:

Pre-Blast - 3 consecutive signals – 5 minute warning

2 consecutive signals – 1 minute warning

Post Blast - 1 signal – all clear to enter the blast zone

Blasting Traffic Control - Traffic within the blasting area will be held for 5 minutes before the actual blast and then continue to be held post blast until the roadway is cleared of debris and rebuilt for safe passage. Each blast will bring different results so the wait time after blasting is unknown at this time. Crews will work to keep post blast hold times as short as possible.

Traffic interruptions will be contained to the Park and Peacham Road area. Route 2 traffic will not be affected by the blasting being performed this week.

Contact Francine Perkins, Public Relations Officer, FRP Enterprises, LLC with any questions or concerns with regard to this project at 802-479-6994 or for a more up to date schedule visit www.roadworkupdates.com.

Another great summer season at Joe's Pond is over - for the Joe's Pond Association, at least. We had our final meeting, our "fall" meeting, this morning. That can be a sad one, if we let it, but there are lots of our members who hang out with us until early or mid-October. Lots of others have to get back home if they have youngsters in school or their summer vacation time is used up and they need to get back to their regular jobs and lives.

Our meeting today was a good one. Short, no big issues to close the season, and although attendance was low, we all understand - it's a really nice day today and lots of people were just taking advantage of the last of the summer. Someone at the meeting explained the low attendance as being because there were no controversial issues. I think we can take that as a compliment. We had some good laughs - everyone seemed upbeat in spite of the curtain being lowered on another great summer at Joe's Pond. Fred took some pictures and I made a short slide show. Fall Meeting

You can tell folks had other things to do today rather than be at a meeting.

When we got home, I went out to the garden to pick some lettuce for lunch. There was a nagging little voice that kept telling me I should check more than the small lettuce patch. I looked under one of the huge zucchini leaves and found two pretty large zucchinis - they'll be great stuffed. That prompted me to check the cucumber vines and I found four perfect cukes there. Cucumber sandwiches! or better yet, sliced cukes in vinegar with salt & pepper.

It's funny how different people are when it comes to favorite foods. I think it has a lot to do with where you were brought up and what your family liked. My father had a taste for anything sour - lemons, vinegar, pickles; he made lots of maple syrup during his lifetime, but always said it was "too sweet" for him. I feel the same way - a little goes a long way. He liked desserts ok, but his preference was sponge cake without frosting. My mom liked ice cream. I'm not wild about ice cream, but every now and then I crave maple walnut ice cream. We had a maple creamy at the fair this year that was super good. But back to my point. I like the sour stuff like my dad, and I like butter - the real stuff - on my baked potatoes and on other cooked vegetables, but I also like raw potatoes with salt on them, tart apples and spruce gum right off the tree.

After Floriana and I were taste testing the apples at Bills, she mentioned to Monika that now she understood some of Bill's strange food preferences - he was like his mother.

We'll be busy trying to keep up with the garden from now on. I have one rapidly ripening tomato - and lots of green ones - but there's still enough warm weather ahead so I expect we'll have enough ripe ones to package up for the winter. The green ones are fine, too - a little sour, but that works just fine for me. Fortunately Fred isn't fussy and has a very pleasant habit of complimenting the cook no matter what the meal consists of. He has a sweet tooth, but gone are the days when I made a big layer cake every week to go with the ice cream we brought home in tubs (seconds) from Ben and Jerry's. I think our arteries are thanking us that we don't do that anymore.

Another busy day here at the Brown house. I've been filing stuff, cleaning up my office, and researching - plus I sent granddaughter Jo-Ann a recipe for a dip she really liked that I took there on Wednesday. She is good help in the kitchen as well as with her baby sister. Fred has been working on a website for a new client and mowed the lawn this afternoon. Woody had a nap - you can see how tired he was after helping Fred wash the car.

I met yesterday afternoon with a very nice couple who were researching their Cabot ancestors. We met at the historical society building and they were very impressed with our research library and with our exhibits, but I think they were most enthusiastic about the building itself. The first floor of the museum is very nice now, and right away one can tell it's a very old building; however, once upstairs, the beautiful matched boarding on the high vaulted ceiling, the stage, woodwork - it is very impressive, even without the beautiful painted stage curtain and all the fine exhibits. They took time to look around and learned quite a bit about how their ancestors may have lived in the 1800's.

When we were finished there, I took them to Cabot Plain to show them where the Yellow House tavern was and let them see where the Bayley-Hazen Road crosses the plain and heads north towards Canada. It was lovely up there, with a stiff breeze and almost 360 degree views - there is only woods looking south, but they appreciated seeing the White Mountains, where they had spent several days with a group in Whitefield, and points both north and west.

When I got home from there we went to Littleton to return the TV we got a few weeks ago. It was a lovely picture, but the speakers were in the back, which would be fine if it was backed up to a wall so the sound could bounce off, but ours is on casters so we can turn it towards the kitchen, dining area or living room, and it was driving us a little crazy because it was too loud for anyone in back of it, so we were constantly adjusting if someone was on the phone in the kitchen or whatever. That's one inconvenient thing about our no longer having cordless phones - where the phone is is where you take the call. No roaming around the house, phone in hand. Anyway, we had found another TV with speakers in the front - got it going and it is so much better for us.

When we got home, we found an e-mail from daughter-in-law Theresa letting us know she has their new website up and running. She built it so they (she, Bob and Jamie) would have an outlet for their music CD, "Welcome to My World." The website is pretty cool - you can preview songs from the CD and download them - also, the lyrics are posted on the site. I often have trouble understanding the words in songs; my ears aren't as good as they were before hosting a rock and roll band at our house "back in the day."

This is what the CD looks like, and you can hear samples of the music by going to: www.ricksharadio.com
Click on "Music" to find their store.
You won't hear any familiar tunes unless you've happened to hear the band a few years ago when they opened for a Tank Band benefit at the Packing House in Lyndonville. The music and lyrics are originals. Some of you know about the band - it's strictly family, with our middle son, Bob doing lead vocals and keyboards, his wife, Theresa is on drums, and our youngest, Jamie on guitar. No, Bill isn't a part of this group. I think both Theresa and Jamie do backup vocals. Some people may remember Bob's first recording, "Man in a Hurry," that came out quite a few years ago - a cassette, and I'm pretty sure there are a few fans of "BB and the Phantom Band" still around who will want to check this out. Fred is putting a link to their website on ours and you can also find the CD on our "Local Products" page soon.

Work Update

Danville Route 2 Project

Project: Danville FEGC 028-3(32)

WEEK OF AUGUST 22^nd, 2011

Pike Industries will continue work on the Danville Route 2 project as follows:

Crews will continue to work on Route 2 between Marty’s and the Village Green installing storm drain. Motorists can expect alternating one-way traffic within this construction zone.

FairPoint is in the process of relocating their underground lines on Park Street. If they finish by Tuesday, crews may resume blasting operations on Park Street near the Post Office. More details will follow early in the week.

Motorists can expect traffic delays from the alternating one-way traffic around the construction zone. Traffic control will be present to maintain traffic flow. Motorists are encouraged to plan accordingly for delays.

Contact Francine Perkins, Public Relations Officer, FRP Enterprises, LLC with any questions or concerns with regard to this project at 802-479-6994 or for a more up to date schedule visit www.roadworkupdates.com.

The found is lost again . . .

A couple weeks ago I mentioned here that Ted Chase had found a section of dock floating in the pond and had tied it temporarily to the barrel on Sunken Island. He was going to remove it if nobody claimed it in a few days.

Turned out it might have been the dock Laura Mills had been looking for earlier in the summer; but when she looked for it, it was gone and Ted didn't move it. Now the question is: Did someone claim it? Laura wasn't sure it was hers - she hadn't had a chance to see it, but she would like to know if it did belong to someone who now has it, or if it's still floating around out there someplace.

If anyone has a clue, let me know so I can get in touch with Laura. You can send a note to: jpwebmaster@fairpoint.net and Fred will get see that I get it, or leave a comment here on the blog.

DANVILLE ROUTE 2
ROAD PROJECT

TRAFFIC ALERT 8/18/11 – 3:45 pm

Crews ran into an unexpected problem while excavating for a cross pipe between Marty’s and Mountainview Drive that will have the potential to delay traffic moving through the project after 4pm.

The contractor is making every effort to address this situation and get two-way traffic opened up.

Traffic control personnel will be present on Route 2 to maintain alternating one-way traffic. Please expect delays.

Contact Francine Perkins, Public Relations Officer, FRP Enterprises, LLC with any questions or concerns with regard to this project at 802-479-6994 or for a more up to date schedule visit www.roadworkupdates.com.

A few days ago we had an email come to our webmaster address from a member of the U. S. Geological Survey located in Maine, requesting permission to use the Ice-Out dates we've posted. Here's what Luther Schalk wrote:

My colleagues and I at the US Geological Survey (Augusta, ME) are working on a network of lakes throughout New England with long-term ice-out date records. This is a piece of a larger effort toward a climate-response network, whereby we hope to monitor how hydrologic variables (including lake ice-out date, snowpack density, peak streamflow, and others) respond to changing climatic variables (temperature and precipitation). We have good coverage in Maine, but we're looking to fill geographic gaps elsewhere in New England. We currently have no data for Vermont.

I thought this was a great way to add another dimension to our contest: not only are we helping relieve the symptoms of cabin fever after a long winter and raising a fair amount of money for the Joe's Pond Association, now we will be part of a worthwhile effort to discover possible climate changes here in the north country that may indicate global trends.

Fred will link to the U.S. Geological Survey site on our website, and if you are interested, here it is: http://me.water.usgs.gov/iceout.html

I had dates kept by my father from 1968, but because his dates were when there was no more ice visible - and our Ice-Out contest is measured by when the clock stops and it's generally a day or so later all the ice is gone - plus it is expected our contest will continue over the years ahead, the survey will only include the information from 1988 on. I know Jules and the "gang" were keeping track at least a few years previous to the contest going "public," but I do not have any record of those dates. If someone does, I'm sure Mr. Schalk and his associates would be very happy to have them.

We went to Bill and Monika's last night for dinner - a farewell dinner for Floriana who begins her journey back to Namibia today. It was joyous and sad at the same time. She is such a happy person the evening was upbeat in spite of an under current of sadness. She has been part of the family for two months, and we have all come to love and respect her. Last night she went with Jo-Ann and me to sample the apples on two trees at their house. One had very sweet apples, the other very tart ones - neither are fully ripe. Floriana was excited by the apples and had picked and eaten most of the lower hanging sweet ones. When I told her I preferred the tart ones, she tried one again, but exclaimed at how sour it was. In her country, hardly anything grows well - it's mostly sand and patches of dry, course grass. She was thrilled with how green and lush everything is here, and whenever we had anything from our garden, it was exciting for her. One thing she particularly liked (and Monika does, too) was rhubarb sauce. I made it for them until my rhubarb refused to regenerate after that really hot stretch of weather. We are giving Bill a clump to plant so Monika and Jo-Ann can make their own next spring.

Jo-Ann told me last night her grandmother Floriana had never tasted apple pie. I was so sorry I hadn't known that, because I would have brought apple pie to the dinner. As it was, I took them carrots and broccoli from our garden with curry dip, and for dessert I made a syrupy blueberry topping for ice cream with some of the blueberries Fred got at Gilbert's on Tuesday. Floriana definitely likes things sweet, so ice cream with blueberries was a hit with her.

Baby Tangeni has changed in just the week or so since we last saw her. She hasn't lost any of her silky dark hair, in fact we're sure it's grown considerably. And I'm sure she's put on several ounces and is gaining strength all the time, managing to follow the activity going on around her with obvious interest. She seemed to focus on Fred and me when we first got there - she realized she was looking at someone other than her mom, dad, sister and grandma Floriana.

She tolerated being held by me for a while, but then let it be known she needed more familiar cuddling. Her big sister came to her rescue and she immediately quieted. Later on, she was very content to be on her daddy's lap after dinner. She's already six weeks old.

Monika took videos of everything and everyone so her mom would have it back in Namibia. We will be waiting to hear that Floriana has arrived without mishap back in Windhauk. Her daughter, also named Tangeni, lives and works there, so she will meet her. Floriana will stay with Tangeni for several days before the long drive home to Oshakati.

While Floriana was here, her daughter Tangeni graduated from nursing school and another daughter had a baby. The family, especially Floriana's mother, who is in her 90's, will be very happy to have her back home. We will miss her here.

If you're filling in your social calendars for the week, don't forget the fund raiser for "Buddy" Lamothe on Saturday. Lasagna dinner for four - can't beat that! Click on the poster here for more details.

Also, Joe's Ponders, don't forget the last meeting of this season is on Saturday at 10 a.m. at the pavilion. Even if you haven't been able to get to one of the other business meetings, try to attend this one for a wrap-up of the summer activities and a chance to say goodbye to friends who will be leaving soon for warmer climes.

We will have Ice-Out tickets at the meeting - the envelopes with the name of each member family are presently still at Hastings Store, but we will have them at the meeting so those of you who haven't picked yours up can do so. It will save our having to mail them out, which takes a bite out of our profit from the contest. If you don't pick yours up, expect a knock on your door next week when Bill, Diane, Fred and I will be canvassing both sides of the pond to try to deliver tickets to you before you leave camp. We do enjoy chatting with you as we make the rounds to deliver tickets, but also understand that the four of us have a lot on our plates, too, so it will be a big help and save us time and postage if you pick up the tickets before you leave.

I've heard from several people who really appreciated the slide show of the Danville Fair and the short video we posted yesterday so you could hear the Bel Aires. I was particularly interested in reading the report in the Caledonian Record about people's impression of having the fair at the school. I wasn't surprised that some people seemed to think it worked out at least as well or better than having it on the Green. One thing it doesn't do out there, I expect, is increase the traffic flow at the local stores much.

Saturday afternoon as we were coming home from Cabot over the Plain, I looked out across the fields towards our farm and remembered what it was like when I was a kid. They had Danville Fair earlier then, I think. I remember that before I was old enough to have real responsibilities during haying, I was in the parade. I don't think I was in it more than once or twice at the most, and I don't remember it with any great joy. What I do remember was a few years later when my city cousins and I were all expected to (literally) pitch in during haying season, we knew we'd only get to go to the fair if there wasn't a lot of hay down that needed to be put in the barn. It all depended on the weather, of course. Some years we were pretty well finished with haying by fair time, but other years no manner of pleading would get us released for a day at the fair if there was hay to be gotten in. I don't remember ever going in the evening. I guess that wasn't as much fun as the daytime horse pulling, watching young boys chasing a greased pig or grown men trying to slither up a slippery greased pole to get the money attached at the top. If we'd been in the hayfield all day, evening was time for a dip in Joe's Pond and an early bed time - we didn't have much energy left after working all day.

I was invited to go with friends to other fairs a few times, but I didn't care to do that. It was usually really hot and I always got sick on the rides. Danville Fair was the only fair I really enjoyed, and that hasn't changed in all these years. It could be because it's small and there's a real sense of community; plus, I look forward to seeing long-time friends there, and usually meet some interesting new people, too.

Tomorrow night we are going to Bill and Monika's for dinner. Monika's mom, Floriana, will be leaving to go back to Africa on Thursday. Bill saysthey are going to miss her - she's been a big help and lots of fun to have here during the past two months. We think she may be ready to get back home, though. We'll know more after tomorrow, but I expect now that the weather is cooling, she will be more than happy to get back to the warmth of her own country. It's been a pleasure meeting and getting to know her, and we'll miss her, too.