Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Today has been relatively cold and snowy. We didn't get a lot of snow, mind you, but there have been snowflakes in the air just about every time I looked outside. The temperature stayed in the teens and low 20's until this afternoon, but now it's warming up, as predicted, and according to word on the scanner, road crews will be dealing with rain and freezing rain by about 2 a.m.

I measured another half inch of snow this morning. Bill and Diane Rossi think either my snow measurement stake is set too deep into the ground or it's in the path of Fred's snow blowing. That just isn't the case. I was very careful to set the post and then mark the measurements starting right at ground level - even made a snug apron of white plastic around the pole so there would be a flat surface for the snow to build on. And it's out in back of the house where Fred's snow blowing definitely can't reach. Qther reporting stations - and the closest is probably Jeff Merrell down in Danville - are generally not reporting as much snowfall as I am, but that's the way it always is. This is a snow belt from West Danville over Walden Heights to Hardwick. More snow, generally more weather of all sorts, worse road conditions, the whole nine yards. I just tell it like I see it.

This morning I had 16 inches at the stake - down a little in spite of the half inch of new snow, but there was wind yesterday and last night that would have packed what was there.

I came across an insurance policy written in September, 1839 by the Vermont Mutual Fire Insurance Company on the Thomas Osgood property in Cabot. The values of the property were as follows: The dwelling house and shed, $267.00; household furniture therein, $100.00; provisions and grain therein, $30.00; large barn and shed adjoining, $80.00; hay in said barn, $50.00; grain in said barn, $20.00; a small barn, $30.00; a corn barn, $30.00; and grain in same, $20.00, for a total of $627.00. The policy excluded "jewels, plated ware, medals, pictures, family paintings, sculpture, or musical instruments, unless particularly mentioned in the policy." The agent was S. Dewey. I was surprised that there was such a thing as an insurance company in Vermont that early, so I looked it up and sure enough, the company was founded in 1828, and was the first in Vermont. How about that! They've since changed with mergers and many expansions so now they are called Vermont Mutual Group.

There are other very interesting documents in the batch I'm working on right now. I will eventually have everything in binders, transcribed and indexed so people can see and read these old documents. Some as badly damaged scraps of paper, but others are intact and fairly legible. The earliest I've come across is dated 1764. There weren't very many people living in this area then.

I will be going to the town clerk's office tomorrow to do some research on the George Sumner family. I haven't been in since last fall, so I'll get to meet the new assistant clerk - one of two, as I understand it. I guess we have two part-time assistant clerks instead of one full time.

Woody, our cat, just came in and a file dropped off my desk onto the floor beside him, sending him straight up at least a foot off the floor. He's been pretty jumpy ever since watching the Nature Channel with Fred on Sunday. There were some really big bears, some ugly looking bald eagles, and lots of salmon jumping in a river in Alaska, and Woody took it all in. At one point he jumped up onto the TV stand and peered behind the screen, apparently looking for the bear.

We were reminded of when a stray cat was in the neighborhood of Sandy Beach a couple years ago and paid regular visits to Larry and Carol Byrd until he ventured into their living room and saw a stuffed bear's head on the wall. Carol said he high-tailed it out of there and they never saw him again. He ended up at Helen Morrison's after hanging out at our house for a while and beating Woody up nearly every day. They really didn't like each other at all. Helen named him "Tux" because he was black with a white bib. He's a lucky cat - there are no bears at Helen's house.


Sunday, January 29, 2012

We got a little more snow overnight and earlier this morning. Now the sky is brightening and the snow has stopped. I measured half an inch at 9 a.m., and I don't think we got much more after that.

I've had a couple of inquiries about snowmobiling, and about all I can tell people is that here at Joe's Pond we've had some activity - but not a lot - and judging from the lack of snow depth we noticed yesterday as we traveled west to the Barre-Montpelier area, I'd guess the snow is best in our area, Walden, Cabot, Marshfield, West Danville and Danville. South and east of us got snow from this last little "clipper," but not a lot.

I had a report yesterday on the ice and fishing at Joe's Pond. Bill Rossi called while we were away and left a message that he'd talked to a fisherman in front of their home and was told the ice is about a foot thick and the fishing is great. I thank Bill for the message. I looked back to last year on the blog, but didn't find any reference to ice thickness during January. I have to move on to other work this morning, so didn't spend any more time looking; I expect 12 inches is about normal compared to other years. I did notice one entry that mentioned there seemed to be more fishing shanties on the pond than usual, and we were thinking the same this year, but I guess that's normal, too.

I'm working on reproducing a very old book for children that is in our
Cabot Historical Society collection. It had belonged to Abby Osgood, a gift from her cousin, Priscilla Marsh. Abby was probably the daughter of Moses and Lucinda Osgood, but the records I have aren't clear about that. The little book was apparently published in London, probably in the very early 1800's. It has color lithographs and is a combination of linen and paper, in very bad condition, but I have been able to copy the pages and my hope is to produce a replica which we can put on display alongside the original, and because the original is too fragile to let the public handle, they will be able to see the lovely pictures and read most of the verse. This is one of the pages that is in better shape than most of them. My biggest disappointment is that the last page has only the picture - no print at all, so we'll never know the outcome of the story.
Unless, of course, I'm somehow able to locate another copy, which isn't likely. I've spent several hours searching the internet and find references to the Grandpapa Easy's series of children's books, but no actual copies or text information.

I must press on - spring will be here before I know it and I'll need to have the things I've been working on ready for display at the museum when we open.

I just looked outside and noticed it has started snowing lightly again. Should I cheer of grumble . . . ? I guess I'll cheer - I think our friends, Bill and Diane Rossi went skiing today and they will be very glad of any extra snow we get.

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Upcoming Programs at the Jaquith Public Library:

Wednesday, February 1 at 7 p.m. Classic Film (1937), [Lost Horizon]directed by Frank Capra, and starring Ronald Coleman, this classic adventure tale tells of a British diplomat and others whose plane crashes in the Himalayas, leading to their discovery of the mystical land of Shangri-La. At the Jaquith Public library in Marshfield. 426-3581 or jaquithpubliclibrary@gmail.com.

Wednesday, February 8 at 7 p.m. Poetry Reading with Local Authors: Sherry Olson, Carol Henrikson and Sarah Hooker. These three talented poets will surely provoke deep thoughts and stimulating discussion. Refreshments will be served.At the Jaquith Public library in Marshfield. 426-3581 or jaquithpubliclibrary@gmail.com.

Sunday, February 12 at 2:30 p.m. The King and the Thrush: Tales of Goodness and Greed. Montpelier performing artists Tim Jennings and Leanne Ponder present their award-winning folk storytelling show for children and adults. "Compelling"--Times-Argus, "Utterly captivating"--7 Days, “Masterful, incredible, not-to-be-missed!" --School Library Journal.At the Jaquith Public library in Marshfield. 426-3581 or jaquithpubliclibrary@gmail.com.

Wednesday, February 15 at 7 p.m. Learn about the Onion River Exchange: a way to exchange services with other people in your community. This method of time banking creates an hour for hour exchange. For example, your hour of gardening can get you one hour of car mechanics or your hour of painting can get you an hour of gardening. All of this without spending any money! Allison Underhill, director of the program, will explain how the exchange works and what you need to do to join.At the Jaquith Public library in Marshfield. 426-3581 or jaquithpubliclibrary@gmail.com.

Wednesday, February 22 at 7 p.m. Documentary film presentation about Mongolia. Susan Ross Grimaldi will share two short documentary films about her exciting and physically challenging travels in China (Inner Mongolia) and Mongolia. A quote from Susan’s report on her trip: “We were able to meet with the Duar shamans in Northern, Inner Mongolia and observe their work and witness their ceremonies. We also interviewed and filmed them. In Morin Dawa, we attended a Nassam festival, and were received as invited guests and shown every courtesy with our digital video and still photography.” Refreshments will be served. At the Jaquith Public library in Marshfield. 426-3581 or jaquithpubliclibrary@gmail.com.Come to the Jaquith Public Library's Annual Contra Dance at Vivien and Michael Fritz’s barn at 693 McCrillis Rd. in Marshfield on Saturday, March 10 at 7 p.m.!!! This is an event not-to-be-missed. It is a fundraiser so you can help the library while having lots of fun dancing and listening to the music. This will be our third annual contra dance and it has gotten rave reviews in the past so please join us!!! With Susannah Blachly and Susan Reid on fiddle and George White on guitar.For information call 426-3581 or e-mail: jaquithpubliclibrary@gmail.com

Friday, January 27, 2012

We've been rained on most of the day, with the temperature right around freezing, so there is quite a bit of ice on everything. So far we haven't lost power, but I expect some other places may have. The ice is pretty thick and heavy, and the snow is heavier. I was surprised at how heavy the snow was when I began shoveling the deck to get to my rain/snow measurement tube this morning. It was soggy with water.

I measured two inches of snow on my snow board, and even with all the rain there were 11 inches of snow still at the stake. A woman called from Burlington today looking for historical information and when I mentioned we have almost a foot of snow she was thunderstruck. She said there is practically none there - what they had washed away in the rain. I volunteered to hunt for a headstone she needs a photo of, but not if the snow is too deep by the time I get a chance to go. I really don't want to go in on snowshoes or have to shovel snow away from the stone in order to get a picture. There may not be as much snow in the Lower Village as there is here on the Plain, and I can't go until sometime next week, so we'll see. In the meantime, I found a few things she may be able to use.

I watched some of the debate last night but slept through most of it. Ron Paul is quite the one-line comedian, but over all, I didn't find it very entertaining or enlightening.
Perhaps over the next six months the pace will pick up . . .

There is a bit of scanner chatter regarding road conditions tonight. In some areas the highways are a bit slippery so the sand/salt trucks are still out there. It's been a long day for them. Schools were closed in most eastern and central Vermont areas, and some people didn't make it to work this morning because of the road conditions. Right now there's a tractor trailer in the St. Johnsbury area that's not able to make it up a hill. I didn't catch what road it's on, but the road crews are headed that way to help. It's a good night not to have to travel. The forecast is that tomorrow will be better.

Thursday, January 26, 2012

The day is darkening, and not just because the sun is going down. There are also thick clouds coming at us from the west, bringing snow, then rain, sleet, freezing rain and eventually turning to snow again - all in the next 24-48 hours. That has been our weather pattern for most of this winter. You'll see a weather advisory posted below from the electric companies across the state. They are preparing for an interesting night, no doubt.

Fred went with Bill Rossi to St. Johnsbury this morning to take care of some business there. They stopped at Bill Dimick's Thurston and Dimick Au
to to say hello to Bill and leave some Ice Out tickets with him. In the next few weeks we'll have them at other outlets in the St. Johnsbury, Barre and Montpelier area, but for right now, if folks can find them locally, they are happy. On the way home, Fred and Bill picked up the mail at West Danville and Fred noticed the lunch menu for today. I'm not sure what "frizzled" hamburg is, but I bet it is good. They put out some really good food there at Hastings Store. And they always have great baked goods.

There's some talk about a restaurant again in Cabot Village, where "Goldie's" was. There was an open house last week and several people were interested in possibly opening a restaurant. Nothing definite, though.

We learned recently of the death of Laura "Peg" Abbott, who was librarian in Cabot for many years and later worked at the Vermont Historical Society. She and her friend, the late May Wheeler, in 1984 cataloged information from the headstones in all seven of Cabot's cemeteries. It was a huge undertaking, but it was very well done and I used it, with their permission, when Velma Smith and I digitized that information a dozen or so years ago. I made a photocopy of May and Peg's book which I still use frequently. The digital info is only available at the town offices although Tara, our town clerk, has spoken about the possibility of making it available on line. I used a DOS program especially designed for cemeteries, and I don't know if it could be converted to something that would be accessible on the web.

Another friend, Eva Hale, died this past week. We knew Burt, her late husband and also Steve, their son who worked with his father in construction. Steve died a few years ago, and we often mention how much we enjoyed that family.

Time marches on and we all know we're here for only a relatively short period so we'd better make the best of it. Just the other day I opened a little notebook my mother, Lettie Bolton, had kept. There was a slip of paper with her hand writing on it: "I shall pass thru this world but once. If, therefore, there be any kindness I can show, or any good thing I may do, let me do it now, for I shall never pass this way again."

I was curious, so I searched the internet to find out who wrote that bit of wisdom. Turns out it is thought to have been Stephen Grettet, a Quaker missionary, but William Penn has also been credited with it, although Wikipedia said it's more likely Grettet's. That little message reminded me of so many people we have known who absolutely lived up to that advice, and many others we know who practice it every day. There are some very, very kind people in the world, thankfully.

Stay warm and safe, and if you live in our neighborhood, read the message below so you are prepared in case we lose our electricity.

Storm and Outage Alert

by Susan G on January 26, 2012

For immediate release: Jan. 26, 2012

Utilities offer safety advice in face of possible ice event and power outages

Vermont utilities are advising customers in the eastern and central parts of Vermont of the potential for ice damage that could cause downed trees and limbs, and lead to power outages late this evening and into Friday. Customers across the state could see power outages late tonight and into Friday.

Utility forecasts include the threat of up to a half inch of ice in eastern and central Vermont, combined with sleet and snow, which could cause power outages.

Utility crews are on standby to ensure a strong response if the ice accumulations bring significant problems. Government officials are also coordinating efforts to assure the necessary resources are available.

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 the generator. 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 for warmth, as the fumes can be poisonous.


Wednesday, January 25, 2012

It's been a really nice day today - temperature has been in high 20's and we even had a little sunshine just before sundown. Tonight is a moderate 20 degrees and I think it's clear, but I haven't checked. I can see the lights across the pond very clearly, so I'm sure it isn't snowing.

I woke up this morning with curry combs on my mind. I don't know where that came from, but I tried to remember if we used the same kind of comb on the cows as we did the horses. I used to get to curry comb the horses - big muscular draft horses that would lean into the comb and nearly crush us against the wooden stalls. I seem to remember that my grandfather used a similar comb to clean off the cows, too. The cows were much cleaner than lots of them are today. They were on a raised platform with sawdust bedding and there was a gutter behind them that caught most of the manure, but sometimes a tail would get messed up and - well, not a pretty sight if she switched her tail and swiped whoever was milking her. The stable was kept relatively clean - there always seemed to be a hoe handy by the scuttle.

My Grandfather Bolton was a whistler. He would come into the stable whistling softly and one by one the cows would turn and look at him and sometimes moo as he passed by. We could tell they knew him and trusted him. He kept records on all his cows. They were big Holsteins with distinct black and white marking
s that he carefully recorded on special record sheets with cow outlines he filled in the distinguishing markings on and wrote in production records and history for each cow. They each had a registration number and a silver metal tag on one ear with their number on it. I suppose that's all done on computers now. My grandfather liked the big Holsteins even though their milk didn't have as much butter fat content. They produced more quantity and that seemed to be his goal.

The big barn was efficient in it's own way.
The cows were on the main floor of the barn, and scuttles behind the cows opened to let the manure drop into the pit below which was accessed in the spring. The manure had to be shoveled into the spreader so it could be spread on the fields. It was easier when we got a Farmall tractor with a bucket loader, but still a dirty job nobody enjoyed. Above the stable was the hay loft, and there were handy scuttle holes so we could throw hay down for the cattle. It was designed so the hay fell in the passageway that ran between two rows of stanchions - milking cows on one side, young cattle on the opposite.
There was a wooden cart on iron wheels that would hold a bag or maybe more of grain, and that was wheeled along the passageway and each cow or heif
er got a measured portion of grain, mixed according to whatever formula my grandfather thought they needed, depending, I guess, on the time of year and their size or need. There were water basins between every two cows.

This is the farm as it used to be - the smaller barn was for the horses
and there was space for a wagon, buggy and sleigh, plus hay storage above the stalls. I think there were four or five stalls. Those barns are gone now. The big barn burned in the summer of 1969, and the horse barn was taken down. The house remains, and there are more modern barns with twin silos there now - but except for an occasional renter, it's been mostly vacant for the last eight or ten years since the Sousa family left. Times change.

I took a picture of our Woody, getting his morning drink in the bathtub. Water tastes much better there than from his dish in the kitchen, but he has a strange way of drinking. Take a look: Woody Fred brushes him every morning, literally from head to the tip of his tail, and Woody relishes the attention.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Our January thaw has robbed us of at least 3 inches of snow and left many driveways like skating rinks. It rained quite hard for a while last night. Today I had the scanner on and while I didn't hear of any traffic accidents, there was a call about a woman who had fallen on the ice and another when a man in Northfield was hit by a car - I don't know if it was ice related, but it could have been.

I didn't even attempt to climb Jamie and Marie's hill today - their driveway was one of the icy ones, like ours. Fred spread wood ashes on ours first thing this morning and that made it ok. Jamie had contacted Marty Larrabee to sand his.

Our granddaughter, Tangeni, has two teeth!! I talked with Monika today and she said she thinks there may be a third tooth showing up, too.
It's amazing how quickly babies change and develop. Monika said Tangeni is well on her way to creeping, too. She's coming up on seven months. We haven't seen her in a while, so I'm sure when we do we'll notice a big change.

Big sister Jo-Ann is busy with basketball and school activities. She had a tournament this past weekend, but we couldn't make it. We'll get to some of her games before the season is over, though. We really enjoy watching her team play. They're getting better all the time and by the time they are in high school, they'll have some good experience.

There is quite a village of ice shanties in the cove off the fishing access. That's Homer's camp, the yellow one, and the shanties are clustered mostly in front of there - right where our Ice-Out flag needs to go around April 1. They apparently like to fish in deep water because the depth there is close to 100 ft. This picture was taken yesterday afternoon.


Sunday, January 22, 2012


Another cold day, but with the bright sunshine, it was quite pleasant. Bill and Diane Rossi went skiing today and Diane said it was nice on the mountain - a bit cold, but tolerable and they were home in good season. Fred and I did our climbing exercise about mid-day and it was still a little slippery under the very dry snow that fell yesterday and overnight. I measured another 3/4 in. this morning, but at the stake there are still only 14 in.
This was the view from our living room early this morning.

I've been busy researching information for a man in Canada on some Cabot relatives. I couldn't find much that I think will be helpful, but while I was looking through the books Anne and Stuart Smith (of Walden) did indexing articles in old newspapers at the Fairbanks Athenaeum, I came across one particular item I had to chuckle over. It wasn't spelled out, but it appeared that seven sisters married seven brothers in Saco, Maine, on Christmas Eve, 1832. Martha, Eliza, Sarah, Mary, Judith, Virginia and Peggy Wells married Theophilus, Richard, Thomas, Titus, John, E. and J. Hutcheson, in that order. Remember the movie "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" ? It came out in 1954, so no doubt many of you never heard of it, but I thought of that when I saw this. I wonder what the whole story was - perhaps it was "arranged" by the families.

We heard from our sister-in-law, Ella, in Colorado today. They finally got some snow and she said it has been cold, -1 yesterday. I guess their snow cover has been a little better than ours, but they don't have as much as usual.

We also heard from Bob and Lillian Buzzi in Winter Haven, Florida today. Lillian needs more Ice-Out tickets - she's got all their friends and neighbors excited about the contest. She said they were enjoying 79 degree weather today. At about that time our thermometer still wasn't out of the single numbers, but at least it was above zero, not below. Ticket sales here have been slow but pretty steady. I have been sending lots out for both members and friends of the contest who have sold tickets for us for several years now. I love hearing from those folks - some of them have never even been to Joe's Pond, but they still buy a bunch of tickets each year and (I guess) distribute them to friends and family. We've also had requests from some of our regular local outlets for a supply of tickets so they can begin selling early - Natural Provisions in both St. Johnsbury and Williston, Harry's Hardware in Cabot and the Walden Store at the Four Corners have joined Joe's Pond Country Store and Hastings Store to have tickets on hand for their customers.

Diane said this weekend there were several vehicles out on the ice, so I guess it must be good and thick. With no snow cover to speak of, the ice is probably plenty thick. We've had lots of below-zero weather and the rain we've had hasn't been much or the weather that warm long enough to do much damage. We have another rainy spell coming up . . . there goes some of our snow! It's been that kind of winter.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

I got a really cute link from son Bob today. He thought Woody would like to see it, too . . . take a look: Cat and Dolphins
Looks like love at first sniff. When we see something like this, doesn't it make you wonder why people can't get along better? Like one viewer said about the video, "Who says we're the most advanced species?!"

Today has been cold - again. Bright sunshine didn't raise the temperature much. The overnight low was -14.8 and with wind chill factored in, -25.4. When we left to go to St. Johnsbury around 9 a.m., it was still -5 and our garage door was solidly frozen down. It wasn't a big job to loosen it, and we weren't surprised after the sudden temperature changeover yesterday. I heard on the scanner tonight is going to be in the single numbers above zero and we're going to get from one to three inches of snow. Such a roller coaster in the weather so far this winter.

I had the window quilts over the big windows last night, and when I opened the one on the sunny side this morning, there was an interesting perfect round of condensation right in the middle of the glass. The only explanation we can think of is that the sun hit that spot before any other and warmed the glass. There is a plastic vapor barrier sandwiched between the quilting and the curtain material, and that is all one piece, so the warmth must have come from outside to make that pattern.

It was still -5 in St. Johnsbury as we went about doing our errands, and this afternoon it barely got out of the single numbers above zero. Now the sun is dropping behind our hillside and the thermometer is heading down again - about 12 degrees outside my office window. When we stopped to pick up mail this morning in West Danville, there were quite a few people around, but nobody was stopping to talk for long outside. It has been a pretty day, though, with mostly bright blue sky - nice to be in the car looking out.

This was a farm between Danville and St. J. The main roads were bare, but some driveways are very icy. It's a little strange to be this cold and not have much snow on the ground.

Spring is coming, though. Ice-Out tickets are selling pretty well and I've had several inquiries about ads in the Joe's Pond Association's spring newsletter. That's a good sign, but I know there is no doubt a lot of winter waiting to be delivered to us before April!

There are things going on in spite of the weather - sometimes delayed and re-scheduled BECAUSE of the weather, but people are definitely out and about. Here are a few announcements:

Faith in Action is sponsoring a FREE Community Dinner (Mid-winter Soupfest) this Friday, January 20th, 5:30 - 7:30 PM at the Masonic Hall in Cabot. We have an excellent variety of HOME MADE soups including Chili - both vegetarian and with meat, Clam Chowder, Lentil, Chicken Noodle, Ham & Bean and Veggie, Corn & Shrimp Chowder and a Winter Vegetable Soup! What better way to chase away the winter blahs? Please bring your friends, neighbors, family and come join us!
*****
Just a reminder - Saturday noon-2:00 p.m. is the Goldie's Open House, encouraging conversation and ideas to move this attractive space into commercial viability. Please stop by and invite anyone you think would be interested.
If you are willing, we'd be grateful for a baked item or perhaps a jar of jelly or pickles to fill the bakery case and use as raffle prizes. Drop off Friday afternoon or Saturday morning would be most appreciated.
Jeannie Johnson
563-3147
*****
From Henretta Splain -
We have a firm date for the February Inspired dinner it is to be on Sunday, February 26th at 4:30 pm, hosted by Laurel Stanley. We are excited about the menu since Laurel lived in N'awlins for 3 years. And it is the week of Mardi Gras. The movie inspiration is The Last Holiday, a comedy. The menu is:
Appetizers: Oysters 'Danville', Craw fish cocktail
Entree: Chicken and smoked Sausage Gumbo
Rice
Spicy Greens Salad with Penny Lane Dressing
Baguette
Dessert: Bananas Foster

As always, reservations may be made by calling either Henretta Splain at 563 2478 or Susan Tallman at 684 3836 or the Pope Memorial Library at 684 2256. The suggested donation for dinner is $25.
*****
One more interesting item came across my desk this afternoon from Bill Rossi:


While traveling to Burlington. We went via Afghanistan and met this friend.

I have to say, that's taking the long way around to get there! (Actually, I think it was in Richmond, VT.)

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

It's been very cold and windy here today. We've had snowflakes in the air most of the day, mostly whipping by horizontally. Yesterday's rain and freezing rain caused a lot of fender-benders, and crews have been sanding and salting today to cure icy spots. Our road is crunchy but pretty good. Our deck has a sturdy coating of ice and I was glad I had my creepers on when I went out to check the rain/snow gauge this morning. I also had to free the wind gauge that had frozen in place. The spoons were turning, but the direction finder was pointing southwest, almost directly opposite where the wind was coming from. It's a short walk off the end of our drive to reach the wind gauge, and with only a few inches of snow, no trouble at all to go there; after a few snow storms, I may forget freeing it if it gets frozen up. I can pretty well tell which direction the wind is coming from by the direction the snow is blowing by our windows.

Diane and Bill went to Burke Mountain today intending to ski, but it was too windy and the lifts weren't operating. I expect many of the trails were pretty icy, too. With so little snow, it must be difficult to groom them, and any snow they made would be blown away today. I noticed in today's paper snowmobile trails in Vermont and New Hampshire have opened, and that's good news for lots of folks.

We did our noon-time hike/run up Jamie and Marie's driveway today. At the foot of our drive, the wind was ferocious coming straight down West Shore Road out of the north/northwest, but once we got behind the trees, it was pretty nice and at about that time the sun broke through for a few minutes. I had checked before we left the house, and the wind chill factor was -15 degrees. We're about 5 above zero and the wind is ranging about 6 or 7 mph, so the wind chill is down to -7 to -9 range. Still cold enough so it's a good night to be inside. The scanner is quiet, so I guess the road crews are winding down for the day.

I laughed today when I read a letter written in 1862 by a Civil War soldier from Cabot. His name wasn't on the letter, but he was writing home about conditions in their camp (it was November) and that he was doing cooking for several officers. He said he was getting very good at it and wouldn't ever need a woman to cook for him, but then he added that he still might need one because "they are warm in winter." I didn't take much time trying to read more of his letter - it was badly damaged and faded - so I just scanned it and will try to transcribe it later. Some of these old letters make pretty good reading.

I also came across a 1824 document stating that one Mary Coburn was accused of taking grain that didn't belong to her from the H. Walbridge's gristmill. The court found in favor of Walbridge and Mary had to pay $5 for the grain and another $4.34 for court costs. The judges were Thomas Osgood, Matthew Stone, and Joseph Fisher. These disputes were settled quickly, and apparently there was no appeal process. Court was held in those early times at the home of one of the "judges" or sometimes those involved had to travel to the county seat in Danville and appear before a circuit judge. Then the sheriff had to locate the culprit and have him there on the appointed day. The sheriff was paid accordingly, of course.






Cabot Library Program - Barns - Rescheduled to next Tuesday Jan 24th Due to Weather

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Cabot businesspeople are invited to the Heart of Vermont Chamber of Commerce Mixer and Annual Meeting in Cabot on January 23, 5-7 p.m., at the third floor of the Willey Building. Dinner is included, but RSVP is important. Please RSVP to chamber@heartofvt.com or 802-472-5906 by Thursday afternoon.
The meeting is hosted by the Cabot Chronicle, the meal is sponsored by the Cabot Creamery Cooperative and provided by Cabot United Church.
Jeannie
802-595-7710
Well, our weather has warmed up and right now we're getting rain - but I dare say it's freezing rain with the temperature at 30 degrees. We had a little snow earlier this morning, and as predicted, it has turned to rain. It's going to go back to snow by evening, according to the forecast. The road crews are busy, and traffic seems to be doing ok at least for now.

I had a very nice note from Dorothea Penar who has a cottage on Narro
ws Drive. Her son, Geoff is a graduate in 2007 from St. Johnsbury Academy and will be appearing in an upcoming performance in Montreal as Leporello in the opera, Don Giovanni
At right is a photo of Penar in the role of Lescaut in Massenet's Manon; March, 2011 at the Kodak Theater, Eastman School of Music.


Here's an article that appeared in the
Caledonian Record about him:
Caledonia
Record

St. Johnsbury Academy graduate, Geoffrey Penar will be performing in the opera Don Giovanni in Montreal on January 26th and 28th. Geoffrey is in a Masters program in Opera Studies at McGill. Last May, he graduated with High Distinction from the Eastman School of Music with a BM in Vocal Performance. While at Eastman, Geoffrey performed several operatic parts. "Lescaut in Manon was my favorite part, working with such amazing singers and the great Eastman faculty," Geoff describes.

Geoffrey is a veteran of the amateur Vermont performing arts scene, with Lyric and Stowe theater groups, talent shows, choral groups, and even St. John Evangelist Catholic Church. In high school, he received the highest honor at the All State Music Festival in his junior and senior years, and was a finalist at the Bundy Center Young Artist competitions. At St. Johnsbury Academy, he is remembered for his performance as Jean Valjean in Les Miserables. He was also featured on the nationally broadcast NPR show "From the Top."

"I love stage performance, and playing saxophone and clarinet, but opera became my passion while working on my singing technique with Bill Reed. Opera combines singing, acting, music studies, and language studies -- everything I love. It's very challenging and gives me a great deal of satisfaction when I nail a performance."

Geoffrey adds, "I was thrilled to be cast in Don Giovanni as the conflicted and comedic Leporello. It’s one of the largest bass-baritone parts in the Mozart opera repertoire. Leporello is the servant to the libertine, Don Giovanni, who serves up wine, women (hundreds of them), and song. Leporello’s disgust with and attraction to Don Giovanni make him a very interesting character to portray. “

This summer Penar will be performing in two emerging artist programs, in Crested Butte, Colorado, and here at the Green Mountain Opera Festival.

Don Giovanni Performance times and location: Pollack Hall, McGill Campus January 26 & 28 at 7:30 PM (Geoffrey Penar’s cast). The content and staging of Don Giovanni is provocatively modern and appropriate for an “adults only” audience.

Geoffrey is the son of Paul and Dorothea Pinar of Shelburne and West Danville, Vermont.

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Brrrrrr. The bottom is dropping out of the temperature here tonight. I guess we will be seeing readings at -5 to -15. There's been a brisk wind most of the day and that made it really cold. The lowest reading overnight was -10.1, and the lowest wind-chill temperature was -25.4. It may be colder tonight, by all reports, but the wind seems to have died down.

In the meantime, we've gained another 6 inches of snow.
My stake is showing just over 1 foot of snow! It's very light and dry, so it blew around a bit, but most of the trees are still snow covered and beautiful.

The Sherwoods made it home safely yesterday. Don said they were very aware of it being Friday the 13th - they were first delayed about 30 minutes in Danville where there was an accident yesterday morning, then were slowed by heavy snow squalls in Massachussetts. They were fine until about half an hour from their ferry when they were again delayed, this time by a tree and downed power lines. The ferry was running late because of rough seas, but they finally made it home ok.

We just spoke with our friend who is returning tomorrow from Alaska, and it looks good for her flight. She said in Anchorage, there is a record amount of snow, but nowhere near the snowfall that has fallen in Cordova, not far from them. The temperature is about the same as it is here right now. It was around zero when we spoke with her, and that was about 12:30 p.m. their time.

A while back there was some discussion about the Alfred Hitchcock movie, "The Trouble with Harry" having been partially shot at what is now the Burtt farm in Cabot. I got in touch with my cousin whose grandparents owned that farm at the time, to see if she had any recollection. She didn't, but she contacted a cousin on the Walbridge side of her family and found out they did film some of the scenes there. Here is the YouTube clip I had found, and the broad valley scenes (and the sugarwoods) certainly could be that farm.

YouTube, The Trouble With Harry

Someone sent me a "forward" today, and while I generally don't read these things, because I rarely get them from this person, I looked at it. It was about all the products that are manufactured in China (or Mexico) we all use and expect to find costing less because they are not made in USA; however, some, like Hallmark cards, are made in China and we pay a premium price. There were some other products mentioned, but the point is, many products that are made right here actually sell for less - so it makes sense to check where our products are made and compare prices. With money tight for most of us, it hardly makes sense to pay more to support overseas economies.

I watched "Apocalypse Now" this afternoon. I'd somehow missed that movie - released in 1979. It was long and gory, and the horror of war it depicts was a strong political statement back then - and even now seems relevant. It's certainly not for everyone but it was interesting to see Charlie Sheen as a youngster and Marlon Brando, who was in his prime then. Harrison Ford was in it, too, and Dennis Hopper, Robert Duvall and several other familiar names; but I didn't recognize the faces of some of them because they were all so young. It occurred to me that some of Charlie Sheen's antics in the not-too-distant past may have been a throw-back to when he made that picture . . . It isn't one I'll want to watch again anytime soon, I expect, but I'm glad I saw it just the same.

Now I'm going to get some supper ready and spend the evening by the fire. I've already pulled the window quilts across the windows, which is no easy task with Woody insisting on being on the windowsill. I had him neatly velcroed in at one window before I noticed his silhouette showing faintly against the outside light. He seems to think the heavy curtains are great fun and velcro a challenge for him to undo. He's a bit of a pest on days like this when it's too cold for him to venture outside or even into the garage.

Be warm and safe.



Friday, January 13, 2012


Skating Party on the Common in Cabot

Saturday January 14th, 1:00 till dusk

Come to skate, or to watch (and be entertained!)

Light refreshments

Skating coach Susie Socks available

for advice and demonstrations
I have the scanner on this morning - there's a misty rain falling and the temperature is hanging at just about freezing. There are reports of slippery ramps on the interstate, and a few minutes ago a warning that there was a head-on collision on Route 2 opposite the school and the road was being closed. About 15 minutes later there was a report of an accident on Route 5 somewhere north of Lyndonville in the Sutton area. Requests for sand trucks are frequent. There is almost no traffic going by our house, but I can hear plows and sand trucks over on Route 15 clearly when I'm out on the deck.

I measured another 3.5 inches of snow this morning. By noon, this rain is supposed to turn to snow, with another 4-6 inches possible. There are about 9.5 inches showing at my stake this morning. We're making headway, but slowly.

We still haven't heard from our friend who is hoping to fly out of Anchorage, Alaska this weekend. I checked yesterday and air traffic seemed to be normal, so we're hoping she will make it home to Vermont without any problems.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Northstar Monthly has a new web site. Check it out -

North Star Monthly

Kingdom Guide

Living Healthy Vermont

Features:

The North Star Monthly is now downloadable in its entirety to your desktop, laptop, tablet or phone. In fact, any device that can read PDFs for the regular newsstand price of $1.75
Kingdom Guide and Living Healthy are downloadable in their entirety free of charge.
Subscriptions and renewals can be purchased with just a few clicks
Learn about some of our regular contributors on the "Voices" page
Get up to date advertising rates and distribution details for all three publications
Surf through our growing archives for free

NOTICE!
Jaquith Library Book Sale Date Change.
The book sale advertised for January 21st will be on January 28th. Please note the New Date.
*****

We are getting a taste of winter weather today. It has been snowing all day and although it seems to be letting up a bit as the afternoon wears on, there are still snowflakes in the air, lots of wind, and the temperature remains just below freezing. Road crews have been busy and I expect they'll be out trying to keep the roads from icing. This messy weather is going to last at least a couple days, from the forecast. It looks as if we'll have gained between 3-4 inches of snow, but then may lose some if it turns to rain.

We saw Diane and Don Sherwood last evening. Diane is doing very well with her injured collarbone. Her arm is in a sling, so her activity is limited, but she says she's doing ok and Don is helping out a lot. It's frustrating to be on a skiing vacation and not be able to take advantage of the new snow.

Don asked me how long I'd been doing this blog, and I guessed it had been three or four years. Fred looked it up by checking the archived blog entries and found the first entry I apparently made. Here it is:
First Blog Entry

I was surprised that it has been so long. I noticed there were a couple of comments for that first blog, but they didn't seem to be related. I was new at managing the blog then, so probably didn't realize I didn't need to publish them. In case you want to look back, you can find a list of all the archived entries at the right of this page. Scroll all the way to the bottom for the earliest. I glanced at the November entries - one about a big fire in Hardwick, and one about the new home being built by Greg and Laura Keenan on the former Clayton Smith property on West Shore Road. Lots of pictures, too.

In the Hardwick Gazette this week there was a letter to the editor about rescuing two loons - one that had become trapped on Lake Eligo when it froze over, and another that more or less crash landed on a Morrisville street during a rain storm. They believe that one mistook the glistening street for open water. Both were successfully rescued and because at least one had an injured wing and wouldn't be strong enough to fly very far, so both were transported by volunteers and released into Casco Bay in Maine. Eric Hansen, who has helped with Joe's Pond loon emergencies, said the loons should be fine after being released in the ocean.

Bill and Diane Rossi have been getting Joe's Pond perch from Everett Dr
ew, and they report they are especially good. Everett's been getting good catches for about two weeks now, we understand. I don't know where he fishes, but if it's him we see in back of the big island, he hasn't been out there a lot - or at least we haven't seen him there much. The Fish and Wildlife Service are reporting that Newark Pond has been opened for the first time for ice fishing. They report there is an abundance of large yellow perch there.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

In May, Northstar Publishing, publisher of the The North Star Monthly and Living Healthy, will compile and distribute the region's most comprehensive reference guide and community almanac. A one-of-a-kind, one-stop resource for 43 communities in the Northeast Kingdom. The guide includes complete historical information and statistical data for towns, local and state government, the arts, schools and education, employment and industry, state forests, museums and historical sites, clubs and organizations, human services, hospitals, places of worship and much more! This publication is a must for people relocating to the Northeast Kingdom or visiting the Green Mountains.

25,000 copies circulated across the county, state and country
FULL EDITION IS AVAILABLE FOR DIGITAL DOWNLOAD

ADVERTISING DEADLINE: THURSDAY MARCH 1ST 2012
Some positions are limited.

Contact Justin, Vicki or Angie at
Northstar Publishing LLC
Phone/Fax: 802.684.1056 Email: info@kingdom-guide.com
Like us on FacebookFollow us on Twitter

Monday, January 09, 2012

How about this? Green eggs on your birthday! That's what Fred got this weekend. He got other gifts, too, but I thought this was one of the most unusual I've ever come across. Here they are, in contrast to our regular store-bought eggs, and here are the girls who laid them. He received a full dozen green eggs, and they are really good - not because they are green, but because they are so fresh. In spite of what some folks claim, I think it's generally accepted that an egg is an egg, no matter what color the shell is; the difference comes with how fresh or not fresh it is - unless, of course, it's an ostrich or duck egg. We used to have ducks as well as hens when I was growing up, and the duck eggs were not only bigger, but seemed to be richer somehow. I remember my mother used to have a hard time adapting recipes when she used them in baking. We thought these green ones were pretty cool, and while I'm happy to share the pictures of hens and their eggs, we not likely to share the eggs. Sorry!

I had a very nice surprise when I opened my e-mail late last night. Some time back I'd had a note from a woman who said she was the niece of
Gladys Wood, who taught school at the Plains School in about 1935. Ms. Wood had boarded with my grandparents on the farm. Her niece said she had died, and among her treasures were several photos taken during the time she was on the Plain. I was delighted when the scans came last night. Among them were several pictures of my family back then - uncles, grandparents, and there were also some of the school.

At the top, the school room as I remember it - what a rush to see the picture. At the time, the Plains School was new - it was built in 1929 - and earned a "Superior School" rating. The door by the piano led to the boys' cloak room, and there was a door from the stage that opened into that room; on the opposite side of the stage was the girls' cloak room and a similar stage door.

In the middle photo, the school is beyond the open fields, near what was then the Cate farm. The Bolton farm was up a hill at the left of the picture (bottom photo) and out of the frame on the right was the Maynard farm and the old school house where my mother first taught school. She later taught at the new school and was there when it was closed in 1949 and then she and the few remaining students then went to the village school. The big barn above burned in 1969. The smaller barn which was a horse barn, was eventually taken down when my uncle Bill owned the place. He built the present barn and erected the two silos where the cell tower is now.

It's a long trip down memory lane, but what a joy to look back and compare then and now. Many things have changed, people have come and gone and there is little that is the same except the land itself - and even some of that has been filled in or scraped away or blasted to smithereens to make new roads, a manure pit, a pond or two, or a level field. Some of the fields and pastures have grown into forests, buildings have burned or been torn down, new ones have been built and the landscape is different, but what fun to recall growing up there with neighbors like the Maynards, Barnetts, Gambles, Demaraises, Fosters, Shatneys and Stones.

*****

Cabot's homegrown theater company
enjoyed a successful debut last year with our performance of folk and fairy tales with a twist, with a lot of kids on stage. For this spring's production, we are staging a full-length mystery thriller, and hope to involve a number of adults and teens, as well as continuing to have younger actors as well. There are also plans in the works for a possible one-act summer children's play, for kids who are interested in a smaller acting commitment. Also, TLC is doing theater in their after-school program right now, for children not quite ready for the big stage.

In "Murder Takes the Stage," a small theater in New England is preparing to launch a new production critical to its survival. The hiring of a talented but high maintenance Broadway actress to insure the show's success fills the scene with cross-currents of tension. Then, when real life murder intrudes, solving the crime requires the talents of the local sheriff and an aspiring actress to untangle the connections among the various members of the company.

Auditions will be held on Thursday, January 19, 7-9 pm and Saturday, January 21, 2-5 pm in the Cabot School Performing Arts Center (no appointment is needed). Those auditioning will be asked to read from the script, and may also prepare a monologue if they wish, but it is not necessary. Everyone is welcome to audition; for some roles only adults or teens will be considered, while others may be played by children or adults, and preference will be given to residents of Cabot. If you have questions, or would like to be part of the production staff, please contact Karen Mueller-Harder at karen@praxisworks.org or 563-2669.

*****
OPEN HOUSE

Saturday afternoon gathering

at the Cabot Inn

3075 Main Street, Cabot

Saturday, January 21

Noon to 2:00 p.m.

Raffle drawing for prizes at 1:45 p.m.

1 raffle ticket per attendee

Additional tickets for non-perishable

food items for Cabot food shelf

Please stop by after trash and recycling

for coffee and a light bite

Share ideas for next steps for the

historic and cultural treasure

formerly known as Goldie’s Gathering

* Please stop by *

Sponsord by

Cabot Chronicle

UDAG Committee

Cabot Worx Development Group


Snow & Ice Report

 W e're through another March snowstorm, and as far as I can tell, we aren't expecting more snow this month. We'll probably have...