ATTENTION: The Cabot Recreation Department is looking for a summer soccer coach for high school boys. If interested please contact Rebecca Nally @ 563-3503. Thanks!

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When I was in St. J. yesterday, I stopped by Thurston & Dimick Auto to see oldest son, Bill (Dimick).  That's a great place to meet people, often someone I haven't seen in ages, or someone who remembers either Grandfather Bill Dimick or my sons' dad, Ray Dimick.  Yesterday, Ernie Thurston's sister, Beverly, I believe, and her husband, Ray were there, along with Ernie's wife, Barb.  Ernie and Barb have a cottage on Point Comfort Road.  We had a very nice chat.  From what Ernie and Barb were saying, there is more than the usual amount of wild life around the pond this year.  They said the Clouatre's, down on the Rt. 15 shore of the first pond, watched two moose swim across the pond the other day; then they said there is a den of foxes just down from their cottage, holed up under the building that used to be a motel and now is storage units.  There's a mother and several kits.  Barb said at least one of the ducks that was hanging out this spring was killed by the mother fox. 

 

Ernie said they've talked to state Fish and Wildlife and they will come and euthanize the foxes, but won't attempt to trap and move them to a safer spot.  Everyone is hoping the family will move on as soon as the young ones are a little older.  It's only a short distance across Route 2 to a heavily forested area where they'd be safer and probably find lots more food. 

 

All of that added to having two loon families and a bald eagle, makes me wonder if this was perhaps an unusual year for the wildlife of the area.  We certainly didn't have either the deep snow or severe cold we usually have, so perhaps it's getting more crowded out in the woods, so the wild creatures are willing to hang out closer to humans.

 

 On my way home, I visited another Joe's Ponder, Marge Greaves.  Lots of folks know Marge as she was town clerk in Danville for many years.  Her son, Mark, is a well respected contractor in town.  Marge sold her house in Danville a while back, and moved to a lovely apartment in her son's house.  Mark's wife, Betty, has a beautiful greenhouse, and the windows of Margie's apartment overlook the greenhouse, lovely landscaped lawns and a small pasture area where their belted cattle hang out.  I noticed a small hen house off to one side, and they advertise eggs for sale on their sign at the end of their drive. 

 

I snapped a few pictures as I left as it was such a pretty spot.  If I'd had more time, I would have gone over to the greenhouse, but I was already later than I'd planned, and had to keep moving.

I believe the nursery is open Wednesday through perhaps the weekend.  Here's a little more about them:  Red Barn Nursery.  They are on FaceBook.  They aren't at all hard to find, and it's just a short distance off of Route 2.  You'll see the sign on your left as you go down Dole Hill towards St. Johnsbury - the turn is almost opposite the turn for Goodfella's Reataurant.  Then just watch for the signs that lead you to their spread.

Marge had some things for the Cabot Alumni Association - she was president for many years, but recently resigned - and for our Cabot Historical Society.  Actually, she's kept me pretty busy this past year as she sorted through boxes of things she'd kept from her school days in Cabot and later her involvement with the Alumni Association.  I'll be going through these latest treasures she has given to us very soon so they can be displayed by the time Alumni Day rolls around, sometime in August.

We were talking about the upcoming memorial for Helen Blodgett, who passed away recently.  Helen was quite a bit younger than either of us, but we both knew her.  The memorial will be held on June 30, at 11 o'clock at Durant Cemetery in Lower Cabot.  I heard from my cousin, Marilyn Bolton Perrin yesterday regarding the memorial, too.  Helen was related to her through Marilyn's father, Raymond Bolton, whose mother was Mary Blodgett Bolton, my grandfather Bolton's first wife.  Raymond and his sister Carrie were the only children born to my grandfather and Mary.  She died in childbirth along with their third child.  He later married my grandmother, Grace Pinkham, and had ten more children with her, my father being the oldest son.  So I guess I'm not really related to the Blodgetts, but a later generation Mary, Helen's sister, was my best friend in high school.  I had lost track of her, but she has recently returned to this area, so I hope to see more of her now.  Mary was my "crutch" when we sang in school.  There weren't many boys in music class, so she and I often sang the alto parts.  Her pitch was true - mine was always faltering, but as long as I could hear her, I did ok.  

Time to get another meal on the table.  Which reminds me - if you are planning on going to the Ribs & Beans Dinner on July 7, you should probably get your ticket(s) soon.  They are available at Hastings Store, so stop in and pick them up.  I missed a good deal at the store the other day, they had lobster rolls - $7.95.  I had one a while back and it was very good.  Oh, well, back to what's for supper tonight.