We lost much of our snow as soon as the sun came up this morning, but as you can see in this photo, the hills of Walden still had snow on the trees and ground, especially on the north facing slopes.  This is looking north from our house, across Route 15.

We went into Cabot to vote this morning - it wasn't busy when we were there, but I expect it got busier later in the day and may have been busy first thing in the morning.  Although the sun has been shining all day, it has been pretty chilly.  On the Plain there was still snow, but none at all in the village.  We got some pictures from the Plains Cemetery - the mountains were beautiful.  This one is looking north at Jay Peak and Canada.  This is what the first settlers saw when they hiked onto the Plain by way of the Bayley Hazen Military Road, and although this field was no doubt forest except for whatever clearings the soldiers had made when they built a fort here, the settlers began clearing the land on both sides of the road in order to build their cabins and plant crops.

Daniel Webster's uncle, Benjamin Webster, was the first to clear land and build a house on the old military road - about a mile north of this hill, in 1783.  He brought his wife and family here in March.  Lieut. Jonathan Heath and his family had arrived two days before the Websters and immediately began clearing land right about where this field is now, across from the present cemetery.  The cemetery wasn't marked off until 1825, and until then, when someone died they were buried near their home.  

Other families came in rapid succession - Nathanial Webster, Lieut. Thomas Lyford, David Blanchard, Maj. Lyman Hitchcock, Ensign Jeremiah McDaniels; then Dr. Parley Scott, Hanson Rogers, Horace and Gershom Beardsley who ran the Yellow House Tavern.   John Dana and John Damon were the wheeler-dealers of their era, and between them owned most of the town at one time or another.  They were merchants, real estate moguls, and livestock dealers.  And the Plain was the center of commerce.  Hard to believe now as we look out across the quiet hayfields and forests, with only an occasional house dotting the landscape.  

The picture above is of the Woodbury quarry, and the Worcester Range beyond.   

Midway between the Plain and the Village is the Burtt farm - where the apple orchards are.  They have been raising beef cattle for a number of years now, and have a maple sugaring business on the farm known as Maple Glen Farm years ago.  There was still a little snow on their higher fields, but the cattle didn't seem to mind.  They will be out all winter, with only an open lean-to type shelter.  As long as they can get feed and water, they manage ok.


We will probably lose all of our snow tomorrow, and then tomorrow night and Thursday there's a fairly nasty storm coming at us, but it may affect only the southern part of the state - and, unfortunately, some of the area that was so hard hit by Sandy, like New York and New Jersey.  There will certainly be some rain in that region, and in southern Vermont, perhaps some slushy snow.  We are told there shouldn't be much this far north.  

Woody has paid close attention to the election, as you can see.  I'm not sure what he was most interested in, the candidates or Wolf Blitzer, but he remained glued to the TV as we watched the news at supper time this evening.  Having our cat so intent on watching TV is worrisome.  It can't be that good for him . . .  We hope now the election is over he'll be less interested.  I can't imagine why he'd be interested at all, but TV has certainly cut into his nap time lately.