This is a really cold, blustery day here at Joe's Pond.  The thermometer never got out of the teens and now is slipping down very close to zero with a strong, blustery wind right out of the north.  There are 13.5 inches of snow at my stake today and there has been snow in the air all day but it is hard to tell if it's falling or just traveling horizontally in the wind.  With this wind, the wind chill is well below zero, so a tough night to be outside.

I had a note from Kathy and Stan at Butters Restaurant today.  They aren't open for New Year's Eve, but on January 5th they are having a Butter's Jam night.  This poster came from Gwen Halsmith, Director of the Dept. of Community Planning and Development in Montpelier, who is working with the Cabot Development Committee. 

Anyone can join in the fun of jamming with friends and neighbors, and if you don't play an instrument, you're welcome to come come by and have a drink and maybe something to eat and listen to the music.  It's reminiscent of the "kitchen junkets" neighbors used to have not too many years ago.  Who knows, maybe this will be a regular event.  Your presence can make it happen, so grab your fiddle, washboard or harmonica and head into town on the 5th.

Over at our end of town, the ice shanties are out on Joe's Pond.  A few fishermen set up shop this weekend, so the winter fun has begun on the ice.  Along with that, there were some snow machines at West Danville when we came through on Friday afternoon.  Some trails are packed in and around Cabot, Danville and Hardwick, but there are warnings on the VAST website that ponds and lakes are not yet safe for snowmobile travel, and there are wet spots in some areas so that extreme caution should be used.  Some land owners have not yet opened their gates, but there are trails that are groomed and ready.  Best to check for last-minute information before heading out. 

By the way, Butters Restaurant is right on the snowmobile trail in Cabot, and riders are welcome.

Here's the schedule from Jaquith Library in Marshfield:

Wednesdays from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Story Time and Playgroup. Join Sylvia Smith for story time, and follow up with Melissa Seifert for playgroup. For children birth to age six, and their grown-ups. We follow the Twinfield Union School calendar and do not hold the program the weeks Twinfield is closed.

First Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. Classic Film Night with Rick Winston and Tom Blachly. Our film viewing experience will be greatly enriched by Rick’s presentation of each film followed by a lively discussion after the viewing.

Fourth Mondays at 7 p.m. Monthly Book Group for Adults. Join us for the Jaquith book group. For copies of the book, please stop by the library. New members are always welcome, and it’s only one hour a month! The January book is Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner.

Wednesday, January 9, from 3 to 5 p.m.: Herbal Class with Sage Zelkowitz. How to make calendula cream for dry, irritated, cracked winter skin.  Calendula is used for bruises, burns, and is a soothing aid in the relief of pain, itching and irritation. Each person will get to take home some calendula cream made by the workshop participants. We will also sample a condiment containing seaweed, as this too is healing to the skin.

Wednesday, January 16, at 6:45 p.m. Song Circle.  Community Sing-A-Long with Rich and Laura Atkinson. No experience is necessary and song books will be provided. Singers of all ages and abilities are welcome.   

Saturday, January 19 from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.  Friends Annual Book Sale. Start out the New Year by cleaning out those bookshelves and getting some new reads. There will be bargain books on all subjects from cooking to biographies to history and novels.  All books are $2 or less, with children’s books as little as 25 cents.  Prices will be further discounted toward the end of the day.  Everything is a bargain, and your purchases help support the library. In the gym of the Old Schoolhouse Common. If you have books to donate, they can be dropped off one week ahead of the sale, starting on Saturday, January 19.  Please no moldy or musty books, no encyclopedias, textbooks, magazines, or Reader’s Digest Condensed books.

 Friday, January 25, at 6 p.m. Art and Author Night with the Grist Mill Guys. Join us for an art opening of Michael Schumacher’s art work followed by a reading at 7 p.m. with local author Vince Feeney reading from his short story The Peddler and the Priest  based on a true incident that happened a hundred years ago in Fairfield, Vermont, when a Jewish peddler and a Catholic priest met purely by chance and the impact of that meeting led to an unusual religious twist forty years later. The story was a finalist for the Ralph Nading Hill Prize sponsored by Green Mountain Power and Vermont Life magazine. Refreshments will be served.

Friday, February 8 at 7 p.m. Contra Dance with Susannah Blachly and Friends. Come and dance in Vivien and Mike Fritz’s barn in Marshfield. This should be a great time for all. George White on guitar and Susannah Blachly and Susan Reid on fiddle. This is a fundraiser for the library for adults and children 10 years and up.  There will be child care provided at the library for a small fee but people must call in advance to reserve a place for their child. The home and barn of Vivien and Mike Fritz is located at 693 McCrillis Road in Marshfield. For directions call 426-3190.

 For further information on any of the above, contact: 
Jaquith Public Library at 122 School St. in Marshfield. Call 802-426-3581 or e-mail: jaquithpubliclibrary@gmail.com or visit our website at: Marshfield.lib.vt.us