We enjoyed another nice spring "sugaring" kind of day and I think everyone in the Kingdom is   Now that is a definite indication spring is here!realizing we're definitely on the other side of winter and it won't be long before there's open water in the ponds and lakes, green grass in the fields and trees a-buzz with bees in apple blossoms.  This picture shows what our driveway looked like early this morning.  By noon, the driveway was clear of snow and the road was getting muddy again.  It was beautiful this morning, though, fresh and clean with about an inch of new snow. 

We had errands to do in St. Johnsbury this morning and there were signs of Easter everywhere. Fresh tulips and daffodils, Easter lilies and hyacinths, chocolate bunnies and marshmallow chickens.  Having been away from my computer all morning, I had lots of mail to catch up on.  This announcement, for instance:

Re:    DANVILLE FEGC 028-3(32) PUBLIC MEETING NOTICE

Attention Danville Residents and Businesses:

An informational public meeting to review the upcoming construction schedule for the Danville project has been scheduled for Thursday, April 4^th, 2013 at 6:00 pm at the Danville Town Offices on the 2^nd Floor. Interested residents, property owners and businesses are welcome to attend to discuss this summer’s work schedule and upcoming project milestones. 

Pike Industries (the contractor) will present and discuss their 2013 work schedule.  Representatives from the VT Agency of Transportation and Pike Industries (the contractor) will be available to address questions.  For further information please contact Francine Perkins, Public Relations Officer, FRP Enterprises, LLC at (802) 479-6994.

Now that is a definite indication spring is here!  Work is going to begin again on the Route 2 Project!  While it isn't a great prospect for townspeople and merchants in Danville (not to mention travelers on that section of Route 2), the good news is - this should be the final year of the project.  If all goes well, the Green will be redone, odds and ends of work will be completed, and by fall Danville should be pretty again and back to normal.  It's been a long haul.

Another message I had today was from a friend over on the far western side of town, Sue Carpenter.  She wrote:
 Hi, Jane - I didn't read enough of you blog this AM to see if you identified the photo across the top.  If not, that's our sugarhouse, my father and Pete (white) and Lady (brown).  Probably taken in the mid 70s.  The tree showing behind Lady's nose is about 3 times as big now, and the tree over the back of Pete is about 4 times as big.  They look a little wild because they had just unloaded a load of sap and were probably making the turn to head back to the woods.  The horses surely were wishing they could go straight and head for the barn.


This message rated a big WOW! from me.  I had no idea whose sugar house that was.  It is from the Cabot Historical Society's collection - a postcard with no identification other than "Cabot Sugar House." I was delighted to find out it was Charles Carpenter and his team, Pete and Lady, and never expected anyone to recognize the picture.  Sometimes these pleasant surprises just make your day, don't they?

We had another message today asking how to access the Ice-Out web cams if one is using a Mac computer.  Diane (Rossi) gave Fred the contact information for the people they got the cameras from and they were helpful.  There are now instructions on the Ice-Out web-cam page that tells you what to do.  We haven't heard yet if it worked out alright, but I imagine it did.

I'm still not quite caught up with things, and I'm sure there will be more mail tomorrow, but I'll get to all of it soon.  Now it's getting late and I've had a busy day.