I hope everyone is managing this stretch of extremely hot weather okay.  It takes a toll on all of us, especially those who have to work outside or who don't have air conditioning.  We don't have air conditioning, but the house stays comparatively cool as long as we can cool it down at night and then keep it closed up during the day.  By late afternoon, I begin to get a little claustrophobic because I also keep the shades down until the sun has been off the windows for a few hours.  With the overhead fans going, it is pretty comfortable, and as soon as the sun goes down and the outside temperature begins to drop, I can't wait to get the house opened up again.

I have a hard time with the little "no-see-ums" that sneak in through the window screens at night, though.  Those little dickens bite!   So it's either sit in the dark and keep everything open, or endure the irritation of mini-bites while reading the newspaper or watching TV.

I went to the Cabot Historical Society today to help with a mildew problem we have, thanks to the long stretch of wet and humid weather.  We got a lot done, but will need to go back and finish - hopefully when the weather has cooled down a little.  The building was oppressively hot today, and we were tired after a couple hours.  

We have had a manikin donated to display a special turn-of-the-century (1900s) wedding dress.  It's interesting that even though the manikin form is adjustable, it won't quite reduce to the small size of the dress. I think people were considerably smaller than women today, and I'm not thinking because of obesity being more prevalent now; I think people were generally smaller boned, shorter, and differently proportioned.  We have ladies' under garments that must have been very uncomfortable; and in photos, even in the middle of summer, women wore heavy clothing over layers of petticoats, tightly fitted collars and bodices, and sometimes a bustle - all to be stylish.  Even farm wives worked in long dresses.   The picture above was taken on the Angus Smith farm in Cabot during haying in the early 1900s.  The two women were no doubt helping - but all decked out like they were going to church.  I guess if you know you're going to have your picture taken, you usually want to look your best - but in a hot hayfield?  Really!  Nobody had nearly that many clothes on today at the historical society building, but we were all sweltering in the heat, and I'm really, really glad nobody took my picture . . . !  Anyway, we may have a hard time dressing that manikin!

This is perfect ice cream weather, and I've been asked to remind people about the Ice-Cream Social this coming Sunday.  Here's the scoop (you expected that, now didn't you?):  

 This Sunday evening at 6 pm there will be an Ice Cream Social followed by an auction at the JPA pavilion to benefit the West Danville United Methodist Church and there is no admission fee!  Craig Vance will be the auctioneer and there will be a Yankee Swap as part of the auction.  It should be a lot of fun and everyone is invited to attend.  

I have asked Jane Milne, one of the organizers, about the Yankee Swap, so I may have more information on that tomorrow. I'm not sure exactly how that's going to work, but Jane will fill me in. 

In today's Caledonian Record there's an item about the gathering tomorrow in St. Johnsbury at 5 o'clock to celebrate groundbreaking for the rail-trail from St. Johnsbury to Swanton.  People are congregating at the site of the former railroad overpass on Mount Vernon Street in St. Johnsbury.  Sen. Bernie Sanders will be there, and St. Johnsbury Town Manager John Hall (Otis Drive), among other enthusiasts.  And so begins work on the 15-mile stretch of former St. J. and L. C. RR bed from St. Johnsbury to West Danville.  If work goes as planned, that stretch should be ready for use by late summer, 2014.  There are two more sections that will have work started this summer, another 15-mile section from Morrisville to Cambridge Junction, and a 10-mile section from Sheldon to Swanton.   I guess the 50 miles between West Danville and Morrisville will be done some other time.  The 90 mile trail between St. Johnsbury and Swanton will be connected at the southeast end to the already completed  St. Johnsbury bike path which ends at Mount Vernon Street.  Rail-trail organizers are looking for volunteers to help maintain the path in the future, and of course donations or in-kind support to help with the expense of building the path this year.