What a nice day this has been!  Cold again tonight, but another nice day expected tomorrow.  

This photo came today from the late Peggy (Brickett) Sawyer family.  Here's the message:

Over the Labor Day weekend one of the six (so far) 5th generation of the Brickett/Sawyer family enjoyed the fishing on the Second Pond!

I know Peggy would be very happy that her family loves being at Joe's Pond. It was certainly one of her favorite places.

Jamie Dimick (third son) stopped by after work tonight to tell us Jack LaGue has provided a large orange barrel in response to the request posted here a few weeks ago about needing a barrel to replace the one in front of Jane Milne's on the east shore.  That one, which was white, was lost in a storm, and we were hoping it might be located, but nothing has turned up so far.  Jamie was able to replace it with an old spare one as a temporary fix.  Now I'm not sure if the one Jack provided will go there or some other place, but Jamie said he is getting some new, smaller markers to use this winter to replace the cluster of detergent bottles used in the past to mark where the large white summer buoys go.  The new winter markers will be bright orange and more easily visible than the bottle markers.  Sailors or others who like to be out on the water well into the fall should have no problem knowing where there's shallow water with the orange markers in place.  So when you see bright orange "somethings" on Sunken Island and Smith's Point, you'll know it's our new "winter trappings."  These are refurbished buoys - not expensive, but way better than a bunch of detergent bottles tied together.  

In case some people aren't familiar with the process, buoys, boating, etc., there are sand bars and shallow spots in the pond that can stop a sailboat or damage a prop if boaters don't know about them and run into them.  Markers, or buoys, are put out each spring to warn boaters to steer clear of those spots.  The buoys are anchored with heavy chains and weights heavy enough to hopefully keep the barrels from blowing off the mark.  Taking the chains and weights out of the water each fall and putting them back in the spring is not a chore anyone wants to do, thus the bottles are attached when the barrels are retrieved in the fall.  They freeze into the ice and in the spring it's easy to remove them and attach the big white barrels.     

The Joe's Pond fund to replace loon warning signs has another donor.  We thank our members for supporting this.  Even though most of our members are well aware we have loons nesting here, not a summer goes by without someone mentioning at a meeting that boaters need more warnings about the loons.  With extra signage, it should be safer for the loon family(s) because people who are visiting will realize this very special wildlife is protected.  The Vermont Center for Ecostudies  works with volunteers and scientists to learn about and protect Vermont wildlife, and they will provide the signs - but like everything, there's a cost and fund raising is necessary.  There are several lakes and ponds involved in similar projects throughout the state. The goal for Joe's Pond is $800 for 10 new signs.  Let's make it happen!  Those of you on FaceBook or other social media - ask your friends to donate and then invite them to come to Joe's Pond to see (and hear!) the loon families they are helping to protect.  

A couple years back, I had an inquiry from an out-of-state woman visiting in Vermont, who wanted to bring her children to Joe's Pond to hear and see the loons. I suggested some spots where they might watch for the loons without disturbing the birds or property owners, and shortly afterwards, I got a lovely note saying they had not only seen the loons, but the birds had put on a wonderful show for them, calling and diving, and they also saw ducks and geese - an unexpected bonus.  We take these perks for granted sometimes, but for lots of people, seeing loons is a rare treat.  For a $10 donation, you can help protect them from errant boaters.