The March wind is blowing, but we got only a little over two inches of new snow yesterday and last night.  It was cold, though, a couple degrees below zero for a low last night, and today mostly in the teens.  The sun has been out off and on, but it's kinda weak, and the snow is blowing around - still like winter.  Typical March weather except that it's so darned cold.
 
After the storm finally stopped, Fred went out to put the finishing touches on our driveway and Jamie and Marie's.  I ventured out, I think it was Friday, to climb their hill, and took some pictures.  The wind was blowing like the dickens, but it was still nice, and I was impressed with the "sidewalls" where Fred  had widened Jamie and Marie's driveway with the snow blower.  Even though the snow is thrown well away from the roadway, there are walls of snow all the way.  Jamie and Marie are pleased their road is nice and wide so when the snow begins to melt, the water (hopefully) will find its way into the ditches.  Jamie said he would get stuck with the Peach if he tried to plow where Fred was able to go with the blower. We all agree the driveways are "works of art."  Fred says he's had lots of practice - I think he'll be really glad even for mud season.  Above is the Peach, ready for action. 

Middle son, Bob, stopped by yesterday.  We don't see him often in the winter - he spends most of his free time skiing, but a bad tumble a few weeks ago tore something in his knee and slowed him down a bit.  He's hoping the snow will last so he can get in more skiing after the injury heals.  In the meantime, he's been busy working with two bands. 

There are a lot of people who will be sorry to learn that the popular local group known as the BelAires, has disbanded.  They had been together for 35 years, but when Paul Toney recently retired, the others decided they'd been on the road enough, too.  Bob had played keyboards with them in recent years, and lots of folks enjoyed their music at the Danville Fair and also at the Stars and Stripes Festival at Lyndonville each summer.

Bob and three other musicians have formed a new band, "The Hit Men," and true to their name, they'll be performing top hit tunes from a few decades ago to the present.  He's excited about performing with them and says they'll be ready to book gigs soon.

In addition to that, Bob will be reuniting with the old "TANK" band to play a benefit gig in St. Johnsbury in May.  These guys haven't played together since their big reunion in 2007 at the Packing House in Lyndonville.  Of course, they aren't the same young guys they were in the 1980's and at the top of their game - I'm not sure but some of them are grandfathers by now - but they are all enthusiastic and have continued doing music while working their day jobs, and being the really dedicated musicians they are, they'll sound great together.  It will be fun to see them and hear them again.  

I had a nice note from Dianne Lashoones over at Water Tower Farm in Marshfield.  Dianne runs the "Rhythm of the Rein" program there.  She wrote:

We had a wonderful experience at this event for Veterans yesterday.

Dick Chase, of Marshfield and his horse Shiloh (see photo) are our strongest advocates, he was our first veteran participant three years ago.

Dianne Lashoones

RHYTHM OF THE REIN ATTENDS SECOND ANNUAL 
NEK VETERANS SUMMIT

Rhythm of the Rein returned for the second annual Northeast Kingdom Veterans Summit hosted at Lyndon State College and by the Student Veterans Assoc on campus.  This summit doubled in size from it’s maiden year last year and was incredibly well run with fantastic speakers and a wide range of exhibitors representing services for veterans around the state. Our table was so busy we never even were able to attend any of the breakout sessions, but we heard that the Red Sox Foundation and Mass General Hospital Home Base Program recognized the benefits of Equine Assisted Activities for PTSD and TBI.

All of our business cards and veterans program flyers were gone by noon, making us hopeful that the word will get out that our program is here, and we have funding available to offer it to veterans at no cost to them. We encourage anyone who wants to help keep this program funded so we can serve any and all veterans who want to participate to please donate to this incredible program. You can donate with paypal on our website donations page or mail a check or even better – come visit us!

Rhythm of the Rein

Hosted at Water Tower Farm, 386 US Rt 2, PO Box 67, Marshfield, Vt. 05658

802 426 3781

www.rhythmoftherein.org