Here is a picture Fred took earlier today of our really old apple tree.  It looks like we'll have plenty of apples this year!  He also took a picture (below) on our way to Danville this morning.  You can see it hasn't been a very pretty day here, and we're going to have a really chilly night tonight, in the low 40s, according to the forecast.

The sun came out for just a few minutes this afternoon, and as if on cue, one of the turkeys showed up again.  I guess we're their afternoon destination.  I saw only one, so I'm really thinking maybe there's a nest somewhere close by and the other one was taking care of the eggs.  This one seemed to be enjoying the sun.  Check out this very short slide show - TURKEY

Here's information on the Cabot Library Summer Reading Program.  You'll need to click on the images to make them large enough to read, and there are two pages, as you can see.

The Cabot community is shocked and saddened by the accidental shooting death of young Logan Cookson on Saturday.  The family only moved to Cabot a short time ago, and when they first arrived in town, they lived in the house next door to the Historical Society building, so I had a chance to meet Logan and his dad and brother last year.  The boys were very interested in the items we had on display and asked lots of questions.  Shortly after I met them, the family moved out of the village to a home they had purchased from a relative, and Mr. Cookson told me he had always dreamed of raising his boys there.  The Caledonian Record reported today the 10-year-old "accidentally shot himself with a .22 caliber revolver."  Such a tragedy for a young family to endure.  My heart aches for them.

Well, we are seeing turkeys again on our back lawn!  Of course, they probably knew Woody, our dreadful cat that chased one big turkey away a few days ago, would be napping inside to avoid any possibility of getting caught in a rain shower.  I first spotted one turkey far down on the lower lawn this morning, but that one flew off into the woods.  I haven't seen turkeys do much flying unless they are frightened, and as far as I know, that one this morning had nothing to be frightened of; however, there is sort of a brush barrier created by the logging we had done a year ago, and I wonder if flying over it was easier than trying to pick a way through.  These birds are impressive in the air.

Then this afternoon as I was working on my computer, I noticed a big turkey meandering across the back lawn, heading north; then within about a minute, a second one showed up taking the exact same route.  Both disappeared into the trees and brush at the edge of the lawn, but then I think they caught sight of Fred washing the car in the driveway.  The first turkey took flight, but the second one ran - both headed south.  The one that ran made good time, in spite of the underbrush and irregular terrain left by the logging.  They may have been Jakes, or young males - or possibly a couple of young females; I didn't see a beard, but they did look pretty large.  I'm wondering if perhaps there will be a nest near by.  We had one a number of years ago - I think I counted something like 16 eggs in it when we came upon it by accident while walking one day.  We left it alone, and later in the summer there were lots of small turkeys around with some large ones, and we always suspected it was that brood.

Other than the turkeys, we haven't seen much wildlife moving about this spring, but I'm sure there's plenty out there. 

We had a rumble of thunder a little while ago, and there has been off and on rain, like yesterday.  The temperature outside has been about 60 most of the day, so it really isn't an especially warm day, and now there's a strong south wind picking up.  That could mean some power outages - soggy ground and high winds are not a good combination.

I sprouted my supply of potatoes yesterday.  That brought back nice memories of doing that for my Grandmother Bolton when I was a kid.  They always had a large bin of potatoes in the earthen cellar under the kitchen at the farm.  I remember it had only one very small window, and was always cool and damp, even on the hottest day of summer.  Remembering that reminded me of watching my grandfather cutting seed potatoes for planting.  He sat in a chair with a wooden plank nailed to the seat.  A good sized butcher's knife was imbedded at the end of the plank.  Grandpa Bolton would sit straddling the plank with the knife facing him, a bag of potatoes on one side and a bushel basket on the other, and sliced each spud so it had just the right number of "eyes" on each piece and then tossed it into the basket ready for planting.  Occasionally he'd let me slice one, and that was a big treat.  I was too little to slice them by myself, but I guess I was just the right age to feel very important at the task of sprouting them.  When I was a little older, I got to help when it was time to dig them, too, a back-breaking job, picking up potatoes, but my back was young and strong then, and I don't remember ever feeling tired or sore.  

Planting corn with Uncle Bob in the spring was different.  We used a horse-drawn single row planter, and it was my job to lead the horse back and forth to keep the rows straight.  It was hot, dusty and I always managed to get a sunburn; and at night I'd be dead tired from the miles we'd walked, and would fall asleep with the pungent smell of vinegar wafting from my sore, hot, red skin.  Vinegar took the sting out of a sunburn, but it didn't smell great.  By the end of the summer, as my Scotch aunts from the city would say, I was "brown as a nut."  I don't think the sun was as hot then as it is today.

It would be nice to see a little more of that hot sun pretty soon so things would get dried out a bit.  I have a few seeds I'd like to get into the ground - not potatoes, but other stuff. 

A quick update regarding people being on one of the islands - it turned out to have been well-intentioned neighbors, probably curiosity being their motivation.  All the same - it's good that other neighbors were alert and noticed the unusual activity.  

We've endured a rainy day, but fortunately it hasn't been awfully cold.  Fred and I walked late this afternoon, but had to take our umbrellas.  It didn't rain very hard while we were out, but there were a few bursts of pretty heavy rain throughout the day, and the sun never really made it to shine through the soggy clouds.

Hopefully everyone had a good Memorial Day.  It wasn't great for parades in our area, but much better than last year when we had really cold weather and snow, according to WCAX weather folks.  I remember it was cold when we had our spring meeting last year, and I think I remember that it was spitting snow as we left the pavilion.  This year our meeting is this coming Saturday, and it looks as if it will be a pretty pleasant day.  Hope to see you there!

We have a report of people trespassing on private property on the pond.  This happened to be one of the islands in two separate instances today, and while it may look as if nobody is around and therefore it's ok to land a boat or kayak, please respect others' property.  While these same people would not think of landing their boat on the waterfront of any of the cottages along the shoreline, the islands seem to be fair game.  We ask that neighbors be on the watch and report anyone you do not recognize wandering about, whether on the islands or at any other property on the pond.  As more people arrive, this will not be as much of a problem, but it is early yet, and if you recall, there seemed to be a rash of strange happenings last fall when there were reports of people in boats apparently casing the vacant cottages, so please be alert as to what is going on in your neighborhood.  There is a lot of work being done at cottages this time of year, and that makes it difficult to know whether the strangers are legitimate or not, but no owner is going to be upset if you contact them to find out if they have workers there.  I'm sure they will appreciate that you are looking out for their property and will do the same for you.

If you are renting your cottage, please remind your tenants that while the water is for public use, the land is private and they should look but not land.

On a more pleasant subject, Henretta Splain reports she visited the new restaurant in St. Johnsbury, Kingdom Taproom, and was very impressed.  From the Face Book page, it seems other folks are, too.

Spring is traditionally time to "clean house," and here's an excellent way to shed some excess items for a good cause.  As many of you know, Cabot has a big parade and fun Fourth of July every year, and their rummage sale is legendary.  Terry Persons has had charge of it for several years, and once again is looking for good usable items.  Here's what she's asking for:

RUMMAGE SALE IN CABOT ON JULY 4^TH ANNOUNCEMENT

I am looking for donations for the rummage sale in Cabot on July 4^th.  We will be at the Cabot School Gym from July 1st - July 3rd from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm daily, accepting donations. We will not accept computers, TVs, printers, encyclopedia, or mattresses.  We are looking for good clean furniture and we really need clothes.  To have items picked up before July 1^st  or if you have questions, call me, 279-6818.  Thank you, Terry Persons.

We want to remind people not to feed the wildlife around the pond.  Every year we have problems with ducks and sometimes geese setting up "camp" along the shore line.  Although they are fun to see and great for children to experience, they are wild animals and need to be left to their own devices for finding food and raising their young - preferably in the marsh, away from human interference.  However, it is tempting to feed them, and that is a bad idea on several levels.  First, it teaches them bad habits and is unhealthy for them to have "people" food instead of their natural sustenance.  Even more important for humans - their presence and excrement is dangerous, especially for children to be in contact with.  They carry lots of bacteria and that can cause illness and painful rash from swimming in fouled water, and is just plain unhealthy.


We know it is tempting to toss a few pieces of bread to them, but please think of the consequences.  When they become dependent, they quickly lose interest in foraging for themselves and that can be fatal for them either because they become easy prey for hunters or predatory animals, or because they don't move on in timely fashion in the fall and get frozen in the water when temperatures drop.  Do not injure them or your family by feeding them.  Watch them, but do not interfere with their natural state.

 

The official beginning of "summer" starts with Memorial Day, and there are interesting events planned for this weekend: 

Cabot's Volunteer Fire Department fundraising pancake breakfast is this Sunday (May 25) from 7-11 in the school cafeteria at the gymnasium.  The menu is not just great pancakes with local maple syrup, there will also be  sausages, bacon, eggs, coffee, and juice.  $5.00, and a great way to see your neighbors and support your local Fire Department.

 *****

 

The Old North Church starts its 2014 Season this Sunday, May 25^th, with a Memorial Day Service at 7 PM in the beautifully, restored historic building on a country road in North Danville VT. All are welcome and encouraged to attend as we remember and honor those who have died in the service of their country. Follow the signs as you head out of North Danville Village onto McReynolds Road with a right onto Old North Church Road.

 Check your local papers for various yard sales and other activities going on this weekend.

Our pretty day is fading, but it has certainly been nice up until now.  We're in for a few days of showers, but even so, we can't complain.

There has been no sign of the big turkey today.  I guess Woody did a good job of letting him know he was trespassing and wasn't welcome.

When I send out notices to members, I'm always struck by how quickly people often respond, and in addition, I love that they share with me, like the message I received from David Tilgner, who bought the Corley place on Channel Drive:  
 

I do want to mention that my daughter, Kate, and I had a chance to go to the newly opened restaurant in Hardwick, The Vermont Supper Club.  It is a few doors down from Positive Pie (I think in the old Claire's restaurant location).  We know the chef from his days cooking in Waterbury, and he does a great job at providing a varied menu, some good kids' selections, a good bar, and delicious food.  You might want to make mention in the blog to encourage folks to go try it out.  They have a website at http://vermontsupperclub.com/ which shows the menu, etc.  I highly recommend it!

 

Of course, I checked the menu right away, and it does look very nice, made me hungry, in fact.  It's great to add another place to eat that's close by and recommended by someone who's been there.

David mentions Positive Pie - and that I can recommend - good pizza and a lively crowd whenever we've been there.

 

I went to pick up the mail this morning and noticed Ned and Carolyn Hamilton are getting a new roof at their place on West Shore Road.  There was work going on at Barbara Pollack's, too - a new septic system, I'm guessing, by the size of the hole in the lawn.

 

Speaking of lawns - Fred mowed today for the first time this year.  He said the grass was long in some places, but really didn't need mowing in others.  It's still pretty wet, too, and with more showers headed our way, it may be we'll have to leave some spots a while longer than usual if things don't dry out.  I was thinking today that instead of fighting with wet spots, I'd really like to have a pond or two; but on the other hand, I'm not eager to tear up the soil, either, even in a wet spot.  I do enjoy hearing the peepers this time of year, though, but the vernal pools we have near our house don't last long enough to support them.  We can usually hear them down across the road from us in the marsh by the pond, though.  Sometimes they are really loud.  When we lived at camp, sometimes visitors would complain that they kept them awake at night.  Personally, I can't think of nicer "music" to fall asleep by.

This came from Helen Morrison (936 W Shore Rd), who is a volunteer at Kingdom Animal Shelter:

This will be fun.  It is a fund-raiser for Kingdom Animal Shelter called "Bark in the Park".  Here's how it works:

You buy a tennis ball for $5.  Your name and phone number go inside the tennis ball.  On June 21, right after the Pet Parade in St. J, all the balls go out on the grass of the park near the Father Lively Center on Main St.  Brody, the St. J Police dog, will go out and select 5 tennis balls, one right after the other.  Two will receive $50, two will receive $100, and one will receive $500.  It is a hoot, and gives the Shelter a hand, to boot.  Call me (Helen) at 563-2488 if you would like to purchase a tennis ball or two or five.

I have no idea how things got so busy, but it seems as if I've been on a treadmill lately.  Lots going on this time of year, for sure, and lots to do for spring cleanup inside and out.  But I finally got a minute tonight to put together the slideshow of Granddaughter Jo-Ann's dance recital - I hope you enjoy it.  This is a picture of all the participants - it's absolutely amazing to me that there are so many children.  It's organized chaos backstage, with lots of mothers helping, and everything always goes off without a hitch, wonder of wonders.  I remember the confusion when I had dance recitals an eon or so ago at the old Palace Theater in St. Johnsbury.  Mrs. Doyle taught dance every Saturday in the Pythian Building on Eastern Avenue, and then our recital was at the Palace.  I remember climbing all those stairs at the Pythian to get to the big hall that had sliding doors so it could be opened up even bigger - but we only used the half towards the street, and were not allowed in the other part.  My father built a "practice board" for me so I wouldn't scratch the floor with my tap shoes.  It was hardwood and heavy - I have no idea what became of it.  I expect I was a fairly clumsy dancer, but it was always fun.

We have had a big turkey visit us recently.  It showed up yesterday and has been here at least twice today, wandering around the back lawn and under the crabapple tree before finally meandering into the brush.  We wonder why it seems to be alone, but I think I've read that sometimes there are "outcasts" that aren't allowed to travel with the flock.  This one seems happy enough - and looks very healthy.

Homer and Margaret stopped by today and left me two posters from 1976 when there were well-attended Sunfish races every weekend - I mean, 25 or 30 boats - not all great sailors, but everyone had a ton of fun.  One of the posters was advertising a Raffle with a "1976 Sunfish by Alcort or $500 cash" as the prize.  The money raised was to be used to resurface the tennis courts.

The second poster was advertising the Joe's Pond Boat Parade on Sunday, August 29, 1976.  It has instructions for participants and First Prize was $25.  It also says a photographer from Vermont Life Magazine would be there.  Afterwards there was a "family cookout" and Carol and Company Band was to play.  Everyone was to bring their own food and there would be grills available.  Doug Hamilton and George Brady were chairpersons that year.  I remember chairing it with Shelly Walker - we had a great time, and fortunately lots of help from family and friends.  I don't remember how many boats we had, but I'd guess a couple dozen at least.  I remember we arranged for everyone to get a prize.  We also had Miss Vermont ride in the parade, as I recall, and Bruce Judd was instrumental in that - I think he knew her parents or something.

This afternoon I went to the Cabot Historical Society's Annual Meeting.  Unfortunately, there were only a handful of people there. It is discouraging that more people don't take an interest in preserving memorabilia from our past, but most don't get interested until they realize they are becoming antiquated themselves and then they may get involved - if they're able.  We will plod along as best we can and do what needs to be done as long as possible.  The old building (1849) is showing its age like the rest of us, but it still has some good years left, and makes an ideal repository for our artifacts.  It was chilly today and we had the old wood stove going - the place got heated up about the time our meeting was over and we were leaving.  Such is life.

Today I found my asparagus is up and doing well.  A couple days ago there was no sign of it, but now there are a couple of fine tall stalks just right for picking.  It's amazing how quickly things come along if the weather's right.  My rhubarb is doing great and I'll have some for sauce by the end of the week, I think.  I also found some lettuce that wintered over - a nice row where I'd planted a mix last year - but just the red variety survived.  It's my favorite, so I was happy to see it.  I may wait another couple of weeks to plant more so I'll have a good crop most of the summer.  The ground is still too wet to think about planting seeds - and with night temperatures around 40, seeds are going to lay dormant and probably rot.  Only grass likes that sort of weather - and fortunately, some varieties of lettuce!  And dandelions.

This has turned into a busy week, made busier by the nice weather. The outdoors beckons me and I'm unable to resist when it's warm and sunny, so on nice days I take frequent "breaks" for a few minutes of quick raking or weeding.  Inside, I have a multitude of projects in various stages of development - all with rapidly approaching deadlines, so try to keep in mind I have to prioritize.

Today I took a short break to see Jamie and Luke when they came to get our old oil tank (that's Luke, Jamie in the truck, and Fred watching), and wouldn't you know?  Those pesky, vicious, irritating little blood thirsty black flies are back!!  It has been so nice being able to work outside without slathering bug repellent all over, but now those days are gone, at least for a while.  No more dashing outside for a few minutes in between phone calls and e-mails.  If I get bitten by those guys, I usually have a big reaction, so I will only go out when I have a good block of time to make it worth the effort of putting on bug repellent and cleaning it off afterwards - and wait until the wind is blowing good and hard so they can't get a grip.   There are some people who don't seem to be bothered at all by them, but I'm not one of them!  I've tried eating garlic, used various "woodsmen" type bug repellents, but only the stuff with serious chemicals works, and I really don't like using that.  But I have a supply so I can at least get my spring work done outside; but even then I occasionally get bitten and swell up and itch for days afterward.  It sure takes the fun out of these lovely spring days.

One of the joys of spring is seeing the humming birds come back.  Fred put the feeder out several days ago, but today was the first time we actually saw one using it.  I think they must have come later than usual this year.  Fred says they probably heard we had a hard, cold winter and decided to be cautious about returning until the weather  had a chance to warm up.  Or maybe they eat black flies and wait until they arrive . . . 

I went to Cabot yesterday and found Cabot Plains Road was much improved over about a week ago when I was over it.  I actually went around to avoid it going into the village - went up Route 15 onto Route 215; but that was a bad idea.  The pavement took an unusual beating this winter and there were potholes everywhere.  The gravel road was much, much smoother.

This is a picture of the Burtt farm just after turning off Route 215 onto Cabot Plains Road.  They are busy with spring work, and as I came by I made a mental note to stop in a few weeks when the apple blossoms are out on all those apple trees - it will be a spectacular sight, I bet.

I just had an interesting e-mail from Butch Bouchard:

Jane,
Susan & I were driving up Chatot Rd. Sunday afternoon & saw this bobcat cross the road. So with my trusty iPhone in hand, I got a decent shot of it below the roadway. Really an impressive cat although I've seen some amazing shots of Woody as well. 
Butch

We know these beautiful creatures are "out there" in our woods, but we don't often get a chance to see them, let alone be quick enough to capture them on film.  Woody does not tolerate other cats at all - we are hoping he's smart enough to avoid his big cousin, bobcat.

We had a very busy weekend - for us.  On Friday night we went to the TANK Band reunion benefit (Cancer Foundation) concert/dance at the Moose Club in St. Johnsbury.  As drummer Gordy Gourlay said, "This is like Old Home Week!"  We sat at a table reserved for the band and their families/friends, and there was a steady stream of people coming by to reintroduce themselves.  I say reintroduce because it has been something like 30 years since the band broke up and everyone went their own way, and aside from the 2007 benefit at the Packing House Lounge, they hadn't played together since.  They had a loyal following in the 80s, and a lot of those people were at Friday night's performance.  It was difficult - actually mostly impossible - for me to recognize most of the people who came up to me to say "hi," and even if they looked familiar, I was usually at a loss to think of their name; but it was great fun that they stopped by, and also that when I compared notes yesterday with Bob and Jamie, who were both there, I discovered they, too, had a hard time recognizing some of their old fans - literally "old" fans. Old enough so many of them had ear plugs, as we did; which at least for me is like locking the barn door after the horse has been stolen, for a few years ago I was told by a doctor certain levels of my hearing is gone, "probably due to loud music."  All those years following Bob's band around, I suspect.  I'm thinking of suggesting if they do another concert they should turn down the volume - it would be perfectly acceptable to their now much older fans.  

It was great fun, and we hope they don't wait another seven years to get together again. (Top picture, Gordy Gourlay on drums, his brother Rob, and Bob Dimick on keyboards.  Bottom picture shows Pete Henault, Al Douse, Rob and Bob.)   A band called "Neutral Ground" opened for TANK, and they were very loud, too, and obviously had lots of enthusiastic fans. 

On Saturday, we were at granddaughter Jo-Ann's dance recital.  That is always fun.  There are dozens of youngsters, girls and boys, from little tots to teenagers, dancing their way through modern, jazz, ballet and tap routines; all of them doing a great job and

having fun. This was our third year - or maybe our fourth - attending, and we are always impressed with the precision of the dancers and superb organization of the whole performance.  I'll do a slide show of some of the dance recital later, but here is a shot of Jo-Ann (second from left) in one of her routines.  

Yesterday was a lovely Mother's Day for me - I felt quite queenly, being honored with visits from my children.  The weather was beautiful and flowers are blooming - what more could one ask!

This came from Jason Smiley of Milton, VT.:

 

Hello -

In case you (or others) are interested...I am doing a two-hour speech on Saturday, May 24th on the famous Eddy Family of Spirit Mediums of Vermont. My speech is part of the Genealogical Society of Vermont's Annual Spring Meeting in Barre. Details/registration can be found here:

http://www.genealogyvermont.org/upcoming.htm

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Jason D. Smiley

77 Kim Ln

Milton, VT 05468-3386

JSmiley530@aol.com

This announcement came from Dorothea Penar today:

I thought Pond residents might be interested in these upcoming performances:

Geoffrey Penar, son of Dorothea and Paul Penar of Narrows Drive, will be a featured performer at the Green Mountain Opera Festival this summer (www.GreenMountainOperaFestival.com). He plays the evil Tarquinius in Benjamin Britten's The Rape of Lucretia, June 19th at Sugarbush Resort. Geoffrey will also perform with the other emerging artists in a free concert in Stowe on June 8th.   Then on June 11th, the entire company will perform opera and Broadway scenes at St. Paul's Cathedral Church in Burlington. Come and support Vermont's Green Mountain Opera Company and our Joe’s Ponder, Geoffrey Penar (www.geoffreypenar.com).

Thanks,

Dorothea Penar, 985-3761

It's very nice there are opera performances so close by that anyone can enjoy these talented young artists.  It is especially nice to know you will be seeing someone local performing. 

Nicholas R. Dainiak

We have very sad news.  Nicholas, the young grandson of Dottie and Bob Noyes (West Shore Road) who has had a long struggle with Batten disease, passed away on Friday, May 9th, his birthday.   Click here to see his obituary.  Condolences may be sent to Bob and Dottie at 72 Plympton Rd., Sudbury MA 01776. 

The Noyes family and many of their friends have worked diligently to raise funds to help further studies of Batten disease in the hope there might one day be a cure.  Unfortunately, they could not save Nicholas, but we all hope through their efforts, other children who are afflicted by this disease may benefit.

I just searched for TANK the Band on line, and guess what?  I found this link to the band, Neutral Ground's Facebook page, and not only are there some retro pictures of the TANK band, there were some posts from some of the fans I remember back in the day (or more correctly, night).  Fred and I will be there on Friday, at the Moose Club in St. Johnsbury, 8 p.m. to reunite with some of the guys - Rob, Gordy, Buzzy, Al, Romeo, Pete and of course, middle son, Bob will be front and center.  They are playing a benefit for the Relay for Life Cancer Fund, and Neutral Ground will be opening for them. I don't know exactly who will be there - there were others who were with the band at different times, in various capacities.  There were some who were with the band for only a short time, then the guys who did lights and sound, for instance - and a manager or two, plus fans who never missed a local performance and followed them around the state for gigs.  

I guess most of those guys, now married with children, have never given up their music entirely, even though they have day jobs.  There's a new group forming, The Hit Men, a result of the BelAires retiring recently, but it isn't easy putting together a new group, it means lots of hours practicing and late nights and hauling equipment, setting it up - all very demanding, especially as one gets older and has a family.  

I remember - there was first the Peacham School Band, then Tressel (both pretty much "garage bands") when Bob was a teenager; but they played some pretty good gigs but had to have an adult with them when they played where liquor was served. The group eventually evolved into TANK, which was a big hit in the late 70's, early 80's.  I think TANK formed in about 1977, and for nearly a decade they played all over Vermont, New Hampshire, eastern New York, Massachusetts, and Canada.  Their competition was Fox, Stonecross, Davis Brothers, Shoppers, Little Wing, and Express - some of you may remember those bands.

There was a TANK reunion at Joe's Pond in July, 1994 - but they didn't play any music; they just got together and brought wives and kids and caught up on their respective lives with or without music as their livelihood.  Then a few years ago they got together and  played a benefit gig at the Packing House in Lyndonville - that was a fun event for Fred and me. 

Surprisingly, they sounded just as we remembered.  

I went to my picture file and found a bunch of not very clear pictures of the Packing House gig that was the last time they played together - April 28, 2007.  There was a good crowd that night - everyone was rockin' to favorite tunes. (Click to make larger.)  We'll try to get better pictures this time.

Looking forward to hearing the TANK band again!

We were saddened to learn learn of the recent death of Florence "Jacky" Keene, Dan Keene's mother.  Our sincere condolences to Dan and Karen and their family.  Dan and Karen have a cottage on West Shore Road.  Condolences may be sent to them at their home address:  182 Forest Dr., Montpelier VT 05602.

Sue LaGue sent me a message this morning, and here are pictures from wikipedia. 

  Jane, I hope these images can get to you for the blog.  It’s been interesting this year to see 2 different water fowl in front of our camp – a single male common merganser and a group of orange headed grebes.  One year we saw some wood ducks and a bufflehead duck so our pond has some interesting visitors.


I was telling Sue I had a visit from a woodchuck yesterday, but was too slow getting the camera and he was gone before I could get a picture.  We don't see them as often as we used to, it seems to me.

Beautiful day here - I've been stuck inside at my computer, but now will head out to walk up the hill before lunch.  I need some fresh air! 

We're got the predicted rain today and tonight, but not especially heavy.  Yesterday was a tad warmer than today, and began with a light fog over the pond (see picture) and then was very pleasant most of the day. But today has been in the 40's and low 50's, and I doubt the prediction of possible snow tonight will hold true here at the pond.

Fred and I took a short walk this afternoon down Sandy Beach Road.  There was a misty rain, but it wasn't at all unpleasant.  There is quite a bit of water coming off the hills into the pond, but no flooding or washouts along the roads.  We found one patch of snow between Ricker's and LaGue's, and except for small patches in the woods, it's mostly gone, even on our west side of the pond where the sun doesn't hit quite as long this time of the year.
 
Saturday was a busy day at our house.  In the morning we had a visit from middle son, Bob, and the new dog he and Theresa just got - a rescue dog named Cheree.  She's about two years old and is very playful and loves cats, other dogs or children - just so they play with her.  Woody likes dogs and children, but doesn't tolerate other cats, so he met Cheree with tail up and obvious pleasure unruffled by her sniffing, heavy pawing and licking; but he came very close to showing her he doesn't tolerate nipping by foolish playful dogs.  We intervened to prevent her getting a bloody nose from sharp claws.  We didn't want her first experience at our house to be a bad one.  Woody may have to teach her limits eventually.

Later in the day, Woody had another "playmate" visit when our granddaughters, Tangeni and Jo-Ann, came for supper with us while their parents went out with friends.   Tangeni absolutely loves Woody, but refuses to call him by name.  When she was first learning to talk, he was "M'ow," but now he is simply "Cat," and told her folks "he's a nice cat;" however, "Woody" isn't in her vocabulary.  She follows him wherever he goes and pets him if he stops for a moment, and he seems to appreciate all her attention.  He doesn't run from her, just walks around calmly - and she follows.  When he gets sick of it, he asks to go out, and yesterday that caused a flood of tears until we explained he had things to do outside and would be back soon.  Sure enough, he returned in about an hour and spent the rest of the evening with his adoring little friend.
 
When Tangeni was first learning to walk, I brought out the wooden  kiddie-car my father had made for my boys when they were little, but she  wasn't at all interested.  We had left it in the living room and every time she visited, she ignored it - until last night.  She hopped on last night as if she'd been riding it forever, and spent a few minutes skillfully guiding it around furniture before going back to playing "catch" with Grandpa Fred.  She has quite a pitching arm, and does a good job of catching, too.  I think she may get a catcher's mitt for her third birthday in July . . . !

One of the first things Jo-Ann and I did together when she first joined our family, was to make cookies.  Now, whenever they visit, I usually have on hand some of the big soft molasses cookies she likes.  Yesterday, however, I had tried out a recipe I saw on a recent Rachel Ray show where some guest was demonstrating "two ingredient recipes," one of which was peanut butter and oatmeal cookies.  So I made them.  How can you mess up two ingredients?  I must have written down  the wrong amount of peanut butter or something because they are just not very good, although Fred says he rather likes them - he is so polite.  Anyway, Jo-Ann saw them in the cookie jar and asked if she could have one.  I told her they weren't really good, but she wanted to try one.  One bite and she agreed with me they weren't good.  Then she let Tangeni have a taste - and Tangeni didn't waste words, she just spit it out.  I felt sorry I hadn't made some of their favorites - it's awful for grandma not to have cookies on hand.  Jo-Ann (at right), bless her heart, always tells me she "hasn't eaten all day" because she knew she was coming to our house.  She is a pleasure to cook for, eats almost anything and is interested in how things are made.  She's a pretty good cook, too, according to her parents.  

After all the excitement of yesterday, Grandma Jane and Grandpa Fred enjoyed a quiet day catching up on world news and watching a baseball game on TV today.  Tomorrow, back to our normal projects.

Newsletters for JPA will be coming out soon, also, we will be helping open up the Cabot Historical Society building this week and I have a project to do for the Cabot Alumni Association - our quiet winters always end abruptly as we get ready for the summer time activities.