Monday, September 29, 2014

I had a chilling note from someone who read about the raccoon that visited us the other night.  This person knew of someone in a major city that came upon some raccoons eating a dead cat, so warned us it is wise to keep Woody inside.  I guess if a wild animal is hungry and desperate enough, they'll do whatever is necessary to stay alive.  We will be careful about Woody, just the same.  It's always comforting when he's "inside for the night," even though we know he doesn't think much of the idea.

We went to Hardwick and Wolcott today - our recycling day, and I had stops to make to pick up some items for our Silent Auction on October 18th.  It was beautiful all the way over and back, and we enjoyed the ride.  Just after turning onto Brickett's Crossing Road from Route 215 coming home, we spotted a really big flock of turkeys crossing the road.  We stopped and waited while a couple of slow pokes rushed to cross and catch up to the others, and got some pictures.  We estimate there were at least 40 or 50 in the flock.  Even these two pictures didn't capture all of them - some had already headed into the woods on the right side of the road as when they spotted us.  Within a matter of a minute or two, they had all disappeared into the brush at the side of the field.  There were all sizes, but they were all headed in the same direction.  I don't know who their leader was - he/she was out of range of our sight and camera by the time we stopped and realize there were so many.  They simply melted into the underbrush.

It was beautiful most of today, and warm.  This afternoon we're seeing the rain clouds overhead and it looks like it will be a rainy evening, possibly into tomorrow.  But then we'll have good weather again, according to the forecast.  It's too bad Cabot's day to host Fall Foliage isn't going to be as nice as we've enjoyed lately, but I'm sure everyone will enjoy all the interesting things planned.  A little rain will bring out even more colors, but I hope we don't have a lot of wind because even with no wind at all the leaves are falling quite rapidly.  Our Washington hawthorn has completely turned and just today began to drop leaves.  They will be all gone in a day or so.  The small maple behind it on the left was showering leaves this afternoon.  They don't hang around long.











Sunday, September 28, 2014

We had this message from Homer and Margaret Fitts today - they are obviously enjoying our beautiful weather and the fantastic start of foliage season:

HI -

    WHAT A BEAUTIFUL TWO DAYS HERE IN VERMONT.

THE LEAVES HAVE TURNED RED, ORANGE, GOLD ETC.

YESTERDAY WE TOURED WILLIAMSTOWN, CHELSEA, TUNBRIDGE, VERSHIRE, CORINTH, EAST ORANGE, WASHINGTON, EAST BARRE, GRANITEVILLE, CEMETERIES, SOUTH BARRE AND HOME.

    TODAY WE WENT TO CHURCH IN PEACHAM.  SO WE TRAVELED  THROUGH EAST MONTPELIER, PLAINFIELD AND MARSHFIELD IN THE FOG.   THEN CAME CABOT,  JOE'S POND, WEST DANVILLE, DANVILLE AND PEACHAM.   AFTER CHURCH BACK TO JOE'S POND AND THEN LUNCH AT THE NEW PEACHAM CAFE.  NEXT WE RODE BACK ROADS IN PEACHAM, GROTON, TOPSHAM, ORANGE, EAST BARRE, CUTLER CORNER AND HOME.

    TWO   GREAT   DAYS  !        REALLY SURPRISED AT ALL THE COLOR EVERYWHERE.

    IF POSSIBLE, SUGGEST YOU GET OUT  AND RIDE THE BACK ROADS.

                                    HOMER & MARGARET


We were out and about yesterday, too.  We went to North Danville to the chicken pie supper - well, we got take-outs.  It was beautiful last year when we did it, too.  The picture above was taken as we were leaving Danville - near Vance's, with the Webster farm in the background.  It was a lovely drive over and back.  Today we walked just before lunch and enjoyed being closer to the colors, but didn't get many great pictures.  I think the best time to take pictures of the foliage is early morning or late afternoon, when the sun is lower, not directly overhead.

Last night we went to look for Woody at bed time and found this young fellow or lady curled up on our deck.  We finally found Woody and got him inside -- we didn't want to risk a squabble over territory.  The raccoon was just about the same size as Woody, so I can't imagine the outcome had they met.  Raccoons don't have very sharp eyesight, but this one seemed to look directly at us standing in the doorway and just sort of repositioned so his back was to us and seemed content to snooze there.  It was an unusually warn night for this time of year so I guess he just needed a little rest before continuing on his way.  He was gone when we checked around 3 a.m., and no sign of him today.

I'm sorry I didn't get the second link to Rob Gourlay's unusual guitar playing method lat night; it was late and I couldn't find the link after I'd been through a bunch of others of Rob.  Then I forgot to rewrite the text.  However, if you are interested, it's there now, or you can click here

Don't forget that this is the start of Fall Foliage Week - check our website for the complete schedule, but I can tell you that tomorrow Walden hosts and on Tuesday Cabot hosts.  We always get turkey dinners for takeout and have them here.  Best to have reservations, though.  You'll find information on all of that on our home page under Foliage 2014


I nearly forgot - I got this picture today of our "last rose of summer," a little tea rose son Bill gave me several years ago on Mother's day.  I planted it in the garden that summer and it's bloomed ever since, faithfully, all summer long.  I'm waiting for the weather to cool before I go out to cut back my flowers and put everything to bed for the winter.  We have a fair amount of yard work to do, but it's just a tad too hot now and we know there will be better weather for working outside very soon.  In the meantime, we'll short walks with occasional "sit downs" in the sun. 


 







Saturday, September 27, 2014

Ok, I have a treat for you jazz lovers out there.  Give a listen to this - Rob Gourlay, who grew up in St. Johnsbury and played with Bob (Dimick) in the Tank Band - doing a concert at Berkley School of Music in Boston.  Then check out this unusual technique Rob demonstrates - in what looks like a practice session perhaps with students. There are lots more clips of Rob - check them out. 

We saw Rob at the Tank reunion benefit gig this spring, but until we were talking with Jamie tonight, had no idea what a professional Rob has become.  No surprise, though, he was always a great guitar player.  His older brother, Gordy, played drums with the Tank Band.   It is so great for me to hear that Rob is doing so well and still making music.  Too often life gets in the way of aspirations and we don't get to do what we love, but not so with Rob. 

Friday, September 26, 2014


If you aren't living in or visiting the Northeast Kingdom, you should be.  The foliage has popped in just the last couple of days and is very close to peak, I'd say, just in time for the Fall Foliage Week.  Not only that, the weather has been spectacular and will be for the next several days, except for a couple of showers perhaps on Monday and Tuesday.  I'm hoping there won't be much rain - Walden has the first day to celebrate Fall Foliage (Monday) and they've had bad luck weather-wise far too many years.  I was thinking today that I've done tours on Cabot's Fall Foliage Day in snow flurries.  True, it only happened a couple of times, and always when we were on the Plain by the cemetery, but nonetheless, it was impressive.  Those hardy -- well, some weren't that hardy -- tourists toughed it out and stayed with me for the whole tour.  There were a few who gave in to personal comfort and after a couple of stops standing in cold rain, high-tailed it back to their hotel or maybe the nearest bar, I don't know.  I mostly did the tours by caravan, i.e., they followed my car in their own.  Some of those cold trips I'd start off with six or eight cars in my group and by the time we'd arrive back in Cabot there would be only one or two.  I couldn't blame them.  Usually these folks are totally unprepared for anything but warm sunny days.  When the weather was nice, it was a pleasure to show them around our area.


Here's a picture I got last night as the sun was going down.  It was another of those moments when the whole back yard seemed to glow with color.  When the sun is just right, the foliage is spectacular.  There are beautiful photo ops everywhere.

Some of you know that Garey Larrabee, our West Danville postmaster and owner of Hastings Store has been in the hospital this week.  His son-in-law, James told me today Garey will be home tomorrow and he's doing just fine.  I think Garey's retirement date is coming up soon, so hopefully he'll be able to ease up a bit - perhaps he and Jane will become snowbirds and take off for someplace warmer this winter.  He hasn't mentioned anything like that, but winters here can be hard and maybe they both need a break.

Pond water level has not changed except to become a little lower, perhaps.  We haven't had any rain to speak of to raise it even a little bit. Even the puddle by our mailbox has dried up.  There are still a couple of frogs hanging out on the bank, but their "pond" is now just mud and drying out more every day.  We've spotted quite a few wooly caterpillars lately though - sorry, I didn't pay attention to the size of the black band on them that's supposed to indicate whether the winter will be unusually cold or just normal.

Now I just want to thank some folks.  We've had several items come in for the Silent Auction on October 18th (Cabot Historical Society benefit, Apple Pie Festival) and I'm very grateful to friends who have read the blog and responded.  We have some really nice items and in a wide value range, so I think the auction will be lots of fun for everyone.  We'll have some things for children, lovely hand-made items, and hopefully some antiques for the adults.  Several businesses have donated gift certificates, and those are always great to have.  So if you have something that is new or gently used you aren't using, give me a call or drop it off at my house.  And mark your calendar so you won't forget to come join the fun on the 18th.  If you feel like making a pie for the contest, that would be super. Or one to sell - we need lots of pies!

Thursday, September 25, 2014

We have sad news today.  One of Danville's most respected and loved citizens, Catherine McDonald Beattie passed away yesterday at her home, the McDonald Farm, in Danville.  Anyone who spent much time at all in Danville knew Catherine, and she was well known and respected in other towns, as well.  I first met her just before my first son was born, when we lived on Hill Street in Danville.  She stopped by one day just to welcome me and chat; I knew who she was but hadn't actually met her until then.  I recall she questioned me thoroughly about who my doctor was, how I was feeling and ended our conversation by, "Well, don't worry, there's nothing to it."  That would have been in 1957 - I don't have any idea how many children Catherine had at that time, but I knew she was as much of an authority on the subject as I'd probably ever meet - probably as good or better than my doctor since he'd never actually experienced childbirth.  I was encouraged by her optimism and even though I had no idea what was ahead of me, I knew I could handle it. I have admired her for many years since then, and although we were not close friends, I have missed seeing her at the Creamery Restaurant, bumping into her at the grocery store, the fair or social events, and now will miss just knowing she is at the farm.  There will never be another quite like her.  Our deepest sympathy to her family. 

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

I sat down at my computer tonight with no intention of writing on the blog, but when I checked my e-mail I found an interesting notice written by Aedan Scribner on Front Page Forum.  Aedan lives on Jug Brook Road which is on the western edge of town, bordering on the Woodbury town line.  It was a brief message:  "Catamount spotted twice in lower Cabot. First off jug brook road near the woodbury line, and again crossing West Hill pond road."

A catamount is a wildcat, lynx or cougar - any of those names is correct, according to Wikipedia.  There have been sightings reported from time to time in Vermont, and even in our immediate area, but according to the Vermont Historical Society, the last catamount in Vermont was shot in 1881 - or maybe it should read, "the last catamount shot in Vermont was in 1881." 
Here is a picture from another website  - handsome fella, right?  Check out those blue eyes!  This photo came from the Wildcat Haven website which tells a lot about these beautiful animals.  I don't know if we should be happy or a bit trepedatious that one has been sighted so close by; I guess it makes a difference whether one has farm animals that may be attacked - or pets that might become lunch.  I don't know if they will attack humans, but if they are hungry enough, I suppose like most cats, anything that moves is fair prey.  We always worry about Woody being out, especially at night, and this is a good reason to keep him inside, in spite of his protests.  I wish I could make him understand it's for his own safety.

Enjoy the nice fall weather.  Tomorrow we may get a little rain, but then the forecast is for a super nice weekend.  Fall Foliage Week begins on Monday and we hope the weather continues to be nice for that.  The foliage is surely cooperating nicely this year.

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Yesterday's blog about picking up apples brought back memories for at least a couple readers and that's always nice. Today I was thinking about how we used to take a picnic and spend a whole Sunday picking apples on the "Roy Lot" also known as "the Gray Place," when I was a kid.  That was when my Grandfather McAllan was living with us (my mother's dad) and often one of mother's sisters would come with her family - the Sanborns, the Bassetts or the Storys - from Barre, and we'd make a day of it.  There were lots of apple trees there then and I suppose some of them may still exist, but as far as I know the trees were never taken care of so they probably died out.  Everyone would go home with bushels of fruit.  I'm sure those Scotch ladies made very good use of them, just as my mother always did.  Nothing was ever wasted.

I remember also going to those same fields with my cousins and friends for corn roasts.  It was a good hike from the farm, but such a lovely spot with wide open fields beyond the foundations - the farmhouse on the south side of the Bayley-Hazen Military Road and the barn on the north side - we didn't mind.  There were plenty of flat field stones to use for a fire pit, and I remember the smell and taste of that roasted corn so well.  We carried salt and butter with us, but not much else, as I recall.  Corn never tasted better.  Then we'd put apples on the end of a stick and roast them the same as we did marshmallows.  Hot applesauce flavored with smoke.  Occasionally some of the adults would come along, but they weren't as willing to stumble through the darkness of the overgrown old road as we were.  My cousins Herb and Harold McNeely and I knew every rut and puddle, every jutting rock and fallen tree on that old road from driving the cows along there all summer long.  Usually by the time we were having corn roasts, the cows were no longer being pastured - my grandfather would let them into the fields nearer the farm buildings on nice days and kept them in the stable on frosty nights - so we kids didn't have to make the long daily trek to the Roy Lot to get the cows each afternoon. Therefore, going there for apples or a corn roast was an adventure rather than a chore.

I remember how the heat of the fire warmed our faces, but our  arms, legs and backs got cold and damp as the frosty night air descended on us.  The long hike back up the hill to the farm warmed us up, and it was then we'd begin telling stories about wildcats and bears and other forest creatures with the intention of scaring anyone with us visiting from the city.  There was always a bright moon and the shadows along the old road were dark and menacing. It didn't take much imagination to see something moving up ahead or to glance over your shoulder and catch a glimpse of some movement in the woods or something darting out of sight behind you.  We forgot about being chilly and tended to the business of getting through the dark woods and into the open fields at the top of the hill as quickly as possible.  I'm sure had I not had impressionable or younger kids with me I'd have been just as afraid as they were.  Sometimes the older cousins would turn the tables on me and have me almost convinced there was something following us through the woods.  I was pretty confident that making all the noise we did, no self-respecting wild animal would be within miles of us. though.  After getting back to the farm, I had to go the short distance from the there to our house alone, though, and I remember the chill of fright through my neck and shoulders when I thought I saw something moving in the darkness - and then I'd race down the road feeling like I was flying, heart pounding, until I reached the security of the porch at our house; but nobody ever knew.


Monday, September 22, 2014

This year has been a super year for apples around here.  I haven't heard anyone complain that their apple trees didn't produce well.  We have a couple of very old trees, one is a yellow transparent and the other is a Duchess, I think.  I'm no apple expert, but I think I've heard my parents refer to it as a Duchess.  Anyway, the old tree usually produces a fairly good crop every other year, and this year was it's year to bear fruit.  We knew by the way it was solid with blossoms and alive with bees this spring it was likely to be a good year, but the old Duchess produced not only a ton of apples, they were generally better quality than most years.  We don't spray in the spring, and I don't remember the tree ever being pruned, but the apples were generally larger, less blemished and more abundant than other years.  This has not been a problem as I use them mainly for a pie or two and applesauce, and the animals can have the rest. By mid-August, the ground under the tree was already littered with small apples; each wind storm brought down more, and by the time the rest were ripe enough to be good eating, there were still way more than I could use.  Not only that, there was a noticeable absence of deer, bears or turkeys to feast under the tree.  I guess they found plenty to eat in the woods. We did see one small deer, but if there were others, we didn't see them and the supply of apples on the ground only increased.

I made apple sauce.  I made more apple sauce.  I gave some away and made more.  I froze apples for pies later on.  Every time I looked out the window I was tempted to go pick up more apples - but even though they were better than other years, they are still a chore to pick over with blemished skins and sometimes bad spots inside, and I quite frankly have other things I need to do.  I didn't feel they were good enough so I could offer them to anyone to come and pick - besides, I knew everyone had plenty of apples.

Then on Sunday we noticed a young couple picking up the scrub apples under a tree across the road from us.  The apples on that tree are always small and not very good, and the tree is in the town's right-of-way; we've wondered how it survived all these years without being cut down by the town crews or the electric company.  I decided perhaps my apples, inferior as they might be, were way better than what they were getting on that scrub tree, so I went

down to talk to them.  Fred was skeptical, but came along in case the apple pickers were unfriendly, I think.  Turned out they were almost neighbors (from a neighboring town) and  needed apples for their pigs!  They weren't interested in quality or even if they were half spoiled (pigs aren't fussy eaters).  They had buckets and a big barrel in the back of their pickup and two youngsters to help pick them up - it was a perfect match.  They were impressed with the carpet of apples under the old tree (way better than scrambling in the bushes under that scrub apple tree) and within a short time had all their containers filled.  

There are still enough apples left for the deer, bears, partridges or turkeys, and the pressure is off so I'm no longer feeling guilty that so many apples are going to waste.  To think we almost didn't go down to talk to those nice young people - but I'm really glad we did.  It was great fun for us and we met a really nice young family.  And I bet their pigs are in  "pig heaven."

The colors popped with the rain the other night - I took this picture in the early morning as the sun was trying to burn through a thin layer of fog.  If this is any indication, we're going to be favored with a really beautiful foliage season. The colors seem to get better each day.


T
 

Friday, September 19, 2014

We had a message from Dianne Lashoones who runs "Rhythm of the Rein" at Water Tower Farm in Marshfield giving us the schedule of planned events to support equine activities for veterans.  If you click on the above link you will find a full schedule of upcoming events, free and/or for fund raising.  There is a lot going on and it's for a good cause.  Dianne said:

" . . . We are working hard to bring more awareness to veterans about what equine assisted activities can do for veterans who are struggling . . . each day 22 veterans commit suicide . . .These upcoming events are two fold -- to educate as to what we do, and raise funds so no veteran is ever asked to pay for their participation . . ."

 
Take a look at the events schedule, on their website, or go to our home page and follow the link to our Schedule of Events where you'll find complete information about each event.  Join the pizza party on Friday, September 26th; meet the famous Shari Lewis and Lamb Chop in person, do a trail ride, or enjoy any of the fun events on October 11th & 12th.  You're sure to find something the whole family can enjoy.


Here we are - another cooler-than-normal-for-this-time-of-year autumn day behind us and another freezing cold night ahead of us.  Both yesterday and today were very nice and sunny and that is a big plus.  But as soon as the sun went down, so did the temperature.  The low on our thermometer was 28 degrees this morning.

We had errands to do in Littleton yesterday and on the way home stopped to spend some time with our young granddaughter, Tangeni.  She is changing very quickly now she is in pre-school, and lets everyone know she will no longer tolerate being referred to as a "baby."  She is taking dance lessons like her big sister Jo-Ann, so we'll be watching both girls perform next spring at their dance recital.

We had lots of fun with her and of course took pictures.  Above, she literally ran circles around us, singing a happy song as she ran, and stopping only briefly to observe a flower or to look for an imaginary goose in the field.  She has more than enough energy to tire both of us out, but when the sun began to slip behind the trees and we came inside, she was happy to settle with Grampa Fred to read books.  Most of them she has memorized, but the one about dinosaurs was a little more complicated, with words even Grandpa wasn't familiar with and she began to lose interest in dinosaur names. 

After we got home we had a call from Jo-Ann who had been at school, of course, so we missed seeing her.  She, too, is growing up fast.  Already a sophomore and will be driving next year!  Hard to believe.  She told us she loves school and said soccer and after-school projects keep her very busy.  It was good to chat with her for a few minutes - it seems the summer whizzed by and we hardly saw the girls.

Not only the days of summer go by quickly, the hours of each day seem to get shorter, too. We can tell the seasons are changing - Woody's ventures outside after dark are getting shorter as the nights get chillier.  

We may get some rain this weekend, and that will possibly help the water level at the pond.  I think we need rain - just not too much all at once.




Thursday, September 18, 2014

We've had reports about the water level in Joe's Pond being lower than normal.  Association President Tom Dente contacted Green Mountain Power and this was their response:
 
"The last month has certainly been tough on precipitation - we haven¹t run the unit since August 19th and the team has been working to minimize flow out of the pond, but unfortunately has lost a little bit of elevation.  We are going to see if the sluice gate can be closed more without drying up the channel downstream and help get back up to 5.0 [inches] at the dam. "
 
Below is Tom's explanation, for anyone who may not be aware of how the dam works and the restrictions imposed on GMP as a public utility.

To explain:
Not running the electrical generator ("the unit") keeps water in the pond; the sluice gate is path for water to flow out of the pond and is open slightly (likely the cause of the drop in water level) because of a Public Utility requirement to keep the downstream channel wet to save the foliage. What we really need is a good rain storm. Typically we see this situation in the summer when a drought is on going. Not much more that anyone can do until Mother Nature gives us rain. The term 5.0 refers to the normal water level elevation above the crest of the dam.
Tom
* * * * *

As some of you know, I've been a volunteer for  the Community Collaboraive Rain, Hail & Snow (CoCoRaHS) network for a number of years.  Out of curiosity, I went to my records to see what I had recorded for precipitation during the months of June, July and August in 2013 and this year.  There wasn't as much difference as I'd expected:  18.80 inches in 2013; 14.93 inches this year.  When I compared rainfall in September, there was a marked difference - in 2013 I reported 5.26 in. and this year, for the same number of days, September 1st to 18th, I've reported only 1.67 in.   GMP said above they stopped running on August 18, and according to my records we have received only 2.02 inches of rainfall since then.  Not enough to keep up with evaporation, probably, let alone what has to run through the sluice to keep the brook below healthy.
 
I am careful not to miss any days reporting rainfall - if I happen to be unable to read and empty the gauge on a given day, I am able to file a multi-day report later that includes the missed day, so the above numbers are pretty true.  We know weather varies considerably even from one side of the pond to the other sometimes.  We've seen rain falling at the head of the pond that never reached West Danville, and the same with snow amounts.  Walden and West Danville may get six inches and Marshfield and St. Johnsbury just a dusting or none.  Lots of times I go from green grass here in the fall to snow-covered fields on the Plain and back to green grass by the time I reach Cabot Village five minutes later.  We accept that we, along with Walden folks, live in the "snow belt;" our growing season starts a week or so later in the spring and quits a week or more earlier in the fall than our neighbors' in Marshfield or even Danville Village.  It's just the way things are.

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

We have our nice weather back!  It's still a little cooler than we'd expect, but we have bright sunshine and more moderate temperatures at night.  After a couple of frosty nights, it's nice to see just a "heavy dew" on the ground in the morning.

I went to the Historical Society building this morning - it's strange how these things work sometimes.  Last year when I had the place open on a scheduled basis, there were very few visitors.  Today I originally agreed to meet Kim Dwyer who was returning the Cabot Alumni yearbook collection to their shelves at the HistSoc, and it worked out perfectly for two others to stop by to purchase books and one unexpected walk-in.  I say unexpected, but since it was Will Walters, a reporter for the Hardwick Gazette as well as a member of the Historical Society, I wasn't altogether surprised.  Will has his "beat" in town every day and keeps a sharp eye out for clues that something is going on - like cars parked by the HistSoc building, so I might have expected him to stop in.  

Anyway, it was an interesting and productive morning - I was able to return another album after digitizing it, took a cursory inventory of some of the items donated for the Apple Pie Festival Silent Auction on October 18th, and took in some money for the historical society from book sales.  The best part of all of it was that I met old friends and met a new one, Beth, who is comparatively new in town and helping write an application for a grant to help pay for some a new roof at the church. 

The church, like the historical society building, is old and both need attention so we don't lose them.  Parts of the church date back to the early 1800's and the historical society building 1845.  There is an interesting booklet written by Leonard Spencer of Cabot, "Biography of a Building - Cabot's Church," that is a very complete history of the church building - how it was originally the meeting house at the center of town built to seat 300 people.  I don't believe there were many more than that in the whole town at the time, but I expect also the "seats" were wooden benches and not the comfortable pews of today.  After a few years the still unfinished building was moved a half mile or so to the Village; then again in a few years a few rods west to a more prominent position on the town common, where it stands today.  It was raised up during the last move to allow rooms to be built under the sanctuary.  There have been improvements over time and it is a lovely church today.

It is difficult for small towns to keep older buildings in repair.  Like the church, our historical society building has needs, and that's why we put our efforts into our one big fund raiser each year, the Apple Pie Festival.  It is on October 18th this year, and we already have some donations for the silent auction - a gift certificate from the "Mac Nurse" in Hardwick, a hand-knitted poncho from a lady in Hardwick, a grandfather's clock from someone in Cabot, and lots of smaller items - holiday napkin sets, baskets, vases and games for kids.  We will be happy to arrange to pick up donated items - just e-mail me or give me a call, 802-563-2381.  We will appreciate the  donation of pies, either to sell or to enter in the contest, and I'll post more information about that closer to the big day.  Things are moving ahead and I think this year's APF will be another great one.

 

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

A Heartfelt Thank You!

This nice "thank you" note came from Homer and Margaret Fitts:

 THANKS TO THE GREAT PEOPLE AT JOE'S POND WE DID HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY SUNDAY FOR THE CELEBRATION OF SUE'S LIFE.      OVER 200 PEOPLE ATTENDED IN THE COLD WEATHER AT 2:00 P.M.     WE DID PUT HER ASHES IN THE POND IN FRONT OF HER CAMP BEFORE NOON TIME SUNDAY MORNING.
    PEOPLE WHO HELPED ME WERE, JANE BROWN, TOM DENTE, LARRY ROSSI, PAM HEBERT, JAMIE AND BOB DIMICK, NED HAMILTON AND DOUG HAMILTON FROM JOE'S POND.   I HOPE I DID NOT LEAVE ANYONE OUT.
    ALSO BRIAN WRIGHT OF WEST DANVILLE BROUGHT A SALAMANDER HEATER.     THE HILFERTYS FROM BARRE BROUGHT A T.V.    THEN ALSO A LOT OF EXTRA HELP FROM MARGARET'S DAUGHTERS.
    WE GRATEFULLY APPRECIATED ALL THE HELP TO MAKE THIS A FANTASTIC "CELEBRATION OF SUE'S LIFE ".     WE WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER THIS GREAT DAY.
THANK GOD FOR THE JOE'S POND ASSN.
                                        LOVE TO ALL,
                                      HOMER AND MARGARET

Sunday, September 14, 2014

Another cool night last night, and we had some rain yesterday - I wouldn't have been surprised to see snow on the ground this morning, or at least frost, but apparently it warmed up a little and the overnight low was 38 degrees - a bit better than Friday night when it was 34.  Right now the sky is still overcast, but the sun breaks through from time to time and the temperature is in the low 50's.  There is a wind, however, and that will keep things feeling cool.  If you are planning on going to the memorial for Sue Fitts Martin at the Joe's Pond pavilion this afternoon (2 - 4 p.m.) do wear something warm because it will be very chilly, even with the side curtains down.

Did anyone see the Northern Lights either of the past two nights?  It has been fairly overcast both nights, I think, and I didn't see any sign of them at all.  Perhaps some places skies were clear enough.

We have seen several bikers going by this morning - part of the "Ride the Ridges" event being held in Cabot, I expect.  This is a good day for that sort of activity, far better than a blistering hot weather, for sure.  After this brief "cold spell," I expect we'll have some very nice weather again.  We can hope.  I was noticing yesterday that my "golden glow" flowers are not as tall as usual and some are barely budded.  They are usually in full bloom by the first week in October and soon after generally get hit by frost and the leaves turn black and wither and the blooms droop.  That, for me, is the end of fall and the beginning of pre-winter season.  They are the last to go.

Saturday, September 13, 2014

My apologies - the Chicken Bar-B-Q I posted lat night was in AUGUST!  I usually discard those posters after the date of the event, but having been lax about my computer housekeeping in the past few weeks, that one was still showing up.  Thanks to my friend and loyal blog follower, Mary Whitcomb, for noticing that and letting me know.

Friday, September 12, 2014



I went into my picture file today to organize some things and found some photos that I had neglected to post.  These are from a few days ago - the first is one of several sent to us by Bill and Diane Rossi.  They went with friends to the Mooselook Restaurant in Concord, Vermont about a week ago and while there saw this smart looking fellow in the parking lot.  Having had a black lab at one time, Fred and I really loved this picture.  These guys can be trained to do almost anything and still maintain their dignity!  What a sport!


Then, we have been taking pictures of the super moon at night, but how about this shot by Lawrence Hayes, taken from the West Danville beach one morning a week or so ago?  Great shot.  It was sent to us by Sharon Reihmer in St. Johnsbury.  It is beautiful.  Sharon said Lawrence works at the Fairbanks Museum and goes by the pond every day.  If you are visiting the museum, look him up and thank him for these beautiful photos.


We have some events taking place this weekend - Ride the Ridges biking event starts at 8 o'clock Sunday in Cabot, so if you are on some of Cabot's back roads, you may encounter the riders. Please drive carefully, and if you're riding with this group, have fun.

Also on Sunday there will be a memorial for Susan Fitts Martin at the Joe's Pond Association pavilion.  All are welcome, from 2-4 o'clock.  We hope the weather is warmer by then, but please have extra wraps with you as it is almost always cooler here than even a few miles away in any direction, and while there are side curtains at the pavilion, they are no match for 50 or 60 degree weather and the wind we are almost certain will be blowing.

Thursday, September 11, 2014

We've enjoyed a rainy day today.  I know, it doesn't sound right admitting enjoying bad weather, but it was reasonably warm, even though the weather people were saying we had "below normal" temperatures today.  It was in the 60s, and when you are busy that isn't a bad thing.

Besides that, we went to Juniper's to meet Fred's cousin and her friend for breakfast, and that was a great way to start the day.  They are good company and like we were saying as we drove away off Darling Hill, every time we meet them we learn something new about Fred's family - well, his mother's side of the family, that is.  It's really proof that most people don't get much interested in family history until they are older and, sadly there are fewer people left to tell their stories.  If we had only listened better when we were younger . . .  However, Cousin Ora is the family historian and she is doing a remarkable job of preserving the family history with photos in nicely done booklets using Snapfish.com.  

But back to breakfast and the rest of our day.  It wasn't very busy at Juniper's today - I think guests who are staying at the Wildflower Inn are usually the only breakfast customers.  It was very pretty, even though there was a foggy mist obscuring the normally spectacular view - the flowers around the place were striking, their colors enriched by the wetness.  

After breakfast, we said our goodbys and wished them safe journey back to Rhode Island - we probably won't meet again until next spring.  Fred and I headed back to St. Johnsbury to do our grocery shopping.  It was raining off and on all morning, but never very hard.  We thought perhaps construction had progressed on Main Street and Western Avenue to the point we could head home the usual way, and it wasn't bad at all.  We had only a slight wait on Eastern Avenue to get onto Main Street which was all dug up and nasty, but from there on, traffic moved along well.  We will probably still avoid that part of town whenever possible in the future, just because the next time we might not be as lucky and could have a long wait depending on what stage construction is in.  It's hard to believe they'll have things put together before snow flies, though.

Back home, the flickers were paying us a visit this afternoon.  I guess the rain brings out the bugs in the grass or something because there were five or six birds busily feeding on the lawn early in the afternoon.  Then the wind picked up for a little while this evening thrashing the big maples down by the road and we wondered if we were in for a really hard storm, but it didn't last very long and I don't think there was much damage, at least in our area.  According to my gauge, the highest we had was 20 m.p.h. - obviously it looked worse than it was.

Speaking of being wet - I took this picture of a frog in the puddle at the poorly functioning culvert by our mailboxes.  Every time we go to get the mail, two or three of these guys plop into the water from the grassy bank and even though I've come to expect it, they always startle me a bit.  Yesterday I spotted one sitting on the bank and managed to get by without disturbing him, so after lunch I went back with the camera to see if he was still there.  He wasn't, but after spending ten minutes or so searching in vain, I finally spotted this guy calmly sitting in the shallow pool, his green head out of the water, probably feeling securely hidden. And he was.  He was in plain sight, but blended so well with the reflections and the bottom of the puddle, I almost didn't see him at all. We had seen the tadpoles earlier this summer, and now there are lots of frogs!  Today was good weather for them, too.








Tuesday, September 09, 2014

I received a nice photo from Sonja Decker this morning, taken last night - she titles it, "Moonlight in Vermont."
Thank you, Sonja - that was a "super moon," for sure.  Nice shot.

I noticed a shadow moving across the lawn outside my office window a few minutes ago and realized there was a large bird, probably some kind of hawk riding the air waves high above.  A little later, I spotted it again, but had only a very short time to grab the camera and find it, and was able to get it focused with a little zoom before it went behind the trees out of sight.   I can't tell what kind of bird it is - it was very high and in the picture it doesn't show up well enough.  But here it is, anyway.

For those of you who have been wondering what, if anything, is happening to the Joe's Pond Country Store that has been closed since the owner Jeff Down's death in September, 2013.  We've learned it has been sold to a young couple living in Danville.  We'll keep you posted as soon as we know more.

Monday, September 08, 2014

I've transitioned into fall mode, resuming meetings and gearing up for various events and projects.  First, the group that's putting together a history of West Danville met today after several months "off." We are hoping to find people who have photos and memories of West Danville as far back as possible or perhaps have diaries or other memorabilia from family members who lived in West Danville a generation or more ago.  Please search your memory, attic or wherever and share your treasures with us.  If you remember buildings, farms or other businesses that used to be in West Danville and are now gone, or someone who used to live here and no longer does, we're interested.  Personal stories about things that happened here are of interest, too - about dances at Point Comfort, moving the road and building the bridge, paving Route 2, farms, mills, gas stations (did you know at one time there were four filling stations in West Danville?  All at one time!  Jane Larrabee says you could be at any one of them and have a conversation with people at the other three), drownings, unusual deaths, happy events, tragedies, the railroad and train stories, town characters or famous folks - things you haven't thought about in years, perhaps.  We want to know.  If you have photos or recollections, we'd like to hear from you.  Contact any of us - Jane Larrabee (larrabee.vt@gmail.com), Dorothy Larrabee (dlarrabee78@gmail.com), Patty Conley, (skylinerdh@gmail.com) or me (janebrown@fairpoint.net.)

This evening I went to our first Apple Pie Festival meeting and we are going to be looking for people to enter their pie(s) in the contest or anyone who will make one or more apple pies for us to sell (get in touch with Mary Beth Churchill, 563-2345; then we have the Silent Auction, so I'm looking for items for that - antiques, new items or gently used, unique hand-made articles, but no used clothing or yard sale items, please; give me a call (563-2381) and we'll pick your item(s) up.  If you do crafts and would like a table, contact Beth Hoffman, 563-2129 (bethannhoffman@hotmail.com).
The Apple Pie Festival is on October 18, but we're getting things in order and will be happy to hear from you any time.  Beth already has several crafters signed up for tables and space is limited, so if you want space, best to get in touch with her very soon.  This is our one big fund raiser each year for the Cabot Historical Society.

 On my way to the meeting tonight, I got a couple of pictures from the hill near the Plains Cemetery.  It was too early for the sunset, but I'm betting it was spectacular tonight.  There were just a few clouds and that always makes it interesting.  When I came home, I got this shot of the moon. If you click on it to enlarge it, the faint details show up.  This was another "super moon," I heard the weather people say tonight.  It was beautiful.  The top picture is looking west from the cemetery towards Camel's Hump; the moon was in the east, over Joe's Pond, but taken from the same location, on the hill by the Plains Cemetery.  I could hear geese when I was there before sundown, and I expect the coyotes were racing through the woods tonight, but I didn't stop long enough to listen for them on the way home.  They send chills up my spine whenever I hear them, and standing alone in the dark by a cemetery listening to their wails wouldn't be my idea of a fun thing to do.



Sunday, September 07, 2014

Is everyone ready for some fall weather?  Looks like we may be getting something more closely resembling September weather  soon.  I'm glad to have the humidity out of here, but I'm not quite ready for fall.  Today I took in some house plants I've had hanging out in the grape arbor all summer.  The low was 42 degrees last night and I think I heard tonight will be colder, so I decided rather than take a chance I'd bring in the plants.  One is the palm - I'm not sure what variety - I put out this spring and left too long in the sun.  It got badly burned and will probably never look good again.  However, I haven't had the heart to dump it, so it's downstairs by my sewing machine, safe from sun and frost after being in the shade of the grape vines all summer.  It's looking better than it did, but still not pretty like before.  

I was interested in a piece on CBS Sunday Morning show about one-room schools.  It seems the experts, whoever that might be, are now thinking there are definite advantages for both students and teachers in one-room schools and the cost per student is just about the same as for students attending large schools.  They cited individual attention, students helping students, more independence, better study habits and specialized teaching plans that allow students to learn at their individual pace, etc., as being just some of the benefits for students; teachers get to know their students better, even when there are 25-30 in various grades because they often remain in the same school for longer periods and can see kids through from pre-k to graduating 8th grade.  Teachers interviewed liked the "family" type situation of a one-room school.  Children also had to be responsible for keeping the school clean and learned to respect the property and became more resourceful.  The students they interviewed had a bit of trouble adapting to the large high school environment after graduating from a one-room school, but most said that wasn't a big problem and they adapted quickly.  They also had better study habits and their grades were generally better than average.

This made me wonder if in the not too distant future the pendulum will swing back to more localized schools.  Wouldn't that be something?  After closing all the one-room schools back in the 1940's and 50's, towns might be building energy-efficient small one-room schools instead of transporting kids to the big centralized impersonal one-size-fits-all schools of today.  They'd save time, money and it would be better for the kids and the environment!  It would likely be considered "a break-through in education."



I loved going to a one-room school. This was my school, about 1938.  We had great teachers, and although teachers only stayed two or three years at most, it seems to me they were all really good at their job.  Maybe we were just lucky to have dedicated young women come to the Plains School, but we all liked our teachers, and I believe they were happy teaching there.  In spite of age differences, all the kids got along with one another - nobody got bullied because if someone started picking on someone else, there was always an older kid who would intervene and set the culprit straight.  Everyone had a chance to "shine" at whatever they were good at and the older students helped younger ones when they needed it.  We learned from one another.  We also respected our elders and our teachers.  I think it's worth considering, this "new" idea of one-room schools. 

Friday, September 05, 2014

We're still celebrating summer big time here at Joe's Pond.  We're in the 80's again today - beautiful sunshine and a nice breeze.  Still, it's too hot for lots of folks, me included, to be very active outdoors, but the two building crews are hard at work on Old Homestead Road where the Cassani and Buttura cottages have been demolished and foundations are being laid for new homes.  We stopped by today and got a few pictures which I put into a short slide show.

There's other news:  There are new signs posted on West Shore Road reducing the speed limit.   Carolyn Hamilton sent me a short e-mail.  She wrote, "Our petition worked. The speed limit has been reduced to 30 MPH and the signs are more visible."

This is really good news, and we hope drivers will pay attention.  Fred had occasion to talk with a couple of the road crew members a few days ago and they said they were putting up new signs; they also acknowledged the signs Dan and Karen Keene put up, saying it was a good idea.  They may be replacing the culvert by the end of our driveway later on this year, if time allows.  They attribute the slow flow of water to the culvert under the road having been  heaved up by frost.  Whatever the cause, it would be good to have it fixed, even though that means displacing our mailbox post (with three boxes on it!) temporarily.

Here is a picture of one of the "regulars" at Fred's feeding station for humming birds.  This little female will be heading south within a few days.  

Speaking of feeding stations - we went to East Side Restaurant and Pub in Newport on Wednesday and enjoyed a lovely meal on their deck.  The weather was perfect and it couldn't have been nicer.  We did recycling in Wolcott in the late afternoon and then took Route 14 through Albany and Irasburg, winding our way, taking time to really look at the landscape.  We went that way last spring, but this was very different.  Then things were just beginning to green up, and this trip there were acres and acres of corn, hayfields being harvested for the second or third time, farms looking generally lush and productive -- really lovely country, and great farm country.  I've put together a slide show for you.   

Enjoy the great weather, be safe - we hope the weather holds through the weekend.

Tuesday, September 02, 2014

Sharon Reihmer, formerly on Narrows Drive, sent this beautiful shot of the pond taken Labor Day morning from the beach by Lawrence Hayes at the Fairbanks Museum.  Many thanks to Sharon for forwarding this picture to us, and to Lawrence Hayes for noticing how lovely our pond is.



This has been a busy morning.  The weather is great - again!  We're in for some reality later this afternoon when strong thunder storms are supposed to hit our area.  In the meantime, the sun is hot, the wind sultry, and those workers on the eastern shore of the pond have been busy tearing down the Buttura cottage.  Here's what Diane Rossi just wrote and sent with this photo:
 We went across the pond in the boat this am to see the action....Nancy was serving donuts, muffins, mimosas, bloody Mary's, OJ, and coffee.  Too bad I didn't get a picture of that!

I guess we missed a great party!  We had intended to go over this morning, but we've had a lot of e-mails and other things to attend to and didn't remember in time.  I'm very thankful Diane got this picture and shared.

I think people are generally clearing out some of the items
they haven't been using.  We now have a really nice looking canoe listed on our "For Sale, etc." page.  Here is the picture owner Sam Lewis sent.  It is a "Discovery 158," about 20 years old.  Sam says one seat needs to be re-caned but otherwise it's in good shape and comes with two paddles.  They are asking $300.  If interested, call Sam or Judy at 802-473-1189.

This reminds me - I'll be looking for items for our Silent Auction at the Apple Pie Festival which will be on October 18th.  We're interested in antiques, hand-made items, new or gently used household or sports items, etc.  Businesses often give gift certificates, and they are generally popular - bidders can end up with a real bargain, and the Cabot Historical Society benefits.  If you have something to donate, give me a call, 563-2381.  I will pick up or you can drop items off here any time, or the day before the event at the gym.  

We are also going to be looking for donations of apple pies to sell - and pies to enter in the contest.  There are great prizes for contest winners of different categories - there's a junior contest as well as the adult contest.  There will be more about the Apple Pie Festival in the next few weeks, but mark you calendar now! 

The Apple Pie Festival is the Historical Society's main fund raising event, so we hope you will plan to contribute by donating something or by coming to the event to meet friends, have some great food, select from lots of craft items, and join the fun. 



 



Monday, September 01, 2014




 A few days ago I received these great shots from Linda (Sawyer) Poole on Otis Drive.  Linda wrote that she loves that the Brickett family cottage is still a favorite spot for the family to gather.  She was surprised that the loons seemed unafraid of them and came close to show off, apparently.

Everyone has a great time at camp and it's been a wonderful summer for swimming, fishing, and just plain enjoying being at Joe's Pond.  The weather has been perfect and provided some great views, like the sunset below.  Click on the photos to make them larger.
 
Liz (Pearl) Sargent stopped by to pick up her directory and Ice-Out tickets this afternoon.  She was headed to Cabot Plain to visit Sim Whittier's grave site.  She said the Plain was a favorite spot for family picnics when her father, "Bud" Pearl, was alive.  This evening she sent me some great photos she had taken while on the Plain today.  Many of you will recognize the Sousa silos where the cell tower is now; the tumbling-down Maynard farm house, sad but still somehow beautiful; the Foster Covered Bridge and the Walbridge School house at Richard Spaulding's; the old wagon at the former Bob Davis home; and of course the Plains Cemetery.  Rather than display each picture here separately, I've made a short slide show.    

If you have the opportunity, take a ride up that way - the foliage season is a great time to go there.  Imagine, as you stand by the cemetery, a crude fort in the field overlooking the valley below, and instead of a covered bridge, log houses along both sides of the road; a little way down the hill, the Yellow House tavern, and across from where the Walbridge School is now, a small log cabin that served as the first school in town - all neatly following the Bayley-Hazen Military Road - the first settlement and for some 20 years, the business center for the Town of Cabot.




Snow & Ice Report

 W e're through another March snowstorm, and as far as I can tell, we aren't expecting more snow this month. We'll probably have...