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.