Cool and wet most of the day, but a few sunny breaks here and there.  We had appointments in Littleton - it almost always seems warmer there than it is here, but today it was a draw.

We had this note come to the Comments page today:
  Missing since Saturday night. We had an extra dog for the weekend and we are thinking Ivan didn't like that! He has not been seen since about 10pm. We have underground fencing but take it off every couple of days because it makes his neck raw, so he did not have a collar on and he is very hard of hearing. Our # is 684.3823. Thank you.  Kate Bertolini, Cove Road.

I sure hope Ivan shows up.  It's chilly outside, but perhaps he's found a warm spot to hang out until he's sure the other dog has gone.  Keep an eye out.  He's a bloodhound, so perhaps his nose will help him find his way back home?  I hope so.

We heard from Bill Rossi tonight that he and Diane stopped in at Cottage Hospital to see Garey Larrabee today.  Bill said he was doing very well.  That's really good news.  We sure miss him around here.

I'm sure some of you have either seen in the news or heard that one of our neighbors, Howard Hatch, had the misfortune to hit a horse that had been spooked by a grain truck and ran onto Route 15.  Howard wasn't hurt, but the horse had to be put down.  It was one of those terrible accidents that was nobody's fault, but just horrific for everyone involved.  I've known Howard since we were in grade school in West Danville, and I know this would be very hard on him; I don't know whose horse it was, but I can only imagine how awful it was for the owner, too.  It's dreadful when something like this happens.  As the saying goes, sometimes bad things happen to good people.

Speaking of bad things and accidents, there has also been another fatal ATV accident.  Joey Lacquer, 17, well known at the Thunder Road race track in Barre, was killed on Saturday while riding an ATV in Washington, Vermont.  The Laquerre family has our deepest sympathy, and our thoughts and prayers are with them.

I had an appointment today at Littleton Hospital to see my dermatologist for my annual "spot" check - which turned out just fine although tonight I'm minus a few of the bothersome age-related spots I liken to fungus or moss growing on an old log. That's no big deal, it comes at least in part from being light skinned and freckled, and a former sun worshiper.  Then there's the age thing, of course.  I had sunstroke a couple of times as a kid - terrible, deep sunburns at the start of just about every summer.  My mother used to bath my hot skin with vinegar, which took the heat out, but I smelled like a giant pickle.  As a teenager and well into my 20s, I thought being tan was an absolute necessity and used whatever concoction the fashion magazines touted as a quick way to have a beautiful bronze skin.  There were a few tanning lotions on the market, but baby oil with iodine in it was the rage at least for a time, and that was a lot less expensive. Nobody used sunblock - at least, nobody I knew.  I never tanned without getting a good sunburn or two first.  I would of course then shed my skin like a moulting snake.  I can't imagine anything less attractive, but it was the process I thought I needed to endure to get the "healthy" outdoorsy look I was after.  And that is the reason I now, without fail, see my dermatologist at least once a year, and in between if there's an unusual outcropping somewhere.  Trouble is, the older one gets, the more of those unsightly blemishes there are, especially on someone who abused their skin as I did.

But back to the point of my story.  When I entered the lobby at the hospital today, I was met with a very friendly little volunteer lady who apologetically told me she would need to ask me some questions before I could proceed to the doctor's office.  Had I traveled recently to any African countries?  I was happy to assure her Littleton was about as far as I'd traveled all summer, being that Joe's Pond suits me very well most of the time.  She giggled and apologized again as she fastened a red and white checkered band on my wrist.  Then, as if to make up for questioning and banding me, she insisted on escorting me to the second floor, right to the doctor's door.  I got the feeling I might be challenged if I tried to detour.  However, I thanked her and told her how much I appreciated the diligence in screening people coming into the hospital, and she bustled off back to her post in the lobby.   I hope other facilities are taking the same precautions.  It makes perfect sense to be wary, and hopefully, prepared.

While I was undergoing my annual inspection, Fred was getting winter tires put on the car.  The forecast is for snow on Halloween.  That's a scary thought, isn't it?  Never mind.  We're ready.