Fred and I just walked down to Talbot's. Fred went down to the water's edge, I didn't want to slide down that steep hill and have to climb back up!  There is water on the ice but no sign of the loon at all.  He looked for any signs of a struggle or tracks that would indicate a coyote or fox might have found the bird, but there was nothing like that, so we are concluding it warmed up enough yesterday that there was enough water for a takeoff. The top picture is looking up the pond; the second one is the view down the pond.  You can see there is slush and water on top of ice, or perhaps there's some open water, it is difficult to tell. 

Today has been very mild - in the 30's, perhaps even hit 40; there was only a glimpse of sunshine sometime around noon and then it clouded over again and now, at 4:30, is still above freezing.  The road is slushy with some pretty well-frozen snow pack in spots that could be a little slippery, but the town has kept the roads well sanded and they are actually very good - except it's probably not a good idea to get too far out of the wheel tracks as the shoulders are plain soupy mud.  Above - West Shore Road as we were walking back home.

Everyone have a good Thanksgiving Weekend?  I hope so - and that you got some shopping in, if that's your pleasure.  Christmas is coming up fast, and we'll be into the New Year before we know it.  I'm always fooled by how quickly the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas slip by.  Such a busy time of the year!

Late yesterday afternoon Pam Hebert messaged that they were unable to see the loon.  I think she said they looked at about 5 o'clock and weren't able to locate it.  We can only hope it somehow got airborne and has left.  I may hear from someone else who knows more - but for now, let's think positively.

More News About the Stranded Loon

We just heard from Eric Hanson and here's the plan:
Eric said this has happened at least four or five times in his career and each time the loon was able to get onto the ice and did not freeze in.  Once the bird is on the ice, Eric waits until the ice is thick enough to support a person and then the bird is fairly easy to catch.  If it is apparently not injured or sick, it will then be released at Lake Champlain which won't freeze over until around January or February, giving the loon time to figure out it's time to head for the ocean.

What we have to do now is watch for the bird to get up onto the ice and then we will let Eric know.  He will then test the ice and if/when it's safe, perform the rescue.  So please, all of you who are here year around and can see the spot in front of Talbot's where this poor unfortunate bird is, keep watch and let us or Evelyn know if you see it on the ice.  Our phone is 563-2381; Evelyn's is 563-3083.  We will then contact Eric and he'll take it from there.

Fred will be posting on the website an article Eric has written about this sort of "emergency."  Apparently it is not unusual; maybe just an immature bird - or an adult with poor judgement.  The good news is that they at least have sense enough to get out of the water onto the ice so they won't freeze in place.

Thanks again to all for your concerns.  We'll let you know of any changes.

Here is a link to Eric's article that explains a bit more about loon habits:  Loons in November

Loon Update

It's been a busy morning trying to resolve the situation of the loon that is trapped without enough water to take off.  We have heard from Evelyn Richer, but not from Eric Hanson as yet.  Evelyn has had some experience, through Eric, with latent loons, and she said it is probably not a good idea for anyone to try to "rescue" the bird.  It would probably dive and come up under the ice where it would perish anyway; if left alone, the ice may melt either today or tomorrow if the temperatures rise and/or the wind picks up and the problem may be solved.  If not, the inevitable will happen, but that's natural for wildlife.

In the meantime, many of you have contacted Evelyn and left messages and she wants to thank you for that.  She has a very busy day ahead and will be away from her phone and computer so will not be able to answer all the messages that have been left for her.  She has asked us to thank you and let you know there really isn't much anyone can do for the loon.

We have also had several calls from people interested in the situation and appreciate the input and offers to help if needed. Unless we hear differently from Eric Hanson or some other wildlife expert, we will let nature take its course. 

We have an absolutely gorgeous morning here.  Not a cloud in the sky, dazzling sunshine, but COLD!  Last night's low was 7 degrees and this morning, even with the sun so strong my thermometer is reading only 19 degrees.

 As you can see, the pond is frozen over again.  Diane Rossi reported this morning that the big pond is completely frozen over, too. 

We had a report of a loon stranded in a small strip of open water off West Shore Road, and we have left messages for both Ray Richer and Eric Hanson.  We were unable to reach either of them personally, but I'm sure they will get the messages we left.  We'll keep you posted.  If there is enough of a warming spell later today and tomorrow to open up more water, the loon will be able to take off ok, but they need a long "runway" to get airborne.  Wildlife gets fooled by Ma Nature sometimes, just like humans do.  We'll hope for a good resolution.

It's a snowy day today.  Very wintery with blowing snow - some coming off the trees from that 12 inches we got, then we've had an inch or two new snow overnight and during the day today that's blowing around, too.  This is the view out my office window right now.  It's snowing very hard, and the thermometer is dropping - plus there's a gusty northwest wind.  Brrrrrrrr!

Diane Rossi just told me there was cat-ice on the pond early this morning, but then the wind broke it up.  However, we're in for near zero cold tonight, so it will no doubt freeze over fairly solidly again.  The temperatures will be well below freezing for the next week or so, which may mean we've seen the last of open water until spring.  Any docks that haven't been pulled out of the water may have to just stay there.

Roads are slick and visibility is poor, so driving conditions aren't good tonight.  Not exactly the picturesque Thanksgiving weekend we'd like to have had weather-wise and for travel, but hopefully everyone will make it home safely, even if a bit late and not without some difficulties.  Winter seems to be here!

We received 12 inches of new snow from this storm.  The snow has stopped and the temperature is now about 20 degrees, so we won't be losing it right away.  Some of us expect we probably won't see much bare ground until sometime in May, but we could be wrong.  For now everything is beautiful - the trees wearing deep snow on sagging branches, and everything around us is white and clean.
 
These pictures were taken by Fred early this morning.  We had a little sunshine, but it didn't last.  Most of the day was overcast, but no more snow.

The roads were well cleared so most people were able to get to wherever they needed to be for this important holiday. And tomorrow those who wish to can head for the stores downtown or their favorite mall.

We had oldest son, Bill and family here for Thanksgiving dinner.  Monika had to leave early to get to work at NVRH, but Bill and the girls stayed for a while.  This is a picture of Tangeni trying to awaken big sister Jo-Ann who had a long after-dinner nap.  She has an impish look - and persisted until Jo-Ann finally got up.  Fortunately, Jo-Ann is very patient - like Woody.  Today Woody did retreat a few times to the garage, and finally took refuge under the bed in the guest room.  By then Tangeni had lost track of him and accepted that he was probably outside.  She called back to us as she was getting into the car, "Be sure to find Woody!"  

After everyone left, Fred had a nap and I dozed in my chair watching a movie on TV.  It was half an hour or so before Woody came out to the living room.  It wasn't just Tangeni's constant attention today, it was that Woody is smart enough to know when there are just a few too many human feet to dodge.    

Tomorrow it's back to a normal schedule and normal eating.  But today it was great to indulge in more than I needed of food I usually shun - and it was ALL GOOD!  Bill brought a delicious ham and Jo-Ann had made banana bread and corn bread - both still warm from the oven on arrival and  scrumptious; and then she'd made a huge batch of chocolate candy with nuts -- sooooo good.  No point in counting calories today!

Before I write anything else, I must correct yesterday's blog where I mentioned the new homes on the eastern shore of the pond.  It is Cassani's, not Calcagni's.  I of course knew that, but apparently my brain wasn't functioning well at the time . . . so I apologize and will edit that so it is correct.

I've been getting ready for tomorrow's dinner and have cooked the turkey ahead as well as most of my side dishes.  Not only will it be a lot less hectic tomorrow having these things done, but just in case we have a power outage, I'll be able to heat whatever is needed on the wood stove.  Not that I anticipate an outage, but we're getting a lot of snow right now and although the temperature has gone down a few degrees during the afternoon, it's still only about 28 degrees, so that snow could be fairly heavy.  We haven't been out to shovel or snow blow - I think we'll wait until morning to do that.  By then the snow storm should be out of here, I think, but we are expected to get between 8 and 12 inches, so road crews will be busy through the night trying to keep things open for holiday travelers.

I'm listening to the scanner and there are the usual reports of cars off roads - so roads are getting slippery.   If you are driving somewhere for the holiday, do be careful.  I expect there will be some travelers who will not be able to reach their destination, especially if they are flying.  Burlington airport officials said at noon some incoming flights had been delayed but that flights out of Burlington should be normal - except if connecting airports are not able to operate normally or are closed.  I'm thankful we're not traveling.

Fred and I wish everyone a Happy and Safe Thanksgiving.

I went to St. J. this morning and got my broken tooth fixed - temporarily.  The crown will come later.  I was noticing again how many changes have taken place along Route 2.  Just before entering Danville, the house that belongs to Marty Beattie has been taken down - I think I've mentioned that before.  Then, at the top of Dole Hill, all the cabins except one (see picture at right) have been removed.  The sign is still there, and the main house, but only the one cabin, far left of the picture remains.

Of course there's the new gas station (picture at right) opening at the west entrance to St. Johnsbury - a Maplefields convenience store and mega station, owned by Skip Vallee.  That's well underway and set to open in December.  Further up Western Avenue, the last full-service gas station in the area will close at about the same time (photo on right).  The repair service and car wash will still be available, but no gasoline sales.  The streets in St. J. are pretty much set for winter, but they were working on both Western Avenue and Main Street when I was there this morning.  I wasn't held up very long, but later when I took a back street leaving town, I noticed the utility poles that have not been reset - some are really in the street and will certainly pose a problem for plows this winter; others were sort of in the way of the new sidewalks.  That can't be good.  I don't expect they will be reset before winter sets in. It seems to me somebody should have seen to it the utility companies were all on board to get this work done while everything was already torn up - maybe even bury some of the lines?  Or maybe they did that and just the poles haven't been removed? 

The ice has pretty much melted away except for a few spots along the shoreline.  I didn't see any ducks or geese today, so perhaps they have quit this place, and that's as it should be.  On the Route 15 side of the pond, the Buttura home is shaping up nicely.  I got this shot from West Shore Road, and tried to get one of the new Cassani house, but I couldn't spot it right away and I needed to get to my appointment.  On the way home, I was late for lunch - you get the idea.  We'll try to get a picture of that soon.  

Today has been like spring around here.  The temperature got into the 50s - in the 60s in the Burlington area! - and all our snow is gone.  I'm not certain that all the ice is gone in the pond.  There still seems to be some iced-over spots in coves, but I think we can safely say we've been through our first "freezing" of the pond, even though the big pond didn't freeze over entirely.  Old timers will tell you the pond has to "freeze over" two or three times before it's frozen for the winter.  I seem to remember one winter a few years ago when it froze right after Thanksgiving and we didn't see open water again until May, but more often we do go through these two or three periods of freezing and releasing before it's solid.

Today there have been some showers, but last night it rained pretty hard.  I collected .37 in. of rain in my gauge, but a few places didn't get much at all; others got a lot more.  We went to Hardwick and Wolcott this morning and there was lots of fog along the river.  I suppose that was because the air was so much warmer than the water.  Our car thermometer was reading 51 degrees at the time.  The back road (Brickett's Crossing Road) was a combination of mud, slush and occasional icy spots, but still very passable.  We just had to be aware that there were soft shoulders and shaded spots could be really slippery.  

At one farm on Route 15, we saw three deer carcasses hanging.  That might suggest the deer kill was up this year, or just that there were lots of hunters in the family.  There was plenty of snow for tracking during the first week, but now, in the second week, none at all.  I haven't paid much attention to the reports in the newspapers so far, so I don't have any idea how many have been shot in our area, but I'm always glad when hunting season is over.

There seem to be plenty of wild turkeys around, though.  We've seen some very large flocks.  I just learned that a group of turkeys is technically called a "rafter" or a "gang," and averages about 30 birds.  So I guess what we've been seeing is very normal.  There also seem to be lots of rabbits around this year.  Perhaps there haven't been too many predators.     

We had a mild day today - in fact, we've lost most of our snow and all sections of the pond are showing only water now.  I think there may be some ice underneath, at least in the first pond and the coves, but not for long.  The temperature has been in the 40's and early this morning there was a little misty rain.  Fred took this picture around noon today. 

We still have snow on the ground and on our driveway, as you can see.  It is very wet and when we walked on West Shore Road, it was slushy and not good walking at all.  There were a number of cars and trucks that went by and we were just lucky we didn't get plastered with slop.  We think we saw Jay Chatot out with his bicycle - that must have been a hard ride.  

I discovered sometime last week that I'd forgotten to put my snow stake out in the back yard, so I took advantage of the mild weather and got that done today.  I was not the only one taking care of stuff late.  We saw some docks being hauled in today, too.  It's a good thing Mother Nature gives us a break sometimes.  

We went for breakfast at the Danville Inn this morning with Bill and Diane Rossi.  It's always fun to go there - we see people we know and the food is really good.  We hadn't seen Bill and Diane for a while although we've kept in touch by e-mail, but that isn't the same as enjoying the company of friends in person.  The only bad thing was that I broke a tooth.  As has happened before, I was eating something soft, this time scrambled eggs.  I've had it happen eating a piece of soft bread, too.  Once it happened when I was eating popcorn - but twice now it's happened at a restaurant.  It's not like I have delicate teeth or something, it's another one of those very annoying "age related" things.  Like everything else that tends to wear out over the years, if you live long enough your teeth begin to crack and fall apart.  It's nothing serious, except I know it will be an expensive fix. 

We had heard that Garey has been out in the store looking for things to do and was making baked beans yesterday - with some assistance; but this morning I saw Jenny in the store and she said she actually made the beans and Garey really isn't ready for that yet.  He's doing well, though, and getting plenty of rest, she said.  His right arm is immobilized while it heals, but he is able to wiggle his fingers, so that's a really good sign, we think.  

The next few days will be busy with preparations for Thanksgiving in lots of households.  This is one holiday when most people will forget their diets and enjoy their favorite foods.  It's also when people think about donating money and/or food to help those less fortunate, and that's wonderful; but I read something the other day that made lots of sense, and that was we might want to wait and give after the holiday - when not so many others are being generous.  Hunger is a reality every day for so many people, and food shelves tend to be overflowing during the holiday week - but then the shelves really need replenishing, so consider making your donations at other times when there is likely a greater need.  The same goes for volunteering - the need is constant, not just during holidays.  

Caught with your dock in?

This past week we've learned there are a few docks that are still in the water - well, actually they may be "in the ice" depending on where on the pond they are.  The first pond was completely frozen over yesterday when we went by, and with the thermometer in the mid teens overnight and still only 20 degrees now, I expect the middle pond will be frozen over now.  There is ice forming along the shore of the big pond and most sheltered coves are already frozen over.  

If you depend on someone to get your docks out, better check to be sure it has been done.  Left in over the winter, they can suffer considerable damage and often break loose in the spring and are lost or become a hazard if partially submerged and not retrieved.  There may be a window of opportunity when the weather warms slightly early next week, but it looks like after that it's going to be cold again.

Good luck. 

This lovely photo was taken by Diane Rossi this morning. 

I would not be surprised if this open water freezes over tonight.  My thermometer is reading 15 degrees - cold enough to freeze water, for sure!  Thank you, Diane for sharing.

We've had a wintery day with a little more snow and more cold temperatures.  We went to St. J. this morning and found the first pond (top picture) is completely frozen over.  There is open water under the bridge where the current is stronger, but the rest is solid.  My thermometer is showing 15 degrees tonight, so the middle pond, (second picture) which had ice only in some of the coves, could freeze over tonight.  Some of the big pond has frozen in the quiet areas of coves and at least partially at the head of the pond.  With warmer weather expected by the weekend, it will probably open up again.

We were in Burlington on Wednesday and there was no snow at all there.  We ran into snow on the way home at around Waterbury, and had flurries overnight.  Fred got a nice picture of Mt. Mansfield, but there were snow clouds that passed over it from time to time.  I think the mountain has plenty of snow already. 


We saw John Gebby at White Market today and he was saying that he's got the ski bug.  His ski buddy, Bob (our middle son) was skiing at Killington last week - I haven't talked with Bob, so don't know if it was really good or just mediocre.   The ski areas are rejoicing the season has started so early, and with the cold temps the snow should hold well.  It should be a good year for them.

I've been working on old photos for the Cabot Historical Society and came upon one of Joe's Pond that I hadn't seen before.  If you click on the image to make it larger, you can see it is the west shoreline.  That is the Dr. Watt cottage on the far left, where Don Walker's is now.  That very large cottage burned.  Above that is a roof showing in the trees that would probably be the farm on the bend of what is now Chatot Rd., only the foundation remains.  Further along at the top of the ridge above the "x" is another house that was the Gray farm, on land once owned by my Grandfather Bolton and now owned by Kate and Jules Chatot, and those buildings are also gone.  Some of the cottages along the shore look much as they do today.  I don't know who sent this picture postcard or what the "x" marked, but it's a nice view from probably the 1920's.


Here's another picture I thought was interesting.  It's of a group of strawberry pickers at George Tebbett's farm in Cabot in 1899.  It looks like it was quite an operation.  Isn't it interesting that everyone dressed up nicely for the job?  Imagine those ladies all gussied up working in the heat of the sun with those heavy skirts and long-sleeved blouses. and no doubt they were wearing tight corsets, too!  No wonder ladies of that era were prone to swooning. 

Lots of sunshine today, but only in the low 20's so far and a nasty cold wind, so there won't be much melting going on, I'm afraid.  I took this picture this morning - the new snow (we got two more inches yesterday and overnight) shows up plainly where the ice has formed around the edges of the pond.  It won't be long before the pond is closed in - perhaps by or soon after Thanksgiving, which is not unusual, but we usually see it freeze and then open up again once or twice before it's solid for the duration.  No hurry, this is a bit too early for real winter to set in, but I'm sure the people in the mid-west getting all that snow would say they've had "real winter" for a while already.  We probably won't escape really dreadful weather for long.  It's payback for that nice summery weather we had this fall!

You'll be happy to know that Garey Larrabee is home.  He's made good progress and although we haven't seen him yet, I'm sure he's really glad to be back in windy West Danville.  It won't be long before he's buzzing around the store again, I'm sure . . . probably before his doctors give him the okay!  We're just glad he's home and doing well.

For the moment we have sunshine instead of snow showers, and that is very welcome.  It's been a few too many days with snow every day - we didn't really get the rain yesterday we expected, although there were some brief periods with very wet snow and a little rain mixed in.  Still, we have only 4-5 inches of snow on the ground. I'm guessing.  I haven't been out to measure it; I'm basing my estimate on the amounts I measured daily starting Friday, which totals 7 in. and allowing for settling and what little rain we had in the mix yesterday.  As I look across the pond towards Route 15, I

notice the fields there don't look as snow covered as we are on this side - perhaps because they have a southerly exposure, opposite from this side of the pond.  Even so, they have enough snow for mid-November.


Fred has resisted going out with the snow blower because our blacktop driveway melts off quickly when the temperatures are on the mild side.  That isn't the case today, though.  The thermometer outside my office window reads 21 degrees, while the weather station is reading 30.  The sensor for the weather station is on the front side of the house near the driveway and always reads a few degrees warmer.  The wind seems to be picking up and we could be in for some blustery weather.  He may have to go out later today if the snow showers continue, but he knows it's going to be a long winter and he'll be walking lots of miles behind that machine, so why rush to get started!

Steve and Bev Allen sent a link to a really nice photo essay, Reasons Living In Maine Ruins You For Life.  It brought to mind  lots of memories, both recent and distant, and I thoroughly enjoyed looking at it.  I hope you do, too. Ayuh.

 

I received this attachment in an e-mail from one of our Joe's Ponders today: 

WATCH OUT- AND DELETE ANY PHONY MAIL ITEMS

FYI

A New Virus 

The newest virus circulating is the UPS/Fed Ex/USPS Delivery Failure. 
You will receive an e-mail from UPS, Fed Ex, or USPS along with a packet number. 
It will say that they were unable to deliver a package sent to you on such-and-such a date.

It then asks you to print out the invoice copy attached.

**********************************************************************
DON'T ATTEMPT TO PRINT THE INVOICE COPY!!!. IT WILL LAUNCH THE VIRUS!

 
Pass this warning on to all your PC operators at work and home.    
This virus has caused Millions of dollars in damage in the past few days.   Snopes confirms that this is real.   

This is an excellent reminder that we need to be vigilant to protect ourselves from computer viruses as well as scams by e-mail, phone or in person.  More than once we've had someone drive into our yard to offer some service or with "overstock" items they want to sell, and phony phone solicitations are very common.  Computer scams and catching a virus are also a big concern. The holidays, when we are all busy and usually in a rush, is when we may let our guard down and fall victim to one of these dangers.  

Final words of caution:  BE AWARE.  Think twice before you open unknown or unusual e-mail messages. Try to keep in mind what packages you may have coming and you can usually go on line at the site where you made a purchase to track a package and contact the company if there seems to be a problem so they can verify where the package is. 

We got snow, too!  Not like our neighbors out west, but we're white, having received 1.5 inches yesterday and another half inch yesterday and during the night.  It's been cold, too.  The low last night was 19 and even though the sun is out, we haven't warmed up much - it's only about 25 at almost noon, and there's a brisk southwest wind that sends the wind chill down to about 14 above.  It's really pretty outside today - blue sky and the water is sparkling blue (see above), but I bet the temperature is getting down to where we could see a skimming of ice in the next few days. 

Fred was out taking pictures early yesterday morning and I put his with one of mine taken just before the snow came and made a slide show of our new snow. 

Diane Rossi sent me this picture of some visiting geese.  We don't mind if they make this one of their resting places as long as they keep moving and hopefully forget what a nice spot Joe's Pond is on their way north next spring.

Today is the first day of regular deer hunting.  I expect hunters are delighted to have snow so they can track the deer.  It is quieter in the woods with snow, too.  Deer camps are no doubt filled to capacity this weekend with lots of laughter, smoke, beer and bacon.  I've been told these "hunters" consist of some guys who don't hunt but have expensive guns and mostly play cards; then there are the mandatory "cooks" who prefer a hot stove to cold weather and sometimes bag their buck right from the cabin door; there are the guys who are terrible at cards, don't hunt, but come for the camaraderie and food.  The wives and girlfriends left behind have their own traditions - like shopping and hanging out with their friends.  Deer camp is a tradition nobody should mess with. 


I haven't seen much hunting activity in our immediate area, but I expect there will be some, especially during the weekend.  We usually see lots of slow-moving pickups just before sundown going by with men in orange hats peering out open windows, hoping for a glimpse of a big buck.  Occasionally we'll see a hunter walking down West Shore Road, rifle cradled in one arm - but much of the land here is posted, so unless a deer is crossing the road, the chances of shooting one is slim.  There are so many dwellings in this area, it's not a good place for hunting.  

Here's a cute ditty that sort of tells it all:  Deer Huntin'

 

We're getting a sifting of snow tonight.  Woody went outside and as sometimes happens when it's cold, we just go to the door in a few minutes and let him back in - that's so he doesn't have to go off the deck and squeeze through the kitty door into the garage where the knocker is on the kitchen door - and as usual, he was scrunched down at the top of the steps so his furry body keeps his feet warm, watching the snow fall.  There's space under the eaves that is  sheltered from the snow and he feels safe there while listening to night sounds and watching for any movement in the darkness.  He was happy to get inside and hasn't pestered to go out again all evening.  It's been dreary all day and I guess we had a shower perhaps late in the day, but overall it was uneventful, but chilly. 

Andy Rudin sent this picture taken a couple days ago at his home in Melrose Park, Pennsylvania.  They sure have nicer foliage left than we do - even our tamaracks didn't last long enough to make much of an impression this year.  They usually prolong the foliage season after their needles turn bright yellow.  This year they turned and fell before I really noticed.  This is the dull hillside overlooking Route 15, across the pond from us.  Not much left on the trees anywhere, but as soon as the snow comes, things will look brighter.  I love the contrast of the evergreens against the snow and the hard woods stand out like they were sketched in ink.  

We are actually gearing up for Ice Out again - I had a note from our data specialist, Henretta, asking for tickets to input.  I have a few hundred for her to get going with.  After most of our neighbors left and the tourist traffic calmed down, so did our ticket sales.  Now I pick up two or three a week or sometimes none at all.  I haven't had a request to send tickets in the mail for weeks, either.  There is always a bump up in demand from people who want to give them away during the holidays, so I expect to hear from some of our "regulars" soon.  I may even get rush requests from people who are having lots of guests at Thanksgiving and want to use Ice-Out tickets as favors or as a substitute for place cards.  You can't beat the price at $1 each, and I will stamp each pre-paid ticket with a pretty red PAID.

I'm presently digitizing the albums I have put together over the past few years for the Cabot Historical Society.  Today I was working on newspaper clippings and came across a story done in 1997 by Art Edelstein, probably for the Times Argus, about the Vermont Oat Company that operated for a few years on Cabot Plain.  They produced Eric & Andy's oatmeal - I'm sure some of you will remember that.  It cost considerably more than regular commercial oatmeal, and was one of the first "organic" Vermont products from our area.  I think it's safe to say they were organic before it became synonymous with Vermont-made products.  The oatmeal was decidedly different in consistency and taste than what we were used to, and I liked it very much.  I'm not sure how many years they operated, but partner Andy Leinoff once told me they couldn't get enough organically grown oats to supply the operation and stay profitable.  They grew some on the land Andy owns that used to belong to my Grandfather Bolton - the oatmeal factory, or mill, was built on the high hill above the farm, on the south side of the lane that separated two very large pastures.  On the north side, overlooking Joe's Pond, is where Andy built a rather large house.  The house and mill are still there, but the mill has been silent for years.  That was a complete surprise to me when I complained a few years ago to someone that I wished they wouldn't run that darned mill at night when I was trying to get to sleep, and was told the mill hadn't operated "for at least two years."  Well,  I still hear that darned mill - but now I know it's tinnitus humming like a motor in the night.  With nobody to blame, I now try to think of it as "white noise" that lulls me to sleep.  Speaking of which . . . it's time to turn off the computer and listen for the ghostly hum of the oatmeal factory that's no longer there.

 

A Purrrfect Holiday Gift

Hi Friends,

I couldn't resist the subject pun.

This is the cover photo for our 2015 Kingdom Animal Shelter cat calendar.  It is really a very beautiful calendar this year.  If you wish to get one, you could go to Kingdom Animal Shelter and go to the store by scrolling down the left hand side.  And in the store, you will be able to purrchase a calendar for $12 with $3 for shipping and handling.  Thank you so much for considering this "gift".  Helen Morrison

Now we're closing in on "the holidays . . . " and a change in the weather.  Today was more like late September than November.  The sun was bright and warm and on my way back from Southwest Hill in Cabot, I saw a woman blowing leaves out of her back yard - big time.  She had a powerful blower and an enormous pile of leaves tumbling away from a stone wall and some flower beds.  I was thinking what nice bedding they would have made over her flowers, but apparently mulched leaves were not part of her ritual for putting the flowers to bed for the winter.  I'm relieved that we don't even try to rake leaves anymore.  We read somewhere that they provide some nourishment for the soil and it's best to leave them or just run over them with the lawn mower.  I don't think either of us bothered to confirm that bit of information - it was too perfect a solution for avoiding back-breaking work every fall.   Like we don't rake after mowing the lawn, either.  Sometimes our lower lawn looks like a windrowed field, but we don't have to fertilize it as it seems to replenish itself perfectly well.

Further up Ducharme Road, on the Carpenter farm, I found this group of turkeys scattered across the road.  By the time I got my camera out they were in the field below the road, and I was able to get only about half of them in the shot, but they were totally unafraid of the car and obviously enjoying the nice day like everyone else.

With Thanksgiving almost here, it's time to get serious about plans for Christmas, too.  Christmas is different for us now we have children in the family.  We gave up giving each other gifts years ago except for drawing names a few years until even that got sort of ridiculous since we were all adults.  There are other ways we celebrate the season - volunteering, donating gifts for less fortunate children, giving to food shelves.   I have to admit since we've had grandchildren Christmas has taken on a whole new meaning.  When Tangeni visited us last week, she pointed out all the "Christmas trees" on our lawn.  I guess the snow that covered them made her think of Christmas decorations.  At three years old, I doubt she remembers much about last year's Christmas, but she surely understands about Christmas trees.


Tangeni called us tonight.  She always asks "how's Woody," and tonight I told her he had just come in from being outside in the cold, but that he was in my lap getting his feet warmed.  She said, "Woody's here."  I thought she'd misunderstood, but she kept telling me Woody was at her house.  I finally gave up trying to figure out what she was telling me, but then her Dad came on the phone and explained that since she had visited us on Friday she has been pretending she is Woody, lying on the floor like he does and last night wanted to eat her supper from a dish on the floor.  That didn't happen - I guess her Dad gave her the humans vs. animals reasoning - but that explained why she was telling us Woody was at her house.  I'm sure Woody would be flattered if he could understand . . . she sure does like him!  And I think the feeling is somewhat mutual.

From Karen (Gruggel) Cobb:


Just wanted to honor all who have served as well as all serving now.

This monument stands at Quantico,VA, and represents a two year effort by my husband, and nine Marine classmates from Basic School 6/67 class.  

This monument was dedicated on April 25,2014. Over 400 were in attendance for the dedication and class reunion weekend.  One letter evoked an amazing outpouring of funds from classmates,families,friends,and families of the fallen. A significant monetary surplus was given to military charities.

That weekend was truly a beautiful event for everyone that came. It was a real testament to the motto of the Marine Corps, Semper Fidelis. (Click on images to enlarge)

Thank you, Karen, for sending us this very nice message.