We are nearing the end of the detour on Route 15 from West Danville to Walden Heights via Route 2 to Route 215 which turned out to be no big deal, apparently.  According to a report in the Hardwick Gazette this week, there were personnel posted at each end of Route 215 to assist with expected traffic snarls at the beginning of the bridge closure period and after three days they left, citing no problems and traffic moving smoothly.  There has been less traffic in all directions than anyone expected.  Cabot Village has not seen a big difference, and while there is definitely an increase on West Shore Road (not the intended detour route!), after the first week or so with law enforcement very visible, drivers for the most part are behaving very well and being careful.  

JPA's Ray Rouleau has been working with the Town of Cabot  since the first week, hoping to have the speed cart placed here at least for a short time, but the town deferred to the state to supply one and the state hasn't responded.  With only a little over a week to left before the bridge reopens for one-way traffic, Ray Rouleau says he's given up phoning to plead our case.  We are grateful for law enforcement's presence - that seems to be working, and thank Ray and JPA for trying.  


Never mind the traffic - how about this fall weather?  This has been the coolest summer for years, I'm thinking.  I haven't seen statistics on it, but I bet it will stack up being one of the chilliest and one of the wettest.  We only have August left, and by then the summer is really winding down into fall so we expect cooler weather.  I felt like turning up the heat in the house this morning to warm things up and dry it out.  Instead, maybe I'll bake something to let the oven warm up the house a tad.  I saw on a cooking show recently some  neat little pans to make baked doughnuts.  We love doughnuts but don't like the fat and added calories from frying, so I found the pans on line and sent for a couple.  We tried them out last week and it worked out really well.  I made a dozen doughnuts, brushed them with a little butter and dipped them in cinnamon and sugar while they were still warm - then we took them to a family reunion and served them with a scoop of ice cream drizzled with homemade chocolate sauce on top - really good!  There were a couple left over (the reunion consisted of just four cousins and our spouses) and we thought they even improved with age.  The doughnuts, not the cousins - none of us is improving much with age at this point since we range in age from late 70s to early 90s!  

Long story short, baked doughnuts seems like a good option today; the oven will take the dampness out of the house and the doughnuts will take the blahs out of us.  Never mind calories or waistlines - we NEED a pick-me-up!  On the other hand, I could save some work and some calories and take a walk instead - that will warm me up and being outside always makes me feel chipper . . . hmmm.