Monday, August 31, 2015

The following came from Kelli Merrell who has volunteered to do regular water testings at the beach in West Danville:  
 
Hi folks,
Yesterday I observed a category 2 blue green algae bloom in the NE cove of Joes Pond.  Today, my colleague, Angela Shambaugh confirmed it as the blue green Anabaena.  It was dispersed throughout the water column and a scum of it was accumulating on the surface due to a light breeze blowing into the cove from the NW.  

 This morning I took the E coli reading at the town beach at 6:35 am and there was no sign of a bloom.  Tonight I stopped by the NE cove again and saw no sign of the bloom.  

To my knowledge I believe this is the first confirmed blue green algae bloom in the lake.  Hence, it is worth educating users on how to identify a bloom.  The nature of such blooms are that they are quite ephemeral and we may not see another this year, but folks should take notice before swimming or letting their dogs drink the water.  An excellent document on the subject can be found at the link below.  We may want to consider putting up one of the educational signs in the appendix at the swim beach.  Jane may want to share the below link on the JPA blog.
http://healthvermont.gov/enviro/bg_algae/documents/BGA_guide.pdf

The Vermont Department of Health has been alerted and our town health officer, Eric Bach, should be notified by them shortly.

At this point, it is important to educate folks on what a bloom looks like, but one bloom does not a crisis make.  Cyanobacteria are and have been a natural part of our lake ecosystems for a long, long time.  If we see an increase in bloom frequencies and intensities, then we will need to take a closer look.  For now, I would recommend we use this opportunity to help folks learn to know the signs described in the link above.  

Sincerely,
Kellie
 
This is an alert only so people can be aware of a potential problem; however as Kelli states, this is natural and for the time being we only need to be aware avoid swimming or letting dogs drink if there is evidence of a bloom where we play in the water. 
 
Here's something a lot prettier than an algae bloom.  We received this picture from Fred's brother Tom and wife Ella, in Laconia, NH.  Their Rose of Sharon bush has been blooming profusely all summer and is still lovely.

This came from the Nicholsons today.  We knew they had plans to build a new home on their lot, and this is the first step - finding a home for all the things they won't need in the new house.  A good opportunity for someone to pick up some good items for a reasonable price.  Looks like the weather is going to be perfect this weekend, so stop by and look over their offerings.


YARD SALE @ Nicholson Camp
345 Old Homestead Road
SATURDAY SEPT 5TH FROM 9:00 AM TO 4:00 PM

Our camp is coming down so everything must go:

Front load Washer, Elec Dryer, Elec Stove, lots of glass ware, dishes, light fixtures, bathroom vanity, French Doors, Shower Stall, Overhead Fan with Light, and a lot more.  

Sunday, August 30, 2015

We picked up chicken 'n biscuits at the West Danville church last night.  There was a very efficient assembly line that put everything together with no waiting in line hardly at all.  Just time enough to catch up a little chatting with people we knew.  The food was great and we thoroughly enjoyed the experience.  I even brought home some dishes I really didn't need but that were among items left from the yard sale.  I thought it was a really great idea to have things displayed during the supper, although I didn't see many people browsing the yard sale items.  It reminded me of when the barn at Hastings Store was filled with used items for sale and was open all summer.  Now the barn is completely changed, filled with beautiful crafts that make up Deb Stresing's  Joe's Pond Craft Shop.  But back a few decades, my kids loved going there and finding tee shirts or well-worn jeans to bring home and cut off for summer "uniforms."   I'm a pushover for dishes and can always find something I can't leave behind and don't have space for at home.  Last night it was a fun 20 minutes or so getting our suppers and browsing the yard sale tables.

On our way home we stopped at camp.  We had thought Bob and Theresa weren't going to be able to be there this weekend, but their plans changed so they got to camp late Saturday.  Bob had just had his head shaved to raise money for pancreatic cancer research.  The whole fire department in St. Johnsbury participated, along with Bob and a lot of other folks concerned for a friend who has pancreatic cancer.  It was a bit of a shock to see my middle son bald as a billiard ball, even though he normally keeps his hair closely cropped, but still "pretty cool,"  and I had to give him a big hug for his loyalty to his friend.  Theresa really likes his new look, but he didn't commit to whether he will keep it shaved or not.







Thursday, August 27, 2015


I am so sorry for confusing everyone about Pete Blackadar's Open House at the JPA pavilion to celebrate her 90th birthday.  It's on September 5th, which is actually a Saturday.  For some reason I kept thinking it was on a Sunday.  Dot Larrabee sent an e-mail yesterday saying it's on September 5th from 1-4 p.m.  I didn't look at the calendar - but definitely the 5th is a Saturday.  Thanks to Tom Beattie for questioning that. 

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

The open house for Pete Blackadar's 90th birthday is Sunday, September 5, from 1-4 p.m. at the Joe's Pond Association pavilion.  Thanks to Dot Larrabee for the correct date and time.  I had mistakenly put it on the blog earlier as being this Sunday.  We'll hope next week's nice weather holds through that weekend.
After all that rain yesterday - some got a lot more than others, but here I measured .73 in. - we had a pretty nice day today.  There is a definite difference in the air recently, though, and not unexpectedly there's a hint of wood smoke most mornings.  I guess folks are stoking up the wood stoves to take the chill off.  More of that to come!

This announcement about celebrating "Archaeology Month," came in the Cabot Historical Society mailbox today. In case any of you are interested, here's a link to their scheduled events.  We are not participating in any of the events, but there are some interesting things going on.   I may have mentioned last year I went with an archaeologist to the site of the blockhouse that was once on Cabot Plain.  Her findings will be published eventually - she was looking at all the blockhouse sites along the old Bayley Hazen Road, and although there are no remnants to tell us exactly where the one might have been on the Plain, from descriptions and the lay of the land, we think we know about where it was.  It would be interesting if she had been able to excavate in the area, but the land has been tilled for so many years, it's unlikely any artifacts would be found.  Vermont farmers plowed their fields deeply and any remnants of the old fort would have been turned over and probably disposed of in order to plant crops over the last 200 years.  We do have some artifacts at the Cabot Historical Society from other buildings on the Plain that were built somewhat later than the block house, but from that particular era we have only the big iron mess kettle found at Gen. Hazen's camp site a short distance from the site of the fort.  We are fortunate to have that - and the other items that were found and donated by the farmer who later owned the land on the Plain where our earliest settlement was.  A description of some of that history is on our CHS website.  You'll find stories about the Bayley-Hazen Road, the Yellow House tavern, and lots of other history there.

Don't forget the chicken 'n biscuits supper at the West Danville church this Saturday - take-outs only, and doors open at 5:30.  Also, there's the dedication of the opening of the Trailhead for the bike path tomorrow evening at 5 o'clock at the beach in West Danville.

And on Sunday, Sept. 5, there is an open house celebration to honor "Pete" Blackadar's birthday.  That is at the Joe's Pond Association pavilion.  I don't have an exact time, but I expect it will be from 2-4 p.m.  I'll check and confirm later.  She'll be happy to see her many friends from the area.  Stop by and wish her well!

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Steady rain and a few rumbles of thunder this morning, but the temperature is around 70 degrees, so it's not terribly uncomfortable.
Yesterday was hot in St. Johnsbury.  I went to visit my long-time friend, Lucille, and came away with some interesting information about Injun Joe's Cabins when her parents, Glen and Sylvia Jones, owned it.  Each cabin was immaculate, inside and out when they had them.  Glen was good with tools and keep things ship-shape; Sylvia saw to it the cabins were perfectly set up and clean inside.  They added a couple of cabins and maintained a neat little gift shop in the main lodge.  

I boarded with Glen and Sylvia in St. Johnsbury when I first went to work there in the 1950s.  Sylvia was a great cook and I had to be careful or else I would have put on way too many pounds.  Glen worked at Lesnick's Farm Machinery, and was a great salesman. Lucille and I both worked for Lesnick's in those days.  There were two businesses - the farm machinery that Harry Lesnick oversaw and the DeSoto/Plymouth sales and service that his brother, Louis Lesnick ran.  Lucille and I were bookkeepers (and sometimes secretaries, as needed) under head bookkeeper Arthur Nelson.  It was a thriving business and we worked 5 1/2 days a week.  Lucille had pictures from those days, pictures I hadn't seen for ages.  We find it hard to believe it was so long ago - the years have zipped by.  Here we are, getting ready to go on a picnic - Ray, Jane, Lucille and Herman.  That was probably about 1952 - see what I mean?  63 years ago!


Today we had our television dish moved from the roof onto a pole on the ground at the end of our house.  No more nights of Fred having to go out and walk the ridgepole to get to the tv dish to clean the sloppy snow off!  He has always said it was "no big deal," but I have always thought it was really dangerous to be out there in the total darkness high on a rooftop.  Now it's shoulder high and as long as we don't get four feet of snow, we should be just fine.  Even then the worst that could happen is that we'd have to shovel a trench in front of the thing so it would have a clear shot towards the ski.  Of course, the trees on the hillside could, and probably will, get too high at some point, but we think that's at least a few years down the road.








Sunday, August 23, 2015

It's been a beautiful day here and is cooling down so we should all be able to get a great night's sleep.  I even got outside late this afternoon to do some garden work.  I'm definitely going to downsize my flower gardens - it's been an awful year for me and my flower beds.  Either it's been too hot, too cold or too buggy. Or else I'm too lazy to get out there.  It isn't fun any more, and my old joints don't appreciate being stressed, so I'm going to "re-landscape."

We were commenting that yesterday was the most comfortable meeting of the year at the pavilion.  The spring meeting we were cold, the annual meeting was windy and raw, but yesterday was very pleasant.  It was striking as we entered the pavilion and saw all the new chairs lined up.  Really pretty.  Jaff Baxter and Ray Rouleau built "corals" for them in the storage room, and that seems to work very well.  The bottom picture shows some of our members having coffee and doughnuts before the meeting.  It's always a great time to chat with friends and meet folks we haven't seen for a while or who may be new members.  We had good attendance and even though it was a short meeting, everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. The minutes are posted on the website, in case you'd like to read what was discussed at the meeting.

We went for a boat ride with Jamie and Marie in the afternoon yesterday.   There were lots of people out on the water taking advantage of the nice weather.  We saw just about every type of  vessel imaginable as we went around the pond. Kayaks, paddle boards, inflatables and jet skis - we didn't see a single rowboat, though.  I wonder if there are any of those still around - probably not, except perhaps as planters on someone's lawn.

The beach was busy with lots of kids in the water and families enjoying one of the last weekends before school begins and kids are busy with soccer and other school activities.
I remember how I dreaded the end of summer and going back to school.  After being in shorts and barefoot all summer, getting dressed up for school was nothing short of torture.  And it always seemed to be really hot for the first few weeks of school.   The Plains school was at the edge of a big field that was part of our farm, so I spent a good deal of my time gazing out the window watching whatever was going on outside and wishing I could be part of it instead of being stuck in school.  After a week or so I'd settle down, but starting school each fall was painful for me.  Now I marvel that my granddaughters are excited for school to begin.  

This is a picture of the inside of Cabot Plains School where I went for most of my elementary school years.  It wasn't the most inviting place by today's standards, but I still have some really nice memories of those years.  That's a stage on the right, and beyond the piano, the door to the boys' cloak room and bathroom.  There was a similar cloak room on the opposite side of the stage for the girls, and these served as dressing rooms during our theater productions.  The black boards were across the back of the room, and big windows along the east side of the building on the left of the photo.  Some teachers liked their desk in front of the students, while others preferred to be in back of them.  With 20 or more kids in all eight grades to manage, a teacher didn't spend a lot of time at her desk.  The students were seated according to grade level so it was easier for the teacher to more or less segregate classes.  Everyone heard everyone else reciting or being instructed by the teacher, and sometimes it was more interesting than what we were supposed to be doing in our own studies.  At recess we played games, used the swings or walked on the rail fence by the brook.  Occasionally one of us would fall, but nobody got seriously hurt - only wet if we happened to fall into the brook.  We survived cold weather, mud season, occasional fights on the playground, and the daily walks to and from school - some of the kids walked over a mile each way and in all kinds of weather.  Only rarely would a parent bring their children to school.  I guess that was all part of the learning process.




Friday, August 21, 2015

Dedication of LVRT Trailhead



Please remember the last meeting of the season for Joe's Pond Association Members is on Saturday, August 22, at the JPA pavilion at 10 o'clock.  It isn't the end of summer exactly, but it is the final business meeting of the Association and lots of members will be heading away either for winter retreats or because they have youngsters in school.  

The social season at the pond will quiet down considerably in the next couple of weeks and we'll begin to notice fewer people on the water, especially during the week since some get back only for weekends and then only until cold weather.  By Labor Day, most boats are out of the water and the pond gets REALLY quiet.  We'll still have bikers and  hikers on the rail trail and a smattering of foliage seekers roaming through early October; then it will be snow time and if there's a sufficient amount, snowmobiles will begin to race happily along the rail trail.  

As another summer at Joe's Pond ends, other activities await to amuse our residents and visitors, and we appreciate how the changing seasons bring an continuing flow of visitors to the community.  We try our best to encourage them to buy some Ice-Out tickets before the leave and to return as often as they can, any season, warm or cold. 

See you at the meeting!

Thursday, August 20, 2015

Summer is going out with lots of heat!  These past days have taken a toll on lots of us, leaving us wishing we could package some of the heat for next January.  I have even less energy than usual on these days, and even our cat, Woody, has shown some signs of stress lately - perhaps due to the heat.  It's hard to tell with him.  He has always loved being outside after dark, but lately he's been very skittish about being outside.  We aren't sure if he senses something threatening is lurking in the shadows or if he's perhaps actually seen something out there, but he is sticking very close to the house and when he comes in, which he does frequently during the evening, he is nervous as a cat (unusual for him!) and only stays in briefly before asking to go out again, preferring to use the door into the garage rather than onto the deck.  We often find him crouched on top of the car watching out the windows at the back of the garage.  I suspect there are animals - perhaps a skunk or a raccoon or maybe even a bear, out there and he knows it.  I'm just as happy that I can't see whatever it is he's wary of. 

It's nice that nights have been cooling down, though, and I have to admit I haven't missed any sleep due to the heat.  What a nice way to finish up the summer, though.  I say that because in a couple of weeks kids will be heading back to school and that will take a lot of our Joe's Pond folks back to their homes and soccer games.  The final meeting of Joe's Pond Association is on Saturday, the 22nd, at 10 a.m. at the pavilion.  We hope to have a good turnout for that.

Andy Rudin sent me a link to a very interesting promotional video that has a lot of Joe's Pond images on it - and Joe's Ponders!  Take a look HERE.  

The bridge in Walden is finished and all is back to normal as far as traffic is concerned.  We are glad there were no serious problems as a result of the traffic being re-routed.

I have a question I hope someone familiar with Joe's Pond can answer:  Where was the cottage "Shiloh" located, and who was the owner in about 1917?  I visited a friend whose father and mother "courted" at this cottage, and she is wondering where it was.  It was built like many other cottages of that era, so it's very hard to tell where it was located; but that big boulder in front may be a clue - if it is still there.  I'd appreciate hearing from anyone who may have a clue.  Email me, please.


 

Bridge is Done!

Work Update
Walden Bridge Replacement –VT 15
Walden BRF030-3 (5)
Project Location:  Bridge 83 is located on VT 15 in Walden over Joe’s Brook approximately 5 miles southeasterly of the Hardwick/Walden town line. 
  
Week of August 24, 2105
  
This project is complete. 

Contact Francine Perkins, Project Outreach Coordinator, at 802-479-6994 with questions.  Visit www.roadworkupdates.com to view the most recent updates for the project.

Sunday, August 16, 2015

I spent quite a lot of time last week preparing to conduct a tour of two of Cabot's one-room school houses that have been restored.  There are always certain things that need to be done before we take people to see these treasures - like being sure they are clean and presentable and above all, open when we arrive.  I had everything coordinated and even some brochures printed in case they wanted to know dates these old buildings were in use.  It was a group of photographers who wanted to take some nighttime shots on Cabot Plain by the Foster Covered Bridge.  They contacted me months ago and expressed interest in the old schools we describe on our website www.cabothistory.com.   I was ready.  We were to meet yesterday, Saturday, at 3 o'clock in Cabot Village.  I had others who are involved with the Cabot Historical Society who were going along, and just before I left the house I decided to check my e-mail one more time (I don't have a smart phone or any of the hand-held gadgets), so imagine my surprise when up popped a message from the organizer with the photo club saying they had decided not to come due to the weather.  It had been sent at about noon on Saturday.  We're pretty low-tech; I have a basic cell phone I only use for emergencies, and none of the people here who were going with me have them - or if they do, I don't have their numbers, so they couldn't be reached except at home, but I tried and they had all left to meet me at the appointed time and place.  There was no way to reach the people scheduled to have the schools opened, either, so long story short, I did a tour with my buddies, Bonnie, Peter and Julie, from the historical society, and it was fun.  

Most of us knew the West Hill School from previous visits, meetings or cleanings, but I hadn't visited in a while, so I was happy to get a "dry run," so to speak.  The West Hill School is pictured here. Inside it is very much like it was when there were students there.  It is a charming old building and although there are some elements that are not what were originally there, like the Vermont Castings wood stove, or durable paint on the floors and woodwork, and framed photos of former students on the wall, it's otherwise authentic.

The weather held off nicely and we did a repeat visit to the Center of Town where Bonnie and Julie hadn't seen the damage to the big boulder (spray paint graffiti that's yet to be cleaned up), and then went to the Plain to see the Walbridge School, which I hadn't visited in many years. This school was purchased and moved by Richard Spaulding from it's original position on Route 215 where his mother, a Walbridge, and her siblings had all gone to school.  It is now in a corner of Mr. Spaulding's field on Cabot Plain, and has been updated with electricity, running water, and even a basement.  No such accouterments were in the original, but the outside appearance has remained unchanged and inside are numerous family photos, some old school desks, and comfortable seating so it can be used as a guest house on occasion, but is still preserved, and we appreciate that.


We know that the first school ever in Cabot was on Cabot Plain and although there is a granite marker near the Walbridge School indicating it is the site of that first school, that is not the case.  The marker was moved some 60 years or more ago when the local road commissioner wanted to widen the road and it was in his way - so he moved it unceremoniously to the opposite side of the road.  The stone has been badly chipped, either by the wings of the snow plow or perhaps other machinery, and we wondered yesterday if perhaps it should be moved, if possible, to a safer location.  


All things considered, it was a very nice day and I enjoyed the "tour" even though my out-of-state visitors were not present. 






Thursday, August 13, 2015

Work Update
Walden Bridge Replacement –VT 15
Walden BRF030-3 (5)
Project Location:  Bridge 83 is located on VT 15 in Walden over Joe’s Brook approximately 5 miles southeasterly of the Hardwick/Walden town line. 


Week of August 17, 2105

Crews will be working to complete outstanding punch list items towards the end of the week.   Some work may require daily lane closures with flaggers present to maintain traffic flow. 

The new traffic signs did not get installed last week as planned.  The bridge contractor is in the process of rescheduling the sign installment. 


Traffic:  Minor traffic delays can be expected.
Contact Francine Perkins, Project Outreach Coordinator, at 802-479-6994 with questions.  Visit www.roadworkupdates.com to view the most recent updates for the project

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Andy Rudin sent this link to a history of the rail trail in an LVRT magazine.  Click here.  I had a little trouble getting the pages to turn, stay put, etc., but that's just me. Once I got the hang of it, I found the magazine interesting.  

I learned from Dot Larrabee that there will be someone at the West Danville church on Friday from 9:00 to 9:45 and then from 10:30 on for a few hours if you have items to drop off for Saturday's yard sale. 

We went out for lunch with middle son, Bob and daughter-in-law Theresa today and decided to try the Village Restaurant that sort of hangs out over the river.  I hadn't been there in years, and it hadn't changed much, but it was brighter than I remembered, and the food was pretty darned good.  We had sandwiches - except for Fred, who had pancakes; he likes places that serve breakfast all day.  Everything was good, it was clean and service was excellent.  Next time I think I'd try to be there a little early to get a table overlooking the river, but as it was, the booth was comfortable and even though the street is somewhat above you when you're seated, it was quite pleasant.  Here's a postscript:  I went looking for a picture on line and here's what I found - the place has just recently been put up for sale.  Take a look - Village Restaurant.

From there we took off for Nichol's Pond.  The road from the Hardwick side was under construction, so we went in from the Cabot side - a bit longer, but still an interesting trip.  We were in Bob's pickup and that was really fortunate.  The road after we got to the Nichol's Ledge parking area was washed out in spots and it would have been hard gigging for our car.  Passable, but we would have bottomed out in a few places.  This picture was taken a few years back of the road to a sugar woods - thus the fence across the road.  But it is in the same vicinity and the road we were on today was no wider and in much worse condition.  We found our way to the dam, but now there are cottages along the shore so we couldn't find a spot to see the ledge from, which is what Bob wanted to do.  We have all been up to the ledge and seen the pond from there - a really beautiful sight - but Bob had never seen the ledge from the water.  Fred and I went in a small inflatable boat one fall many years ago, so we had seen the ledge from that vantage point.  Bob will go back with his mountain bike another time and follow some of the trails leading to the opposite side of the pond and will have a good vantage point from there, I expect.  

We had all forgotten to take our cameras, so the pictures here are from some previous trip.  Today was fun, and I was able to impress everyone by pointing out Coit's Pond which is the headwaters for the Winooski River.  I know, it's hard to believe a swampy little pond (see picture taken one spring a few years ago) like this with just a small brook running out of it turns into the sizeable Winooski, but it really does.  There are small brooks feeding into it all along the route through Cabot and Marshfield so by the time it gets to Montpelier, it's a river.

Here's something some of you may be interested in.  I recently learned that the old Maynard Farm on Cabot Plain (this photo was taken when it was a well kept, productive little farm) has been purchased by someone in Texas.  Over the years the picturesque farm has been admired by lots of people and offers to buy it have been turned down perhaps dozens of times.  The owner, a daughter of Fred and Julia Maynard who owned it for many years when I was growing up, always hoped to go back to live there, but it didn't happen and the place slowly fell into total disrepair.  The shed roof caved in one winter, the porch detached during a heavy snowfall the next, and so on. Finally she decided to sell it rather than continue to pay taxes.  It's beyond fixing at this point and the new owner approached the Cabot Fire Department about razing it - using it for training for local fire departments.  After looking it over, the chief turned down the proposal saying it was too dangerous to go inside, so it wouldn't be useful for training.  I expect it will be bulldozed instead.  It will be very sad to see the old house go, but absolutely necessary as it's truly hazardous now if anyone should venture into it.  We'll be interested to see what the new owners will do with the property.  There is certainly a great deal of potential there - it's a beautiful setting. The above photo was taken in August, 2010.












 
We had another nice soaking rain last night.  I measured exactly 1 inch this morning.  I have to say this has been a really wet, cool summer - but like my neighbor reminds me, "Everything is so lush and green!"  We'll begin to see colors changing soon as the life cycle of the green stuff changes in spite of all the refreshing rain, and perhaps the foliage season will be exceptional because of all the moisture, but of course things could change in the next few weeks.  I'm not sure moisture has anything to do with fall color anyway.

I had a note from Margie Harper in California this week.  Margie and Charlie own a cottage on Clubhouse Circle with Don Jones.  Margie told me Charlie had a stroke in April, so they were unable to come to Joe's Pond this year.  He's apparently doing ok, but it's a long, hard road back to good health. Also, Don's son, Josh, broke his neck in a diving accident two weeks ago and is paralyzed from his waist down.  Josh is in his late 30's, Margie said.  Don and family live in Delaware and cancelled plans to come to the pond.  Both families can use your prayers and support through cards and messages.  To reach Josh, send messages to:  H. Donald Jones, 1805 Shipley Rd., Wilmington DE 19803; phone, 302-478-7461.  
Margie and Charlie Harper are at 18002 Lassen Dr., Santa Ana CA 92705; phone 714-602-8871.  I'm sure they'd like to know their friends here at Joe's Pond are thinking of them and wishing both Charlie and Josh a speedy and complete recovery.  

Back here at Joe's Pond, don't forget the yard sale at the church in West Danville this Saturday.  Dot Larrabee told me this morning she expects to be working at getting organized on Friday, so will be at the church at some point, but isn't certain when, so call her at 684-3620 to find out when you can drop off articles, or call Jane Milne at 684-3343.  Go through your house and pick a few articles you don't use anymore or that don't fit in with your new decor or that Aunt Mildred gave you years ago and you never used - you know you have things like that hanging out in closets and drawers!  So give it to Dot and Jane for the sale.  I look forward to these sales so I can discard things I no longer use but that still have value for someone else.  It's "recycling" at it's best!

Then be sure to go to the sale Saturday at the church from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and find some treasure to replace what you just discarded!  It drives husbands nuts that we women do that, but then they find treasures, too, like tools they already have several of, or books they take home and don't read and that you'll put in another yard sale in a year or so.  The cycle lives!

Sunday, August 09, 2015

We went to Danville Fair in yesterday evening and it was very nice to have it back on the Green.  The weather cooperated nicely, but it was a bit cooler than usual for this time of year.  Nobody seemed to mind, though, and I thought there was a really good crowd.  We took pictures, but we changed our camera recently and don't have the settings down so a lot of them didn't come out very well.  Fred was in town Friday morning and got this shot as people were setting up.  We arrived around 6:30 p.m. on Saturday - in time to grab some hamburgers and fries before the Hitmen went on stage.  I don't know why, but food at the fair always tastes so much better than the same thing anywhere else.  

My cousins from Barre were there, but we didn't connect with them for a while.  We hadn't agreed on time or place to meet and somehow in the crowd, missed each other until they spotted Fred down front taking pictures of the band.  In the meantime we hung out with Jamie and Marie and saw lots of folks we normally don't see - and quite a lot that we see regularly, especially those who are faithful workers every year at the fair, Jane Milne, Dot Larrabee, Kitty Toll, and others we know by sight but not by name.
 
Ted and Barbara Chase were there - Ted was hard to miss with his very appropriate shirt; a burst of color and factoid rolled into one undeniable message.

We were able to get a pretty good shot of the stage during the raffling off of prizes.  The huge gift basket contained no less than 16 bottles of wine donated by Tom and John at Diamond Hill Store, and was won by Lois White.  She needed a couple of people to carry it for her.

Tonight we got some rain, but fortunately the Fair closed without any weather problems, and I'm sure it must have been quite successful. 

Don't forget to pick out some items for the West Danville United Methodist Church Yard Sale going on next Saturday.  Items you no longer need or use but that have plenty of life left in them, antique items, collectibles or craft items you have made will all be appreciated.  Please get in touch with Jane Milne (684-3343) or Dot Larrabee (684-3620) for when and where you might drop things off.  And then be sure to stop by on Saturday.  You never know what treasures you may be able to find.  We hope the weather will cooperate for that event - it's very important as they are raising money for a new roof for the church.  Whatever you can do to help will be much appreciated, I'm sure. 

You may not know that until 1893 the citizens of West Danville had no church building in which to worship.  They held meetings and services in the school building and sometimes outdoors at George Cook's house.  Mrs. Sarah Rankin willed the Methodist Episcopal Society (M.E.church) $1000 in 1893, and that fall the Caledonian reported "The new church is all boarded and nearly shingled."  Preparations were made to celebrate Christmas in the new house of worship, and O. W. Merrill and A. Gregory set about buying a chandelier for the church and a pulpit, chairs and table, all of which the Ladies' Aid would pay for. The Sunday school students had "an exhibition" at the new church on Christmas Eve, but the first actual service wasn't until Sunday, December 31, 1893.  The building was finished except the seats had not arrived, so the official dedication wasn't until February 20, 1894.  The Ladies' Aid and the Epworth League worked diligently to raise money to keep the church operating, and regularly held suppers or other entertainment for the benefit of the minister, Rev. F. E. Currier, at the time the church was being built, and to keep the building in repair, such as painting it in the spring of 1895.

The above information comes from various issues of the Caledonian newspapers dating 1872-1922 which the West Danville History Committee is presently researching.  
 
 












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...