I'm listening to heavy rainfall pelting against the deck outside my office.  It's still warm for this time of year - around 60 degrees. I just called our cat, Woody, in for the night and he's demanding attention as he sits on my desk, gently reaching out with his paw to "knit" on my arm, then rubbing his head against my shoulder.  He's been wiped down to dry him off and had a treat for coming in when called, so right now he's one happy cat.  I'll never understand why he stays outside even in the rain.  I guess it's the wild hunter instinct, or maybe he just likes getting wiped dry with a towel . . . 

After we posted the very nice video done by TJ Bouchard, Kate Chatot emailed me wondering if I'd noticed there was another video posted on YouTube of a Joe's Pond in Scotland, UK.  I had no idea there was a Joe's Pond in Scotland, but I went on line and found it is part of Durham's Wildlife Reserve.  It was quite interesting - not at all like our Joe's Pond, but a lovely spot.  

When Joe Labbe's place burned last weekend, our daughter-in-law, Theresa Dimick, called E911, but had a hard time making the dispatcher(s) understand where the fire was.  I was surprised by this as I thought when using a land line they could locate where the call was coming from just from that; apparently not.  Theresa said she told them West Shore Road in Cabot but they still couldn't locate it.  Yesterday I decided to look up the E911 map of this area and found that what we know as West Shore Road is listed as Shore Road West on their map.  No wonder the dispatcher couldn't find it.  Chatot Road is listed, but when Theresa spelled it for them she gave spelled it Chateau - of course they didn't put it together because even though she told them it was directly off West Shore Road they hadn't a clue.  She finally was somehow able to make them understand where the fire was, but there was a delay of precious minutes because of the way the road is listed.  Had it been a medical emergency, that delay might have been a life or death situation. 

I have sent a message to both the information contact e-mail address at E911 and to Karen Deasy, the E911 coordinator for Cabot, to see if it can be corrected or if we need to instruct people in our area to remember to use Shore Road West if they have to call for emergency help.  I don't believe there has been a problem before because dispatchers were more local and familiar with most roads.  Now emergency calls are routed to one of a few consolidated offices in some other part of the state and there isn't that local knowledge base.  I'll keep you posted if/when I have a response from someone.