Some of you no doubt saw the interview on Vermont PBS with Don Mullallay, the really long-time voice of WSTJ radio, and WTWN before that.  I've known Don for many years - worked with him at WTWN when Dean Finney, who recently died, owned the station.  I'm always amazed that Don still has the steady, resonating voice he had as a young announcer, even decades later.  I wonder if he still sings - and does he still sound a lot like Frank Sinatra?  I don't expect he jitterbugs anymore - it would be hard to find a place to do that, even if his 80+-year-old body was willing - but in the 50's he and his wife, Val, were great fun to watch on the dance floor.  That was when there were lots of dine and dance places in the area, name bands at the Blue Moon on Memorial Drive, H. Guy Dunbar at Point Comfort during the summer, bands at Harvey's Lake, Cole's Pond, and Island Pond every weekend.  What a fun time to be young!  Don has never lost his passion for big band music, but he has also moved with the times and has remained a popular voice recognized throughout the area. We always knew he loved his work, and it's no surprise he has no intention of retiring.  Way to go, Don!  I look forward to being on the air with him again for the Joe's Pond Ice-Out Contest in the spring - that's always fun.

Today I managed to get quite a lot done on some photos I'm working on copying.  Not everything worked as planned, but with the help of Fred and his copier, I was able to piece things together.
I missed the meeting with the West Danville History Committee this afternoon - thought it best not to chance spreading my cold.  I will catch up with them later, when I've stopped coughing, which should be soon.  Every day seems to be a little better.

I mentioned the Haines Mill yesterday - this is a picture of it before it burned in 1925.  It was on the Winooski River and located in Lower Cabot.  Ira Haines must have employed a lot of people at one time.  The building was a saw mill before Mr. Haines established the woolen mill there.  In 1881, Lower Cabot was a thriving community with 30 residences in the village, a meeting house, a store, blacksmith shop, wheelwright shop and the woolen mill.  At one time there was a woolen mill in Cabot Village, at the site that later became the Cabot Carriage Company.  That building was washed away in a flood.  Sheep were introduced to the area around 1811, but by the time the Civil War started, there was a shift to more dairy herds, so I suppose woolen mills struggled to stay viable.  I came upon this very interesting picture essay about the deforestation of Vermont and raising sheep on the rocky hillsides.  (View site).

Enjoy the lovely weather we'll have for the next few days.  Sorry it isn't going to extend through the weekend, but that's Vermont weather for you!

Our friend in Anchorage, Alaska, sent this picture of the view from the windows of their home.  No panic there if a moose wanders down the street!  Or maybe they know our friend, Elizabeth is visiting and may feed them . . . she has a way with animals, and I'm betting she will find out what they like and put some out for them.  Lucky beasts!  This was taken about a week ago.  The weather seems to be mild there, too, at least for them - about 20 degrees colder than it is here right now.