I'm sitting at my desk listening to thunder rumbling in the distance.  We've had rain showers off and on both yesterday and today.  I haven't been down to the water's edge, but I expect the pond is a bit high and that's why the dock floated away that George Parizo wrote to me about.  It turned out that dock belongs to Jamie Milne, and when he went to fetch it home, it had escaped from where it had been wedged under George's dock, and is on the run again.  Please keep an eye out for it, and if you locate it, let Jane know (802-684-3343) and she will tell Jamie.  With another windy rain storm brewing this afternoon, no telling where it will end up!

It's the quiet before the storm.  I'm going to get off my computer before the storm breaks.  I really, really, don't like thunder storms . . .

This came in this afternoon from George Parizo:

Over night a small wooden Dock slid under our dock @ 94 Sandy Beach Road. The wind being out of the south, thinking the Dock came up from the south?

It is lodged under our dock and resting in the sand. Quite sure it’s march North has stopped.

Spring wouldn't be the same if we didn't have runaway stuff floating around in the pond.  Wind, high water, winter ice - all contribute to loosening shoreline equipment and sending items meandering about.  If you're missing your dock, this could be it.

Thanks, George, for letting folks know.

I should also mention that it's a good idea to always keep a watchful eye on the water ahead when boating, but this time of the year there are often bits of debris from ice fishing or barely visible docks like the one above, floating around in the water, so be especially vigilant.  

For those of you who aren't here and may have wondered about "Vermont's smallest public library," Fred got a picture of it this morning.  The little building is undergoing extensive repairs and will hopefully be open again later this summer.  There is an active committee working on it, and they will be looking for new or good used books published fairly recently to restock it.  Unfortunately, the weather and possibly some critters did in the books that were there, and they had to be discarded.  If you have books you wish to donate, get in touch with one of the committee members - Pam Hebert 684-3655, Mary Anne Cassani 684-2195, Karen Morris 227-3107, Nancy Buttura 279-4146 or Joanne Stewart 684-2516.

I finished my stone steps yesterday.  I still have one missing stone at the top where I joined an existing stone walkway, but that's just a matter of finding a small stone just the right shape - or close enough so I can whack off an edge or two to make it fit.  They seem pretty substantial, and already eventually will have vegetation filling in around them, and that's ok.  At least we won't have to paint them, and the snow won't break them in the winter.  I still have work to do on the bank at the left of them, whch will be turned into lawn, I think.  I was going to mow there a couple days ago and hit a tree stump I'd forgotten about - did a number on the mower blade, but fortunately didn't break anything and after Fred made a quick trip to Larrabee's, I was back in business again.

We were very saddened to learn last week that Phil Porter (Sandy Beach Road) had passed away unexpectedly.  He had heart surgery at the end of April and was apparently doing well.  We searched for an obituary, but haven't found it yet - will post that later.  Friends who wish to contact the family can send messages to Lorraine at 2314 SE 28th St, Cape Coral FL 33904, or call her at 239-772-7954.  A neighbor on Sandy Beach Road, Carol Byrd, told me Lorraine doesn't know if she will come to Joe's Pond or not this summer.  

Many of us have know the Porters for many years, and know Phil was an interesting, kind and generous man.   We will miss him.

Minutes, JPA Meeting posted

The minutes of yesterday's Joe's Pond Association meeting have been posted on the website:  Minutes, Spring Meeting 2017

You will also find information from the Bourne's Energy handout posted on home page, immediately under the minutes tab.

If you have questions, let us know and we'll try to provide answers.

We had an unusually large crowd at the spring meeting of the Joe's Pond Association today.  President Tom Dente told me after the meeting they counted the chairs that had been set out - they were 96 and some people were standing.  Tom believes we set a record for a business meeting of JPA.  

Not only were there lots of people there, it was a very jovial group.  This is not unusual - meetings are always fun as well as informative.  Having a couple of guests there may have helped increase attendance.  Our Ice-Out winner, Emily Wiggett, received her check from President Tom Dente (above) who commented he especially enjoys giving away money that isn't his.   We enjoyed meeting Emily, who teaches music in the Danville school system.
 
Bourne's Energy sent a representative, Tracy, to explain their proposal to set up a group offer for Joe's Pond people to get a break on their fuel, and that was well received.  (Click on image to enlarge.)

The rest of the meeting was fairly routine. A committee of five individuals was formed to look into what may be done about the deteriorating tennis courts.  The courts are very old and will eventually, within another 10 years or so, need extensive work which even at today's price estimates will be very costly.  By the time the work must be done, it's probable the cost will increase dramatically.  Above, Larry Rossi listens intently to a member commenting on the tennis court situation. 

Members picked up their 2018 Ice-Out Contest tickets today (sample ticket shown here).  There is now a supply at Hastings Store where owner Garey Larrabee says he needs to be ready for the tourists.  It's surprising how many tickets are sold during the summer months to people who are passing through on vacation.  In this picture I'm talking with Fella and Nancy Buttura as they pick up their tickets and 2017 directory of Joe's Pond members. 

Fred was not at the meeting today.  Instead, he was helping Bill Jones who is replacing our front deck.  I turned the camera over to youngest son, Jamie Dimick, and he did a great job filling in for Fred taking these pictures of our meeting.

A full account of today's meeting will be posted on the website within a few days and I'll post a link here when it is up.

The weather is looking pretty good for the weekend, but it's sure been a soggy couple of days.  All the wet weather seems to be great for the black flies, and as always, they love me.  I hate slathering myself with various bug repellents, but if I don't and they get me, I'm in agony.  One bit me near my watch strap last week and it's still swollen and itching; not only that, but when I get a bite like that it seems to start a chain reaction and I have intermittent hives.  So I avoid getting bitten any way I can.  I particularly like an all  natural concoction I found at Hastings Store several years ago called "Crocodile!"  I tried to get more of it, but they didn't have any - so a few days ago I looked on line and found it!  It has rosemary, thyme, peppermint and caster oil in it.  Smells good and seems to work.

Dee McKown is working on the yard sale coming up on June 24.  Tables are $10, and you can reserve yours by calling her at 802-684-3900.  I'll have more information when it gets closer, but if you're thinking of getting a table, it would be good to do it soon.

We're looking forward to a busy weekend - the Joe's Pond Association Spring Meeting tomorrow at 10 a.m. and the Cabot Historical Society Annual Meeting at 2 p.m. on Sunday.  If the weather is nice, I have outside work to finish up - just a few more stones to put in place and then will trim the grass and perhaps post a picture of the finished project.  We'll see how it goes.

Construction Update
St. Johnsbury VT 2B – Bridge Project

BF 7000(20)

                                                                         

Project Location:  Bridge 6 is located on VT 2B in St. Johnsbury over the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail.  The bridge is less than one half mile west of Route 2B’s eastern intersection with US Route 2.

Bridge and Rail Trail Closure-

The 50-day bridge closure and the estimated 28-day Lamoille Valley Rail Trail closure is currently underway.  Both the bridge and rail trail are closed to all traffic at the bridge location.  Separate offsite detours are in effect and marked with signs. Detour information can be found in the update below.

Progress Update – May 25, 2017

The week of May 22^nd, erection of the new arch was completed and crews started constructing and backfilling the MSE retaining wall that will support the side slopes of the arch.  Work on the project will continue through the Memorial Day holiday weekend, including Monday, May 29^th. 

Check out the photos of the new arch being erected http://stj2bbridge.vtransprojects.vermont.gov/photos.html

Work Plan for Week of May 29, 2017

The week of May 29, 2017, crews will continue constructing and backfilling the MSE retaining wall through the end of the week.  Backfilling of the retaining wall occur continually as each new level of the wall is completed. 

Crews may also start to build interior slopes inside of the new arch and reconstruct the subgrade of the rail trail. 

Construction is expected to occur 7-days a week during the closure period.  Allowable work hours are from 6:00 am to 9:00 pm, as permitted by the St. Johnsbury Noise Ordinance.

Detour Routes- The following detours will be in effect during the bridge and trail closure period.

                - VT 2B traffic will be directed to use US 2.  Bicyclists are not permitted to ride on the US 2 detour.  US 2 is a limited access highway.

                - Trail users will be directed to use Crow Hill Road, Swett Road, Tilton Road and Parker Road, as designated by the Town of St. Johnsbury.

Detour maps can be found on the project website: http://stj2bbridge.vtransprojects.vermont.gov/index.html

It is illegal in VT to use any handheld portable electronic devices while driving. The law carries fines of up to $200 with points assessed if the violation occurs in a work zone. Contact Francine Perkins, Project Outreach Coordinator, FRP Enterprises, LLC with any questions or concerns with regards to the project at 802-479-6994.  Construction updates and project photos are posted at http://stj2bbridge.vtransprojects.vermont.gov/index.html

Here are a couple of interesting events coming up at Rhythm of the Rein,  at Water Tower Farm on Route 2 just before Marshfield Village:  Click to make larger.

This is a reunion of people who have been associated in some way with the program, but anyone interested in seeing what they do there is also welcome to stop by.  Let them know ahead if you can, rhythmoftherein@aol.com



This sounds like a very relaxing evening.  I know some folks absolutely love horses but don't get a chance to play with them much, if at all.  This is an opportunity to get acquainted with these wonderful animals.  Or have a relaxing massage, try your hand at coloring or browse the silent auction.  Bring a friend or two and enjoy an evening away from all the daily stress.  You'll be glad you did, and you'll be supporting a wonderful program that does so much to help others.

Some days I really have nothing much to report, but today I have good news.  Geri Pelok let me know this morning we have a pair of loons nesting on the platform.  I heard them making a big fuss over something yesterday and worried they might be in trouble.  Now I'm thinking they were probably celebrating - perhaps Mama Loon had just laid another egg.  Or she might have been scolding her mate for not helping enough with the spring cleaning and rebuilding their nest.  It's good to know there will be another Joe's Pond Loon Family to watch this summer.  Thanks to Geri for keeping an eye on them for us.

I also had a nice note from a reader in Greensboro about hummingbirds.  I had mentioned that we haven't seen any here yet, but she told me hers were back about the normal time, May 11.  She also told me they don't depend totally on nectar from flowers or sweetened water from our feeders, but eat insects, as well.  That's good news - I hope they like black flies!  I've reminded Fred to get the feeder out, so hopefully we'll be seeing some within the next few days.  I'm pretty sure they are here - I just haven't seen or heard them.  On the other hand, I've heard bumble bees and sometimes if I'm not paying attention, the bees turn out to be hummers.

Our deck is on hold for a few days.  Our carpenter is having problems with his back and has to lay low, literally, for a few more days.  With the weather turning wet again later this week, he will likely get a longer rest than needed, but we're ok with that - we know a bit about back problems.  

Walden is voting today on forming a new school district with Barnet and Waterford.  It will be interesting to see how that goes.  None of these three towns have high schools, so have that in common.  On the surface it seems it would be a district within a district or two,  and that would seem to be inefficient in some ways, but these days anything is possible, I guess.  Years ago school districts were way less complicated.  There were some early requirements set up by federal or state government, but over time there have been increasing regulations set up for schools, and rural communities have struggled to keep up.  

Cabot School is looking at a very different change that would mean merging their high school with Danville and Twinfield (Marshfield and Plainfield).  Any community loses a lot when their school closes.  In this case Cabot's K-8 school would remain undisturbed, but closing the high school that has been serving the community for 100 years is a difficult decision.  There might be some tax advantage, but the way things usually work out, that would probably diminish in short order.  The real question is whether students would be better off in the larger school environment.  Voters will need to decide, and soon.

The first high school in Cabot was a two-year school initiated in 1908.  In 1916 it became a four-year secondary school graduating the first class in 1920.  Not many students went on to college back then.  Cabot was primarily a farm community and young men continued that tradition.  Young women became nurses, secretaries or teachers, or married close to home.  That has changed radically and some graduating classes in recent years have had 100% go on to college or some other higher education.  

We've all heard that "history repeats itself."  I can't help wondering if that will happen in education - will there someday be some sort of "pod" facilities equipped with automated technology that could follow the concentration and needs of the populace?  Like one-room schools on steroids . . . one teacher supported by robots, perhaps?





 

We had a little frost last night.  My weather station registered a low of 32.2F but there was a little white frost on some surfaces this morning.  Today was nice for working outside, but the black flies are pretty bad.

I want to share this link sent to me by Henretta Splain who has family in Italy.  Henretta's cousin Anna Maria's daughter, Cristina, now lives in Brooklyn, New York.  Henretta says Cristina is a wonderful cook, like her mom.  Here is a short video of her demonstrating Italian cooking.  Thank you, Henretta, for sending the video to me, and thank you, Cristina, for allowing me to post the video on my blog.  I have a feeling there are lots of Joe's Pond people who will appreciate watching it - and probably have their own traditional methods of cooking Italian.  

I have finished the stone steps except for two small stones needed to complete the top one where it joins the existing walkway.  I'm looking for stones shaped just right, and may have to trim them so they'll fit, but in the meantime, the heavy part is complete.  All except the "landing" by the driveway.  I had to borrow some stones I'd already laid in there, so now will fill those spaces, but it will require some re-working to get everything level and even.  It's kind of like working a jig-saw puzzle.

The riding lawn mower wouldn't start when Fred wanted to mow the lawn last week, but Harry (Harry's Small Engines, Walden, Vt.) got it fixed and back to us yesterday, so Fred was able to get the whole thing done.  The lawn was looking pretty shabby.  Now I need to mow the walkway with the push mower, but with all the work on the steps and rebuilding the deck, that will have to wait.  Meanwhile, there are plenty of flower beds to weed and mulch, and ground to smooth and seed where I "borrowed" the stones for the steps.  Complicated, I know.  I have been accused of rearranging landscaping like most people do furniture.  Actually, this time it's mostly a process of downsizing and finding ways to achieve easier maintenance.  I'm paying for it with sore, stiff  muscles, but once I'm finished, I'll be able to enjoy it for a while without much work - I hope.  

The crab apple tree is loaded with blossoms and the scent is everywhere.  There are bees around, but I haven't seen any  humming birds yet.  Usually they buzz me when I'm working outside or come to the big window to announce their arrival and remind us to get the food out, but I haven't seen or heard one yet.  I guess we'll put the feeder out anyway and they'll show up.  There is plenty of natural food now the apple blossoms are out - and we have lots of daffodils and cherry blossoms, so they probably are going about building their nests without worrying about food. 

Just a quick reminder for Joe's Pond folks - our spring meeting is this Saturday, May 27, 10 a.m. at the pavilion.  This is a special meeting as we'll present the prize money to Emily Wiggett who won the Ice-Out Contest this year.  We also have 2018 Ice-Out tickets ready to distribute.  

 

 

This reminder came from Helen Morrison today:
 
Kingdom Animal Shelter would love to have any returnable bottle or can donations.  People can give me a call (563-2488) and I will come get them, or they can leave them in front of my garage at 936 West Shore Road.

Your help will be much appreciated by volunteers and kitties alike.  Helen M.

Hot, Hot, Hot!  Like summer at it's best today.  Beautiful and such a change from only a few days ago, it's hard to keep up.  We were away all morning, so missed that part of the day, but after lunch enjoyed having it warm.  Now there are rumbles of thunder . . .

Our project is moving ahead.  I should say "projects," since sealing up the house against those pesky mice is kind of a separate job.  It has delayed the original project, but it will all be much better when Bill is finished.

I've mentioned in the past that a committee has been working to restore the little library building in West Danville, and that is moving ahead nicely.   I asked for an update, and this is what Pam Hebert told me:

We are very excited that the "little library" near the beach will reopen this summer. The Charles D. Brainerd Public Library ( the smallest library in the state) was a gasoline station in the 1930's  until Charles Brainerd died and willed the town the funds to convert the 10  x 17 foot building into a library. Jane Larrabee was the original library trustee. Patrons could  get a key at Hastings Store and check out any of the more than 1000 books.
 
The newly formed committee of Nancy Buttura, Mary Anne Cassani, Pam Hebert, Karen Morris and Joanne Stewart, along with their husbands, are cutting trees, removing musty books, replacing old boards and painting to prepare for a grand opening this summer. Plans are to staff the library afternoons during the summer months. Ten items have been donated for a raffle to raise funds. Please contact any of the committee members if you have books in good condition to donate.


Here are contact numbers for the committee members:
Nancy Buttura - 802-279-4146
Mary Anne Cassani - 802-684-2195
Pam Hebert - 802-684-3655
Karen Morris - 802-227-3107
Joanne Stewart - 802-684-2516

The library is on Route 15, close to the rail-trail and public docking, so it's easy to reach and should be a wonderful asset for the Village of West Danville.  A big "Thank you" to the committee, and their husbands, for doing all this work.

We've had a really hot day - summer seems to be here.  Tomorrow is going to be even warmer - in the 80's here and possibly 90's in some other places.  As usual, I'm behind in everything - the flower beds look awful but I don't like to work in them when it's so hot; the steps aren't quite finished, but it was too hot today to work on them.  Of course, if I'd been willing to get up really early and work while it was still nice and cool . . . but with all the activity of the deck being torn apart, I'll wait a while, I think.  Enough going on.

I've been putting albums of photos and newspaper clippings in order to get ready to return them to the Cabot Historical Society when I go for the annual meeting on the 28th.  Most are finished, but need stickers identifying them, etc.  I had some pictures of high school classes that I needed to put into the albums, and found a very interesting album of newspaper clippings about the Cabot Creamery - not a lot of very early clippings, but some about when they were in the process of deciding to go with Agri-Mark, and when Bob Davis retired, also when they changed their logo.  I didn't take time to read much of them, but will try to do that before I take that album to the museum for permanent storage.  It will still be available there in the research section.  It was pretty interesting. I can't digitize that album because the pages are too large.  It's not the regular album size I use normally, but a scrapbook type album.  My copier won't accommodate a page that large.

I'm enjoying listening to the peepers down by the pond and in the nearby marshes across the road from us.  They are very loud, and sometimes I've heard them in the daytime, but mostly I hear them at night.  I'm still hearing lots of geese calling.  I expect they have their young now and are settling in for the summer.  I haven't heard the loons, but then, I haven't been outside in the evening much recently.  We have heard the coyotes a few times, and Jamie and Marie, who live just above us, frequently see one crossing their field in the early mornings.  When the coyotes are running in the woods at night and yelping, it's a little bit scary.  We are glad Woody is inside at night now.



 

We had an almost like summer day today - in fact, it WAS like summer except the leaves aren't in full bloom and the water is too cold for swimming.  We enjoyed it, nonetheless.

We had confirmation today from Henretta Splain that her daughter, Kellie Merrill, will be testing the water at the beach again this summer.  This is good news as Kellie is very dependable and knowledgeable, and is great about keeping us posted with the results.  The pond has been clear of contaminants so the beach hasn't had to be closed in the recent past - I think it's been good for the past three or four summers.  Property owners seem to be paying attention to runoff and septic systems around the pond, and this has helped a great deal.  

We have a new listing of a cottage for sale on the pond.  This is on the middle pond at 108 Narrows Drive, the Conley's. They are in a nice location, and say, "Enjoy 175' of Owned Waterfront on the 2nd Pond of Joe's Pond Where the Boats Slow Down to Go Through 'The Narrows'."

We started our deck project today.  Bill Jones arrived as scheduled first thing this morning.  There are always surprises, and we've had a few today, but Bill is taking care of them as they arise.  The worst is that we've had a problem with mice in the wall next to the deck, and fortunately, that is getting fixed.  This was a job we knew we
 might need to do - and although we hadn't intended to get into it now, Bill is willing to tackle it and when he's finished, there will be no way a mouse can access and nest in that area again.  There were more than a few obvious holes where they could get in - all well hidden under the siding - and what a mess!!  It's pretty well cleaned out and disinfected now, so hopefully Bill can get on with the deck tomorrow.  

We've known Bill for many years, and he's done work for us before, in fact, he made over the crib that my father made for me and I used for all three of my kids.  It is now a very functional settee in our kitchen - with storage under the seat. 

This just in - Swim platform, 8 x 8 ft., at Joe's Pond now and has to be moved from property by May 20.  New in 2013 - see Comments Page for complete description.  

Happy Mother's Day to all!  

There is a quote from Pearl Buck I've always liked.  She said:  "Some are kissing mothers and some are scolding mothers, but it is love just the same, and most mothers kiss and scold together."  

It's nice that on this one day of the year, moms get special attention and well-deserved praise.  This may interrupt the kissing and scolding temporarily, but a mother's work is never done and no matter how old her children are, they know they can depend on Mom to do what's needed - scold or kiss them.

I'm sure for most mothers, just watching their offspring grow and learn is reward enough - even when they screw up and you feel compelled to scold them, it's because you love them and want them to succeed.  Sometimes what we try to tell them goes in one ear and out the other, so we have to bite our tongue and let them learn the hard way; it can be the most effective and quickest way they'll understand.  Mission accomplished, hopefully without serious damage, and they deserve a kiss. 

Mothers of have a special bond with their young.  My grandfather Bolton used to say, "Every mother crow thinks her young ones are the blackest and shiniest."  Pretty darned true!

 We hope your Mother's Day is a very pleasant one, whether you are honoring your mom or you are the one being honored.  Enjoy.

This is a picture of my mom and dad, Lettie and Aaron Bolton, taken around 1986 or so.  Mom died in 1991 and Dad died in 1996.  She was a city girl, married to a farmer and to make ends meet, she taught school for many years in Cabot and West Danville.  She and my father reinvented themselves in the late 50's or early 60s. Mom resigned from teaching and went to work for Vermont Dept. of Social Welfare; Dad gave up farming and became a skilled carpenter with Gravett and Swett Builders in St. Johnsbury.  

We have a pretty nice day today - some sunshine and warmer.  It is supposed to get better later in the day, but tomorrow not so good.  Nice to have a break.

I'm not having a lot of luck getting maps from either VTrans or LVRT folks that show detour routes for hikers and bikers around the bridge work on Route 2B in St. Johnsbury.  The Caledonian Record had a short article in yesterday's paper that listed the roads for the detour, but when I used the link provided, I didn't find the maps.  Granted, I didn't spend much time on the site, so I won't say there isn't a map there, but here is the information they provided and part of a map from my Vermont road atlas that may help.


"Trail users will be directed to use Crow Hill Road, Swett Road, Tilton Road and Parker Road, as designated by the Town of St. Johnsbury."

These roads show on this map, however, they are mostly dirt roads and may have a fair amount of traffic, so do be cautious.  

We are replacing our deck at the front of our house.  We have taken down the railing beside the steps down to the parking area on our driveway and had that down by the road for a while with a "Free" sign, but had no takers.  The pressure-treated spindles are classic design and in pretty good shape. We'd be happy to give them to someone who could use them.  I will put them on Front Porch Forum later on, so if you think you can use some of them, let me know.  Some are cut at an angle to accommodate the angle of the rail going down the steps, but next week I'll have more from the deck that are not angled (See picture above).  They are presently white, but need painting.  We are tired of painting every few years, so that's the reason we're changing.

 

Our weather is getting slightly warmer and we even saw the sun for a few minutes this afternoon, but we aren't getting out shorts and bathing suits just yet.  It's been nice to have a little break, though.

There is a new business in West Danville - at least, I hadn't known about it until I had a call requesting space in the JPA newsletter.  Unfortunately, it was too late for this year, but we do have the business card for "Animal House" on the website. You'll find the card under "services" and then click "miscellaneous."  Dawn and Peter Brittain are just past the railtrail where it crosses Route 2 going towards St. Johnsbury, on the road to the Power Plant - in fact, that's called Power Plant Rd.  Very convenient, and Dawn sounds like an enthusiastic doggie person.  If you need a place to leave your pooch for a few hours or days, stop in and check out the Animal House of New England.

We are hoping to have information about possible detours for users of the rail trail around the construction site on Route 2B.  The maps I've seen don't seem to have any alternative route for hikers/bikers.  I've contacted Ron Gauthier in hopes he will know more about it and will post something here when he gets back to me.  With the weather getting better and more people arriving back at the pond, we know the trail will be used more frequently now.

Ron just got back to me with this:
 
Jane,

From what I have been told the trail is closed at the construction site. There is a marked detour to St Johnsbury by roads. Detour maps are available at the sites. The construction will be going on 7 days a week.

Ron

I'm also hoping for an update from the committee that's renovating the little library building on the Rail/Trail in West Danville.  I'll post that information here, as well.  

Bridge Closure Notice
St. Johnsbury VT 2B – Bridge Project

BF 7000(20)

                                                                         

Project Location:  Bridge 6 is located on VT 2B in St. Johnsbury over the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail.  The bridge is less than one half mile west of Route 2B’s eastern intersection with US Route 2.

Wednesday, May 10, 2017

Bridge and Rail Trail Closed -  

As of 6:30 am this morning (5/10), the planned 50-day bridge closure and an estimated 28-day Lamoille Valley Rail Trail closure period started.  Both the bridge and rail trail are now closed to all traffic at the bridge location. 

Construction is scheduled to occur 7 days a week during the bridge closure period. Allowable work hours are from 6:00 am to 9:00 pm daily, as permitted by the St. Johnsbury noise ordinance.

Separate offsite detours are in effect and marked with signs directing thru traffic around the project. 

Detour Routes- The following detours are in effect during the bridge and trail closure periods.

                - VT 2B traffic will be directed to use US 2.  Bicyclists are not permitted to ride on the US 2 detour.  US 2 is a limited access highway.

                - Trail users will be directed to use Crow Hill Road, Swett Road, Tilton Road and Parker Road, as designated by           the Town of St. Johnsbury.

Detour maps can be found on the project website http://stj2bbridge.vtransprojects.vermont.gov/index.html

It is illegal in VT to use any handheld portable electronic devices while driving. The law carries fines of up to $200 with points assessed if the violation occurs in a work zone.

Contact Francine Perkins, Project Outreach Coordinator, FRP Enterprises, LLC with any questions or concerns with regards to the project at 802-479-6994.  Construction updates and project photos are posted at http://stj2bbridge.vtransprojects.vermont.gov/index.html

Well, the ground was white when I first looked out this morning.  So I went back to bed.  By the time I could muster the courage to look again, the traces of snow had melted away, but the temperature was still in the mid thirties.  It's been chilly and wet again all day, with snow flurries.  At least we didn't have measurable snow.  That would send a lot of people back to bed, I bet.

I've been busy sorting through files and putting my office back in order after the frenzy of the Ice-Out Contest, ordering 2018 tickets  and getting the newsletter out.  There's a short window between Ice-Out activities these days.  I'm also getting ready for the Cabot Historical Society annual meeting - getting my stuff together, so I really haven't minded being inside on a day like today.

I was noticing today when I cam back from my walk, our lawn is going to need mowing very soon.  I hope the rain and snow showers stop long enough to keep ahead of the grass.  Somebody quoted an old saying today, something like, "Rainy May, barn bulging with hay."  Perfect grass-growing weather.  It will improve soon, I'm sure.  If not, we may have to organize a sundance.

Adding insult to all the wet, dreary weather we've been having, now it's snowing.  We had a low of 31 degrees last night and I wouldn't have been surprised to see the ground white, but here we were still green.  Up in the hills of Walden and Greensboro, however, there was snow on the ground until mid morning.  This is going to continue through at least tomorrow, and perhaps beyond.  The weather forecasters are saying temperatures are definitely below normal for this time of year, but old timers know there can be snow on Memorial Day.  Seems like every few years we have a hard frost just as the apple blossoms are forming and orchards are sometimes badly damaged.  I don't think the buds are very far along yet - although I've seen cherry blossoms along Route 2 on the way to St. Johnsbury.  Spring will get here, in spite of the way it seems right now.

I just received an interesting photo from a woman in Burlington.  It is of a barn and garage at the Pirie cottage (now owned by Patty Pirie Coffrin and her husband, Dwight) on the narrows between the middle and big pond.  I'll see what Patty knows about it.  It seems to be a very substantial building.  It was taken by Fred F. Pirie who was Patty's grandfather.  I don't remember any such building being there, but perhaps someone does.  I'll be interested if anyone knows anything about it.

That is about as exciting as it's been around here today.  Diane is picking up the 2018 Ice-Out tickets, so they will be available at the spring meeting on May 27th, and also at Hastings Store at about the same time.  The winner of this year's contest, Emily Wiggett, will receive her check at the spring meeting.  We'll be happy to meet her - she is Danville's music teacher and is well known in the area.

Now I'm going to go into the kitchen and make comfort food for our supper - and bake some cookies for good measure.  This darn weather is adding inches to my waistline . . .

We were at our granddaughters' dance recital yesterday afternoon.  This was Jo-Ann's last year as she will be going off to college next year.  She said it was really sad to leave the group - she has made some good friends there in the 8 years she has attended.  It doesn't seem possible this was the 8th time we've been to her recital. She was only 10 when she arrived here from Namibia, and signed up for dance lessons right away.  This is the second year her sister, Tangeni, has taken dance lessons - she started when she was 4.  Tangeni and Alyssa Rafuse (Garey and Jane Larrabee's granddaughter) are in the same tap and jazz classes.  Tangeni also took ballet this year.  


The top picture is of the first tap number - all older students.  Jo-Ann is barely in the picture on the far left.  The crowd loves when the girls do the synchronized kicks like the Rockettes.  It always gets applause.  The next two pictures are Tangeni in her ballet number - she's on the far right in the first picture and in the middle in the next one.   There was only one hip-hop number by boys this year.  They are fun to watch - lots of energy doing street-dance moves.  The picture shows them at the end of the number.

The next picture is one of Jo-Ann's numbers - I think Jo-Ann is on the far right, but it's hard to tell.  There were lots of other numbers and performers, and I really did try to get pictures of them, but the camera we have now does not do well on closeups, and even though it has the stabilizer feature, I seem to get more blurrs than images.  Fred does much better than I, and next time I'll turn the camera over to him for the duration.  The good shots we got were his, not mine.

We got some fair shots of the girls getting their awards.  Tangeni was very pleased with hers and was very proud that she also got a medal.  She's busy reading her award certificate in this picture - and then when Jo-Ann got hers soon afterwards (the nine graduates were last to receive awards) I noticed she concentrated on reading her certificate, too.  One of the girls was very emotional, and they all seemed to be having a little trouble holding back the tears.  This has been a great experience for them and I'm sure they'll all miss the friends they made here.  Hopefully some, at least, will continue to pursue dance as they move on to college.That's Jo-Ann in red, middle picture here, and the last picture is of all nine graduates.   

It was a very nice program and we enjoyed it a lot.  We'll miss watching JoAnn in it next year, but Tangeni promises to carry on the dance tradition.  

Today we decided to try to forget the cold, wet, dismal weather, so we went to lunch at Three Ponds.  Diane Rossi and Henretta Splain joined us and we had a really nice time.  It wasn't crowded, but there was a steady flow of people in and out.  Again, the food was delicious, served promptly and hot (or cold) as needed. Chicken and biscuits was on the menu, and that pleased Fred; I had a green salad and beef stew.  I have to say, I enjoyed both very much.  The stew was a little different than I'm used to - it had a lot more seasoning than I'm used to, but I ate every bit of it, even though I'm usually not a fan of peppery foods.  And yes, I'd order it again.  We were too full for dessert, but they had some nice looking pastry on display.  Next time.

Now that the day is nearly over, the sun is out.  Just a few minutes ago we had a downpour.  That's the sort of weather we can expect for the next week, according to the forecast, mixed with an occasional snowflake "in the higher elevations."  Of course.  We're totally used to that. 

 

Gloomy day.  Not terribly cold, but in the 40s, and that's chilly when it's raining and damp.  Tomorrow may be a little better, but not by much, and most of next week looks like it will be cool and wet, too.  There will certainly be some flooding in the valleys.

The newsletter is in the mail and you can also see it in full color on the website - click here:  NEWSLETTER .   Our 2018 Ice-Out tickets have been printed and will be ready for members at our May 27th meeting.  Summer Season at Joe's Pond is about to begin.  Every day there are more people arriving from their winter retreats,  and I'm sorry our weather isn't more welcoming.  Pam Hebert told me they arrived last Saturday from 97 degrees in Arizona to a cold 31 degrees here at Joe's Pond.  That's a serious  change.  The weather will get better, I'm pretty sure.  We've had cold, wet summers in the past, but hopefully this won't be like that.  At least the grass, flowers and trees all look great and seem to be right on schedule.

I've had two interesting photographs come to my attention this week.  One was on eBay and it will no doubt be part of the West Danville history book; the other is of a barn on Joe's Pond, apparently taken years ago.  I haven't seen that one yet, but it's intriguing.  I hope to have that in a few days.

In the meantime, there's lots to be done inside and outside this time of the year, so both Fred and I keep very busy.  Personally, I'd like to have better weather to get some of the outside stuff done, but we'll take what we can get.  At least the stones I was working with are getting a nice washing, and this rain is settling the earth around them.  Unfortunately, the grass and weeds will get a head start if I don't get out there soon.

We all enjoyed the sunshine today, but there was a chilly wind.  We were in St. J. this morning and it was quite nice there - the trees and flowers are further along than they are here at the pond, and it really put us in a springtime mood.  

I was just outside and found out there are some pesky bugs already.  I haven't seen any black flies yet, but I'm sure it won't be long  before they are driving us all a little crazy.  Time to get out the bug juice!

Here is a report on the construction that will disrupt the Rail Trail for several weeks beginning on May 10.  Click on the links provided for details of the construction and how to detour around the bridge site where the trail will be closed near St. Johnsbury.

 Construction Update
St. Johnsbury VT 2B – Bridge Project

BF 7000(20)

Project Location:  Bridge 6 is located on VT 2B in St. Johnsbury over the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail.  The bridge is less than one half mile west of Route 2B’s eastern intersection with US Route 2.

Bridge and Rail Trail Closure -

 A 50-day bridge closure and an estimated 28-day Lamoille Valley Rail Trail closure will start on May 10^th, 2017.  Both the bridge and rail trail will close to all traffic at the bridge location.  Separate offsite detours will be marked with signs directing thru traffic around the project.  Detour maps can be found on the project website: http://stj2bbridge.vtransprojects.vermont.gov/index.html

Detour Note - Bicyclists are not permitted to ride on the US 2 detour.  US 2 is a limited access highway.

Week of May 8, 2017

Monday and Tuesday, crews will continue mobilizing equipment and material to the site in preparation for the bridge closure period. 

After the bridge and trail are closed Wednesday morning, crews will remove the pavement from the bridge deck and work on demolishing the bridge through the end of the week.

Construction is scheduled to occur 7 days a week during the bridge closure period.

Detour Routes- The following detours will be in effect during the bridge and trail closure period.

                - VT 2B traffic will be directed to use US 2. 

                - Trail users will be directed to use Crow Hill Road, Swett Road, Tilton Road and Parker Road, as designated by the Town of St. Johnsbury.

It is illegal in VT to use any handheld portable electronic devices while driving. The law carries fines of up to $200 with points assessed if the violation occurs in a work zone.

Contact Francine Perkins, Project Outreach Coordinator, FRP Enterprises, LLC with any questions or concerns with regards to the project at 802-479-6994.  Construction updates and project photos are posted at http://stj2bbridge.vtransprojects.vermont.gov/index.html

I have a message for any Joe's Ponders who are somewhere warm but thinking about heading north - wait a bit!  It is so cold, wet and windy it's like early April instead of early May.  Last night there was a rumble of thunder and a flash or two of lightning to usher in the cold air. The rain today was  close to being slushy snow.  I stopped in at Joe's Pond Craft Shop and Deb had a big wad of paper jammed in the door to keep it from blowing open in the wind.  It automatically swings closed when someone enters but doesn't actually latch.  It's a heavy door, but the wind off the pond was strong enough to keep blowing it open, she said.  A man in the shop said his weather station was registering 25 degrees wind chill this morning.  I don't doubt it a bit.  The thermometer here is only 40 degrees now, and it may have been even lower earlier in the day.  It  may get colder tonight.  So my advice is - don't hurry back.  Give the weather a little time to warm up.  We'll keep you posted.

There are several folks back in spite of the chilly weather, and we're noticing signs of life at various cottages around the pond.  We delivered newsletters this afternoon - left some at Hastings Store for you West Danville folks to pick up when you go in and mailed the rest.  Mary said she'd try to remind folks, but just in case, ask at the counter.  I wasn't sure who is back and who isn't, so if newsletter doesn't catch up to you in a reasonable length of time, please let me know.  Don't forget that there is a dues remittance envelope enclosed inside your newsletter.  Dues payable on or before July 1.


This is what West Shore Road looked like today as we were heading to the post office and store.  You can see it was a very dreary day, and you can also see the condition of the road in front of Mason's.  It really hasn't been a bad mud season, and the Town of Cabot has been very good about taking care of the muddy spots before they got really bad.  Danville has been a little late fixing their end  on occasion, but at no time was our road impassable, and that's worth a lot.  Right now it's very rough with potholes and washboard, and there are places where the road is "humped up" where the frost isn't entirely out or there's a culvert, but once the rain stops, I'm sure it will get a good honing and will be in great shape ready for summer traffic.

This is a hot soup kind of night.  I made carrot and potato soup yesterday, so I'm thinking that might be just the thing for our supper tonight.

We learned yesterday of the passing of Norman Robinson, Jr., of Pilesgrove, N.J.  He was the father of John "Jack" Robinson (60 and 74 Birch Bound Rd.) and had enjoyed spending time here at Joe's Pond during his 102 years.  Norman died on Saturday, April 29.  He opened Four Seasons Campground in Pilesgrove in 1967, which is still operated by the family.  Friends wishing to send condolences to the family should send them to:  Jack & Elizabeth Robinson, 158 Woodstown-Daretown Rd, Pilesgrove NJ 08098.

Rainy, dreary morning, and chilly.  It's about 53 degrees and raining right now.  Last night we had some gentle rumbles and flashes of lightning, but nothing serious.  Things are greening up nicely and the trees are budding - we'll have black flies in no time.

Henretta Splain sent this picture of a Merganser bufflehead* family that's living in the cove by her house (Clubhouse Circle).  I thought it was the parents guarding the four chicks, but turns out it might be two females with the chicks.  I looked up their habits and found out the males are not active in raising the chicks.  Actually, the chicks are pretty independent except they are in constant danger from other larger birds and large fish like pike.   They can dive like loons, and can "run on water" which gives them some advantage over predators. The loons may not like having them around as their diets are similar, so they will be competing for food - and space.

Henretta let Eric Hansen of Vermont Wildlife know about them and it will be interesting what he has to say. 

*Henretta later sent another email saying she got a closer look at the ducks and believes them to be buffleheads.  Beats me - I definitely wouldn't know.  They do seem to be unusual in that they are raising a family here.

May Day!

I hope you all took advantage of the nice weather last week.  This week isn't going to be great, but the rain will do everything good.  Today is chilly here, 45 degrees at mid-morning - but the good news is that we haven't had any snow showers yet.  It could happen - early May is always fair game for one last little snow squall.

We were inspired to re-do the steps from the turn-around area in our driveway to the walkway in front of the house.  When we came here some 20 years ago, I thought steps up from where people usually park their cars would be much easier to navigate than walking up the steep driveway, so we had a long flight of gentle steps built.  However, hardly anyone used them, and the white railing needed to be painted every couple of years to keep it looking nice, and that is not something either of us enjoys.  Plus, Fred worried snow would damage them, so routinely shoveled them.  It became too much bother for so little use, so we decided to make a change.  My first intention was to remove the hedge next to them and make it all into lawn. But then I changed my mind and began building stone steps.  One thing we seem to have an abundance of is stones around here.  They seem to surface in gardens and around the roots of trees as they mature, especially in our woods on the hill above the house.  Over the years, I've used a lot of them for walls, a patio and walkway. Now I'm doing it again.  I got started this weekend and hope to be able to find a day or two this week when it isn't too wet to work out there.  I have flowers that will need attention, too, so there's plenty to do.

We put the railing sections down by the road this weekend, hoping someone would want them - at least the pressure-treated wooden spindles, but there were no takers, so we'll have to dispose of them.  I think we'll use the old steps on a bank above the house, but won't need a railing there.

My daffies next to the house usually bloom early, but they are very late this year.  However, the one's by the lilac tree are doing great.  I love daffodils - they were set out here by my mom when she and my dad built this house, and she looked forward to them every spring.  There should be some daphne in the woods by now, too, but we haven't been out there to find it.  I used to have some in the puckerbrush near the house, but haven't seen it yet this year.  It will no doubt show up in due time.  It's hard to spot - likes to hide.  The fragrance gives it away, though.

I noticed this morning a large section of our ancient lilac bush broke off during the winter.  It had new leaves budding, but the base was mostly rotted, so we won't try to save it.  Lilacs are tough, and there's still some strong sections left.  

Now I need to get ready to go to our W. Danville History book meeting.  We are making progress, but it is slow going.  We know we can't cover everything, but we hope to gather enough of the highlights to make it an interesting read.  We continue to gather stories and photos, and move ahead.