I had some errands to do in Cabot Village this afternoon, and stopped by The Den at the hardware store to see what they've done with the place. 

I didn't know what to expect, but I was surprised to find the well-worn wooden of the long counter that has been there for years has a new glossy top and the pegboard wall behind it with assorted gadgets, fishing lures, pocket knives and hunting gear has been replaced with shelves and gleaming rows of glasses and bottles.  The open shelf display of motor oil and solvents along the front of the long counter counter are gone and the space enclosed.  Trendy tractor seat stools provide seating at the bar, and there were several taps for an assortment of draft beers.  I understand they also serve wine, but I didn't notice a display.  I did see some interesting tee-shirts hanging on the wall behind the bar, though.  Just so you get an idea of the change, I dug out a photo taken when Walt and Julie Ackermann owned the hardware store and I was picking up Ice-Out ticket stubs and money several years ago.  You can easily see the changes.
The third picture is what you see when you walk in the door; the fourth picture down is looking at the bar from the opposite direction.


But that isn't all - in among the garden supplies near the front of the store are two tables.  I have to say, the decor is pretty unusual, but the hardware store has always been a great place to hang out.  So now folks hang with friends and nurse a beer or enjoy coffee and a sandwich or pastries from Sarah's Country Kitchen at the opposite end of the store.  And pick up garden seeds, some rope or plumbing supplies or maybe a shovel before they go home.

Cabot is kind of a unique town - off the beaten track, pretty quiet and conventional most of the time - so it's great to find something truly different and surprising there.  I only had time to dash in and get a few pictures, but I think it would be great fun to go back for a beer and lunch.  I'm told Sarah's has really good food, and paired with a cold beer or a glass of wine, what could possibly be better?

 

I heard the Italian Dinner at the JPA pavilion last night was very good.  I'm sorry we missed it, but on the other hand, we had lots of fun listening to The Hitmen at Prouty Beach in Newport.

I had never been to Prouty Beach before, so I was totally unprepared for how extensive it is.  The beach itself is quite small, but there is a steep hill that slopes down to a nice level expanse bordering the water.  The upper level has dozens of camp sites for RVs, and around one side there are tenting sites.  There seemed to be two pavilions - a large one where they were serving a pig roast - feeding lots of people - and a smaller one next to the water's edge for the band.  The hillside served as a neat amphitheater where lots of people sat on the grassy bank and some brought chairs to sit near the band like we did. There were a number of boats anchored off shore listening to the music.  On the upper level, people from the RV park were lined up along the road overlooking the beach.  Lots of people, but it never really seemed crowded.

The weather was perfect - not a cloud in the sky.  After the sun dipped behind the hillside, it got kind of chilly, but we were well prepared, and  I'm sure all the dancers welcomed the cool air - they were an energetic lot, and loved the oldies - "Devil With a Blue Dress On," "Let's Go,"  and others.   

We were impressed with the number of seagulls that constantly circled above us.  We felt fortunate we didn't get "bombed" by any of them.  I suppose they are used to being wherever there is a chance of being fed - and although nobody was feeding them, they repeatedly flocked overhead, sometimes settling on the far corner of the beach, but were almost constantly around until it got dark.

I'm sorry we didn't take the camera with us this time.  It really was a very pleasant spot for that kind of gathering, and everyone enjoyed the music during and after the pig roast.

Aren't we fortunate to be having a string of very pleasant days right now?  We got the lawn mowed today and some odd jobs around the place completed.  This afternoon some Barre cousins stopped by - Mayo and Ida Sanborn, and seeing them was very nice.  We don't get together often, so we had lots to catch up on.  Ida was a Cabot girl before she married, so she likes to keep up with what is going on in Cabot - plus she's a past president of the Alumni Association. 

Tomorrow I have to go into Cabot Village to get some photos for a Cabot Arcana article, and I'm hoping to have time to check out The Den - the new watering hole in Cabot.  If I do, I'll post some photos tomorrow.

Homer Fitts always had his finger on the pulse of Joe's Pond, so it should not have surprised me that this week he sent me a link to the Facebook page for  "The Hitmen" - that's the band our middle son, Bob, is with - letting me know they are playing tomorrow night at Prouty Beach in Newport.  Fred and I had made plans weeks ago to go if the weather was good, deciding if the weather turned unfit for enjoying a concert on the beach, we'd go to JPA's Italian Dinner.   The forecast for this weekend is great, so we're off to Newport tomorrow.  However, thank you, Homer - your e-mail with the link to the Prouty Beach party was appreciated.  It's good you still keep track of what's going on with all of us here at the pond . . . !

Do you know that Cabot Village has a new pub - of sorts?  I haven't been there, but it's called "The Den" and opened on Wednesday, the 19th of July.  Jeanne Johnson wrote in the August edition of The Cabot Chronicle, " . . . there wasn't a free bar stool available."  The Den is located in the hardware store that already has a neat little diner - "Sarah's Country Diner" - at the back of the store, overlooking the Winooski River, so the place is kind of a "one-stop-shopping" experience.  I really can't quite imagine how they've fit everything in, but sounds as if it's working.  There is an assortment of weird and wild t-shirts, and lots of the usual hardware store items, so when you go there, plan to spend some time browsing.  

By the way, if you haven't picked up a copy of The Cabot Chronicle recently, I think you'll be surprised at how much good stuff is in that little monthly publication.  Lots about the community of Cabot, including school news, board meetings, local dinners and entertainment as well as advertisements that lead you to businesses and specialized services you might not know about.  The Cabot Historical Society has a column, "Cabot Arcana," written by various members of the historical society.  There are several other regular columns, too -  I especially enjoy "Slim" Payne's "Advice From the Tree Warden." 

The August edition of The Cabot Chronicle is available now - you'll find it at Hastings Store in West Danville, and it's free.    It's on line, too.  The August issue hasn't been posted yet, but you'll find other issues there.  It's definitely worth checking out.

Have you noticed the coolness of the nights this summer?  Great for sleeping, but I don't believe I've ever known a summer to be this far advanced without delivering at least two or three really hot nights when the house never gets cooled down, even with the windows all open wide.  This year I go around every evening closing doors and windows so we won't be uncomfortably chilly in the morning.  We've had the heat on more than a few evenings to take the chill off, and also on a few days when we've had rain and even daytime temperatures never got out of the 60s.  Now that we're almost into August, I know the cool nights are only going to get cooler - so where was summer this year?  I feel like Fall is just around the corner and Summer never really got started.  I'm not complaining - I like the cooler weather.  Just saying - the weather has been strange this year.  Reminder to myself:  It's going to be cool on Prouty Beach tomorrow night.

 

Don't forget the Italian Dinner at the Joe's Pond pavilion on Saturday.  I'm not sure if there are tickets still available, but you can give Pam or Cyndy a call (Click on poster for numbers).



Looks like the weather will be exceptional all weekend!  Nice to have a few dry days to look forward to.  Perhaps the rest of the summer will bring more "normal" temperatures and sunnier weather.  We've turned on the heat during a couple of these last dampish days.  Not what we expect at the end of July.  It will soon be August and it's a pretty rapid downhill trip to fall from there.  Days get shorter and the nights chillier - if the pattern is anywhere near "normal."  However, we could have a real hot spell with summer extended well into September.  Hard to tell.

The Story of the Cow(s)

This came from George "Jaff" Baxter today:

On 7/24 a rainy Monday morning Peace and I were having breakfast when Ginger Erdmann knocked and told us there was a cow in our field by the bike path. I called Gary Larrabee because he knows all there is to know. When I described the property he told me the cows belonged to Matt Linstrom who farms near Molly’s Pond. He has grazing rights on property contiguous to North Shore Road and Route 15.

I called Matt, and he headed to Joe’s Pond. I met him in my truck, and we drove up my hill and there stood a white mother cow and her young one which she had recently dropped. Also in company was another black cow all three enjoying a quiet time on the hill.

With Matt’s expertise and a bit of assistance we got the two cows herded onto the rail bed and into the field where they belonged. The calf was having difficulty walking, so Matt loaded him on the back of my truck and we gave the little calf a ride. So this unusual event ended well. 

Thank you, George - great story and wonderful pictures.  I'm glad the cow and her calf were ok.  It's amazing how quickly after being born calves can stand and walk - but they don't have much strength in those wobbly legs for a few days.  After a good meal and some attention from mom, the little one will feel better and be racing in the field like a pro in no time. 

This sort of scene was common in pastures  along almost any rural road in Vermont not too many years ago, but so many farms have disappeared from our landscape, it's a treat to have something like this happen - and a good thing kind people are looking out for wayward cattle and such.  Getting out of the pasture onto one of the main highways could mean a serious accident.  

Cows don't have much common sense to work with, but they do seem to invariably find any weak spot in a fence - and then everybody makes a "run for it" to greener pastures and freedom.  Trouble is, they don't fear highways and seem drawn to wander into the middle of any road - and stand there.  I'm sure Matt Linstrom is thankful for the help from Ginger and George.

TODAY'S  SUNFISH RESULTS:
We had a nice sunny day but the winds were light and variable which was a challenge for all the sailors.  The results for today's race were:

Single Division

1. Billy Hamilton
2. Jack LaGue
3. Jay Chatot
4. Fred Bertrand
5. Ray Rouleau
6. Butch Bouchard
7. Diane Sherwood
8. Jim Loutrel
9. Dottie Noyes
10. Diane Rossi

Double Division

1. Lee Erdmann with Charlie Roberts
2. Joey Cassani with Suzanne Cassani

The standings at this time for Single Division :
Billy Hamilton                        20 points
Jack LaGue                             18 points
Jay Chatot                               16 points
Ray Rouleau                           13 points
Fred Bertrand                         12 points
Butch Bouchard                       9 points
Diane Rossi                             7 points
Dottie Noyes                             5 points
Diane Sherwood                       4 points
Jim Loutrel                                3 points

The standings at this time for Double Division:
Erdmann                             20 points
Cassani                                17 points
Stewart/Hynes                       9 points

 Pictures are, top - Diane Sherwood; middle - start of today's race; bottom - Ray Rouleau showing how relaxing a race can be for an experienced sailor. 

Thanks
Susan

This sounds interesting - worth a trip to Cabot Village to check it out:  After a lot of hard work, The Den at Harry's Hardware is now open! The Den features Vermont craft beers on draft, a selection of wines, and a rotating menu from Sarah's Country Diner and the Cabot Village Store.

We have expanded the hours at Harry's Hardware to 7am-9pm on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Stop by if you haven't seen the place!

Please save the date - August 19th will be our Grand Opening celebration! In the meantime we hope you join us for great beer, better company, at the best gathering spot in Cabot!

See you soon, and thank you to everyone who has supported us and encouraged us to get the Den up and running -- The Searles & Thibault Families.

We are sad to report the passing of Dave Coburn, of Waterford, Vermont.  Dave was well known around Joe's Pond, and had many friends here who will miss his wit, kindness and generosity.  It is very fitting his memorial service will be held at the Joe' Pond Association pavilion on Monday.  Dave loved Joe's Pond - the place and the community. We will miss him.

St. Johnsbury people will remember the Rev. Bert Miller, pastor at the South Congregational church for several years.  Rev. Miller passed away at age 90.  He was a true gentleman, and will be missed by his friends in and around St. Johnsbury.

From Thierry "Terry" Guerlain, 263 Old Homestead:
If you have any perennial flowering plants that you'd like to thin out or get rid of altogether, I'm looking for some for a flower bed that I'm just now making around my garage.  Please call, text or email me and I'll come round to dig them up (under your supervision!)  Thanks -- Thierry ("Terry") 802*343*6566 or tguerlain51@gmail.com

I had a "moment" this evening as I was sitting on our new deck watching night fall.  It was a bird calling in the dimness of  the woods across the road, and just a hint of some familiar scent in the air that took me back to when I was a kid.  It was after a hot day like today, some 70 years ago - after my cousins and I had rounded up the cows from the hill pasture on the Plain and herded them to the barn for milking, and then, after supper we'd put on our bathing suits, grab towels and hike down to the pond for a swim.  

We had to cross Wilbur Ewen's land (the Ewen farm was where Mike and Barb Pupino live now, and included all of Sandy Beach Road area, Helen Morrison's and where Encarnacion's lived, as well as where we live now) to get to the beach, now part of either  George and Pat Parizo's shoreline or that of Richard and Carmen Gagne.  It was the only sandy beach along that shore, and there was a wide marsh between the hay field and the berm of stones at the water's edge.  We had a walkway of single boards from one hummock to the next, and alders along the shore except for where the beach was.  That was clear - probably from all the feet that had trod there over the years.  Everyone I knew came there to swim - or at least to wade and cool off on hot summer days.  I don't think many of our neighborhood kids knew how to swim.  Not many came  in the evening, like we did, either.  Above is a typical "day at the pond" probably in the 1920s, in a big old rowboat at that sandy beach spot.  The next picture shows what the beach looked like then - probably about 1937 or 1938.  Yep, that's me, "farmer's tan," boyish bobbed hair and all.  Notice the big island in the background.

As the sun disappeared behind the hill, we would head back up the hill, hurrying to get home before dark.  That was when we paid attention to the night sounds - birds settling, a tree frog trilling, the sound of automobiles on Route 2, or a motorboat on the pond.  And there was the smell of newly mowed hay and the pungent wet earth smell of the pasture where our young cattle were.  The pasture was where Randall's house is now, directly across from where our house is now.  The cattle, a friendly bunch, responded readily to our "Come boss! Come boss!" and would follow along the fence until we turned up the road that went up the hill from where our mailbox is now - a short route to the farm, open only in the summer.  They would stand by the fence, watching us out of sight, probably wondering why they didn't get something more than a pat on their noses after being called.

There was a big beechnut tree a little way up the road and we would break off a twig and chew the minty bark as we trudged along in our wet bathing suits.  I imagine we arrived home as dusty and hot as we'd been before we plunged into the pond.  At the top of the hill the road was no longer tree-lined, but ran between wide open, newly cut hay fields.  Our big barn loomed on the side hill  ahead of us, and we could see the lights of home, the Maynard's farm and the Desmaris farm across the fields past the Plains School on the road to Cabot Village.  There were different sounds here - a mooing cow, a dog barking, crickets in the grass beside the road.  The woodsy odors changed to the smell of hay and the lingering heat of the day. 

My cousins climbed turned up the driveway to my grandparents' and I continued the short distance down to our house.  We'd be up early the next morning to do interesting things all day - and if it was hot, go swimming in the pond again that evening. 

There is a very nice article about the opening of the Charles D. Brainerd Public Library in West Danville, published in this week's Hardwick Gazette.  The Gazette is not digitized, although I think the new owner is thinking in that direction, so I cannot link to it for you, but there may still be copies available.

Ray Rouleau sent me this picture of a new sign just put in service at the entrance of the State Fishing Access.  The sign was made by Scott and Geraldine Pelok (304 Sandy Beach Rd) who not only bought the Evelyn and Ray Richer property, they also have the same skills and have taken over the building and care of Joe's Pond Association road signs.  This sign is beautifully done, matches perfectly our other signs, done by the Richers. The Peloks donated all the materials used for the job.  This is very much appreciated, and we thank them for their generosity.  Very nice, Scott and Gerri!    

 

Need a bed?  Here's a free full-size bed with box spring and mattress located at Abel and Kitty Toll's garage on Channel Drive.  First come, first gets it.  The garage is yellow color, between Bill Hamilton's (563 Channel Dr.) and Nancy Hamilton's (669 Channel Dr.)  Abel and Kitty's place is on the big island, so they may not be around, and that's why they are leaving the bed in the garage.  If you have questions, you can reach them at 802-684-3671.

Can you imagine -  we've actually had three days in a row that have been pretty darn nice.  We did get some rain on Monday night, but most days have been  sunny and a little humid.  Looks good for most of the rest of the week, too.  Those of you who picked this week for your vacation hit it just right!   Congratulations!  Enjoy!

We visited the Charles D. Brainerd Public Library yesterday with Fred's cousin, Ora, and her friend, Kate, from Rhode Island.  Both ladies were impressed with its history and the work the committee has done to revitalize it. 

We had lunch at Three Ponds - such good food!  I had the braised chicken wrap and it was perfect.  It came with a side - a salad for me - and that, too was just right.  They were busy by waves - but we didn't have to wait for our order to be taken or to be served.  As nobody was waiting for a table when we finished, we lingered over tea and chatted a little extra time before heading over to the library.
Mary Anne Cassani was manning the station (pun intended since it was a gas station in a former life!) and we spent some time chatting with her and telling the ladies the history of the place and something of what it took for it to be rehabbed.  Mary Anne took this picture of the four of us, me, Fred, Ora and Kate.  She made me promise not to post any pictures of her - but I have to tell you, Ora took a couple of really nice pictures of her.  Mary Anne said she'd had several visitors during the day; and as we were leaving, the sky darkened and we had to make a run for the car in the rain.  

Tickets are still available for the Italian dinner at the Joe's Pond Association pavilion on Saturday, July 29th. Please contact Pam at 684-3655 or Cyndy  at 563-9921. Tickets are $16.00. Join us for barbecued chicken , salad, rolls and mostaccioli. Everyone welcome!

Great Steak Dinner

We had a great Steak Dinner last night, thanks in part to the Grill cooks, Larry, Joey, Steve and Joe;  corn minder Tom; servers Susan B, Camilla, Linda L., Michelle and Nancy; Setup by Camilla, Nancy, Sherry, Mary Ann, Pam, Joanne and Tom; many clean up folks led by Don S; and of course a very enthusiastic group of participants. Fifty-Fifty raffle was conducted by Jenna, Heather, and their little helpers.
Thanks to all participants and particularly those that help make this a sucess. If I forgot anyone, I apologize.

Tom

There was a nice turnout for the ribbon-cutting ceremony to open the Charles D. Brainerd Public Library today in West Danville.  We had only one very brief shower that didn't really get anyone very wet - the rest of the afternoon was sunny and perfect for the gathering.  

The library is very small, but beautifully restored.  Everything is clean and fresh, and the committee (and their husbands) deserve a big "thank you" from the community for taking on this project.

WCAX came on Wednesday to interview the committee.  Here is a link to their piece that aired this morning.  Fred and I took pictures - unfortunately I had the camera when the ribbon cutting took place and I didn't do a very good job with this picture, at the right.  Sen. Jane Kitchel (top of steps right) and her sister, Rep. Kitty Toll (top of steps left) were both there; former librarian at the little library, Jane Larrabee, did the honors cutting the red and white ribbon for it to officially reopen.  There were refreshments, and a nice display of the raffle items.  Raffle tickets were available and you'll also find printable tickets on home page of our website.  Drawing for the raffle will be on August 26 at the Joe's Pond Beach pavilion.  More on that later.

We were happy to see that some folks rode their bikes down the rail trail and used the path through the grass to reach the library. 

In this picture, Rosie Smith is lining up the committee for pictures before the ribbon-cutting.   At top are Mary Anne Cassani, Jane Hastings Larrabee inside, and Joanne Stewart.  In front, Pam Hebert, Rosie with her back to the camera, and Karen Morris.  These ladies are all members of the Joe's Pond Association, and we are very proud that they initiated and executed this project so perfectly.  

The library will now be open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday (and some Saturdays) from 1 to 4 p.m.   The library will operate on the honor system - one can borrow up to four books and return them at your convenience.  It's vacation time - great for reading, and now there's a handsome little library filled with great mysteries, novels and children's books, free to all.  Perhaps you have books you'd like to donate, and if so, mention it to whoever is minding the library when you visit.  It will help keep the stock fresh.

Michelle Walker counted seven loons near her house today.  She said they were at first across the bay towards the fishing access, but came closer to her house, diving for food along the way.  We think they might be young loons; however, neither of us have seen a large group this time of the year.  We generally see them gather in the fall, before migrating, and occasionally see a few early in the spring, possibly searching for a spot not already taken by another pair.  They do not share pond space well when they're ready to raise a family. 

Michelle got in touch with Henretta Splain at the north end of the pond.  Henretta did a loon count recently with Eric Hansen, and she directed Michelle to ebird.org - a website where anyone can report sighting an unusual bird.  Hopefully someone will respond.  

This may be normal, but we wondered if it had something to do with the weather.  Seems to me it's about 20 degrees cooler than it should be, and several inches wetter than a normal summer.  I measured .21 inches of rain again today - that brings the total in just the past three days to almost 1 inch.  With the showers during today and this evening, the measurement will go up again tomorrow.  I hope the showers quit before the opening of the new library at 1 p.m.  It would be nice to have some sunshine for that.
I saw a promo on tonight's news for the segment WCAX filmed at the library on Wednesday.  It will be aired tomorrow morning during the Saturday newscast, and Fred will have a link on home page as soon as it's available.

Have you seen the weather forecast for the next week?  It seems we can't get a break of more than a day or two without showers.  This weather has to be not only frustrating, but near disaster for some people like farmers, painters, contractors and others who work outside and need things dry at least some of the time.  And tonight is downright chilly.  Good for sleeping, but we turned up the heat here in the house tonight.  I was chilly, and it would have been ok if Woody had been content to stay in my lap - he has a real warm body!  But I think he got too warm and left.  

Next week we'll still have a little rain every day, but the temperatures will be in the 80s.  Hot and steamy after cold and clammy. Nothing is normal so far this summer.  I recorded another .51 in. of precipitation this morning that had fallen mostly overnight.  I've recorded 2.17 in. so far this month.  This added to the almost 9 inches we got during June is more than we really need.

Here's something to look forward to - the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Charles D. Brainerd library in West Danville on Saturday at 1 p.m.  There will be a raffle drawing on August 26.  You can see all the items in the raffle by going to home page of this website and clicking on "Charles D. Brainerd Library Raffle."  You can also print tickets to enter the raffle.  Tickets will also be available at Hastings Store, Three Ponds Cafe and Joe's Pond Craft Shop - and at the ribbon-cutting on Saturday.  The raffle items will also be on display at the library Saturday.

 

Watch the evening news on WCAX tonight - there may be a segment on our little library by the beach in West Danville.  The WCAX crew came today and interviewed some of the committee members who have been working hard to reopen the little library.  The story will also run on the Saturday morning news program.  We will post a link here and on home page as soon as we can get it.

It's exciting to get a preview glimpse inside Vermont's smallest library.  It looks as if the committee did a beautiful job - it's lovely.  I think that is Pam Hebert in the top photo being interviewed.  I'm not sure who is in the bottom picture.  I was wrong - that's Karen Morris in the first picture - Pam is being interviewed below.

These were sent to me by another committee member, Joanne Stewart. 

Don't forget that there's a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the library scheduled for 1 o'clock on Saturday, July 15th - yes, this Saturday!  The library will be officially open for business!

There will be light refreshments and we will be able to see the completed library and all the books that have been collected.  Also, the items to be raffled off in August will be on display along the tops of the book shelves, and raffle tickets will be on sale.

I had a note from Dotty Noyes this morning letting us know she and her grands were fishing up near the islands and watched the loon couple feeding a fish to their chick.  It's good to know that family is intact.

We received the above photo from Linda and Charles Livendale of one of the adult loons and the chick in the big pond.  This was taken on Sunday.   Thanks to everyone for keeping an eye on our loon family.  We hope there will be no more disasters this year.

A few days ago I posted a message from Paige Crosby (Birch Bound Rd) describing how she and her husband, Peter, witnessed the disappearance of the second loon chick in the lower ponds.  We were deeply affected that a large fish had taken the young loon as it was diving with it's parents.  I believe that was posted on Thursday, July 5.  

On Saturday I had another message from Paige, and here is "the rest of the story."  
Jane,

More to the story. Went for a run on the bike path today and decided to walk down the stairs at the route 2/15 intersection.  At the shore at bottom of the stairs was the remains of the baby loon. Entrails etc. I had never before walked down those stairs but did today. Peter and I went back later with a shovel and took care of the carcass.  Thought you should know.

Paige 

That is a very sad ending, I know, but I am very proud of Paige and Peter for caring enough to take care of the remains properly.  Life in the wild is difficult, and often horribly cruel, but we all know these things happen and have to accept it's nature's way.  I have to believe Paige was sent down those steps for that specific reason.  I think most of us have had moments when we, for no particular reason, have altered our intended course and found something we'd been looking for or met someone unexpectedly, and I have the  distinct feeling these happenings are not "accidental." 

On a happier note, Diane Rossi sent me this photo of Bill's birthday lunch with his mother, Alba, and his brother and sister-in-law.  Diane made his favorite meal, macaroni and cheese, and she said he was delighted - it was a successful birthday celebration.  This was in the garden at The Residence at Shelburne Bay, where Bill lives, yesterday - and the weather cooperated. 

We were at Granddaughter Tangeni's (shown at right) birthday party yesterday in Waterford, Vermont.  She's six now and can't wait for school to start again in the fall.  Most of Tangeni's  class at school were there.  One parent told me there are about 16  kids in the class, and girls far outnumber boys.

 The girls pretty much took over the pool.  There were only three or four boys at the party, and they seemed more interested in the food than games in the pool; but when the water balloons came out, they got happy.  However, those little girls are tough!  They all have been practicing soccer and getting ready for basketball (they start 'em early at Waterford School!) and they don't take a back seat to boys one bit.  Monika and Bill made it a rule that no "older folks" were to be targets of water balloons - and everyone respected that.  Aunt Theresa (next to the bottom picture) had targeted Tangeni a few times with the beach ball when the girls were in to pool, so Tangeni was threatening pay back.  It was all in good fun, and as you can see in the bottom picture, the adults looked pretty safe and dry.  Actually, I think the adults outnumbered the kids - friends of Bill and Monika  stopped by to watch the fun.  The food is always good at their parties! We enjoyed catching up with friends and family while watching the children - I always forget how much energy kids that age have!