Joe's Pond Association members will be interested in the proposed bylaw changes that will be voted upon at the Annual Meeting a week from today, on July 7, at 10 a.m. at the JPA pavilion. The changes are posted on home page of the website. Click HERE to access that page. Any questions will be answered at the meeting before the vote.

We are heading into a week-long heatwave. My weather station is registering 86.8F with a very light NNE breeze. That's in the shade. In the sun, it must be well over 100F. Even with the insulating blind down here in my office, I can feel the heat radiating from the window. This time of day the sun beats in on this south-facing window directly, so it can get very warm. Nice in the winter, except the sun is so low on the horizon it dips behind the hillside by mid-afternoon. It's a different story this time of year. We have overhead fans that will get a good workout in the next few days. We keep the house pretty much closed during the hottest weather. It stays pretty cool; as the sun goes down, we open things up and gather in as much cool night air as we can during the night - and close up again as soon as the sun comes up in the morning. That is our air conditioning.

I put my palm plants outside on the deck this morning. I don't know how they will fare, but the avacado tree I put out a couple of weeks ago is loving it. My Norfolk pine didn't like being outside one bit, so I had to bring that back in. I may have had it where it got too much sun - too soon after being inside all winter. They are all big, heavy plants, so I don't like to move them around a lot. The ones outside will probably get a good drenching tonight, and that may be good for them.

I have two hoya plants. One is in a pot and is probably fifty years old, more or less. It used to flower sometimes, when the universe was perfectly aligned, but hasn't flowered for at least a decade. I took a piece of it off and stuck it in oasis in a small container with just water, and it blooms regularly. Go figure. This spring it has had at least three blooms appear. I think the flowers are beautiful, but I do not care for the smell. It's pretty overpowering.

 

Here's an interesting clip showing what Kelli Merrell, who volunteers to do water sampling at the Joe's Pond Public Beach, does in her day job. It certainly isn't what we think of as working for the State of Vermont. Kelli has to be not only a scientist, she has to be able to hike miles with a heavy load and handle herself in a canoe or kayak. Kelli is Henretta Splain's daughter. We saw her on WCAX this evening, and thought others may be interested.
     I had a note from my friend, Mary Whitcomb with pictures. She

said she has seen this fellow in her yard a couple of times this year and that is unusual. She has never seen a bear around her place in the 42 years she's lived there. I think of Duxbury, where she lives, as being even more rural than we are at Joe's Pond. However, I guess it doesn't make much difference to the bears - they cover a lot of territory trying to find enough to eat at this time of the year. 
     According to some reports I've read, the bear population has been steadily increasing because they aren't being as avidly hunted as they were a few years ago. There aren't many predators other than humans to keep the population down. Someone else mentioned that part of the reason bears are more prevalent these days is because humans have encroached on their habitat. I'm not sure I agree with that. There is more forest in Vermont now than there was even twenty or thirty years ago. While in the 1800s bears were pretty common here, they were also hunted, sometimes by teams of men combing the area, and finally there were few left. Also, the land was scalped by land owners in need of lumber - first for building and clearing for crops and grazing space - and then as a cash crop. By the 1900s, there were few bears and almost no forests. Now, according to statistics, Vermont's forest land has increased dramatically while the population is hardly increasing at all - less than one percent, I believe, and a few years ago was actually decreasing. Could that combination account for more wildlife being here? Perhaps. 
     The fact remains, there are bears here and we need to be respectful. Once a bear finds easy pickin's near humans, he's going to get more bold and continue to visit. They can smell us humans miles away as we enjoy cooking outside and all the garbage resulting from letting the good times roll on any given summer day  - and they quickly learn to equate humans with easy food; so even if we don't grill outside or have feeders or garbage around, they are going to investigate, just in case. If they visit - give them space, but don't give them food!
     We're getting prepared for a busy, hot weekend and more ahead. The Fourth of July holiday looks as if it will be dangerously hot, so try to keep cool and enjoy it safely. If you have elderly neighbors or family that may not be able to handle the heat, check on them to be sure they are ok.
 

Proposed Work Schedule, Week of 7/2/18, Cabot-Danville US 2 Reconstruction [Cabot-Danville FEGC F 028-3(36) C/2]

Project Location:  The 1.4 mile project extends along US 2 from Last Road to Danville Hill Road in Cabot. This is a multi-year project with most of the work occurring in 2017/2018. Completion is scheduled for 2019.

Work to be performed includes reconstruction, realignment and widening of a portion of US Route 2 including bridge replacement, grading, drainage, sub-base, pavement and other highway related items.

Traffic pattern change and speed reduction to 35 mph from Last Road to Folsom Farm is in effect. Traffic will be using the temporary bridge that was previously installed.

Holiday Schedule: Work will cease at noon on Tuesday, July 3rd in observance of Independence Day. Crews will resume work on Thursday, July 5th at 7:00 AM.

Excavation of the existing roadway and placement of select roadway materials will continue from the Folsom Farm and progress west toward Last Rd.

Crews will continue to clean up stockpiles and install fill and select roadway materials up to the new bridge east of Folsom Farm.

Bridge work will continue throughout next week at Bridge 87 between Last Rd. and Houghton Rd. Crews are currently driving piles for the new bridge.

Ditch grading and top soiling is nearly completed from the Goodrich property to Danville Hill Road. Some driveway repair has been completed and will continue throughout the week of 7/2. 

TRAVEL ALERT: Motorists are advised that a traffic pattern change will be in effect at the temporary bridge, and the existing bridge will be closed. A speed limit reduction to 35 mph will be in effect at the location of the temporary bridge. The remainder of the project remains at the 40 mph speed reduction. There are increased fines for speed violations within the construction zone.

Construction vehicles will be entering and exiting the work zone throughout construction hours, and as a result, alternating one-way traffic patterns with flaggers will be in place. Brief delays can be expected.

Please focus on safety when driving through the construction work zone and remember, it is against the law to use a hand held cell phone while driving in Vermont.

Contact Natalie Boyle, Project Outreach Coordinator, EIV Technical Services, with any questions or concerns in regard to this project at 802-855-3893 or nboyle@eivtech.com. 

--

Natalie Boyle

Director of Communications

EIV Technical Services

www.eivtech.com

The City Lights Building

106 East Allen St., Unit 506

Winooski, VT 05404

cell:  802.855.3893

office: 802.497.3653 ext.1037

I was concentrating here at my computer late this afternoon when some motion caught my attention out on the back lawn. At first I thought I was just seeing a dark spot in the bushes, but then it began to move and turns out it was a very large adult bear. This was no yearling - it was REALLY big. It stayed pretty much in the bushes, so I couldn't get a picture and the light wasn't very good anyway - it was one of those periods when it looked like we were in for a rousing good thunder storm. 

Fred immediately checked to see where Woody was (asleep on his bench in the living room) and then he went outside to be sure the doors in the garage were closed. Apparently the bear heard him and stood up on its hind legs just for a moment to get a better look through the bushes. I was glad the beast didn't come down closer to investigate, but meandered into the dense underbrush at the edge of our lawn. I could see the bushes moving sor some time, so I knew he was still there, apparently finding something to eat. There are some very old pieces of wood left over from woodpiles we had years ago up there, and I imagine they are loaded with wood ants and grubs. Ants would be a satisfactory snack for a bear, I expect. Perhaps I'll go up tomorrow and see what there is for evidence; but you couldn't pay me to go out there tonight.

I've been watching Front Porch Forum and noticing all the alerts about bears in the Hardwick area. We were up that way this afternoon and all we saw for wildlife were a couple of very healthy looking turkeys out in a field off of Brickett's Crossing Road. No bears in evidence. However, some of the people reporting bear problems and damage are saying their bird feeders were knocked down or their garbage cans were tipped over and garbage scattered. I guess they haven't been listening to all the warnings from the wildlife experts telling us to take in bird feeders and keep garbage inside. 

Are you ready for hot, humid summer weather? Right in time for the Fourth of July! Looks like it might be perfect weather for the fireworks on the third of July - although there could be a shower that afternoon. We'll hope it all works out so we don't have to wait until the fifth of July for the fireworks at Joe's Pond.

And don't forget about the Spirits of Vermont wine tasting party on Sunday, July 1. Here's all the information you'll need - click to make the image larger.

This is the beginning of real summer, with all its fun and activity - and there will be lots of people out on the water and on the roads. Please be careful. Remember to wear your life jackets when you are on the water, and do drive carefully. Roads will be busy, so have patience and please do not speed, especially on back roads where there may be children playing or people walking. Take a few extra minutes and keep yourself and others safe. Be careful in the heat, too. This is going to be a very hot weekend - could reach 100 degrees, and it's going to be humid. So stay cool, be cool, and enjoy. Summer is short!

Here are the official results of Sunday's Sunfish Race:

The first Sunfish Sailboat Race for 2018 was held this past Sunday with only 4 sailboats.  I want to thank our Commodore, Joe Hebert and Michelle Parker for taking these photos. It wasn't the best sailing day but the results were: 

Single Division: 

• 1st place: Jack LaGue
• 2nd place: Jay Chatot
• 3rd place: Ray Rouleau

Double Division:

• 1st place: Joey and Suzy Cassani

We are hoping for better weather for the next 2 races scheduled on: 

• July 22 at 1pm
• Aug 19 at 1pm (rain date only for the last race ~ Aug 26)

Any other sailors interested in racing, please contact Susan Bouchard at 802-563-2716 or chatotbouchard@comcast.net to register.

 

 

Click on the image to make it larger.

Aluminum Swim Raft

PAM HEBERT JUST REPORTED THERE IS AN ALUMINUM SWIM RAFT BY THE COMMUNITY LANDING AT THE BRIDGE. IF YOURS IS MISSING, THAT'S WHERE IT IS - HOPEFULLY IT WON'T GO OVER THE DAM.

I guess the sailing wasn't very good on Sunday. I wasn't there, but I heard there were only four boats entered and only one sailor (Jack LaGue) finished; the whole thing was called off because it began to thunder. The electrical storm never did develop, but there were a few raindrops off and on and practically no wind. The weather was no doubt the reason for the poor turnout. It's no fun when there is little wind. Perhaps they will run a makeup race. I'm not sure how that works.

We did get some rain over the weekend, and that is good news for farmers' crops and the water table. However, we've also had some pretty chilly nights, so that may not be great for some crops that need warm weather. That is all going to change by this weekend. The forecast is for temperatures in high 80s, 90s and possibly reaching triple digits in some places. Probably not here at Joe's Pond, but it is going to be hot and humid - very uncomfortable unless you can flop into the nice cool pond from time to time. I haven't been swimming in Joe's Pond for literally years, but I might be forced into it if it gets that hot.

Don't forget that the Spirits of Vermont shindig is a week from this Sunday - on July 1. (Click on the poster to enlarge.) Also, the fireworks will be on July 3, with a rain date of July 5. Remember that you really cannot see the fireworks from the public beach as they are fired off from the rail trail at the north end of the pond, between Channel Drive and Island Drive. Please do not try to use the rail trail the day of the fireworks when the crew is setting up. It is dangerous work and not where you want to be if there should be an accident. The crew needs to concentrate on what they are doing so everything goes off (literally) as planned, without a hitch. Also please do not venture beyond the islands with your boat when the fireworks are being set off. There could be dangerous, hot residue falling and it could injure someone or damage your boat. Be respectful of others on the water - there will be lots of traffic. Everyone should have good running lights or a strong flashlight showing so other boaters can see you. If you are on a side road overlooking the pond, be sure there is adequate room in case emergency vehicles have to pass.


That's about all the warnings, directions and such I have to offer. If you have questions, let me know - I'll try to help. If there should be rain and the show has to be postponed, we'll have that information on the website and here on the blog as soon as we know; we will also alert the radio stations, so if the weather seems not cooperative, be sure to check in one of those places. Don Sherwood, who normally oversees the fireworks, is going to be away, but he turned to family, John Sherwood (Edgewood Ave.) to fill in for him, so the event is in good, capable hands, as always.

Why We Live at Joe's Pond

Gretchen Farnsworth sent this gorgeous photo of early morning sunrise today saying, "Why we live at Joe's Pond."

 

We went to Newport to the Eastside Restaurant last night to celebrate our 35th anniversary. It was one of those absolutely perfect evenings - the temperature was just right to eat on the deck (and it was full all the time we were there). Beautiful setting and great food. We were there to watch the sun go down over Lake Memphremagog and it was very pleasant seeing the boats coming and going from the docks. Lots of summer residents arrive at the restaurant by boat - in everything from classic woody inboards and classy ultra-fitted pontoon boats to kayaks. It's always interesting to people-watch there as it's very informal and inclusive. 

We met a charming gentleman and his wife from Barton area -  former farmers turned real-estate developers, there with members of their church for a special occasion of some sort. There were young people, casual and stylish; older folks accompanied by their sons, daughters and grands; single couples; the usual boisterous group gathered at the outdoor bar; and waitstaff rushing with huge trays of food dodging the big umbrellas that offered a little shade from the sun. There were strings of fairy lights overhead, but we left before they were turned on. I imagine it's lovely out there a little later in the evening, too, but it also can get very damp and cold by the water - as Joe's Ponders know! 

We also met a woman from Massachusetts who was traveling through to Quebec City with her sister. They were in Newport for the first time and finding it a very interesting stopover. They had not been this far north before.

I'm watching a big robin perched on the edge of my percipitation tube out on the back lawn. They perch there, listening for movement in the ground beneath and then swoop down to retrieve a bug or worm. They are feeding their young now, so are very busy.
It's beginning to rain now, so the worms will be closer to the surface and easier to find.

Sailors, don't forget that the first Sunfish Race is this Sunday - tomorrow - at 1 o'clock. Get in touch with Joe and Pam Hebert if you have questions. We'll hope the weather cooperates!

We were out this afternoon and after seeing mom and babies on big pond we rode out to first pond and saw Mom, Dad and 2 new babies there.  Only got pic of Mom & babies.
Charlie & Linda Livendale  

Thank you, Charlie and Linda - nice to know we have two loon families thriving this year. We hope all the chicks make it to adults. Nice picture.

 ____________________________________________

Proposed Work Schedule, Week of 6/25/18, Cabot-Danville US 2 Reconstruction [Cabot-Danville FEGC F 028-3(36) C/2]

PROJECT LOCATION:  The 1.4 mile project extends along US 2 from Last Road to Danville Hill Road in Cabot. This is a multi-year project with most of the work occurring in 2017/2018. Completion is scheduled for 2019.

Work to be performed includes reconstruction, realignment and widening of a portion of US Route 2 including bridge replacement, grading, drainage, sub-base, pavement and other highway related items.

Traffic pattern change and speed reduction to 35 mph from Last Road to Folsom Farm is in effect. Traffic will be using the temporary bridge that was previously installed.

Excavation of the existing roadway and placement of select roadway materials  will continue from the Folsom Farm and progress west toward Last Rd. 

Crews will continue to clean up stockpiles and install fill and select roadway materials up to the new bridge east of Folsom Farm.

Demolition and excavation for the new bridge (Bridge 87) between Houghton Rd. and Last Rd. will continue throughout the week of 6/25/18.

Bridge work will begin next week at Bridge 87 between Last Rd. and Houghton Rd.

Ditch grading and top soiling will be taking place from the Goodrich property to Danville Hill Road throughout the week of 6/25. 

TRAVEL ALERT: Motorists are advised that a traffic pattern change will be in effect at the temporary bridge, and the existing bridge will be closed. A speed limit reduction to 35 mph will be in effect at the location of the temporary bridge. The remainder of the project remains at the 40 mph speed reduction. There are increased fines for speed violations within the construction zone.

Construction vehicles will be entering and exiting the work zone throughout construction hours, and as a result, alternating one-way traffic patterns with flaggers will be in place. Brief delays can be expected.

Please focus on safety when driving through the construction work zone and remember, it is against the law to use a hand held cell phone while driving in Vermont.

Contact Natalie Boyle, Project Outreach Coordinator, EIV Technical Services, with any questions or concerns in regard to this project at 802-855-3893 or nboyle@eivtech.com. 

Natalie Boyle

Director of Communications

EIV Technical Services

www.eivtech.com

The City Lights Building

106 East Allen St., Unit 506

Winooski, VT 05404

cell:  802.855.3893

Yoga Class Notice!

The Yoga classes that were scheduled on Mondays from 9:30-10:30 a.m. will instead be held from 10 - 11 a.m. on Mondays. Andrea hopes to see lots of former students back and welcomes new students. Classes begin on July 9 and will run through August 6. If you have questions, contact  andrea.aimi@gmail.com.

Good Morning! What a beautiful day. Do you know - it was below freezing here last night. I had a low of 31.8 degrees registered on my weather station. I haven't looked at the few indoor plants I have outside - I had no idea it was going to be so cold and didn't cover anything. I don't want to look - and anyway, the damage if any, is done. The best thing is to let the sun warm them naturally and perhaps they will be ok. One is my avacado tree - and I know Fred would be delighted if that gangly beast bit the dust. I, on the other hand, treasure it in all it's crooked, unsightlyness because I started it from an avacado pit years ago. We had it in our bedroom for a long time, but it would randomly drop leaves, which was annoying, and it also went through a period of giving off a very sweet aroma. That, too, became annoying, so I moved it into our back hallway where it continues to annoy by being too large for the spot and interfering with having the door open more than half way. So I put it outdoors a few weeks ago and it loves it. Or at least up until last night, it loved it. It may drop all its leaves now, in which case I may as well discard it. But I'll give it every possible chance to survive.

I'm looking for a special person to go to the town offices to search deeds for the West Danville History book. We have found that the process is thoroughly confusing for us. It's time consuming, and those big books are miserably heavy to carry back and forth from the vault to the research table in the next room. We have asked if we could bring in a card table to set up in the vault when we are researching, but that is not possible. Patty has a day job, so it has been up to Dot and me to try to search, and we don't have the know-how or stamina to do all of what we'd like to. So we need help.

We are very aware that this is something that we really need to get done in order to be able to place where families now long gone lived, and where places of business once were, etc. So we would like to find someone who has the time, energy and know-how to do this for us on a volunteer basis (we are all volunteers on this project). There are perhaps five or six deeds we'd like to have traced at this point. If you have the time and could do this for us, or if you know of someone, it would be greatly appreciated. We will of course give you due credit as a researcher and part of our team. Please get in touch with me at janebrowncabot@gmail.com, or Dot at dlarrabee78@gmail.com.

I'm so hoping to hear from someone willing to spend some time for/with us. Thank you.

Sunfish Race This Sunday!

Joe and I will be doing the sailboat race as Bouchard's have a wedding and Tom is not coming for another week or so.

We want to remind everyone the race is this Sunday at 1:00 p.m. I have the registration forms and participants need to complete before racing. Contact me at  684-3655.

Pam Hebert

The yellow float pictured here washed up on Andy Rudin's waterfront yesterday. If it belongs to you, it is hanging out here - at the front of 403 Old Homestead Rd.

This photo came from Diane Rossi this morning. She said the bear seemed unconcerned as cars passed by about 7 o'clock last night. That is Ray and Cyndi Rouleau's garage/workshop directly across the road from their home and Diane's. This may not be one of the twins the LaGue's and Dimicks have been seeing, as this one seemed to be solo. Thanks, Diane. Your giraffe looks a bit concerned - like he's heading for the protection of your porch.

This came from Tom Dente this morning: 

An interesting twist involving bears hunting for food. 

In Torrington, CT a bear crawled into a house thru a window screen seeking food in the kitchen. The owner, who was in the house called 911 from a safe room and they caught the bear as it was leaving the house. The bear had made quite a mess in the kitchen.

So, be careful if you open windows in bear country as the animal can easily smell food from outside your cottage or house if you have the window up and just a screen.

Tom

Mark Your Calendar . . . !

This link came to me this morning from Henretta Splain (Clubhouse Circle). Henretta is Kelli Merrell's mother, and this is Kelli's address at Lake Fairlee's recent lake association meeting.
Click Here.

We know Joe's Pond has changed radically over the past twenty years. There are now numerous year-around residences on our lake. We like to think each one of these has adequate septic systems, but we also know that many of the older cottages on the lake have "older" septic systems. There are probably still some people who insist on fertilizing their lawns to have them "golf-club perfect" and almost nobody has a "natural" shoreline. Plus we have runoff from roads. Not many working farms anymore, but still a lot can probably be done to mitigate the effects of human intrusion. 

If you want to find out more about this, I'm sure Kelli would be happy to talk with you. Kelli samples the water at the beach to be sure it is safe for the public to use. You can reach her at kellie.merrell@vermont.gov

I had this message from Helen Morrison (West Shore Road):
 

There is a cat hanging around my house...domestic short hair, all grey (I think), maybe one to two years old.  Couldn't tell gender.  It is a bit skittish.  If anyone knows anything about this cat or owns it, let me know, so I don't have to worry about it.

And we are also getting word from some barns that think that folks who vacation in the area, get kittens or cats for the summer for fun, and then release them when they go home...at a barn or just out on roads, near houses.  Of course, this isn't fair to the animals...they may be rejected and driven off from the barn by the resident cats...and have to fend off predators when they may be totally ill-equipped for that.

I have three strays that showed up at the end of summer several years ago...and I suspect these may have come to me in the same manner...just being dumped.  They are happily part of the family...but I certainly don't have room for any more.

 

As many of you know, Helen volunteers with the Kingdom Animal Shelter. Cats so like to wander, and that's ok as long as you understand that there are more predators than there used to be - coyotes, foxes, fisher cats, bobcats, eagles, hawks and bears, to name a few. Then there is the traffic that seems to know no speed limit on our back roads. So, perhaps instead of thinking of Joe's Pond as a great place to let pets enjoy roaming free, you may want to devise a method of keeping them safely inside an enclosure while you are here. 

More bear sightings - they were back at Jamie and Marie's last night and were also at Lakey's on West Shore Road recently. At Lakey's they found some garbage - renters there were probably unaware of the bear situation we have each spring. Please let your neighbors and especially renters know they should not leave food of any kind/age outside. If the bears don't get it, raccoons or skunks will, and it always makes a mess. Sue LaGue called this morning to say the twins paid them another visit and Sue alerted others on Sandy Beach Road so they would be sure their cats were inside, out of danger. I don't know if a bear would bother a cat, but why take chances. I suppose if they are hungry enough and the cat (or dog) is small or aggressive, it could be disastrous. 

Jamie sent me this from YouTube - it's actually part two of three, and as someone commented, you might want to turn off the sound so you don't hear the whiny child. However, the mother is calm - perhaps too calm - and keeps on filming, and filming, and filming. Anyway, take a look - it's pretty interesting. FIVE cubs?????  Click HERE for part one. Click HERE for part two, and I leave it up to you if you want to watch still more, part three HERE. I watched all of part two and a little of the others, just to see how it all began and ended.

In case you are interested, I measured 1.40 in. of rain from our storms yesterday and last night. We needed the rain, and as far as I know there has been little damage from wind or lightning in our area, but other parts of the state were less fortunate. We're having a very pretty day today, clear, fresh air with lots of wind to keep the black flies off!

It seems we have some young bears roaming the West Shore. Jamie and Marie had a visit from two young bears - not cubs, but not fully grown either - this weekend, and we think they were probably at our house on Saturday and dislodged the cap on our deck railing post. They visited Jack and Sue LaGue, too, and Sue got this picture. One is just to the right of the garden tractor, and the other is heading into Sue's garden just off the driveway left of the side of the building. Click on the image to make it larger. These guys mean no harm, but they are hungry. DO NOT FEED THEM! Be sure you don't leave any garbage out, and take in your bird feeders for the summer. The birds do fine this time of year on their own, and feeders are just an invitation to the bears. 

Aside from the bears being destructive when they smell any kind of food, they will get used to having easy meals and if they continue to bother, eventually someone will get hurt or property will be damaged and the bears may have to be destroyed. That is not the outcome we want. They are wild creatures, curious, and if people cooperate and do not leave foodstuff out where the bears can smell it, the beasts will go along about their business and find food naturally - grass, roots, insects, fish or small animals, if they are really hungry. However, human garbage or bird feeders are easier, and they quickly learn and will continue to come back and raid wherever the food is. So keep your premises clear of food, clean your BBQ grills well or keep in a secure garage or shed, and enjoy the wildlife as it passes you by.

Bedroom Set for Sale

We are selling our house down south and have a very nice full size bedroom set that fits beautifully even in a smaller space.  Made by Beals of Portland Maine, it is awesome quality, very good shape, mirror clear and dresser and chest have thick glass on top for protection. They don’t make them like this anymore. Downsizing so can’t fit it in.  I am asking $400 for the set including the mattress and boxspring (or the person doesn’t need to take those). We will deliver to Joe's Pond (or general area) if needed.

Suzi Swanson

802-613-3099


 

 Note:  Click on images to make them larger.

Lost Floating Water Toy

This message came from Kitty Toll today:

I am wondering if somebody found a peacock floating raft toy. It drifted off from the island last night. Thank you so much. Kitty

If you find the raft, please call Kitty at 802-684-3671.

I noticed last evening the loons were making different sounds - sort of chirping in between their regular mournful calls. I had wondered what that was about, and hoped they were not being threatened in any way. This morning I found these happy photos in my email. Gretchen Farnsworth (Sandy Beach Road) took these pictures of the loon family that nested at the north end of the big pond - both parents with two chicks. Please be extra careful to keep your distance from the little family. There are natural predators they need to be watchful for and they certainly don't need to be harassed by humans. Take pictures, but use your zoom - or just enjoy these that Gretchen took.

Sometimes we've had large fish take one of the baby loons - or we have suspected a young eagle that took up residence near Pearl Island may have gotten one of the chicks. Sometimes one chick is just weaker than the other and doesn't make it. There isn't much we can do about these natural events, but we can be watchful to make sure boaters do not go too close to the loons or otherwise disturb them. Sometimes non-local people do not realize loons are protected by wildlife laws, so if you see someone going too close, try to politely let them know they need to be more careful.

This is a beautiful, hot and fairly humid day - perfect for celebrating Father's Day doing Dad's favorite thing. Enjoy the day, the water, or whatever you are doing. Please play and travel safely.

 

I received the following from Jack and Sue LaGue:

 Hi, we just saw a small black bear cross West Shore Road on the way home... we first saw it off to the right side of the road just past your camp's driveway... s/he went into the bushes near the culvert... we waited a bit and then s/he came out and cross the road right at the culvert and headed towards Ned's 2-car garage.

Small one.... probably a yearling...bigger than a cub but not particular big... I would guess 100 to 125 lbs.

 

 

I think Jack and Sue may have seen the bear around 8:30 or 9 p.m. 

I suspect we had a visit from perhaps the same bear - it would have been sometime between 6:30 and 8 that it visited us. We left a little before 6:30 to meet some cousins in Danville and got back a little after 8 o'clock. I found one of the caps on the railing to our deck off, and when I picked it up it had a scratch and what could have been saliva on it - and there were some wet spots (saliva? do bears drool?) on the deck. There is no food around, so he must have been just inquisitive. The vinyl trim caps on the posts are securely glued in place, and even without being glued, they do not come off easily. I wonder if the animal tried to climb up on it - but there is no food around, no bird feeders or anything, so I guess he/she was just inquisitive - it it was a bear. I can't think of any other animal that it might have been. When I went into the house, our cat, Woody, was very nervous and unusually cautious as he went outside. He is normally not skittish unless he's seen another animal. He did a thorough investigation of the deck - another clue something had visited while we were gone.

Actually, my cousins came over from Barre and stopped to see if we wanted to go to the Ice Cream Social in Danville - so of course we said sure and went off to meet them there. Turns out the event is tomorrow. We had seen Jamie and Marie just before we left and Marie told us then she thought it was Sunday (which makes more sense, being Father's Day). So we sat on the Green and had a nice chat - watched the sun disappear behind the library, and when it began to get chilly, called it a day and parted company. It was nice to see them and fun, even without the icecream. We all agreed we really didn't need the extra calories. 

Now I'm going to see if I can find Woody. He finally went out just before dark and hasn't came back in yet. He's probably found more evidence of an intruder into his territory. I just hope the intruder isn't still around.