Fred just pointed out to me that the poster for the Kingdom Animal Shelter has much too small print to be able to read on most computers. Fortunately, it is on the web, so click (HERE) to be able to read about this fun event.

Today our snow is gone and it's more like late October SHOULD be. I'm seeing a temperature of 45.5, but it seems much warmer now that the snow is gone. There are still a few showers in spots, but they are rain showers, not snow.

Just about the last of our summer residents have gone now. There are a few who always stay until after Thanksgiving, and a few others who will stay until after Christmas, but most are already enjoying the sun and warmer temps at their winter homes - or if they are Vermonters, they are busy with their winter life that probably includes work, kids, meetings, sports and bulky clothing.

This reminds me - going through the information we have gathered for the history of West Danville, I often find I have questions that  don't have readily available answers. I'm thinking about yesterday when I wondered to myself, when and who was the first to engage in water skiing at Joe's Pond. Not an especially important historic event, but still, I'm thinking, I'd like to know. I don't remember seeing anyone on water skis until the late 1940s. That would probably have been Bill Dimick - Grandpa Dimick, to our family. He was still snow skiing well into his 80s, as I recall, and he also enjoyed water skiing. It was certainly a big sport here at Joe's during the 60s and 70s - all the kids around learned and were pretty darned good at it. Just the other day Shelly Walker and I were talking about how many kids I towed with our inboard, "Raja" back in the 70s. I mean, all at once. Shelly remembers at least five or six at a time that we could name.  I was thinking I towed maybe four at a time, but Shelly remembered there being more.

What started me thinking about all of this was that in 1963, there were concerns at one of the Joe's Pond Association meetings about speed boats going too fast on the pond, especially those towing skiers. Whoever it was that complained about the noise and danger to other boaters probably isn't around today to see the pond on a busy weekend!

I found these old pictures - son Bill on slalom ski (he was a teenager) and probably Bill, Bob, Jamie and/or Tony Stewart in the SportYak - way before tubing was thought of. I cringe when I notice they weren't wearing life preservers in that thing! We had a different mindset back then, I guess. Sometimes I wonder how those kids survived. They did, and fortunately nobody ever got seriously hurt. They love to look back on their escapades. Bob is still a skier - both snow and water, but Bill rarely has time these days. Of course, none of these "kids" are youngsters anymore!

Here's a bit of something for just about everyone! A great time to try one of the places in town you have heard about but never went to, perhaps, or have a fun time with friends at one or several of the spots supporting the Kingdom Animal Shelter. It looks like a lot of fun. Thanks to Helen Morrison for sending this. (Click to read!)

We may be in for at least a few hours of nasty weather later today. We could get a couple or more inches of snow - enough to make driving a little slippery, so if you have to be out on the roads, please be careful. These mini winter events are good for reminding us to slow down and drive a little more cautiously. There's always the "retraining period" after a summer of fairly uncomplicated driving conditions as we ease into winter driving mode. Not everyone remembers that roads get very slippery with sometimes only a little bit of snow - and there could be some icy conditions from melting/freezing on the highway, and these things surprise unwary drivers. So be careful, and watch out for the other guy! Better yet, stay home and read a book or play on your computer. (That's where I'll be today!)

Sign of the Season!

I received this photo this morning from Gretchen Farnsworth on

Sandy Beach Road. It may seem early to think about the pond freezing over, but we've had some really colder than usual nights for the past ten days or so, and the water is cooling accordingly. This area is at the head of the pond, in a fairly quiet area compared to the broad pond around the point from Gretchen's. There is movement a few yards out where the current from the channel water entering the pond flows past her house - and this is usually  the first area to show open water in the spring. The water foul love this quiet area. There are only a few homes in that area, so there isn't as much activity in the summer as on other parts of the pond.
     We are happy to see bright sunshine this morning. The snow is mostly gone from around our house - just a little in the shadows. The temperature should be getting up to a more normal reading, but last night we were at a low of 24F, and even now, I'm seeing only 30F. The sun and having no wind makes it seem much warmer.
     Spirits rise when the sun shines, so this should be a great day to do whatever is your pleasure. I know some of our Joe's Ponders are leaving today - many others have already headed south. We always miss them, and hope they will keep in touch and occasionally send me some pictures and messages that I can share here on the blog. Those of us who hang out here all winter appreciate some of the activities our friends are enjoying - golfing, swimming, dining in the sunshine and warmth - but while we might momentarily envy them those pleasures, most of us just prefer to "stay put." Travel is sometimes overrated, especially as we get older and our bones begin to creak from sitting too long and crowds and noise are more a bother than a party. No, I haven't turned into a curmudgeon - I am just very happy right where I am, close to friends, family and home territory. An occasional foray of a one or two day trip is all I need to see of the "rest of the world." Unless, of course, we get one of those brutal winters when we all wish we were someplace else . . . !

Proposed Work Schedule, Week of 10/29/18, 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.

 

Miscellaneous clean-up, ditch work, topsoiling and seeding will take place throughout the project. 

Side road work at Houghton Rd. has been completed.

Excavation at Last Road has been completed.

Grading and preparation will take place next week in preparation for paving the week of 11/5.

TRAVEL ALERT:  A speed reduction zone of 40 mph is in place for this project. There are increased fines for speed violations within the construction zone. 

TRAFFIC INFORMATION: 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. 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

_______________________________________

 The Route 2 project is winding down for this year. It will be good to have that new bridge at the Folsom farm done for this winter - that old one was a really bad scene during winter driving. Bit by bit, Route 2 west is getting better. Maybe someday . . . !

We have snowflakes and wind today. The temperature is hovering right around 30 degrees and there is a sifting of snow hanging out on some hollows and along the edges of our driveway. When I went out to measure the precipitation (and snow depth!!!) this morning, the deck was very slippery. The snow that fell last night was like cornmeal - completely different from yesterday's wet, mushy variety.  There was very little moisture in today's by comparison. Actually, I only measured less than a quarter of an inch, and there's really nothing on the ground except in hollows and on some fallen leaves. The trees up on the hill in back of our house are still white, and the snow is blowing off of them in clouds as gusts hit. I expect it will all be gone in a day or so. I hope.

In the meantime, the air is really fresh, coming out of the northeast in chilly blasts. I was in West Danville yesterday to pick up the mail and, as usual, the wind was whipping through there. It's a natural wind tunnel coming down the pond and being compressed through the narrow gorge at West Danville village. I'm pretty sure it would be a productive spot to have a few wind towers for electricity. It could possibly give residents free power - and maybe some healthy dividends from the power companies? Maybe?

Looks like winter is here this morning! This is what I see

from my office window - it's quite lovely, and there is continued fine snow in the air, but the temperature is 34 degrees, so I expect by noon we'll be back to "normal"  - sort of. Who knows what normal weather is these days!? This looks more like November - but if the recent weather pattern holds, we'll have some unusually warm weather again before winter sets in for keeps - I hope. By the way, I need to adjust the time on my camera - it's about seven hours off . . .!
       I measured about half an inch of very wet snow this morning. It no doubt made the roads pretty dicey. There are always the fender-bender incidents during the changeover this time of the year. The snow is still falling - not the big, wet blobs we see in the spring - it's very fine and almost like mist, but it's definitely snow!
     I finally got my shrubs wrapped in burlap and some mulch laid down (over the weeds) so my flowers are as ready for winter as they'll get - and it's a relief (just in case my prediction we'll have another warm spell before the real deal is hogwash!)

This has been a dreary Novemberish day. There have been a few snowflakes in the air, but nothing stuck. There was just a trace of snow in my measuring tube this morning, but nothing on the ground to measure. It's altogether too soon to be shoveling off the deck and measuring snow depth! The temperature was mostly been in the 30s - I think it got to about 39F late this afternoon, but now it's headed down again.
     I heard from Homer Fitts today. He's doing pretty well, he said, and has moved to The Gardens senior living apartments in Williamstown. Homer said he was fortunate to be able to get in, and feels good about being there. In case anyone wants to send him a note or visit, his address is at The Gardens, Apt. 309, and the address is 2844 VT RT14, Williamstown, VT 05609. His phone there is 802-249-4653.
     He said he still misses Joe's Pond, so I'm sure he'd love to hear from anyone here. He didn't say if he has his computer hooked up, and I forgot to ask, but I expect he does - or will have it going soon.
     So the geese are heading south, the other critters that hang out all winter are storing food for the winter. Black bears are on the move this time of the year storing up as much fat as they can by eating nuts, berries and wetland roots. They have a keen sense of smell and hear very well, so normally you would not see them - they are usually shy around humans unless they have found human food, and then they can be pests and often have to be destroyed. Their eyesight isn't very good, but even so, they will know you are around before you spot them, usually. It's always best to give them plenty of space if you do come across one. 
     We recently heard of a couple of instances of cars hitting bears on the highways - one in Waterford, as I recall, and another in the southern part of the state. Try to be extra observant, especially on the interstate. We have moose, deer and bears wandering about this time of the year especially - along with raccoons and skunks - that are often trying to cross the highway, especially at night. 
     The same is true on our back roads, but usually we aren't traveling as fast as on the throughway, so we have a better chance of avoiding a collision with wild animals. Still, it can happen when you least expect it - day or night.
     One of the facts we're trying to find out for the West Danville history is when the railroad station was removed in West Danville, and what happened to it. Did someone buy it, or was it hauled off to a dump someplace? If anyone knows, send me an email - janebrowncabot@gmail.com.

 We awoke to a white world this morning. I measured one inch of snow on the deck and reported the first snow of the season to CoCoRaHS. It seems early, but that's only because we've had unusually warm weather so recently. It's a huge chance to adjust to!

Here is the latest work schedule on the Route 2 project over in East and South Cabot. They are winding down now, getting ready to pull out. The bridge being straightened should be a big improvement, especially for commuters this winter. That was always a very dangerous curve. Drive carefully - it always takes a while for folks to get the hang of driving on snowy roads and possibly ice again this time of year - and lost of folks are still driving with summer tires. We have to not only remember to adjust our own driving, we have to watch out for other drivers on the road.

__________________________

 

 

Proposed Work Schedule, Week of 10/22/18, 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.

 

Slope and ditch work from the Goodrich property back towards Houghton Rd. will continue next week. 

Work on driveways will continue. 

Side road work will continue at Houghton Rd. 

Excavation at Last Road will continue next week.

TRAVEL ALERT:  A speed reduction zone of 40 mph is in place for this project. There are increased fines for speed violations within the construction zone. 

TRAFFIC INFORMATION: 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. 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

Here is the obituary for Margaret Fitts. It didn't come out in the newspaper in time for the funeral, but I know many of you will be interested in the full life Margaret had. She was an inspiration for all of us, and she will be sadly missed by her family and many friends.
     We are watching the thermometer go down steadily from the high 40s around noon to 38F now, and still sinking. We have had rain showers most of the afternoon, and I expect those will be snow showers later tonight. According to the forecast, there may be measurable snow in some of the higher elevations. I guess it's time, but I wouldn't mind if it held off a few more weeks. I don't expect the snow (if we get any) will stay long - but still, it's cold and dreary, more  like November than the middle of October.
     I hope you are thinking about getting your winter tires on - it won't be long before you'll be really glad you did! Even these wet days, the back roads can be really nasty. A neighbor told me that last week when we had rain she nearly ended up in the pond going along West Shore Road. It can be tricky, for sure. Mud is just as slippery sometimes as snow. So be careful. Another danger recently is trees and limbs down in the road. You can come upon them very unexpectedly, and it can mean a nasty scratch on your car or something broken. We've had some high winds recently and some limbs have come down her and there - I noticed on Route 2 coming home from West Danville there had been a tree down in the road. It had been all cleaned up by the time I came along, but I could see where it had been. Expect the unexpected is the rule! Take care, drive safely, and if it does snow, use extra caution and watch out for the other guys who don't have a clue.

This came this evening from Nancy Buttura:
 Sending you this picture of a group of Joes Ponders supporting a true hero at the CHaD Hero walk in Hanover today.  Our hero, Lynne Carpenter, her two daughters Amy and Jonica along with Sue Yesalonia, Linda Livendale, Bo Keach, Robin Nicholson, Sue Bouchard and myself.  Lynne is a true inspiration to all of us.

Thank you, Nancy, for sending this. Looks like you all were having a good time supporting a very worthy cause. Good for you all! I'm glad you had a nice day to do the walk - but I'm betting you'd have done it even in a snowstorm! 

Readers, if you want to know more about this program, click this link - HERE. 

I just had a call from Homer Fitts - Unfortunately the information about his wife, Margaret's funeral arrangements will not appear in the newspapers until later in the week. The arrangements are as follows:
Visiting hours will be tomorrow, Sunday October 14, at the Pruneau-Poli Funeral Home,   58 Summer Street, Barre, Vermont, from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m.

Margaret's funeral will be at St. Monika's Church, 79 Summer St., Barre, Vermont at 11 a.m. on Monday, October 15. After the service, friends and family will gather at the Canadian Club, 414 E. Montpelier Road, Barre VT (Route 14).

The "normal" fall weather continues - it was in the low 30s last night, but no frost, at least here at our house. It isn't warming up much today, though. Yesterday the wind stripped off lots of the pretty leaves, but some of the maples are still hanging onto them. This young maple in our yard is still pretty, but the big old tree down the driveway has dumped most of its leaves. The same is true in our back yard and the hill behind the house. Some trees still stand out with amazing color while others are nearly bare. 
     Many of you know Alba Rossi - Billy Rossi's mom, who used to be here at Joe's Pond and is now a resident at Lincoln House in Barre. Alba will be 102 years old next Wednesday. I'm sure she would enjoy receiving cards from Joe's Pond friends. Diane told me she will be celebrating at Lincoln House this year with a special meal and family. To send a card, address it to: Ms. Alba Rossi, Lincoln House, Rm. 11, 120 Hill St., Barre VT 05641. 
     On a different subject - I'm wondering how people feel about the new "Magnum, P. I." show and also the resurrecting of "Murphy Brown" with much of the original cast? It's not one of life's important questions, but personally, I find the new Magnum totally unbelievable. I think it was a big mistake to try to recast all those original characters. The original was too good - just right for the time it was popular, and the new cast and story lines just don't measure up and probably wouldn't make it as something fresh and new even if I didn't have the ghosts of the original cast prominently front and center as I watch. 
     Murphy, on the other hand, seems a little clumsy at times, but having the original cast back is great fun and I enjoy watching them - just because I liked them years ago and appreciate them now as elders - we have all aged, and they seem to have done it pretty darn  well. 
     That's about it for me today. I now need to move ahead. I just went out and got the precipitation to report for today - .04 in. That puts the total for the past three days at 1.15 in. I thought we'd have snow on the ground this morning, but the low was 35F. Perhaps tonight!
 

It is always difficult for me to make these announcements, and this one is especially difficult because it comes with no warning. I was informed this morning that our good friend, Margaret Fitts passed away very unexpectedly yesterday. Many people both at Joe's Pond and the surrounding communities know Homer and Margaret. Homer had made his home here at Joe's Pond for many years and then, after marrying Margaret, they eventually their Joe's Pond home  and made their home base in Barre. Margaret was such an energetic and vivacious personality, this comes as a huge shock to her friends and family. She was one of those people who seemed to have endless energy and you just don't expect to get sick. We will all miss her cheerful presence. Our thoughts are with Homer and Margaret's family. I will post more information when I have it. For now, if friends wish to send Homer a note, direct it to him at 17 Country Way, Barre, VT 05641. His phone is 802-476-6969.

This post was on Front Porch Forum tonight:
 

Friends of the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail

Linda Markin, lmarkin55@gmail.com, Bunker Hill Rd, Hardwick

Calendar

Event: Oct 18, 2018, 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM

Please join the Friends of the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail for our Annual Meeting on Thursday October 18th 2018 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM in Hardwick, VT at the Aiken Building located at 101 South Main Street. Enjoy some great appetizers and a beer (or other drink) on us while we gather to celebrate the trail, hear about exciting new events in Hardwick and explore new ways the Friends can support the maintenance and development of the trail. This meeting is open to the general public and especially those with an interest in the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail.

Proposed Work Schedule, Week of 10/15/18, 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.

Crews have completed the road cut working toward Houghton Road. Underdrain installation in this location has been completed as well. 

Slope and ditch work from the Goodrich property back towards Houghton Rd. will continue next week. 

Work on driveways will continue.

Side road work will continue at Houghton Rd. 

Excavation at Last Road will take place next week.

TRAVEL ALERT:  A speed reduction zone of 40 mph is in place for this project. There are increased fines for speed violations within the construction zone. 

TRAFFIC INFORMATION: 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. 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

We had another summer day here with temperature in the high 70s and lots of sunshine. Records were broken for high temps on this date. I tried to work in my flower beds again, but had to quit after only about half an hour. I really don't do well in heat, and this was extreme for me. I'm ok if I'm sitting still (in the shade) but moving around, cutting back flowers, pulling weeds and vines knocked me out. I felt better after a cool shower and a little rest in our cool bedroom. There was a nice breeze and the air smelled sweet and fresh in spite of the heat. It had the smell of fall leaves and the woods. Just a hint of smoke - perhaps someone had a wood stove going or maybe there was a forest fire someplace far away. Nice.
     It's funny how odors bring back memories. Like melodies do, too. There are times when I tear up listening to music. Like when I'm watching a parade or when I go to a concert. Music gets to me. But today it was the smell of fall on the breeze and I thought about kids coming home from school. There was a hint of mint - there's lots of mint growing in the un-mowed ditch across our back lawn - and that reminded me of cold springs and scooping water in my hands to drink on a hot day getting the cows from the pasture. 
     I trimmed one of our cedars today and that was a nice smell, too. I thought about how the old timers made cedar oil in stills set up by a brook, often in a cedar swamp. The distilled oil was used in medicines and cleaning agents, candles and insect repellants - it was used in Vicks Vaporub - maybe still is, I don't know. I wouldn't be surprised if Vermont's famous Bag Balm, made in Lyndonville, has cedar oil in it. Perhaps there is some synthetic used now, but only a few decades ago cedar oil was a thriving business here. It was an essential oil, for sure. I need to get in touch with my friend in Alaska who used to have a monopoly on the cedar oil business here in Vermont a few years ago. He has given me some wonderful first-hand information about the process, and I'm using it in the West Danville history book. I haven't heard from him all summer, so will be calling him one day soon to finish our conversation.
     All in good time. Tomorrow we will have some rain, I suppose, and that's needed. Rainy days are a good excuse for me to work inside and not think about the outdoor work that I didn't get done because I'm a wimp in the heat.
 

Many of you have known Morris Burrington over the years. Morris has lived in West Danville for a long time and lots of Joe's Pond people stopped by the greenhouse her ran or bought farm goods from Morris and his wife. You will be sad to learn that Morris died this week. He had been ill for some time. It is sad when a long-time friend or familiar face is no longer present, and many people will miss Morris. To read his obituary, click HERE.
     Today has been an unusually warm one here at Joe's Pond. As I write this at nearly six o'clock, the outside temperature is still a very mild 70 degrees. I don't know if we broke any records for high temperature today, but perhaps. The sun on the leaves was absolutely beautiful - we are finally seeing foliage at just about peak color.
     We went down through Groton State Forest on Saturday with Jamie and Marie (they took us out for breakfast and for leaf peeping to celebrate my birthday!) and while the colors were nice, they didn't show up as they have today. I worked outside a little while, but it was actually a bit too warm for me to be comfortable and I had to give it up. I got some things done, though, and soaked up a little vitamin D from the sun! 
     On Sunday, we met Fred's cousin, Ora, and her friend at the Autumn on the Green. We had thought we'd eat there, but it was damp and chilly and we decided to scoot back to West Danville and stop at Three Ponds. We knew they would be busy with all the fall foliage people in the area, but we hadn't anticipated waiting quite as long as we had to - about half an hour, more or less. The food was worth the wait, though, we all agreed! It was warm and friendly and we met some nice people while we were waiting. Some were waiting for a table like we were - another nice couple we met just came in to use the bathroom. When you gotta go . . . !
     We dropped Ora and Kate back at the Autumn on the Green, but I wanted to get back to my computer and the chapter I'm working on, so we came back home. We always enjoy seeing Ora and Kate - they find the most interesting things to do when they come to Vermont. They had visited the performing arts center in Greensboro on this trip, among other things. 
     While we were at the Autumn on the Green, we ran into several Joe's Pond folks. I found it hard to believe how many tents there were with all kinds of  crafts and interesting products for sale - and there was a good variety of food available, as well. Although the weather wasn't perfect, it wasn't raining and they seemed to have an exceptionally good turnout. Parking was at a premium and traffic was moving very slowly through town. This seems to be a good year for fall foliage tourists - lots of people in the area.
     We're still missing our Woody cat - we both expect to find him in the usual places around the house, and today when I was working outside, I missed him riding in the wheelbarrow or jumping out of the bushes at me. We have had many people say they enjoyed hearing about his antics over the years, and we thank all of you for saying that. He was very special. We have already noticed an increase in squirrel and chipmunk activity; those little animals apparently sense there is no dangerous cat to avoid any longer. We've had to set extra mouse traps in the garage - this is the time of year the mice are looking for a warm place for the winter. Woody kept the population down considerably - and now we have to do all the work! He earned his keep, for sure. His affection for both of us was evident and I think he knew how much we loved him. 
     We are thinking of the people in Florida and along the east coast where the hurricane is going to hit tomorrow. It seems as if the devastation just goes on and on. So far we in Vermont are fortunate not to have such severe weather - but nobody knows if or when our luck could change. We hope  our friends who have left Joe's Pond for their winter homes down south will be safe.

I know many of you have been wondering how our First Lady of Joe's Pond Association, Camilla Dente, is doing. Camilla was diagnosed with cancer late this summer and has been undergoing chemo. I had a lovely long chat with her this afternoon. I have to say, Camilla sounds very upbeat in spite of the fact she told me she has had some really harsh side effects from the chemo. She said she's doing ok and right now she's taking a break from the chemo because it made her so sick. She said she has a great team of doctors working with her. She has a very positive attitude and is staying strong with the help of Tom and their children and friends.
     Camilla told me she and Tom both appreciate the many kindnesses they have experienced from Joe's Pond friends. She said the cards and messages have meant a lot to them and wants you all to know how  much it has helped to know so many people are  keeping them in their thoughts and prayers. 
     In case you didn't make a note of Camilla's address, here it is again: 77 Bielefield Rd., Middletown CT 06457. 
     This is a tough time for Tom and Camilla and their family. Camilla is being very strong and taking things one day at a time, and Tom is right beside her.  We wish both of them the very best.

This is some pretty cool news - our friend, Luke Persons and his team, Green State Biochar, just won $30,000 for their plan to come up with a better way to purify water. We saw it on WCAX news tonight - and later Luke's wife, Terri, posted the news on her Facebook page. We knew Luke was experimenting with this

process, and it's really great that he and his partners are part of a small group that will now move to another round in the contest to find a viable, cheaper and more efficient way to treat polluted water.  (That's Luke on the far right, and next to him, Anson Tebbetts, Commissioner of Agriculture and also a
"Cabot boy" like Luke.
     Luke is one of the most innovative and clever people I know. He has always been a tinkerer, is recognized locally as a super mechanic, and in addition, has a great sense of humor and is a heck of a nice guy. He and Terri have been friends with our Jamie and Marie for many years and we are all very proud of this latest accomplishment and wish Luke the best of luck in the next round.
     We've had a really nice day today - lots of sunshine that has brought out the colors nicely. Someone predicted this would be a spectacularly colorful autumn, but so far I haven't seen anything too unusual for color. It's all very nice, but not the brilliant reds we've had some years. I took some pictures today but haven't had time to take them off the camera yet. It has been a busy day - and will be a busy weekend. Don't forget that Autumn on the Green is this Sunday in Danville! 

Proposed Work Schedule, Week of 10/8/18, 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.

HOLIDAY: Crews will be off of the road by 12:00 PM Friday, 10/5 in observance of the Columbus  Day holiday. Work will resume at 7:00 AM Tuesday, 10/9. 

Crews are continuing the road cut working toward Houghton Road. Underdrain installation will take place along with this work.

Crews will be working on slope and ditch work from the Goodrich property working back towards Houghton Rd. 

Work on driveways will continue.

Side road work will take place at Houghton Rd.

Excavation at Last Road will take place next week.

TRAVEL ALERT:  A speed reduction zone of 40 mph is in place for this project. There are increased fines for speed violations within the construction zone. 

TRAFFIC INFORMATION: 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. 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

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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 received the following from Julie Hendrickson recently:

The Joe’s Pond Pickle Ball group had their Second annual end of season party on September 22. JoAnn and Jamie Stewart were the gracious hosts, opening up the Freiberg camp for the party. It was a fun and beautiful evening, closing out a very great summer of friendship and Pickleball! 

What a nice group picture! Julie said the sunset was very special for their last-of-the-year get-together. Thank you, Julie, for sending these to us.

     For those of you not familiar with pickle ball, this group (or some  members of it) meet regularly during the summer at the recreation area to play. They welcome anyone to join - come and learn the game (they say it's super easy and super fun!) and make new friends. There will be information in the spring newsletter about when the gang meets - or give anyone who plays a call to find out more about it. If you click on the above image it will be larger so you can see and identify people you know - then give one of them a call! They will be gathering at the tennis/pickle ball courts in June, 2019!

     This has been a really dreary day. I have been busy at my computer, and except for dashing out this morning to read how much rain we got yesterday (.94 in.) I haven't been outside at all.  Some days are like that when I'm busy. 

     Yesterday was Cabot's day to host the Fall Foliage people. It must have been disheartening for them. There were times when the rain literally came down in sheets. We had to go to Littleton and it rained most of the way over and back - sometimes pretty hard. It certainly wasn't the sort of day anyone would want to take a hay ride through a maple woods or be on Cabot Plain for a tour of the historic sites there. I know there were displays at the Wiley Building and also at the new arts center - and there is always the creamery to visit. The historical society building is no longer open for Fall Foliage, unfortunately. That would have been an ideal way for people to spend some time on such a rainy day. It's hard to tell what the weather is going to be, and plans are dashed from time to time. Any of us who have worked at the Fall Foliage Festival know there's always the possibility of rain - or snow - on the day we're hosting. But bad weather is always disappointing after putting so much effort into planning events and entertainment. Better luck next year!

Such a dreary day here! Too bad for the Fall Foliage people. This is Cabot's day to entertain foliage folks. They have quite a lot going on, but certainly the foliage is not going to be as great as it would be if the sun was shining. The turkey dinner is tonight at the church, and that is always a great meal. 
     We are getting a little rain each day this week, according to the forecast, so that should build up the water table a bit. Apparently some areas are still very dry, but I haven't noticed that here. Our hillside seems to have lots of ledges and springs, so perhaps that keeps it on the moist side. 
     I am asked frequently about how the West Danville history book is progressing. We are working on it! As I've said many times, the amount of information we have is daunting, even for pros like us, and we sometimes agonize over what should be included and what MUST be included. Rarely do we say "let's leave that out." Not all of it will be interesting to everyone, but it may be to someone, and that is important to us. 
     What I'm impressed with is that so much of what we're finding about West Danville has not been written before except in scattered newspaper accounts or fragments of information that may have been overlooked within more complex subject matter. We all agree that there are many days there are more questions than answers, but we persist. Dot has finished a wonderful chapter about the church and is presently working on an in-depth account of the granite sheds that were a booming business for many years here. Patty has an impressive chapter on the railroad nearly finished and has begun working on a chapter about the power plant. Jane L. has shared some wonderful stories and dozens of photos for us to include. Right now I'm deeply involved in pulling together information about Joe's Pond, from the first fishing house Asa Mack built on the Western shore through all the growing pains, happy and sad events that bring us to where we are today.
     So far we have 120 pages that have been edited, another 100 more or less nearly ready to edit, and we haven't included the many, many photos we will be inserting into the manuscript before the final edit. 
     So, to answer those questions, I'd say we're moving ahead steadily. 
     Enjoy the rainy day - a good day to read (or write) a book!