I measured another three inches of new snow that accumulated over yesterday and lat night. Not a lot, but it all ads up to about two feet of snow total from this storm. Now the wind is beginning to start up, shaking some of the snow loose from the tree limbs. When it falls onto power lines, there sometimes is a blip in the power - or it may snap the connection and we'd have an outage. So far we've had only blips this morning, but we know our luck may run out.

We stopped for the mail yesterday and West Danville was getting a full blast of wind off the pond. The temperature was about 30 degrees, but it felt much colder on the porch at Hastings Store. The road was wet and every time a car or truck went by there was a cloud of salty mist. Traffic doesn't seem to pay much attention to the speed limit signs coming into West Danville. Vehicles roar through there at darned near full throttle, I swear.

Before we left the store, I went into Deb Stressing's craft shop. Deb was tucked into a corner behind the counter where she has her sewing machine set up. She was eating hot soup and working on sewing projects for the shop. That lady is never at full stop mode. There were some adorable pin cushions she'd made on the counter, and she was busily making more. We talked about the West Danville Community Club. Deb is the president now, and I'm working on a section about the public beach and needed some information from her about the WDCC. They are responsible for far more than the beach. The WDCC keeps the meridian looking niced and the Park & Ride as well as the foot bridge and the beach. Deb told me the State of Vermont actually owns the Park & Ride, but it is the WDCC that takes care of the portable toilets there as well as at the beach as well as picking up trash and the picnic tables there. I hate to think what the Park & Ride space would look like if not for the work of Deb and the volunteers. They depend a great deal on memberships ($5 for a single, $10 for a family membership), contributions from Cabot, Walden and Danville, and private donations. If anyone would like to make a donation, it can be sent to WDCC, P. O. Box 6, West Danville VT 05873. It might be a nice Christmas surprise and a way to say "Thank you for keeping both the town space and the beach beautiful and inviting." 

I got the information I needed for the book and Deb asked about publication. Our original target for publishing was this fall, but we are nowhere near finished. Perhaps by next fall . . . ? It is definitely shaping up nicely, and we are beginning to think about the photos we will be adding to the text. That alone will be a huge undertaking, but well worth the trouble and the wait. We have lots of wonderful photos to share.

My friend, Terri Persons, reminded me today that some of you who are not at the pond now may not realize just how much snow we have. We have about two feet of wet, heavy snow and that can be a bit load on camp roofs. If your cottage has a flat roof or one that doesn't shed snow easily, it would be a good idea to have whoever looks after your place during the winter shovel off the snow. Roofs that have a really steep pitch usually don't hold onto the snow, but even some that have good pitch can become drifted if the wind is right and it could become too heavy. Better have someone check.
     We had to go to the post office and the bank today and Fred got some photos along the way. The trees and bushes along the roadways were tipping into the road, the branches hanging low with snow. This tree was hung up in the pines at Greg Keenan's, and just up the hill opposite Dudley's, there was a big cedar tree in the road. When we came back an hour or so later, the cedar had been sawed off and removed. Traffic had been getting by ok, but someone coming from Route 2 might have had a hard time would be surprised - and coming from our direction, we couldn't see if anyone was coming over the hill. 
    The next picture is from the drive-through at the bank. Lots of snow everywhere. However, at Marty's it looks like mid to late winter. All the snow has been sliding off the metal roof there and it gives you a good idea just how much snow was up there - and there's more every day! 
     The temperature was 34F when we left home, but dropped to 30F by the time we were headed back. We haven't had a lot of wind, and that may have saved us from a power outage. The trees that have come down seem to be ones that were weighted with too much snow. The ground isn't as frozen as most years, so if the trees or limbs don't break, they may simply tip over from the weight, especially if there's a little wind. 
     This last picture is the road coming into West Danville. The evergreens along both sides were beautiful this afternoon, just like a Christmas card with all the snow on them.

     This snow is hard to reconcile. On one level, it's absolutely beautiful clinging to the trees and sifting over us like fairy dust; but it's still a huge pain in the butt for so many of us. Right now I think most of us could use a little less of everything connected with snow.
     I just measured another 9.5 inches of new snow since yesterday morning. I was thinking of going out to measure on the flat of our back yard, but I'd have to get out my snowshoes, and that's another chore I'm not up for right now. I think one needs some repairs, so I'll get them out when I have the time (and inclination) to check them over. We haven't used them in at least two years, so I've kind of forgotten what was broken on one of mine, but I remember the frustration of having one fail when we were out in the woods.
     We are fortunate that we haven't lost our power for any extended period - so far. It went off for a couple of minutes last night, just long enough for us to start to fumble for a flashlight, and then it came back on. I found a flashlight to keep on the stand beside my chair, thinking that blip was just a warning and surely we'd be without power probably for the night, but that didn't happen. We reset the clocks, went to bed, and around 4:30 this morning I realized my bedside clock was blinking at me, so we knew the power had been off again. No harm done, and other than some very brief blinks this morning, the power remains on. Not everyone is that fortunate. The Vermont Outage Map shows Washington Electric has 3,320 outages and Green Mountain Power has 27,382.
     Hmmm. As I was checking the map showing outages, the power went off here. It was off for only a couple of minutes - but it's fair warning, I expect. So I'm going to post the pictures I took this morning and then go reset all the digital clocks. It's what we do at times like this!

     Stay warm and safe.

     The winter wonderland persists. Most of us are already pretty tired of battling snow in one way or many others. This batch is more of the heavy, wet variety and it's weighting down branches, threatening to tip over trees and disrupt electrical service. The roads are a mess, snow blowers have a hard time handling the sticky clods, and as usual, as soon as we get our driveway clear of snow the town goes by with their plow and leaves a foot-high ridge of snow that turns to ice blocks if you don't move it before the temperature drops, as it's bound to do later today. 
     I measured seven inches of new snow this morning. I'm guessing we have maybe 18 inches on the ground, but it's hard to tell. There was some wind and drifting a few days ago when we had several inches of very dry snow; then there was yesterday with above freezing temperatures that settled everything. So . . . unless I'm willing to wade out and measure on the back lawn (which doesn't appeal to me right now!) I can only guess. Last night I was telling Fred that I'd neglected to put out the measuring stake this year (he doesn't pay attention to that sort of thing at all!) he was enthusiastic about heading out to find the hole the pole sets into. Even  with his help, I'm not inclined to go out there and search for a five-inch square flat rock covering a hole in an underground cement block. Maybe after lunch, or maybe not at all.
     I took pictures this morning. The date on my camera is ok, but the time shown is way off. I keep forgetting to fix that. I was actually out at 8:30 to clear off the deck to get to the precipitation gathering tube. Fred was snow blowing and had shoveled the walk and steps - I've asked him to leave the deck for me to do so the snow measurement doesn't get skewed. (Not that this process of measuring snow and precipitation is precise science in any way - but I like to measure in the same place each time and not after there has been snow blown around by shoveling.) 
     By now there may be an additional couple of inches, and it's still snowing steadily. At this rate we'll have at least a foot by the end of the day, I'm guessing. The snow started at just about noon yesterday and although there may have been some periods when it was closer to rain than snow, that didn't last long. We are part of the "higher elevations" the forecasters refer to. The temperature right now is  right around the freezing point. I believe it's going to remain there for the next few days, only heading down a few degrees at night. If we begin to get wind, we could be in more trouble as the trees are very heavy with snow and the ground probably isn't frozen much because of the early snow cover. 
     Now I'm off to clean the turkey carcass to make stock and soup. Dealing with just the breast bones is much easier than the whole turkey bone mass, and I do like turkey soup. This is a soup kind of day!

    We've had a very mild day today with temps in the 40s, light rain, and considerable fog. There is no wind, at least not here on our west shore hillside - in West Danville, I'm sure there's plenty of wind. The snowpack has diminished considerably, but I expect it will get colder tonight and we may get a little fresh snow. I think there is still close to a foot on the ground. We may have daytime temperatures right around freezing for the next two or three days, and then it will be cooling down again, but just slightly. The pond could open up again, and that is just what the old timers will tell you usually happens - two or three freeze-overs and thaws before it closes in for the winter.
     I heard on one of the Burlington TV stations last night that there were ice fishermen on one of the quiet bays of Lake Champlain yesterday. Either very brave or very foolish. I like to think ice fishermen know what is safe for ice - but then every year we have someone fishing going through the ice either with a truck, a snow machine, or on foot. So not all of them are ice smart.
      The national report on global warming paints a gloomy picture of the future unless something is done to alter the trend of climate change. I found these charts on an official Vermont website showing trends here in our state. I thought you might be interested.

     I have taken measurements of precipitation since the spring of 2009. Just for fun, I looked back to see what sort of trend there might be. My weather station is just one of many throughout Vermont, but my reports are combined to make up the overall picture.  I made a chart of precipitation I've recorded over the past nine years.
      I was amused that my hand-drawn chart of ice-out dates had been re-done and is included on the "official" Vermont website. That is the last chart below. I guess I should update that - I'll plan to do that soon and have Fred post it on the website. I'll try to come up with a design that will be easier to understand than the one that's posted there now.
     It appears our climate is definitely changing and we know from this year's early snow and bitterly cold weather this is one of those exceptional years we may be seeing more of in the future. It could be we're going to experience colder winters and hotter summers. More snow or less? The precipitation I measure includes snow, of course, and that seems to me to be pretty consistent. A few high and low years, but I don't really see a trend. But then, I'm no expert - I just take the measurements and make the report every morning. For almost 10 years now. Seems like only yesterday I went for training at a meeting in Greensboro that lovely June evening in 2009.

Just to keep you all informed - that blue Prius visited a home on Old Homestead Road a few days ago. They didn't cause any problem, but went to the door and then took off when told the  husband was at home. We don't have any idea what these two are up to, but it's obvious they are not legitimate. Please be careful, keep your doors locked, and don't open the door for anyone you don't know.

I picked this up from Front Porch Forum. It comes from Geri and Scott Pelok, Sandy Beach Road here at Joe's Pond. There have been several postings about this car and the shady characters who are apparently misrepresenting themselves for some reason we may never know. Just be aware. Here's today's post from the Peloks:

After showing my husband, Scott, the last posting on a Prius and two men who said they were selling solar panels, Scott said he had actually seen that Prius on Sandy Beach Rd.
Per Scott:
A blue Prius was parked at end of road on 10/29.
It's windows were dark, but I could see two people moving inside.
I was walking dogs and one dog went over and sniffed at it, then started barking. He didn't like whatever was inside.
When I took out my phone to get picture, the Prius sped off down road
License is
Jersey plates L24 HVW
BLUE PRIUS
Hopefully these men are long gone, but just in case...

Scott actually saw the car on October 29th, but as Geri said - just in case, be on the lookout. We have had this experience before when someone seemed to be "casing" the area after most Joe's Ponders have left for the winter. One fall it was someone in a boat, other times it has been an automobile that was unfamiliar and suspicious.
 

     Tonight we are thankful we have a warm home, food and family. We had a low temperature last night of about six below zero with a wind chill as low as minus twenty. We have stayed in the single numbers above zero all day, and now it's six below again already. Nasty weather for any time, but exceptionally miserable for November. I also measured six inches of new snow this morning. Today that snow has been blowing around making blizzard conditions more like mid-January than late November. 
     Diane Rossi wrote this morning that there was still some open water in the big pond. Apparently the wind kept it moving enough so it didn't re-freeze after the brief warming a couple days ago. I'm sure it will freeze over tonight if the wind goes down. Then we're going to warm up into the teens on Friday! A little rain or snow forecast for Sunday, but I'm betting we'll get snow. It seems like winter has settled in for good already.
     I heard gun shots early this morning at around 6:30 in the woods beyond our house. It was still below zero and blowing a gale, so my thought was that I hoped whoever it was out hunting that early in the cold got the buck - weather like this sorts out the real hunters from the cruisers riding around in their pickups all day hoping a deer will jump out at them. Regular hunting ends on Sunday, but then from December 1 - 9 is both bow and arrow and muzzleloader season. It will be interesting to see if the number of deer shot in this year's regular season will be down because of the weather. It's been snowy and cold most of hunting season.
     Enjoy your weekend - shopping tomorrow or whatever, and if you are on the road, remember there could be icy patches and/or snow squalls, so be careful.
     Those of you who are in the sunny spots, be thankful and get out there and enjoy the warmth!! Those of us here at Joe's Pond might just be envying you a tiny bit right now - but we aren't going to admit it. We're used to this kind of weather . . . ! (??)

We are hunkering down for the next snow episode - we don't expect much here, but in the southern part of the state they will probably get more. It's going to be cold, though, in the teens tomorrow night and Wednesday night in single numbers. Thanksgiving Day is going to be frigid - only in the very low teens during the day and below zero at night. Friday will be a little warmer - not much!, then Saturday and Sunday snow/rain squalls. Does this seem like typical Thanksgiving weather? Here are some photos Fred took today. We went out for some supplies today so I can make a pie or two for the holiday. The snow by Three Ponds in West Danville looks more like January than November!

          You can see there was a little water on top of the ice in the first pond. That's because it was pretty warm today and there was some melting going on. The big pond opened up, but it will be frozen over again, big time, in the next day or so.
    There is plenty of snow along West Shore Road - not big snowbanks, but they are definitely growing!  West Shore Road has a lot of slush because of today's thaw. Good snowman and snowball making snow!
     We will be at home for Thanksgiving. We have a family tradition that everyone kind of goes their own way for Thanksgiving. Some years we have gotten together with family and friends; but sadly, the friends we used to often share our table with are gone now - only one of the four is still living now, and she's in Alaska.
     One year we went to Maine for Thanksgiving. That was nice, but when we are away from home, we always miss the turkey leftovers, so this year we'll be roasting a turkey breast, which is plenty for the two of us, and we'll be eating turkey in various forms for a while - an may freeze some for later. Because we don't entertain as much as we used to a few years ago, I'd stopped making pies. We'd sometimes buy a pie - Fred likes to have one in the freezer, already sliced so he can take out a piece and thaw it in the microwave when he wants some. I'm not a fan of most store-bought pies, so I've begun making my own again. Trouble is, I not only enjoy making them, I also enjoy eating my pies and the scales measure my enjoyment in added pounds. But, for Thanksgiving, you really HAVE to have at least pumpkin and apple pies - my personal favorite is mincemeat. Not the old-fashioned kind made with actual meat - just the kind with raisins and apple and lots of spices. Not a favorite for Fred, so I won't make one of those - I'll just remember how good mince pie is.
     When I was growing up, my mother made mincemeat with venison. I don't remember much about it except it seemed special at the time. I can't imagine eating it now, though. She canned all kinds of things - meat, vegetables, and fruit that we raised, and made pickles, applesauce, green tomato relish, etc. We cured our own ham and bacon, has salt pork in a crock in the basement, and had hens for meat and eggs. There was so much work put into keeping us fed through the winter, I wonder that she was able to do it all. she taught school full time, and I never heard her complain, even when she spent all of Saturday cleaning and baking for the horde of relatives that usually showed up on Sunday. Fortunately, all of those - my Scotch aunts and their husbands - never came empty handed, and all the aunts were great cooks. It was Thanksgiving every Sunday back in those days!
     If you are traveling this week, be safe, have a wonderful holiday with friends and family, and love one another. There's so much to be thankful for if we just take a moment to think about it.

   We are enjoying a very pretty day today - lots of sunshine, at least early - it seems to be darkening a bit right now. However, Diane Rossi has confirmed there is once again open water in the middle of the big pond, but still ice around the shoreline. I think this will count as the first of probably three "freeze=overs" before it settles in for the duration, usually on the third freeze. We are expecting some cold nights next week and a little more snow each day, so our snow cover may stay, at least around the Joe's Pond area.
     We were out yesterday and the roads were fine. Lots of slush around, and mounds of snow where the plows have piled it up, but that will all settle. I'm guessing we have about ten to twelve inches of snow cover on the ground, but I haven't been out to actually measure it and I didn't get my measuring stick out before the snow came this year. I could dig to find the socket it fits into on the back lawn, but on the other hand, it is what it is, and measuring isn't going to change anything. If we get a warm spell, the snow goes and I can easily see the socket, I may put it out, but we'll see.

I measured another four inches of new snow this morning and then we headed to St. Johnsbury for haircuts. It has snowed most of the rest of today. With all the pond frozen over and white with snow, big banks building up in West Danville where the plows have been through and the roads filled with slush and sand, it sure looks like winter is here. Almost everyone is secretly hoping we have a nice big thaw that takes all of this winter stuff away, but it doesn't look promising. These snowbanks may be our scenery for the next five months or so, and will likely only grow in size. Someone who was obviously in some fantasy world said to us today, "We could still have a 'green' Christmas." I'm afraid not in the Kingdom, my friend. So lace up your Bean boots and hang onto your muffler and mittens - it's going to be a long winter.

Sorry I wasn't on the job this morning - I had an appointment early this morning in Berlin for my eyes and had a shot in each eye - again, same as last month. There was a bit of a flare-up in October, thus the simultaneous shots, which normally doesn't happen. I usually get either one or the other done. Anyway, today's two were  a preventative measure and I won't need to have any in December - "Merry Christmas from Dr. Kim!" 
     So here I am, back at my computer. It was COLD this morning. We had a low of 4 degrees during the night, and I don't think it got out of the low teens here all day. All three ponds looked pretty tightly frozen when we went out this morning. That always makes everything seem very quiet. It's like the "white noise" is gone. We expect to see open water again before "real winter" sets in, but maybe not! This has happened before, although not quite this early. The pond has frozen over completely just freezing one time, usually in December, and then stays frozen for the duration, but not often. Old timers have said that Joe's Pond normally freezes and thaws twice as the weather cools and warms, then the third freeze stays for the winter. We'll see.
     The workers were out on Route 2 in East and South Cabot this morning, putting finishing touches on the two bridge projects there. Here is Natalie Boyle's weekly report:

Proposed Work Schedule, Week of 11/19/18, 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.

THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY: Crews will be off of the road by noon on Wednesday in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday. Work will resume on Monday, 11/26 at 7:00 AM.

Miscellaneous clean-up, ditch work, topsoiling and seeding will continue project-wide. 

 

Crews will begin to remove the extra width from the westbound lane and side slope. After this has been completed, permanent guardrail will be installed in this location.

The schedule for paving operations has yet to be determined. Paving operations are weather dependent and the schedule may vary due to weather and/or surface conditions. 

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

____________________

     It seems to me they will have to remove a fair amount of snow to do much work of any kind, although there could be a warm spell  so we might see bare ground again. Right now there are about ten inches of snow on the ground - more or less. The roads are clear, but we're getting another storm tonight with six inches or more expected in this area, so Thanksgiving will definitely look more like Christmas. Several ski areas plan to be open for Thanksgiving weekend and I think there should be plenty of snow, even without snow making, which would be no problem in these temperatures. However, if the pattern remains of being cold with lots of wind, only the hardiest, most enthusiastic skiers and boarders will be out on the slopes. I looked at the ten-day forecast and temperatures aren't expected to get more than a degree or two above freezing, and mostly below freezing with "snow showers" nearly every day. I think winter is here!

 

We've got snow! I measured six inches at 9 a.m., and we've had another three or four since then, looks like. It snowed steadily all morning, but now it has stopped, but we're in for some bitterly cold weather - with wind - tonight. Perhaps another night of power outages. There are lots of outages all over the region already, and once the wind begins to blow, it will likely got worse.
     As for traveling - it's been hairy. Here's a report from Shelly Walker at the lower end of West Shore Road: 
    This morning I got up early (6 AM) because I needed to drive to Montpelier to get my winter tires on (Sick joke from Mother Mature!).  Fortunately, I had parked the car in the garage.  It was quite slippery getting out of the driveway and up to Route 2.  Below Marshfield Dam, there was a tanker truck in two pieces.  Looked like it might have jackknifed.  The tank was upside down on the right side of Route 2 and the cab was on its wheels on the left.  There were all kinds of emergency vehicles.  The tanker must have had something non-toxic (maybe milk) in it as they were letting traffic go by.  Coming back home about 12:30 PM traffic was stopped in both directions.  I turned around, went to Cabot, then came over Cabot Plains.  The road was quite slippery.  At Davis' camp [on West Shore Rd] there was a pickup truck at a 45 degree angle off the driveway.  There was another truck stopped; they were waiting for a tow truck.

      Thanks to Shelly for that report. The highway past the dam has always been hard to manage. It's  much better since it was widened, but there isn't much they could do about the incline, so drivers still get hung up there. We're glad Shelly made it to Montpelier and back without too much difficulty.
     Diane Rossi called this morning saying there was what appeared to be a young loon thrashing about in the water - it seemed to her to be perhaps trying to take off. We think there is plenty of open water in the middle of the pond for it to use, even though there is ice around the edges. Shelly spotted a couple of Mergansers in front of her house this afternoon, but she said they had no trouble taking off before she had a chance to get a picture. Her cove is frozen over. We hope all the waterfowl take off before the deep cold sets in tonight - otherwise, they may be literally frozen in place. Sadly, it happens; but usually they get out of here in plenty of time.
    I just took a couple of fresh pictures of the snow around our house - the trees in the back are even more laden with snow than two days ago. If there was melting going on yesterday, we didn't benefit from any of it. As you can see, the snow is even denser in the trees after today's storm. Fred was out clearing the driveway twice today - I think that will do it for today, at least. There may be some drifts to clear tomorrow

if the wind kicks in, as predicted.
    It's really pretty - looks more like Christmas than not-quite Thanksgiving. I was saying this morning I don't remember this much snow this early. But when I go back in my picture files, I can find all sorts of pictures just like these! Not as unusual as one might think. The last photo was taken on October 26, 2003. Not quite as much as we have this storm, but weeks earlier, too!

October 26, 2003

 

I guess the biggest news I have tonight is that both the small ponds were frozen over completely with a clear skimming of ice, as near as we could tell as we went by in the middle of the morning. By the time we got home late this afternoon, a little open water was showing in the middle pond, but the water is cooling down rapidly.  The big pond has ice only in the quiet coves. Tonight we are going to get a warming trend with more wet snow to deal with - but with more cold weather on the way later in the week, it won't be long before it's solid for the duration!
      We were in Littleton today and it was pretty amazing to see the difference in the amount of snow as we traveled east. So, when I got home, I went on line to find out the difference in elevations. Turns out, Littleton is only 820 ft. above sea level. We had lunch at Polly's Pancake Parlor on Sugar Hill and that's 1,325ft. elevation; West Danville is 1,588 ft. and where we live is 1,726ft. So, now I can better understand why it so often is warmer in Littleton, and sure there's less snow at this time of the year - they are below the snow belt. Of course there's plenty of snow on Cannon - it's over 4,000 ft. 
     It was a very pretty day - lots of sunshine. When we got to Polly's, there was a neat little helicopter parked across the road from the restaurant. It was just warming up, and we waited until it took off. Only the pilot on board, so we wondered if there was someone important there for lunch. However, it turned out to be a man from Sunapee, N.H. who just likes to come there for lunch, so he hops in his helicopter and visits periodically, according to our waiter. Pretty cool. I can understand his enthusiasm for the place. We enjoy lunch there, too. Fred usually has pancakes, but opted for a more traditional sandwich today. He said as we were leaving he felt a little slighted that he didn't have anything with maple syrup on it. Next time. I had soup and a sandwich - both very good. I enjoy their soups. There is always a surprise ingredient I wouldn't have expected. Today it was zucchini in the vegetable soup. One of the waitresses told me a long time ago when I had I think a chicken soup or perhaps it was turkey - "The chef here puts everything but the kitchen sink in." Somehow, it works. Today I had a croque sandwich - their version is the traditional ham and cheese on oatmeal bread but they dip it in egg rather than serving it with bechamel (Croque Monsieur) or a fried egg (Croque Madame). It was really good, perfect with the soup.
     Back in St. Johnsbury, we picked up a few things to have on hand for Thanksgiving, just in case we don't go into town again before then. I hate shopping of any kind, so we try to shop only every two weeks; however, with doctor appointments for one or the other of us, it seems we have gotten off that schedule. But especially during the winter when driving isn't great, I hope we'll be able to stick to the old schedule now there aren't as many appointments to require us to head off our hill. 
     We're thinking of our service men and women today. It would be wonderful if there could be an end to wars that take them overseas and do so much harm that many come back damaged in many ways. Perhaps one day. We thank those who have served and those who are serving today. Their sacrifices are appreciated every day, not just this one day.

Boy, was I wrong about the snow melting yesterday! It didn't. Instead, we got a mix of more snow, rain and sleet along with high winds that made it look and feel like a January blizzard. Power was knocked out for miles around in the afternoon - according to the folks at Washington Electric, they had power outages in Cabot, Danville, Walden, Marshfield - and probably lots of others; a list too long to relate. We were without power from about 2:30 in the afternoon to around eight in the evening. We waited a while before building a fire in the wood stove, but the way the wind was blowing, we figured we might not have power for a day or so.
     Nobody mentioned this, but being the first day of deer hunting, I expect at least a few of the linemen were in deer camp - back in the woods where it would take them a while to get out, geared up and back in service. Nevertheless, they did a good job but it must have been a cold night for them - and frustrating if they were expecting a few days of hunting pleasure. 
    We have not had a power outage for a long time - at least not one that lasted more than a few minutes - so we didn't even think about having water in reserve for drinking and flushing. So now we are reminded. It's a bit early for a storm like this was, but just the same, there was plenty of warning about the high winds, and after so much rain and wet snow, we should have expected problems. Now we are better prepared - oil lamps refilled and emergency water on hand!
     So today the temperature has remained in the 20s here. Not much sun to warm things up, and what snow we had overnight was very light and dry. But everything underneath is frozen and I expect that makes some roads a bit slippery. Ours has been plowed and sanded very well, so I don't believe anyone has had problems - but I don't know how the paved highways were, especially this morning.
     It's still only 20.5F right now - it will be another really cold night, but there doesn't seem to be any wind registering on my weather station, although, that could be because the anemometer up on the roof is frozen in place. That happens pretty often, but we aren't about to head up there to thaw it out. 
     I've been hearing gunshots in the woods today, so the hunters were out there. There are reported to be lots of deer this year and I guess to keep the heard healthy it's a good thing to thin out the population. I'm still not a big fan of hunting unless it's necessary for food, so I hope the deer that are killed are put to good use to feed people who need the meat and like venison. 
     I noticed Jay Chatot going by on his bike yesterday and again today - at least, I believe it's Jay - he's about the only regular biker I see going by now most folks have left. He was wearing a nice bright orange vest - and that's good. I've seen some walkers with appropriate vests on, too. Good thinking. We want you to be safe!
   
 

We have a fair amount of snow today. I measured 4 in. a few minutes ago on our deck, but it's been raining a little for a while, so I'm sure the depth of snow has gone down. Lots of moisture in this snow, too. I measured almost an inch in the tube this morning. The snow should be gone later this morning - it's already turned to rain and is 37.3F. However, if you have to be out on the road, be careful, there could be slippery/icy spots. You may also want to check other roads if you are traveling very far. This is a good site - updated every few minutes. Isn't technology wonderful sometimes?! Above is the view from my office window this morning. The people most pleased with this storm are the hunters. Deer camps everywhere were bursting with excitement this morning!!

All you folks who have left us for a warmer clime, see what you are missing?! The snow started around supper time and within about two hours we had about three inches already. We were supposed to get some rain, but if we did, it was very brief. Fred was out at about 5:30 and there was kind of a mix and then it was just snow. By the way, the date on my camera is ok, but the time is messed up. I keep forgetting to fix it. Later!

Fred sent me this link a while back and I guess I just forgot to post it. I came across it in my email this morning and thought you might enjoy it if you haven't already seen it. Erica Burke is our neighbor - well, sort of - she and her husband, Bob, built a big house up on Cabot Plain on what used to be the Howard Stone farm, not far from the cemetery. Erica works for the creamery and the creamery commissioned this article (LINK), so there's a good deal of Cabot Creamery in it along with some local history.

Of course, the author could not include a huge amount of history, and perhaps Erica, a relative newcomer, might not be aware of some of the history. For instance, the Burtt farm was once a showpiece homestead called "Maple Glen Farm" owned by Alonzo Foster (inventor of the Foster sap spout) and later the Walbridge family, all related by marriage. One of the Walbridge daughters married a Spaulding and her son, Richard Spaulding, built the Foster Bridge.

The author also didn't mention that in
addition to the western view of the Green Mountains from Cabot Plain, if one turns around, the eastern view is of the White Mountains. Not only that, on a really clear day you can see Canadian mountains past Jay Peak in the north. Cabot Plain is a "continental divide" with water from springs on southwest slopes running into the Winooski River, and water from the springs on the northeast slopes flowing into the Connecticut River. No wonder the first settlers in Cabot built on Cabot Plain - it must have seemed like the top of the world to them. In spite of hardships and constant wind, many remained to farm there even after the businesses and town government moved to lower ground, first to the geographic center of the town (on Danville Hill) and later to the Winooski River where the village remains today. They were a hardy lot, and the few remaining residents on the Plain today have to be, as well. It's worth the effort and discomfort of early snow, too much wind and snow, and delayed springtime. There's an ever-changing supply of fresh air, lots of unoccupied space, and you

become one with the elements - or you leave.
 
The photos here have been taken over the years, mostly since 2003 - but the view changes very little. After the photo of the White Mountains seen through the Cabot Plains Cemetery sign, there is the Burke's house on the old Stone farm in the winter of 2009, I think. The next may be one of their sons on the way home from school. Spring does come, and the picture of the very old maple tree on the Burtt farm (taken down within the past couple of years) was probably a sapling when the Fosters were making syrup at Maple Glen Farm in the 1800s.
 
 Then summer comes, in all it's glory - the coolest place you'll find for miles around is Cabot Plain. The next pictures were all taken near the covered bridge. The school house is the Walbridge School, relocated by Richard Spaulding. Mr. Spaulding saved it after it closed and moved it from just north of the turn of Cabot Plains Road off of Route 215 towards Walden. It's below the covered bridge and open only occasionally by appointment. It contains artifacts and Spaulding family memorabilia.
 
The last picture is a sunset at the cemetery - some summer evenings there will be a line of cars parked by the field as people line up to watch the sun set over Mt. Mansfield and Camel's Hump. 



The Plain is near and dear to me because that's where I grew up. It was all active farms then, with herds of cows, daily milk trucks, a one-room school that was the center of the community where I and the other neighborhood kids from grade one through eight spent each day from September until the end of May. Those were wonderful days filled with learning far beyond the text books we studied. We learned self reliance, how to get along with other children of all ages, respect for our teachers and other adults. We took care of each other, had our arguments, but learned how to compromise and therefore remained friends as adults. Nobody had excess anything. We all had our chores when we got home after school and before leaving in the morning. Everyone walked to and from school - some well over a mile, no matter what the weather. Life wasn't always easy, but nobody complained. It was just the way things were. After we graduated from the Plains, most went to Cabot High School. It was 4.6 miles from our house to the school. I rode my bike as long as the weather permitted, and then boarded in town until the roads dried in the spring. Others did the same - some worked on farms, in the telephone office, or like me, helped with household chores for part of my board. But the Plain was where I came home to recharge - not just with family, although that was important, but it was the "place" that had a special hold on me. I get a wave of nostalgia now when I travel over the Plain - but through the years, all our family and the original neighbors have moved  away or died, and everything there has changed. Now, my home is here, a little off the Plain but still close. I enjoy remembering how it used to be, but I like my life as it is now.

Karen Morris sent this photo of her husband, Jim, and the deer he shot in Maine a few days ago. Karen said the game warden told Jim the deer was about ten years old. It weighed 190 pounds and had nine points. A nice big buck! Lots of good eating there! Congratulations, Jim. 

Here is the latest report on the road work being done on Route 2 in East Cabot.
 

Proposed Work Schedule, Week of 11/12/18, 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. 

Guardrail installation will take place at both bridges next week.

The schedule for paving operations has yet to be determined. Paving operations are weather dependent and the schedule may vary due to weather and/or surface conditions.  

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

Is anyone else surprised at how quickly time passes? I was startled tonight when someone reporting on yesterday's elections remarked that changes would be taking place after the new year - in about seven weeks. And I realized it WILL be 2019 in about seven weeks. That means Christmas is really "just around the corner!" Every year I think I'm going to start early on whatever projects I have in mind for Christmas; and every year I find myself short of time - all of a sudden it's a reality, ready or not! I need to get going.

Today has been another very mild, not-much-sunshine kind of day. November is living up to its reputation for being the cloudiest month of the year, for sure. At least all the snow is gone. I expect the deer hunters are hoping we'll get more snow by this weekend when hunting season begins. I haven't seen many deer around our house this year. Usually we have them on the back lawn, but if they have come this year it was during the night or at least when I wasn't aware of them. I usually see them as they come out of the woods in the back because my office window faces that direction. Nothing so far this year - although all the apples under our tree disappeared rather quickly, so I guess they visited under cover of darkness. We have seen turkeys, a bear and partridges, so perhaps it was a group effort, cleaning up our apples!

That reminds me - people who may not be familiar with deer hunting season who walk on the rail trail or back roads should be sure to wear something bright red or better yet, get one of those "hunter orange" vests, or an orange hat that will really show up well. Put vests on your dogs when you take them out for a walk during hunting season, too. You do not want to be mistaken for a deer, and you never know where the hunters are. Much of the land along this road is posted, but some is not, and during hunting season we see carloads of hunters passing by. So if you are out walking or on your bike, play it safe and wear hunter orange or some other bright color. Just be sure you avoid wearing anything black, brown, tan or white. That pretty much applies to every breed of dog and a lot of our winter or fall clothing. Most sporting goods stores or Caplan's Army Store in St. Johnsbury will have the orange vests, or you can order them on line - it won't be here by Saturday, but you should have it by next week - and deer hunting lasts until the Sunday after Thanksgiving, the 10th to the 25th; then you have muzzle-loader from Dec. 1st through the 9th. 

Be safe and enjoy the season!