Let it Snow!

 It's snowing steadily this morning and I just measured 2.5 inches of new snow. Most of the old snow was gone, but there were some patches left here and there. Now we have a lovely mantle of fresh white covering everything. Gratefully, the snow has conquered the awful dust situation on West Shore Road. When conditions are just right and the road is frozen but has neither snow nor recent salt/sand application, every vehicle that goes by stirs up a swirl of fine dust particles. Actually, just the wind whipping out of the northwest down past my house carried small clouds of dust with it. It's bad enough to drive on the road when it's like that - the dust clings like a magnet to the back of your vehicle; and if you have the bad luck to be following another car or truck, your whole car is covered with that fine dust and you have a hard time seeing where you are going. Worse yet is if you are walking on the road and a vehicle goes by. The dust is stifling. It gets in your nostrils and your eyes, and you can feel the grit on your face. Really dangerous stuff if  you are walking. Now, the snow has settled the dust and the road is really good. Only clean, white snow swirling behind fast-moving traffic.

The whole pond is frozen over - no surprise there; it's been pretty darned cold. The ice isn't safe to be out on, I'm sure - but we'll probably see ice fishermen out there soon if the cold weather holds for several days. Everett Drew was always one of the first to be out on the ice at the north end of the pond. Henretta Splain will be watching for early fishers at that end of the pond. 

Henretta and I were reminiscing a couple days ago about various things we have in common, even though she was brought up on Long Island and frequently went to Manhattan to see shows, etc.; while I was brought up on Cabot Plain here in very rural Vermont and the live shows I attended were mostly school plays and operettas, or a church choir concert at Christmas or Easter. I was part of many of those events - and also sang in the Vermont State Music Festival which included high school students and band members from all over the state. We practiced individually during the school year and in the spring everyone gathered in Burlington and under the direction of one person (I remember one year it was Mr. Woodbury) who, within a day or two whipped us all into one grand unified, glorious chorus and gigantic synchronized orchestra. It was remarkable. We stayed with host families (bless them for doing that), and rehearsed almost non-stop each day. It was a very big deal. I think it is now called the All State Music Festival and I believe schools have to audition to be in it. Not so in the 1940s when I was in high school. Every school could participate, whether we had a strong glee club and/or band or just a handful of kids eager to sing our hearts out.

From live shows, etc., Henretta and I recalled the days when everyone dressed up when we "went into the city." Actually, we dressed up for anything that wasn't done at home. Even a grocery run to St. Johnsbury meant changing into something "presentable" and being sure your hair was combed and your face was clean. Women put on their nylon hose and best shoes, wore a good dress or skirt and blouse, even if they were wearing a winter coat. "What if you should have an accident and end up in the hospital? Would you want to have on old, worn clothes?" And definitely clean underwear!

When we went to church - as most people did in those days - we wore hats and gloves and on special occasions like Easter or Christmas, we brought out our very best "outfits." That meant matching accessories (gloves, hats and shoes) and even going to have your hair done specially, and dressing the whole family in their best garb.

Life was way more complicated in many ways. Women only wore slacks or jeans if they worked on a farm or in a factory. My first jeans were men's purchased at Paul Hopkins's store. I took them home and reshaped the waist, cut off the hems on the legs and made a deep fringe from mid-calf to my ankles. I loved those jeans. I just found this photo taken when I was in business college in 1949 - yup, those favorite jeans went to college with me.

Have a great day and stay safe. Don't drive if you don't have to.