And Even More Snow on Our Mountain

 I measured another nearly three inches of new snow this morning. This is mercifully light and fluffy - no problem shoveling that off the deck. Yesterday I felt the strain of lifting that heavy, wet snow to clear the deck. I didn't have to do much after the deck, but I did clean the walk-way and in front of the garage so Jamie wouldn't need to do it when he came to plow. It gives me some sense of worth. Besides, I like being outside, even in foul weather - up to a point.

This weekend I received a couple of interesting photos from my friend Kate (Cousin Ora's friend) in Rhode Island. Like Ora, Kate takes very nice photos. She said there is no snow where they are, so she and Ora went for a woods walk and found skunk cabbage poking through like in springtime; and at home, her amaryllis is blooming beautifully. I thought about those images as I shoveled off the deck, yet again, this morning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is an interesting comment on one of my recent posts but the writer didn't sign a name. Coincidentally, I had a long chat with a friend yesterday who commented that there were very few of her friends still around - and she asked me if I have the same experience. I do, but not the same as she, I think. She had a close-knit circle of friends from her high school days at St. Johnsbury Academy. They had all raised their families in St. J. and had remained tight as friends all those years. I didn't have that. I knew many in that same circle of friends because I lived and worked in St. Johnsbury; but then I moved away - and although I had several long-time friends from my school days in Cabot, we were not the tight-knit coffee-klatche friends she enjoyed. As I thought about what she was feeling, I realized most of my classmates are gone and increasingly, I'm seeing the names of other acquaintances in the obituary columns. I've been fortunate to be associated with other, younger groups of people over the years, volunteering at the Cabot Historical Society, Joe's Pond Association and now Danville Historical Society. What comes to mind at this moment is the following:

MAKE NEW FRIENDS, BUT KEEP THE OLD;
THOSE ARE SILVER, THESE ARE GOLD.
NEW-MADE FRIENDSHIPS, LIKE NEW WINE,
AGE WILL MELLOW AND REFINE.
FRIENDSHIPS THAT HAVE STOOD THE TEST
TIME AND CHANGE ARE SURELY BEST;
BROW MAY WRINKLE, HAIR GROW GRAY,
FRIENDSHIP NEVER KNOWS DECAY.
FOR 'MID OLD FRIENDS TRIED AND TRUE,
ONCE MORE WE OUR YOUTH RENEW.
BUT OLD FRIENDS, ALAS MAY DIE,
NEW FRIENDS MUST THEIR PLACE SUPPLY.
CHERISH FRIENDSHIP IN YOUR BREAST
NEW IS GOOD, BUT OLD IS BEST;
MAKE NEW FRIENDS, BUT KEEP THE OLD;
THOSE ARE SILVER, THESE ARE GOLD.

Author: JOSEPH PARRY 

 So I thank Anonymous for the comment - and if you ever want to tell me about that Joe's Pond relationship, please know that I am old-school- newspaper-reporter trained and if you ask not to be identified or that what you say is "off the record," I will respect that. My personal email is janebrowncabot@gmail.com. I look forward to hearing from you one day.