Announcements

We have some announcements for you. First, the good news - we have a new Joe's Ponder, according to Gretchen Farnsworth. The loon check visited Gretchen and Jim's dock with one of the parents, and later Gretchen got this picture of the chick between both parents. Cute little guy. We'll hope all goes well and both our loon families are successful in raising their young ones this summer.

Nancy Buttura said this life preserver was found in front of their dock - if it is yours, call her at 802-279-4146. These things sometimes fly off a boat when you don't notice, or blow into the water on windy days, so check to see if you are missing one.

Here is a good deal for someone looking for a kayak - Karen Cobb is selling Lee's pretty little red kayak. It is a Wilderness/Pungo 140 Kayak in excellent condition. Comes with nice paddle. He paid over $900 for it and she is asking $500. Give her a call at 802-684-2131 if you are interested. She will be leaving soon, so if you are interested, better act quickly.

Today is day three of my porch construction and the decking is nearly finished. It looks like it could hold a freight train. I really like the way it looks underneath, too (see photo below). There is an open area by my basement door below the deck. With a roof over everything, it should prevent any more flooding in the basement like has happened a few times in the past during heavy spring rains - although I'm sure there will be snow coming off the roof, but I will deal with that somehow as needed. It may not be a problem - the basement door doesn't get much use in the winter, so a little snow shouldn't be a problem. I didn't bother to take a picture of the lumber I stained today - I got all but three of the  4 x 4s done, and will tackle the 2 x 8 x 14 pieces over the weekend. Tonight I'm ready for a "fig newton and a nap," like a friend used to say when he was really tired. I guess that recipe came from his childhood.  Anyway, it stuck, and that's exactly how I feel tonight. Instead, I'll probably have a very small glass of wine, a light supper and then an involuntary nap when I try to watch the news. I dropped off momentarily after lunch, even with the clatter and banging going on just outside my window. I didn't sleep long, but even five minutes seems to get me going again. My biggest problem is that I miss a lot because of falling asleep. Although, in thinking about it, the news isn't terribly important, and if I fall asleep watching something else, I have usually taped it so I can go back later and start at the beginning again. 

Today has been a much better day for working outside, and tonight is going to be on the cook side. Rain tomorrow, probably. Oh, well, right now that works for me, even though is may not be a good day for pain to dry. I know a lot of people have plans for being outside on the weekend, and I'm sorry for them when it rains on weekends. It was awfully hot on days one and two for Randy and Curt (and all the other people who have to work outside). We can be thankful we are only in the 80s and 90s. I cannot imagine temperatures in the 100s! 

What is also dismaying is that the pandemic is flaring up again in some parts of the country, mainly because people are not getting vaccinated. It has become more than just a way to protect oneself; being vaccinated also means protecting others who may be more vulnerable than you. I hate to think that we may be headed for very strict rules that will prevent travel and normal gatherings again just because some people object to getting the vaccine. I'd hate to see vaccinations becoming mandatory, but that's what it may take to get this under control.