Last Call for Chicken-Pie Supper

 This is your last chance to order a take-out chicken pie supper from the North Danville Baptist Church. Today is the deadline for taking orders, so give Judy a call at 748-8519. They will deliver in the immediate area, so let them know if you cannot pick up your order. I wouldn't want to try to guess how many years Fred and I have driven out to North Danville and picked up dinners there. It was a favorite for both of us. Last year, because of Covid, we ate alone, but before that, we usually invited several people to join us. This year, again due to Covid, I'm not including very man people. And it will be different without Fred, but I'm sure he'd approve and wouldn't want us to miss out on a great meal.

I had to go to Cabot Village on Monday. I don't go that direction very often, so it's always a treat to see what's changed (or what hasn't) along the way. One thing that was very familiar was an out-of-state car stopped by the Plains Cemetery - taking pictures of the White Mountains in the east, and the Worcester Range, Mansfield, and Camel's Hump in the western direction. My impulse was to stop and tell them some of the history of the spot where they were standing - the Bayley-Hazen Road, the old fort, the Yellow Inn tavern, and how the Plain was a thriving business district of the town for many years when Cabot was first settled. But I resisted and kept on driving - they probably wouldn't have appreciated having some old lady interrupt their picture-taking.

Further down the hill at Burtt's Apple Farm, there were lots of cars in the parking lot, even though it was still fairly early. I had stopped there only last week, so I kept going. After I got onto the paved road that is Rt. 215, I saw the ponds that have been started immediately north of the town's water supply. It is my understanding that work has been halted by the Environmental Protection Agency. I'm not sure what the problem is, but being so close to the town's water supply could be part of it, I guess. It would be a nice spot for a pond - actually there seem to be two individual ponds in the beginning stage of development.

My pond is filling, but slowly.The grass is beginning to come along and the other day when I was working by the stones leading down to it, I found two little toads hanging out under the stones. They hopped away as I was pulling some weeds. I was surprised they had found the pond so quickly. I guess animals have some sort of radar that points them toward whatever they require in order to live.

I have a book meeting this afternoon, and I expect we will be able to make more decisions about how to get the book to the public quickly and easily. Working around the restrictions caused by Covid will put some limitations on us, but we are working through those. Today is a bit gloomy, with showers early this morning (I measured .03 in.), and that is keeping me inside, doing some catch-up work instead of working outside. I was outside yesterday afternoon and decided to take down a makeshift bench I'd put under the spruce trees by my driveway. It was made with cement blocks and 4 x 4s - very substantial, but not very attractive - and I decided it would be best to remove it ang that will give Jamie more room for plowing snow this winter.

I put one of the large blocks, the two pavers I'd used between the layers of blocks and the 4x4s in the wheelbarrow and struggled up the driveway to store them with others in a pile out back of the garage. It was a tough push, so I decided to use the sled I had used last week to haul stones.

I loaded the other three cement blocks onto the sled, realizing they were really heavy, picked up the rope and started to pull. It was as if that sled was anchored. I couldn't budge it. After a few tries, I moved it a few inches onto the pavement, but I could tell it wasn't going to work. By then I was tired and frustrated and I really didn't want to unload and take them one at a time. So I pushed it off the pavement onto the grass as best I could and left it. I'll maybe tackle it again another day - or else Jamie will move them for me next time he's here. At least that ugly bench is gone!

Stay well, be happy!