'Tis The Season - For SNOW!

I looked out a few minutes ago and it we had a brief snow shower going on! I know it's about time, but wouldn't mind a few more weeks of warm weather.

Here's something to make us smile. Cousin Ora sent this to me today and I thought it was hilarious. I don't care if the kids came up with the caption or someone else did, it's still funny.

I heard from a blog viewer this morning that the Joe's Pond website was not functioning. I contacted both Joe Hebert and Jamie Stewart and found out it's temporary - they are changing hosts or something and the plan is to be back up as usual probably as early as tomorrow (Wednesday). 

My blog is independent of the Joe's Pond website, but they are kind enough to continue to include it as a link. I would have continued publishing my blog whether it was continued on the JPA website or not, but I thought when JPA took over the website they might want to start their own blog. But keeping it going is a commitment, and not everyone has the time or energy to put into it. Plus, not everyone prattles on the way I do - sometimes about not much at all. But in doing that, I let people know that the blog is still operating and it's still where the JPA is able to get news out to members from time to time. In the meantime, it stirs my creative juices to find something to write about on a regular basis.

Some of you will be interested to know that Garey Larrabee has just reordered the booklet about Indian Joe that Rev. Neal wrote years ago. Garey will let me know when it is available. Every now and then someone asks me about it - and there is also a companion booklet by the same author about Molly, Indian Joe's wife. They have pretty good information and we used some of Rev. Neal's information in our upcoming history book.

I went into St. Johnsbury this morning to get my booster shot. They were very busy - not so much with giving shots, but just filling prescriptions. The druggist told me it has been like that for the past two years. However, I didn't have to wait, the shot was painless, and I then dropped in on son, Bill, at Dimick Auto Sales. He had saved some copies of the Caledonian Record for me so I could have a couple of articles for my files. One was the article that came out last week about our history book, and the other was about a very early ski tow on Fairbanks Mountain in St. Johnsbury that my boys' grandfather Dimick had a hand in building, if I recall correctly; and their dad, Ray, is mentioned in the article as competing in a slalom race there. Ray was on the St. Johnsbury Academy Ski Team, shown in this photo taken in 1941. Ray is front row right, and front row left is Clarence "Peppy" Dana. We aren't sure who the others are, but  Bill Jullian is mentioned in the 1942 article, so he is probably one of those six. The course was about 1/4 mile long, and Julian's time was 57.7, Dana's was 1.01.6, and Dimick's was 1.02.1, earning gold, silver and bronze medals, respectively, in what the newspaper related as "against various unattached competitors," meaning there were other skiers who were not members of the Fairbanks Mountain Ski Club. Look at the size of those skis!!

Skiing was a big part of the Dimick family's life, and that has continued through the years. Bob is the most avid skier these days, and has enjoyed skiing with his nieces - first JoAnn, when she first joined the family, and now Tangeni. Bill told me recently that he is going to get some equipment together and join his daughter, Tangeni and her Uncle Bob - and even Monika is going to give it a try. Seems like a great plan to me!