Bad News/Good News

 I'll start with the bad news - which is probably not news to anyone who has to travel on back roads this year: The roads around the pond are awful. Reports are that this is the worst mud season in 25 years. People are saying they've never experienced road conditions this bad. That is because they are either relative newcomers to Vermont and it's notorious fifth season, or because they are too young to remember what roads used to be like not all that long ago. When you are pounding through mud holes, dragging your bottom and splashing mud and dirty water over your windshield and onto the roof of your car, it doesn't help for someone to say "I remember worse than that," or "the road crews are doing the best they can."

It also probably doesn't help to mention that some towns in both Vermont and New Hampshire have run out of money this year because they've had to spend so much first on salt to combat the rapid temperature changes and icy conditions all winter, and now for material and extra man-hours to try to stay ahead of the mud and keep traffic moving - so we aren't alone in our misery. None of that matters when every day the road seems to be getting worse, not better. There isn't much to say except these conditions usually last only a few weeks - but "a few weeks" have already passed and the frost still isn't out so roads can properly drain and settle down. Apparently those near and below-zero days and nights sent the frost deep this year, without a lot of snow to insulate the earth. That is a recipe for a mud bog, so any of you planning to return from your winter refuge may want to rethink the date you will arrive and delay until the wooded lanes alongside our pond are firm and dry (and dusty) again.

The good news is that work on the rail trail (LVRT) that runs along the entire eastern shore of Joe's Pond is going to be completed all the way from St. Johnsbury to Swanton, 93 miles, by this fall. There was a meeting (I mentioned it yesterday) in St. Johnsbury, and KATV recorded it. If you are interested, you can click HERE and find out exactly what the plans are. You will also fine it on the KATV website, along with other interesting segments.

Now the good and bad news is out of the way, I want to mention something I saw today on WCAX. They did a short segment this morning about Dale Newton, who lives in Cabot. Actually, they said he was a Marshfield man, but his home, "Fruitlands," is a popular bed and breakfast on Thistle Hill Road in Cabot. It's one of those situations where their mail is delivered through Marshfield but they actually reside in Cabot. That's beside the point. Dale is urging people to plant sunflowers to show solidarity with the Ukrainian people. The sunflower is their national flower, just like Vermont's state flower is red clover. If you decide to plant sunflowers, you should probably get some expert instruction. I found a very informative site that tells us "How To Grow Giant Sunflower Stalks." I don't know if I'll plant any or not, but I'm thinking about it. If your plants are successful, the seeds from the flower can be harvested in the fall - something to consider. Birds love sunflower seeds and will help themselves by visiting the blooms when the seeds are ready. However, sunflower seeds are also good for us humans. They have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, and they are a good source for fiber and minerals such as B complex, vitamin C, phosphorus, copper, manganese, and iron. However, they are also rich in calories, so if you are watching your weight, be aware. I think Dale Newton's idea is a good one. We all hope that by the time the sunflowers planted for Ukraine are mature, that awful war will be over and the Ukrainian people will be rebuilding their homes and cities.