Thinking of Our Friends

 I have been watching the weather reports and news from Florida. The devastation is awful, and I know some of our Joe's Pond community will have damage to their homes there. I have not had any reports as yet, but I know those that are still here are concerned and we worry about the safely of friends and family who live there.

Here, we're expecting temperatures down to at least freezing tonight - and I will bring in the last of my plants, a lemon tree I've had for years that is prickly and miserable to work with - but as often as I've wanted to toss it, I still don't want it to freeze. I love the glossy leaves and the fragrance when they are warmed or rubbed. But even though I'm very careful when I move it, I usually get a thorn or two in my fingers before I've got it settled. Those thorns go through gloves - except for heavy leather ones - so that's standard attire  when I have to work with it - still, it usually gets me at least once. 

I got my booster shot today and the pharmacist warned me that I might feel it in that arm tomorrow and also not have much energy. We'll see. Jamie says he just reminds himself that when he feels the effects from shots it just means it's working. An optimistic way to look at it, I guess. Anyway, I don't really mind having a day of napping and reading.

I'm reading "Wanton West," by Lael Morgan. I may have mentioned her before. She owned and published a weekly paper in Maine at one time and I met her a number of years ago after she had sold it and was researching her connections to Cabot families. I had lunch with her and another author and professor of English from Texas, with whom Lael had taught at one time, and it was an interesting experience. We had lunch at the Danville Inn and because they were both late in arriving, Steve Cobb set us up in a neat little gazebo out on his back lawn and told us to "take our time." We did, staying well into the afternoon chatting over dessert and tea. At that time, Lael was planning on returning to Alaska where she had lived for some time and was either writing a book at that time or planning to get back to it. I heard she went there shortly after she had visited Vermont, and only recently heard she has written another book. When I checked, I found she's written several - and I couldn't resist getting some. "Wanton West" is mainly about the economic impact that prostitutes had during the early days on the western frontiers. According to Morgan, some were forces to be reckoned with, as they owned considerable property and had a great deal of influence in those early towns because of the property taxes they paid. Who knew? The book covers a lot of history of that period, and I'm amazed at the amount of research that has gone into it. 

Speaking of books - our book on West Danville and Joe's Pond recently won an award of excellence from the Vermont Historical Society recently. We are very proud of that. There will be more information made public later, I expect; we just got word this week. 

Now I'm going to get my thorny lemon tree in out of the cold and watch the news as I have some supper. I dread seeing the aftermath of Hurricane Ian in Florida, and worry what it will do as it proceeds up the southern coastal states. I hope all of you are safe.