Met An Old Friend For the First Time!

 I know, that title sounds strange, doesn't it? Here's what I mean. Years ago, when I first started writing this blog,  I misspelled a word or made some other blunder in something I posted, and I received a very polite comment from a woman pointing it out. She ended the comment with, "I thought you'd want to know," and signed it, Mary Whitcomb. 

I was very grateful to her and fixed my mistake, and then, because I didn't have an address (that information doesn't show up when a comment is sent to the blog), I believe I mentioned her kindness in my next blog, thanking her. I'm not sure I remember the exact circumstances that we finally began corresponding, but we did, and ever since, we have not only exchanged frequent emails, but Mary has sent some wonderful photos, and over time, we shared more personal information about our families and became friends. We often mentioned we should meet sometime. Recently I discovered she visits Burtt's Apple Orchard frequently, and was familiar with Cabot Plain Cemetery. From there, I explained to her how close she was to where I live and told her next time she went to Burtt's she should let me know and we should meet. That happened on Friday. Mary came for lunch and we had a very enjoyable visit - she has read every one of my blog entries over the years, and remembered things I had forgotten I had written about. It was so nice to finally meet her in person, and although I knew she was retired, and had a mental picture of what she probably looked like, I was surprised that while she was a gray-haired lady like I had envisioned, she was smaller, very trim and pert, and her bubbly personality kept me smiling the whole time we were together and it felt like I'd known her forever. And that's how I met an old friend for the first time.

The past couple of mornings have been frosty ones, just a hint of things to come. The grass has been white with frost and sparkles as the sun hits it; but the frost melts right away and the green grass remains unharmed. My rain measuring tube and everything on the deck are covered with frost every morning. There are no flowers blooming any longer and I still have a few left to cut back. I drained my water hose today and it's ready to be put away until spring. 

And I put my little window bird feeder out this past week. The birds found it right away - it's as if they remembered it from last year. I've had some very large bluejays visiting it, too - they are really too big for that small feeder. But they are tenacious. They are also very skittish and fly away if I make even a small movement. The chickadees and nuthatches ignore me and all but land in my hand when I'm filling the feeder.

Monday Ben and Shawn will come to dig a drainage ditch that will hopefully solve the problem of a too-wet hillside above the pond and not enough water in the pond. It won't be an easy dig - there are lots of trees and brush in the way, but it will be good to have the excess water re-directed. Ben thinks the slow leak will eventually plug as the pond settles and ages a bit. In the meantime, getting the water draining away from the hillside will keep the banks of the pond from being eroded, and will also make that hillside dry enough to walk on or mow. With the rain we've had recently, the pond level is back up and seems to be holding pretty well. 

We're expecting another pleasant day tomorrow, and  ok weather for Halloween. All good news. More than once there has been snow on Halloween up here. If you are out and about, be watchful for youngsters - and things that go BUMP in the night!