Here Comes the Sun!

It looks like today may turn out to be pretty nice, after a fashion. That is to say - it's been a dreary, windy, moisture-laden start to the day. I measured another .18 in. of rainfall this morning, and the air is soupy at 81% relative humidity. Nothing is drying out, inside or outside. In the past few minutes the sun has come out and then been covered by clouds again numerous times, but there is a brisk northeast wind that may move the cloudy system out of the region by noon or so. I haven't looked at the forecast, but from what I saw yesterday, our sunny periods are going to be few for the rest of the week.

The moisture has kept grass and tree foliage lush and green beyond what is normal. Usually by mid-August we begin to see dry patches on lawns and tree and plant leaves dulled by dust and lack of moisture. Not this year! I mowed my walkway this past weekend and the stones on my small shaded patio near my front deck are nearly covered with a luscious thick green moss. I can barely make out the stones for the moss. I mowed over it, but the moss had overtaken any grass or weeds growing there. It reminded me of favorite spots in the deep woods I enjoyed as a kid. They were a cool oasis we visited on hot summer afternoons as we rounded up the herd of Holsteins and drove them to the barn in time for evening milking. Fortunately, the cows were not interested in those mossy spots under thick evergreen trees -- there was no forage for them there. But we could take a short detour from the lanes the cows normally followed and sit on the thick moss a few moments to enjoy the cool, damp quiet of the forest. Now, unfortunately, I suspect a stopover in a place like that would mean I'd soon be picking ticks off my clothes and skin. We never encountered ticks back then. Mosquitoes didn't carry dreaded diseases, and rabies was rarely heard of. Perhaps those dangers were present, but never a constant threat like they are today.

Today I received this very nice sunrise photo taken yesterday morning by Gretchen Farnsworth. In spite of some dreary, rainy days, we still have some lovely moments, and this is an example of that. Thanks, Gretchen.

Also this morning, I received a note and this photo from Marti Talbot about the sailing skiff she is selling. I posted other photos a few days ago, but this one shows the little sailboat with sail up, kids aboard, ready for fun on the water.  It is still available, and if you are interested, give Marti a call at 603-348-8899. 

Several days ago I received a note in my email about raising funds for a new childcare center in Cabot. Here are details:

The Cabot Community Association (CCA) is opening a Child Care Center in the United Church, hoping to be ready to open by the end of September. The organization has raised about 2/3 of the required $30,000 goal with donations and grants, but understandably, donations have slowed because of the recent flood damage in town. A  generous donor has offered a 5:1 match - for every dollar raised, the donor will give five. The CCA is hoping that with even small amounts of $5 or $10 to support this worthy cause, the goal will still be reached so they can open as planned. There are many working parents who need this service, especially now when both parents need to work in order to pay for the added expenses of repairs to property from flood damage. Some of you may even be looking for child care, so keep in mind that this will be offered in Cabot.

People can send checks to the CCA Child Care Center Fund at PO Box 245, Cabot 05647.

A little about the Child Care Center: It will be operated by ABC/LOL, a private, family-owned fully-licensed day-care provider with centers in St. Johnsbury and Peacham. The United Church of Cabot, where the Center will be located, will benefit from having a paying tenant in its Fellowship Hall; the Cabot School will benefit from having new pre-schoolers with prior classroom experience; and children will benefit from the opportunity to learn and socialize with their peers in a safe and loving environment. It seems like a win-win-win project, and I hope you will consider contributing. 

Cabot has had a child care center in the past, operated by the Cabot Creamery, as I recall. But that was many years ago. Cabot has grown and there are many more families living here who work in other communities, and reliable child care is  hard to come by. This seems like an ideal solution. The church is next to the school campus where there is a library, medical staff, a gymnasium and performing arts center. This will afford a wealth of experience for pre-schoolers, We wish the CCA Child Care Center every success.