Memories of Peacham School Days

 We actually saw the sun for almost five minutes today! Yesterday I was working at my computer in my cozy office with the insulating blind down at the window my desk faces, and I suddenly realized there was an unfamiliar glow beyond my computer. The sun! I jumped up to raise the blind and before I could get it up, the sun disappeared behind a cloud again and didn't come out the rest of the day. If one believes in Punxsutawney Phil's predictions, we're in for an early spring because he didn't see his shadow. I suspect the critter is right this year.We never had a prolonged period of below-zero days before the snow came, and in December we had two big snowstorms that dumped a lot of snow on the ground, insulating it from the few really cold nights we had after that. Actually, I could count the number of below zero nights so far this year on one hand, and those were interspersed with warm days and rain. Unless we have really unusual weather, like losing most of our snow cover and then a deep cold spell, the ground probably isn't going to freeze more than a few inches down. I'm hoping this will mean an easy mud season, too, because we don't have a deep frost layer to heave the roads and turn them into bogs.

Thursday my middle son, Bob and I went to Peacham Cafe for lunch. We were there a couple years ago and enjoyed it - there was still Covid around then, so it wasn't very busy the day we were there; however, on Thursday it was quite busy. It seemed to be under new management, but there was still the homey ambiance we enjoyed before. 

When we walked in, there was a long table with about eight or ten ladies of a certain age having lunch. They were a jovial group and when we left, they were still enjoying a variety of snacks and whatever their meeting was about. There were several people who went upstairs in the alcove, which is especially nice, away from the traffic below. I particularly enjoy the wall sculptures and photographs decorating the place - and the burgers we had were the best I've had in some time. The chef told us it was "local" beef. He cooked them perfectly, and they came with generous lettuce and tomato slices on an English muffin. We usually don't have a dessert when we go for lunch, but giant brownies caught my eye and we both indulged. Turned out the brownies had coconut AND chocolate chips in them - so decadent! I will definitely go there again.

Bob and I always like to explore back roads and visit places we haven't been in a long time. Going to Peacham always brings back great memories of when he and his brothers were in school at the innovative Peacham School back in the 1970s. I was working for Bill Lederer in East Peacham and doing books for the Peacham School to help pay tuition for the boys. Students at the school were encouraged to engage in projects of their choosing. Bob remembered

building a log cabin using hand tools, and later a group built an A-frame under the guidance of his grandfather, on land just above where I live now. Another group that oldest son, Bill worked with designed and built a ski tow on a farm a little south of the school. There were ski classes there for some time. Bob and a handful of other budding musicians organized the Peacham School Band while he was there. This is a picture of the band playing on the lawn in front of the school. I wonder what people who lived nearby thought of all of that. They played rock music from the Beatles, Led Zepplin, Aerosmith, etc., and while they weren't perfect, they were enthusiastic and loud. Over time they really got quite good and played some local venues. Some of the original band members went on to become professionals. I think most of the students who went there gained something really special - each in his or her own way  - and the school was definitely a worthwhile experiment.

The original building that was Peacham School burned and classes were moved to the gym and auxiliary buildings around the common. I remember the fall morning we arrived at school and found the building in smoldering ruins. Teachers, students, and townspeople were milling about, many crying, unable to believe what had happened. I never knew what caused the fire, but it was a terrible loss. By the time it closed, my kids had moved on, but Bob says there are still Peacham School reunions, but there are fewer in attendance every year. No surprise - it's been nearly 50 years!

On Thursday when we were leaving Peacham Village by way of Mack Mountain Road, I recalled bringing a bunch of young musicians down that road one Easter Sunday morning just as the sun was coming up. I remember it was mud season - the road was terrible. Neither Bob nor I could remember why we were arriving back at 5 o'clock in the morning, but I imagine there had been trouble loading their equipment or there was some other delay in leaving wherever their gig was. There were other vehicles - vans full of equipment and kids, etc., that probably went in some different direction while I volunteered to take the youngsters who lived in Peacham home.They were all under age, so if they got a gig where liquor was served, an adult had to go with them. It was all part of their education! And mine!

There are new houses along some of those once-familiar Peacham roads, and some farms we remembered were missing. It's still beautiful country and as we climbed in elevation, the trees were covered with frost and it was magical. I took this picture as we neared the top of the hill before pitching downward towards East Cabot. One farm field I remembered is planted with Christmas trees - and where we used to go into a pasture to pick blueberries there is a beautiful new home and the pasture is now completely wooded. Nothing ever stays exactly the same - even the hills change as logging operations clear cut them or hillside fields and pastures become fallow or become forests. Our memories dim, but it's great fun to bring them back with laughter and fondness. It's hard to believe some of those memories actually happened - but it was a different day. Peace!