Great Weekend!

We had some of the nicest weather all summer this weekend! Temperatures were up there, but not as hot as some days recently, and no rain. We've had a bit of haze from the forest fires in Canada, but not enough to bother most of us. It is sad to think of all the devastation caused by these raging fires, not just in Canada but also in California. Here is an interesting Wildfire Map that shows you where fires are currently, and the colored areas show air quality. Check the drop-down legend on the left of the map for more specific information.

The Roast Port Dinner was great, as usual. "Smokey's BBQ" did a great job, and the meal was really good, plus, we had a nice turnout. As usual, I ate way more than I usually do at any evening meal, so I decided to limit myself on Sunday, when I always try to eat lighter anyway. However, my good intentions went down the drain. I had a fruit salad before I went to the Cabot Historical Society to work at 12:30. Soon after I got there, Rosie Bothfeld came over to the museum with a lovely plate of food from the luncheon they were serving for the Church Celebration. So I ended up having two lunches - and way more food than I really needed, but it, too was very good and much appreciated. Someone later brought us large pieces of chocolate cake that look delicious, but I had eaten the Boston Cream Pie at the supper on Saturday night, so I made myself abstain from more sweets yesterday.

Yesterday was a celebration of the United Church of Cabot, and there was good turnout for that. The Historical Society Museum was open in the afternoon, and we had a nice stream of visitors. Amanda Legare and I were there to answer questions, and it was very pleasant to see old friends and meet new people. Having the museum open is always interesting - we are constantly learning about family connections to Cabot. Amanda, who was one of our co-authors of the oral history book we published in 1999, is convinced we should do interviews in preparation for another oral history publication. I don't think I have the energy for that. She is a lot younger than I am. 

 I have been busy with all sorts of interesting projects. A Grand Army of the Republic (GAR)  "encampment medal" from our Cabot Historical Society collection needed to be displayed, and since it was in very fragile condition, we didn't want it to be handled. I brought it home, cleaned, repaired and framed it. It took me some time to locate a proper frame in my personal stash overhead in my garage - but I finally came up with one that I could adapt to accommodate the medal. It has been returned to the historical society and will be on display there soon.

We have had speculation about what happened to the loon chick this year, and this weekend I had a note from Jane Segale that after the flood in early July, she and her husband Tom found the chick's remains among debris that came out of the wetlands. The eagle is suspect, of course, but we will never know for certain. After the heavy rain and high water, the young loon was not seen with the adults again, and now we know it was probably killed by a predator - whether the high water had any part in the unfortunate incident, we'll never know. Nature is harsh. I hope the loons don't get discouraged about nesting here at Joe's Pond. It has taken a lot of effort and care over the years to have them reintroduced here, and it would be sad if they abandoned us. However, they are now off Vermont's endangered list, while the bald eagle is still protected. The balance may be shifting as bald eagles continue to thrive. Vermont was one of the last states to have eagles re-establish residence and it has only been the past five or six years that we have seen them at Joe's Pond regularly, I believe.

The evenings are getting cooler and here is a perfect solution so you can be comfortable on your deck or patio: 

We have a patio heater we don't use, so it's free for whoever wants it.  Here at our camp -3504 Rte 2.
Charlie and Linda Livendale   
(Cell 802-272-6564)

 

 

Sunday was also a Sunfish Race day at Joe's Pond. Here is the report from Susan Bouchard: 

We always expect varying winds at Joe’s Pond but today it was excruciating as at times the winds were non-existent. These conditions allowed the 8 entries to prove their mettle by completing the course.  The results follow:

Jack LaGue, winner of Singles

Single Division
1) Jack LaGue
2) Lee Erdmann
3) Rob Stewart
4)) Jules Chatot
5) John Moore
6) Jay Chatot

 

Joe Cassani & nephew, Doubles

Double Division
1) Joe Cassani with Grayson Demers

2) Amy McClellan with Sidney Porter

Racing isn't as much fun when there isn't consistent wind, so thanks to all who sailed regardless! Good job, everyone, and Happy Sailing!

In Addition to the winners above, here are some of the other contenders
 

Rob Stewart

John Moore

Any McClellan & SidneyPorter

Jay Chatot

Lee Erdmann

Jules Chatot

That's it for today, folks. Thank you for checking out my blog, and let me know what's new in your world that Joe's Ponders will be interested in - I'm always happy to add fresh content, as long as it is somewhat related to Joe's Pond and is civil. Last week my cousins who have been away from here for many years told me they read my blog. I wasn't aware they even knew it existed - but it apparently does for them what it was originally designed to do, which is to keep people in touch with the pond, friends, and the area in general.