6/21/26

Some lovely days last week, but storms kept rolling in and out. The wild weather of late is making life difficult on many fronts. The downpours have created deep fissures in my driveway and others have lamented the same. The small streams are swollen and the lakes below Money Brook are now an unappetizing chocolate brown color, full of sentiment. Most upsetting, of course, is the wind damage and tornado that caused destruction on Rte 4. I wonder if we officially out of the draught designation… I now have new resident – this porcupine pranced (lumbered) up my driveway and made his way up the sugar house road, presumably heading home.

It was wonderful the way the skies cleared in time for the Strawberry Festival last Wed. The evening turned out to be perfect with over 300 adults and 50+ children in attendance, plus someone forgot to invite the bugs! Praise for the hard work of all the volunteers and thanks to the community for coming out in support.

As usual, there are many interesting programs at Fletcher Memorial Library. On Friday, 6/26 at 1 PM, Senior Planet, sponsored jointly with Black River Good Neighbor Services will provide Tips for Being News Savvy Online. I can’t tell how much helpful info is provided in these workshops – consider attending. On 7/9 at 10:30 AM, join the discussion of Those Turbulent Sons of Freedom, Ethan Allen’s Green Mountain Boys, American Revolution antics, by Christopher Wren.

The Plymouth Reading Group will be discussing It Girl, a fascinating historical fiction by Allison Pataki on Wed 6/24 at 6:30 PM. Not sure of our meeting location, yet, so email me at tmmarrone@tds.net if you wish to attend. We will also be choosing books for the next few months!

There are a myriad of celebrations planned locally over the 4th. Please note this information from the Coolidge Foundation. Over three days — July 2–4 — you’ll experience a community celebration open to all that brings together history, tunes, and civic ceremony: Watch high school students from across the land debate presidential powers in the Coolidge Cup National Speech and Debate Championship — you can even serve as a judge. Attend an orchestral performance of works by John Philip Sousa and many others (6 PM on 7/3, bring a chair to sit on the lawn) Witness a naturalization ceremony welcoming new American citizens (10 AM on7/4). Join a procession to the Plymouth Notch cemetery to hear readings of Coolidge’s landmark speech “The Inspiration of the Declaration” (noon on 7/4). Encounter Calvin Coolidge and John Adams in the person of live re-enactors. Enjoy wagon rides and tour the Coolidge Historic Site.