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Reprinted with permission from The Vermont Standard

8/16/21

These cooler overnight temps have certainly made sleeping more comfortable lately.  A break in the rain has made it necessary to water the garden, but that is fine with me!  A cramp in my foot pulled me out of bed in the middle of the night and a strange squealing sound drew me to the dining room window.  I couldn’t see anything, but the branch of a tree was quavering and leaves were rapidly falling to the ground. I have no idea what was happening, but I surmise that some creature was in trouble….

The memorial service for Ralph Michael was held at the gravesite on Saturday and about 30 people were in attendance.  There were many words of appreciation for his life and accomplishments.  His daughter, Michelle, gave a message from the family since Judy was suffering with a back issue and Rudy, Jeremy and family were unable to attend due to Covid.  It is a bit concerning that Covid is circling around again, so that caution is needed.

I understand that the Mountain Times did quite an article about the issue of Rte 100 being closed for bridge work, supposedly at the end of the month, while 100A (the detour route) will also be under construction.  I have been unable to obtain the publication, but these projects are of concern to many local residents.  Hopefully more information will be forthcoming soon.

I am in a quandary about the community luncheon scheduled for Friday.  A couple of people have already indicated that they will not be coming due to Covid concerns. I was hoping that we might pull tables outside, but I am not sure if that is feasible.  For those who were planning to attend, please let me know what you think.  We had hoped to have more information about the road construction issue, too.

Please mark your calendar for the one day annual tag sale/craft fair at the Plymouth community center on Saturday, October 9. There will be a five dollar per person charge for setting up a table to sell your items. 

Please be advised that the service for Ralph will still take place, but will be held at Plymouth Notch Cemetery.  Family members who have tested positive for Covid will not be in attendance, but plan to sit on Rudy’s porch to wave at folks.  Feel free to wave or honk as you pass by! Judy is unable to attend due to an incapacitating back problem, but she is hopeful that people will be comfortable attending & honoring Ralph. 

Reprinted with permission from The Vermont Standard

8/8/21

This has been such a strange summer weather-wise, but that seems to be the case worldwide these days.  Storms and fires and floods are occurring everywhere.  I didn’t water the gardens today, anticipating more of a downpour this afternoon, but it didn’t amount to much here in Tyson.  I could hear the rumble of thunder not far away, yet it didn’t reach us.
Last Tuesday I spent some time in Echo Lake at the home of friends across from Camp Plymouth.  The rain has kept the water rather chilly, but it does help to beat the escalating humidity.  Looking over at the beach, I was surprised to see so few people there.  It is nice to know that the park will remain open until 9/26 this year, so there is still plenty of time to enjoy it.

Although I was out of town, I understand that the Tyson Ladies Aid Bazaar on the 7th was a great success.  Looking ahead, it seems like the free Bard-based variety show, “Shakespeare Alive” will take place (after a year’s Covid hiatus) in the Union Christian Church at the Historic Site on Saturday, 9/4 at noon.  Mark your calendar for this wonderfully hilarious performance!

Don’t forget to check out the Calvin Coolidge Historic Site with its several buildings and exhibits, but remember that  it is no longer open on Mondays, so plan accordingly.  The historic relevance and the picturesque setting provide a delightful and peaceful place of learning and respite.

I have not received many responses regarding holding a luncheon at the Community Center on Friday, 8/20.  Katherine Pingree has volunteered to help and we will definitely proceed with plans if there is sufficient interest, so let me know!

I hope that you are decluttering and saving unwanted items for the town-wide tag sale at the Community Center on Saturday, 10/9.  There is minimal charge of $5 to set up a table.  Personally, I am excited to bring a carload of stuff that I no longer need or use.

Reprinted with permission from The Vermont Standard

7/25/21

Another week has come and gone.  July seems to be moving much too quickly for my liking!  A little rain, a little sunshine – refreshingly cool nights and a bit too much humidity sometimes.  Oh well, there are things to do indoors and outdoors, so enjoy….

My neighbor, Joanie, tells me that they have a picture of a bobcat on their trail camera.  That is the one animal that I still long to see.  Many moons ago I was part of a pilot project for VINS with the ELF program.  It was fascinating to learn about these elusive creatures.

Another animal sighting that is not a pleasant one.  There is a very mangy looking fox on our road.  I have not seen it personally, but I have been told that it was in the road during the day and it did not seem afraid of people.  Certainly we all need to be especially careful in case it has rabies.

I want to thank the Fire Department for agreeing to put up a tent at Camp Plymouth State Park for Tom’s Celebration of Life on Tuesday.  The weather forecast has been bouncing around, so hopefully we won’t need to take cover, but at least we will have a place to do so if need-be.  By the way, stop up and see the amazing memory garden done by Sean Kane and crew of Mountain Top Greenscapes. Tom and I had barely started to work on this hill and now it is truly lovely.

Coming up on 8/7 is the Tyson Ladies Aid Bazaar to be held at Memorial Park in Ludlow from 10 until 2.  Although the numerous gift certificates are always a big draw for the raffle, the ladies have not asked local businesses due to the financial hardship of COVID.  Donations are always welcome, however.  There will be the usual spectacular array of gift baskets upon which to take a chance.  The bake sale and book sale are always wonderful and of course, the chicken BBQ will be happening, too.  Funds raised are used for a number of community needs, including two scholarships for graduating seniors, support of Tyson Library, and many other worthwhile projects.

Just a heads-up about The Best of Vermont Summer Festival, on 8/28 and 29 at the Okemo Field on Route 103 in Ludlow.  More details to follow…

A small part of the Tom’s Memory Garden

I just wanted folks to know that our own Emily Dupont will be performing at Billings Farm on Sunday, 7/25 at 6:30 PM with The Farm to Ballet Project.  This is an interesting concept –  “an original ballet about a farm through the seasons. Dancing vegetables, familiar animals, and even the seasons themselves come to life through dance in a joyful and entertaining show. The ballet explores the relationship between farmers and land, natural food cycles, and the human role in ecosystems. They perform outside at farms and share ticket sales with the farm to help implement regenerative agriculture projects.” 

Check it out!

This Sunday July 25th, the Plymouth Community Center will host local vendors, free of charge, between 3 and 6 PM.  

The building will be open for access to restrooms. 

The address of the Community Center is 35 School Dr., Plymouth, VT 05056

(Formally the Elementary School) 

Vendors are invited to bring their own set up to sell their various goods and crafts. Tents are suggested in case of rainy weather.

All interested vendors please contact Lauren Skaskiw at 802-417-6895 or email lskaskiw@gmail.com to register and learn more.

Or, just show up on Sunday to sell your wares!

Reprinted with permission from The Vermont Standard

7/19/21

Don’t you wish we could send this rain out west where they need it?  Some of my plants seem to be drowning, but others are green and flourishing.  It is easy to feel waterlogged & logy with these dreary days, but it really does fill me with gratitude when the sun finally breaks through.

Please take note of what is available at the Woodstock Community Food Shelf (802 – 457-1185) They have plenty of fresh milk, fruits, and veggies, as well as eggs, frozen ground beef and poultry. The shelves are also well stocked with non-perishable items. Located at Maxham Meadow Way, they are open every Monday, 4-6, Wednesday 1-3, and Saturday 10-12. I believe that masks are required for all volunteers and visitors. Many people have been taking advantage of the very abundant fresh produce at VeggieVanGo, distributed the 2nd Wednesday of the month in front of Union Arena at the WUHS. I checked with Diane Brown and Plymouth residents are welcome there, too.

Since I was at Lake George last Wed, I participated in the Book Group meeting via Facetime.  It certainly was not as much fun as seeing everyone in person, but I did appreciate the opportunity to participate in the discussion of Surviving the White Gaze by Rebecca Carroll.  It was a memoir and I found it difficult to warm up to author, but it was an interesting read.
Books for the next three months have been chosen.  For 8/18 the meeting will take place at Tyson Library, to discuss The City Baker’s Guide to Country Living by Louise Miller.  On 9/15, we will be back at the Community Center, to review Confident Women by Tori Telfer.  On 10/13, the book is Anxious People by Frederick Bachman.

There will be a delightful program on 8/5 at Camp Plymouth State Park at 11 AM – Here Be Dragonflies!   Park Interpreter, Brian Aust will facilitate this hour long event of learning about dragonflies and damselflies and will carefully capture and/or photograph them for identification, then upload to iNaturalist and the VT Atlas of Life.  If you have your own net, bring it along.  There will be special coloring sheets & crayons for the kids, but adults should enjoy this event, too! 

The event that you all have been waiting for is finally going to happen: Saturday, August 7th at the Gazebo across from the Baptist Church on the green in Ludlow.  The Ladies are excited to be able to once again hold this community favorite event after missing you all last year. There will be dozens of gift baskets on display for you to take a chance of winning…There is something for everyone AND a very special MYSTERY gift basket will be given away as a ‘door prize’ (whoa!!! This is the most fun!).

AND there is, of course our famous CHICKEN BBQ complete with corn on the cob, homemade coleslaw,  baked beans and a beverage.  Got a sweet tooth?  The Ladies famous baked goods will be there for you to choose whatever tickles your fancy at the time or just take home for the family and friends.  And yes, there will be a book sale too !

Tents will open for business from 10 a.m. to 2 pm so come early, come hungry and come with your shopping list of gifts for yourself, friends or family.  All money earned goes to support community projects such as the free Tyson Library, a scholarship for two graduating high school seniors and many other community support projects.  Help us help the community while you have fun too!  For more information contact Janine Norman at 802-228-8764.  Hope to see you there next Saturday!!! 

Reprinted with permission of The Vermont Standard

7/11/21

With the recent rain, watering the garden has not been an issue lately.  I do need to tend to some of the hanging plants that are under cover, though.  Creatures abound here in VT.  Initially I thought a bear might be drinking from one of my lower hummingbird feeders, but a neighbor said a deer has been seen taking a swig from hers.  That does make sense since no real damage has taken place.  Imagine, here I was going to blame the bears!

We did not make syrup this year, so I had not been up to our sugar house lately.  The other evening a friend wanted to see it and what a disaster we found.  Plastic cups that hang on the wall were strewn around on the floor, the empty garbage container was on its side, and large plastic totes with empty syrup containers were moved around.  We did not need to wonder about the culprit for long, however, because a pile of quills led us to the dead porcupine.  Without an autopsy, we are uncertain about the cause of death, but since there was no odor, it likely met its demise a few months ago.

Congratulations to Steve Radonis on completing a recent course at the VT Fire Academy that covered extensive training in areas such as: hazardous material operations, weapons of mass destruction, clandestine labs and fuel spills to name a few.  I would like to recognize others who may be seeking training that will benefit the town; please let me know so I can acknowledge your endeavors.

It is so exciting that Plymouth will now have its own Farmers Market!  Starting on the last Sunday of July, the Community Center will host vendors, free of charge, between 3 and 6 PM.  The building will be open for access to restrooms.  All interested vendors please contact Lauren Skaskiw at 802-417-6895 or email lskaskiw@gmail.com to register and learn more.

During 2020, our community experienced the sudden deaths of both my husband, Tom in July and Ralph Michael in December. As many folks are aware, we are planning a Celebration of Life for Tom on 7/27.  Viewing https://www.mykeeper.com/profile/tommarronemaplevt/ will allow you to see the website that Melissa set up with the details.  We will need a count for those attending at the Echo Lake Inn for ordering appetizers.  Also, please note that Ralph’s Memorial Service will take place at the Union Christian Church located at the Calvin Coolidge Historic Site in Plymouth Notch at 11 AM on 8/14/21.  Refreshments will be served afterward at the Plymouth Town Building.