Ralph Wins NFLarvae 2008 Trophy

After being an "also ran" for a number of years playing fantasy football, Ralph finally won the Super Bowl championship in Douglas' NFLarvae fantasy football league, winning the super bowl game by a margin of 133 to 84 over Adam Marsh's Six Packers. Normally, NFLarvae winners just get bragging rights but Douglas, in response to admonitions from his father, finally created a trophy for his Dad.

Red Skies Over Ludlow

A very rare red sky at dusk was featured over Ludlow that we thought was worth recording.

Christmas 2008 at 1 Whispering Pines

The Paces enjoyed a very pleasant Christmas. Jeffrey and Douglas came for Christmas and we enjoyed phone conversations with Barbara and Stephen from Salt Lake City and Allan who was spending the holiday in NYC. In addition to good company, Janet provided a marvellous Christmas Eve dinner. Douglas' friend Scott drove up from Rhode Island on Friday; the two of them managed to do some serious sledding on Douglas' nemesis, Mount OddFellow (see photo below). All in all it was a fun, yet peaceful and relaxing holiday. Photos of our Christmas are available by clicking here. Additionally, a very short "Conquest of Mt Oddfellow" may be viewed by clicking the icon below.

Thanksgiving Dinner at Putney Inn

Allan came up from Springfield and joined Janet, Jeffrey, and Ralph for Thanksgiving 2008 dinner at the Putney Inn in Putney, VT. We all had too much to eat; nonetheless, we managed to do a good job cleaning our plates. We enjoyed a very pleasant meal with good company.

Janet Prepares Christmas Centerpiece

Janet and Beth Almond attended a Christmas display workshop at Bushey's today. The result of her efforts is seen above. Janet is pictured with her display in the dining room below. It will make a beautiful centerpiece for the Holidays.

Pace Ponders Recount in High Bailiff Race

Following an extremely close race for High Bailiff of Windsor County (see local results below), Ralph Pace decided to concede the race as "the honorable thing to do". Pace did indicate that he was seriously thinking about seeking the office in 2010. "Much will depend on whether the County institutes the new position of Sheriff of Nottingham," he noted. Pace said that "Robin and his merry men had already been in contact with me on this issue."

He said his only disappointment was that "I had to return the royal purple robes I rented for the position. They looked so cool!"

Pace indicated that having your name on the printed ballot apparently was an advantage he overlooked.

Gang of 8 Storms Boston

While the New York Gang of Eight hasn't attacked Gotham in several years, it did do some groundwork to ready itself for the next venture into The City - it invaded Boston for a weekend late in October.

The Almonds, Kneebones, Thomsons, and Paces journeyed to beantown via Dartmouth Coach and settled into some reasonable quarters at the Westin at Copley Place. Following lunch at the Top of the Hub, we readied for our duck boat trek under the command of Colonel Duck-Tape and his aide, Lt. Colonel George Thomson. It was a marvellous land/sea view of Back Bay Boston, the North End, the Charles River, and the Esplannade.

We returned for a planning session at Bar 10, then the group ventured into the North End for dinner at Lucca's. This was followed by a highly cultural event, a Mamet comedy dealing with the difficulties of being a lameduck President in the play "November".

The next day, based on intricate plans prepared by the ladies, we assembled on Boston Commons and began to retrace the Freedom Trail. This included a number of historic churches, cemeteries, the old State House, Fanueil Hall, the Greenway and Harbor, and Quincy Market. It was here that we decided to have lunch at Cheers (not the original one). We had the good fortune to meet Curtis, a young lad probably from New Orleans who might be attending MIT (who took the group photo above).

We had a second expedition to the North End for Italian ice - gelato. Naturally it was incumbent on us to test the various concoctions offered. As may be observed, susan Kneebone decided it was necessary to do some close-up photography of the items to ensure that they satisfied Massachusetts health requirements and meet the needs of the group.

Our Saturday night dinner, naturally following a second planning session at Bar 10 in the hotel, was in Back Bay at one of our old haunts, Casa Romero. All enjoyed a good Mexican dinner with supporting beverages.

That evening, at the suggestion of our now-Florida-based friends, the Moores, we attended a second cultural endeavor at the Charles Street Playhouse, "Shear Madness", a tale of homicide and wicked doings where the audience selected the criminal.

On our final day we split into two groups to do our museum trekking; the Thomsons went to the Science Museum while the rest of us went to the Institute of Contemporary Art.

Some selected scenes from these various cultural endeavors may be seen by clicking here.

It's rumored that the gang may find itself back in New York next year - only a rumor, of course!

Ralph Runs for High Bailiff via Write-In

"Ralph understands the important role of a high bailiff in Vermont government. He has a background that neatly fits the demands of the position." With these words Congressman Peter Welch helped kick-off Ralph Pace's write-in campaign for High Bailiff of Windsor County.

Pace, a Ludlow Democrat, announced that he will seek the post of High Bailiff in Windsor County via a write-in campaign.

He indicated that "it would be a tough job to run as a write-in candidate, especially when an Independent will be on the ballot for the office." He added that he had been urged to seek the post by a number of friends who believe he would be a good candidate for this position.

The High Bailiff's principal function is to exercise those activities which the county sheriff is "incompetent" to do, namely, to arrest the sheriff if circumstances require that action. The High Bailiff then fulfils the function of the sheriff until a replacement is named. High Bailiff is a positon unique to Vermont in the American political structure. It is based on medieval legal systems and currently exists elsewhere only on the Isle of Man.

Pace noted that he felt his understanding of medieval history made him a natural candidate for the post.

He wryly added, "I think the current political contests need a little levity added. Somehow, our politicians have lost their sense of humor."

Pace writes a blog, Black River Today, and is co-anchor of a weekly televised news programs on LPC-TV, 'That Was The Week That Was'.

A Sausage Making Party

No, this is not some obscene event transpiring!

This is a sausage making event that hostess Dianne Krupp and Ralph had always wanted to make and finally decided the time had come to do so.

Dianne purchased about 9 pounds of pork which we then ground up (twice), add the vital herbs and seasonings, and then stuffed in casings to form our own, homemade sausage. (As a footnote, nine pounds of ground pork makes a lot of sausage.)

Pictured below are scenes of Dianne and Ralph at work and finally celebrating the ultimate achievement of consuming their culinary work of art. It was very good sausage.

Additional photos of this event may be viewed by clicking here.

A Journey to Barnard

Today we drove up to Barnard, VT with the Almonds and Kneebones to partake of lunch at the Barnard General Store, enjoy the foliage in Barnard, and enjoy the foliage in the ride up and back. It was a great day, almost cloudless, bright blue sky, and beautiful foliage, even if slightly past peak. Above is a picture taken of Grasshopper Lane in Cavendish, a road less travelled. Below are the Almonds, Kneebones, and Janet at lunch in the General Store. A few other foliage pictures may be viewed by clicking here.

Fall Arrives at 1 Whispering Pines

With the arrival of Fall, Janet has installed someone to guard us from the ravages of the season. Hopefully he'll be visible for awhile before the snow covers him.

Ludlow in the Fall

On a beautiful Fall day, it's hard to ignore Ludlow's singular foliage scene. Below is the front yard at 1 Whispering Pines. Our maple closest to the street turned suddenly, within just several days.

A New (well, sorta new) Car for the Paces

After 12 years of reasonably good service (but terrible gas mileage), we traded in the Explorer and purchased a 2008 Hyundai Sonata. While it has 13,000 miles on it, we hope it will last another 12 years (or until we stop tarvelling!). It lacks some of the features of new cars but should serve our basic needs for long distance trips (and when Janet refuses to let me drive her car).

Family Gathers in Brattleboro

On Friday, The New England section of the Pace klan (Barbara & Jim Boland, Herb and Shirley Pace, Ralph, Janet, and Jeffrey Pace and honorary klan member, Allan Nelson) gathered for lunch at the Riverview Cafe in Brattleboro. While we forgot to take any photos of the event, we nonetheless enjoyed a very pleasant meal and each others' company. Everyone was in good spirits. It was great to get together.

Janet's Quilt Displayed at National Park

Janet's quilt, "A Purrfect World", has been honored by the Billings Farm & Museum, a National Historical Park located in Woodstock, VT. It was among the 37 quilts from Windsor County selected for display at the museum's 22nd Annual Quilt Exhibition, running from August 1 through September 21.

According to the exhibition announcement, "A jury of three experienced quilters surveyed each quilt and judged overall impact, effectiveness of design, color, fabrics, and technical skills" in selecting the quilts to be displayed.

Her quilt is of various poses of cats, a subject always warm to her heart.

All In A Day's Work

It's nice to see that some of the bees have returned to fulfil their annual obligations. Pictured above is one of them doing its thing on a globe thistle in the front yard. Due to the unusal weather, lots of rain, even the dahlias are blooming earlier than usual. To get an enhanced view of the photo, simply place your cursor over the pix and double-click (sometimes a single click is enough).

Janet Joins Race for the Cure

Pictured above are five Ludlow area women who joined the "Race for the Cure", part of the Susan G. Komen fund raising effort to combat breast cancer, held in Manchester recently. Well-over a thousand men and women joined the race and walk. From left to right, they are: Joann Milza, Jackie Hunt, Kay O'Hare, Dianne Krupp, and Janet. Estimates place the participant count at well over 1,000.

Devi Recovers From Surgery

Devi is pictured resting as she recuperates from her recent surgery. It seems that in her youth in Tennessee, when she was neutered there, the vet used stainless steel "thread" to close the incision. She probably disappeared into the Tennessee wilderness between the neutering operation and the time she was supposed to have the stitches removed. Consequently the stainless steel remained in her. When we took her for her annual exam, the vet spotted this and advised on their removal.

The Garden in Bloom

Due to the rain we had early in the summer, the flowers are in full blossom. Even the dahlias are in bud (one actual has opened). Janet took these photos to highlight the hanging baskets on the porch and the lilies.

TW3 Receives Local TV Award

It may not be an OBIE or a TONY but it was nice to receive the above award for the TV news show that Leo Graham and I do over our local public access news show on LPC-TV, Channel 8 (on cable). TW3 is a fun show to do and, while CBS hasn't asked us to replace Katie Couric as its news anchor, both Leo and I get a real kick out of doing a half-hour show each week.

More on Fundy-Nancy's Lecture Snippet

This is just a very brief snippet of Nancy Sears opening lecture on the Bay of Fundy's geological development. Unfortunately, this blog site only supports video under 100 MBs - consequently, the heart and soul of Nancy's introductory comments has been severely curtailed. I will have a more comprehensive version of it (two and a half minutes of uncut narrative rather than this 22 seconds) on a dvd of the elderhostel.

Elderhostel at Bay of Fundy

In late June, we enjoyed an Elderhostel trip to New Brunswick, Canada, to take part in a course on the Bay of Fundy (world's highest tides) and the "Saints" of New Brunswick. Prior to arriving at St. Martins, NB, where the Elderhostel program was centered, we took a slight detour to see some of the Maine coast we either hadn't seen for some time or had never seen. We started with a return (for Janet) to Boothbay Harbor. From there we continued to Camden where we spent the night at a lovely old B&B.

From Camden we drove to Campobello, the island where the Roosevelt family summered. It's an international park maintained by both Canada and the US-although it is technically in Canada. This is where FDR suffered polio; the play, "Sunrise at Campobello," dramatized this event. Pictured above is Janet standing by the lighthouse at Campobello; the island is about eleven miles long and offers a view of Eastport, ME - the eastern most place in the US.

We then returned to the US via the town bordering Campobello, Lubec, where we spent the night.

From there we drove to St. Martins for an interesting Elderhostel program on both the Bay of fundy and the "Saints," the cities of New Brunswick on the bay named after various saints. Below is a photo of the Elderhostel group studying a cave on the edge of the bay in St. Martins, NB.

Following a five night program we returned home via York Beach, ME. Try http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AaN2blo0aNmTM&emid=sharshar&linkid=link5 for a slideshow of available photos of trip. Some videos are also attached at the end of this posting (.avi movie format). These are just snippets but will provide some remembrance of the bay and our fearless leader, Nancy.

TW3 Celebrates 1st Year With Coffee Mug

TW3 (That Was The Week That Was), the local weekly TV news show co-hosted by Ralph and Leo Graham, celebrated its first year on the airwaves with a coffee mug. The mug will be offered as a fundraising device to those who want to support the local public TV station, LPC-TV, for $25. If you'd like one, simply contact Ralph with your name and address (and, of course, a check for $25 payable to him). You'll receive the cup in about three weeks after we receive the order along with a letter of acknowledgement for tax use. Incidentally, you can view some of the weekly news broadcasts on-line at http://lpctv.org/taxonomy/term/14.

Devi Gets A Wardrobe Addition

Pictured above is Devi wearing one of the several kerchiefs designed by Janet to enhance her (i.e., Devi's) wardrobe. As may be gathered from the photo, Devi is very turned-on by the addition.

Strolling of the Heifers

On Saturday, June 7, we traveled down to Brattleboro, Vt, to see the 7th annual "Strolling of the Heifers," a Vermont version (in much slower motion) of the Running of the Bulls. According to the local paper, over 45,000 people watched the parade. It was great fun and certainly mirrored both the agricultural and cultural traditions of that part of the state. It was especially interesting to see the number of people who used the opportunity to complain about the continued existents of the VT Yankee nuclear plant just south of Brattleboro. Below is a quick movie taken with Janet's little digital camera. You can also view a slideshow at share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AaN2blo0aNmS7.

Douglas and Veronica Visit Ludlow

Douglas and Veronica took time off from their research efforts at the University of Georgia to visit us in Vermont for several days - after attending a friend's wedding in the city. While here, they toured Saint Gauden's National Monument in New Hampshire, went kayaking with Jeffrey (managing to survive being locked out from the old Explorer), and just stayed around Ludlow and environs. Douglas found time to clean out the woodshed. Prior to leaving for the airport, we all had lunch with Allen at the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA. It was great to see both of them. Some photos of the visit may be viewed at http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AaN2blo0aNmSq&emid=sharview&linkid=link5.

Janet Opens Porch for 2008 Season

Janet, pictured above in her favorite location, officially opened the 2008 summer season in Ludlow as she readied the porch at 1 Whispering Pines for the forthcoming "warm weather" season.

Janet Takes New York at 50th Columbia Reunion

Janet attended her 50th graduation class reunion from Columbia-Presbyterian in New York in April. While Janet was taking part her college festivities, Ralph was walking the hard pavement of New York. Both enjoyed dinners at several of their City favorites, the Sea Grille at Rockeller Center and the Russian Samovar on 52th Street. Pictured above is Janet with former classmate and still friend, Leslie. Below is a photo of Janet and Ralph at the Sea Grille. More photos are available at http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AaN2blo0aNmSI. They also enjoyed a wonderful matinee at Avenue Q (it was hard to tell the puppets - or muppets - from the humans).

Signs of Spring

For awhile it looked like we might never see those marvelous signs of Spring that seemed to have been missing even with the technical advent of the season. But, miracle or miracles, we finally are seeing the crocus in blossom, the appearance of daffodil stems, and a temperature that is 45 degrees above freezing.

More About Snow

Pictured above is our rear deck as of the end of February; that's apparently also the end of the weatherman's winter statistical period. At any rate, Vermont had its biggest snow accumulation, over 100 inches, since the early 70's. Unfortunately for us, while we were away skiing we had both snow and rain resulting in a frozen surface that's impossible to shovel. And we have another foot allegedly coming tonight (2/29/08). Below is the view from our media room of the front porch.

Paces Enjoy 6th Year at Owlshead

For the sixth straight year, we met the Brownlies at Owlshead in Mansonville, PQ, for a week of skiing and fun. The snow was excellent and the company, as usual, most pleasant. When not skiing, we were either relaxing with a book by the fireplace or travelling to our "favorite" spot in Mansonville, the Vale Perkins General Store. Janet is pictured above on Panarama Trail with the peak in the background. Below, John and Joan Brownlie, along with Ralph, are pictured outside the Vale Perkins store, the source of some food and wine. While Southern Vermont was receiving rain, Owlshead was blessed with powder snow. Additional photos are available at http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AaN2blo0aNmRm.

Now . . . about Winter inVermont

We've all seen the romantic symbols of Vermont in the Winter - sleighs drawn by horses going up to a candlelit inn, etc. - but how about a few facts that you also have to live with occasionally. How about having a fuel company that thinks you have a 500 gallon oil tank? Great, until you realize that the tank is only 275 gallons and that you just ran out of fuel as the temperature hit -3 F degrees and the house was at 54 F degrees (even the dog was getting cold). Then, when you take the dog out for a walk, the trip down the driveway can be very sudden as the 80 pound Lab manages to get you into a cross-country skiing mode - minus the skis. Yet, I have to admit after spending those years walking through the dirty Manhattan mush and slush on a cold Winter's morn, the sight of clean white snow is very appealing.

New Years 2008 at First Night

Along with Kevin and Patsy Kuntz, we traveled up to Burlington to take part in its 25th anniversary First Night program to usher in the New Year. It was a great way to enjoy the many faceted entertainment opportunities afforded by the First Night program (we saw the VT divas singing songs I personally had trouble understanding the lyrics, a comedian, several blue grass groups - I loved the Banjo Dan group and The Tea Company, plus two fireworks displays). Church Street was ablaze with holiday lights and the parade for the event was simple but alot of fun. Aside from returning to Ludlow in a heavy snow storm (thanks to Kevin's driving skill, we managed to bypass a trafic tie-up coming into metropolitan Ludlow), it was a great and sane way to usher in the new year. Some more pixes are available by clicking here.