West Bethel
Aug 19, 2010 12:00 am
West Bethel
We are inundated with green beans, red tomatoes, yellow cherry tomatoes, summer squash, and cucumbers, soon to be followed by bell peppers and jalapeños. Our daughter, Martha Siegel, keeps me supplied with pickling cucumbers, which I can as dill pickles for both our families. Some of the beans have gone into the freezer, and others may become dilly beans.
Meanwhile, the new grass has been growing apace, and the pearlex (?) covering which keeps the seed from washing away will be coming off this week. Janie Vogt brought me a beautiful maidenhair fern, which I have planted in the front border right before the rhododendron bush. That will be its home unless or until it gets crowded out. It’s wonderful to have friends who share their garden bounty!
It seems there has been some confusion regarding where Mike and I walked a couple of weeks ago. I said that we had driven out the Mud City Road, then hiked up a mountain in search of blackberries. The road I was referring to is more recently known as Fire Road 56 (I think that's the number) and is just beyond the Mud City Schoolhouse, which is on the extension of Flat Road that goes through the forest to Route 5 at the south end of Songo Pond I hope that clears things up.
Linda Westleigh called to tell me that she is busily preparing for a family reunion to be held at her home this weekend. The Westleighs are expecting fifty or sixty people, and maybe more, depending on how many of the more distant cousins show up. It sounds like a wonderful time, and next week we’ll learn all the details.
The Pleasant Valley Grange continues to hold its flea market every Friday and Saturday. You’re urged to stop by to buy something and/or donate some of your excess goods.
The Mahoosuc Community Band held their end-of-summer concert of the season on Monday evening at Gould Academy. Mary Haberman and I attended, and I can safely say a good time was had by all. We are so fortunate in the Bethel area to have so much talent and such wonderful musical performances at little or no cost to us.
On Saturday the Bethel Historical Society held its first Bethel Heritage Festival, which takes the place of the former Sudbury Canada Days. Many of the same events were part of the day, and a few new wrinkles as well. There was a “what’s-it” contest, a forestry exhibit, genealogy exhibit, quilters (Dawn Geroux and Eliza Barnes), rug hooker (Ginger Kelly), spinner (yours truly), basket maker (Eileen Perle), and other attractions.
The day was capped by an Antiquarian dinner, where people were invited to wear old-fashioned clothes and dine on some old-fashioned dishes as well. The weather smiled on the day, which was a nice surprise. I can remember many Sudbury Canada Days when it rained -- so many that it seemed the society was cursed. So the sun and cool breezes were much appreciated.