100 Years Ago and Today

Pager's parents, Joel Kinsley Putnam and Mabelle Butler were married 100 years ago today. The photo above was taken at the farm on their wedding day. No white Christmas that year!

Beth still has Mabelle's wedding dress:

Above Pager celebrated Christmas today with Beth, Emily, Laura and Katie. Below with me, Brian and Geoff:

Beth gave Pager a copy of the new history of Cambridge (Special Places, Special People) by Roberta Marsh, published last month:

A White Christmas

It has been an unusually warm fall. Most of the northern U.S. is not having a white Christmas this year. We do not have a lot of snow here, but we are fortunate to have a white Christmas. Yesterday, the day before Christmas, was a beautiful, sunny day. We had 2-3" of snow in our backyard:

Today, Christmas Day, it snowed:

 By evening we had another 6" of light, fluffy snow.

Laraway Mountain

Today was a beautiful winter day. We climbed to the lookout on Laraway Mountain on the Long Trail in Waterville. On the trail up:

Mt. Mansfield from the lookout:

Brian and Laura at the lookout:

Laraway Mountain is known for its south-facing cliffs just below the lookout. Giant icicles form on the cliffs in the winter. Hiking out under the cliffs:

There was 3-4" of snow. We didn't need snowshoes, but it was a little icy. Yaktrax or MICROspikes were helpful. It was a cool day, with temps in the single digits above zero Fahrenheit. We saw only one other set of tracks all day. Soon after crossing the big brook on our way up we met the person who had made those tracks, a rabbit hunter.

On the trail down as the sun set:

The best day in winter is better than the best day in summer!