Moretown - A community flooded in spirit

I suppose that unless you have seen the damage that a sudden and unexpected flood can cause to a community, to farms, to homes to roads and bridges, you really cannot be prepared for the shock.  As I look over the bank of the river behind the property of the homeowner we were helping, you can see the gorge formed by the cliffs on both sides and begin to understand how a sudden rush of water squeezed between these two walls would have created a moving wall of destruction.  The Mad River has lived up to its name.

Saturday was a perfect day, we wanted to get out early and find a family or maybe a couple that had suffered at the hands of the flood.  We arrived at the school in Waterbury in time for a 9:00 AM meeting for volunteers.  Hundreds of people had arrived from all over the state as well as from neighboring states and Quebec.  The governor showed up and gave a very warm and inspiring speech underscoring the resolve of Vermonters and their long standing tradition of helping each other out.  It was not political it was just what this group of kids, couples, friends, family, church groups and individuals of all kinds wanted to hear.

Sylvie (my wife) and I were getting antsy.  It was 9:45, there were more "housekeeping" speeches and we had not been assigned anything yet.  We decided to drive to Duxbury, a tiny town about 3 miles down the road and very close to the river and the recipient of some of the worst flooding.  We arrived but volunteers had already been busy and most of the homes had plenty of help.  We drove another 20 minutes to the small town of Moretown.  I had been through this village many times and knew it quite well.  We knew that many of the homes were hit pretty badly.  This was no surprise as it lay very close to one of the rivers that had tuned into a monster last Sunday night.

We drove slowly into town avoiding pedestrians, tractors, four by fours, bikes and all manner of vehicles that were being used to remove debris and bring in much needed supplies. The front yards of the homes in the lower lying areas had large piles of furniture, clothes, drywall, insulation, books, papers, and memories scattered and piled.  It was unbelievable, peoples lives lay strewn in their front yards in large heaps waiting for the sanitation crews to pick them up and bring it to some dump.  Tired fathers leaned on their shovels standing in the doorway of their houses still numb from the devastation that had been foisted on their families.  Mothers sorted through damp and muddy piles of clothes to try to salvage a coat or a pair shoes for their children.  But everywhere you looked, neighbors, friends, volunteers were busy cleaning, shoveling, cutting, removing, repairing, restoring, loading, in a sea of activity the permeated from the town hall to the homes on either side along the river bank.

Sylvie trying to stay cool under a
very hot dust mask

We had brought with us shovels, rakes, squeegees, mops, garbage bags, pressure washers, wet/dry vacs and a whole SUV full of cleaning and clearing equipment so that we would be ready for any type of help that was needed. We also brought our lunch, lots of extra water some work gloves, boots and extra change of clothes.  Once we parked we grabbed some shovels, a couple for 5 gallon buckets and headed just down the road where it dipped down and towards the river.  It did not take us long to find a string of homes close to the water that had sustained some pretty major damage.  For the most part, the basements or cellars had completely flooded as well as a few feet of the first floor.  The second house we saw had about 20 people working inside trying to get the first floor dried out and they had removed to first two feet of siding around the entire circumference of the house.  Looks like the inside was covered so we headed to the back yard.  The river formed the rear most boundary of their back yard and so had dumped about 10 tons of detritus composed of mostly wood, logs, fencing and a fairly large amount of non-organic items ranging from plastic bottles to shoes, fence posts, dinning room table and so on.  The back yard was totally covered with what the river had dumped after its angry tantrum.  Shortly about 20-25 volunteers had congregated in the back yard and started to pick-up the garbage.  Within a few hours we had three huge pyres of wood being careful to sort out the non-organic items.  We were hot, dirty and covered in sweat.  I tweaked my back after wrestling with a large fence post attached to some 20 feed of fencing half buried in the flotsam.  Nothing that a little lunch and three ibuprofens would not take care of.

Around 12:30, volunteers, home owners and coordinators started to gather near the town hall where an ad-hoc lunch distribution center was set-up.  Mostly people just grabbed a sandwich and found a space on the grass to collapse on and catch their breath.  Governor Shumlin showed up and worked his way down the lunch queue thanking the volunteers.  After lunch I changed out of my dripping shirt and pants into a pair of cool shorts and fresh t-shirt.  Lots more wood, logs, and limbs to move.  At some point, mixed in with all the wood and garbage we were moving,  I came across a small framed picture of a young girl on horseback.  She was maybe 8 or 9 years old.  A grainy picture but her parent had taken the time to have it framed at a frame shop.    It was difficult to look at that picture.  Who was she?  What happened to her?  What happen to her home?  She looked so happy in that picture.  How was she feeling now?  While she is probably unhurt by the flooding, her life has most likely changed in ways she will never forget.

We finished the day tired and dirty and a little sore but happy we were able to help in a small way.  While we were struck by the devastation and saddened by the loss all around us. I admit that I was most struck by how the very best in human nature always shows in the very worst of circumstances. Seeing this in Vermont is no surprise and reinforces a long standing belief that I have for the amazing people of this state.  They are the most compassionate and giving people I have every met.  I will never take for granted that I have the luxury of calling a few of them my friends.  - Pogo Senior

One is the loneliest number !

There is fairly well known comedy skit with Sid Caesar.  In the skit he his applying for a job as an actor to play Tarzan.  He has only one leg and shows up at the tryouts wearing a basic "Tarzan"  outfit.  The casting director takes one look at the actor,  realizes that with one leg there is no way he could possibly do what the Tarzan character needs to do in the film and says "I cannot possibly hire you?"  Caesar responds by saying "Why not, you have not even given me a screen test".  "It's about your leg" the director responds. "What do you have against my leg?" Caesar asks incredulously.  The director responds immediately, "I have nothing against your leg, and that is precisely the problem, neither do you!"

Our dearest friends Bob and Kris Bickford had asked us to join them for a special valentines dinner at Pauline's in Shelburne.  This small restaurant is a fairly well known "upscale" french

 bistro.  Sylvie and I have dined there on a few occasions and were excited about celebrating with Bob and Kris.  Kris had prepared a few appetizers that we had at their place before we went out.  I noticed that Kris was not eating too much and assumed that she was saving all her appetite for diner.

We arrived at the restaurant and poured over their special "Valentines" menu.  It all looked good

 and it took us a while to make our final decision.  We placed our orders, I ordered a bottle of

 Rombauer Merlot from California and we returned to our conversation eagerly anticipating the meal.  Kris was having a good time but not as animated as she usually is.  I could tell that she was REALLY hungry.  And while she enjoyed the dialogue, it was obvious that she could hardly wait to eat.  Hunger, I find has a strange way of affecting your mood.

The waitress brought our appetisers.  Sylvie and Bob ordered the escargot and we were all a bit surprised to find that there was only one escargot on the plate!  Just one tiny, well cooked snail,

generously enveloped in a puff pastry.  A few salad greens adorned the tiny plate but it was still just one escargot.  This crustacean could have been dispatched in a single bite!  They were both disappointed.  Kris did not really notice as she was working hard on her crab cakes and was happy to finally get a little  sustenance in her. Sylvie and Bob had finished their appetisers rather quickly, while Kris had finished her crab cakes before I had even put my napkin on my lap.  Poor Kris was really starved.  While the three of them watched me tuck into my crab cakes I told them of a story that happened to me while staying in a pretty swank hotel on the west coast.  I had decided to have diner at the hotel's well know and authentic french restaurant.  I ordered a filet mignon and was surprised to see how small it was.  I mean it was tiny!  I was disappointed but I also knew the reputation of french cuisine and their penchant for undersized portions.  I was hungry and of course devoured the little steak.  Just before I paid my bill, the waiter Pierre came up to my table and asked, "Monsieur, how did you find zee steak?", I took a moment and responded, "Well, I looked under one of the carrots and there it was!" Pierre was not too happy he turned on his heals, walked away briskly harumffing.  In fact he harumffed twice! and in French.  I heard him  clearly say "Le harumff, sigh, le harumff".  What a way to treat a customer I thought.  I decided show my my displeasure by leaving a very small gratuity.  The next morning as luck would have, it I ran into Pierre in the hotel lobby, he

 just looked me up and down, but before he could harumff me again I leaned into his ear, "Pierre, how did you find zee tip?"

The waitress finally brought our main course.  Luckily, because by then Kris was looking a little pale from hunger.  The crab cakes had not kicked in yet and she was teetering in her seat.  Bob had ordered  a steak and boy what a steak she set down before him.  I mean it was huge.  It overlapped both sides of the plate.  You could clearly see both a portion of the animals shoulder and his flank in the same piece of meat.  Kris had to move her chair away from Bob because his hunk of meat was overlapping into her dinning "zone".  Oh the cruelty, the waitress had decided to give Kris her meal last.  She had ordered the scallops.  As the waitress placed the plate in front of her, Kris' jaw hit the table.  There in the middle of the plate sat one small, lonely singletary, scallop surrounded by a sea of white plate. One!  Kris ordered scallopS, plural.  She did not order one scallop.  She did not say to the waitress, "I think I will have the scallop tonight"  No, she ordered a plate of scallops.  I mean who orders one scallop?  Scallops are served in a bunch, a clan, a group, a party but never  one.  You cannot even buy a single scallop!  Without a doubt when this scallop was caught in the sea it was with a bunch of other scallops.  Friend scallops maybe.  As they were

 being hoisted on to the boat, they probably thought they were all going on a grand adventure together.  I am sure that even the fisherman sold them to the restaurant in a bunch.  It was the chef who decided to isolate this poor scallop.  

When the waitress returned, Kris made her disappointment known.  "Yes but it is a five ounce scallop" the waitress apologized.  How could she say this with a straight face while Bob was wrestling with fourteen and a half pounds of prime sirloin right next to Kris?  Kris was devastate but she did not want to upset dinner and said that she was going to take her time between bites so we could all enjoy the meal together.  Graciously Kris took a tiny portion of the isolated crustacean, read a few chapters of her copy of War & Peace and then took another tiny piece.  Taking such small bites would have challenged the worlds best surgeons using the most advance arthroscopic instruments.  Kris did not complain, even when her elbows kept rubbing up against Bob's steak.

  

The four of us,  with Tolstoy looking on,  scratched our heads trying to remember if the menu had said Scallop or Scallops. We simply could not imagine the description of the entre referring to one scallop.

I guess there have been a few complaints about this practise and I noticed in the paper today that based on "customer feedback", Paulines is changing their name to more accurately reflect their offerings. Starting next month they will be called simply "Pauline". 

 

Day 3

In a word Wow !! What a day. Just amazing. I have many many pictures and will post a few of them here but will get you a link to my Picasa web album when I get back to VT. It was cold, cold. I parked my car in Maryland and biked in across the Memorial bridge to the Jefferson Memorial. That got me into the city quickly and then I walked to the mall.

Worked my way down the mall stating at the Washington Monument. There were just so many people it was hard to find a place where you were not boxed in like a sardine. It was 8:00 in the morning and I was not going to be able to stay like this for four hours. So I kept moving around looking for a way to get closer to the Capitol building and the site of the swearing-in ceremony. Finally I found a break and moved to within maybe a thousand yards of the dais.

t was just amazing to see and feel the sens of pride, joy and excitement. I have many pictures. Here are a few.

Pogo Does D.C. - Day 2

Cool and crisp today.  I was dropped off on the mall with my bike and my two trustee cameras strapped to my hips like a pair of six shooters.  I was ready to capture the day.  And capture it, I think I did!  

It is hard to describe what it is like being here.  There is such a sense of joy, of anticipation and of positive energy.  There is an incredible sens of happines.  Everyone is smiling, and I mean everyone.  The police are keeping a pretty low profile on the mall.  You get the sense that they do not want to show their presence unless needed.  There is a feeling of a celebration that so needs to happen and no onewant to get in the way (excpet a few wack jobs- read on).  As I see people there are no wild celebrations just many many people wandering around taking pictures, laughing, smiling.  There are familes, grandmothers, babys, foreigners you name it.  Everyone is here bent on being a prt of history.

It was great to ride around on mike bike.  I was able to get everywhere in a short period of time.  I went to the White House, Washington Monument, The Capitol, Lincoln Memorial and a few of the war memorials.  Getting around was so easy and quick.  

There were a few crazy "jesus Freaks" who were really trying to upset the party by spewing some pretty vile stuff.  I took some interesting pictures but I did not let them spoil my fun.

 

Everyone was having a great time.  Looking forward to tomorrow.  

Pogo does DC

DAY 1:

No plan, no real agenda, just a place to stay and the hope of taking in a part of history.  A real adventure is never planned it just happens when you give yourself the opportunity.  The  drive down to DC was not great, a lot of snow, slow going and about 12 cars in the ditch.  The clouds broke after Hartford.  I found my way to 101 Constitution ave for a reception being held by the Vermont State Society.  No matter where you are, when you run into a Vermonter there is an instant sense of kinship.  I was hoping that maybe I would run into Howard Dean so that I could tell him what a great job he did at the DNC, now that he was stepping down.  As luck would have it I ran into him right away.  We talked and he said that he was not sure what he was going to do next.  He was, of course very excited about the inauguration.  I took some pictures with him and got some snaps with Bernie Sanders, Peter Welsh and Patrick Leahy.

I cruised around the room filled with about 500 VT ex-pats and others from VT who came down to see the event.  I ran into a couple from Williston (the Sassarossis) and we talked.  I was told that there was a great view.  I made my way to the elevator, the doors opened and inside was Senator Patrick Leahy, his wife and one of his handlers.  The four of us rode up to the penthouse patio for and incredible view of the front of the capitol and a perfect view of the dais where Barack is going to be sworn in.  Senator Leahy went on to point out some of the sight including th

e Supreme Court.  He is and avid photographer and he had brought his camera.  I asked why after all these years in DC he still took pictures.  He told me that he absolutely loved the city, thought it was just beautiful and loved to take pictures.  His aid was prodding him about his plane being almost ready as they had just finished de-icing it, but the senator paid him no attention and continued to point out the sight.  He bought me to the back of the rooftop and showed me the Washington Monument that could be only seen from this spot that he knew about.

  He was a like a giddy kid.  What a great two minutes that I spent with  one for the most powerful people in this country!  He was great, not a moment that I will soon forget.  Oh yes I took a snap in the elevator because I liked the reflective doors on the elevator and caught a candid moment of him and his wife.  She remarked what a great idea it was to use the doors to catch the image.

There was a young couple who were wearing a dress and a jacket made by a tailor on Kenya from a bolt of Barack Obama Material.  Amazing,  Check out the picture. 

What a great first night.  I have many more pictures and will post on Google Photos later.  The city is electrified.  You can feel the anticipation.  Looking forward to day 2 !!!

Yes we Did !!

A night like last night comes once in a 100 years if you are lucky!  Absolutley unbelievable.  I have been moved and inspired as the rest of the country has.  Without a doubt last night is a moment that will forever change the course of this country.

I was so excited to be going with Max to the voting station to be with her as she voted for the first time in her life.  She was giddy.   No lines so it went quick.  We talked about some choices for 

local positions but there was really only one black dot we wanted to fill.  We headed home and Sylvie had prepared a feast including a cheese fondue and shrimp that could be eaten in front of the TV.  What a feast we had!  

Vermont was the first state to ring up a win for Obama but it seemed to go very slow.  We were waiting for the swing states.  Florida was building for Obama but they were not calling Florida yet, a major swing state.  When Pennsylvania finaly was declared for Obama it was pretty well over.  There rest was a formality but we had to watch to savor and let this moment sink it.  

We popped some champagne and celebrated.  What a moment and how special it was to be with

 Sylvie, Max and Shaun.  I know they will not forget last night.  Max returned to her apartment, Sylvie went to bed and Shaun and I had a beer.  All night Shaun and I had been talking about which state was needed and how the senate races were going.  He was right on top of all of them.  I know he will never forget last night and he will never foget that day in February when I took him down to New Hampsire and we meet and talked to Barack.

I watched Barack's speech from Chicago and I watched the reaction of people from everywhere and I was just totaly inspired.  I have never been so inspired and encouraged as I was listening to him last night. He has, we have, some very difficult challenges but I really think that Barack give this country the will to face those challenges.

The fact that this country has elected a black president says so much about how far we have come.  Finaly this country and especialy my kids generation has said, we don't care if the next president is black, white, male, female we just want the best person to help run this country.  As the camera panned over the crowd in the parks and churces and watching the emotions African Americans were feeling was something I will not forget.  What a night for this country !!

- Pogo  

Wind and Water

EPIC!!! Saturday was perhaps the best (I actually think that to myself often when I windsurf) day on the water in my long windsurfing career. I got on the lake just after 10:00 am and got done just before 4:00 !! WOW!!!
It was blowing about 28mph out of the south when I arrived. It was sunny, warm and the lake temp was probably about 65 degrees. A few runs on my old reliable Seatrend with my 6.1 meter sail and full wetsuit. Well after about an hour or so the wind startted to build and I was getting hot. I came in to changet to my 120 liter HiFly Free board and my smaller 5.3 meter Sailworks on the shorter mast. I slipped on my shorty and was off!! Yeah baby I was in heaven. I was able to cut about 8 jibes! Six on the starboard tack and two on the port tack. They were a bit sloppy and had a hard time maitnining the plane all the way through the jibes but hey, I did not have to get off my board.

I met Kim Smallwood up there and her husband Bob. We chatted for a bit and I also ran into Fred Bross (sold Shaun his Golf). He told me that he used to windsurf for a living.
A few time I got totally launched. I did not get catapulted very often but I was having a bit of trouble getting into the footstraps. Asa sson as I unweighted my aft-most foot, the sail picked me and tosse me in the air into my rig like a limp rag doll. Boy it was fun to feel that power! The second time I got launched the mast hit the nose of the board and cracked the cosmetics.

When Iwas done, I was done. My arms felt like they had been pulled out of their sockets. When I got home, took a few ibupropin and a small nap. I was in pain but boy did it feel good. I was really happy to get thos jibes off. Watching the 12 step Jibe program on the DVD really helped. It will be a sad day when I am no longer able or willing to windsurf.

Max turns 18 !

As we ate dinner together on Friday night we were all (Sylvie, Max, Sydney, Shaun, Ben and myself I leaned over to her and slowly sang the Tom Jones hit "I'm not reponsible". She looked at me kind of funny. She did not understand that that I was making fun of the fact that legally we were no longer responsible for her actions. Max has been pretty good and we had no reason to worrry but you never know. I told her that if she got busted for illegal song downloads, the powers that be would come after her.

I cannot believe how quickly Max has matured and developed into a beautiful person. She has such an eazy way with her friends. Sometimes I am jealous of the terrific way she interacts with her friends.

Sylvie did a great job decorating the dinning room ands made soem special heart-shaped cupcakes that we delicious. Her and Ben decided to go to Montreal to celebrate their 18th birthdays. They had dinner at a Japanese restaurant that I recommended called Sakura. They said they had a great meal.