Sunday

15.8 degrees. No snow right at the moment. You don't need the weather report, do you? It's COLD! and there's a grand Wint'ry variety in the forecast!

"Mark" sent this from Ft. Meyers, Florida. He took the picture when he went for his walk, yesterday morning!

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And if THAT doesn't help warm you up ......

Charlotte

......... this surely will!

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I know that you're really waiting for pictures of either

SNOW GEESE

or

THE TEA!

But first:

They're here!

About 250 Christmas Trees arrived in the Park, yesterday morning, and in no time at all the Masons' Annual Christmas Tree Sale was in progress! Don't miss out: the trees will go fast!

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The Star of this morning's "Mohawk Valley Living" - along with Richard Enders - was Elizabeth "Perk" Stalter and all of North Brookfield! If you didn't see the show, you can go to MVL's website and click to view a few shorts. Also - watch for it on YouTube!

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And keep watching the sky: the Snow Geese are still in the area. Waterville-born ornithologist Gene Huggins came from Syracuse, yesterday, just to see the spectacle. He found the flock feeding in the corn field across from the old Mayflower Motel and he set about counting them, systematically, corn stubble row by corn stubble row ---- and then he gave up! He told me that he estimated between three and four THOUSAND geese - something that neither he nor anyone around the village had ever seen, before! To a great many of us, their visit has been an especially wonderful Christmas Gift.


Yesterday afternoon, with only a few Canada Geese on what remains open water on the pond behind the Moons', most of the flock seemed to be aiming for Ray Ireland's "reservoir."


I started up Tyler Road, but finding more packed snow and ice than pavement, turned around in the driveway of the old "Tyler Barn" where I saw this view ..................

The hills to the East of the Village glowed in the afternoon sun.
(If you click on the image to enlarge it, I think you'll be able to pick out a few buildings on Canning Factory Road.)

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No one knew what the "theme" of the Historical Society's Fifth Annual Victorian Tea was going to be: the first clue was the aprons -- "just like my grandmother wore!"


Guests Sandy and Sharon (or Sharon and Sandy?) are members of the Westmoreland Historical Society, great friends and experts when it comes to doing things in the kitchen "the old way." They had marvelous collection of "time-saving" implements - from cheese and nutmeg graters to jar openers to egg beaters and flat-irons to cherry pitters and more and more! Most of the younger ladies in the audience wondered, "How did they DO that?!" (thinking of salads in a bag and "carry-out") while quite a few of the older women not only knew "what" and "how" (ask Calli Hudson how butter paddles work!) but one lady - seeing some sort of a cream-whipping device - proudly declared: "I still have it!" (Do you really use it, Helen?) But the program came after ...........

(Stanley Sambora, Lou Langone and Joe Falk)

... the Historical Caroleers (or Choraleers, during the rest of the year) entertained ......

(Calli Hudson and Mary Jane Toussaint talk with two other guests and the speakers, Sharon and Sandy - or Sandy and Sharon.)

.........the ladies chatted ........

Lois Lloyd and her daughter, Wendy, chatted with Katie Landers, while at the farther table Roseann Gallagher was with Anne Sally, Carol Tower, Mary Lou Von Matt and Marie Hillary as well as another whose back I didn't recognize.)

.......... and the proper three-course "Tea" was served."

In the background, Helen Tonetti and Paula Gray sat with June Richmond, Charlotte Parks, Doris Stephan and Elaine Cowen. At the table in the foreground I recognized only Sandy Harding, Sandy Martin and Candy Doyle (who had her back to me.)

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Enjoy your day!