Friday

It's 18 degrees with patchy clouds.

It's also Friday the 13th!

Paraskavedekatriaphobia, anyone?

While some of us are driving especially carefully, watching out for black cats and avoiding all ladders, it's a great day for anyone connected to Colgate University, because in 1817, 13 men - six clergy and seven laymen - met in the frontier settlement of Hamilton with "13 dollars, 13 prayers, and 13 articles." "Triskaidekafanatics unite — every Friday the 13th is Colgate Day!"



This morning's forecast from WKTV: "Temperatures this morning are starting out in the teens across the region. Expect partly sunny skies today, with high temperatures in the mid 30s. Less wind and more sunshine will make it feel better than yesterday. An area of high pressure will slowly build into the region over the weekend; that high will bring a very very nice stretch of weather. Overnight tonight though, temperatures will get chilly once again, with lows in the mid to upper teens.

A dry, cool, sunny start to the St. Patrick's Day parade, with temperatures in the 30s by 10am. It will still be chilly in the morning, but by afternoon, high temperatures are expected to reach the mid 40s. On Sunday, staying dry, mostly sunny, with high temperatures approaching 50! Warm, dry weather will continue on Monday and Tuesday, with highs in the 50s before our next storm system cools us off a bit and gives us the chance for rain showers on Wednesday. "

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That's pretty good news:

here's something even better!

The rumors began several weeks ago: "Something's going on down in Sangerfield at Dave Wicks' antique place!" "I heard tell that Mike Latreille's moving there!" And loads of lumber were being delivered and workmen's trucks were always parked outside and I went to see Mike (the owner of "Michael's Fine Food & Spirits" on Main Street in the village.) He said that yes: he was working in that direction - of relocating "Michael's" - but that he didn't want to make a formal announcement until he had the key in his hand.

Well - he has it now!

Here are his plans:

Although a large FOR SALE sign has gone up on the outside of the Main Street building that houses the current restaurant, "Michael's" will stay open - just the way it is! - until June 1. That's when the new "Michael's" will open. But Mike was quick to explain that although the location will change, the menu* and ambiance and even some of the colors will be the same as they are now.

* I was introduced, yesterday, to Michael's "Chocolate Porch Pie." (Oh ... my ..... goodness!)


The building is one of the oldest in Sangerfield:

Excerpted from "The Recollections of Abner Livermore - 1851. "Major Jotham Tower had the year before I came here [1799] built the same tavern house, in the same style of architecture that remains to the present day, for Ebenezer Hale, and an elegant two-story frame house across the road for 'Squire Oliver Norton. Jotham was young, industrious and an ambitious masterbuilder.

Yes: the brick oven will stay - but not put to any practical use!

The entire building was beautifully restored by Dave Wicks, five or six years ago, and I took these photographs of some of the woodwork, original "strap" hinges and a "dance hall"panel with familiar names written in pencil - including that of Royal Plante, Doug's grandfather, at that time!

The only antiquities that are being replaced are some of the wide, old floor boards - for safety's sake - but they will be recycled into a new "bar" in the original tavern area.

It seems that the building has nearly always been called "The Sangerfield Exchange" - at least it was in 1855 when someone (according to The Waterville Times) tried to start a rumor that the owner had small pox! (A fact which he denied!)

Another "rumor" - something that the late Hilda Barton told me about but which I can't substantiate at all - is that there was once a gunfight in the tavern and a "Mr. Locke" left a considerable bloodstain on the barroom floor. (I'm hoping that someone like Jack Youngs will have heard the story and be able to tell us more!)

There will be more pictures as refurbishments proceed!

CONGRATULATIONS, MIKE!

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In yesterday's mail:

(Thanks, Becky!)

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A few days ago I published a picture of what looked like intravenous tubing on one of Jody Hildreth's Osborn Avenue maple trees. Well - here's the result - so far!


Jody wrote: "We have bottled about 1.25 gallons so far and have another gallon of sap boiling now. This is just from the two trees in the front. I should get about 3 -4 gallons of
finished sap by the end of the season."


"This is the electric Turkey Fryer that I bought just for making syrup. It works very well and I boil the syrup outdoors. When it's close to done, we finish it inside."

Thanks, Jody!

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Also in yesterday's mail, this letter (and pictures) from "Jr." Bartlett:

"I just got back from Daytona for Bike Week and did that sun feel good. Got my picture with the Geico Lizard - photo enclosed. Picked up a bunch of magazines and then found I was in the Laconia Ralley magazine New Hampshire run I went to on my chopper last year. Never been in a magazine before that was kinda neat. Enclosing the front cover and inside picture for some of my biker friends in the Waterville area.

I sure miss waterville and all my friends that are still there and will be back especially for the class of 54's reunion."

(Click to enlarge.)

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I had a faily early appointment with my "eye doctor," yesterday morning and spent the next several hours with really "big eyes" and less-than-clear vision. However, I always slow down to see how many alpaca are out at Rancho Cerritos and yesterday there were about two-dozen browsing in the sunshine, ambling around in what appeared to be fuzzy "pajamas." Have you ever stopped to look in the little store? You can shop online, too!

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FOR THE RECORD

Because I really couldn't see whether or not the pictures that I was taking were at all clear, I quit after taking these few of Mike, the alpaca and newly-lowered gas price. Nothing's fuzzy this morning - I'll collect more views for Monday!

Have a Great Weekend, Everyone!