LIST OF
CONTRIBUTORS		 Log Cabin Chronicles | MAY 2013

Features

Howard and "Al" ~ Still crossing the US-Canadian border (625 words)

GORDON ALEXANDER
DERBY LINE, VERMONT | Howard Langdon, 74, of Tomifobia, Quebec, says he " has no trouble getting through either US or Canadian border check points with my old fashioned rig -- Al and I get plenty of smiles."

Tiny Vermont town fondly remembers its pond that left for good (625 words)

GORDON ALEXANDER
GLOVER, VERMONT | It happened more than 200 years ago, but the memory of Runaway Pond is strong in the hearts and minds of local Vermonters here in the Northeast Kingdom.

Remembering the early days of the US Occupation of Germany
Posted 02.25.11
MARY CAMPISI FERREE
It was 1948 and Germany was just beginning the post-World War II recovery process. Wiesbaden, my home for the next thirty-six months or so, had barely been touched by the war. It was an old spa city, not involved in the production of war munitions, so was spared all but a few of the bombing runs by the allies. Most of the bombs that did hit the city were dropped in error by pilots thinking they were over Frankfurt.
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'Penguins' plunge into icy lake water to support challenged athletes (290 words)

GORDON ALEXANDER
NEWPORT, VT | One of the most outstanding spectator events during the annual Winter Carnival here was the Penguin Plunge on February 12. Some two hundred spectators gathered around a swimming-pool size hole in the ice provided by the Newport Fire Department to cheer on hardy and wildly cheerful plungers who, for a good cause, braved the 34-degree water temperature in 30-degree air temperature of Lake Memphremagog.

HORSE POWER AT WORK IN NORTHERN VERMONT (300 words)
Posted 02.02.10
GORDON ALEXANDER

BROWNINGTON, VERMONT | The event featured techniques in precision tree felling, cutting logs to mill specifications, and safely removing logs from the wood lot using single horses and teams.

Down deep in the earth, alone and in the dark
Posted 11.16.10
BOB GERVAIS
A hard-rock miner. At last, status. Off-shift, a numbered lunch pail and several glasses of draught beer attested to the world, or, at least that part of the world that cared, that I was over 18 years of age -- and a miner -- in a mining community.
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Canuck discovers Ghana: Journey to Navrongo (1250 words)
It is here where you really see the divide between the developing world and our so called developed world: Millions upon millions of Ghanaians subsist daily on less money than we spend on a double-double from Tim Hortons.
Leo Gervais teaches journalism at Concordia University in Montreal.

ANNUAL ABENAKI POW WOW CELEBRATED IN NORTHERN VERMONT (600 words)
EVANSVILLE, VERMONT | "No bumper stickers? No flags? What kind of a pow wow is this?"

Karen Redfeather of Chelsea, Vermont, was laughing when she met her friends on the tribal reservation of the Abenaki Clan of the Hawk's 19th annual 2-day Inter-tribal/International Pow Wow here on Saturday, a few kilometers from the Canadian border Saturday. Redfeather used come to pow wows with her tent that featured inter- tribal bumper stickers and flags, but took a year off to travel.

clara_malraux.html (1590 words)
In the sweet summer of 1963 I stood picking grapes in the kibbutz vineyard, while a long black car belonging to the diplomatic corps climbed with royal calm the path leading up between the vineyards to the packing shed.
Elisha Porat writes on a kibbutz in Israel. Canuck discovers Ghana: Intro (630 words)
After meeting and also teaching many Africans over the years and eventually marrying one, my knowledge and fascination with the Dark Continent grew and so here I am in Ghana, the home country of my wife Hetty, to see the country close-up and visit her family for the first time with our two-year-old daughter Phoebe (who is, of course, half African).
Leo Gervais teaches journalism at Concordia University in Montreal. Still pedaling together after 70 years (500 words)
RICHMOND, QUEBEC | Wilfred Lancaster's vintage CCM bicycle won't give up on him and he won't give up on it. They have been road-mates for more than 70 years.

Cap'n blood sails again (180 words)
Bringing to memory his legendary swashbuckling namesake from a 1935 Buccaneer movie Captain Blood, Captain Brian Blood of Ryegate, Vermont, is back on Lake Memphremagog this sailing season.

Quebec's 'Stanhenge' circle of stone completed (340 words)
STANSTEAD, QUEBEC | The North American version of England's ancient Stonehenge is a in a field less than a quarter of a mile from the US/Canadian Border. The project was inaugurated in 2009 on September 20, the day of the Fall Equinox).

Canada's longest covered bridge beats out New England's landmark (425 words)
The 1,282 foot Hartland Covered Bridge in Hartland, New Brunswick, Canada, is the longest covered bridge in the world, way longer than the 450 foot Cornish-Windsor Bridge spanning the Connecticut River in New Hampshire/Vermont, reputed to be the longest covered bridge in the United States.

Vermont trout season 2009 opens (640 words)
COVENTRY, VT | "They're biting," one fisherman yelled out ."This morning I caught a perch just before I got my first trout."

Getting Wet & Icy Cold for the Special Olympics (500 words)
NEWPORT, VT | Some 300 heavily clad spectators watched nearly 200 Penguin plungers from all over New England and Canada dive into the frigid waters of Lake Memphremagog in mid-February during the 8th annual Penguin Plunge here.

A Jewish Christmas (1550 words)
Salt of the earth, that's what they were -- Laurie and Shirley Gonich and their daughter Gerry. They operated a little hole-in-the wall diner on Russell Street, in downtown Toronto, not far from the Island on Spadina where the Connaught Laboratories were isolated. Their diner dispensed coffee, bagels, knish, assorted sandwiches, advice and lessons in how to lose at cribbage.
Bob Gervais writes in London, Ontario.

Hong Kong POW Eddie Cambelton turns 90 (1000 words)
RICHMOND, QC | Edward "Eddie" Campbelton never thought he would get to be 90 -- or even much older than 24 Ð when he was taken prisoner by the Japanese army in Hong Kong on Christmas Day, 1941.
Gordon Alexander is a Vermont-based photojournalist.

Where should I go now that I'm gone?
Posted 09.14.08
MARY CAMPISI FERREE
For a long while I thought I would like a burial site in Boulder, Colorado, somewhere beneath a shady tree. I would leave instructions to have my casket specially fitted out: a glass window, a small fan for ventilation, and a shelf I could sit on. My plan was to have my casket put upright in the ground so I could see out and keep an eye on things. I finally dismissed that idea as too macabre, even for Boulder.
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The failed wax job(490)
PRISTINA, KOSOVO | When I arrived back in Montenegro from Kosovo last month I was frazzled, stressed, and exhausted. I had an hour to get ready for a party at the American ambassador's house. I shivered my way through a shower and loved it as it was yet again 44 degrees in Podgorica. I then decided I would quickly wax my legs quickly before heading out.
Vanessa Herrick, a Canadian journalist, reports from Pristina, Kosovo.

An unexpected tirade(550)
PRISTINA, KOSOVO | I have a good friend, someone I adore, someone who has helped me enormously since I have been here who explained to me recently that Karadzic is not really a bad guy. I was speechless.
Vanessa Herrick, a Canadian journalist, reports from Pristina, Kosovo.

A church, dark and looming(350)
PRISTINA, KOSOVO | In my neighborhood there is what appears to be a burnt-out shell of a church, perhaps partially re-built, with bricks jutting out at odd angles, no windows, barbed wire at the entrance and surrounding the perimeter. It is an ominous looking place, untouched by the signs of ruin, no graffiti, no loiterers, no litter. People speed up as they walk by and no one stops to look.
Vanessa Herrick, a Canadian journalist, reports from Pristina, Kosovo.

Personal Food Crisis(700)
PRISTINA, KOSOVO | I have triumphed over the food crisis. Not the global one. My personal food crisis.
Vanessa Herrick, a Canadian journalist, reports from Pristina, Kosovo.

Mugged and bloodied in Kosovo(850)
PRISTINA, KOSOVO | I turned, assuming it was a neighbor, and there was a young guy standing about three feet from me. He grabbed my arms and shoved me, hard. As I fell, he took off running with my bag. Unfortunately, I was standing on a concrete walkway and I landed on my face.
Vanessa Herrick, a Canadian journalist, reports from Pristina, Kosovo.

Personal Food Crisis(700)
PRISTINA, KOSOVO | I have triumphed over the food crisis. Not the global one. My personal food crisis.
Vanessa Herrick, a Canadian journalist, reports from Pristina, Kosovo.

(700)
MITORVICA, KOSOVO | Mitrovica is much less wealthy than Pristina. It reminds me of Bolivia, an odd mix of half-finished buildings and lively bustling sidewalks. Bolivia however, for all it's madness, was free of tanks full of French troops, and there were no convoys of American jeeps...and the guns...the guns in Kosovo outside of the city...guns everywhere. I have never seen so many guns.
Vanessa Herrick, a Canadian journalist, reports from Pristina, Kosovo.

(750)
PRISTINA, KOSOVO | Did you know that if you drink four litres of Diet Coke, eat four blueberry muffins and a tomato sandwich, and do not move from your desk for more than a total of eight hours out of forty-eight, you can more or less produce a paper by yourself?
Vanessa Herrick, a Canadian journalist, reports from Pristina, Kosovo.

The Ice Fisherman Cometh (2900 words)
Ice fishing may bring back thoughts of an old movie "Grumpy Old Men" where senior citizen ice fishermen Walter Matthau and Jack Lemon duel beside their ice fishing shacks -- over a lady -- using frozen fish instead of swords.
Gordon Alexander is a Vermont-based photojournalist.

Who remembers what in Quebec? And when? (1360 words)
Read any good license plates lately? A lot Quebec motorists you ask have no idea what is on the license plate they just spent a small fortune to renew, other than their number (perhaps ) and the year and the rest don't know and don 't really care.
Gordon Alexander is a Vermont-based photojournalist.

A great eating find in Errol, NH
ERROL, NH | When I was girl growing up in a Quebec border town, my parents would often take a Sunday road trip -- most often these mystery rides would find us in the USA. As an adult my passion for road trips has not changed. Recently I recalled a yearly road trip my parents would take me on, and re-lived the experience all over again.
Karen Eryou is a Sherbrooke, QC-based freelance writer.

Toxic lake algae blooming again on Quebec-Vermont border (830 words)
STANSTEAD, QC | Toxic blue-green algae is again blooming in the Canadian end of Lake Memphremagog and Quebec health officials have warned two lakeshore towns not to drink and cook with the water. The question on their Vermont neighbors' minds: Is it moving south across the border.
Gordon Alexander is a Vermont-based photojournalist.

Junk Art #3 - The way things turned out
Posted 04.28.07
BOB GERVAIS
LONDON, ONTARIO | "I am bowled over by the talent exhibited here by the students. The creativity on display is exactly the kind of thing that this city needs to attract new people, new blood, and new business." Look at how they have used smaller pieces of metal to reflect the toughness of the rhino hide -- this judging is not going to be a cakewalk."

Junk Art #2 - The 'Why' of it
Posted 04.21.07
BOB GERVAIS
LONDON, ONTARIO | "I suppose we could figure it out but suppose it's between $50,000 and $100,000. That's not what it's about…what makes it all worthwhile is the look on the faces of the students as people and as artists, after the judging. They have been recognized for what and who they are; they are no longer simply number, or streams of ciphers in the educational mill. They are real."

Junk Art #1 - Beauty lies with the beholder
Posted 04.14.07
BOB GERVAIS
LONDON, ONTARIO | When you drive by the front of John Zubick Ltd. Scrap Metals on Clarke Road here, just a bit north of Gore Road, you can't help but notice the pedestals silhouetted against the Western sky. On each pedestal is a stark, angular figure made from scrap metal.

Gilles Bouchard, MD of Stanstead, Quebec
For four decades, there when you needed him (1500 words)
STANSTEAD, QC | Earlier this year, the Vermont Senate and House of honored Dr. Gilles Bouchard for his role as a caring, compassionate physician who has treated patients in southern Quebec and northern Vermont for the past forty-three years.
Gordon Alexander is a Vermont-based photojournalist.

Vermonter Doug Nelson: Dairy farmer, Restauranteur, and Controlled-Hunting Entrepreneur (1300 words)
These buffalo from another place and era are on Doug Nelson's 700 acre wild game compound that is also home for elk, white-tailed deer, European Fallow deer, and several moose. But all is not rosy here in Paradise - the state wants to kill part of his herd.
Gordon Alexander is a Vermont-based photojournalist.

Me and Idi Amin's victims
Posted 01.31.07
BOB GERVAIS
"There will be between 5000 and 10,000 people who will begin to arrive on Friday about p.m. at the old Longue Pointe Defense Base on rue Hochelaga," he said. His words tumbled down the corridors of my mind.

    IN HADRIAN'S CAMP ON CHRISTMAS EVE A HALF CENTURY AGO
    Full Version Re-posted 12.22.06
    MIKE CROSSLING
    We were all lying in the long grass, not minding the cold, dank earth; in fact, we were all trying to wriggle their bodies deeper. I swear to this day, I actually smelled where General Hadrian had been - by the scent of his horse in that earth.
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    ARMY BRAT: REMEMBERING CHRISTMASES PAST
    Posted 12.22.06
    FRANK BERNHEISEL
    There were a couple of Christmases, during World War II, when my father was not with us in Washington, DC. He left for a two-week inspection trip to Iceland and Greenland to inspect air fields for the Eighth Air Force and came home two years later.
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    REMEMBERING CHRISTMAS 1953
    Posted 12.21.06
    JOHN MAHONEY
    There came a year when I hated Christmas but I was a young soldier then, and a long way from home.
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    REMEMBERING CHRISTMAS ~ KOREA, 1968
    Posted 12.20.06
    ARTHUR GREAVES
    On Christmas day, with the outside temp hovering around 20 below and feeling sorry for myself at being separated from my own family who remained in Montana, I made my way to the mess hall for the usual Christmas dinner.
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    REMEMBERING CHRISTMAS ~ GERMANY, 1949
    Posted 12.19.06
    MARY CAMPISI FERREE
    There I was, thirteen years old, far from my Illinois home, living in a foreign country with my family. I was eating hard rolls and cheese for breakfast, decorating our Christmas tree with hand-carved wooden ornaments, smelling stollenM fresh from the baker's oven, eating sauerbraten with juniper berries, and hearing German Christmas carols.
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    THE NIGHT HORATIO SAVED CHRISTMAS
    Posted 12.18.06
    JOHN MAHONEY
    An original Children's Story for Christmas. Please feel free to download, print out, and share with others. Read it to your children.
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    A CHRISTMAS FOR MOTHER
    Posted 12.12.06
    RAYMOND GOYETTE
    A half century ago there was a war on in Korea. He was a young GI trying to get home Christmas before shipping out. It was snowing. Time was running out...(From the LCC Christmas Archives)
VT Coyote 'derbies' face court challenge (1200 words)
BARTON, VT | Coyote hunting in Vermont is facing challenges in the court and in the court of public opinion. Even though all DNA test results are not yet back on a 91-pound wolf-like animal shot recently in Troy, the incident has sparked comment from an environmental group on coyote hunting laws.
Bethany Dunbar writes for Vermont's Barton Chronicle.

Trucker Jeffrey Thompson in Coma 2 Years (770 words)
It has been two years since trucker Jeffrey Thompson lapsed into a coma after a work-related accident but his wife Cynthia is still by his side, guardedly optimistic that he will come out of it -- in time.

Albany, VT ~ Where things go bump in the night, or
A Mother-in-Law's Revenge (825 words)
When Hayden Sr. refused to pay the money back , their mother-in-law, son-in-law relationship went downhill and dipped even further when she suspected that he was poisoning her to assure that would never have to.
Gordon Alexander is a Vermont-based photojournalist.

A little fish story - the Feast of St. Anthony (1450 words)
Looking out the window of a music store in Lisbon, Portugal, I laughed out loud watching a passing parade of vintage convertible cars progressing along Avenue Liberdade. They were filled with brides in all sizes, shapes, and ages, dressed in all their bridal finery.
Jacqueline Harmon Butler is a freelance travel writer. Her book, The Travel Writers Handbook, will be released at the beginning of October, 2006.

Riding home again (550 words)
Most of the time, a ride home was on the tarred gravel road or the even-more gravelly shoulder. Only as you approached home did you veer from the roadway onto the sidewalk to announce your arrival.
Robert Gervais writes in Ontario and British Columbia.

The hills were alive with the sound of … bongos? (770 words)
COVENTRY, VT | Reggae is about as native to New England as the Ballet is to Nashville but the Vermont Roots Reggae Festival is now in it's 20th season with no signs of dying out.
Gordon Alexander is a Vermont-based photojournalist.

Vermont Powwow (300 words)
EVANSVILLE, VT | At the Clan of the Hawk Abenaki (pronounced Ah-ben-ah-key ) Tribal Grounds on Route 58 here, the fifteenth annual Inter-tribal Powwow recently represented two days of fun and fellowship with other tribes, in addition to spiritual and cultural reinforcement.
Gordon Alexander is a Vermont-based photojournalist.

Heading for Maine the hard way (300 words)
NEWPORT, VT | Billy dePersis and Bill Yarosh of Windsor, New York. portage their 17-ft aluminum canoe along the hilly Route 100 outside of town here on their way to the Clyde River. Their destination -- Fort Kent, Maine, some 740 miles from where they started 147 miles ago in Old Forge, New York.
Gordon Alexander is a Vermont-based photojournalist.

My "Jerusalem Syndrome" (2100 words)
My "Jerusalem Syndrome," that emotion fever that attacks the faithful of the three large religions when they step upon the soil of Jerusalem, befell me many years ago. Even before it was diagnosed by the learned psychiatrists.
Elisha Porat -- poet, novelist, former soldier -- writes on a kibbutz in Israel.

Negro? Niger? Nigger? What's in a name? (400 words)
STANSTEAD EAST, QUEBEC | Two new signs at the busy intersection of Routes 141 and 143 here in the Eastern Townships, only eleven miles from the US-Canadian border are raising the eyebrows of some northbound motorists. Marcus Dent, a black American who travels into Canada with his wife and children several times a year has raised the issue with a local newspaper.
Gordon Alexander is a Vermont-based photojournalist.

Not a good day for flying (500 words)
Day after day, a diligent phoebe attempted to fashion a nest of mud and moss on the narrow beams of the open porch. I watched, as time after time the tiny bird flew to the beam with a mouthful of the special mortar. He had barely flown off for more before the mixture fell to the floor.
Frances Bevency Errion writes in Buskirk, New York.

You can never rewind (2800 words)
The first time I met Gayle we were outside of First Steps Daycare, picking up our kids. Katya and I walked out hand in hand; she was singing a little song they had learned about loving your friends. Garrett tore by and she called out a hello. He waved goodbye and then upon seeing his Mom's beaming face, began to scream obscenities, which ended with: I'm not going home with you!

La Puparazzi ~ not a shaggy dog story (1450 words)
Brigitte Nadeau of Troy, Vermont, hardly follows celebrity dogs around hoping to catch them in compromising situations but she does have fun in her business called LaPuparazzi as she takes liberties with the tabloid name of her infamous photographic counterparts.
Gordon Alexander is a Vermont-based photojournalist.

Skiing in the desert
One young lady in sheilah and long black coat got off at the top just in front of me. The next time I went up, she was rooted to the same spot. The next time, an instructor was holding her skis in the snowplow position and skiing slowly backward with her in tow.
Dr. Jerry Buzzell, a Vermonter who now lives away, teaches anatomy at the United Arab Emirates University in Al Ain.

The Fountain of Youth: Feels Great, Smells Bad, Come On In (1350 words)
PORT CHARLOTTE, FL | " Don't even think of Leaving Florida without going to the Fountain of Youth, Warm Mineral Springs," Luda the Russian lady at the mobile home park advised in a thick accent.
Gordon Alexander is a Vermont-based photojournalist.

Looking for Ned Sager (1730 words)
An Interview with Marlene Simmons, genealogist par excellence. Ms. Simmons' database is one of your best sources for genealogical research help in Quebec's Eastern Townships.
Dave Lepitre owns the 3-Villages Printing Company in Stanstead, Quebec.

Road Sport in the Persian Gulf
Kids play soccer anytime and anywhere - streets, parking lots, desert, roundabouts. Some wear a jersey of their favourite team or they may wear a dishdasha and hike it up a bit when running. Footware is optional. Goals may be posts in the ground or schoolbooks or bricks on the road or they may be optional as well.
Dr. Jerry Buzzell, a Vermonter who now lives away, teaches anatomy at the United Arab Emirates University in Al Ain.

Soaring with the birds (700 words)
Gilles Grenier, 51, of Derby, Vermont, likes to fly with the birds high over neighboring Newport in his two-seater, fan-driven 47 HP flying machine called a power parachute.
Gordon Alexander is a Vermont-based photojournalist.
Gordon Alexander is a Vermont-based photojournalist.

    A Canuck in the land of Castro #8 (600 words)
    I didn't have a scale anywhere, but I was pretty sure I'd gained five pounds. "Everything seems a little more snug!" screamed the Bermuda shorts as I got dressed to enjoy my last day in Cuba.
    Leo Gervais teaches journalism at Concordia University in Montreal.

    A Canuck in the land of Castro #7 (1200 words)
    The area we were in is famous among Cubans as the place where Castro and his rebels hid while planning their revolution. One older local said (through our guide Anita) that he recalled the Cuban army coming through and hanging anyone who had offered shelter to the rebels. The story goes they would leave the bodies hanging in the trees as a warning to anyone who might offer help to Castro and his friends.
    Leo Gervais teaches journalism at Concordia University in Montreal.

    A Canuck in the land of Castro #6 (500 words)
    He was one of the crewmembers on board two fishing trips I took. He spoke little English but I was able to cobble together enough Spanish that we could communicate pretty well. Our first hilarious conversation was Berlitz gone bonkers, trying to figure out if we had the same name, how it was spelled, and so on. In Spanglish.
    Leo Gervais teaches journalism at Concordia University in Montreal.

    A Canuck in the land of Castro #5 (500 words)
    I told her I'd look for her on the catwalk later as I headed for the beach bar and some Cuba Libres while the sun expired into the warm Caribbean Sea.
    Leo Gervais teaches journalism at Concordia University in Montreal.

    A Canuck in the land of Castro #4 (790 words)
    Sucking back on Mojitos and Cuba Libres as the sun crawled across the sky was exactly what I had in mind as the snow fell and I dreamt of a warmer place a few days earlier.
    Leo Gervais teaches journalism at Concordia University in Montreal.
    Leo Gervais teaches journalism at Concordia University in Montreal.

    A Canuck in the land of Castro #3 (710 words)
    I hadn't even seen a brochure of the place so all I knew was that it was inexpensive, all-inclusive, and had a beach. Too often, seeing the brochure and then seeing the place is like when you finally get the Big Mac after looking at in on the full-picture menu lit up above the cash: It looks a lot better in the picture.
    Leo Gervais teaches journalism at Concordia University in Montreal.

    A Canuck in the land of Castro #2 (730 words)
    When it was my turn, a door opened and I walked into a narrow ten-foot long hallway and the door closed behind me. On my left was a border guard behind a thick plexiglass window. At the other end of the hallway was a locked door. The border guard was friendly and asked what I did for a living.
    Leo Gervais teaches journalism at Concordia University in Montreal.

    A Canuck in the land of Castro (600 words)
    It had just snowed. I looked outside and contemplated another long winter punctuated with cold walks on the streets of Montreal.
    Leo Gervais teaches journalism at Concordia University in Montreal.

Ignatz, the hero donkey (930 words)
"I heard noises," Maria Schumann said Sunday. "It took me a minute to figure out. Chickens were squawking, Ignatz was braying and there was a screaming sound like a human being."
Joseph Gresser is a writer with northern Vermont's Barton Chronicle.

Time stands still in Northern Vermont (390 words)
It's a rough year for Vermont's tower clocks in both Newport and Derby as three tower clocks stand frozen in time awaiting repairs, if anyone can ever find a clock smith.
Gordon Alexander is a Vermont-based photojournalist.

Which witch is which (730 words)
The modern day witch or "Wiccan," as they choose to be called, could be your next door neighbor and as lovable as your Aunt Tilly. Hey, it Could be Uncle Ned, -- some guys are into this too.
Gordon Alexander is a Vermont-based photojournalist.

Fire destroys auto parts company, 150 out of work
SAINT-EPHREM, QC | Investigators continue today to investigate a multi-million dollar blaze that destroyed an auto parts manufacturer here on Wednesday, October 19, that put 150 people out of work.
Karen Eryou is a Sherbrooke, QC-based freelance writer.

Comatose Vermont trucker on the comback haul (760 words)
It has been a long haul for trucker Jeffrey,"Willie" Thompson and his wife Cynthia as he remains in a coma eleven months after his accident last year.
Gordon Alexander is a Vermont-based photojournalist.

Theatre Review: The Tall Girl (300)
As the lights came up, above the sniffling I overheard the woman sitting two seats from me exclaim that this was the best show she had ever seen at that theatre.
Annie Duriez writes in Lennoxville, Quebec.

Poutine, as quick as you can say 'Shanannie' (390)
DERBY LINE, VT | How does a fella feed his poutine hungries in a small Vermont border village like this? Or come Sunday morning and a girl gets a hankering for eggs benedict?
John Mahoney is editor of the Log Cabin Chronicles.

Horseradish ~ Good For What Ails You (300 words)
Sure the rhubarb is up and growing but you can't eat it yet. Anyone with a garden fork can find a Jerusalem artichoke to get gaseous with. But it's the white horseradish root I get misty-eyed for.
David Lepitre is a printer and a genealogist in Stanstead, Quebec.

Eulogy for a fallen Vermont Marine (900 words)
ORLEANS, VT | Rev. Nate Strong, pastor at Albany Methodist Church, stumbled awkwardly as he walked up the stairs to the stage at his son Jesse's funeral. From the congregation there were gasps, and then laughter as they realized that he was imitating his son who purposefully fell at his graduation -- just for laughs.
Gordon Alexander is a Vermont-based writer-photographer.

Comatose Vermont trucker comes home (670 words)
Jeffrey Thompson, an independent trucker, went into a coma in November, 2004, while making a delivery in Lubbock, Texas. It was the result of an earlier accident in Vermont during the same month.
Gordon Alexander is a Vermont-based writer-photographer.

Fixing the ice, painting the lines (360 words)
STANSTEAD, QC, | Danny Bonneville, manager of the Stanstead college Arena has repainted the Blue Line for the next Wednesday night game. It's an ongoing ice maintenance problem created by an erratic rental Zamboni made worse by ice under the arena heaving the skating surface.
Gordon Alexander is a Vermont-based freelance photographer and veteran journalist.
Gordon Alexander is a Vermont-based writer-photographer.

Sorry, says Canadian doc: No flu shots for Yanks here (450 words)
STANSTEAD, QC | Normally a mild-mannered, good-natured man, Dr. Bouchard was angry last week as he drew attention from the Canadian media in droves when it was learned that Americans were converging on him seeking flu vaccine shots because of the dire shortage in the United States.
Gordon Alexander is a Vermont-based freelance photographer and veteran journalist.
Gordon Alexander is a Vermont-based writer-photographer.

How to dump a boyfriend (660 words)
We've all felt it. You know, when your feelings for your supposed loved one turn into the same feelings you have for the kid whose voice hasn't yet changed, and who hasn't stopped obsessing over you since you picked him for a reading partner out of pity in the third grade.
Caitlin Batch is a senior at Ralston Valley High School in Arvada, Colorado. She plans to study nursing in southern California when she graduates.

When they shut it down, they'll come through town (1000 words)
STANSTEAD, QC | Residents, shop owners, and motorists coming in and out of Canada via the Canadian-US Customs and Immigration border check points here were crying the blues last week. It happened during a nightmarish two-day traffic gridlock in town created by detours on Route 55 where new bridges are being built over the Tomifobia River to replace the existing structures.
Gordon Alexander is a Vermont-based freelance photographer and veteran journalist.

The Last Great Outdoor Waltz Festival (1220 words)
"If there are going to be 70,000 waltzers, at least half of them got to be men so ah's bet that Floyd the barber is getting ready for at least 35,000 haircuts," Sheriff Andy said.
Gordon Alexander is a Vermont-based freelance photographer and veteran journalist.

Motel 55: Gone but not forgotten (280 words)
Future generations will not experience Stanstead's Motel 55. The wreckers were there last week and it was down before noon.
David Lepitre is a printer and a genealogist in Stanstead, Quebec.

There's gold in them thar hills (1000 words)
DERBY, VT | "Us Vermont prospectors are as rare as the gold we're trying to find" says Gerard "Goldfinger" Fontaine, 51, of Greensboro Bend, Vermont.
Gordon Alexander is a Vermont-based freelance photographer and veteran journalist.

Reporter Ivy Hatch: looking back over 50 years of reporting the news and being paid by the inch (1300 words)
LENNOXVILLE, QC | "One night I was called out in the wee hours of the morning to cover an accident near Dufferin Heights. I wrote the story, took a few pictures, and wound up being asked to direct traffic."
Gordon Alexander is a Vermont-based freelance photographer and veteran journalist.

Go Phishing while the Phish are biting (1000 words)
COVENTRY, VT | Here's one way to make hay while the sun shines without haying: John Mead of Newport intends to offer 20 acres of his brothers farmland next to the Phish-sanctioned camping area, to 200 ticket-less fans at a charge of $200 per person for the two day weekend.
Gordon Alexander is a Vermont-based freelance photographer and veteran journalist.

Long Ride Home (500 words)
LENNOXVILLE, QC | Fifteen hours on a train is a long time. Long enough to memorize the exact colour of neutral green that adorns every seat and wall of the VIA Rail cars.
Isabelle Gallant attends Bishop's University in Lennoxville, Quebec. She is a reporter for The Local News, the on-line newspaper of the students in the webjournalism class, and is Arts & Entertainment Editor of The Campus, the BU student newspaper.

The Sugarman
The sap will soon run, the maple trees will be tapped out, and sugarmakers will boiling off 40 gallons of sap to make a single gallon of golden maple syrup. Charlie Tetreault produced this picture story several years ago of his neighbor, The Sugarman. Enjoy.
Charlie Tetreault lives in Newport, Vermont.

Aboard the US lightship Overfalls (830 words)
LEWES, DELAWARE | People love postcards and calendars art of lighthouses. They'll travel great distances to visit one. But, does anyone care anymore about lightships?
Dave Bernheisel writes from Lewes, Delaware where he loves all things that are watercrafty.

Innovative art photo exhibit at Lenn's Uplands Gallery (500 words)
An elderly couple stands, holding hands, in front of their rickety-looking shed. Bolduc has caught a rather startled look on the man's face. In the background, a wooden ladder with irregularly-spaced rungs leans against the shed.
Isabelle Gallant attends Bishop's University in Lennoxville, Quebec. She is a reporter for The Local News, the on-line newspaper of the students in the webjournalism class, and is Arts & Entertainment Editor of The Campus, the BU student newspaper.

The Glen Road Cannon (800 words)
NEWPORT, VT Some 50 years ago, when we were boys growing up in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom, we had the typical Huckleberry Finn attitudes that gave each day new meaning.
Ray Goyette has escaped the statute of limitations in Holmdel, New Jersey.

Pioneer aviator inducted posthumously into Quebec Air and Space Museum Hall of Fame
Roger Smith was born to fly. His life-long love affair with airplanes began in 1928 when he was 15 and ended only last August when he died at age 90 -- just three months before he was inducted into the Quebec Air and Space Museum Hall of Fame.
John Mahoney is editor of the Log Cabin Chronicles.

My Pa's German Luger and how he got it (1000 words)
During the First World War, company commanders had no radios with which they could communicate with headquarters or other units in their combat area. The only method used for communication was to write out a message and hand it to a company runner who placed the message in his satchel, and ran off to deliver to the distant addressee.
Charles Tetreault writes in Newport, Vermont.

Azerbaijan's presidential election: a close-up look at a democratic opportunity lost
Posted 11.01.03
DAVE BERNHEISEL
The incumbent president was Heydar Aliyev, a political strongman and head of the former republic's KGB office during the Soviet era.

A northern Vermont truck stop, where the pies just dare you (650)
The place is called, simply enough, P & H Truck Stop. Their business card boasts: Restaurant, Fuel & Gas, Propane, Truck Store, Truck Scales, and Private Showers. Open 24 hours -7 days.
Ray goyette sells real estate in Holmdel, New Jersey.

In the Ukraine: Foreign Aid with a high return at a low price
Posted 09.20.03
DAVE BERNHEISEL
Ukraine has some of the best agricultural land in the world with rich, black soil and a climate similar to our own Midwest. (In WWII Ukraine was occupied by the Germans who, among other things, sent many train loads of Ukrainian soil back to Germany.)

The Great American Loop #62
Posted 01.09.03
DAVE BERNHEISEL
Going There is headed home. If you want to backtrack, the inital report of this year-long boat trek in North America is HERE.

Loons: The Flying Submarines (2400 words)
My first impression on hearing the loon, lying in bed early in the morning at our new cottage on Newark Pond, was that the Martians had landed and were signaling to one another as they began to take over the planet. The loon is straight out of science fiction, and if Captain Nemo's Nautilus or the Beatles' Yellow Submarine are contraptions that strike your fancy, the loon is your bird.
Don Craig lives in Newport, Vermont.

All you need to know about Canada

Moose: An ever-present road hazard (1100 words)
Cedric Alexander, a wildlife biologist with the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife, said one Canadian man was killed when a moose his car hit landed on the roof on a stretch of Interstate 91 just south of the Newport exit a couple of years ago. Another man in the car was taken in critical condition to a hospital on the Canadian side.
Steve Blake writes for Vermont's Barton Chronicle.

Compost-cooked trout
Take one streaming heap of composted horseshit, bury three fine trout herbed in protective wrappings within the pile, wait 18 hours, and you've got some fine eating.
Tim Doherty writes from Lennoxville, Quebec.

Tales from Kuwait: A school-teacher couple returns from the Middle East (1000 words)
NORWAY BAY, QC | It took the controlled explosion of a bomb by Kuwaiti security forces to convince Greg and Joan Dunn to get out of the Middle East.
Michael Lloyd writes for The Equity in Quebec.

Snowmobiles bring big bucks to northern Vermont town (1000 words)
Snowmobiles bring $511 million to Vermont¹s economy every year, according to the Vermont Association of Snow Travelers (VAST). And since Island Pond is "the snowmobile capital of Vermont," it¹s no surprise that the economic impact of snowmobiling in this town is huge.
Bethany Dunbar writes for Vermont's Barton Chronicle.

'Ghost' deer haunts small Quebec town
Justin Francis had trouble convincing his friends of what he'd seen. "They thought I was crazy", said the 14-year old grade 9 student, who is the son of Mayor Mike Francis of Low. That was until he showed them the video of the rare white fawn he'd spotted on the family property.

JUST FOLKS
A continuing series of brief profiles on interesting people.

    Our local Branch Manager still climbing to the top
    You could say that Jim Jory of Rock Island is a performance artist whose high-altitude act always gets off the ground but invariably ends with a crash.
    John Mahoney, Editor, Log Cabin Chronicles.

    Bill Gardyne, The Knife Guy (1300 words)
    This Vermonters has a thing for old things, and a serious passion for antique knives.
    John Mahoney, Editor, Log Cabin Chronicles.

    Just Folks: Malcom Graham
    "I spend a lot of time in the bush, working or fishing," he says, "and I encounter lots of wildlife. I've been surrounded by five wolves -- I have the photos!, had a close encounter with a grizzly bear, and have also been fortunate enough to see a rare Kemode bear in the wild."
    John Mahoney, Editor, Log Cabin Chronicles.

    Just Folks: Howard Reed (1200 words)
    Aviator, Stone Carver, Maker of Fine Violins.
    John Mahoney, Editor, Log Cabin Chronicles.

    Tae Kwan Do expert Julie Lebrun
    At 102 pounds, she's a fighting contender.
    By John Mahoney, Editor, Log Cabin Chronicles.

    Just Folks: Debbie Everett
    She's not Whittler's Mother, but Debbie Everett of Lennoxville, Quebec always has her way with wood and sharp knives.
    By John Mahoney, Editor, Log Cabin Chronicles.

    Just Folks: Terry Albee
    The late Terry Albee of Newport Center, Vermont was a veteran newspaperman who liked his stories straight up.
    John Mahoney, Editor, Log Cabin Chronicles.

    Just Folks: Gloria Thomson
    Gloria Thomson, Tai Chi instructor, Cytologist, and first-rate massage therapist.
    John Mahoney, Editor, Log Cabin Chronicles.

    Just Folks: Banjoist John Foster (600 words)
    John Foster makes his banjos from gourds.
    John Mahoney, Editor, Log Cabin Chronicles.

THE MONSTER'S LAIR
Complete archives of our Lake Memphremagog lake monster articles. Enter at your own risk...

How 'bout some southern pit bbq? (850)
The secret is long and slow. Too hot and the meat will seize up and be tough and dry. You want to sneak up on it nice and slow until it just relaxes off the bones.
Tim Doherty writes from Lennoxville, Quebec.

Doing good, quietly
Rather like Cyrano de Bergerac, Canada repeatedly does honourable things for honourable motives, but instead of being thanked for it, it remains something of a figure of fun.

Biking the old railbed
NEWPORT, VERMONT: I find the start of the bike trail on Prouty Drive, near North Country Hospital, and head out of town into a modest breeze on my trusty Raleigh Mountain Tour Bike. The trail is on the old Canadian Pacific railbed that connected to Sherbrooke, Quebec. It's just over the ridge from the log cabin near Tomifobia, Quebec, where I grew up. Like all old rail lines, the grades are gradual, and curves gentle.
Dr. Keith Mahoney is a chiropractor in Kanata, Ontario, and an avid cyclist.

Fun with math

Young Love

Yes, I ate the cigarettes & drove the Studebaker

Today's Grammer Lesson

Letters to God

Brave New Words

War dims hope for peace and other great headlines

A Christmas for Mother (1200)
The Korean War is still hot and a young soldier from Vermont is racing the clock to get home for Christmas. Do you believe in angels?

If you lie down with dogs, you'll stink in the morning
From the mouths of babes, words of wisdom.

Jim Hosking: seeking the Red Man in the Eastern Townships of Quebec (2200 words)
He's pushing the date back 6000 years.
Dwane Wilkins is a Quebec-based freelance writer.

English is such a crazy language

Today's history lesson

Several statements of fact Yankees will never hear Southern boys say

Would you have these guys over for dinner? (100 words)

What do Canadians have to be proud of, eh? (350 words)

'Net talk from Down Under (250 words)

Luv my spel cheker(120 words)

Great quotes from the Fifties (700 words)

A glorious Gaspé Christmas
May your Christmas treasures come home to be with you.

The Office Christmas Party
Let's all go, eh?

Lake Monster hunting cameras installed on Lake Memphremagog
The LCC has launched an all-out effort to nail down the Memphre Myth once and for all. Here is a Fo-Kam® view of the lake. Keep a sharp eye peeled -- you may be the first to see Memphre and win an original LCC Memphre tee-shirt. Oh, the fun of it all...
John Mahoney is editor of the Log Cabin Chronicles.

U.S. bans nostrums
Why are you surprised?

Sushi, chilled white wine & nervous woolies or frankly, Scarlet, I'd rather be sailing (In six parts)
A day trip on a 28-foot racing cruiser on Lake Memphremagog.
John Mahoney, Editor, Log Cabin Chronicles.

Getting lucky takes on a whole new meaning
From Robert Gervais.

You know you've been logging on too much lately when...
Fra Anonymous.

Reluctant Rambo: Conclusion (1500 words)
On the way down a tiny footpath I met a prison guard frog-marching a stark-naked prisoner back to our staging point. He carried no weapon other than a rough cut 2x2 about the length of a baseball bat.
When not drinking scotch or running, Jim Austin writes this stuff in Putney, Vermont.

] Reluctant Rambo: Part 4 (1100 words)
Dealth by Black Magic and other tales which Jim entertainingly recalls from his days as an enforcer of the law in Papua, New Guinea.
When not drinking scotch or running, Jim Austin writes this stuff in Putney, Vermont.

Reluctant Rambo: Part 3 (1100 words)
When not drinking scotch or running, Jim Austin writes this stuff in Putney, Vermont.

Reluctant Rambo: Part 2 (1400 words)
When not drinking scotch or running, Jim Austin writes this stuff in Putney, Vermont.

Reluctant Rambo (1300 words)
When not drinking scotch or running, Jim Austin writes this stuff in Putney, Vermont.

How to get into the Olympics
Vermonters know how.

Golden rules for teachers, 1915
How times have changed.

Still Playing Silly Buggers
A gentle spoof about a bike trail and those who hate it.
Ross Murray edits Quebec's Stanstead Journal.

Great Thinkers of Our Time
Some of them may be Irish.
Passed along by Earl James Mahoney.

Home is where the heart is
In this case it's a 15-foot teepee.
René Bruemmer reports for the Sherbrooke Record in Quebec.

Can you pass this Grad 8 exam?
In 1895, kids in Salina, Kansas, were expected to.
Passed along by Mary Francis Ferree.

Why men are that way
Passed along by Ray Goyette, Holmdel, New Jersey.

You know you're not a kid any longer when...
Passed along by Ray Goyette, Holmdel, New Jersey.

The Bag Balm Story (1300 words)
Shania Twain, Dr. Daniels, et moi...slip-sliding away.
County Superstar inadvertantly helps small local niche business to boom.
John Mahoney, Editor, Log Cabin Chronicles.

The new town hall sign (250 words)
Sawed, sealed, and solid as the rock of Gibraltar.
John Mahoney, Editor, Log Cabin Chronicles.

We wish for you (450 words)
Wishes for the coming millennium.
Passed along by Dick Addison.

Letter From Antarctica (560 words)
Our new Man From Down Below checks in.
David Williams is summering at McMurdo Station, Antarctica.

Brian's Excellent Adventure With Black Widow Spiders (2000 words)
California travellers visit Quebec.
Charlie Bury is a Quebec-based freelance writer.

Bringing home the bronze (550 words)
Quebec's aging police hockey players shine in the World Police & Fire Games in Sweden.
Karen Eryou is a freelance writer in Quebec.

Pie à la mode
No more glory days at the Hotel Cambridge.
John Mahoney. Editor, Log Cabin Chronicles.

What they say and what they really mean
Reality translations from the World of Bidness.
Robert Gervais teaches bidnessman stuff in Montreal.

The Louisiana Purchase
Buying, selling, lawyers, and God.
Passed along by Fra Anonymous.

You're getting older if you remember...
Did stuff like this really happen?
Passed along by Niki Gervais.

Cautionary tales from the World of Commerce.
Just kidding, right?
Passed along by JD Brigham.

You know you're from Vermont when...
Just for fun.
Passed along by JD Brigham.

Goodnight Irene (1000 words)
Irene Blandford, well-loved educator and supporter of the Stanstead Historical Society, dies at 82.
By John Mahoney, Editor, Log Cabin Chronicles.

Tom Paxton: Still seeing and singing it straight
Paxton proves old guys can still have the right stuff.
By John Mahoney, editor, Log Cabin Chronicles.

Geek Haiku
Just when you thought you had a handle on it, Windows sends you a message.

Quebec cop sells caps and tees (550 words)
He's trying to get to Sweden to play hockey. Really.
Karen Eryou is Production Manager of Quebec's award-winning weekly Stanstead Journal.

A sigh of relief (1000 words)
But Quebec border residents feel the threat of separation is still very real.
John Mahoney, editor, Log Cabin Chronicles.

Just Folks: Banjoist John Foster (600 words)
John Foster makes his banjos from gourds.
John Mahoney, Editor, Log Cabin Chronicles.

Farewell, Taylor Clan (700 words)
The family leaves the village farm after 125 years.
Ross Murray edits Quebec's Stanstead Journal.

Want to feel really old? (700 words)
Find out what college frosh don't know.
With thanks to Dick Addison.

All aboard the Foliage Special
You can get there from here this Vermont autumn.
John Mahoney, Editor, Log Cabin Chronicles.

Anyone seen Franks Burns?
Or the two diamond rings he was wearing when he allegedly drowned...
Jacques Boisvert is an historian and scuba diver. He is based in Magog, Quebec.

The night the Dutch girls came to town
It was a dark and sultry night and no one was waiting for them...
John Mahoney, Editor, Log Cabin Chronicles.

To get the job done, get some grannies
Weir Memorial Park lacked playground equipment and these two grannies got tired of waiting for someone to take action...
John Mahoney.

Pavlova
A famous dessert from the Land of Oz.
Joy Partridge whips it up in Australia.

A memorial plaque comes home
Quebec Diver Jacques Boisvert discovers stolen church memorial at the bottom of beautiful Lake Memphremagog.
John Mahoney, Editor, Log Cabin Chronicles.

There's a word for it.
It's happening on the job...

Kayaking Northern Ontario
Where the water is crystal clear.

Interactive Community Forum
Have your say. Sound off...

Letters from the other side of the world
Reports from a bicycling chiropractor. Latest: Coming home...
Dr. Denis Mahoney usually practices in Toronto.

Not-so-endangered flowers (600 words)
Vermonter pooh-poohs 'don't dig the wild lilies' warning.
Charles Tetreault digs 'em, transplants 'em in northern Vermont.

Pizza Cruising Lake Memphremagog
Join us on the Princess. Have a slice and brew...
John Mahoney, Editor, Log Cabin Chronicles.

Auto racing Canadian style
The girls and boys of summer go round and round.
Karen Eryou is a freelance writer in Rock Island, Quebec.

Urban Myth #738
Kids know all about these facts.
Passed along by John Brigham.

Chiropractic Care for Animals
They adjust horses, don't they?
Dr. Alison Seely is an Ontario veterinarian who also is a certified animal chiropractor.

Did James Earl Ray kill Martin Luther King?
He went to his death denying it. Here's a letter he wrote me about a review of his book that I wrote.
John Mahoney, editor, Log Cabin Chronicles.

Great Truths
Kinds know all about these facts.
Passed along by J.D. Brigham.

Looking for heroes
Where to find them in a world gone weird.
John Mahoney, editor, Log Cabin Chronicles.

Genealogy Pointers
Tips on searching the Quebec/Vermont border for your ancestors.
David Lepitre searches in Stanstead, Quebec.

Today's Epitaph
Last words nicely said a long time ago.

Arsonists burn covered bridge
Century-old Orne Bridge in Coventry, Vermont, torched.

Duct tape: take it along
Don't even go on vacation without it.
By John Mahoney editor, Log Cabin Chronicles.

The joy of scything (800 words
The fast-dying snathy art of cutting grass by hand.
By Royal Orr, Hatley, Quebec.

Buckskin Joe:
Straight-shooting, fiddle-playing, gold-mining founder of the Ragged Ass Militia. (2000 words)
By Glenn Shirley. Reprinted from December, 1963, issue of True West Magazine.
Submitted by Jacques Boisvert.

Photographs: The Mount Gay Sailboat Race
Blue skies, white clouds, and full sail on Lake Memphremagog.
By Tim Doherty, Lennoxville, Quebec, sailor and graphic designer.

Why Rosemary turned blue. (1000 words)
Retired schoolteacher wages war on silver nostrums.
By John Mahoney.

Pipe-smoking, fish-crazy Maggie Little. (450 words)
Another beloved eccentric from the Vermont/Quebec border.
By Jacques Boisvert, Magog, Quebec. Diver, historian, writer.

A Vermonter's Guide to Computerese
And you thought we talked funny back when...

"What's wrong with the Navy?"
A stunning pin-up girl of World War One.

In the nose of the beholder
Your amygdala knows when something is rotten in Denmark.
By John Mahoney.

Remembering Chicago 1968
It's been 28 years since I returned from the last Democratic convention in Chicago but I still remember the heat and the hate.

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