A Lot of Snow and a Little Hyperbole - Jericho, Vermont

 My brother Mike lives in WA state. Where he lives the winters are wimpy, mild compared to VT winters.

I told him it has been snowing here about every three days; when I go outside my shovel comes running to greet me.

He wrote back and asked, "I am still wearing running shoes; what's a [snow] shovel?"

To which I responded, 

 A shovel is an instrument to strengthen your resolve and embolden your desire to move to AZ, kill your back before you get a chance to move, and works like a steam shovel except you have to provide the steam.

I expect he will mail me a bunch of snow spoons!

I hope he sends TABLESPOONS because it snowed From Sat afternoon until early Monday morning. 

My cousin [in NC] informs me, "I like to think that all of that snow & cold builds character!
Keeps your cheeks (all of them!) nice & rosy too!!"

I wrote again to my brother, "If the definition of crazy is when you throw a shovel full of snow 12 feet in the air (to reach the top of the snow bank you have built up) and the gusts of wind blow half the shovel load back at you and you keep at it until you get the driveway cleared - if that is the definition of crazy, then what is this called; 

When you go inside for a half hour to drink some hot cocoa and thaw your blue fingertips, then look out the window to see the 12-foot pile reduced to 7 feet and you realize the wind drifted snow higher than before onto the driveway?"

To which he responded, "Just a note to say that the medical field has said that more men died from shoveling snow, first thing in the morning than do red ants swallowed by an anteater.

Wait till noon, and then shovel."

I responded, "OR maybe I will wear RED pANTS when I shovel to shovel in the morning.

More correspondence with neighbors, "Speaking of bucket loader, I shoveled up a vole or mole yesterday - I bet that was exciting for that little creature.

Today I shoveled the road in front of the mailbox and shoveled UP the mailman. The mail-person said it felt like they were delivering AIR Mail!"

It might be time to resurrect the idea for a Mountain Resort in Jericho https://jerichovermont.blogspot.com/2018/03/mountain-resort-seeks-jericho-vermont.html

Laugh, Dream, Try, and Do Good

~ Bernie

Today I Feel Alive

 It is so easy to repeat the same stories (both in my head) and to others over and over again. 

So very refreshing to take time out to listen to others.

And then to step outside in the early morning, discarding the walls, and warmth for the wonder of cold that stills, quiet that awakens, pinkish sky on the eastern horizon, along with pure white faux sun (the moon), earlier than yesterday and the day before light, birds practicing their spring songs, the white clean-slate land surrounded by grandfather trees (who have been through and will see more history than I have or will) - is to clear the head, open the mind to the beauty and immensity of life - not just human, but of all life. 

Though history is fascinating, and today's challenges are immense; TODAY is when we are most alive. 

Today is the best day to find joy, experience laughter, love, and friendship, and feel the earth the cradle of our existence.

Laugh, Dream, Try, and Do Good

Bernie

Valentine's Day Jericho Posts & Gratitude

Gratitude

Feb 14, 2025

I am thankful for the many people I have interacted with in Jericho, Underhill, and Richmond.

Here are a few of the reasons why:

>Residents being attuned to our neighbors and community members.

> Efforts to maintain the unique identity of a community, including its history and the impression it leaves on residents and visitors. Improving our community's character and quality of life.

>Behavioral recipes of ideas and views combining many ingredients mixed together.

> People demonstrating they want to share and celebrate, more so than compare and compete.

>I am thankful for the many COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS; Building my sense of human connection and a sense of belonging.

>A resounding understanding that Community is not static. Community needs to be developed, sought after, and nourished.

> Acts of kindness, sharing of thoughts on sidewalk jaunts.

> Jericho Families in Nature (JFiN) volunteers and participants for our exploration of nature together.

> Great selection of books in the Little Free Library

Laugh, Dream, Try, and Do Good

Bernie

Valentine’s Day	Hearts	Jericho libraries closed but CommUnity is Open
Valentine’s Day	Jericho Valentine’s Phantom	2019 Valentine's Day Photos
Valentine’s Day	Jericho Valentine’s Phantom	2020 Valentine's Day Photos
Valentine’s Day	Jericho Valentine’s Phantom	2022 Valentine's Day Essay
Valentine’s Day	Jericho Valentine’s Phantom	Jericho Take Heart in Community - The Valentine Phantom's Photos 2020
Valentine’s Day	Jericho Valentine’s Phantom	Valentine phantom asks: Do you believe in love, Jericho? 2019
Valentine’s Day	Jericho Valentine’s Phantom	Valentine Phantom Awakens
Valentine’s Day	Listen with heart	Jericho Love Issue - Listen with your heart
Valentine’s Day	Love	February the Heartest Month to Spell 2020
Valentine’s Day	Loving our Earth	For Love of Earth - Valentines Day 2022
Valentine’s Day	Nature Love Project	Nature Love Project - Valentine's Day 2023
Valentine’s Day	Photos	Jericho celebrates Valentine's Day and Love of Nature
Valentine’s Day	Poem/photos	Happy Valentine's to Nature
Valentine’s Day	What is your….	10 Valentine Questions

Meet Your Jericho Neighbor - Pizza Meet-up

Maeve pulled Stepanie and Ryan's family (name) out of my winter hat along with Joshua's family for the Meet Your Jericho Neighbor Program Drawing. 

Congratulations to both new to Jericho families! 

Both families collect their Pizza at Stones Throw in Jericho.

The "Meet Your Jericho Neighbor for Pizza" Drawing offered free pizzas for two Jericho families with young children and the opportunity to meet with each other. 

The general idea of the program is to facilitate meet-ups of young families with children who are relatively new to Jericho with other young families living in Jericho with similar interests. 

Maeve and I no longer have YOUNG families, but we both remember the Herculean task of raising a family, certainly no less challenging today. And we both remember how much even small gestures as well as actions, meant to our respective families; a visit, an offer to handle a chore, deliver a meal, joining up for a play date with other kids, meeting caring neighbors we had never before met.

It is all about COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS; Building human connection and a sense of belonging by encouraging and facilitating group interactions, while becoming more attuned to our neighbors and community members.

Read about more Community Building Ideas at Jericho 2025 Almanac.

Please contact me if you wish to participate in keeping this particular Meet Your Jericho Neighbor Pizza Meet-up program active. 

Creating Community; Community is not static. Community needs to be developed, sought after, and nourished. - Bernie

Jericho's Shortest Stories: Fast Living

Jericho is a small rural town in Vermont with amazing short stories - each one just 55 words long!

 Jericho’s Shortest Stories

New Paradigm for Fast Living

       His engine roared

               meant for speed

               the slightest pressure

               jolted the needle

              People want to share and celebrate, more so than compare and compete*

             He ran over, raced over

             turned over

             burnt out

             paid the fine

             defeated

            She set a new standard

            modeled and created a dominant paradigm

            She arrived last

            She won the race

                          - Bernie Paquette

Paradigm shift examples in life include discovering new behaviors and ideas upon moving from a competitive fast-moving society; and realizing the need for a different measure of quality of life.

* "People want to share and celebrate, more so than compare and compete." —@IDEO's -David Webster 


Driving with self-discipline

is

Virtuous

Jericho Speeding Countermeasures & Town Budget

Responding to C.B’s comments (FPF 1/27/2025) on the “Speeding Concerns and Your Town Budget.”

I also listened to the discussion at the town meeting. I did not hear a clear answer as to whether there was or was not money (dedicated or otherwise) for speed-reducing efforts in the budget (and if there is, how much). I heard there is money to maintain the existing measures (speed signs). 

The purpose of a dedicated fund for speeding countermeasures at any location in Jericho is, in part, to be ready to capture and leverage grants when as soon as they are available and to implement recommendations accrued from the data and from the CCRPC (Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission), that the Select Board deems appropriate, in whatever location the Select Board deems as the priority. 

C. B. makes a valid point of which I agree - that all motorists (including myself) should not go faster than the speed limit, [nor faster than road conditions call for], anywhere. 

The public has a role in clearly promoting self-discipline regarding road safety in our community. 

The town has the authority, if not the responsibility, to assist with enforcement and visual reminders of what is socially acceptable regarding driving speeds in all of our residential and school districts - that is,  in all of Jericho. 

It takes an outspoken community on this issue to get the wheel to turn; in this case, to get the vehicle wheels to turn more slowly.

Rules of the road exist to ensure a common good.

Many social scientists would see our tendency to create, stick to, and enforce rules as the foundation of social and economic life.

Our quality of life, our children, our parents, our friends, our pets, we as pedestrians, runners, bicyclists, and fellow motorists deserve no less. 

The Wind in Her Hair

 

The Wind in Her Hair 

-AI-generated story

The open road stretched before her like a ribbon of asphalt, the sun glinting off the windshield, and the wind whipping through her hair, a symphony of freedom. Amelia had always loved driving fast, the sensation of speed a rush of adrenaline, a way to escape the monotony of her life. Today, she was pushing the limits, her car a blur as she raced towards the horizon, her mind focused on the next bend, the next gear shift, the next thrill.

She'd left her job, her apartment, and her life behind, with only a suitcase and a vague idea of where she wanted to go. The pressure of expectations, the constant need to perform, had finally cracked her. Now, she was just Amelia, the driver, the road her only companion.

As the miles flew by, the scenery blurred - the rolling hills, the quaint towns, the occasional deer darting across the road. She was too focused on the speedometer, the engine's roar drowning out the world. The thrill started to morph into something else, a gnawing unease that she tried to ignore.

Then, the curve came. It was a sharp bend, not marked well enough, and Amelia, in her frenzy, took it too fast. The car skidded, tires screaming, the world tilting as she fought to regain control. For a moment, time seemed to stand still, and then, with a sickening crunch, the car collided with a large oak tree, the impact sending her spinning.

When she woke up, she was in a hospital bed, her body aching, her mind a jumble of fragmented memories. The doctor told her she was lucky to be alive, the crash severe enough to have been fatal. As she lay there, the adrenaline faded, replaced by a cold realization of what could have been.

The days that followed were a blur of recovery, a time for reflection. Amelia realized that her need for speed had become an addiction, blurring her vision and preventing her from seeing the beauty around her. She began to question her life choices, the relentless pursuit of "more" that had led her to that reckless moment.

When she finally returned home, she was a changed person. She took a new job, one that allowed her to slow down and appreciate the smaller moments. She rediscovered the joy of a leisurely drive, the pleasure of simply being present in the moment. The wind still ruffled her hair, but now, it was a gentle caress, a reminder that sometimes, the most beautiful journeys are the ones taken at a slower pace. 

We invite you to drive to and through our Jericho community within the posted speed limits. Enjoy our pleasant rural town with majestic views of Mount Mansfield. Pass by frequent bicyclists, runners, and walkers safely. 

Remember driving within the speed limit is easy, just a little less pressure on the gas pedal.

A weakened sense of responsibility does not weaken the fact of responsibility.                       - The Book of Virtues, William J. Bennett. 

                                                       Pedestrians Crossing 

                                                       - Bernie Paquette

Children

Old folks

Your neighbors

Pets

occasionally a bear

LIVE HERE

Fog Lines

closing in

time to reign it in

speeding is not 

proper or acceptable

When you cross the line

you’re in for a fine

wouldn’t you rather 

spend

on wine and dine?

Running late

radio blaring

traffic flow not caring

attention not paying

exceeding the speed 

underestimating the risk

disregarding the rules

overconfidence

fills fast

till you're pinned in your car after you hit the sign pole. 

Social Rules are a town tradition

until followed by nearly no one

without social norms

community, quality of life

diminishes considerably.

We are in a hurry

our time and activities all wrapped in a flurry

a race to primitive and animalistic existence.

Let the rats scurry

wherever they live

Children

Old folks

Your neighbors

Pets

occasionally a bear

LIVE HERE

Where will you be when it is time to STOP?

25 (mph) equals 85 (feet) to stop

35 equals 136 to stop

40 equals 164 to stop.

Read more at

Cash on the Side of the Road.

Jericho Roads of Community Photo Series - links

Jericho Considers Unpaving Browns Trace

Jericho Mobility & Transportation: Musical Flash Mob - Pedestrians Crossing

Jericho Safe Streets Narrow Travel Lane Proposal

Jericho bearish on sidewalk traffic, dovish on road traffic