We had another snow storm. It started Friday night and went into Saturday then turned into rain/sleet. The total accumulation was probably only 10 inches. It was pretty mild. It seems every major snow storm (including this "mild" one) has been on a holiday. The first was the Sunday of Martin Luther King weekend, then Valentine's Day was the biggie, then Texas Independence Day (probably not a holiday in everyone's mind but it definitely should be if it wasn't before), and now St. Patrick's Day. Perhaps I'll even be able to remember when we had snow my first winter in Maine! I'm not good with dates, but I can remember those. I think we skipped Groundhog Day.
Friday night I went to faculty seminar. I walked from the education building and got to the post office just as it was closing at 5:30. Then I walked to The Granary. There were only 5 people there but others came and went so even though there was rarely more than 5, there was a wide variety of people. Around 7:00 it started to snow so several people left then to beat the storm. By 7:30 it was down to just Sarah M., Pebble, and me. We laughed and told tales and had a blast. Sarah just bought a house and it was great to hear all about that. I can't wait to see her bamboo floors. It turns out Sarah is from Austin. Yea! Another Texan.
Around 8:30 the three of us left and I walked back to the Education Center. I walked down Main Street and in the streetlights with newly fallen snow (and little bitty snowflakes still coming down), it looked and felt like Christmas. Nobody else was out. I was just going to pick up a few things and then walk home before the snow got worse, but Kathy and Steve and Dr. Mari called from Philly so I talked to them for 45 minutes and then walked home. It still felt a little Christmasy though not as many streetlights or churches and the snow had stopped so it wasn't quite the same. But it was fun to make the first footprints.
Saturday, MRM and RBF decided to go to the matinee of "Bridge to Terabithia." We walked to the theatre. It was sleeting, but only a little bit. It was a very fun walk. We all got buttered popcorn. Just after sitting down, both MRM and I spread a paper napkin across our right thigh. We cracked up because it was almost in unison and we both knew that when at the movies, we rarely see anyone else spread out their napkin across their leg like that. We are a bit too much like each other but it's very fun.
The movie was terrific! It was a three kleenex movie, but I knew it would be 'cuz even though I barely remembered it, I had read the book and remembered that it was sad. MRM remembered the book better than I did; RBF had never read the book. MRM said the movie stayed very close to the book.
On the way home, MRM and RBF got into snow ball fights. Fortunately, they left me out of it. As we were walking up the hill from the theatre to downtown, two teenage boys were walking down the hill. MRM yelled out, "Hey, I'll give you $5 if you'll hit that guy (RBF) with a snowball." But then she immediately had to take it back and explain that she didn't have $5. We cracked up at the thought of their doing it before she realized she didn't have the money and then her having to ask her victim to borrow $5. ;-)
We went to Renys, the all-purpose local hardware/dry goods store but they were closing early because of the storm so we didn't get to go in. So we went to the bookstore across the street where MRM used to work. That was very fun. I found a fabulous book that I had read about and want to buy but I want an autographed copy. The wild thing was, MRM knows the author and had just seen him getting into his car as we were headed to Renys. She knew I wanted that book, so she introduced me to him and we shook hands through his car window! I think I really can get my autographed copy! But it didn't work out for today.
As we were heading home, we passed the same two teenage boys going the opposite direction. Just as we figured out who they were, the one said to RBF, "You're lucky, man! I could've had $5." What a hoot! The "hit man" was no longer under contract but RBF still felt like he was a wanted man.
We headed to Gifford's for some ice cream. They opened yesterday for 'the season'. They had free ice cream from 6-8pm and even in the snow, there was a long line. Or so we heard. We didn't make it last night so we were going to try today. But it turns out they were closed due to weather. Their second day open and they were closed.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
March 16, 2007: Donkey in news again . . . this time with own website
Prodigal donkey gets her own Web site
By CRAIG CROSBY
Staff Writer Kennebec Journal & Morning Sentinel Friday, March 16, 2007
PITTSFIELD -- Jenny the donkey now has her very own Web site.
John Holt, an eighth grader at Lawrence Middle School, established the site to allow Jenny's owners, Mary Gaeta and her partner Joe Varricchio, to post frequent updates on the donkey's adventures.
"(Holt) came over here and set the whole thing up," Gaeta said. "It looks pretty good to me."
Jenny made headlines across the country after escaping from her pen at Mary's Garden, Gaeta and Varricchio's Higgins Road farm, on Jan. 18.
The donkey -- most now believe she is actually a hinny, the offspring of a male horse and female donkey -- remained on the run for about a month despite several capture attempts that included everything from wrangling to sedatives.
Gaeta and Varricchio established a fundraiser to build the donkey a suitable fence around the couple's 18 acres.
Gaeta, who said she is touched by the donations she has received, told The Morning Sentinel earlier this month of her wish for a Web site to keep Jenny's fans up to date.
Holt, who has his own computer maintenance business on the side, had followed Jenny's escapades in the media and decided he could help.
"I came up with the idea, 'Well, I make Web sites, let's go do it,' so that's what I did," Holt said.
Holt donated his expertise and his dad donated the $7 or so required to register the domain name.
The free Web site (www.marysgardens.info/) allows people to post comments and questions for Gaeta and Varricchio.
"It's a completely open forum," Holt said. "It doesn't require any sign up or anything."
Holt taught Gaeta how to post messages on the bulletin board and Gaeta has already added messages on Jenny's progress.
"Everybody's been helping them out and doing what they can, so I figured I'd donate what I can do," Holt said. "
Equine expert Karina Lewis, who spent more than a week bonding with Jenny and ultimately was able to lead the donkey into a makeshift corral, believes Jenny was searching for a partner, likely a sibling, that was sold separately at an auction last fall.
That partner, which has been called Isabella, was rescued by the Massachusetts-based Save Your Ass Long Ear Rescue and Rehabilitation, a donkey and mule rescue league, and lives on a farm in New Hampshire.
Gaeta and Varricchio were raising money in hopes of buying Isabella to live with Jenny, but based on exchanges with Isabella's owners, Gaeta now believes the reunion is unlikely. The couple plans to get another donkey so Jenny will not be alone.
Lewis continues to make progress with Jenny.
"She seems to be doing well," Gaeta said.
retrieved 3/18/2007 from: http://morningsentinel.mainetoday.com/news/local/3718271.html
By CRAIG CROSBY
Staff Writer Kennebec Journal & Morning Sentinel Friday, March 16, 2007
PITTSFIELD -- Jenny the donkey now has her very own Web site.
John Holt, an eighth grader at Lawrence Middle School, established the site to allow Jenny's owners, Mary Gaeta and her partner Joe Varricchio, to post frequent updates on the donkey's adventures.
"(Holt) came over here and set the whole thing up," Gaeta said. "It looks pretty good to me."
Jenny made headlines across the country after escaping from her pen at Mary's Garden, Gaeta and Varricchio's Higgins Road farm, on Jan. 18.
The donkey -- most now believe she is actually a hinny, the offspring of a male horse and female donkey -- remained on the run for about a month despite several capture attempts that included everything from wrangling to sedatives.
Gaeta and Varricchio established a fundraiser to build the donkey a suitable fence around the couple's 18 acres.
Gaeta, who said she is touched by the donations she has received, told The Morning Sentinel earlier this month of her wish for a Web site to keep Jenny's fans up to date.
Holt, who has his own computer maintenance business on the side, had followed Jenny's escapades in the media and decided he could help.
"I came up with the idea, 'Well, I make Web sites, let's go do it,' so that's what I did," Holt said.
Holt donated his expertise and his dad donated the $7 or so required to register the domain name.
The free Web site (www.marysgardens.info/) allows people to post comments and questions for Gaeta and Varricchio.
"It's a completely open forum," Holt said. "It doesn't require any sign up or anything."
Holt taught Gaeta how to post messages on the bulletin board and Gaeta has already added messages on Jenny's progress.
"Everybody's been helping them out and doing what they can, so I figured I'd donate what I can do," Holt said. "
Equine expert Karina Lewis, who spent more than a week bonding with Jenny and ultimately was able to lead the donkey into a makeshift corral, believes Jenny was searching for a partner, likely a sibling, that was sold separately at an auction last fall.
That partner, which has been called Isabella, was rescued by the Massachusetts-based Save Your Ass Long Ear Rescue and Rehabilitation, a donkey and mule rescue league, and lives on a farm in New Hampshire.
Gaeta and Varricchio were raising money in hopes of buying Isabella to live with Jenny, but based on exchanges with Isabella's owners, Gaeta now believes the reunion is unlikely. The couple plans to get another donkey so Jenny will not be alone.
Lewis continues to make progress with Jenny.
"She seems to be doing well," Gaeta said.
retrieved 3/18/2007 from: http://morningsentinel.mainetoday.com/news/local/3718271.html
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