You might have missed the news, because everybody was talking about the lack of snow throughout most of the country.  That was not the case here in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, where we had a White Christmas, decent (but not great) skiing and we prepare for 2012 with anticipation and views like this…softly, as in a morning sunrise.

Happy last night of Chanukah.  It’s Better Here.

The early morning sky suggests some weather is on the way.  This far north, we expect it to snow around Halloween and when we take the kids Trick-or-Treating, more often than not their costumes include boots and down jackets.

But like you, we’re watching this rare Autumn snowstorm (CNN’s words) that has already started assaulting the New York metropolitan area.  Apparently the last measurable October snowstorm in Manhattan happened around the same time as the Civil War.  And up to a foot of snow in Connecticut…in October??  Hmmmm…..

We’ll maybe get 4″ here and life will go on and we’ll head to Burke Mountain tonight for their Benefit Halloween Party for the Lyndon Area Food Shelf.  Bring some non-perishable food items, we’ll see you there…

Sally Oldfield Night Of The Hunter\’s Moon

In less than a week, we’ve gone from a few glimpses to about 35% coverage.  It’s still warm, mid ’70′sF, but the days get shorter and shorter…

That’s the new wind tower on Burke Mountain.  It should provide about 20% of the electricity needs for the mountain, including the new high-speed quad to to the top.  We’re starting to Think Snow.

The trees in the backyard.

It’s better here.

Osheaga was a name used for the area that is now Montreal by some of the first European settlers in the region. The name is said to originate from Jacques Cartier when he met the Mohawks near the Lachine rapids in what is now Montreal. But so the Mohawk oral history goes the white man was waving with his hands, either offering to shake hands or asking about rapids on the river. The astonished Mohawks looked at each other and said “O she ha ga” which meant people of shaking hands. From the meeting Cartier transcribed the word Osheaga as meaning large rapids while the Mohawks would use the oral phrase to describe where they met the people of the shaking hands.

Nanna Øland Fabricius aka Oh Land.  A native of Denmark, Fabricius turned to music after a spinal injury put an end to her career as a ballet dancer.  Just starting to appear on North America’s radar, their eponymous sophmore album is available on Amazon.  Pop electro.  Fun.  A highlight of the festival.

We discovered Ellie Goulding a couple of months ago, see our June 26th post.  More high-octane electro-pop, but this stuff definitely has enough appeal that she should be a huge North American star within the year.  She performed live at the recent nuptials of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (aka William & Kate) and her debut album Lights is also available at Amazon.

The bigger draw for the younger demographic was Eminem on Friday night, but for us oldsters, Elvis Costello & The Attractions on Saturday night was an aural and visual feast.  Replete with go-go dancers (and pretty young ladies from the audience invited up to shake their stuff), Elvis stayed away from his new focus on the Great American Songbook and went back to his New Wave roots: “Watching The Detectives” “Alison” et al.

Five stages are set up around Parc Jean Drapeau, so there is continuous music from 1:00 PM until well after midnight all three days.  This year, the Green Stage was entirely powered by solar panels.

One of the highlights each year is a graffiti wall.  From Friday thru Sunday, Montreal’s best graffiti artists worked on the walkway (that leads to the bridge over to the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve) and created a masterpiece that will remain until August 3-5, 2012, when the sixth annual Osheaga festival will take place.  Nous vous y voir l’année prochaine!

It’s a haboob, an intense sandstorm that the residents of Phoenix, Arizona have been dealing with.  This is a short but powerful video.

Thanks, but I’m happy here…

\”Summer\’s Here\” by James Taylor

Summer’s here, I’m for that. Got my rubber sandals, got my straw hat.
Got my cold beer, I’m just glad that it’s here.

Summer’s here, that suits me fine. It may rain today but I don’t mind.
It’s my favorite time of the year and I’m glad that it’s here.

Old man wintertime, he goes so slow. It’s ten degrees below, you know.
You can take your ice and snow, but let my balmy breezes blow.

Yeah, the water’s cold but I’ve been in. Baby, lose the laundry and jump on in.
I mean all God’s children got skin and it’s summer again.

Old man wintertime, he goes so slow. It’s ten degrees below, you know.
You can take your ice and snow, but let my balmy breezes blow.

Summer’s here, I’m for that. Got my rubber sandals, got my straw hat.
Drinking cold beer, man I’m glad that it’s here.
It’s my favorite time of the year and I’m glad that it’s here, yeah.