Ghost of Midnight

Best of FPF: “Perfect Days” Cassette Collection

A few weeks back, Andrea posted in their St. Johnsbury Area Forum about a new purchase that inspired a nostalgia-motivated desire to collect cassette tapes. And, her neighbors delivered! We thought it was well worth a share:

“I recently acquired a new (to me) vehicle, and to my delight, it came with a cassette player! If you’ve seen the movie “Perfect Days” (I hope you watch it- it’s lovely), the main character drives a vintage work van every morning and listens to a beloved collection of cassette tapes. These are excellent, and I thought, how fun would it be to assemble my own beloved collection? So any Gen X folks with a stash of cassettes in your attic, if you have some special music that you would be interested in sharing with me, please reach out!

For inspiration, here are some of the artists Hirayama listens to in his van in the movie:
Otis Redding
Lou Reed
Patti Smith
The Kinks
The Velvet Underground
The Rolling Stones
Van Morrison

In keeping with my request to Gen X friends, I would also be interested in Pearl Jam, Nirvana, or anything else 80s/90s and delicious you’d like to send my way…”

And, we love a follow up message at Front Porch Forum. Andrea delivered!

“I wanted to post an update on my cassette tape request.

Thanks to all of you generous folks out there, I now have in my possession nearly 300 cassettes! I need to organize them a bit, but it’s been such a joy to start making my way through this rich collection of music!

A few highlights so far:
Lou Reed’s New York album
Leonard Cohen – (I’m a bit obsessed with the song One of Us Cannot Be Wrong)
Emmylou Harris
Front Range’s Back to Red River album (featuring Bob Amos!)
Rolling Stone’s Voodoo Lounge album
Tracy Chapman
Trad folk music from the British Isles.
A number of Beatles and Bob Dylan albums and I haven’t even begun to scratch the surface.

I truly, sincerely appreciate all of you that went through your closets and attics and thoughtfully put together collections of music important to you, and chose to share them with me. It’s been a profound education. I’m excited to start listening to the mix tapes too! Here’s to reviving cassettes.”

Best of FPF: Are You OK? Do you need any help?

Phyl, in Jericho, was struck by this story of a Shelburne motorcyclist stranded in Jericho. So, they re-posted it in their Jericho Forum. We thought it was well worth (yet another) share:

“Yesterday morning, just south of Jericho on Skunk Hollow Rd, my motorcycle broke down. During the nearly two and a half hours I had to wait for assistance to arrive I am not exaggerating when I say that at least 30 people stopped to check if I was okay and/or offer assistance, including two neighbors who came out of their homes to talk to me and offer me food & drink.

I realize the chances of any of the folks who offered assistance actually seeing this post are slim, yet I nonetheless wanted to publicly share my gratitude. In any otherwise crappy situation, it was heartening and fortifying to know that we still live in the type of society where so many people will stop to check in and offer assistance to a person in need.

Thank you, neighbors.”

Best of FPF: Hello, Aloe

Aloe (aka Paul) posted this from their new, albeit shady, spot in Monkton. We thought it was well worth a share:

“My name is Aloe. I’m a 5-year-old aloe plant, propagated from my mother, Big Mama Aloe. I’ve been living happily in Burlington for several years, but recently my owners moved to Monkton, and they don’t have good lighting in their new home. So I need to move out and find someone to take me in and feel a tender place in your heart for me. Someone with good lighting and a kind heart would be nice. I am very quiet, a good listener, and don’t take up too much space. I even come with my own pot and have a bag of succulent soil. I look forward to meeting you, my new best friend!
Sincerely,
Aloe T. Plant, Esq.”

Well, it didn’t take long before Janet welcomed Aloe (and Paul) to Monkton with this response:

“I saw on Front Porch Forum that you are seeking sunnier digs. I’d be honored to have you join our humble abode and promise to care for you as we do for all our flora family. You’d be joining spider plants, a sansevereia, a monstera, a phalaenopsis orchid, succulents, herbs, a rex begonia, and a dracaena. You’d be our first aloe plant, but with lots of other adopted greenery to hang-out with.”

Best of FPF: An Ode to Renegade Emus

It’s always fun to watch a story unfold on Front Porch Forum. Here’s one about a pair of emus and their adventures in Charlotte, as told by some locals.

First, Karen alerted neighbors on the Forum, “A pair of emus were wandering in our backyard at 6 pm tonight, we are on Greenbush near Ferry Rd. Any word on where they came from?”

Emily quickly chimed in to say, “We are dying in our house for photos of the Renegade Emus!”

This caught the attention of readers in surrounding forums, so David, from Shelburne (while on his way to Mt. Philo for a hike) was successful in taking a photo of these feathered friends “As requested…from Sunday a few miles south…”

Amused, and feeling creative, Dianne, penned a poem in honor of the emus. We thought it was well worth a share:

“Emu wandering to and fro
Where are you going to go?
Down Lake Road to the beach?
To the cove of Meach?
To the Old Brick Store?
To knock on a neighbor’s door?
To the Old Lantern?
Which way will you turn?

Whether it is left or right
Be sure to check the light
Green means go, red is stop
Check the fields for fresh crops
If you need a snack
You did not pack a lunch sack

The sun is setting
You had a good roam
It is time to go home
Perhaps you need better fencing”

Best of FPF: Have You Heard the Buzz?

Laura recently posted in her Grand Isle Forum that her band is looking for some backup singers. We loved that they are seeking local talent and thought it was worth a share:

“My band is working on a new album and some of the songwriting delves into the mythology of honey bees. Because of this, some of our transitions between songs would benefit from the textural sound of bees buzzing, so I am looking to make some audio field recordings and possibly also take a couple quick informal videos for Spotify canvases/content. Do you know of any local bees that might be willing to participate? Thanks in advance for any leads!”

Best of FPF: “My Cat is Stealing Your Stuff”

Steph posted a “Crime Report” in their Burlington Forum last week. We thought it was well worth a share:

“Hi, has anyone been letting a black cat into their house lately? His name is Indy, he is very friendly and loves people. However, if you let him inside he will likely steal your stuff.

He is particularly fond of toys (either for pets or children) and food. For context, he once stole an entire baguette. I don’t know why he steals, I didn’t teach him to do it, I’m not that smart. If you don’t let him inside, he won’t break in, he’s not that smart.

And if you’re currently missing a stuffed animal hedgehog and/or a small pillow, please let me know and I can return it.”

Best of FPF: “Little Free Garden Produce Shelf”

As folks take stock of their gardens this August, Susan shared a great idea in the Craftsbury Forum for how to share extras and fill in garden gaps with the help of neighbors. We thought it was well worth a share:
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“Wow, my summer squash is producing like crazy! But, my cucumber plants died so I have no cucumbers. Do you have similar imbalances in your garden produce? We pulled out the little free library from the early Covid days, and have turned it into a Garden Produce Sharing Shelf. Drop off your extra green beans, chard, tomatoes, cucumbers (please, cucumbers!), or what have you, and pick up some of my summer squash and whatever else your neighbors have dropped off that your garden is lacking. It is a fun way to share our gardening extras (and make up for our garden fails).”

Best of FPF: Best of FPF: To the Child Who “Sheds Cars As She Goes”

While out on a walk, Lesli came upon a beloved toy – so shared this cute message, and photo, in her Burlington Forum. We thought it was sweet and well worth the share:
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“This vehicle was seen abandoned at the corner of Richardson and Ferguson. I left it in case the owner found and claimed it.”

Not too surprisingly, Lesli received a message back and its owner is now happily reunited with her toy.