Welcome to “Dear Daybreak”, a weekly Daybreak column. It features short vignettes about life in the Upper Valley: an encounter, some wry exchange with a stranger or acquaintance… Anything that happened in this region or relates to it and strikes a contributor as interesting or funny or poignant—or that makes us appreciate living here.
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Dear Daybreak:
Another thing to love about living in this community... Since my son played basketball for Thetford Academy about 15 years ago, I have had the pleasure of watching some high school basketball games at a venue in Barre that is affectionately called "The Aud". This is a storied basketball court that hosts the semi-finals and finals of our high school basketball state championships.
Thetford vs. Winooski, March 6
What I find so remarkable (and joyful) about these games is the behavior and school spirit of the Thetford Academy student spectators. Consistently, they fill the bleachers wearing blue and white and bring only positive energy to the event. One student even dons a blue panther costume that looks extremely hot and uncomfortable! Most of them are on their feet during the entire game and despite the absence of any official cheerleaders, most are constantly cheering for their team, no matter the score. Further, the students refrain from making negative or distracting noises when the opposing team is attempting a free-throw and when they don't like a call from the ref, they take it in stride. In short, our students (both on and off the court) are simply good sports. Their energy is consistently positive and they are courteous to the opposing players, coaches and referees. I am always proud to be from Thetford when I leave one of those games.
— Robin Osborne, E. Thetford
Dear Daybreak:
The Redpolls
They came as a legion caught in survival's grip, drawn by the seed, sunflower and thistle-- Resolution on the wing.
Their stubby beaks reflect the winter sun, barely yellow. Their dark faces reflect their need.
They come as nomads from the north-- these jaunty migrants who dimple the snow in wave after wave.
In minutes they are gone, tittering. And the chickadees and jays return while a lone squirrel scrambles about the broken husks.
— Ros Seidel, Cornish
Dear Daybreak:
Lucky, The Venerable Squash Bug This is a story about finding courage and sticking with it. I can’t remember when my friend Lucky first arrived. How he slipped inside the confines of our humble abode is still unclear. He may have come in on armful of firewood, probably under some buckled tree bark. He might have been a stowaway in a bin of butternut squash. Some might call this luck, while others might see a different force at work. Perhaps, he saw this choice destination through the window during the last days of fall weather. A kitchen counter is a pretty good place for a bug to spend a winter.
Lucky is not an average squash bug. He is quite a character and is exceptional in many ways. Differently abled, he lost a rear leg, but still climbs beyond his wildest dreams. He is a certified thrill seeker who has been rescued from the sink more than once. He wears camo to blend in and changes color as he navigates the surfaces of calendars, note paper, bags, boxes, and food wrappers. Oh yes! Those wrappers are his favorite places to explore. He is equally fond of jars with sweet sticky drips that he spends hours polishing.
— Robert Bryant, Thetford (who writes, “We enjoyed our best ever crop of butternut squash this past year. Apparently, we were not the only ones to be blessed by this good fortune.)