| OCTOBER 1, 2026 -- With all the rain and being out doing political canvassing for the primary, the weeds have overtaken us at Kettle Drum Farm so we have been playing catchup. I’ll put in 3-5 or 6 hours clearing away the overgrowth around the house and barns, then come in and some nights I fall asleep by 8:00 or 8:30 PM. Going to bed so early, I get my seven and a half or eight hours and I’m up by 4:30 AM. So, I’ve adapted my routine to going out birding in the morning from 5:45-7:30 AM. I’ll cover two or three miles the go into work a bit early and read the paper.
What you can see and hear early is different than later in the day. The bird variety is interesting, but also mammal life, too. I’ve heard but not seen deer (snorted at by a buck no less defending territory), a bobcat (chirp call which I just learned), and a bear growl/huff (another new one for me). The point is sometimes life can change personally or in your Grange too and you need to be adaptable and change how you do some things.
The other interesting thing is that with all the weeding around here, I’ve found some interesting things growing: the usual poison ivy bittersweet, mug wort, Japanese stilt grass (more of the latter three invasives and less of the former. I’ve gotten good at ripping out the poison ivy barehanded without getting the rash too badly. Other more unusual things were nightshade (deadly poison), and wine grapes (small tart and look like miniature Concord grapes).
Point to take from this is to look carefully when you think you have a mess and you might be occasionally pleasantly surprised by what you can find. Don’t be afraid to change how you go about doing things and you might find a winning strategy in your life and or your Grange.
The resolutions are coming in and we have 22/23 plus two held over from last year to be considered, so far.
Honor Pomona Granges have been ranked and Nutmeg is again number one. Congratulations to them on their fine work. Honor Community Granges have been selected and there are two Gold, two Silver, and three Bronze. These will be announced at Session. National Grange representatives have been chosen and will be Executive Committee Walter Hartley, also President of the Rhode Island State Grange and First Lady Danielle. This year is also an election year, so be prepared to choose the new leadership team for the State Grange for the coming two years. I have been told we have at least two candidates for the Sixth Degree and hope we get many more by the Session as I have been working hard rehearsing it.
As I come to the end of my term, I reflect back on all the work the State officers, Board of Directors, Committee members and you the membership have put in to making your Community Granges successful. Yes, there have been some squabbles and disagreements amongst some of the members about how things should be done in some Granges. Just remember your obligations and what we stand for so that we can move ahead and not let internecine disagreements divide our Granges. We must work together and by compromise do what is best for Grange and community. It has been an honor to serve the Connecticut State Grange in this capacity as 40th President of the Connecticut State Grange. I hope to continue to serve in whatever way I can.
Even though I won’t be a delegate, I plan to attend the National Grange Convention in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. Never having been to that state, it will be a new experience for me. I look forward to the tours that will take us to interesting attractions and socializing with Grange friends from across the country.
As you may know, the new Grange history book has been delayed a bit due to the magnitude of the project. Proof-reading for grammatical and factual errors was a monumental project in itself. Thanks to Terri and all her team for seeing this major accomplishment come to fruition. I can’t wait to get my hands on my copy and read the rest of it. My proof-reading only covered 355 of some 500 pages so I have a bit more to read.
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