This year of unpredictable weather is continuing to produce such changes it is hard to know what to expect. At least the snow has not arrived shortly after the juncos get here. Somehow I remember Thanksgiving holidays when I was a child, when we had snowy times. We used to meet relatives arriving for the weekend at the Danbury train station. They brought bundles of food and suitcases, and we took a taxi home to help carry it all.

We always “put up” our car in the fall, and it didn’t get used again till spring. Roads were not kept in condition for driving around for some time. A horse and buggy had a better chance of getting down town and back. There was always a scramble to shop for as many large items as possible, before the car was out of service. We had good storage for food in our cellar, and stocked up on bags of potatoes and other vegetables.

The other thing we got early was the winter order of coal. A huge truck would drive up to the cellar window, put a big chute from the truck to the coal bin, and soon the rumble of coal sliding down that metal chute would be loud and deafening, but at the same time, reassuring. If the bin was full before the truck had to contend with snow in the driveway, it was an added satisfaction.

So many changes have taken place in the century just ending. It is hard to remember them all. The ice man and icebox gave way to the refrigerator. What an invention that was!

I can barely recall when the gas jets which were mounted on fixtures in each room in our Danbury house were used. It was a long time, though, before my family had enough faith in the new electric lights to have the jets removed.

A friend of mine is remodeling a house which originally had “blinds” at the windows. He is hoping to find some to replace the original ones, so if you have some stashed in a barn or garage, let me know. Perhaps they will find a home.

Many present residents of Newtown will remember the late Wesley “Wes” Stanton, the local constable. I have been in touch with his son “Bud” and Bud’s wife Ruth, who now live in Accokeek, Maryland, on a piece of land that sounds like a wildlife preserve. They are giving serious thoughts to the coming change of centuries and are taking no chances on being caught short of food – or birdseed.

Bud wrote about having a huge order of supplies delivered to help them keep their 18 feeding stations stacked. It included 400 pounds of oil sunflower seeds, 250 pounds of regular birdseed and 100 pounds of whole corn! Another 50 pounds of thistle seed will feed their smaller birds.

Located in dense woods a quarter mile from the Potomac River, their list of visitors reads like a page from the Peterson bird manual.

Their property boasts 50-foot holly trees, black walnut trees and other nature’s bounty that helps to feed the wild turkeys, deer, and the raccoons and other smaller “guests.” I’d love that kind of place, and they seem to enjoy it all – no time to ever feel sorry for yourself!

Both Bud and Ruth speak fondly of the “good old times.” They recall a Mr White delivering mail in a surrey with a fringe on top. They lived once in the last house on Queen Street before Hospital Road. Bud has the original deed to the house, dated 1714. His father bought the house for $2,800.

He also mentions wishing he could locate through The Bee members of the Boy Scout Troop – about 1927. If any of them are still living and in the area he would like to hear from them.

This former local resident speaks with respect about the Rev Paul Cullens, who did so much for Newtown, and remembers him going about town, accompanied by his dog.

In her part of a recent letter Ruth talks about her preparation for the coming winter; two freezers full of food and two refrigerators also filled for the months ahead. She also had surgery this summer to repair a hip. She has conquered the art of going from a walker to a cane – I envy her.

It seems that we of the older generations are digging deep into memories of the years when we were growing up. They are so different from those of the youth of today – an age of computers and technology and fast moving everything.

Last week the column ended with another quote by Eleanor Roosevelt.

Who said, “All the things I really like to do are either illegal, immoral or fattening”?