1938

The vernal equinox is upon us - or will be, just about as you're receiving these notes - and I don't think there are many of us who don't view the coming of spring as a good thing.

Furthermore, late March means that Amazing 1938's amazingly prompt 45th is less than three months away. You've been receiving communications on this from President Barrett, Reunion Chair Bob Reeve, and Reunion Giving Chair Gil Tanis. I hope these urgings have enjoyed your thoughtful attention. May all of us who possibly can, attend our 45th (to make it feisty); and let us all, even if we cant attend, kick in as much as we possibly can, to do our part to achieve Amazing 1938's imposing but not impossible financial goal.

Another seasonal event that's just occurred on another plane, as these notes are being prepared, is the final, final end of the 1981 football season (professional version). I was sorry that Cincinnati and Dartmouth's Reggie Williams '76 didn't take it all, but so be it. Another Big Green standout, Nick Lowery '78, kicked a lot of field goals for the Kansas City Chiefs, for which some 35 Dartmouth alumni and friends contributed something over $18,000 to Dartmouth. A good gimmick, for a worthy cause.

At Ivy League level, the Big Green men's hockey and basketball teams were not faring as well as our co-Ivy League champion football team did. But our women's hockey sextette has been well-nigh unbeatable, even though my favorite goalie, Squee and Helen Ellis's daughter Janice, graduated in 1981.

Back in Damariscotta, winter is not usually a time for calls, so it was a particular pleasure to receive a visit from Alex and Libby Jones. It is good to have a friendship that's lasted for going on 45 years - it's fun to chat about our children and our grandchildren, and about our own life and times, too. Alex was here savoring of retirement, and he and Libby were visiting their son Peter and his pottery operation in North Waldoboro, and their own summer home in Friendship.

I offer my apologies to Dick Francis, whose name was omitted from the listing of those attending our mini-reunion. The Baron kindly checked me on that. Mea culpa.

Last month's notes mentioned the two Dartmouth tours Lew and Frances Parker took last year. As a follow-up, Lew sent me a picture, reproduced here, of Bob and DottieFrese and the Parkers aboard the Vistafjord last September. Lew's letter continued, "As I am sure you know, we had a very fine trip of two weeks from Genoa to Mykonos, Mudyana, Varna, Odessa, Constanza, Istanbul, Kavella, Piraeus (Athens), and back to Genoa. The best of it was the renewed companionship with the Freses after so many years." Lew added that it didn't look as if he and Frances would make it to reunion because of previous commitments: "It is pretty certain that we will rent our house next summer and go to Europe, probably spending a month in a house in Denmark. If possible, we will come back from Copenhagen in late August in a Royal Viking ship via the Norwegian fjords, Reykjavik, and St. Pierre to Bar Harbor and Boston." Thanks for the fine letter and picture, Lew; do keep us posted.

Box 159 Damariscotta, Maine 04543