Ashland Speaks 8 July 2026

On Wednesday morning during WAJPL Crafts, a woman shows up at the ambulance door.  We opened the front door, and it was a woman whose car died, fortunately, in our parking lot.  She figured an Ambulance station would be the ideal place to get help, never counting on a room filled with senior citizens, mostly women.  She was traveling to, or maybe it was from, Massachusetts to visit relatives in the area.  Does anyone know a mechanic?  It comes to pass that she is traveling with her two daughters and two dogs.  The women rallied.  Get those kids out of the hot car, bring in the dogs.  No, I just need an Uber and contact my road service.  Needless to say, the girls and dogs were soon ensconced in the air conditioned building, water for the dogs, snacks for the kids (you know there is always food when you are with seniors) and wi-fi.  It makes you wonder just what fate has in store for you.  Ordinarily, the room would be closed, and the ambulance squad is not always there.  We all walked away feeling just a little bit better.  

The Fourth of July was definitely a day to remember.  Family picnic at Beckmann's was going quite smoothly, older adults on the front porch, younger adults in livingroom, youngsters playing in the yard.  Denise suggested it was time to get the hamburgers on the grill, some of the old folks went to eat on the deck under Albie's new gazebo.  What a mistake that was!  The rain started, the wind gusted through and all were soaked.  No lull in the rain so in to the house, soaking wet.  No sooner inside the hail came .  It was warm out, and no one got cold, so all is well.

Sorry we had to postpone the WAJPL picnic.  Didn't want to chance getting wet feet and then sitting in the damp all day.  We have the hot dogs and hamburgers, so it will definitely be held at some point during the summer.  

Save the Date for the Jewett Fire Department's annual Brook's Chicken BBQ on August 15th starting at 4 pm.  The Ashland Community Church will be holding a bake sale so while you're passing through to get your dinner, you can pick up dessert or Sunday's breakfast and support the church.  If you would like to bake  (bakers desperately needed), call Shannon at  518-929-5786.

Free Sale at East Jewett UMC on Thursday, July 9 from 3-6.  Everything that didn't sell (and more) at the last Rummage sale is still set out, and instead of putting it away, they are giving it away.  Books, puzzles, toys, clothes, housewares, decorations and more.  

AS I REMEMBER IT

I was washing windows the other day and thought about growing up and washing windows.  On the ground floor it was almost easy, one person on the inside, one on the outside.  At that time we already had combination storm windows/ screens that opened like casement windows.  First both windows and screen were lowered, and the top window was washed.  Then all the windows (except the inside one) were raised, and that window was washed.  Next that was put up, and the storm windows were washed one at a time.  Easy Peasy, on to the next.  Upstairs you had to do by yourself, leaning out to wash the backs of the window as best as possible.  Before we had the combination windows, we had storm windows that hung on hooks and were connected to the frame with a folding hinge.  Very few windows had the hinge, and were kept open with a stick, between the frame and the window.  Mom would sit on the window ledge , feet inside, and wash the outside of the window.  Not a job I'd do today, but one that we always wanted to do, except we had to hold on to the legs of the person doing the washing so she wouldn't fall out the window,  

In the back of the house, we had a huge sandbox, which was really a huge wooden box with construction sand in it.  It was  maybe 4 x 4 x 4.  We loved playing in there.  Climbing up into it, and digging in this huge mountain of sand.  One day, while we were playing, a gust of wind came and caught one of the storm windows which was propped open and took it off the hooks.  CRASH!! It landed just outside of our sandbox.  I can still picture that window flying down next to us.  I think that is what prompted dad to put in the new stormwindows.