1950

The land is dreary - bare and dry and brown. Winter's storms have shied away, skirting the Northeast, skirting New England. There has been no rain, no snow. There is no blue haze highlighting the shadows on the drifts. Field and forest are dry, brown, bare.

Reactions to the snow drought are mixed. A few profess joy. Many miss the characteristic markings of the season. Some recognize the detrimental effects. Cities rejoice at unexpended snow-clearing budgets. The ski areas are desolate.

Just think: Winter Carnival without snow. Devastating. And the Olympics. A canoe trip through Montana on the upper Missouri River conjures up visions of Lewis and Clark. The lingering shadows of memory and imagination fade as Cul Modisette pulls into view, leading a group of modern explorers under the aegis of his Great World Wilderness Outfitters. The link: In another role as president of the Lewis and Clark Company, Cul designs and manufactures a line of backpacks, duffels, carryalls, and similar equipment for outdoor enthusiasts. A regular customer for these items, crafted from high-quality leather and durable canvas, is that renowned New England institution, L.L. Bean. Cul notes, "People who buy our packs want the best."

By 1972, Cul had become vice president of Chirurg and Cairns, an advertising firm in Hartford. "Then one day I was sitting on a hilltop in Alaska and simply decided that I would rather be in the wilderness." He translated his aspiration into reality with Great World, which was founded as a mail-order outdoor equipment company that later expanded into organizing and guiding wilderness trips throughout the world. "My background helps me write my own catalogs and brochures." Hear tell that these catalogs are becoming collector's items of sorts, nearly a rival to TheFarmer's Almanac for useful information about the woods and recondite New England lore. "Ski touring or white-water canoeing sure beats the hell out of working."

Relating the attractions of Carpenter, Baker, and the Hopkins Center may take a moment. But Allen Street? Yet there is the AVA Art Gallery, which featured Frank Moulton's works several months ago. His paintings have been exhibited in more than 30 shows in New Hampshire and in Mexico, where he spent many winters. Frank has received awards for his works in both oil and watercolor. A critic reported that his landscapes "... have a feeling of the present while imparting a sense of scenes remembered. The repeated use of familiar objects is structured and analytical. It serves the artist in his search for moments of stilled activity arrested between what might have been and what may come." The thought deserves rereading. Frank, a founding member of the Alliance for the Visaul Arts (AVA) in Hanover, was recently elected president of the New Hampshire Art Association.

Being lost is always a question of perspective. We always know where we are - only the surroundings are unfamiliar. Yet at least four classmates are lost, stolen, or strayed. FredAshworth was last seen in Lima, Peru. He may simply have drifted into another building, but John Henry seems to have escaped from the N.Y.U. campus. The last address for BruceKeating was Auburndale, Mass. And the China Box in Greenwich, Conn., returned some mail sent to Eddie Williams. If you have a clue, let us know.

Tidbits from here and there: Dick Tillson left foggy bottom for the rigors of Plattsburgh, N.Y. Another publication slighted the story, but here Lee Sarokin, a former West Orange attorney, stands tall after having been recently sworn in as a U.S. District Court judge in New Jersey. The critics were severe in appraising Frank Gilroy's latest play, Last Licks. Twentyeight years is a long time, but it took that long for a reunion between Ed Gulick and BarneyMcPhillips to happen in Portland, Ore. Barney is a consultant for the travel agency he just sold. Out of Waitsfield, Vt., Steve Flemer plugs Trout Unlimited. Peripatetic Scott Olin attended a bash in San Francisco sponsored by Ed (Skip) Sutton, publisher of the magazine Contractors Electrical Equipment. Then there was the four-color ad in The New Yorker featuring Bill Cross of the Readers Digest. The details of Vally Chamberlain's visit with Barbara and Stan Frederick in Seattle were missing.

Again the bell tolls. Dick McKee succumbed to cancer on Thanksgiving Day. After a successful career as a lawyer, Dick spent his last year as director of alumni affairs at his alma mater, Mercersburg Academy.

Never give up. A good storm may still be in the offing, however late. What is a winter without at least one bout with shifting drifts, without a long run through the woods on skis. Have fun when it comes. And peace.

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