VERMONT POETRY: Unlicensed by Walter Hard

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CELEBRATE THE SEASON: Spring Rain
by Haydn S. Pearson

Easter's Illustrious Eggs
by Mary Lou Healy

Pussywillows
by Charmaine Kinton

Songbird
by Wayne Kelley

VERMONT BY HAND:
Exploring 'The New Clay'
Celie Fago gains respect for a fresh medium

DO IT YOURSELF HOME IMPROVEMENTS:
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Add Instant Character to Any Room

VERMONT VERSES
Unlicensed
by Walter Hard

GARDENING:
Landscaping Trends
by Leonard Perry

Garden Power
by Daryle Thomas

Jump Start Your Gardens
by Leonard Perry

What is Peat?
by Leonard Perry

INTO THE OUTDOORS:
On Releasing Those Trout
by John Gierach

Prime Time for Vermont Trout Fishing

Pre-Season Catch & Release Trout Fishing

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Techniques and Projects

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Unlicensed

The usual number of fishermen,
For whom the first day of fishing is sacred,
Had been out in spite of the fact
That ice formed on their lines as well as on their
whiskerS.
Of course the catch was small, except for a few
Who always had a good mess ticketed
No matter what the weather.

It was three weeks later when a warm sun
Followed several days of showers.
The brooks were down from the spring excitement
And the temperature was kindly enough
To make it comfortable for the fisherman.
Milo Stevens had been out for several hours
And had landed five good sized fish as brook trout go.
What was more to his liking, he had landed them
Under very trying circumstances.
Most of all he had been using a fly for the first time.
Well satisfied with his afternoon's labor
He was walking down the road toward the village.

From another road came Willie Timpson.
He was carrying a good sized tin pail.
Milo waited for him to catch up.
He looked into the pail which was half full of fish.
"Good gracious!" He said hefting the pail.
"You must have considerable over the limit there."
Willie started along, saying he guessed not.
"Not only that, but unless my eyesight is failing
You've got several you'd have to stretch to make 'em legal."
Willie plodded along saying nothing.
Finally Milo stopped, suggesting that Willie had better
Go home by a side road with a catch like that.
"Where'd you get 'em anyhow," he asked in a severe tone.
Willie looked taken back and said meekly:
"Up in that brook that runs through the Heath place."
"Jeerusalem! You darned idiot. Don't you know that's
been posted?
Been posted for three years and a sign on every tree."
Willie vowed he'd never noticed.
"Well you'd better notice. You'll be losing your license."
Willie looked puzzled; he thought for a minute and then asked
"What license?"

-WALTER HARD