Winter with a Vengence!

    We are really in a deep freeze here tonight.  Already it's down to about zero, and there is a wild, bone-chilling wind right out of the Arctic.  We are expecting much colder temperatures tonight and into tomorrow and for most of the remaining week.  When I got out of my car at Hastings this afternoon, I was hit by a blast of wind only those of you living here understand.  There is considerable ice that had been slush yesterday, and with the wind blowing a gale off the pond, it was hard not to slide past the steps and end up in the snowbank.  And was it ever COLD!  Main roads are fine, but the back roads are glare ice under a sprinkling of sand that is being blown helter-skelter and is non-existent in some spots, making driving just a bit dicey.  Even good winter tires don't have much traction on glare ice when it's this cold.
    Speaking of traction, a couple days ago I posted a picture of a man on a bike - Diane and I thought it was Jay Chatot - and today I got a message from Kate Chatot confirming that.  It seems Jay has some new "studded" tires for his bike - well, this is what Kate wrote about the picture:  
 

My husband called this a "be here now" moment! He likes his studded tires gaining him access to smooth level biking with wind propelling him at least one way. Thrilling! 

Not the night to be out there, Jay!    I was watching a piece on TV last night about the new "fat" bike tires that are being touted for I guess year around biking and not just mountain bikes.  Made me think of the old balloon tires the old Elgin bike I rode to school on had.  Later on when I had a more up-to-date bike with skinny tires, I appreciated the better ride the balloon tires gave me - but at the time I was riding back and forth from Cabot Plain to Cabot Village, even those didn't prevent the ruination of my wristwatches.  I think at least two were damaged by the jarring.

      I had a very interesting letter from a former summer camper,

Sarah Wernert, whose family owned what is now the Lizer cottage at 3652 Rt. 2W.  Sarah referred to it as "Camp 53" and it was easy to locate in the book Elsie Deforge wrote in 1995.  That, of course, is the "old number" used before the 9-1-1 system came about.  Sarah very kindly sent some very nice pictures of the cottage as it was when her family owned it (right) and a very early black and white shot of it (top).  I searched my files and found a recent picture of the cottage that shows how it looks after the extensive renovations done to it about 10 years ago after the Wernerts sold it.  Sarah said she has fond memories entire summers spent here at the pond.  I'm sure she'd be surprised if she took a boat ride around the pond today to see all the changes.  However, I expect the general ambiance of the pond is intact - perhaps even enhanced, with more people living here year around.  Certainly the area is being more fully utilized than it was even a few years ago.  We have proven that just in the past few winters, having had an ice hockey game and a biker this year, and previously skaters and cross-country skiers on the pond in addition to the usual fishermen and snowmobiles.  And we shouldn't forget the Ice-Out Contest!  That has grown considerably from it's start. 

    All that winter fun and summers are still sultry, cool, wet or steamy, depending on weather's whim, but always fun and relaxing for those of us fortunate enough to live or visit here. 

    Many thanks to Sarah for the photos!  She sent others which I will share with you another time - when we need a real boost because of the cold!