I hadn't expected there would be much to blog about today, but turns out I do have some sad news.  Stephen Dudley (W. Shore Rd.) contacted me today to let me know his sister, Martha Flanagan passed away.  Here is what Stephen wrote: 

    I send you the sad news that my sister, Martha Flanagan, passed on Monday February 9. 

She fought valiantly and struggled for the last 16 months and lost her battle with colon cancer. A memorial service was held yesterday in New York and a burial of her ashes will occur later in the year, in warmer weather, here in Guilford.

    Her obituary is on the Albany Times Union web site here.

    Many Joe's Ponders will remember Martha as she and her husband, Tom, spent many summers here at the pond before they moved to the Mechanicsville, New York area.  Should you wish to send condolences to the family, here are the addresses:

Thomas Flanagan, 490 Route 67, Mechanicsville NY 12118

Stephen & Mary Dudley, 111 Clapboard Hill, Guilford CT 06437

    Our sincere sympathy to the Martha's family.  She will be dearly missed.  

    We went out today - into the cold, blustery weather, making a quick stop in first St. Johnsbury and then Littleton, N. H.  We had been undecided whether we should attempt to go out at all because of the reports of white-outs and blizzard conditions, especially east of us, but being pushed more by the need to get out of the house more than common sense, I suppose, we ventured out.  The roads were good, the sun was shining and the weather no worse than many other winters except for the bitter cold.  It was about 5 below when we left, and even in Littleton, which is normally a little warmer than we are, it was only 6 above, according to the car thermometer reading.  And the wind was blowing there, too, but there didn't seem to be as much snow to blow around.  We took some pictures, both heading east as it was blowing (of course) in West Danville, and then as we approached West Danville coming home a couple hours later, it was worse, blotting out the sun and producing white-outs on Rt. 2 next to the pond.  I've made a short slide show for you.  
    Right now my weather station is showing -10.4 degrees.  I'm sure the thermometer on the back side of the house is reading at least -15, but it's too dark for me to read it and there's some frost on the window behind the thermal shade.  The wind is still blowing.  
    That said, it's nice to know we aren't the only ones with some blowing snow.  Butch Bouchard sent this photo a few minutes ago saying: "Jane, even being 165 miles south of Joe's Pond, our string of blizzards here in Haverhill Mass. has us wishing for relief." 
    Butch didn't say how cold it was there today, but when I brought up the weather for Haverhill, it was 8 degrees with a wind of 13 mph at 6 p.m.  With wind chill factored in, that makes it about -20 degrees.  A good night to stay at home and watch television.  
    We're glad to be back home, tucked in for the night.  I hope everyone had a nice Valentine's Day - I guess it's time to change the banner here on the blog again.  I'll work on that later.  Right now I'm going to go make us some BLT sandwiches (and maybe some hot soup) for supper.