After another night with below zero temperatures, this is what I found in my e-mail this morning - a message saying, "It's in the 80s here," and a picture of some of our Joe's Pond gang in Tucson, Arizona!  From left to right, Joe and Pam Hebert, Barbara Pollack, Kate and Jay Chatot.   Sort of makes one want to hop in the car and head to the great southwest!

Yesterday I had a note from Camilla Dente saying she and Tom spent some time in Hawaii in February for their daughter's wedding.  They visited Pearl Harbor and enjoyed the beautiful weather before returning to a very cold and snowy Connecticut.  Here they are at the memorial for the U.S.S. Arizona.

We are glad so many of our Joe's Ponders take leave for warmer climes, and we certainly don't blame them, but I have to say, this winter has given a lot of us bragging rights for weather not at all "normal" - and tested our mettle as survivors in the cold, especially in the northeast and some of the central and southeastern states, as well. Today seems to be settling into more spring-like temperatures, but last night was below zero - again - and at some point in the past 24 hours the wind chill low was -34 degrees, according to my trusty weather station, and we don't even get as much wind at our house as some other spots, like on the pond and in West Danville! 

Now I need to get back to work.  The newsletter is nearly ready to go, except for some reports, and we are busy getting last-minute Ice-Out information to the media.  Fred is keeping watch as tickets come in on-line to be sure everything is working perfectly (it is!) and we're both keeping an eye out for our resident bobcat.  Woody is about to venture out at least as far as the deck to sit in the sunshine, but there's too much snow for him to head away any distance at all, so we aren't worried the two cats will meet.