Better late than never, I always say - this morning has been a slow starter.  Slept late, ate late, long phone call interruption, just getting down to business and it's almost lunch time!!

Fred checked the block early this morning and when I finally got going, assured me it was still hanging on, the clock still ticking.  We looked at it then - and compared to now it seems to have tilted even further in just a few hours, so something must be happening, but slowly.  I have to say, that thing defies gravity.  That block is heavy and I can't believe there's still enough solid ice to hold it.  We had showers most of the night, but it was cold and we got rain and snow squalls, but with no snow accumulation.  The temperature now is only 38 at almost mid-day, and there isn't a lot of wind.  What wind there is comes out of the north, and with not much open water in the big pond, there isn't much movement of the ice yet.  The ice is likely softening slowly and therefore the block remains suspended.  We'll be watching it during today - I'm inclined to think the end is near!