Interesting Video, and Spring Photos - From R.I.

 

I just heard a ruckus going on outside and went to look - my bird feeder was being invaded by a large flock of grosbeaks! They were making quite a racket as they juggled for position at my tiny feeder. They are considerably larger than most of the birds that come to my feeder, and all the smaller birds stayed clear until they left. They swarmed and flew away only to come back a couple of times. I expect they will be back from time to time now that they've found a new source of food. Gretchen Farnsworth has had them at her feeders most of the winter. 

We started the day with sunshine, but it quickly evaporated into snow showers. That's March for you! There seems to be quite a lot of wind, too - again, typical March weather. At least the temperature was staying a little above the freezing mark so the inch of new snow we got last night melted - but now I'm seeing 31 degrees and snowing steadily, so it will begin to stick. We are getting some accumulating snow this weekend - 5-6 inches, I think was the latest forecast. I don't know how true this is, but old timers used to offer the hopeful wisdom that "the new snow helps to hasten melting the old." Most of us are tired of winter and want to respond, "Bah, humbug!"

There is plenty of conversation these days about Artificial Intelligence (AI) and how to control it to keep us safe. It has become a real problem because the tech companies using it are way ahead of any devices or regulations to control it or keep us safe from being tracked and our personal information used in devious ways, including politically. It's like a giant "alien being" gobbling up information and using it without permission and without regard to consequences. Here is a short video Vermont's Senator Bernie Sanders made recently. At first I thought it was a joke - but it definitely is not. It is a serious problem and this is his way of pointing out just how invasive AI is becoming. Take a few minutes to watch: Sen. Bernie Sanders & AI.

I've been going through some of the articles I wrote in the 1980s and that is bringing back lots of fond memories. I was new at journalism - taking courses at UVM and St. Mike's - and working at Social Security Administration (SSA) in Montpelier. Our manager, John Delyea, received notices when someone in our area reached 100 years of age, and he sent me to  interview some of them. There were two ladies in the Newport area, and one in Barre - all in nursing homes, but able and eager to chat with me. Those interviews got published in local newspapers.

I was free-lance, so not working for any particular publication. I interviewed interesting people in our area as part of my course work at first - small businesses, or sometimes just someone I wanted to get to know better. Most of the interviews made good stories and I was fortunate that local newspapers were eager to get "local color" stuff. I found I liked being a freelancer. At that time, writers had to take black and white photos with a real camera! I bought bulk film in a large roll and used a "changing bag" to clip short lengths to transfer to a film spool that fit into my camera. I still have some of those little tin spools - I'm not sure what became of the big roll of film - I probably gave it away at some point. I thought about setting up my own dark room, but it was easier to just deliver the film to the newspaper and let them develop it. The pay wasn't much, but I loved seeing my byline every few weeks in the Caledonian Record, Hardwick Gazette, or Barre Times-Argus. Each editor had certain criteria I learned from.

That sorting and reviewing old stories is keeping me occupied on these dull days - I get lost in these kinds of projects. However, I need to begin thinking about what to write for the May Cabot Chronicle. I'll take a peek into my file of old photos of Cabot - something there will trigger inspiration, I'm sure. 

In the meantime, Cousin Ora, in Rhode Island just celebrated her 91st birthday (see photo, left). She and her friend, Kate, have been out and about looking for signs of spring. They had a brutal winter with lots of snow, but as usual, they are well ahead of us getting into spring. Kate sent some of the pictures of what they found. Great to see, and we'll be enjoying buds and blooms pretty soon, too! There are snowdrops, mini-daffies, skunk cabbage, and other buds and blossoms showing up . 

Sorry - for some reason, the photos didn't want to stay in place, so they ended up at the top of this post instead of the bottom - I don't want to take time to figure out what the problem is. Maybe it's AI at work! 

Summer & Ice

Thinking ahead - the Danville Market is gearing up for a great summer of activities. Here is a recent notice from the organizers:

 We launched all of our applications today, you can see more info on our blog [see link above] in case you want to share anything. 

New this year - Yard Sale Space. Community members can sign up for a Yard Sale Space to clear out things they no longer need from their home and sell or offer it for free at a market to our community members. A person can sign up once a season to use this space at the market. Thanks -- Chelsea

That sounds like a great idea. Here we are in the spring doldrums when the weather is off and on awful or great, and our roads are beginning to shed their frosty firmness and collapse into muck and slime. It's a good time to think about spring cleaning - perhaps cleaning out some of the "treasures" that we've held onto thinking we needed them or that they were precious in some way and now suddenly we realize it's been years and some don't even look familiar anymore. Get rid of them - and earn a little spare cash doing it! Like the saying goes, "One man's trash is another man's treasure!" Let someone find it and love it as much as you once did! 

That's the summer part of my thoughts today, and here is the Ice part: The ice on Joe's Pond is now 18 inches thick and my fisherman friend Bob tells me the recent rain and warm weather, plus a couple of nights (and days) of deep cold (in the single numbers again last night!) has strengthened the ice so it is no longer as punky as it was - pretty solid, clear ice. I suspect the depth varies, depending on where one is on the pond. Bob usually is out by Jane Milne's on the east shore. (This photo isn't Bob, but someone like him on some unknown lake.) There's beauty, even on a lonely expanse of ice. Looks like sunset at Joe's Pond to me!

A reminder: You only have two weeks left to get your guesses in for the Ice-Out Contest. If you can't get to one of the outlets, go to the Joe's Pond website and either buy 10 (or more) on line, or you can print some to fill out and mail in.

If you are in St. Johnsbury or vicinity, you can find tickets at the St. Johnsbury Country Store, where Natural Provisions used to be, or at "98 Mill" restaurant, on Mill Street. Also Mooslook Restaurant in Concord has tickets - at least these places did. They may be sold out by now, but it's worth asking if you are in the vicinity. And you will find other outlets on the Joe's Pond website, like Marty's in Danville, Hastings Store in West Danville, Stop Inn Shop in Walden, Cabot Grocery Store, and Dente's Market in Barre. Most locals know where they can find tickets - all the usual places that have supported the Joe's Pond Ice-Out Contest for years - and we thank them all! This is building up to be another amazing year - could be a nail-biter as our weather patterns keep changing!

Good luck! 

 

Back to Winter

 What a wild night last night! The wind was ferocious and the temperature dropped into the 20s, and that's where it is today. The wind has calmed down a little, but the temperature is still only 27F and there's a blustery SW wind that makes it feel much colder.

I had to go to Danville this morning and noticed that the pond is solidly frozen - yesterday when I was out everything was sloppy and wet - today it looks glossy and solid. Our road is not great - it has worsened since I was over it yesterday - I think we had considerable rain last night, along with very strong wind that knocked out our electricity briefly in the early morning hours. There has been a little sunshine off and on this morning so the road is now muddy and wet with lots of washboard and some muddy ruts beginning to appear. It is perfectly passable, but we need to take it slow and watch out for soft shoulders and deeper ruts.

I had a brief note from Gretchen Farnsworth this morning with a photo of the channel taken last Wednesday. She said it still isn't open by their house yet, but as you can see, the ice is darker where it the channel runs. Not much wildlife at her house yet, she said - except the resident grosbeaks that have been visiting her feeders this winter, along with the usual smaller birds. No flocks of ducks or geese -- yet. They will arrive soon, I'm sure. 

Stay warm and safe - wear some green, enjoy! 

 

Farmers' Market in Danville, VT

I recently posted a survey about the possibility of the Danville   Farmers Market changing time and location. The results are in, and it will still be on the Common, on Wednesdays - with some changes. It will be open from June 10th to October 14 from 3:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., and will feature not only fresh produce and local crafts, but will have live music, food vendors, and entertainment so the whole family can come and enjoy an evening of fun. Go to the Danville Farmers Market for further details.

Here is a clip from their promo in the Caledonian Record this week:  

 This year, the market is being revamped from a farmers’ market to a weekly community night on the Green. Organizers are leaning into creating an experience: a place where people come not just to shop, but to spend the evening. Visitors can expect live music, local groceries, handmade goods, prepared foods, activities for children, and plenty of reasons to linger with friends and neighbors.

The goal is to create a lively weekly gathering where people come for dinner, pick up their produce, enjoy music, let the kids play, and experience the best of the Northeast Kingdom.

Organizers are also excited to welcome the first confirmed vendor of the season, The Shepherd’s Hearth.

Winter All Day!

 We are back in Winter! It has been snowing lightly all day with plenty of wind, and now the temperature is dropping rapidly. We enjoyed being in the 30s most of the day, but now I'm seeing 25 degrees and there's a mean wind out of the west. I think it's going to be a cold night.

As for the Ice-Out Report - the past few days have taken a toll on the ice and the narrows are open. No sign of open water in the upper pond, but I haven't heard from Gretchen. I bet the channel is open, at least past their house. This is typical March weather and we know that "mud season" is fast approaching. Jamie had some ducks stop over near his office by the Passumpsic River in St. Johnsbury, and Marie heard geese one day last week when she was walking. Sure signs of spring! 

 A bit of Ice-Out history: I found this photo, taken May 1, 2007. It hasn't happened often that the clock has stayed into May! And that certainly won't happen this year! I don't know how thick the ice was that year, but upwards of three feet, I expect, with plenty of solid blue ice - not like we have this year, the punky white ice that is a mix of snow and water. This was when the flag and block was attached to Homer's deck by the fishing access. 

Bob and I went on our monthly "First Thursday" lunch date this week - I was busy celebrating Diane's birthday last week, so we had to switch to 2nd Thursday. Bob likes back roads and drives a pickup truck, so we took back roads most of the way to Bradford. I know, where does he come up with them? Same thing on the way home. We went up the old Route 5 and then off into the boonies to Barnet and beyond. Some of those roads I haven't been on for 50 years, and some were completely unfamiliar. When I worked for Bill Lederer in Peacham, he knew all of them in that area and, like Bob, preferred them to anything resembling a major highway. We often went to the library in Hanover where he like to research for his books, and sometimes he took me and did dictation. It was less complicated than taking a tape recorder, I guess.

I was surprised that there really wasn't much mud on those back roads. Some were pretty rough with washboard, but all were perfectly passable. We ate at The Little Grille at the Mill. I had never been there, but Bob played there with his band years ago. It is a fascinating spot - good food, nicely done decor, and is onf the Waits River just before it converges with the Connecticut. Again, we forgot to take a selfie - but there are some neat photos on their website. I would definitely go there again. I don't know if the upper level is also a restaurant, but it wasn't open when we were there. The grille was fairly busy when we got there, but the service was really good. We plan to go back in warm weather when the patio down by the water falls is open for dining.

That's about it for me tonight - it has been a very quiet day and I did some reading and then took a long nap this afternoon. Now I can hear some ravioli calling to me from the freezer. Or maybe it's mac 'n cheese . . . hard to tell! Sometimes it's a matter of what I can find easily when I'm rummaging in the freezer. 

 

 

Ice Depth at Joe's Pond

 As promised, my friend got back to me with a report on the ice depth. He said he measured 24 in. of "soft, punky" ice - meaning it is the white stuff I described earlier that is formed when snow mixes with the water and freezes. Blue ice is more dense and stronger, and is formed when the water freezes - no snow involved. 

Blue ice is twice as strong as white ice. That said, our temperature today is back in the freezing range, depending on where you are. I'm showing 34 degrees here, but it may be a bit colder down on the pond. We have lost a lot of our snow cover these past several warm days, and had some rain off and on yesterday. My little backyard pond is showing some water on top of the snow covering the ice - and very little bare ground anywhere except along the roadsides and warm spots like stone walls and wind-swept knolls where there are ledges. The snow is pulling away from tree bases and from the foundation of my house - so there is a lot of warming and melting going on.

I went to Berlin for my eye shots yesterday and the Winooski had some ice jams along the stretch before Montpelier, but near the intersection with the Stevens Branch, it was clear. That is good news as in the past ice jams have caused serious flooding in Montpelier. The cold period expected this weekend will be a good thing and will slow down the melting a bit so river levels can settle, hopefully preventing flooding.

Have a good day, stay warm and safe. 

  

Time To Guess the Ice-Out!

 This is it - the last few weeks of the big Joe's Pond Ice-Out Contest. You have only until midnight, April 1st to get your guesses in! If you don't have your tickets yet, you will find them at the usual outlets, plus several new places in the St. Johnsbury area - the Elks Club; 98 Mill Restaurant on Mill Street; the St. Johnsbury Country Store at 537 Railroad St.; Center Tower, on Memorial Drive in St. J. Center; and Mooselook Diner in Concord. Or, if you aren't out and about, just log in to the Joe's Pond Association website . You will find lots of information there, plus a page where you can purchase Ice-Out tickets. And they are still only $1.00! After all these years, the price of these popular tickets hasn't gone up! What has gone up is the amount you may win if you guess the closest date and time the flag will go down and the clock stops. Each year we sell more tickets than the last - and the cut was over $7,000 last year.

When the clock stops all depends on weather. We have had deep cold this year, but also lots of snow, so the ice appears to be more the white variety than the clear, solid blue ice that forms from just the lake water freezing. I haven't had a measurement from my fishing friend recently, but he will try to get out there tomorrow. Several weeks ago he reported over two feet of mostly white ice, that is formed from snow mixing with the water and freezing. FYI: Four inches of clear, blue ice is safe to walk on, but it takes twice that amount of white ice to be safe.

The recent warm weather may be the reason the fishing shanties were taken in this past weekend. Shelly Walker let me know today they are now all off the ice. Tere is a lot of water on top of the ice right now and the forecast is for rain tomorrow, and then some much colder weather coming through, so the ice shanties would be solidly frozen in place if left in these conditions. Best to get them off while they can. By law, they all have to be off the ice by the last Sunday in March. 

The Ice-Out paraphernalia is on the ice and the clock is ticking, as of early this morning. Larry Rossi and his crew got out there early and now we're counting down to the final moments. The surface was crispy and frozen this morning - the temperature dropped to just below freezing overnight. Right now I'm showing 59.8F and there is no sun. It is going down steadily and will probably get below or at least near freezing. Great sugaring weather!

Pictured on the left, setting the block and flag; on the right, Larry and the guys hitching the rope that is attached to the block arrangement to Diane's boathouse deck. There is a connection to the electric clock that is attached to the rope so that when the block goes down, the tension on the rope disconnects the clock and it stops. The only way to make the contest fair is to wait until the block has dropped sufficiently to stop the clock. There may be lots of open water near the shoreline, but it takes longer for the broad lake to open, where the block is set up. The clock is monitored regularly and the information will be posted here immediately so everyone knows the date and exact time. However, it takes longer to find and verify the winner(s). Yes, we have had more than one winner - sometimes two or three guesses are the same. In that case, the winnings are shared. 

Good luck - it all depends on the weather - and we all know how unpredictable that is! But your guess is as good as anyone's!

Today was beautiful - warm sunshine that sent the temperature on my porch to 70 degrees. I was out there briefly, but only to enjoy the sun and brush off some of the winter debris left on the furniture covers. I'll wait until the snow is gone and there's no danger of another snowstorm before I set up the porch for the summer. I am always anxious to have that done - it's so nice to be out there in nice weather. My plants will be happy to be back outside, too, I expect. 

Enjoy the spring weather, but watch out for ice jams and flooding if you live or are driving near a river.