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. 

  

Spring Is Here!

Wow! We have been having some really nice spring-like days recently. Even a few showers in between sunny periods last week. And best of all, warm temperatures without slipping below zero every night!

Along with spring often comes a renewal of sorts - we clean house, rearrange furniture, or otherwise upgrade our lives in a variety of ways. Spring always brings out lots of opportunities to buy or sell property, and the "For Sale" signs begin showing up - sometimes even here at Joe's Pond.

I received the following note from Thierry Guerlain and Julie Hendrickson this past week: 

 Dear friends and neighbors,

Julie and want to let you know that we are putting our Joe’s Pond camp at 263 Old Homestead Road on the market, “For Sale by Owner.”  We’ve totally enjoyed our many summers “at camp” but feel it’s time to trim back a bit.  Secretly, we’re hoping that camp doesn’t sell too soon, so that we can sneak in one more summer on the lake.

If you know of anyone who may be interested in purchasing our camp, please have them contact us directly.  Meanwhile, here are some details on the property.

Our single-story camp is 1050 sq.ft. with three bedrooms (one with bunks, ‘other two with double beds) and two bathrooms, each with a shower.  Living room with woodstove; “modern” kitchen renovated after we purchased the camp; large screened-in dining and napping porch right on the water.  Napping couch included.

The camp has a great "camp" feeling; authentic, right on the water.  Never a musty damp camp feeling ever! …as fresh air is constantly blowing through, under the camp, that sits on posts. We bought our camp in 2010 and over time have made numerous improvements, modification and additions, including recently a small addition that added a second bathroom and a new stacked washer, dryer.  Camp last summer also received a new shingled roof and a new Hearthstone wood stove.  

Separate single car garage with overhead door facing the lake, with a side shed for the lawn tractor.  Tractor, lawn mowers, tools, BBQ, lawn furniture, one weathervane, indoor furnishings, fixtures, appliances, docks, float mostly all included with sale of the camp (subject to terms).

The property has a fully permitted “modern” septic system with the septic tank by the house, away from the lake.  Septic “leachate” is automatically pumped across (under) the road to the permitted septic leach field across the road. Drilled fresh water well, something like 350’ deep.

Great sunshine, morning, all day long, evenings, right to the fantastic sunsets.  (Lakeside our camp faces exactly southwest; we have approximately 95’ of lakefront.)  Our property includes approximately 1-1/4 acres on the east side of Old Homestead Road.  Enough parking for 20+ visitors, a rarity at Joe’s Pond!  (The parking, not the visitors.)  Our 1-plus acres on the east side of Old Homestead Road extends through the woods all the way to and abuts the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail (LVRT).  Seems that there would be building opportunities across the street, but we’ve never investigated that possibility.

Our camp has a sandy-bottomed waterfront, with an easy hinged dock system and two sets of stairs down into the water.  Also a wheeled dock system, easily rolled in and out of the lake, spring and fall.  Offshore swimming float also included.  We think of our camp as having six different “microclimates,” various places to sit and relax, seven if you include laying in the sun, out on the float.  Great layout, great for entertaining, easy access to the deck and the sunporch, lots of parking.

We’re asking $995K for the camp.  Further details available to qualified buyers.  Please contact us directly if you or someone you know is interested.  And, please call if any questions or concerns.

Thanks…

Thierry Guerlain 802-343-6566   &   Julie Hendrickson 802-279-0079

tguerlain51@gmail.com.                       juliehendrickson4@gmail.com

 

 ********

It always makes me sad when long-time Joe's Ponders decide it's time to leave, but I certainly understand. Comes a time when taking care of two or more homes is just too much effort. It's great when the decision is to stay year-around at Joe's Pond, but that takes courage, too. It isn't always handy to get out every day and it can be kind of dreary -- and shoveling snow isn't for everyone. We wish Thierry and Julie the best, and we will miss them.

  

We wished Diane Rossi "Happy Birthday" on Friday -  at Spoon Thawee Thai Cuisine in St. Johnsbury. It may also be called Kham's Thai Cuisine - I'm not certain. But the food was really good, and we had fun. Our server took pictures, and we enjoyed a great meal. Sherry couldn't be with us, but she ordered this delicious birthday cheesecake (photo right), complete with a candle in Diane's honor. So nice, but we missed Sherry. In the photo on the left, left to right, me, Cyndi, Dotty, and Diane. 

 I assume you all remembered to set your clocks ahead one hour last night. It takes a little time to get used to it. Although I got all of my clocks set ahead, my internal clock may take a little more time to adjust - I've been hungry at odd hours today, and I may not be quite ready to sleep when the clock indicates I should tonight. I try to remember that changing our clocks is another sign of spring, and that's a good thing! 

We've been in the 50s today and lost a lot of our snow. There have been some flooding alerts along the Lamoille and the Winooski rivers. Because it is from melting snow, not from rain, it is fairly gradual and hopefully there won't be too much damage. We don't have rain in the immediate forecast, but we do have warm temperatures ahead, so the melting will continue. The back roads are sloppy, but no real mud holes - yet. Those will come, but it's still early in March and we will almost certainly have more snow and cold. It is a process.   

 

 

Still Time!

There is still time to voice your opinion about wake boats on Joe's Pond. We have until Friday to respond to let our legislators know Joe's Pond is too small for these large sports crafts. HERE you can send your comment - and then copy the link and send it to everyone you know and ask them to comment.

Apparently, there is a very powerful wake-boat support group and lobbyists concentrating on influencing Vermont legislators not to change the ruling that would keep wake boats off the state's smaller bodies of water. 

Even if you have sent a comment previously, please do it again. You are not limited in the number of times you can comment - and others who may not live here but are interested and understand how important it is to keep super-large boats from damaging our waterfront properties and churning up the lake bottom that damages the ecosystem and can spread invasives like Eurasian watermilfoil. 

One More Chance!

 The deadline to have comments in regarding changes to the wake boat rules on Vermont ponds and lakes has been extended to this Friday, the 28th, so there is still time for you to let the folks in Montpelier know how you feel about having wake boats on small bodies of water like Joe's Pond. Go to the Responsible Wakes for Vermont Lakes site (RWVL) where you will find instructions on how to comment. Even if you have commented previously, do it again, and have your friends and family do the same. Lawmakers need to know we how we feel about this. 

We know first hand here at Joe's Pond the damage and disruption the big boats can cause. Even when operating in the legal limits as set forth in present state rulings, the wakes are large and dangerous to smaller crafts, swimmers, and shorelines.They stir up and disrupt natural vegetation and will continue the spread of the dreaded milfoil we are trying to control. It will only take a few moments of your time - go to the page and send your comment.

Yesterday was a pretty nice day here while the southern part of the state and eastern coastline were being socked with a brutal storm. Our temperature was moderate, in the 20s, but during the night we dropped into the single numbers above zero again - and this morning there was nearly an inch of very light, dry snow covering everything, which I'm not complaining about, but was totally surprised to see. In addition, there was a really mean wind that sent the "feels like" temperature down to around 10 below zero. I hadn't expected the wind, either, but fortunately I dressed for the cold when I went outside to measure the snow around 9 a.m. - slapping a pair of furry earmuffs on and slipping into my cleated winter boots. When I opened the door, a gust of wind nearly whipped the storm door out of my grasp and swirling snow off the roof pelted my face. Within seconds, I felt the cold penetrating my unlined jeans and light gloves. I wasted no time clearing the snow from the deck and getting measurements so I could dash back inside. The sun is out and it looks deceivingly inviting - but the temperature is only 16 degrees at high noon! And the wind is still gusting to 10-15 mph, so it's not as pleasant as it looks. 

Yesterday I was corresponding with Cousin Ora and her family, many of whom are scattered along the New England seacoast from Rhode Island to Boston - but also in the NYC/Philadelphia area. Everyone is safe, but oh, the snow! One, fortunate enough to be in Florida, was worried about his northern family and also about freezing temperatures expected in Florida. Ora, in Rhode Island, wrote at 10 a.m. that the snow was almost two feet deep against her house and was sticking to the windows. Plows had been through the condo community where she lives, but the banks were already about 10 ft. high from a previous storm, so finding places to put the snow was becoming impossible. She sent a picture of a visiting turkey on her deck - poor thing, probably desperately looking for an easy lunch. Finding food with all the snow blanketing everything is difficult for wildlife. 

Another friend who is in Ventura, California, was enjoying 70 degree temperatures yesterday - pretty normal there, he said, and the reason he and his wife live there during winter time, but return to Vermont from May to late October. Good plan! Even Alaska has been warmer than Vermont most of this winter. They have had record low snow count this February. They usually have much more on the ground than they do this year, and have had much milder temperatures. 

Right now, a few miles northwest of us, Mt. Mansfield has 81 in. of snow - just under 7 ft. at the stake on top of the mountain; I'm guessing here at Joe's Pond we have at least half that amount - not record snow amounts for the mountain or for us, but I bet we have had more below-zero readings this year than most winters. I'm glad I'm not having to feed a wood stove to keep warm! 

Cheers to all - March will usher in spring! And maybe more storms. It can be a troublesome month, weather-wise. 

Checking In and Stages!

 I know lots of you are experiencing unusual weather recently, but here at Joe's Pond things are fairly normal. We have lots of snow and today lots of sunshine with quite normal temperatures of around 30 degrees. Last night we swooped down to 7 above zero - which seems to be the "normal" pattern this winter - cold nights with warmish days. We try not to complain, especially when there's sunshine. It's pretty - the trees are drooping under the weight of the snow, and everything is fresh and white - roads plowed and sanded, so no complaints, really. The ski resorts and snowmobilers are very happy, I'm sure. Somehow the road crews and the guys who plow driveways seem to be able to keep up with everything. The sun is getting higher in the sky and warmer every day, so we know spring will come.

Thinking of spring brings us to thoughts of summer. I received a note from Chelsea Hewill in Danville about the possible future of Danville's Farmers' Market. She sent a survey, and she hopes everyone who uses the farmers' market each summer will look at and hopefully, do the survey. Click HERE to see the survey.

 I also found a very short email from Liz Randall on Long Island, NY in my mailbox this morning. Long Island is in a direct path of the storm along the coast. Here is the alert Liz received early this morning.

That's a lot of snow and wind! I haven't had the news on yet this morning, but I think coastal areas and the southern counties of Vermont and New Hampshire were expected to get pelted with lots of snow today. We had about 6.5 inches yesterday, and only a trace after I measured at about 9 a.m. It is heavier than what we've been getting, and as I was coming home from a meeting in Cabot Village around noon yesterday, there was a bit of rain hitting us. It probably made some of the main highways a bit slick, but our roads were fine. I had to be careful around the Cabot Plain Cemetery area as snowmobile trails cross the road in a couple of spots and there is a short section where they have to run on the side of the road. They are cautious and respectful, but if you aren't familiar with sharing the space with snowmobiles, it can be a bit unnerving, especially if they are on the road with you. It must be a great year for snowmobiling - plenty of snow cover, and those folks dress for sub-zero weather and don't seem to mind the cold temperatures. 

Which reminds me - I found this photo in my collection recently. It's a truck with skis mounted on the front (rear wheel drive in those days --  early 1920s) that Glen Shute used to deliver mail and carry passengers  from Walden railroad station through Cabot to Marshfield and perhaps to Montpelier. I'm not sure what his route was. The contraption looks a little jimmy rigged to me, but I bet it was at least slightly 
more comfortable than riding in an open sleigh behind horses like the group in the other photo above, also operated by Mr. Shute.

Stay safe and warm, wherever you are! 

 

February Thaw!

We've had two really nice 30-degree days in a row! That said, I haven't noticed that our snow-pack has gone down much at all. We are expecting more snow beginning tomorrow and into the weekend, and then probably back to colder weather. This morning I had a low of 5 degrees above zero, but it warmed up remarkably quickly. I just went down for the mail and it's very nice, even though the sun was already behind the hill in back of my house. I should have gone sooner and enjoyed the sun, but I was waiting for an important phone call and had to delay. Still, the temperature is 30 degrees, and that feels like spring!

I was in St. Johnsbury yesterday and enjoyed being able to get my car washed - one of the very few times I've had it washed this winter. It seemed that whenever I was out with it, there was either 3-4 inches of slush on the roads or it was way below zero, so no point in having it washed. I'm sure it won't last - more snow and slush ahead, and then slush and mud. It's hard to keep cars shining and clean, especially when you live on a back road.

We are beginning to see signs of spring. The sun is warmer and the days are longer; our roads are ribbons of darkness between the snowbanks wherever the sun hits them, and there's water running in the streets in towns, and highways are mostly bare and dry. Ice-Out Contest ticket sales are beginning to increase as people enjoy the warmer weather and begin to think about spring. If you aren't in the area where you can pick up your tickets at one of our outlets, go to our Joe's Pond Vermont website and get them online. It's that easy!

I was doing a little research earlier this week and found that Vermont produces over 50% of United State's maple crop. That amounts to over 3 million gallons of syrup - from more than 8 million tree taps. Vermont is followed by New York and Maine in production. New York produces about 1/3 of what Vermont produces, and Maine a little less than New York. Our northern neighbor, Quebec, produces large amounts of maple products, as well. 

I found some old photos of sugaring in Cabot when nearly every farmer tapped at least a few trees and made some syrup and maple sugar. One of the larger sugaring operations was on the Walbridge farm (top photo), probably around 1920.  My family tapped trees on what was the Webster farm north of the Plains Cemetery for many years. 

In the picture here are my father, Aaron Bolton, Jr. standing and facing the camera, and sitting, back to camera is his brother, Jack, Bill, sister Mabel, and standing, back to camera, Bob. I'm not sure who the other person bending over and partially hidden was. It might have been a haired man or a neighbor. They were on their way home after a day gathering sap in the woods - my father tended the boiling process in our sugar house. We made mostly syrup, but there was always a tub of maple sugar on hand at our house. There was a small wood stove in the sugar house where my father would boil down syrup for at least one "sugar party" each spring - hot syrup was drizzled on snow where it became firm and we could pick it up with forks in big golden globs of candy. 

Years ago, the syrup was almost always boiled down until it crystalized into sugar that was easier to keep and to transport than the syrup. It was a staple in every household, used in cooking and baking. Beans baked with maple sugar were common. During WWII we used a lot of maple sugar because white 
cane sugar was scarce and rationed. I remember my father never liked maple sugar to sweeten his coffee. We used maple syrup or sugar for lots of other things - my mother adapted recipes and often used it in place of white sugar.

I like maple walnut ice cream, especially with a little real maple syrup drizzled over it. I like maple syrup on my oatmeal or on vanilla ice cream, too. My mother used to make maple candy at Christmas - it was a long process to get it stirred down to the right consistency. Chocolate fudge was a frequent treat, too. We didn't have thermometers to tell us when it was at "candy stage." Instead, we watched how it dripped off a ladle or a spoon and then the final test was to drop a little into a glass of cold water. If it balled up, it was ready. 

The things we remember! Have a pleasant day with wonderful memories shared with friends.