AND THE WINNER IS . . . !

The winner of the 2024 Joe's Pond Ice-Out Contest is Stuart Ramsdell of Danville. Stuart is retired and bought five tickets at Hastings Store. One of his guesses was April 14 at 4:09 a.m, and that turned out to be the closest to the actual date and time of April 14 a5 4:02 a.m. Congratulations to Stuart! He's a lucky fellow and probably feeling pretty good right about now! 

Just an update on the ice - the smaller two ponds are ice free, but the big pond still has a small amount of really dark ice floating around out there, pushed by the wind.It would normally be gone by now but last night was pretty cold and today has been mostly in the 30s. I was coming home from Danville at about 3 o'clock this afternoon and there was a brief period of mixed precipitation hitting my windshield. It was raining in Danville, but at Joe's Pond, the "rain" had a bit more "substance" to it. Not unusual in our JP world.

This morning dawned with bright sunshine, but it didn't last. I was up fairly early and was entertained by four beautiful turkeys in my back yard. They spent a lot of time picking up seeds and insects along the shore of my pond, and finally disappeared into the pucker-brush at the far end of the lawn, apparently headed for Jay and Kate Chatot's. They were fun to watch. The big one with the fanned tail was likely a Tom, strutting for a mate. I didn't dare open a window to hear if the big guy was gobbling, because I knew it would likely spook them. The two pictured on the right came fairly close to my house and I was concerned they would catch a glimpse of me in the window as I took their picture. They made their way along the shore of the pond and then I spotted the other two. I was glad to see that they looked very healthy and seemed happy! There will no doubt be some nests close by in my woods, and this fall the flock will be considerably larger. They usually have 12 or so chicks - but of course some will be lost to predators. 

Years ago while Fred and I were walking in our woods, we found a turkey nest in our lower wooded area with 16 eggs. We had accidentally gone too close and the hen took off almost within arm's reach - startled me big time! We didn't touch the nest, but I counted at least 16 eggs from where we stood on the walking path. We didn't walk there again until after the nesting period was well over with. 

I'm noticing that the wooded area around my house and the surrounding countryside is beginning to show muted colors of pale green, indicating buds are forming on hardwood trees. Summer is on the way - we just need to be patient a little longer!

CLOCK STOPPED, 4:02 A.M. TODAY

We finally have an official Ice-Out time - 4 a.m. today, April 14, 2024!

There are thousands of tickets sold each year and our data specialist is still working on piles of tickets. Once those are all entered, her spreadsheet will be searched to find who the winner(s) might be. Then verification has to take place, all of which takes time. As soon as those official details are taken care of, there will be an announcement. I'll have more information then. In the meantime, Diane sent photos of the clock and what the ice looks like this morning. 

Many thanks to the Ice-Out Committee for their careful oversight to keep the contest running smoothly year after year. There is a great deal of planning and work behind the scene each year to update and print tickets, keep merchants supplied, do publicity, keep the equipment functional and safe, keep detailed and careful records of entries and monies, and answer questions from the public. When the clock stops and a winning ticket(s) is found, there is a verification process to be certain the winner or winners are legitimate. Working in unison, the committee makes it all seem effortless. It isn't. They work hard and are constantly "on call" keeping the momentum going, running smoothly.

The contest has grown each year - this year promises to be the biggest contest yet - and that is due to the coordinated efforts of a super-efficient committee: Diane Rossi, Mary Anne Cassani, Michelle Walker, Larry Rossi, Henretta Splain, and the late Lisa Hebert. Thanks to all of them, and to the merchants and many individuals who sell tickets each year, for another very successful Joe's Pond Ice-Out Contest!

Birds are Singing!

We awoke to very a very brief flash of sunlight this morning, and now we are having the all too familiar rain showers. Fortunately, it's still reasonably warm - 43 degrees - and the overnight low was 42. Most of or snow is gone this morning, and when I was outside a few minutes ago (recycling day with Jamie and Marie) I was suddenly aware of a robin singing loudly about something or other. I had been watching for robins to show up, but hadn't noticed any until I heard this one. That means I need to block the areas under my porch where I had a robin condo last year with five nests - one in each space between the floor joists on my porch. With lots of activity on my porch, that was not an ideal space for nesting, and some were abandoned, eggs intact. To avoid that this year, I'm planning on putting some sort of barricade in there - either temporary or permanent. I haven't figured out exactly what I'll do. But the robins will be building nests very soon, so I've got to got going on that project. Maybe I'll put out some dry lint for them to use lining their nests, too.

Yesterday as I was picking up broken branches at various spots on my lawn, I found daffodils were up 3-4 inches in several spots. They look healthy and I was happy to see signs of new life in my gardens. I will shovel away the snow that seems to have broken down part of my rhododendron - Susan Socks is going to trim that for me once it's fully out of the snow. I had hoped to propagate some of those cuttings, but now I may be able to rescue the broken portion and will try to get that to root, too. Spring is such a neat time of the year. I love that nature is waking up all around me. I'm anxious for peepers to begin singing in my pond, so I'll go out on my porch tonight to listen for them. It's been so cold and windy, I'm sure the poor frogs were not anxious to sing about anything. Maybe warmer nights will impress them!

Diane sent this photo to me this morning. She said there was a significant change in the ice overnight. The ice is definitely getting darker and now there is a wide strip of open water along the shoreline. We can expect the block to go through and stop the clock any time now - and I'll let you know as soon as that happens. It is exciting that the contest could be over this weekend. Stay tuned!

The day is getting brighter - could we possibly have a little sunshine? Time to get outside and "make hay while the sun shines!"

Ice Update

I don't know whether this is good or bad news for many of you, but the block with the flag is still sitting proud and the clock is still ticking. No sign it's going to change right away, but we never know. 

Today is warmish (50 degrees!) and there's a pretty strong wind out of the east. Because of that wind, Diane has had to cover and tape the clock on her deck to keep it from being blown off and damaged. She took these photos this morning and you can judge for yourself how stable the ice looks. Diane told me it looks like this will be the best Ice-Out ever with a record number of tickets sold. The final count of tickets and exact amount of the split after expenses isn't known, but it's certainly looking like a bumper year.

We are all amazed that the ice is still holding up. The warm March weather had all of us fooled into thinking this could be the earliest ice-outs ever, possibly stopping the contest in March. But winter wasn't over and we've had some cold and snowy weather from the end of March into April, and that was totally unexpected. This is what makes our contest interesting and fun - no matter how familiar one is with the area or how many Ice-Outs anyone has experienced, nobody has "inside information" or can even make an "informed guess" when it comes to when the clock will stop. People who have never even been here could still pick a winning date and time. It's all a matter of chance - and the weather. We all know how unpredictable the weather can be, especially in recent years. That said, here at Joe's Pond, we seem to be operating somewhat independently, even while experiencing the temperature swings and crazy weather patterns. Except for the undeniable indication over many years of recording Ice-Out dates that shows there is a gradual trend towards earlier endings, not much changes. While there were a few times the contest went into May in past years, that hasn't happened in a long time; and we still have never had a March date. 

I'll keep you posted.

This week I had a note from Gretchen Farnsworth saying that she spotted a loon in the water near her house on Sandy Beach Road. She will try to get a picture for us. That the loon is back is a good indication that spring is on the way. It would be nice if we had a couple of nesting pairs again, and especially great if the chicks produced are able to survive. With eagles being common residents here at the pond in recent years, it is particularly dangerous for the loons. However, overall, the loon population in Vermont is doing well, so the balance in nature is obviously working - thanks to some help from caring humans over the years.

My little pond opened up last night and there's only some slush at the end nearest my house, piled up by a strong east wind during the night. This photo shows just how bleak today is here! But at least most of the snow in my back yard is gone. We had hard rain (I measured .35 inches this morning), and that has done away with most of the snow around my place. There are still snow banks along the driveway and around my deck, but the next few days of warm, rainy weather will finish that off, I think. Temperatures are predicted to drop again, and then we can look forward to (hopefully!) just a light snow flurry from time to time, which probably won't be measurable. That comes from our elevation and the unique microclimate that creates. West Danville, Joe's Pond, Walden and Cabot Plain enjoy that distinction! Spring is a process.

Enjoy your day, wherever you are! Stay tuned for up-to-date ice reports. Anyone who would like to receive email notification whenever I make a new post to this blog can just ask - send me an email (janebrowncabot@gmail.com), or post a comment that includes your email address and I'll put you on the mailing list. Be safe and happy!

Ice Update

Here is a photo of the Ice-Out setup that was taken only minutes ago - around 6:30 p.m. today. A blog reader has asked for an update on the block on the ice for the Ice-Out Contest. As you can see, there has been no significant change - the block hasn't gone through the ice, the flag is still up, and the clock is still ticking. Yesterday some brave soul put a chair out on the ice in order to sit there to watch the eclipse. I would not venture out onto the ice for any reason at this point.

I had a report today that Moore Dam Reservoir on the Connecticut river is ice free. That said, that reservoir is at an elevation of only 806 ft., while Joe's Pond is 1,551 ft. That is a significant difference when it comes to temperature and weather. West Danville also recently had about a foot of snow and that serves to insulate the ice from the sun. However, we've also had three days of very nice, warm and sunny weather that has definitely whittled away at the snow pack and undoubtedly has also taken a toll on the ice.

Closer to us are Molly's Pond and the Molly's Falls Reservoir, both on Route 2 in Cabot, only a few miles southwest of Joe's Pond. Both those bodies of water are still frozen over. Historically, they open a few days before the clock stops at Joe's Pond. That could change this year - we never know what will happen.

My ice measuring friend who enjoyed fishing all winter, broke through the ice last week where he fishes on the east shore of Joe's Pond.  The Ice-Out setup is located near the west shore, which doesn't get quite as much sun, so the ice may be somewhat thicker. Fortunately the water where my friend broke through was only knee deep as he was just starting out onto the ice, but he told me that ended his fishing for this year. Thus, I won't have any more actual measurements for you from now until the clock stops. So we just have to wait. We have several days of warm, rainy weather ahead, and I expect that will do the ice in fairly quickly. We will keep you posted, and as soon as the clock stops, you will be notified here. It could happen any time. Good luck to everyone - there will be a winner (or winners) soon!

The Eclipse

 Well, THAT was interesting! It's been a busy day for me. I was interested in finding out if lots of people would show up at the Cabot Plain Cemetery to watch the eclipse, so I took a quick trip up there a little before two o'clock, and sure enough - it was a busy place! I estimate there were 25-30 cars parked there then, and probably more people showed up later. One enterprising local was selling maple
syrup. In these photos you can see cars were parked all the way from the cemetery  at the top of the hill to the schoolhouse below at the junction of Bayley-Hazen Road and Cabot Plains Road. I didn't stop to talk to anyone as I wanted to get back
home and get set up to watch the event myself. I tried to get a picture when it was total, but it didn't come out. I have no clue what I did wrong. No rerun available for that, but what the heck - plenty of professionals got great shots and they will be shown everywhere.

There were several tripods set up at the Plains Cemetery, but I don't know if they were for photos or were maybe for a telescope. I didn't stop to ask. People were milling about, some sitting in lawn chairs, others seemed to have camp gear out in the snow=covered field. Everyone looked happy, and justly so. It was a warm, clear day, and except for the snow covering the ground here, it was perfect for viewing the eclipse.

As we were waiting for the sun to darken completely, Diane texted me that someone was sitting in a lawn chair out on the ice to watch the eclipse! I can't imagine anyone being that brave! He or she was taking quite a chance. Now is not a good time to be on the ice anywhere. 

We have had two very warm days in a row and more to come, so the ice will be gone soon. There is rain in the forecast, too. Real April weather - and we have a lot of snow left on the ground here and even more in the Stowe/Morrisville/Hardwick area, so there will be a lot of water running into rivers and ponds by the end of this week.

Back to the eclipse - In St. Johnsbury there was spillover as far as Bay Street where KATVs studios are. Jamie sent his photo is from their parking area, looking towards the Passumpsic River. He said the crowd counted off the seconds and there was lots of clapping and shouting from a very enthusiastic and excited bunch of watchers. There were many more people across town on Main Street in St. Johnsbury at the Fairbanks Museum and Planetarium. 

I suppose everyone has gone home now, although some hardy folks may decide to watch the sun set from the Plain. That is also pretty impressive when the weather is clear. Roads out of Burlington and St. Johnsbury are reported to have heavy traffic as people make their way out of the area.

I'm glad I watched - but the darkness was so brief, I don't think the birds that were using my feeder even noticed. I wasn't able to see them and watch the eclipse at the same time, but I came into the house as it was just beginning to get brighter outside, and the birds were busy at the feeder, like nothing had changed. I was impressed at how dark it actually got, though.

All this excitement has made me very hungry. It's time to turn off my computer and put something together for supper!

Sad News

I had an email from Evelyn Richer this afternoon telling me that her husband, Ray, passed away this past Tuesday. Many people here at Joe's Pond knew Ray. He and Evelyn lived at the very end of Sandy Beach Road and kept a close watch on the loon family, working closely with Eric Hansen to keep the loons safe. Ray was a wildlife photographer and had a blind on the shore near there home where he could be concealed with his camera to get wonderful shots of the loon family and other wildlife that frequented the quiet channel area. Ray was also a musician and a carpenter, doing much of the building and renovations that turned their small cottage into an impressive and beautiful home. Together, Ray and Evelyn  contributed time and their creative talents to create the road signs for the Joe's Pond Association, now seen at every road around the pond. Evelyn is a talented artist, and they often worked on projects together. A few years ago, wanting to down-size, Ray and Evelyn moved to Monroe, N.H. I'm sure that community will miss Ray just as we did when they moved away. He was a skillful and talented man, and a good friend. My thoughts are with Evelyn and their family - Ray was only 69 years old. Condolences may be sent to Evelyn at 104 Harleyview Dr., Monroe, N.H., 03771.