Weather and Ice Report

As I sit here at my computer, snow is just beginning to fall outside. I took this picture of the snow coming down the ravine from Walden - just like you see rain storms approaching in the summer. We're going to get a few inches, but there will be lots of wind and temperatures below zero. Not nice, Mother Nature! By the end of the week, though, we can expect another warm-up into the 50's!!! More flooding, probably. So far the water level at the pond has been ok.

So, if you are wondering about the ice on Joe's Pond, it's anybody's guess, but I'm thinking we may be making ice instead of melting it for the next few days. This morning at the store, Garey told me the last he heard the ice depth is 32 inches. Not much change from around the first of March when I reported 36 inches.

That measurement is what ice fishermen have reported, and they have the good sense to stay away from the narrows between the three ponds. Some snowmobiler didn't last night, and he got a dunking. We haven't heard who it was, but Garey said he was ok; there was a lot of excitement in W. Danville though, with various rescue teams coming to the scene. Garey said it was on WCAX this morning, so I expect it will be in the 6 o'clock news tonight. Nothing about it in today's papers, though. I'll report to you as soon as I know more.

Keep sending in those Ice-Out tickets - remember the deadline to have them in is April 1, and that's just around the corner. A man sent an e-mail today asking if the pond was free of ice - he said he lives on the Mississippi (didn't say where) and that it was breaking up, so that made him wonder about Joe's Pond. I've also communicated with someone in Kenya who heard about the contest from a friend in Texas who heard from someone in Vermont. There have been lots of second requests for tickets coming in from folks whose guessed dates have either gone by or they want to put in more now they know that global warming doesn't seem to be working here. Jenny Larrabee told me the other day about a guy who had just turned in a ticket and, after talking with some locals, apparently decided he'd better change to a later date so asked Jenny for his ticket back. Jenny told him he'd need to buy another, and good natured guy that he was, he did just that.

As you know, the block isn't out yet, but Homer is back from Florida to watch the clock when they get things set up. Ray Richer said he isn't in any hurry to put the block out onto the ice; he will wait until things warm up a good deal more. A few ice shantys were taken off over the weekend, but there are still half a dozen or so out there, probably well frozen into the ice. They have until the last Sunday in March, or until the ice becomes unsafe - whichever comes first.

It's snowing harder now. Another wintery night, and more snow to blow out of the driveway tomorrow. Diane Rossi and Fred Brown compare notes and both are totally sick of getting out there every morning with the snow blower. Each of them does not only their own, but a couple of neighbor's driveways, too. Good neighbors to have!