Here it is, high noon, and the thermometer outside my office is still reading only five degrees above zero. The sun is bright and everything is clean and white with the new snow. I was disappointed in the extended forecast this morning - nothing new, just more cold and snow. Unless night temperatures consistently below zero count. There is certainly no "January thaw" mentioned! I guess I may as well come out of hibernation and get out on my snowshoes or whatever and "enjoy" the winter.

We had a very nice time with the Sherwoods last night. A delicious meal and good company. Other Joe's Ponders were there, Tom Beattie and John Dauteuil - also good company. The Rossis and Sherwoods had been skiing at Burke yesterday and all agreed they'd never been so cold. It is not unusual for the skiing to be poor when Don and Diane come for the holidays, but they say that's ok, they enjoy being at the pond regardless of the weather and skiing conditions. I heard Don remark last night that he believes anyone who spends any time at all at Joe's Pond will always want to come back. We all agree that there's just something about the place . . .

As we were leaving, Fred took a couple of pictures of the snow on Old Homestead Road. Here's one. The pond was beautiful last night - sparkling white snow under a full moon - not quite as bright as day, but surely light enough to see a long distance. The headlights from the car make the night seem much darker than it actually was, but you can see the snowbanks and what a nice, smooth road there is. When the Sherwoods come back sometime in March, this may be an altogether different scene. It could be huge drifts, or impassable mud.