We're getting a little rain this morning. I think it's starting earlier than predicted, but that's ok - we need the rain and although my thermometer is reading only 40 degrees, I think the rain will help bring out the rest of the frost in the ground and start the grass growing. This week I took off the winter wraps from my shrubs, and there were a few stakes still frozen in, but things are beginning to come alive.

Yesterday Fred and I took a ride over to the other side of the pond. We took pictures along the way. The roads are really very good - no mud holes at all, at least where we went. There were some places that were still pretty wet, but no deep mud. Click here for a slide show of our "trip" to check out the ice: SLIDES

I have some statistics for you on the Ice-Out Contest. As of last night, there were 2,356 guesses out of the running. The most guesses were for April 20. 704 people have picked that date. The next three days all have at least 600 picks, and then the guesses taper off. The latest guess this year was July 4 - must have been a joker - and there were two who guessed dates in June. There were guesses for every day in May, but only a few each day from the 15th of May on - like two or three each day.

We are definitely in the final days of the contest. Unfortunately, I'm still getting an occasional request for tickets. I had one last night by e-mail, someone who had entered the contest before and had just remembered to look for tickets, which are no longer posted on the web site, of course. He totally understood when I explained the deadline must be respected even though the ice hasn't gone out yet, and was happy when I promised to add him to the Ice-Out address list so he'll get a reminder as soon as the 2010 tickets are available in July.

Stand by for more ice news here and on the Comments page.