We're starting off the week with a snow storm. The snow pack here at our house is now only about 9.2 in. The rain melted a good bit of it and there are bare spots showing in the wet areas around our house. Some of those spots never freeze deeply because there are ledges with water running over them just below the surface. We have one ledge just outside the door leading into our basement and that area is always a trouble spot when we get rain or in the spring when the snow begins to melt. I think when my father built this house he had to change plans and relocate to adjust for all the ledges they ran into when digging for the foundation.

Early this morning Woody was enjoying the view from the window with sun struggling over the horizon, but by 9 o'clock there were snowflakes in the air, the sun was gone and now it's snowing steadily. We're expecting something like 3-5 inches. That will cover up the ice and make driving a little more hazardous than usual, but I'm sure folks like the Sherwoods, who are heading this way to ski, will welcome the new snow on a good solid base. The Sherwoods have a reputation for bringing warm weather with them that ruins the skiing each year, but perhaps they'll break the jinx will be broken this time.

This is what the view out our window is now. It isn't awfully cold - 28 degrees, but later today the wind is supposed to pick up and we'll have blustery weather for a while. The roads are quite good because the town has sanded regularly, but underneath it's icy, so best to keep speed down. When we walked along W. Shore Rd. this weekend we saw a couple of spots where vehicles had gone into the ditch. Some of the ditches are very deep on this road in order to handle the run off of water in the spring, so if you slide into one it's usually tow-truck time.

I've heard from lots of Joe's Pond folks this year and I want to thank all of you for the nice e-mails wishing us well and commenting on the blog and/or web site. We enjoy hearing from you and always appreciate knowing you're checking in with us from time to time.

Now we are going to turn on WCAX to watch the demolition of the Champlain bridge. That should be quite a sight. It's a shame the bridge has to come down, but since it's unsafe, I guess it's the only solution. This morning a shop keeper at the end of the bridge said she expected a huge crowd there to watch. It was already snowing there, so it'll be quite an event.