What does one do on a really, really cold day in Vermont? Take a road trip to a mall.

That's what Bill Rossi and Fred did this morning. Bill needed to go to Optical Expressions, and Fred needed to go to White Market to check out the bakery counter. He came home with a nice raspberry pie for his stash. Bill's on a diet, so he was good and passed up the Ring-Dings and Devil Dogs although he did offer to split a box of Devil Dogs with Fred. I'm surprised that didn't work . . .

Here are some pictures taken along the way. It was very cold when they left, about 5 below zero, I think, and it hadn't warmed up at all when they got back and stopped at the post office in West Danville. They went to the Green Mountain Mall in St. Johnsbury Center for Optical Expressions, and Fred meandered among the usual kiosks that sprout there this time of year. After they went to White's, they stopped at Boxcar and Caboose bookstore. That's a nice place, and they have coffee, sodas and snacks available. They also have that wizard of a book printing machine, but Fred and Bill forgot to ask about it while they were there.

Back in West Danville, it was cold and windy, as expected. There was some mail for Joe's Pond Association - a request for Ice-Out tickets and some checks of tickets purchased. They were home just before lunch time and it was still below zero. So much for warming up much during the daylight hours today. Tonight is going to be even colder than last night, I think. Here are the pictures: Slides

I made vegetable soup for lunch, cooking it on the wood stove. I don't know what it is about cooking on a wood stove that seems to make things taste so much better than when they're cooked on the electric stove, but that seems to be the case. It was steaming hot and really hit the spot for both of us. Tonight will be a "close all the curtains" night, and we'll be snug as can be. The thermometer outside my office window hasn't moved off the -10 degrees mark all day, and it's still 4 below on the other side of the house. I don't think we got above zero today. Winter is here with a vengence.