We had a nice walk along W. Shore Road today. The
temperature was right around freezing and it made walking very nice. As you can see, the road is well sanded so not slippery except on the very edges when we had to walk there to get out of the way of passing vehicles.On the way back the wind was coming out of the north, so we got a little cold, but it was still a nice break from the really cold and snowy weather we've been getting.

We noticed Jane Milne's boat shelter across the pond on N. Shore Road has quite a lot of snow on it, but I guess it's built strong enough to withstand it. The snow we've had recently hasn't been heavy at all, and I'm a bit surprised it hasn't blown off. They get a pretty strong wind over there.

There was a ice fisherman off Sandy Beach Road and a snowmobile went down the pond as we were walking. Bill and Diane Rossi walked across the pond this morning and said a fisherman told them the ice is about 16 inches thick.

Down by the Underwood/Hamilton cottage, there had been a wire hanging low over the road a few weeks ago. We had reported it to the phone company and to the electric company, and as I recall neither of them took ownership, so I guess it must have belonged to Charter Cable television folks. One of the companies we alerted tied a red flag on it to warn drivers until it could be fixed.

Apparently later on there was a "quick fix" by someone. The offending wire is now being held out of the way of traffic by a piece of wire bent in an "S" and hung over another cable overhead. I guess when it's 20 below and the wind is blowing, you do what you can and move on. Spring will be here eventually, and in the meantime, nobody's complaining. It made us laugh, though. Reminded me of some of our old farm equipment that we used to say was being held together with spit and baling twine.

I've been going through more of the Cabot historical stuff today and came across an undated newspaper clipping in an album of clippings kept by Adessa Lance from probably the late 1800's or early 1900's. Here it is:
Cecil Smith recently discovered a hen's nest in the crotch of a willow tree which is about seven rods from the house. Miss Rhode Island Red had selected this secluded spot seven feet from the ground and deposited several nice eggs, which were afterward removed from day to day. Finally she was allowed to keep two of the last ones, which she faithfully watched over until a tiny little chick appeared, which she is now proudly teaching how to get its living. This tree has stood the blasts and storms of 91 winters. It was cut for a whip by the late Moses Osgood, while riding horseback from his home to the center, then a lad of 16. When he arrived home, he planted the whip in moist soil, where it took root and grew into a tree which now measures 14 feet and four inches in circumferences, it's branches covering an area of 52 by 62 feet.


Written in pencil beside the clipping is the following: "This willow tree is on the farm owned in 1860 by Moses Osgood, later owned by J. M. Southwick, Sam Morris, Bert Smith, and [Warren] Alexander."

I don't know if that willow still stands - probably not, but chances are there are some younger willows in the vicinity. I've often started willows by sticking a cutting into the ground. While I like weeping willows, lots of people don't. I think they may be considered a trash tree, and they are messy, dropping not only leaves but twigs and branches, so for people who prefer a neat lawn, they probably don't work well. We have one on our lower lawn that split from snow, then was cut off at ground level because it was in the way of a mountain ash, and it's still growing. I gave up on it and just accept it's going to be there. The ash will probably survive.