Here's an update on the morning.

Someone asked what the "peeping tom" is, so here's a picture of the window in my office. Every time I come into the office I have the impression someone is out on the back deck peering in the window. Fred put the thermometer there for me during the winter so we'd have a good comparison of temperatures. He got a new cordless drill/screwdriver thing back in the winter and slapped together this arrangement and attached it to the deck rail one afternoon while I was doing something else and it really startled me when I came bopping in to check e-mail or something and there was that "thing" looking in at me. I'm pretty used to it now and it's handy to have, so I guess we'll leave it there.

I took a picture this morning of the head of the pond where the channel comes in. It's interesting to compare it to the same shot I posted a few days ago. While I was focusing to get that picture, Jay Chatot went by on his bike. Much better riding this year - so far not a lot of deep mud. A great day to get outside and do things.

I shoveled away some snow yesterday, but today I think I may wash windows and get screens in place. That will surely bring some cold weather - which will be good to slow things down and keep sugaring season going a while longer. I'll see what I can do . . .

I've had several messages I think you'll be interested in:

From Bryce Montgomery in Florida:
We finally made 73 degrees yesterday. First day for shorts since mid-December.Vermont has been running within 5 degrees of here. This winter reminds me of Summer last year at Joe's Pond.BRrrrrrrr. Hope this year is better.Somebody has turned the East Coast upside down.Hope our spring has finally sprung. Save some good weather for this summer. It is 60 degrees here at 9:45. Maybe we are in for a Beach Day. Sure hope so. Bryce


From Sam Lewis on Sandy Beach Road:
Yesterday the channel opening extended itself past our house. Within hours two Hooded Mergansers were fishing and paddling up and down the open water. By the end of the afternoon we saw mallards. After dark the honking of the Canadian Geese announced their presence. I suspect that the various species had been waiting up the channel in the marsh areas waiting for the ice to melt. This morning the geese are walking around on the ice investigating the surface. While we are certain to have more cold weather, Winter is fading!

Sam Lewis

Last night Fred sent me a couple of links, but I was watching the basketball game (UVM/Syracuse) and didn't want to work with them then. Here they are:

First, one about strange pals at a Vermont farm: Pals
Then, Fred Googled last year's Ice-Out Contest winner and came up with this:
Ash Desmond