The end is near! Only a couple more days to get your Ice-Out tickets! Fred and I were in St. Johnsbury early this morning to do interviews on WSTJ and KIX 105.5FM. Our friend, Don Mullallay (shown at right) is always fun to talk with on the air. Don has worked at WSTJ for a long time - back when it was WTWN and owned by Dean Finney. I worked there for a while in the office. I wrote copy and did commercials and a few remotes with Don and Ken Green from time to time. It was a very busy place then with two studios and all kinds of people working there doing advertising, copy, regular programs. My main job was bookkeeping and scheduling programs, but we all wore several hats when needed. It was a fun place to work.









We met today for the first time Josh Thomas, (above) a zany character on the FM station. His two dogs come to the studio with him every day. They are sweet dogs, friendly and well behaved. Josh was a hoot to interview with. Here's a link to the KIX site: KIX105.5
Click on "Listen" on the vertical menu. (I hope you like country western music . . . )

Diane chided me this afternoon for not letting people know we were going to be on the air talking about the Ice-Out Contest. I had asked her to go with me - part of the co-chairing duties, right? But she said she was busy that day. I wasn't very specific about the time because I hadn't had confirmation when I spoke with her about it, so as she was heading off early this morning (she really was busy) she got only part of our second interview, not the 15 minute one on KIX. So I hasten to apologize for not posting something here to let you know about this event. Fred pitched in and we covered most of the high points, we think.

After we left the station and began our rounds to pick up and distribute Ice-Out tickets, we learned there was immediate response to the broadcast. At least one person rushed up to Thurston Motors and bought 10 tickets after hearing Fred and me on the radio.

We bumped into Doug Hamilton at St. Jay Hardware - always fun to chat with Doug, and of course store owner John Gebbie was there to liven things up a bit, too. John and middle son Bob had been skiing last Thursday at Jay. John said it was great fun. Now there's a couple of skiers who, in spite of their age, still act like kids. I didn't ask if Fred Leferrier was with them on his board . . . The three of them head off whenever they can during the winter, then water ski in the summer to keep in shape.

At Caplan's, Gary Ely lamented the loss of the Jazz on a Sunday Afternoon program Catamount Arts used to have. He said the concerts were wonderful but attendance dropped off so they stopped having them.

Ernie Thurston was at the car dealership today. He and Barb got home Sunday. He said he was surprised at all the snow and no open water on the pond. I guess they won't be opening camp right away.










We went to Walmart in Woodsville after we finished in St. Johnsbury. We came up 302 to Groton and then the road through Peacham to Danville. The road was surprisingly good - not as many potholes as there are on the interstate! Even that short stretch across the corner of the Town of Barnet that isn't paved wasn't bad. There was a good bit of snow in the Peacham area, but not as much down around Groton and Wells River. Above are farms along the way - a tree farm across a ravine and then a big barn (house on opposite side of the road) was just before reaching the Peacham town line.

We were home early and Fred got this picture of the White Mountains as the sun reflected off them, clearly visible from our living room window. It has been a very pretty day, and there was even a little melting going on. But that is all due to change tomorrow night as we are getting another load of wet, heavy snow. Can you imagine? I guess it's only reasonable since Friday will be April Fool's Day.

This evening we saw our two fishermen are back - in back of the big island. I noticed there were a lot of snow mobile tracks out there, too. The sun was hitting just right so they showed up. The two guys fishing don't travel by snow mobile, though. They walk and use their bait buckets for seats. Low tech.

Diane and I are going to be busy counting tickets and trying to keep all our outlets supplied for the next two days and beyond as tickets straggle in by mail. Neither of us has many tickets left, so we probably will run out, but fortunately people can go on the website for tickets and get them mailed before time runs out on April 1. If you are sending us tickets by mail, PLEASE be sure they are postmarked on or before April 1. And also be sure you send the right part. Even though they are plainly marked, in their rush to get them in the mail, people all too often send the wrong end of the ticket and then we don't have all the information we need, so the ticket gets tossed. We try to figure out who they belong to, but sometimes it's impossible if there isn't enough information on their check or if they send cash. So be careful that you get everything filled in correctly and in the mail on time so you're pick is in the running. Anybody can win at this game. It's pure chance and luck.

But we all need to be patient because even though the contest officially ends at midnight on April 1, it isn't over until the clock stops. Right now the clock isn't even set up. No pallet, cinder block or flag. There's still one shanty on the ice and no sign they are going to move it any time soon. Once that is gone, the flag will go out. In the meantime, life on Joe's Pond is pretty much the same as it was in January and February. Lots of snow, good snowmobile conditions, no melting, no water showing anywhere - we're caught in a time warp.