Well, so much for sprucing up your Easter bonnet and breaking out the spiffy heels and best togs for church tomorrow. Looks like Easter Sunday may be just another "mackinaw, touque and mucklucks" kind of day, if today is any indicator.

I measured one inch of new snow this morning, and it's still snowing. There's plenty of wind out there, too, but the good news is that it's out of the south and may bring some warmer temperatures by tomorrow. But that doesn't change that all this snow is going to leave a wet mess on roads and sidewalks, so a lot of us could be clomping around in winter boots wearing zipped parkas, earmuffs and mittens. It won't be pretty, but we'll be warm.

We may think we've got it tough with wet snow, mud and wind, but think about the poor birds that have arrived back under the impression there is spring in the north country only to find the place covered with snow, precious little open water, and blizzard conditions going on. Talk about confusion and disappointment! Take a look at these robins early this morning looking for breakfast worms.

Even Woody is confused. His summer "self-service" door is now open, but every time he starts out, as soon as his head is through the flap the wind hits him full force and, ears back and eyes shut, he retreats to the comfort of the living room and a wood pillow by the fire. If he does go out, he doesn't stay long and bounds through the kitty door, bolts up the cellar stairs and bursts through the door like Jack Frost is right behind him. It's way more interesting (and comfortable) to watch what little is going on outside from his perch on the window sill.










I just looked out and realized the wind and snow had nearly stopped. I expect it's just a lull in the storm, but I took the opportunity to snap pictures so you can see how pretty all the new snow is. I did a bit of zoom to show you the channel, but there was more snow in the air there, probably due to wind coming up the pond and blowing it off the trees - or maybe it was a squall moving along the valley. The wind is picking up again here, so I don't think we're going to see sunshine any time soon.

We have friends cruising on the Tennessee River - in 80 degree weather. We've heard from them a few times and so far none of the bad weather in that general area has affected them. Mud season is always a good time to plan a vacation someplace warm and sunny. Then there are some Joe's Ponders who didn't heed my advice to delay coming back, so arrived back from Arizona this week - but they are good sports and, being native to the north country, understand our freaky weather and probably got out their cross country skis. No point being grumpy about it, heat up some maple syrup and have a sugar-on-snow party. This fresh snow is perfect for it!

About the Ice-Out Contest - I feel really sorry there are so many of you who picked Ice-Out dates that have already gone by. Weather is a big factor in this contest, and it's completely unpredictable in spite of all our forecasters and almanac predictions. I know some of you took at a last-minute opportunity during those last days of March to picked up more tickets so you could enter later dates, so I think if you picked a date in June you have a good chance to win . . . Actually, the ice is probably melting in spite of the weather - slowly, surely, silently rotting away and one day we'll look out at the platform and flag and they won't be there. The whole apparatus will just quietly disappear without fanfare. Maybe.