We've enjoyed an absolutely lovely day here today. Unfortunately, while tomorrow will be nice most of the day, the rest of the week we'll be entertaining April showers in May just about every day. We could certainly do with a bit less precipitation, but it is helping to take the rest of the frost out of our roads to possibly put an end to mud season soon, and it's washing away some of the winter's grime and greening up the grass like crazy. We've seen a huge difference in the past two days.

Trees are budding, birds are singing, motorcycles are humming over on Rte 15 - we actually believe spring is here. Apparently Bryce and Esther Montgomery do, too, for I had an e-mail today from Bryce saying they are heading north on Tuesday and will be at camp probably Friday. We're noticing more lights around the pond and the traffic on West Shore Road has shifted from mostly muddy pickup trucks to gleaming sedans and an occasional sports car - top down, of course (!) so we know our neighborhood is gradually changing - the "summer folks" are coming back!

Ray Richer let me know yesterday that he located, and has retrieved, the Ice Out Contest's illusive pallet and flag. It was on the Barre Avenue shore, not far from where it had originally been set up on the ice at the end of March. I guess it rode the ice floe right to the end. That's about it for this year's adventure with melting ice and clock watching. Nothing out there but sparkling blue water, a few ducks, some loons, and a goose or two.