This has been a snowy day.  We got another bit of snow - about half an inch overnight, and we've had a few flurries during the day, but no big accumulation.  What we got last night was enough to be troublesome during this morning's commute for lots of people.  The temperature was in the 20s and that made it just right to form black ice in spots.

Fred went to recycle, but didn't leave until about mid-morning.  Even then, there were some trouble spots.  He got pictures and I've put them into a short slide show.  During the day the temperature continued to go down gradually, and tonight my thermometer is registering 11 degrees.  That's the coldest we've had so far, I think.  There is a bright moon tonight, and the sky appears to be cloudless, so it will probably be colder before morning.  I wouldn't be surprised if the pond closes in completely during the night.  The ice seems solid in back of the islands, and according to Diane Rossi, there seemed to be ice extending past the islands this morning.  She is close to water level at their house, so couldn't see very well from that angle and we didn't go that direction today, so we aren't certain.  We'll know more tomorrow.

I took a picture of the area we can see from our living room window.  This top one shows clearly that the pond is frozen behind the islands.  The picture below is of the channel area that feeds into the pond.  It's hard to tell for sure, but it looks as if a good bit of that is frozen over, too.  There may be open water in some areas where the flow is faster, but it looks pretty solid from this picture.  It is not unusual for the pond to be frozen over by Thanksgiving, although it hasn't happened for a few years lately.  We know it is likely we'll have another warm spell that will open things up again, too.  The forecast is for cold weather for the remainder of this week, so it looks as if nothing will be melting right away.

Lots of people are ordering Ice Out Tickets now so they can include them with their holiday greeting cards.  It's a fun perk to receive a paid ticket in a card, and not just our members have taken up the practice.  Fred left off a bunch of tickets for Diane Cochran at the store in Walden this morning.  Diane said someone asked for 50 tickets already.  I've sent out a good number, too, so it's looking like a good start to our 2013 contest.

We have made some changes this year in the Ice-Out Contest.  You can now purchase tickets on line with PayPal; they are also available to fill out and print if you prefer having a ticket in your hand and paying by cash or check.  Not all of our usual outlets have tickets available now, but you'll find them at Hastings Store and Joe's Pond Country Store in West Danville and the Walden Store on Route 15 in Walden.  You can always give Diane Rossi or me a call or send an e-mail and we will send however many you want.  I've heard from several "regulars" who buy quantities of tickets each year, and have sent the tickets promptly so they'll have them for their greeting cards or for stocking stuffers or whatever.

Some of you know that the Allens, Steve and Bev (Meadow Lane), have moved from South Ryegate to Warner, New Hampshire.  We've updated the on-line directory, and wish them well in their new home.  

Drive carefully, wherever you are.  Now that snow is here drivers need to slow down and expect the unexpected.  There always seems to be a re-learning curve for drivers this time of year, and reports of fender-benders go up as the first snow comes down.  Sadly, sometimes it takes a skid off the road to remind folks it takes common sense to keep upright and safe on winter highways, no matter what kind of vehicle you're driving or whether you have a four-wheel drive or studded tires, or all of the above.  None of that matters if you're traveling too fast for conditions. It's better to be a little late getting where you're going than not getting there at all.