It's COLD!  I don't think the thermometer has been over about 12 degrees above all day.  Last night it dropped to about -10, but tonight it's we're seeing a little warmer overnight temps, just a tease before the bottom drops out on Tuesday and Wednesday.  For some reason, it felt colder to me today than it really was.  Even when the sun was out.  There was a gusty wind that seemed to cut right through you.  Walking is getting better, though.  It's cold enough so the snow sticks to the ice better or packs down better - something has changed.  I always wear my creepers when I walk on Jamie and Marie's hill, but for a while even those spikes didn't help much.

Last week Fred found out the hard way (and I do mean hard) that you need to be really careful when it's icy underfoot.  He's used to running, both up and down our driveway and Jamie's, but on Wednesday, he fell coming down (wasn't wearing his creepers) and apparently bumped his head a good whack.  I say apparently, because when he got into the house, he couldn't remember.  He couldn't remember falling, nor being at Jamie's, and kept asking me where he'd been, how long he'd been gone - really strange behavior for my normally very composed husband.  He told me he thought he must have fallen because there was snow on his jacket and trousers.  After I asked him a few basic questions and got strange answers, I called the Danville Health Center and they said get him to the emergency room.  

Now Wednesday was a blustery day - we had just come home from St. Johnsbury where I'd had a dental appointment and Fred had done some shopping.  The driving wasn't great (see picture above taken as we were approaching Danville just before noon), but we got back into the car and I drove him to the ER.  They went to work on him immediately with lots of tests, scans, x-rays - the whole shebang.  In the meantime, he was beginning to make sense again, but there remained a period of about half an hour he didn't remember.  Temporary amnesia, they called it.  

By the time we got back home and had some lunch that was actually supper because it was so late, he was saying he was fine - no bump on his head, only some sore muscles across his chest.  I followed instructions to wake him up every two hours during the night, but after the first wake-up call, he insisted I forget about that and we could both get some sleep.  Next morning he had more sore muscles and some lameness, but still no bumps on his head.  The folks at the ER said his winter toque may have prevented a bruise; they also said as we get older, things in the cranium area tend to shrink and when we get a blow to the head "things can slosh around more easily and get damaged."  Who knew?  Anyway, he's fine now - but he's wearing his creepers more.  Not always - but most of the time.  He forgets he's not a kid anymore, like lots of us try to.

Johnny Doyon is beginning to cut the mature timber on our lot.  He told us he isn't quite finished at Don Encarnacion's, but since he'll be using the landing at Don's he's just working it more or less all together.  Of course we have mixed emotions about cutting the trees down.  We love our woods, but every wind storm takes out a few more of the biggest trees - or snaps off their tops.  Since we made the decision to harvest them, we have begun looking at them differently, like old friends we won't be seeing much longer.  In a way it will be good to have more sunlight this time of year, but I know we're going to miss the feel of deep woods and  probably some of the privacy the big trees afforded.  I know the wind will likely be able to hit us full blast, at least for a few years until the smaller trees get tall enough to protect us, but I will be interested to see how it changes our views from the house.  Don's place has certainly changed radically, but I think he had more taken out than we will - or at least I hope we aren't picked quite as clean as he is.  The good news is that it only takes a few years for trees to grow back again.

Fred got some pictures this morning on his way to recycling in Wolcott.  It was beautiful and sunny early this morning.   This photo is on Route 215, just before turning onto Route 15 in Walden Heights.  He had just come off of Brickett's Crossing Road.  I think the temperature was still in the single numbers above zero, but there wasn't a cloud in the sky.

I've just finished updating the Ice-Out page for the website.  It isn't up yet, but I think Fred will have it ready to go very soon.  He's presently working on a website for Lake Parker, over Glover way, so has been busier than usual and like the shoemaker's kids that go barefoot, our own website must wait.  We want to be sure everyone knows about the changes being made to the contest this year - the change of location for the flag, the new clock, the cameras, buying and paying on line - and besides, every year dates need to be changed and figures updated.  I'll be putting blurbs in the newspapers, too, which will give the media something different to chew on this year.  

If you go to the Lake Parker website above, you'll see their present website, not the one Fred and his partner are working on.  That will take a while to be finished and ready to put in place.

Diane told me this morning she's changed the view on the cameras so you can now see some of the ice fishing activities further down the pond.  Take a look - just remember to use the Internet Explorer browser when you log onto the website, otherwise you won't be able to get the webcam views.

Mentioning the shoemaker above reminds me - I watched Danny Kaye in Hans Christian Anderson last night.  I think I saw it years ago, but had forgotten it.  Those old movies are fun to see again.  It can certainly be said that "they don't make them like that anymore."