Looking Back

I decided this was a good time to take a quick look back at what I have reported for snow this year.  I reported in October a trace of snow, in November 16 in., and in December 28.2 in.  The total for 2013 is 141.7 inches.  I looked back and found 2012's total snowfall was 118.2 in.  This is for the year, of course, not the winter season.  So far this year, the total snowfall has been about 3 inches more than the same period last year, October through December.  It's just that we're getting it in a bit different way, perhaps - rain turning to freezing rain turning to ice and then measurable snow.

I'm not going to look back at the people we've lost during this year - we all have our own personal lists and every newspaper, television and radio station in the country is doing the more public ones and recalling major events.  I'm going to look back at just some of the good things that happened last year - like not having enough geese this spring to warrant a "roundup" at Joe's Pond, and like getting the power plant that was washed out in the spring of 2012 back up and running.  We lost a  business in West Danville when Jeff Downs died in September.  Jeff had run the Joe's Pond Country Store for a number of years, and his most faithful companion was Gracie, his dog (at right).  There was some concern about finding a family for Gracie, but after a few days, a relative of Jeff's agreed to take her, and those of us who knew her were relieved.  She is a sweet dog and deserves a good home. The store was taken over by the Passumpsic Bank and unfortunately is still vacant.
  

In early May we had an unexpected snow storm that laid heavily on the trees that were just budding.  We feared for the apple crop and wondered if the maple trees might be damaged, but after the snow melted and a few weeks of sunshine and warmth, everything came back to life beautifully and our apple producers had a better than normal crop.  It would be hard to tell if the maple crop was affected; I suppose it wasn't.

One of the best things that happened around here this year was the end of the Route 2 Project through Danville.  Although this huge undertaking seemed to drag on forever, everything seemed to move rapidly to a close this summer.  Almost before we knew it, the sidewalks were finished, signs were back up, there was a stop light at the Hill Street intersection, the Green was lovely again, and all the trucks and noise were out of here.  Business owners breathed a sigh of relief, and we could all move through town without being held up in traffic.  No yellow suits anywhere.

There were lots of great harvest suppers this year - this one at North Danville was super good.  We had some great ones  in Cabot, too, featuring turkeys from Dunstable Farm in Cabot. 

The pond froze over the day after Thanksgiving - a bit earlier than usual, but then it opened up again here and there, with some parts remaining frozen.  Only a couple weeks later, Ted Chase was skating by Bill and Diane Rossi's, much to their alarm.  Ted had measured the ice and knew it was safe, but he said he did hear it cracking . . . we're just glad he returned safely  home.  I bet Barbara was watching, and maybe wondering about the wisdom of her husband being out there.
 
We entered Woody in a photo contest for a calendar being produced this year by the Kingdom Animal Shelter in St. Johnsbury.  He didn't win, but he's ok with that.  He has plenty of fans, not the least among them, Tangeni, our 2 1/2 year old granddaughter.  We think he's handsome and at least fairly smart, although like all felines, he has his moments when he makes no sense to us humans at all.  However, it usually turns out he was just needing something.  I'm sure he wonders why we haven't caught on to his demands better, and questions if he'll ever get us trained.  We often remember what a friend once told us, "A dog has owners; a cat has staff."

These are only a few of the memorable things that happened in 2013.  The bad or sad events will fade from memory, but I'll try to hold onto the good stuff - like all the people who have responded positively to this blog, the fun meetings with Joe's Pond folks, the excitement of our Ice-Out Contest, trips, dinners, walks in the woods - all that, and more.  I hope you all have many good memories of 2013, too, and that the New Year brings everyone more of the same.  We wish the very best to all of you - to be safe, happy, loved and prosperous.  Happy 2014!  
                                                   --Jane, Fred and Woody

 

Pretty Day, Cold Night

We're in for a very cold night.  I'm hearing the deck snap as the nails and wood respond to the dropping temperature.  This morning when Fred went out to clear the driveway, it was about 22 degrees and there was bright sunshine, but there was a sharp north wind.  About an hour later, when we were heading off to St. Johnsbury, the temperature had dropped about 4 degrees and there were a few clouds; by the time we got home around noon, it had dropped another 5 or 6 degrees, but we still had sunshine. Now it's just zero.  I don't know if there's a wind out there or not - my anemometer is frozen solid.
 
This is a picture taken as we were heading home from St. Johnsbury.  It is a hillside north of the interstate, and shows how pretty everything was with the snow on the trees.  When we got to West Danville, we noticed a cloud bank lurking ominously  along the ridge west of the pond.  I don't know if they had anything to do with the rapidly falling temperature, but it was strange to see - the whole length of the skyline in that direction.

Roads were pretty good - there was a lot of salt on the main roads, and they were mostly bare, but there were some wet spots, and those may turn into black ice as the temperature drops.  Tomorrow is going to be very cold, too, and by night will be well below zero.  Not great weather for the First Night celebrations, but this often happens on New Year's Eve.  We will be at home - we may stay up to see the New Year in and lower our white ball of light on our flag pole, but I'm rethinking that - it will be bitterly cold and I have no idea if the rope and pulleys are frozen in place.  I may not be able to get that bunch of lights down until spring . . . !  We'll see.  

If you plan to be out and about tomorrow evening, please drive carefully and have a designated driver if you plan to drink.  Keep warm and safe, and have a wonderful time as you welcome the New Year. 

Lost Dog

Has anyone seen a female black lab roaming around during the past few days?  She is wearing a red harness, and her name is Lily.  She got spooked at her home on Whittier Hill in Cabot, and may be in this area, having come through the woods.  Her owner, Melissa Yu, told us she is a rescue dog, and is still very timid, especially around men.  She also doesn't like stairs.  Please keep an eye out for her and give Melissa a call, 535-5412, if you see her.  Melissa said Lily will likely be hungry, as she's been gone four days, but she's very sweet, so if you offer her food, you may be able to get close enough to get hold of her.  We are concerned because the weather is going to get bitterly cold tonight, and we'd like to know Lily is safe.

Good Morning!

I trust everyone had a lovely Christmas, in spite of the really awful weather preceding it.  Lots of folks were without power, and that is not a good way to spend the holidays, for sure.  Some still don't have power in remote areas.  We were truly very fortunate that the storm didn't hit the immediate Joe's Pond area; however neighbors not too far away had flooding and icing, and now we are all getting a fresh coating of snow - a little every day.  I measured about an inch yesterday, and the same today - light and fluffy, but enough to make roads slippery and add to the misery of utility workers trying to deal with getting power back on.  

While we were enjoying Christmas Dinner with family at Bob and Theresa's in St. Johnsbury, our niece in Syracuse, NY, delivered a son, so we now have a new grand nephew, yet unnamed, but he's a robust little guy and for now we call him "Baby T," for Tichich, his family name.  We know his mom and dad, Jennie and Nick, are pleased as can be with their Christmas bundle, a very special gift, two sets of grandparents are thrilled, and we, along with the rest of his family, are all excited and anxious to meet him.  I wonder how he'll feel in a few years having his birthday on Christmas . . .

There is nothing remarkable to report about our weather today - it's 22 degrees with snow showers.  Pretty normal for the end of December.  This picture is of our driveway - it's been snow covered, bare, icy, bare  and now snow covered again, all within about a week.  There is a nice strong crust that Fred says we can walk anywhere on, however, and we may try that out this afternoon.

As you can see above, I never did find anyone who wanted the biggest spruce - seen above with the smaller ones around it.  I was hoping someone needed a large tree to decorate for the holidays, and I had a couple of inquiries, but no takers.  Maybe next year.  

We didn't put up a tree this year - we usually don't have one unless it's our year to have the family Christmas.  We used to have one on the deck, but this year I ran a string of lights up the flagpole and had a large ball of white lights at the top.  We plan to lower it at midnight on the 31st.  Unless the weather is too severe, and then we may just watch the Times Square ball come down on TV.  If things work out, I'll post a video.  In any event, the new year is just around the corner - time to make resolutions and new starts.  At least, it's a time to review the year past and decide what worked and what didn't, what we should change, do better, or hold onto.  And then move on.  I don't make resolutions - I know I won't keep them.  It's a good time, though, to look back on the past year in order to remember and appreciate at least some of the events and people that were important to us, and be conscious that (hopefully) we  have learned from past mistakes and won't repeat them in the next year.

Back to Wintertime

Spring-like weather is no longer with us here at Joe's Pond.  The temperature has plummeted and will drop well below zero tonight; today has been very cold in spite of the bright sunshine.  All the slush and melting snow is now rock solid, reminding us it's still winter and frozen is the norm.  This picture shows how pretty it was this morning, looking across the pond towards Route 15.  There are a few bare spots, but they were sparkling with frost this morning, so still looked pretty white.  The trees - everything, was frosted, and nothing melted all day.  My rain gauge was encased in ice this morning and I had to use warm water to release it from the post so I could bring it inside to measure the contents - .10 inches, once it was thawed out. 


I was really happy just to see the sunshine this morning.  Woody shared my enthusiasm, and he got to follow the sun from one windowsill to another, snoozing or just gazing out, hoping to see a bird or chipmunk or deer to make his heart jump and liven up his dull existence during these long, cold indoor months.  He seems to know when it's too cold to be outside, so next best is hanging out in the windows.  He's had several spurts of energy today galloping from one end of the house to the other, jumping over furniture and bounding off tables and chairs.  He gets scolded, but that is part of the fun of it, I guess.  Adds to his excitement.

This will be a difficult Christmas for lots of people who, due to the ice storm, are left without electricity and heat.  We hope they find a place at a table with family or friends where they can enjoy a warm meal and perhaps join in some of the festivities of the season.  Most people are very resilient in these difficult situations; but the "Christmas, 2013 Ice Storm" will certainly be remembered.

We were sorry to learn today that a former neighbor died this past week.  Bob Davis, who managed Cabot Farmers' Co-op for many years and who built the pretty white house just below Cabot Plains Cemetery, passed away last Friday.  He was 94.  According to the obituary, he was general manager of the co-op for 32 years.  I hadn't realized it was that long, but in the Cabot Historical Society, we have a great deal of memorabilia about him and the creamery, and he certainly made his mark on the organization and our community.  Bob moved away from Cabot some years ago, and we have missed him and his wife, Barbara - both were active members of the community.  Our thoughts are with his family.

Wishing everyone a lovely Christmas Eve and a beautiful day tomorrow with family and friends.  Merry Christmas!

P.S. - I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas

 

A Message from Loon Cove

Hello fellow Joes Ponders!  As many of you know, we have run an eldercare facility here in our home for the past 13 years, caring for that special loved one that you just don't have the heart to admit into a nursing home and just can't bring into your own home, for whatever reason.  We have the next best option for you!!  We offer special care for one resident at a time ... your loved one will live here in our home in his or her own private 'wing' with lots of light from the large windows, and their own private bath.  We provide all personal services needed, physical therapy, etc., and of course, they have home-cooked meals that will be custom 'catered' to their special dietary needs.  Meds are administered as per doctor's orders, and if needed, and qualified, Central Vermont Home Health  nursing services are available as well.

If your loved one can physically tolerate outings and boat rides on a nice day, that is also enjoyed. Our home can become a place for you to come to visit and enjoy along with your loved one ... we have had family parties here with your elder feeling like they are 'hosting' their family gathering ... just like
years gone by. 

We could go on, but we invite you to contact us via
email: rloonnest@fairpoint.net, Subject: "Loon Cove waiting list", or by phone (802-563-3083) to get on our 'waiting list'. Due to our specialty services and care, and the uniqueness of our facility, we can only take clients who are in a 'private pay status'. Our rates are comparable to those of nursing homes offering a private room (which many do not offer
any longer).  Besides, what better way to live out your life than residing right here on Joe's Pond? (smiles) 

We hope that you will contact us with your questions and make an appointment for a visit soon. We wish you
all a very Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!! 

Blessings, 

Evelyn and Ray Richer, owners of Loon Cove Eldercare

Weather and Message from Namibia

We are still in spring mode with misty rain and temperatures in the low to mid 30s.  I measured another .15 in. of rain this morning, and the snow pack is down to 4 inches at my stake.  There are no real bare spots that I can see, but I'm sure when the fog lifts, there may be some on the hills above Route 15.

We are very fortunate to have so far missed the serious icing that our northern counties have experienced.  The temperature is due to drop tonight, and that will only add to the problem since there has been no break for those areas when temperatures allowed for any of the ice to melt.  There are trees down on power lines, and traveling is still limited, mostly because of trees in the roads.  Train service north from White River Junction was suspended yesterday, but Amtrak expects to be back in service tonight, according to the noontime news.  A section of I93 was closed earlier today due, I believe, to trees down.  I hope everyone is safe and that the power is back on soon.  It's good that it hasn't been too cold during this storm, but that's going to change so it will be very cold by Christmas Eve.

We heard from son, Bill today, and they are enjoying their trip to Namibia.  Here's what he wrote: 

All is well, we are staying at a place called the Destiny in Ongwediva and we are 5 minutes from Floriana's house. Saw everyone last night when we got here from Tsumeb. Did the Etosha National Park over the weekend, and the kids had a blast. BooBoo saw Giraffes up close in the wild, Ostrich, Kudu, Springbok, and a Wildebeast at about 30 yds...Daddy its a cow!! We will be here until the 3rd, then heading back to Windhoek to get ready for the trip home. It is hot (90-102) during the day, but very dry so you don't really notice it after a while.

Floriana is Monika's mom, and her home is in Oshakati.  "BooBoo" is 2 1/2 year old Tangeni.  I'm sure Tangeni loved seeing the animals.  Big sister, Jo-Ann, has probably seen all of that before, but not for a long time, so she is probably thrilled to see all these animals in her native country again, too.  I know Bill is enjoying it all.  I'm very happy they are able to be with Monika's family for the holidays - and they will be able to celebrate their wedding anniversary there on January 3rd.  They went to Namibia in December of 2009 and were there for Christmas and had a wedding celebration in the tradition of Monika's family. 

 I am excited to share these pictures of Joe's Pond and West Danville with you.  They were sent to me today by Harry Rudin (Old Homestead Road).  The view is along Route 15, on the east side of the pond, and then the Village at the junction of Route 15 and Route 2.  These were taken on December 14, this year.  He said it was just as cold as it looks.  These are great aerial views, and many thanks to Harry for sending them, along with his "Merry Christmas" wishes to all of us.

I have more exciting news, this time from Kate Chatot.  Here's what Kate wrote to me this morning: 

Merry Christmas,
From the Chatot clan on Honey Hill Farm (name of our property).

PS -  Thought you'd be pleased to know there is going to be a wedding here on Honey Hill Farm this summer - our son Jules is engaged to Kate. We'll have Jules and Kate and Jules and Kate living on HHF. We say Jules/Kate squared . . .


Congratulations to Jules/Kate squared!  That is great news at Christmas time, and confusing as it's going to be for some of us, we are happy for them and will be expecting some great pictures of the wedding, come summer. 

Flood Problems Due to Storm

I just heard on the scanner that due to serious flooding at the junction of Routes 114, 122 and 5 in Lyndonville, the trailer park is being evacuated. 

We have had fairly steady rain overnight and so far today.  I  measured 1.17 in. in my rain gauge this morning at 9 a.m.  The snow has taken a beating and I'm showing 5 1/2 in. at the stake.  So far we've had temperatures at or slightly above freezing, so there hasn't been icing; but I'm hearing all kinds of problems being reported on the scanner - calls to assist people who have gone off the road, trees down blocking traffic, high water warnings, and one call about someone who had fallen on the ice.  

There has been very little traffic by here this morning.  We lost our power for about half an hour around 6 a.m., but we feel fortunate we got it back so quickly.  We saw a FairPoint truck go by a little while ago - hard to believe they would be out on a Sunday.  The worst of the roads seems to be north of us in the Sheffield area.  I have checked the VTrans site and traffic is very light everywhere.  Click on the little camera icons on the map to see the web cam view.

We are still getting misty rain and fog, and the thermometer is reading 30 degrees on the cold side of the house, 33 on the deck and weather station thermometers.  The fog drifts over us and then moves off, but at times is quite dense.  People are wisely staying off the roads as much as possible, and the road crews are keeping up with the conditions.  They have been out all night and will be looking for a chance to rest, but they may not get much relief - the storm is moving, but slowly, so conditions and locations of problems will change.  Along with slippery roads, there are areas threatened with flooding, in our area, at the junction of Rt. 114, 122 and Rt. 5 in Lyndonville.  The high water threat will no doubt continue until temperatures drop and we return to winter conditions. 

We have had a fairly uneventful day, weatherwise, but tonight the temperature has fallen from about 50 where it was during the day, to near freezing, and we expect it will get lower as the night progresses.  There's still a misty rain falling, and we've had enough  to swell the brooks and rivers in the area, so low lying regions are in danger of flooding.  I measured .20 in. of rain this morning, but it has rained pretty steadily but not hard most of the day, so I expect I'll have a good bit more in the gauge tomorrow, and it will probably be frozen.

The ice on the pond may be thinning a bit, along with a diminishing snow cover.  There is a lot of water flowing into the pond from the hillsides, and that will no doubt raise the temperature of the water in the pond a bit; however, by Monday, things should be freezing up again.  From listening to the weather reports, we are fortunate in contrast to the Burlington area where they've had ice problems today and are expecting more during the next 24 hours.

Fred and I walked late this afternoon, in spite of the rain.  We took our umbrellas and I wore my creepers, although I really didn't need them as the road has been well sanded.  There is thick, solid ice under the sand, but so far the rain hasn't washed away the sand, so West Shore Road was in very good condition. 

Once this all freezes up again, there should be some very strong crust on the snow.  That can make it difficult for some animals - in particular, deer, because they will break through, but predators such as bobcats or coyotes will be able to scamper over the crust without breaking in at all, making it easy for them to take a deer.  Our coyote population has grown steadily over the past 20 years or so.  There was a time, not so long ago, we rarely heard them; but now we can hear them just about any night as they run through our woods in packs.  One old-time hunter told me they are "teaching the young to hunt," when we heard their chilling yapping, at first far away and then sounding like only yards away before they took their noise off into the distant night again.   

This watercolor by Susan Mahoney brought back childhood memories.  I remember how we looked forward to this kind of warm spell when I was a kid.  It seemed to happen nearly every year when we'd get a January thaw with some rain that would turn the snow into a tough, walk-anywhere-on-it crust.  The neighborhood kids would all grab cardboard boxes and head for the nearest slope.  We'd start off with the box intact, but after a couple of trips down a steep bank, and tumbling over a few times, the seams would break and we'd have a big flat sheet of cardboard that was good for going belly-bump, or doubling up with a friend, careening and spinning down a shiny, glazed hill.  Climbing up the hill on the crust was a challenge, so we would make a path of "steps" off to one side by breaking through the crust.  We took some tumbles, and occasionally somebody would crash into someone else, but mostly our heavy woolen jackets and hats kept us from getting seriously hurt.  And the cardboard would last a surprisingly long time, even with rough use.  We probably didn't even need the cardboard except without it, the seats and knees of our woolen snowsuits or broadcloth trousers would have been in shreds after only a few slides.  The cloth was no match for the friction caused by energetic kids on crusty snow.  Now, of course, there are those neat, brightly colored plastic "snow slides," with handles.  They are prettier, and no doubt last longer, but I bet kids don't have any more fun on them than we did in our cardboard boxes. 
 

The State of Vermont has a website that gives you advice on how to stay safe during hazardous weather events such as we'll probably experience this weekend.  Check it out, and be prepared for power outages as well as treacherous driving conditions.  Have extra water on hand for drinking and for flushing the toilet, and be sure you have enough canned food to last for at least a couple days in case you have no electricity.  

Remember that walking can be dangerous, too, on several levels.  Not only should you wear creepers and perhaps use ski poles if you must walk outside to get your mail or for any other reason, but also be aware that vehicles may not be able to stop as they normally would, or they could slide out of control and hit you.  There also may be danger from falling limbs, trees or power lines weighted with ice, so please, do not take chances and be aware of your surroundings when outside. Use caution and be safe.

Spring in December

We have switched to spring weather in the last couple of days.  Yesterday was very pleasant, much warmer than it had been, and last night the temperature stayed in the high 20's.  Today we've had mostly 34 degrees.  There has been precipitation, starting off this morning with wet snow, and around noon becoming rain.  Even though we haven't had to go out on the roads today, we think there may be some problems because our mail hasn't come yet, and that's unusual, except when the roads are dicey.  The Cabot sand truck has been through this afternoon, and traffic seems to be moving - at least what traffic there has been.  On days like this, we see mostly only necessary traffic by here.

I've had the scanner on as I've been working here in my office, and there have been a few mishaps - nothing too serious, as far as I can tell, but even sliding off the road into the ditch is not a good experience, as I can tell you first hand. 

While we prefer to stay inside on a day like today, Woody has been in and out more than usual.  I think when it warms up a bit, there are different smells in the air outside to entice him, and he's willing to risk cold pads in order to catch some unsuspecting mole or squirrel.

I went back in my picture files to find pictures of our last "brown Christmas," which was 2006.  We took this picture on Christmas morning that year.  The pond wasn't fully frozen over until after New Years, as I recall.  The ice went out on May 1st that winter (2007), so apparently it turned out to be a pretty "normal" winter, once it got going.

I mentioned recently that I think we deserve a January thaw, and I heard immediately from  Don and Diane Sherwood, asking me to keep that sort of thing to myself because they will be here wanting to ski right after Christmas.  Apparently, Mother Nature was listening, and decided we'd have a thaw a bit earlier this year.  It will be great as long as we get snow by the time the Sherwoods get here - they have a long history of bringing rain with them every year at that time, so I'm hoping the spell may have been broken and I won't need to worry about being blamed.  The forecast is for cold weather to return next week, so we will hope there isn't too much damage to the snow cover from this brief episode of rain.  We had 12 inches on the ground this morning - I'll be measuring again tomorrow morning and will report then.

More Cold Weather

We have been in a deep freeze all day.  The thermometer has barely risen above zero, if at all, and there's a brisk wind out of the northwest.  The wind chill register on my weather station swings up and down with the wind velocity, and mostly is registering well below zero.  Another cold night ahead.  Last night we saw a -22 on the thermometer that is on the back side of the house.  The others may be skewed a bit as one is a digital attached to a window, and the other that is attached to my weather station has an indicator station in a somewhat protected area under the deck.  We notice both of these show consistently warmer temperatures than the old mercury type at the back side of the house.  However, when it gets to the zero and below level, a reading a few degrees one way or the other doesn't matter much.  It's just darned cold, and we put on extra layers. Fred doesn't leave the house without his fur hat, and Woody and I simply don't leave the house . . . !

George Parizo shared this interesting photo, and here's what he wrote: 

This strange shaft of light seen over Joe's Pond in the winter is known as a Sun Devil. Caused by the sun shining through frozen moisture. “Winters Rainbow,” not often seen in the Northeast and like a Rainbow, it lasts just only a short time. Keep your Camera handy.

George Parizo

George didn't say when he took the picture, or what time of day, but it is certainly unusual.  I'll post further information if/when I get it from him.  

George and Pat also sent this lovely digital greeting - I think he sent one a few years ago that was similar - I remember because it is very striking.  The frost on our windows doesn't get quite that decorative!

We do have frost on our windows now that we have the insulated blinds.  In this cold weather, we've had the blinds down almost 24/7, and there's a little ridge of frost and ice built up along the lower edge.  Once the blinds are up, the frost melts and I'm able to wipe the moisture away, but yesterday and today I just let the ice stay in place with the blinds down.  When it warms up, I'll take care of it.  There is certainly a big difference in the amount of draft around the big windows in the living room, especially.  I never noticed it when we had the wood fire going, it was almost always warmer than we needed, even for sitting still; but we're using only the boiler this winter, and keep the blinds in place in order to conserve oil.  So far, even though it's been an unusually cold fall, we think our oil consumption is considerably less than before we made the changes, adding more insulation, the blinds, and the more efficient boiler.

When we burned wood, I used to keep large rocks near the wood stove, and on cold days, placed them under my desk in my office so I could keep my feet warm.  I don't need them anymore because there is a heating element under my desk keeping me toasty warm.  So we retired the big round rocks - but I won't toss them out.  We may need them again if we should decide to burn wood again.

I have the scanner going today, and there have been several mishaps with cars and trucks sliding off the roads.  One was on Route 2 near the Goodrich Maple Farm this morning.  The driver was hurt, but I don't know how badly.  Just now there's information about a truck off one of the exit ramps near Lyndonville.  It started snowing a couple hours ago, so that is making driving hazardous.  When it's this cold, the salt doesn't work, and sand will not stick much.  Makes things tough all around.  Road crews are busy trying to keep things safe and traffic moving.  It will probably be a busy night for them.

Cold but Beautiful

It's been pretty cold today, never getting out of the single numbers above zero, and with a brisk northwest wind, the "feel like" temperature was well below zero, I'm sure.  The snow on the trees is light and there were times when it looked like a blizzard out there, and this afternoon over on the Plain by the cemetery, it was very wintery, and visibility was especially poor along that  ridge.  There were drifts forming, but we didn't take any pictures - it's always the same up there.  The picture above is from our window, looking towards Route 15 and Walden, about 3 o'clock this afternoon, just before we left for Cabot.  It was a few degrees warmer in the village, but by the time we got home, around 4 o'clock, it was already a few degrees colder than when we'd left, but there was a beautiful moon coming up in the east.  Right now it's zero, and falling steadily.

We have been watching for the first ice fishermen that usually show up in back of the big island, but today we spotted a fishing shanty there - between the mainland and Pearl Island.  They apparently approached from Channel Drive, as there are no sled marks from Island Drive, where we usually see tracks.  There isn't often a shanty up there, although we've seen temporary ones set up sometimes.  This one looks like it might be there for the duration. Click on the picture and you'll see the little green shanty in the lower left corner of the photo.  That spot may be somewhat protected from the wind - it's kind of behind the trees and hills at the northwest end of the pond.

I noticed on the Rossi's web cams what seems to be a snowmobile track - I guess the ice is safe enough for snowmobile travel in most places, and after tonight, should be even thicker. The forecast for tonight is something like 20 degrees below zero.  With weather like this, so cold and snowy so early, even before the official first day of winter, we deserve a nice January thaw, don't you think?  If that doesn't happen, it'll make for a long winter, for sure.

I measured another 2 inches of new snow this morning, but what we had apparently packed down somewhat because at the stake I saw only 14 inches, and that's what there was yesterday.  Packing down is good - perhaps it won't blow around quite as much . . .
Snuggle with someone you like tonight - stay warm and safe.

We did pretty well in this storm - I measured 11.5 in. this morning at about 9 o'clock, and we've had another inch or two during the day.  It's very pretty, and not quite as cold as it was - about 9F tonight, and I don't think the wind is blowing at all.  The snow is light and fluffy, so if the wind does pick up, there will be some drifting.  Fred spent a couple hours this morning clearing all the driveways; Jamie had plowed his, but with the snow blower, Fred is able to widen it a bit more.  Although the snow was light, there was more of it than usual, so it was slower going.  Fred went out again this afternoon to clear the ends of the driveways where the town plow had left a ridge of snow.  Then he came in to get the camera.  It was very pretty out there, snowing lightly, and he got some interesting pictures.
We got this  picture from Henretta Splain, over on Clubhouse Circle.  Everyone was out clearing their driveways today, and we are all realizing pretty as it all is, there's a lot of work involved when we get a storm like this.  

Here's a link that came from our friend, Walter Ruf (Meadow Lane), of a really nice video from YouTube that someone had sent to him.  It's pretty amazing to watch.  And it's a reminder that spring will be here before we know it.  You'll see what I mean when you look at the video.

We talked to Bill for a few minutes tonight, but the connection was not as good as usual (we use Skype), so we didn't talk very long.  He said they are all fine, still in Swakopmund, and enjoying the nice weather.  He knew we'd had a snow storm, and was anxious to know how much we got.  I made cookies today, and was remembering making Christmas cupcakes with granddaughter JoAnn last year.   We were doing them for our family Christmas Eve get-together, so it was very close to Christmas.  Her Grandma Floriana was here then, but left soon after Christmas to go back to Namibia.  Floriana is such a good sport and a really sweet person, and I'm betting Christmas at her house is a real neighborhood party with friends and family from near and far.  I hope Bill and Monika  bring back lots of pictures!

How Cold Is It?

It's colder than it was in Anchorage Alaska at 6 a.m. this morning - here it was -11.9 degrees and there it was +20F!  In Reykjavik, Iceland, it's 32 degrees;  at Amundsen-Scott Station at the South Pole, it's -10 degrees; and at the North Pole, it's +1F.  I guess all the cold has migrated this year.  The lowest overnight I had was -12F, and that's cold enough.  All this cold swept across the nation before it arrived here, and our sister-in-law, Ellie, reported from Beaver Creek in Colorado that it was cold there.  She walks their dog, Grizzly, every day, and sent this picture a couple days ago with the caption, "My mother warmed my blanket in the drier when we got back from our walk today!"

Speaking of cold and things related, we found out yesterday the ice skater caught on the Rossi's web cam was Ted Chase.  He told Fred the ice was at least 5 inches thick - it's probably quite a bit more now - and although he could hear it cracking occasionally as he passed over it, the spookiest thing was that it was crystal clear so when he looked down, he said he could see the water clearly.  Since then we've had some snow so the skating isn't as good, and after this weekend, there will likely be a foot or more of snow covering it.

It was cold yesterday, but there was noticeably less snow in St. Johnsbury than here.  I took a series of pictures as we headed home.  As always, the Joe's Pond area has more interesting weather than any other spot on the map except perhaps Mt. Washington.  It gets cold quicker and warms up more slowly than most places, and if there's snow and wind to be had, you'll find it here.  You can see (top) the interstate was bare and there's very little snow in St. Johnsbury.  Dole Hill (middle) in Danville had a nice White Christmas covering, and in West Danville (right) we had basic winter conditions.

We are expecting 12-14 inches of snow tonight into tomorrow.  Hopefully the storm will be clearing out of here before the Monday commute, but then it's going to get really cold - again. 

Meantime, in Walvis Bay, Namibia, Africa, where Bill, Monika and the girls are, it's 70 degrees and partly cloudy.  The weather there doesn't vary more than a few degrees either way, so it's never too hot or too cold.  However, they only average about an inch of rain a month, for a total of about 10 inches a year.  And they have huge sand dunes.  I'm thinking Bill and his family must be enjoying their vacation time there.  Perhaps we'll hear from them this weekend.

Stay warm and safe, and remember to keep your animals sheltered from this deep cold.
 

A Christmas Story

Good Morning!
It's a beautiful day, bright sunshine and hardly any wind, but COLD!  It's still just about zero at 9 a.m., in spite of the bright sunshine.


I have a little Christmas story to tell you today.  Yesterday we took a neighbor to the airport in Burlington, and also picked up Bill's car at the hotel where he and the family stayed before their flight to Namibia last week.  Fred drove Bill's car, I drove our neighbor's.  Because Fred had some errands to do in the Williston area, I headed home ahead of him.  There was mostly bright sunshine in Burlington, but I hadn't been on the road very long when it began to snow lightly.  There wasn't much accumulation until I got to Marshfield, and the roads got slushier from there on.  When I got to West Shore Road turn, I slowed as I normally would, but the minute I left the main road, I was no longer in control of the car.  It slid sideways straight into the snowbank.  I won't mention what I was saying in the few seconds before I thumped to a stop astride the snowbank, but I was not a happy camper. 

Now, at 2 o'clock on a snowy afternoon, there usually isn't a lot of
traffic on West Shore Road, but as I stood in the road wondering what my next move would be since the house at the corner is vacant, and the one across the road seemed to be, too, and unlike most folks, we have only one cell phone, and Fred had it with him,  I was thinking I could either wait for Fred to come along or start walking.  Almost as if it was scripted, a logging truck pulled in across the road, and then a very big truck came from West Danville direction.  I thought they were all part of the logging operation going on there, and was considering going over to see if someone had a cell phone so I could call a wrecker, but in a very few minutes, one of the men came across the road and asked if I was ok (I was) and said if I didn't mind waiting a few minutes, he'd come over and pull me out!  Thinking he had a logging truck, I said, "Do you think you can get it out?"  He laughed and said, "Oh, yes, I can get it out alright."

While I was waiting, two different neighbors came along West Shore Road heading for West Danville, and offered to help.  I was very appreciative, but was happy be able to tell them I had help coming from right across the road.  Within a few minutes, one of the big trucks headed over to where I was waiting.  Then I realized the truck was a mega wrecker - big enough to pull logging trucks out of ditches (which I guess is what he was there for), so of course it could handle the Ford.  It looked spiffy new with bold lettering, "Lyndon Truck Service."  It was a monster truck with doors along the body where chains and pulleys were managed by knobs and levers to lift or pull, and when the man got out to begin working on the car, I noticed his name, Dennis, on his jacket.  

He was obviously a true professional and it didn't take long to get the car back on the road.  By then Fred had  arrived, and things began to look a whole lot better. The right front tire was flat - Dennis said that wasn't unusual and he didn't think there was any other damage - and in no time he and Fred had the spare tire on.  While they were doing the tire thing, I was warming up in the car.  I had already started writing a check to "Lyndon Truck Service" and  Fred was talking with Dennis, so I rolled down the window and asked Fred how much I should make the check for.  Turned out Dennis wouldn't accept anything, even though we both argued the point with him.   He had been working in the cold and snow for at least half an hour to get the car out, and we felt fortunate he happened to be there, but in spite of our protests, he just laughed and said "It's Christmas!" and got into his truck and left! 

We decided we'd better get the car to the Ford garage in St. Johnsbury so they could fix the tire and check for any damage.  I was a little nervous about the little tire on the front, so I took Bill's car and Fred drove the Ford.  He had no problem.  At the Ford garage, they were able to take the car in almost immediately, so we went for coffee at McDonald's.  When we got back, the report was good - the tire was flat only because snow had packed in between the rim and the tire and that broke the seal, and there was no damage to the undercarriage.  Then came the shock.  There was no charge, just another "Merry Christmas!"  Fred came out looking stunned, and we left wondering if we'd stumbled into some fairyland universe where everyone is happy, helpful and generous.

I think this may go down in our record book as the day we were reminded of just how nice people are; and I don't think it was all about the Christmas season, I believe we're very fortunate to have a lot of really, really great people here.  Dennis, our concerned neighbors and some very nice people at Twin State Ford in St. Johnsbury made what might have been a really bad day for us one we'll remember, in a good way, for a very long time. 

Merry Christmas!

 _____

We've had a couple messages about the animal caught on the Rossi's web cam.  One guess was that it was likely either a raccoon or a young fox.  Another guess was a weasel.  We know there are lots of animals prowling around during the night - at our house, I see fresh tracks every morning, and some nights Woody gets a little frantic, going out for only short periods and acting very nervous when he comes back inside, so we suspect he's far more aware of what's going on out there than we are.

Bill and Diane Rossi sent this picture from their webcam.  They thought it might be a fisher cat, but it doesn't look quite right to us.  Sorry, it doesn't enlarge like a regular jpg picture when you click on it, so it's hard to see.  Without seeing how it moved, it's hard to tell, perhaps the tracks would help to identify it.  Any ideas?

I received this picture this morning from the Rossi's web cam.  The dog has the right idea - staying close to shore!

I'm sure the ice fishermen will be out there soon, too!

We're getting some snow today, so that beautifully clear ice will be covered.

Thanks to Bill and Diane Rossi for sending this picture!  

I want to share with you once more, one of my favorite "signs of Christmas," this rendition of "White Christmas," sung by the Drifters, and illustrated by Joshua Held.  It makes me smile - I hope it does the same for you.

We are awaiting nasty weather - again.  The temperature, which as far as I know has not moved out of the teens all day, is going to moderate tonight and bring snow and perhaps sleet, at least in Vermont's southern counties.  I expect we'll see mostly snow.  We have very solidly frozen ice on back roads and lots of driveways in our area, and I found out today that even with cleats on my boots, I had to be very careful on my walk at lunch time.  The snow will cover the ice, and at least for a while, could make the going even more hazardous since we won't know for sure where the icy patches are.

I had a note from a Joe's Ponder who lives in Virginia, saying they are preparing for the ice storm that is moving up the coast.  They are fortunate to have a wood stove so will be comfortable even if they lose power.  It's good to be prepared, with extra water and enough canned food to last a spell in case you're not able to get out for a few days to shop.  That doesn't happen often, but it doesn't hurt to be ready - just in case.

I remember being caught in St. Johnsbury a few years ago when the weather took an abrupt turn while a friend and I were shopping and enjoying lunch.  We came outside to ice covered sidewalks and roads that had happened just in the short span of perhaps an hour.  My car was parked right in front of the restaurant on Railroad Street, and it was all we could do to get to it without falling down.  It was still raining and freezing onto everything.  Those of you who know St. Johnsbury will understand my concerns; there are several  ways to get to Main Street from Railroad Street, and all of them involve pretty steep and/or curving hills.  When we lived in St. Johnsbury, Eastern Avenue and Maple Street were often blocked by someone who couldn't make the hill, and the same with other approaches, so not only did one need to get a good start up, you also had to hope the way was clear towards the top.  I don't recall how we made it that day, perhaps by way of Hastings Hill, but I remember being very relieved when we were out of town and on Route 2 headed north.

Bad roads are a way of life in rural Vermont.  One of the tests I had to pass before my father would let me drive in winter was that I could master putting on a set of chains.  I quickly learned it was better to put on the chains before I attempted a difficult road than to wait until I got stuck.  It's not fun digging out a snowbank enough to get chains on.  It was quite a few years before I stopped keeping a set of chains in the trunk of my car.  I guess I graduated to studded tires; then there was front-wheel drive, and that was a whole new learning experience, especially backing down a slippery hill.  I don't know how many times I was fortunate enough to turn end for end so I could simply turn around and try again; or how many times the spin out landed me in a snow bank.  Now, we accept that some days it's just better to stay home, and we can do that now.  It's more fun now to recall some of those adventures as we made our way to and from work on a daily basis than it was to live them.  So drive carefully on your studded or groovy winter tires, and thank the road crews who, with better storm warnings, better equipment and a more scientific approach, do a much better job of keeping the roads safe than they were able to even 20 years ago.

 
This top picture was taken in the 1930's, we think.  It was on what is now known as Brickett's Crossing Road - that's Cabot Plain in the background.  Below is a picture taken on Deeper Ruts Road of a Cabot plow truck that got into trouble back in the winter of 2009.  We didn't hear much about this, and I'm not sure who got the picture or who gave it to me - it's probably better that we don't know the particulars.  As far as I know, nobody was hurt.

We just had a call from Billy Rossi saying that if you happened to be on their webcam a little while ago, you weren't seeing things - there actually was someone skating by their house, and they had a  golden retriever with them.  I  would not consider the ice safe yet, but to each his own.  Remember, to get to the web cam, use Internet Explorer as your browser to access the Joe's Pond Vermont website - then follow directions. 

   

Just so you folks who have left the area for warmer climates can see the kind of weather we're having, I have a short slide show for you.  The pond has been completely frozen over since about the day after Thanksgiving; then we had some rain and warm weather that left a whole lot of water on top of the ice.  Most of that ice is still intact tonight as the temperature is dropping rapidly past the freezing point to envelop us in a wave of cold air that will last at least through the weekend and perhaps into next week.  The only open water we saw today was in the narrows between the big pond and the middle pond; but without a doubt, the ice that's left is very thin.  However, if we don't have wind or snow, there will be an almost uninterrupted sheet of very clear, smooth ice covering the pond - which I mention only because that is rare.  We usually have ripples from wind or roughness from snow mixing into the water as it freezes.  We'll see what happens overnight.

We are wondering if anyone knows if this photo was taken in West Danville, and if so, who are these people?  We believe it was some business in West Danville, but what?  Or, I suppose it could be a family.  They include their horses, and that would indicate it's a family - they were very proud of their horses in those days - not every family had horses.  The two women cold represent two different generations, and there is such an age variation among the men, they could be brothers, uncles, etc.  I think the man on the far right moved just as the picture was taken - he seems to have two faces.  The picture came to our history committee from Dot Larrabee, but she doesn't know the origin.  Click to enlarge the image.  If you can help, e-mail me at janebrown@fairpoint.net.

Still no word from Namibia, but we expect Bill and family are fine, just probably either on the move or not where they can access the internet.  I expect we'll hear something from them this weekend.