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.