April Fool's Day is over with - I hope not too many of you were fooled by some practical joker.  I always wondered about the reasoning behind the term "practical joke."  Since everything is explained on the internet, I Googled my question, and sure enough, got a very practical explanation:  To accomplish jokes successfully takes "practice" - thus, "practical joke."  So, with all that joking stuff behind us, I'll continue with more serious blogging.  (By the way, I got a few responses to my April 1st post about updating W. Shore Road, one was, "Happy April Fool's Day to you, too!)  

Along with it being April Fool's Day, April 1st was also the last day Ice-Out tickets could be sold.  It was hectic here with phone calls and e-mails wanting last-minute instructions and even one or two  pleas for extensions; however, we remain steadfast that rules are rules and we stick to 'em.  

Yesterday Diane went west to retrieve tickets; I went east - more or less.  I do Cabot, Walden and St. J., Diane does Danville, W. Danville, Barre and connects with Don Walker who takes care of Montpelier.  We have a system, by golly!  Mostly everything is in, but there's still some counting to do, but by the end of the week everything that's coming in the mail (mailed on or before April 1st) should be here, and Diane and I can take a breather.  Henretta, however, will be entering the information on her spreadsheet for another week or two at least, I'm guessing.  It is a really boring job, and we urge her to take frequent breaks, especially during these recent warm days.  Her latest report was that she'd input 5,000.  However, I picked up over 1,000 yesterday, and Diane will have lots from the Barre/Montpelier area. The internet tickets are in a pre-set  format designed by Fred so it will fit Henretta's spreadsheet without her needing to type all of those. This year internet sales seem to be up, and perhaps regular tickets may not be quite as many, but it's still much too early to know for certain.  

We're really proud of the help we've had from lots of members and friends of Joe's Pond, and of course the "vendors" - businesses who agree to sell tickets for us.  Without all of them, our fireworks would be a few sparklers and a couple strings of firecrackers.

Yesterday we got an e-mail from Homer:
 

HI -                                                                    APRIL 2, 2014

    YES, I DID HAVE A SMALL HEART ATTACK MONDAY MORNING ABOUT 4:00 A.M.      WOKE UP MY BED PARTNER AND CALLED 911.      THEY TOOK ME TO SARASOTA AS VENICE HOSPITAL HAD NO EMPTY BEDS.     BILL AND CAROL CHASE TOOK MARGARET UP.     THEN STAN AND JUNETTA CAME UP AND DROVE HER HOME.    SURE GREAT TO HAVE GOOD FRIENDS IN THE AREA.     TOOK BLOOD, MANY TESTS, AND A CAUTERIZATION (??)     CUTE NURSES AND DOCTOR ALSO.     WITH ALL THE TUBES, ETC., ON MY BODY AND ARMS I DID NOT GET MUCH  SLEEP.                        

    MARGARET DROVE BACK UP THIS MORNING AND BROUGHT ME HOME ABOUT 4:45 THIS AFTERNOON.

HAD A COUPLE MORE TESTS TODAY AND ALSO AN E K G ON MY NECK TO CHECK CAROTID ARTERIES.    ALL THESE RECORDS WILL BE SENT HOME TO DR. YORRA.      ALL IS WELL AND I WILL BE ABLE TO DRIVE WITHIN A WEEK.    WATCH MY DIET.     WALK A LITTLE MORE.     MY  KNEE WILL HAVE TO TAKE IT.    ALSO HAVE A COUPLE NEW MEDS.     CAN STILL SIT IN THE SUN AND THERE IS A LOT OF IT.

    THANKS FOR THE CALLS AND NOTES FROM THOSE WHO HEARD ABOUT THIS SO SOON.

                LOVE AND BLESSINGS,

                                        HOMER AND MARGARET

 We are glad this was apparently not too serious - but it's a warning, still, and scary.  I'm betting Margaret will be watching closely what's on Homer's plate from now on, and we'll hear that they're taking "walks in the sun" instead of "sitting in the sun."  Seems to me Homer used to walk from his home at Joe's Pond to West Danville and back nearly every morning a few years back.  Anyway, take care, Homer - glad you're ok.

If you would like to send a message to Homer, his Florida address is:  789 Baveno Dr., Venice FL 34285.  I'm sure he'd enjoy hearing from friends.

Our weather here is continuing to mimic spring in that it's warmish (34 degrees) and there are some sunny moments today, but not like yesterday when it got into the 40's and the sun was dazzling.  Brooks feeding into the pond are just beginning to show signs of opening up.  If the prediction is correct, our weather will be a messy mix of rain and snow likely by Saturday.  I looked at the extended forecast (and I mean REALLY extended!) and it seems like the kind of weather we should have been getting in March.  However, we'll take it and be happy to have a fairly gradual warming up process so there won't be severe flooding.  In spite of the sunshine yesterday, the snow pack at my stake was down only about an inch, now at 23 inches.
I haven't tested to see if there's still that nice crust we could walk anywhere on.  I hope this long stretch of somewhat milder weather will help the sugar makers, too.  

Nobody's thinking "early spring," that's for sure.  We've seen lots of Ice-Out tickets with May dates this year.  There have been only seven times the ice has held into May, the last was 2007, and before that, 2001, 1997, 1996, 1994, 1992, and 1989. There is a trend.