We are enjoying almost spring-like weather these last couple of days.  After enduring temperatures well below zero nearly every day since Christmas, days with temps in the teens seem moderate and in the twenty-degrees-above range, downright balmy.  Today, like yesterday, we have beautiful bright sunshine, but the air is still really chilly - my thermometers are ranging from 15.5 degrees on the weather station to 12 on the old mercury one outside my office window.  There's a brisk NE breeze that keeps us from getting too giddy about the warmup.  Yesterday the road by our house was slushy with a hint of mud about it.  But of course the zero degree temperature last night made quick ruts out of that.  

Town meeting is next week - a sure sign of spring around here, and normally farmers would be taken time off from sugaring, or at least sugaring preparations, to be at the meeting; but I doubt many of them have been rushing to prepare this year.  And when the weather does turn around, it could be such a drastic change from cold to warm or even hot, there won't be much ideal spring sugaring time.  We'll see.  In the meantime, those of you who live and plan to vote in Cabot but didn't get to go to the public introduction of the four candidates for town clerk this year, may want to see this video Will Walters did of the "meet and greet" session last Wednesday.  Click HERE and be sure your speakers are on.  Will apologizes for the insufficient lighting - it wasn't an ideal setup for video taping.  It does give us a good impression of how the meeting went, and I thank Will for sharing.

A lot of folks around here will be at town meetings on Tuesday - or perhaps you have already done your absentee ballots and sent them in, if you are unable to go to the meeting.  If we don't exercise our right to vote, we really don't have the right to complain about how things turn out.  One vote might not make a difference, but then again, it might.

Did you see the photo posted on home page of the website?  That isn't the greatest way to capture attention, and not exactly the sort of recommendation we're looking for, but we all know it's no use to argue with Ma Nature, so those of us who live here just accept that winter in Vermont, and West Danville in particular, is not for sissies.  That report didn't even mention wind chill.  The chart I use only goes to -30 degrees and 45 mph, but even at -30 with a wind of 10 mph, which is conservative for West Danville almost any day of the year, the wind-chill temperature would be -59 degrees.  Add that to your picture of "winter at Joe's Pond."

I don't know what the low was last night, but it was warmer than the two or three previous ones.  Actually, I'm losing interest in the temperature.  Any day with a temperature above zero is a good one, and if there happens to be sunshine, like today, it must be spring!   And I'm still betting March will see a big turnaround.  Sure, it could be we'll get all kinds of snow dumped on us, but the temperature has to begin to climb and give us a few days, at lease, above freezing.  Otherwise, we'll probably be looking at another year like 1816, the Year Without A Summer.  

I got this photo from Cousin Ora, sent to her by a friend,  titled, "The Flower Show in Warwick."  Creative, and I bet the sight of these "snow tulips" cheered up lots of folks tired of shoveling snow down there.

Today looks nice here - beautiful bright sunshine and it looks as if the thermometer will get at least into the teens, perhaps by mid-day.  No melting going on, but at least not as depressing as those cold, sunless days that make winter seem like forever.

It's been too cold to think much about the ice out contest, but Diane and I have actually distributed tickets to all the outlets in Barre and St. Johnsbury.  Cabot stores have them and also Diane Cochran at the Walden Stop Inn Shop.  The flag and clock aren't out yet - there's plenty of time for that, and Larry Rossi says he's happy to wait for the weather to warm up before going out onto the ice to set things up.  I checked the temperature at pond level (one of the web cams is focused on a thermometer) and it's reading almost 30 degrees!  The sun has been warming up the Rossi deck nicely.
Diane says I almost always have a colder temperature here than she does - and right now my out back thermometer that always gives a colder reading than any of the indoor/outdoor gadgets, is reading a mere 17 degrees. 

Some of you have asked how Jane and Garey Larrabee are doing - I checked when I was in the store yesterday, and James said Jane is about the same and still at Central Vermont Hospital.  Garey is doing better each day, doing physical therapy and slowly regaining use of his arm and fingers.  Taking turns in the hospital I'm sure is not the way either Garey or Jane expected to spend the winter, but they've surely had a tough one this year.  We wish them both the best.  Cards and messages can be sent to P. O. Box 58, West Danville VT 05873.

Ok, I'm making a weather prediction:  This week will mark the end of this awful deep cold weather.  March will bring us more normal temperatures.  I'm not saying we'll be out of the woods as far as snow storms are concerned, but I think the temperature will moderate. 

Today has been another bitterly cold day.  It didn't get above zero all day, and the wind blew mercilessly.    I didn't even bother to bundle up and walk today - just too darned cold.  Fred was out to clear the inch or so of new snow we got overnight - or that blew here from some other snowy place, and to get the mail, but mostly we've stayed inside and enjoyed the quiet of another frigid day.  Right now, at 5 o'clock, I have a reading of -15 degrees.

I had an e-mail from Karen Cobb in Virginia, saying her friend's husband's head injury after his tumble is going to be ok and he was to have his broken arm set today.  We hope they get some relief from the cold and snow there.

I had an e-mail also from Helen Morrison, our neighbor down the road who volunteers for the animal shelter in St. Johnsbury.  Here's what Helen wrote: 

Hi Folks,

Kingdom Animal Shelter is having a yard sale fund raiser this coming Saturday, Feb. 28, from 9-3 at Butler's Bus Service on Red Village Road in Lyndonville.  We would love to see you there.  

And....if you have any items you'd like to donate, that would be much appreciated.  I could come and pick them up this Thursday or Friday.  We can't use clothes, electronics, or exercise equipment, or anything really large and hard to move.  But other items would be great. Let me know. Thanks.  Helen

Helen's phone number is 563-2488.

I have been wondering how thick the ice is now, after all this cold.  I may be able to find out tomorrow when I go into West Danville.  I'm curious, but I'm not going out there to talk to anyone with the wind whipping down the pond the way it has been.  Perhaps someone at the store will know.  I'm not even sure the ice fishermen are out there on days like today.  We don't usually get the wind full force here at our house, but there's nothing between anyone out on the ice and that Arctic blast right out of Canada.  We've had a lot of cold weather without a break since I last had a measurement, and that was the first week in January when the ice was 14 inches.  I'm guessing it's at least 3 ft. thick now, but I'll try to get an "official" measurement soon.  One thing is for sure, we're going to have ice in the pond for a while yet.

By the way, we and Bill and Diane Rossi got take-out dinners from the North Danville Baptist church on Saturday, and everything was really good.  It was a roast pork dinner and had mashed potato, dressing, gravy, carrots, coleslaw, a roll and apple sauce - and for dessert, a really delicious cream puff.  So good, and we all had way more than we needed, but everyone ate every morsel.    

    I recorded 4.5 in. of new snow this morning.  There may have been more because last night was one of those windy, blizzardy nights not fit for man nor beast, and the snow got royally rearranged.  We haven't been socked with as much as our southern neighbors, but we do have enough snow so everyone except perhaps skiers, boarders and snowmobilers are ready to cry "uncle."

We have no problem with roads blocked, and even our cities and towns have been able to keep streets and sidewalks mostly open - we are used to this much snow or even more.  We are even able to cope with the extended bitter cold pretty well, although there have been more fires and I'm sure some frozen water pipes to contend with.  At that, we're fortunate.  Here's what Karen Cobb wrote today from Lynchburg, Virginia:

   Received an additional 5-6 inches with ice following that yesterday / last night. Power off briefly, but our roads a nightmare with the added ice coating.
   My friend's husband was trying to shovel stoop/ stairs- fell hitting head and breaking his arm. Ambulance came and got stuck on the hill so had wrecker come and pull ambulance to a higher street where it got stuck again.  Did finally get him to the hospital where he is now being treated. What a day, and black ice tonight all over as melting occurring.
   Definitely ready for spring around here, but know y'all deal with much more than this!
Take care,
Karen

While we do deal with more snow, we are better equipped and have learned lessons over the years.  For communities that don't normally have lots of snow, ice and cold to contend with, this is understandably difficult to cope with.  I hope Karen's friend's husband is going to be ok. 

Many sections of the country may have to consider reviewing how they equip themselves to handle weather in the future.  Unusual weather events seem to be becoming more frequent.  Just as some areas are thinking ahead trying to prepare for flooding events, especially along the coastlines, areas not used to cold and snow may have to rethink their winter routines and have  contingency plans.   Mother Earth's weather tantrums probably aren't going away anytime soon.

The good news here for today is that as forecast, we had milder temperatures - it felt like spring when it hit 30 degrees.  I'm not sure how high the thermometer went, but it was very pleasant not to have it so cold. 
 
Here's a picture of our driveways - well, actually, our neighbors'.  The snow banks aren't unusually high - yet, but they are getting there.  By the time March is done, we may have a heap more snow than this piled up.  The trick now is to keep the banks from closing in and making the driveways too narrow.  Jamie plows with "The Peach," and then Fred cleans up the sidewalls with the snow blower.  

I found this snapshot taken after a March storm in about 1944.  This was the bank left by the snowplow at our house on Cabot Plain.  That's my dad in the plaid jacket, my aunt and uncle, Jessie and George Bassett, and me holding my young cousin high on the snowbank.  

The big old tractor plow would have snow tumbling back into the road behind it as it broke through big drifts and then would return with the wing almost straight up to push the snow out of the road.  It took hours to go break out the road for only a short distance sometimes after a big storm with lots of wind.  The higher the snowbanks, the more drifting there would be with each storm.   This is the plow that kept our roads open in those days, taken on the hill approaching the Bolton farm.  The hills in the background are in Walden, north of Cabot Plain.  

    We had lovely sunshine all day today, but the thermometers around Joe's Pond never got out of the single numbers - at least none that I heard about.  Even the one on the back of our house that gets full sun in the afternoon, remained no more than 8 above, and now, with the sun having dipped below the tree line, is resting at zero - again; and the wind has continued.
    However, we are not alone in this cold snap.  I had an e-mail this morning from a friend in Wellington, Florida saying the temperature dipped to 34 degrees last night.  She was relieved it didn't drop below freezing, but even so, that's mighty cold for those parts.
    Karen Cobb, in Lynchburg, VA, sent this:

Minus 11 officially last night here breaking the record. Not much warmer than you currently with forecast of snow/ ice tomorrow. Our interior roads still a sheet of ice which is not fun in a city known as The Hill City!  Good news is that Sunday to bring 46 degrees! Will break out my shorts!
Hoping you get a break up there soon as well.

    By contrast, I heard from Barbara Pollock in Arizona, and I quote:

"I hate to tell you, but we're enduring another 80 degree day here."

          I'm just glad someone is enjoying warm weather.  It has been a year of extremes, for sure, all caused by another polar vortex, according to the weather people.  Lake Champlain was officially frozen over a few days ago, and much of Niagara Falls is encased in ice.   Farmers here who anticipate getting into the woods to get ready for the maple sugaring season are saying it's impossible to work with the tubing as it will crack easily in weather such as this, so they are having to wait for "a warm spell."  The sap isn't going to run until we have a few daytime temperatures in the 40's, with nights below freezing.  If that combination fails to occur, it could be a dismal season for maple producers.  Right now, any reading even close to freezing would be very welcome.

        I stopped at Hastings Store this morning to find out how Jane Larrabee is.  She missed our meeting on Monday and I was told she had the flu.  Her son-in-law, James, told me today she is at Central Vermont Regional Hospital.  They had thought she had the flu and had then developed pneumonia, but the problem is with her heart.  She will be facing surgery, James said, but it hasn't been decided exactly the procedure or where this will be done.  The good news is, Garey is doing well, continuing physical therapy for his arm, and the results are positive.  This has been a really tough year for the Larrabee family.  If you'd like to send Jane a card, the address is P. O. Box 58, West Danville VT 05873.

    Just a quick update on our weather - we can't complain much about today's weather.  We had bright sunshine most of the day and temps in the low 20s.  Felt a lot like spring!  It's just a tease, though - the weather is turning nasty again this weekend.  Tonight is going to be cold again, right now 9 degrees, but probably won't go below zero like nights in the past weeks.
    I got this message and photo from Karen Cobb today:   

Ten-twelve inches here with frigid temps on tap!
They can't handle it here like you can up there!
Yet to see a plow in residential areas so we shall hunker down with our wood stove/ gas logs going. Warned of overloads on the power grid.

Your area has had an unbelievable amount of weather so hoping a change coming soon for all of you!

Stay warm/ safe!
Karen

    Nice picture, Karen - thank you.  Tonight at 11 p.m. it was 16 degrees in Lynchburg, VA, where Karen is - not all that much warmer than we are.

   Even though all that snow is a pain to deal with, it sure makes pretty pictures!  Here's another one, this one from our cousin in Rhode Island.  I just checked and it's 26 degrees in Narragansett and 27 degrees in Boston.  Across the border in Canada it's about 12 degrees.

    I should have taken some pictures today when the sun was so nice, but I was only outside for a short time and forgot to take the camera.  I doubt the sun will be out tomorrow - but we'll see what's in store for us.  We know there's more snow in the forecast - and even some rain or freezing rain this weekend.  Not a good prospect with all the snow, if it rains very much.  We'd really rather just have some warmer weather to melt the snow gradually. But we've all been wishing for the weather to turn around, and we know we should be careful what we wish for.  It may turn out to be too much of a good thing. 

    We had a pretty nice day today and temperatures actually got into the low 20s above for a short period mid-day.  Another zero or below night, but no wind, fortunately, which is a big relief.
    Here's a link showing what some folks do with their spare snow.  I'm not sure we could make much with this dry snow we have without applying lots of water to make it stick together.  I hate to think what a cold job that would be.  Anyway, take a look HERE.   Thanks to Cousin Ora for sharing the pictures our Cape Cod cousins sent to her.
    Fred had an e-mail from our friend in Anchorage, Alaska today and the snow was melting there - temperature high listed on the national weather site at 6 p.m. their time was still in the 40s and the low tonight expected to be in the 20s range.  It seems we are stuck on the wrong side of the weather systems this year.  Things have to change soon, though.  It's almost March and time to think about sugaring here in the north country.  People are often already tapped and ready to go by town meeting day, but I guess that won't be the case this year.
    I'm transcribing notes from a diary kept by long-time West Danville farmer, Douglas Blackadar, and apparently the winter of 1917 was very harsh.  He wrote on February 10th:  Arctic weather again - blowing like blazes.  On March 18th he wrote:  Snowing and drifting all day - cold as February.  He was unhappy about the hard winters and the weather that was often unfavorable for farming even in the summer, when there might be rain for days on end leaving no chance for hay, the mainstay of every farmer, to dry.  There were times when he obviously thought he'd chosen the wrong place in which to settle and farm.  However, one year he had two ministers working as hired help during haying and for whatever reason, all went exceptionally well; he credited the ministers for that.
    I've actually just begun transcribing the notes, and we are very  happy to have this record for our West Danville history.  Sifting through diaries takes time, but often there is very important information in them.  We'll see what tomorrow brings for information -- as well as weather.

    Beautiful sunny day here and it stayed well below zero all day.  The wind wasn't as brutal as it had been over the weekend, but there was enough going on to make it too cold to be outside for long without all exposed skin covered.  As you can see, Fred is ready the weather - he says his hat with the fur ear flaps and fur visor he got from L. L. Bean last year is just right for this kind of weather.  Following behind the snow blower when it's snowing and the wind is howling is no walk in the park, and he puts on a lot of miles up and down our driveway and the neighbors, so he has to be prepared for the cold.  The wind has been drifting the snow, packing it pretty hard these past two or three days, and it doesn't take long for the road to fill in enough to be bothersome for a car trying to navigate.
    Speaking of wind, snow and drifts, we have another name for you to call if you need a roof shoveled or other shoveling done.  I had a note from Patty Coffrin letting me know that Jacob Houston, her son-in-law, is here from Alaska and he'll be glad to shovel for anyone who needs it.  Patty said Jacob and Kathryn are expecting the birth of their son, so Jacob will be here for most of the winter.  His cell number is 802-595-2482.  Remember when Jacob and Kathryn were married?  It was in 2012 at Joe's Pond.  
    But back to winter - Fred's cousin, Ora, lives in Rhode Island and has been in touch during this mean weather.  They have had lots of cold and more snow than normal, but not as much snow as the Boston area.  She sent this picture of a hungry little sparrow at her feeder today.  Ora takes beautiful photos and does some really nice things with them.  Looks like he was chirping "Thank you, Ora!"
    A few days ago I got a picture from another member of the family, our sister-in-law, Ella, in Colorado.  She and Fred's brother Tom go there every winter where Tom is a ski instructor.  During the "off season" when they are at home in Laconia, N. H., Ella has lovely flower beds and seems to have a real passion plus a green thumb.  She said she bought these three orchid plants when they first got to Colorado this fall and they have grown from very small plants into these beauties.  The condo they rent there is small and Ella does a great job of making it their "home away from home" each winter.
    Ok, that's all I've got for tonight, kids.  Tuck in, stay warm and safe and cheer up - this weather has to break in another six weeks or so . . . !

    Diane Rossi notified me this morning she had to remover the big round thermometer that one of the web cams is focused on.  The wind has been whipping down the pond for the past few days and Diane was afraid the thermometer would be blown away and broken.  When the weather calms down, she will put it back in place.
    We have beautiful sunshine this morning, but the temperature is still about 10 degrees below zero.  A little warmer in the sun, but with the wind, it's still below zero.  We're all hoping for a warm-up.
    I've mentioned before that I've been doing research for the West Danville history planned by the Danville Historical Society.  I was particularly interested last night when I came across the following
in the January 3, 1895 edition of the St. Johnsbury Caledonian there was this item:  'As the days begin to lengthen the cold begins to strengthen,' seems fulfilled this year, the past week registered from zero to twenty below with the addition of a foot of snow and a blow.
    On February 8, 1895, was the report:  Tuesday and Wednesday were the two roughest days of the season, thermometer registering clear into the bulb.
    And on March 22, 1895 winter still had a grip on West Danville:  Monday and Tuesday the wind put in good time with two inches of snow till it became too hard to fill the air.  The thermometer was near to zero."
    Finally, on April 12th came a report that the "much needed rain" had arrived and in two days "made havoc with the snow and raised the water in the pond."  There were reports of low water in the pond throughout much of that winter and resulting shutting down of the saw mill, shingle mill and some of the equipment in the stone shed, all of which depended on water power.  By April 19th, the report was that the pond had come up two feet causing concern and doing some damage at the mills, but settled back within a few days.  When the water was so low, various businesses tried making higher dams hoping to contain some of the water for their own use; however this was apparently only a temporary and mostly unsuccessful solution.  
    All the above sounded very familiar.  Cruel winter weather is no stranger at West Danville.
 

I hadn't expected there would be much to blog about today, but turns out I do have some sad news.  Stephen Dudley (W. Shore Rd.) contacted me today to let me know his sister, Martha Flanagan passed away.  Here is what Stephen wrote: 

    I send you the sad news that my sister, Martha Flanagan, passed on Monday February 9. 

She fought valiantly and struggled for the last 16 months and lost her battle with colon cancer. A memorial service was held yesterday in New York and a burial of her ashes will occur later in the year, in warmer weather, here in Guilford.

    Her obituary is on the Albany Times Union web site here.

    Many Joe's Ponders will remember Martha as she and her husband, Tom, spent many summers here at the pond before they moved to the Mechanicsville, New York area.  Should you wish to send condolences to the family, here are the addresses:

Thomas Flanagan, 490 Route 67, Mechanicsville NY 12118

Stephen & Mary Dudley, 111 Clapboard Hill, Guilford CT 06437

    Our sincere sympathy to the Martha's family.  She will be dearly missed.  

    We went out today - into the cold, blustery weather, making a quick stop in first St. Johnsbury and then Littleton, N. H.  We had been undecided whether we should attempt to go out at all because of the reports of white-outs and blizzard conditions, especially east of us, but being pushed more by the need to get out of the house more than common sense, I suppose, we ventured out.  The roads were good, the sun was shining and the weather no worse than many other winters except for the bitter cold.  It was about 5 below when we left, and even in Littleton, which is normally a little warmer than we are, it was only 6 above, according to the car thermometer reading.  And the wind was blowing there, too, but there didn't seem to be as much snow to blow around.  We took some pictures, both heading east as it was blowing (of course) in West Danville, and then as we approached West Danville coming home a couple hours later, it was worse, blotting out the sun and producing white-outs on Rt. 2 next to the pond.  I've made a short slide show for you.  
    Right now my weather station is showing -10.4 degrees.  I'm sure the thermometer on the back side of the house is reading at least -15, but it's too dark for me to read it and there's some frost on the window behind the thermal shade.  The wind is still blowing.  
    That said, it's nice to know we aren't the only ones with some blowing snow.  Butch Bouchard sent this photo a few minutes ago saying: "Jane, even being 165 miles south of Joe's Pond, our string of blizzards here in Haverhill Mass. has us wishing for relief." 
    Butch didn't say how cold it was there today, but when I brought up the weather for Haverhill, it was 8 degrees with a wind of 13 mph at 6 p.m.  With wind chill factored in, that makes it about -20 degrees.  A good night to stay at home and watch television.  
    We're glad to be back home, tucked in for the night.  I hope everyone had a nice Valentine's Day - I guess it's time to change the banner here on the blog again.  I'll work on that later.  Right now I'm going to go make us some BLT sandwiches (and maybe some hot soup) for supper.

 

    We are getting a bit of snow, and the temperature has been in the single digits all day - starting off at around 12 below and now about 5 above.  There is some wind, so it seems colder than that, of course.  We're watching the forecast and tomorrow doesn't look good for people east of us and all along the New England coast.  Let's hope this is the last storm for the season.  Then we need to hope if the weather warms up it does so gradually, otherwise there will be more problems.  There is a lot of snow to be melted away.
    There's good news and bad news.  The bad news is that Don Walker has a slight stroke in the early hours of last Tuesday and landed in the hospital; and the good news is that it was apparently not too serious and he's doing really well.  He is back home and when I spoke with him on the phone just now he said other than being really tired, he's coming along ok. I heard today from my friend, Mary W. that people had missed him at the Wayside and were relieved when he and Audrey showed up yesterday.  Their son, Wade, is here from Arizona helping out, and daughters Megan and Shelly are taking good care of him, he said.  I just posted that his 88th birthday was last Sunday, but now it would be really nice if Joe's Ponders would send off a card to let him know you're thinking of him. His address is:  Don Walker, 245 Towne Hill Rd., Montpelier VT 05602.  I know he'd be pleased to hear from friends here at the pond and others who know him. 
    Life is full of surprises and today is a great time to show someone you care about how much you mean to them.  Happy Valentine's Day to everyone - now go give someone you care about a big hug!

 

    Another cold night in store for us, but we've only had a trace of snow in the past 24 hours.  A short squall went through this afternoon, but it didn't amount to much.  The forecast is still holding for temperatures way below zero this weekend, though, and that includes being frigid even in the daylight hours.  We're toughened to it by now - so a day like today when it was in the 20s seems like a touch of spring.
    Fred's brother Tom and our sister-in-law Ella are enjoying the races at Beaver Creek going on right now.  Tom sent this photo - that's Ella in the white jacket heading up to the races.  You can see the hillside in the background is bare of snow.  There is plenty in the mountains, but very little in the valleys.  I looked at a weather report on line and they are enjoying highs of 47 degrees and lows in the mid 20s.   I haven't been watching any of the racing events there, but I am aware there have been a couple of skiers out of the Burke Mountain Ski School in competition.
    Things are relatively quiet here - I distributed Ice-Out tickets in St. Johnsbury today and everywhere I went I got the same exclamation:  "Is it that time already?"  I guess not many people are thinking about the ice melting, much as we'd like to see that happening; but there's something reassuring about gearing up the Ice-Out Contest - it's the first sign of spring!  Right now we need that.  Actually, ticket sales are picking up, both in the mail and on line, so other folks are thinking about it, too.  This is the 28th year for the contest.  I think it's safe to say it's an "institution."
    Keep warm and safe, or cool and safe, depending on where you are.  Enjoy the Valentine Day weekend - flowers, chocolates, the works. 

    We had a really nice day today - bright sunshine and temps in the 20's.  It seemed so good to be outside and be comfortable.  Tonight will be cold again, probably in the vicinity of zero, but that's mild compared to what's ahead for this weekend.  I'd like to think this next "cold snap" turns out to be winter's "last gasp," but that's not realistic, of course.  We still have the rest of February and all of March ahead of us, and that could mean some pretty wild weather.
    I've just found out that Don Encarnacion, our neighbor just down the road, is putting his property on the market.  I don't have any particulars yet, but it will be assigned to a realtor soon.  It is a nice property - around 20 acres, I believe, and the house is lovely - big fireplace and sunken living room, sun room, I believe three bedrooms and two baths, double garage, paved driveway.  Don no longer feels comfortable living there alone since his wife, Mary died, and he's in his 90s.  We are sad he will no longer be our neighbor.  It will make someone a really nice home and there's plenty of room to move about, inside and out - a nice brook, plenty of garden space - and good neighbors!  As soon as Don and his daughters have selected a realtor, we'll have a link here on the website.

    We're finally getting our "January Thaw."  It may be a little late and is forecast to be brief, but we appreciate having temperatures closer to freezing rather than zero - and even though it's overcast, we aren't having snow flurries!  Even without bright sunshine, people are out and about a bit more, enjoying the warmer temps (and probably laying in supplies to be ready for the next onslaught.)
      Don Walker has been part of our Ice Out Contest since the beginning, and he's still coordinating ticket sales in the Montpelier area.  I talked to him yesterday and found out Sunday was his 88th birthday - so just in case some of you Joe's Pond folks want to wish him happy birthday, you can still do so - his address is:  Don Walker, 245 Towne Hill Rd., Montpelier VT 05602, or surprise him with a phone call - 802-223-2484.  Don said the weather kept them at home Sunday, but daughter Shelly brought in a nice birthday dinner for him and Audrey; however, they went for breakfast as usual at the Wayside on Monday morning, in spite of the weather.  
     Don sounds good - we haven't seen him and Audrey since late fall; he said he's got tickets out in the usual places and people are beginning to talk about getting their tickets.  We agreed the ice won't be going out any time soon.  With all this cold weather and the snow to insulate the ice from sun, if we ever get any, may mean there will be a longer than usual wait for the ice to go.  On the other hand, the weather could switch quickly into spring mode . . . well, heck, who knows?  It really doesn't matter if you are living here or are far away - it's anybody's guess when the clock will stop.  That's what makes the contest so much fun.

    And we're getting more snow today - just showers so far this morning, but more throughout today into Tuesday; however, it looks as if the track of the storm may stay a bit south of us so we may only get an inch or so instead of up to a foot as was predicted in yesterday's reports.  That said, there's still a heavy load on most roofs already and we've had a report of one area roof collapsing this past week under the weight of the snow.  Jane Larrabee said one of the ice fishermen heard a cracking sound and looked up in time to see it collapse.  We'll try to find out exactly where it was.  The danger will be increased if the weather warms up and we get some rain to make that snow much heavier than it is even now.
    In case you didn't see my earlier posting suggesting those of you not here should arrange for someone reliable to go check your camp.  In some spots the wind may have done the job of clearing your roof for you, but in other locations that may not be the case and there could even be additional snow deposited by drifting.  If you need someone to shovel or rake your roof, contact the Johnsons at 802-274-8048 or 802-535-4802, or get in touch with Nate Curschmann, 802-279-6131.  These are local contacts and they will do a good job for you at reasonable rates.

   Some folks who can't take the cold here just really like to give us grief - especially when they know we're digging out every day from constant snow and freezing our bippies doing it.  I got this today: 
 HI -

    A BEAUTIFUL SUNNY DAY !   A LITTLE BREEZE AND HOT SUN.

THINK THE BEACHES AND AT THE JETTY,  THE MOST PEOPLE AND CARS WE HAVE SEEN IN YEARS.    REALLY CROWDED EVERYWHERE.

ALSO THE MOST BOATS IN AND OUT OF THE JETTY.   LOVE EVERY MINUTE OF IT.    WE SPENT ABOUT THREE HOURS THERE.

    HOPE ALL IS WELL THERE.

                        LOVE AND BLESSINGS,

                                                HOMER AND MARGARET

    That's perfectly ok, Homer - we are really happy for you, but you don't have this kind of beauty down there in the hot south!  Fred was out shoveling off our roofs until about dark, and then came in and got the camera.  This is what we have going on out there day and night - but it's lots prettier at night, isn't it?  Eat your hearts out, all you snowbirds down south.  Click to see it larger.

    We're getting more snow.  Not exactly what we need, but looks like we're due another foot or snow.  On top of what we already have, that's one heck of a lot of snow.
      If you haven't contacted someone to check the roofs on your camps, it's a good time to do that.  Some roof may be ok if they have plenty of pitch, but even with good pitch, this is a heavy load to carry.  Right now the snow is fairly light because it's been so cold, but it's due to warm up and then it gets a whole lot heavier.
    The Johnson boys are available for shoveling or raking roofs,  and snow blowing, and you can reach them by calling Kevin at 802-274-8048 or Connor at 802-535-408.
    I don't mean to panic anyone, but this is an unusual winter.  It has been snowing here all day.  Fred is out cleaning off some of the snow on our house and garage, even though we have a pretty steep pitch on the main house.  The garage has a flatter pitch on the back side and although it gets the afternoon sun, there hasn't been any sunshine to speak of, and days the sun was out it was too cold for any melting to go on.  So - have someone reliable check your camp and if it looks like you need the roof cleaned off, now is a good time, before the load gets any heavier.

    We aren't out of the cold yet, and again we're getting "snow showers" with precious little sunshine.  It's been a little warmer, actually, up to 10 or 12 above during the day, but it was something like 15 below last night  - I've given up checking the overnight low.  It only makes me more frustrated that we don't get a break in the weather.
     I had an e-mail from Diane Rossi a few minutes ago and she said there was a truck out plowing roads on the ice.  I went to the web cam, but I guess I was too late.  There are lots of ice shanties at the lower end of the pond, and probably whoever that was either has a shanty on the pond or intends to be out there fishing this weekend.
    I also saw Burr Morse's latest newsletter today.  Now, you may not have the same reaction as I, but when I read his recipe for sugar-on-snow made in a microwave, I was just a little skeptical.  How in the world could crushed, compacted ice out of a blender and microwave-zapped syrup ever replace packing clean snow into a dishpan and boiling syrup on the kitchen range until it sheets just right off a spoon?  Apparently it works, and the whole process takes only a fraction of the time.  Of course, I know almost everyone is in an awful hurry these days, and goodness knows what terrible chemicals and germs may be lurking in even our super white, apparently ultra clean Vermont snow - but somehow what Burr described doesn't quite do it for me.  It's been years since I've had sugar on snow, but if I get a yen for some I think I'll make it the old fashioned way.  Sorry, Burr.
    I know I sometimes bore a lot of you with my meanderings down memory lane or with historical tidbits - but then there are a few readers who say they enjoy my wanderings, or at least you are kind enough to lie to me.  I accept you may be stretching it a little, but I admit your kind words always give me a big boost.  
    Here's something that I came upon by accident today.  I've been searching through old editions of newspapers, and like often happens, my eyes wander from what I'm supposed to be looking for and land on something way different.  Today it was a short note under local news of St. Johnsbury:  "John Bolton of West Danville has sold 1,000,000 feet of sawed lumber to E. & T. Fairbanks Co."  It was in the May 23, 1889 issue of the St. Johnsbury Caledonian.
    Now, here's why I was so interested.  John Bolton was my great grandfather, and although the Bolton farm was firmly planted on Cabot Plain, the family transacted a good share of their business in West Danville, and I imagine, like some Cabot folks on the southeast side of Cabot still do today, they may have had a West Danville mail address.  My grandfather would have been a young man of about 30 years old at the time, and no doubt worked with a crew of men cutting timber all winter (for perhaps more than one season, judging by the amount sold to Fairbanks) and hauling it onto the ice at the head of Joe's Pond.  The logs were held in a boom until spring and then floated down the pond to the sawmill that was just below the present bridge in West Danville, owned by Nathaniel Burbank at that time.  There was an item in the North Star on Feb. 22, 1867 about Burbank building "a new and large saw mill at West Danville on the site of the former one that was destroyed by fire some time since." 
    I knew about the "log drives" my grandfather participated in on the pond, but I had no idea there would have been that much lumber involved.  Here is a photo of a small boom of logs in the cove next to what is now Point Comfort, waiting to be guided to the sluice at the mill.  Like a piece of a puzzle, it all fits into a place in history.  And that's my contribution for today.
    I have something that will make you smile, now.  Andy Rudin sent me this link for Woody, our cat.  Click here.