I've had a couple of reports come in today about ice on local ponds.  At Stiles in Waterford, the shore next to Route 18 is showing water, but the opposite shore is very solid. 

Lori Larrabee Williams, who contacted us this year about setting up a contest similar to ours in Lyman, NH, sent me an e-mail this morning saying the ice went out yesterday at 3:28 p.m.  They are feeling good about their first year and selling nearly 900 tickets.  We were happy to share information with them and we're glad things went well for them.

Jack LaGue (Sandy Beach Road) sent an article on the Minnesota Department of Lakes website about how ice in ponds melts.  I found it really interesting.  We've watched the ice change each year from transparent clear blue solid ice to white when snow mixes with water on top and then dark gray-blue in the spring before it's finally gone.  We've also heard the tinkling of the ice crystals (now I know they are known as "candles") floating as the last of the ice melts away.  Now I know how ice melts, I'm anxious to see more of it happening.  We awoke to a world of white this morning and the thermometer has barely reached above the freezing mark all day.  There are still patches of snow on our back lawn, and more predicted for this weekend.