Today was like spring.  At noon when I started off for my usual hill climb, the air was warm and fresh with just a hint of spring smell in it.  I found myself thinking how nice it would be if the last three or four days of sub-zero weather was the extent of our winter and now there will be spring.  I wasn't too proud of my thoughts - after all, I'm a Native Vermonter and we are sworn to relish nose pinching, cold, long winter days and desperately cold, wind-howling nights. But I admit I appreciated today, a lovely break from the bitter cold.  The sun was bright and warm, but not warm enough to melt any snow, although it may have settled the five or so inches we have on the ground a bit.  We can expect rain this weekend - or perhaps sleet and a messy mix in the higher elevations.  I guess it's going to be one of those unpredictable winters.  This is a picture of Fred's brother, Tom and his wife, skiing earlier this week at Beaver Creek, Colorado, where Tom is a ski instructor.  Tom said they've had some really cold weather out there, too, but they have plenty of snow and skiing is great.  They are both Native Vermonters.

We went to West Danville this morning and got some pictures of the Walker cottage.  There was more than normal activity today as they were working on the roof and when we went by there were several vehicles with roofing materials and equipment.  The place is coming along nicely.

West Danville was pretty quiet when we were there, but there is evidence work is going on at the Joe's Pond Country Store.  I wonder if they will keep the name?  We've been told there may be a bicycle rental store there in addition to the diner.  At Hastings, things were quiet except for a few folks like myself stopping in to pick up mail.  We were meeting the mother of a young man who is taking our old printer and wants to try to get it working.  I think he's a student and his mom teaches at Sterling College in Craftsbury.  His mom told us he's "a tinkerer" and wants to be an engineer, so this could be a great project for him.   I had a nice note from him tonight thanking us for the printer, and saying he hopes to get it operating soon.

This is the time of year that Woody goes a little berserk because there's so little going on inside or out.  Fred tied a gadget onto a piece of string and hung it from the "catwalk" overhead in the kitchen.  We found out quickly that Woody's sharp little teeth can cut through the thick string faster than we can re-tie it.  Today we gave him some empty cereal boxes to play with and that kept him occupied for quite a long time.  One thing about cats, though, is that they have spurts of high energy, then crash.  They know how to live well:  brief exercise - long naps. That's why they are so serene.