We just got back from a day in Burlington. It was almost as cold there as it is here. The temperature was 2 above zero when we left at about 8 o'clock this morning, and the highest I saw on our car thermometer was 16 above at about high noon in Burlington. Everyone was complaining about the "sudden cold" and saying they hadn't had a chance to ease into winter. True enough--this much cold is a shock after the mild weather a few weeks ago, and with the wind and blowing snow, more like January than December.
    This was my regular appointment for an injection in my eye due to AMD (age-related macular degeneration). I now go every month and the injections are alternated. My vision was slightly better today, but Dr. Kim assures me the injections are necessary in order to maintain my current vision. On that basis, I have no complaints, as I still see quite well, thankfully. Lines aren't always straight, and don't ask me to read fine print.
     I always hope for a cloudy day when I go for the appointments, but today was just full of sunshine. With both eyes dilated and my right one feeling the effects of the shot, it was a little uncomfortable for an hour or so, but we had some lunch and then made a quick stop at Walmart and by the time we were heading down the highway towards home, I was pretty much back to normal.
     I made a quick stop at Hastings Store to pick up Ice-Out tickets, and Garey told me he has sold a number of the pretty Joe's Pond monogramed towels and the Joe's Pond throws. If you are hoping to get one of these items for a Christmas gift, better get in touch soon.
     Garey was also able to supply a lady in Sweden with a Joe's Pond baseball type cap to replace one her father-in-law had lost. She had contacted me through the Joe's Pond website and Garey took it from there. That will make one gentleman in Sweden very happy--he had bought a cap when he visited here a few years ago, and it was apparently his favorite. It's nice his daughter-in-law, Emilie, took time to investigate the possibilities for getting a replacement, and great that Garey was able to supply just what she was looking for.
     I had another note today from Mary Whitcomb about the Baltimore oriole that's still hanging out at her bird feeder:
  
   Hi Jane,  You will be happy to learn that this is day 5 and the bird survived the temps last night.  It was zero here, not counting the wind chill factor.  I shared my photos with Sharon Myers on WCAX and she forwarded them to Bryan Pfeiffer, who wrote me about the Christmas bird count and also connected me with a few other bird watchers.  One of them, a very nice young man who is a paraeducator at Lamoille Union High School, came to my house about 8 this morning and was thrilled to see this bird.  He took lots and lots of pictures.  He also copied 4 videos I’d taken of the bird eating clementines.  Bryan Pfeiffer has pretty much confirmed this oriole is an immature male.   Mary

Click on one of the photos to make it larger. 

     I'm very glad this little bird has survived.  I hope the extended cold doesn't do him in.  Looks like that bluejay may be giving him some advice--or maybe saying, "This is what happens when you don't listen to your elders!"

     Thanks for sharing, Mary. Keep us posted. Have you named him? "Frosty" might be fitting . . . !