Today has been another with a mix of weather going on - most of it very messy. There was sleet and freezing rain early this morning - and that fell on about an inch and a half of new snow. Well, actually, more like three inches of  snow because we got another inch and a half the day before. The rain made the snow heavy and, of course very slippery on the roads. The temperature is still above freezing as I write this - it's been in the mid to high 30s all day. It may have gone above that, but every time I checked, it was high 30s. Tonight it's just a little above freezing here, so there are probably pockets where the air is colder and there's icing going on.
    We were out and about this morning. West Shore Road was well plowed and sanded, and about 9 o'clock tonight we saw the plow and sander going through again. The main roads were being plowed regularly, but still there was a lot of slush and every passing car, or worse the big trucks, left a spray of slush or salty mist that was very frustrating. We had to keep the wipers going and used lots of windshield washes. There was some wind, but we haven't lost power - yet.
     I want to remind everyone that it time to be getting serious about the Ice-Out Contest. The pond is well frozen over and before you know it, April 1st will be here and we'll be waiting to hear who had the good fortune to guess the right time the block went down. The block and flag aren't out there yet - that won't happen until around  March 1st, but tickets are available and you should probably have a supply on hand so you make educated guesses as time passes and weather changes occur. 
    You can go on line and get printable tickets that you can fill out and send with $1.00 for each one; or you can contact Diane Rossi to send you however man you want. Diane's phone is 802-563-6088, and her email is dmbrossi@aol.com. If you live close by, Hastings Store has a supply on hand - year around, actually! 
     Lots of people don't know that tickets are available almost all year long. The only time we won't have them is from April 1st, after the contest closes, until about the last week in May when the tickets for the 2020 contest will be ready. The 2019 tickets have been a popular item at Hastings Store all summer and fall! Tourists love them. Mostly the tourists don't have much of an idea what the weather is like here in the winter or what the ice conditions could be in the the spring, but then again, there have been more than a few out-of-state winners in the past. Just lucky guesses, and that's what this game is all about.
     So get in touch with Diane, or go on line to get your tickets now or any time until midnight, April 1. And GOOD LUCK!