There's good news and bad news today. The good news is that the road between West Danville and Plainfield was undergoing some pot-hole patching today! Marshfield Village was being worked when we came through a little before noontime. I'm not sure which direction they were going in, but the stretch between Marshfield and Plainfield is particularly bad.

     Speaking of bad spots - the apron off of Route 2 onto West Shore Road is really bad - I don't know whether to say "again" or "still." There seems to be some sort of on-going problem there the Danville road crew hasn't been able to correct. It may have to do with the way people spin out getting from West Shore Road onto the pavement that makes holes that fill with water and then just get bigger - a recipe for gigantic potholes. If that's the case, maybe extend the apron further onto W. Shore Road. However, there is a culvert there and they wouldn't want to pave over that, probably. Actually, that culvert could use some attention, too. There has been a really deep hole on the north side where anyone hitting it will probably end up in the brook, one way or another. That's been there for a while - and like the other holes, it gets filled from time to time, but then opens up again.

     The bad news is that we're in for some more snow this weekend. There aren't many forecasters saying how much we can expect, but it's going to start tonight with an inch or so and then there will be more through tomorrow and Saturday. It could mean six or eight inches, I'm guessing - or maybe not. Maybe instead we'll get rain. That might take down some of the snow we have - like still three feet on our back lawn.
     Then we all know what's coming next. The season that comes after winter and before spring - mud season. I was looking for an old photo taken years ago of a Vermont car in mud, but I didn't find exactly what I was looking for - but I found tthis one -  some of you who don't live on a back road in Vermont probably think this is an exaggeration. Just be warned - don't go there! If you need to go someplace on a back road during mud season, walk or get a horse. Or wait for somebody to come along with a tractor or a jacked-up pickup with chains on. Look for one already covered in mud - that guy's a pro.
     There's more good news, though - the block is out on the ice! Larry's guys put it out there this morning, according to Diane Rossi. It looks darned lonely out there - and if we get much snow, it could disappear for a few days. But more good news is that there's absolutely no danger the ice will go out before the end of the contest on April 1st. As some of you know, that has been a concern at least twice. No worries this year! I'm thinking it will be late in April before it goes out. We'll see. 

    In the meantime, here are some signs of spring - but do't get too excited - the pictures are from Andy Rudin who lives in Melrose Park, near Philadelphia. They always are way ahead of us, but Andy sort of gets to enjoy two springs each year because he heads north to Joe's Pond almost as soon as we have bare ground. In the middle picture you can see the daffodils are almost ready to bloom. Thanks, Andy - in about six weeks, we may see something similar in our flowerbeds!
You give us hope!
     Now I'm going to go rest my tired, abused eyes. I am still getting shots in my eyes every eight weeks - but now I get both eyes done at once. It's not that bad, and the nice long stretch in between is very welcome. The first time I had both done at once, I said I would never do it again, I was so uncomfortable, but now - it's not that bad, and it gets it over with. In the meantime, "My eyes are fine!"