Mostly I can report the same-old, same-old -- it's snowing. No surprise there. It's going to be one of those years, I guess. In spite of the nasty weather, the pond is almost entirely free of ice. I mentioned that in an email to Henretta Splain yesterday - how nice it was to see blue water, and her reply was, "What blue water?" She lives on the cove near the pavilion and the ice has packed in there, driven by strong northwest winds yesterday. There was an ice jam near the narrows in the big pond yesterday and ice in the cove near Barre Avenue. Still a little along the lower shore near Point Comfort in the second (middle) pond, and in the cove where Point Comfort's dock is in the first pond. Otherwise, the ponds are open. I don't anticipate they will re-freeze, even with the temperature remaining in the 30s.
     It is a bit discouraging to have continuous snow today. It seems to be mostly melting, although a few minutes ago it was beginning to stick to the branches of evergreens and was coating the pussy willows making them look like marshmallows, but now the temperature has risen a little to 39 degrees and although there is still snow in the air, it's not sticking to anything. I was afraid I'd put my snow shovel away too soon.
     This is the sort of stuff we used to call "farmers' fertilizer," and indeed, the grass is getting green as if being nourished by all the wetness. Grass doesn't mind this cold, wet weather like we humans do. Son, Bob, stopped by yesterday, thinking he'd get out on his trail bike, but that  might not have happened. I think he forgot how different the weather is here at Joe's Pond than it is even in nearby St. Johnsbury.
     The weather doesn't discourage the migrating birds. Karen Morris sent this picture taken in front of her house on the big pond (I mistakenly put her on the middle pond earlier - sorry, I knew better!) this morning. Thanks, Karen - a sure sign of spring. I'll bet they were glad to find open water! Only a few days ago, they might have had a bit of a hard landing.
     I  hope this snowy weather isn't too discouraging for the new year 'rounders for whom this is their first winter here - the Dodges on Channel Drive, and Alice and Albert Towle on Point Comfort Road. There are a lot of people on their way back to the pond, too - Jack and Sue LaGue and Jamie and Joanne Stewart are the one's I know about, and there may be others. 
     There are some who have their cottages on the market - the Andersons on Route 2 is for sale and also Francis and Gracia Berwick, their neighbors, are selling.  Francis told me keeping two places going is just too much work, much as they loved coming to camp. Our lives change over time and therefore so do our needs, desires and interests. 
    One thing I know for sure about Joe's Pond is that the population here is always in flux. I don't know how many times over the years I have published a directory and before the ink has dried, there were changes. Some of us just don't know any better and hang out, hang in there - whatever you want to call it. Year around here isn't for everyone, but some of us wouldn't have it any other way.