I know that some of you have been wondering how thick the ice is on Joe's Pond. I spoke with my friend (and former neighbor) Bob McKay, who regularly ice fishes off the east shore between Ted Chase's and Jane Milne's. Bob told me the ice is 30 inches thick. That's a lot of ice!! Not really surprising, given the below-zero temperatures we've had this year with no big thaws. That isn't to say it is that thick everywhere - there are abound to be places where water is flowing, either from brooks dumping into the pond or through the narrows, where the flow keeps the ice from freezing as deep. So there you have it. This is not really unusual, I believe. we've had years when it was thicker - and many years when it wasn't nearly that thick. What we don't know is what the weather will be like for the next two months or so, until the ice has melted. However, even though we may have some fairly warm days coming up in the weeks ahead, the nights will probably remain cold, and that will slow melting.

Jamie came today with his tractor and pushed snowbanks back so if we get another big storm, he'll have room to plow more. I was glad I didn't have to go out and shovel today - we didn't get much snow after we got it cleared yesterday. But the wind blew all day and I'm sure the chill factor was well below zero. My low overnight was -9 degrees, and I don't think we got out of the teens above all day. There was some sunshine, but it didn't amount to much.

In spite of the cold, snowmobilers are out and about - they all dress for the weather and don't seem to mind the cold at all. They are a big part of our Ice-Out Contest ticket sales, and this year has been very good so far. Looks like the jackpot will be right up there in the $5,000 range again. You will find all the latest Ice-Out information on the JPA website, www.joespondvermont.com. You can purchase tickets directly from the website, or you can find out where to pick them up in surrounding towns. The history of the contest can also be found there. Good luck, and remember, your guess is just as good as anyone else's. It's all up to Mother Nature when the ice goes out!