What Happened to Spring?

We've lost most signs of spring today. As predicted, the day turned colder and has been in the 40s and heading downward this afternoon with a very strong, cold wind that made it feel a whole lot colder. Andy Rudin sent a link about air quality (Here) and that got me to thinking: How on earth is air quality judged or measured? It seems to me that at Joe's Pond, the air is moving so darned fast most days, we're probably breathing air from dozens of locations miles away from here, and it is constantly changing. I think we could count on one hand the days that have remained calm for more than a few hours - ever! This year has been particularly windy at the pond. It's nice to know our air is better quality than most, but "our air" really doesn't hang around very long. Perhaps, like water running over sand, the air gets purified as it travels over the mountains and hills of Vermont, through maple and evergreen forests, and over farm fields. Some days it smells of wood smoke, some days we know one of our farm neighbors is "spreading"--but that is what Vermont's about. The report actually named Burlington, South Burlington and Barre, Vermont, as having the best air. It's all good - the air over those areas reaches us in a matter of a few minutes almost daily - unless we have wind from another direction and then we might get some off the mountains of New Hampshire or from the coast of Maine. Again, all good air. Especially that that comes out of Canada that's good, but gosh-awful cold.

I'm happy to be able to be back on my computer, finally. Today was my day to get shots in both eyes for Macular Degeneration (AMD). I've been getting these shots for many years, and each time it's different. Today everything went very well  and I was counting on a couple hours recovery time and I'd be back at my computer. I got the shots around 8:30 this morning and it has taken until now, after five o'clock, for my eyes to stop burning and tearing. So I sat in my recliner and listened to music, shades drawn against the light, tissues in my lap, waiting it out. I finally decided I'd had enough "easy listening" music, so I turned that off and listened to the wind, instead. There was plenty to hear.

When I finally raised the shades around five o'clock, there were big snowflakes scuttling past the window. I had been down for the mail in the middle of the afternoon, and it was really cold! I didn't linger, believe me. Of course, the only mail in the box was advertising, so I could have saved the trouble of bundling up and braving the cold.

The other thing that I want to share is a link to information Steve and Bev Allen sent yesterday from Responsible Wakes For Vermont Lakes organization. This is a group of concerned lake-property owners that formed last year, as I understand it. We do have a few of those big boats on Joe's Pond, so this is of interest to all of us. There is more information on a variety of websites, including state conservation/environmental departments.

In the meantime, Jamie has been trying to round up missing buoy markers from Smith's Point and other locations. I think he found one or two that were well off the mark due to the wind. He located the Ice-Out paraphernalia and bundled that so no ropes would get caught in propellers if someone happened to be out on the water this early (and this cold!) and let Diane know where it had ended up; and Diane reported yesterday that Kyle Johnson had retrieved all of it, so it's safely stored for another year. The wind has made this spring pretty interesting, so far--and has made more work for folks like Jamie and Kyle. We are fortunate to have so many willing volunteers who take really good care of things here at the pond all year long. It's the "year 'rounders" that take care of things like the Ice-Out Contest and others who chase wandering buoys, boats and sections of docks long after people have left in the fall and keep an eye on things during the long winter months when most of our community are sheltering in warmer climates. There is a lot going on here between October and May! So welcome back, summer residents - we'll hope to have warmer weather for you soon, but that's one thing the "year 'rounders" can't do much about!