Ice Update and Back Roads

Diane sent this photo a couple of days ago and it got lost in the confusion that is my filing system. I found it today when I was looking for something else and realized I hadn't posted it. Her comment was, "It just sits there." Actually, nothing has changed except she told me tonight that one of the flags had fallen over. I think there were two this year so people could see it better from different angles. The only possible change is that after today the ice may be a little thicker. Most of the tickets are in, but there are usually a few mailed last minute that will come in. The mail is slow, and it takes a while for everything to clear. 

Henretta Splain is busy logging in tickets every day. She hasn't sent any photos of the piles that she's input or that are ahead of her, but I'm sure she has plenty ahead of her. We will let everyone know how many tickets were sold as soon as we know. In the meantime, the days keep passing and the pond looks solidly frozen. Diane said she has seen fishermen out there today. There may be spots where the ice isn't safe, such as near the narrows or where there is current from water coming in from brooks or culverts, so most people are wisely staying off the ice. The folks that are fishing out there know the ice where they fish, and hopefully will be safe.

It has been really cold all day, in spite of bright sunshine. I woke up to sunshine this morning and thought what a beautiful spring day it was going to be; then I opened the window to release a lady bug and it felt like January all over again. Along with the temperature remaining in the low 30s, there was a strong north wind today. The earth may be warming under all this snow, but slowly - very slowly!

I was going to to take in my one remaining bird feeder this week, but when we got all that icing a few days ago, I decided it was going to be pretty difficult for the little critters to get at food of any kind with all the bushes and trees iced over, so I continued to feed them. I am glad I did, because they seem to appreciate having it available. I spotted a robin yesterday, high in one of the spruce trees on the front lawn. I imagine they are finding enough bare ground on roadsides to manage - and bare ground is showing only a mile or so in any direction except north towards Walden. We have our own microcosm at Joe's Pond that extends from Walden to West Danville.

Middle son, Bob, and I went to the Hardwick Restaurant for lunch yesterday. That is the greatest spot to eat you can imagine. The waitress brought us menus and pointed out the "specials" board for the day; then she said there were additional items written on a chalk board up front and most people take a picture with their phones because there are too many items to try to remember. Indeed, the choices are almost unlimited! Not only that, I have been there often and have never been disappointed. Yesterday I had tomato soup that was delicious. I had lots of choices, broccoli and cheese, onion, and two or three others; but because I know everything is made on site, I decided to see what the tomato soup would be, and it turned out to be a great choice. Paired with a chef's salad that was mega-size with generous portions of ham, turkey and cheese on crisp lettuce with all the right good stuff included, I had more than I could eat. I finished the salad today with some canned tuna added, and it was still crisp and fresh, so it made another great lunch. Bob had a hot roast beef sandwich with mashed potato and lots of gravy. He's always been a hearty eater, and managed every morsel, but it would easily have made two meals for me. There are all varieties of home-made pies and other baked goods - but we decided not to go overboard with dessert.

We took back roads on the way home - through Greensboro, to Greensboro Bend and East Hardwick, then to whatever the road is that goes by Star School at the junction of Cole's Pond Road, and came out in Noyesville. In the East Hardwick area the road was being worked. All the back roads need attention, but most towns are waiting for more of the frost to get out, I think. We didn't find any deep mudholes, and that probably only means that the frost isn't fully out and there is worse to come. I thought I heard the grader this morning while I was working here in my office, but I didn't get up to look, and when I went for the mail there seemed to be big tire tracks as if the grader may have turned in my driveway or in Jamie's, and perhaps was working the section past our house towards Brickett's Crossing. I couldn't tell without walking over there, and with the wind blowing at me, I decided I could get along without knowing. I was glad to get back into my warm house. It's supposed to be warmer tomorrow. In the meantime, I'm seeing 31.4F on my thermometer at the moment, and the wind seems to be subsiding. It will be a cold night, but perhaps the sap will run tomorrow.