December in Vermont

Below are excerpts from Ellen’s journal. She has kept her Walden Hill Journal going since we moved from Illinois. We hope you enjoy reading them for a vicarious experience of Vermont.

Dec. 1, 2006 Boisterous thunderstorms and torrential rain; now that’s a peculiar way to begin the month of December. The fields are saturated and sprouting “vernal” pools; rivers are overflowing. Our new chimney cap seems to be keeping the internal masonry dry. Heavy winds are creating “wrap around” rain so we’re getting a good test of our new setup. On the positive side, the car got a very thorough Vermont car wash in town today. And of course, there’s the old adage that you don’t need to shovel the rain. Our friends in the midwest are buried under a very major snow dump. I’m sure we’ll be experiencing the same soon enough.

Dec. 2, 2006 Snow flurries highlighted by sunshine are finally bringing us back to winter. Colder weather blew in overnight with temperatures steadily falling until we’ve reached the present 34°. Air aloft must be somewhat cooler to cause snowflakes to materialize. The ground is still not frozen which is good considering all the rain we’ve had. All that excess moisture that was pooling in the fields has been able to seep back into the ground. Nighttime temperature is 26° and falling. A light snow cover is reflecting back a bit of brightness in the muted moonlight. Last night I awoke to waves of light dancing on the celling. The strong winds must have kept the clouds moving across the moon, causing the unusual nocturnal light show.

Dec. 5, 2006 12° this morning after a low of 9°. A few inches of snow whiten the ground. Last night’s full moon spread a diffused but powerful light across the newly fallen snow. We spent some time in the woods with our neighbor’s surveyor yesterday and among other things, he pointed out a small maple in the field that had been used as a rubbing tree for the deer. The brightly polished trunk showed that the bucks are actively rubbing off their velvet in preparation for mating. Now that rifle season is over, the deer will be less disturbed and more able to concentrate on increasing their numbers.

Dec. 8, 2006 It’s a very chilly 6° this morning with no sun to counteract the cold. We have about 4 inches of new snow which gusty winds are restlessly rearranging into more significant drifts. The forecast is for the wind to die down a bit as the day progresses. We have an open calendar for today so can sit out the weather and wait a bit before doing some snow rearranging of our own. I’m well into Archer Mayor’s latest VT mystery and can think of no better way to spend the morning than pulling my chair up to the wood stove, pouring a cup of tea and getting lost in a good book.

Snow birds are returning. The first ones to grace our feeder are the slate-colored juncos. The afternoon sun has finally appeared, bringing the thermometer all the way up to 14°. It’s time for me to take advantage of the extra “warmth” of the sun and a slowing down of the wind to go out and shovel the stairs. Jeff is already out giving our snow thrower its first workout of the season.

Dec. 14, 2006 Temperatures in the mid-forties have rapidly brought down our beautiful snow cover. There are enough patches here and there to show that deer and moose have been through the back field and woods. Deer have left calling card piles as well. The woods and logging road are easily accessible in heavy boots and a single ski pole. Freshly gnawed stumps show that the beaver are still active along the series of small ponds that drain from the main larger one on Walden Hill Road. I was serenaded by rasping chickadees, “singing” as they harvested the abundant dry seeds in the field. One was busy pecking out seeds from the tiny, very compact tamarack cones. The early setting sun is spreading a gentle pink glow across the horizon. It’s only 4:00 and already the sun has set.

Dec. 19, 2006 Snow showers, backlit by the weak afternoon sun, come and go in spurts. The same effect creates a hazy, diffused light in the distant valleys. I’m in for the day, nursing a cold. One Pumpkin Hill performance is over but the other in Danville is still to come. I’m taking it easy to conserve energy for the upcoming concert. Meanwhile we seem to be losing our solar gain so I’d better go stoke up the stove. Outside temperatures started out at 26° this morning and climbed up to 30°. Now with the sun disappearing, we’re dropping back into the 20’s. It’s a good day to watch the mesmerizing falling snow.

Dec. 20, 2006 18°. It’s 7:25 and the sun is just cresting on the north side of Mt. Lafayette. A tiny cloud patch intensifies and colors the late rising sun. Tomorrow is the winter solstice, the longest night of the year. Days will actually begin to lengthen as we approach the coldest winter months. There’s lots of activity at the bird feeder this morning. Blue jays, chickadees, juncos and a flock of what appears to be female or juvenile purple finches. They seem satisfied with eating buds or remaining berries on the shads. Mostly the birds are perched, facing the rising sun and soaking in that solar warmth. Blue jays are noticeably puffed out to retain some body heat. Goldfinches in their muted winter plumage are frequenting the feeder as well.

Dec. 22, 2006 Mackerel clouds are setting the morning sky on fire. A telltale rosy glow spreads across our bedroom ceiling. Winter officially arrived at 7:22 PM yesterday. We celebrated the solstice, providing musical accompaniment for a joyous concert by Pumpkin Hill Singers. It’s become a yearly tradition to top off Danville’s festive Holiday on the Green with the Pumpkin’s concert. The audience had already sampled two hours of good food, drink and fellowship and was ready to settle in for the musical finale. The concert was well received and a good time was had by all.

Dec. 29, 2006 We finally have a few inches of snow cover and are seeing single digit temps. Bright sunshine also prevails to sparkle up this wintery day. I’ve been laying low during the holidays, trying to shake off my nasty cold. It’s hung on for 12 days now; not conducive to getting into the joy of the season. It’s however a good opportunity to snuggle up by the wood stove with a good book and drink lots of tea. We received a package with several special varieties of authentic English teas from our newly acquired British friends. That along with a box of Florida grapefruit from my sister are helping to pamper me and my cold. Of course having a little TLC from a cat or two curled up on my lap is beneficial as well.

Dec. 31, 2006 Fresh snow covers the ground on this last morning of 2006. Clouds are rapidly moving across the sky, interspersed with promising patches of blue. The sun sits low at the horizon and sends a bright shaft of light through the thinning clouds while an ice bow beams down a multicolored arcing light off to one side. Dramatic rays fan out from the sun to complete the morning drama.