January 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.

Jan. 1, 2005 We’re having a very icy start to 2005. What began as freezing rain that closed down I-89 from Waterbury all the way up to the Canadian border, turned into just rain as the temperature rose about 10-15 degrees. More snow was washed away but the ice beneath remains and is being added to as more freezing rain falls today, glazing the windows and blurring our view. The forecast is for warmer weather to bring rain that will hopefully wash down the ice pack that’s coating both drives. A substantive snow dump would solve the problem too.

Jan. 4, 2005 Redpolls have returned, adding a splash of rosy color to the leafless trees. Weather further north must not be as mild as here to drive the flocks south of the border. We had an aggressive mourning dove yesterday, fanning its wings to drive the squirrels away. In the process, the dove would lose footing and glissade down the hill. Between the fanning and sliding, we had quite an interesting ballet. Bluejays have joined the morning feeders as well as our lone blackbird. Chickadees of course are our constant dining companions.

Jan. 7, 2005 Our 12 hour snowfall left a modest 3 to 4 inches of snow on the ground. It’s just enough to paint a beautiful winter scene and give better purchase to all that treacherous ice. It also gives a false sense of security to anyone who forgets what lies only a few inches underneath. Once we get a foot or 2 of new snow, that icy problem will be solved. Sunshine prevails as the clouds linger over the emerging distant mountains. A constant “breeze” keeps a dusting of snow in motion, sparkling in the otherwise crystal clear air.

Jan. 9, 2005 Sunday is living up to its name. Warm sunlight floods into the house, bringing solar warmth and a brightness that only occurs with the magnifying intensity of snow-reflected light. Another several inches fell yesterday, coating our world in a fresh mantle of white. Evergreen boughs are pointed downward with the weight of the snow. A classic more gentle winter scene finally delights our view. We lost the sun by early afternoon but it was still mild enough for a walk in the woods. I’ve only been on the snowshoes twice this winter so the trail is not yet established. It took some dead-ends and backtracking but I managed to open our winter path. I came across a beautiful impression of a grouse’s tail and was admiring it when the bird made its presence known, bursting into flight. It’s nature’s very own “stress test” for those of us who are lulled into the peaceful beauty of the winter woods. It looks like a mouse or two has been out, “knitting” trails in the snow. I guess they haven’t had enough snow to establish their winter tunnels and so are staying above ground for now.

Jan. 11, 2005 Zero this morning but full sun brightens the day. More snow overnight has painted a beautiful wintery scene. Warmer temps yesterday brought more icy precip, locking the pines in a brittle cloak of frost with intricate patterns of ice crystals and frozen snowflakes hung on the branches. Fortunately there was also enough snow to cushion the ground. Our off-again, on-again phone line is causing problems. We forget how dependent we are on the phone. Those e-mails really add up and although they may not be overly important, they are a regular part of our daily routine. Then of course it’s the regular phone calls that are now unintelligible and the business faxes that can’t come through the static. We do fine when we lose electricity but loss of telecommunications is a different story.

Jan. 18, 2005 We’re back home in the snow after 5 days in Florida to celebrate Dad’s 90th birthday. Four generations gathered for the great occasion and everyone from the 90 year old patriarch to the 1 1/2 year old youngest great grandson thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Unfortunately, Florida was mostly cloudy, cool and rainy but very green. We did manage a few hikes to enjoy the tropical flora and fauna, especially the exotic birds. We arrived home late last night to a cleared upper drive, a sanded porch and a welcoming light. Our well-cared for cats greeted us at the door. We’re very fortunate to have good, caring neighbors on Walden Hill. So now we’re attempting to warm up the house and will work on clearing the bottom drive for access to the garage. We didn’t appear to get too much snow while we were gone but the wind has piled the drifts up against the garage door. We actually left during a 24 hour January thaw but that brief chapter was quickly closed and subzero winter weather has resumed.

Jan. 20, 2005 It’s 5:00 and although the sun has set, twilight lingers. We’re just beginning to see an increase in daylight hours at day’s end. Winter still retains its tight grip as the thermometer heads down below zero. There’s talk of possible Northern Lights tonight. We’re fortunate to have good indoor viewing of the northern sky. The combination of howling winds and subzero temps makes it imperative to remain inside tonight.

Jan. 21, 2005 No luck with Northern Lights last night. The moon was just too bright. I had knocked on the thermometer a bit to unlock its iced-up spring mechanism. It went from 20° above to zero immediately and had reached 21° below this morning. Maybe I should have left it stuck at 20°. More sunshine on this cold day which is a real plus especially with wind-chill advisories in effect. “High” of 10° below today with 25° below tonight. Hopefully we’ll get a break from all this subzero weather soon. The only outside chore I did was a walk to the mailbox. Even with full sun at noon, it was a brutal few minutes to the road and back.

Jan. 23, 2005 We actually saw the thermometer rise all the way to zero today which is 25 degrees warmer than yesterday. Full sun gave a false impression of good snow-shoeing weather. I went out early afternoon to clear the stairs and refill the bird feeders, which are being emptied daily. A quick trip to the compost bin was the only additional time spent outdoors. The wind soon took away any hope of staying out for a snowshoe through the woods. Even with a double set of gloves and mittens, my hands were numb after only about 5 minutes outside. At least I was able to do a little more than just walk to the mailbox. Jeff was about to head out to snowblow when I came in and told him not to risk it. There’ll be plenty of time tomorrow and hopefully less wind and warmer temps for clearing the drive. The sun has just set, leaving a rosy glow on the snow and minus 10° on the thermometer.

Jan. 25, 2005 It’s a zero degree, sun-dog morning. A colorful ice-bow is rising with the sun, arcing and shooting up from the horizon through a misty, blowing snow. It actually warmed up to 20° above yesterday. Once the wind settled down, I headed out for a snowshoe. The ice base underneath with a fresh six inches of snow was perfect footing through the field and woods. Not too many tracks to see but there were a few telltale droppings. One was from a grouse, complete with a double wing impression landing. The others were neat rounded hare pellets. It was a pleasant and peaceful walk through the snow. I was hoping for a full moon snowshoe tonight but a minus 10° reading has convinced me to stay indoors. It sure is beautifully bright and clear.

Jan. 27, 2005 Went out for a noon snowshoe, taking advantage of the sun’s warmest hour on this subzero day. Fresh snow and very little wind made for a perfect, aerobic walk through the woods and field. Chickadees are trilling more boldly and regularly now, adding the warmth of their cheerful song to this otherwise frigid day. It feels good to be back into a more normal winter rhythm. First ice and lack of snow, then dangerously cold and windy weather kept me housebound. But there’s no need now to stay indoors, especially with full sun to brighten the day. Even indoors though, there was plenty to see. I caught a glimpse of a fox yesterday running through the woods across the road. His reddish-brown fur was easily visible against the snow. Then of course there are the magnificent starlit skies, shimmering in the subzero nights and the strong beacon of the full moon stretching long moon shadows across the brightly lit snow.

Jan. 31, 2005 We’re ending January on a relatively balmy note. Daytime temps have risen well up into the 20’s with an abundance of sunshine. Once the sun is down though, the thermometer hovers on either side of zero with sharp, clear starlit nights. The waning moon still rises with full brightness a little later each night. It always manages to send a floodlight beam into our bedroom loft just as we’re heading to sleep. It’s been a week of glorious snow-shoeing. There’s a very lengthy well-trodden canine track across the length of our field from Kittredge Road into the woods. It looks as though a pack of coyotes may have wandered through. There was also indication of a lone animal crossing the pond very near the old beaver lodge and a very artistically drawn mouse track near the cattails. Winter is putting on a more friendly daytime face for snowmobilers and kids with sleds all out playing in the snow. Night however continues to be indoor time with winter’s harshness holding on with a very firm, frigid grip.